The six-dimensional pictures of emperors of all dynasties were exposed, and the ancestors panicked

Chapter 738: Defending the North and Expanding the South - Emperor Jiaqing
On the canopy.

One after another, colorful paintings that were clearly different from the Central Plains ink painting style flashed by.

From emperors to officials.

From peddlers to prisoners.

From a petty official to the army.

Countless landscapes and buildings are realistically printed on paper.

……

【The British delegation investigated the Qing Dynasty from a cultural and sociological perspective. 】

[Religion, rituals, agriculture, foreign trade, government, law, economy, literature, art, music, language, etc. are all within the scope of investigation. ]

……

{They annotated several Chinese songs with five-line musical notation and annotated them with English pronunciation imitating Chinese pronunciation, and listed the English translation text under the pronunciation.}
{The most famous song among them is "Jasmine Flower" which is still sung today}
{On the way to Rehe, they saw the Great Wall.}
{In Western classics, the Great Wall of China has always been a god-like existence. The early Portuguese work "China in Portuguese Literature in the Sixteenth Century: An Overview of the Chinese Empire" mentioned the Great Wall.}
{The British were very excited when they first saw the Great Wall, but after calming down, they came to the opposite conclusion. Lieutenant Parrish of the delegation made a detailed measurement of the Great Wall and believed that the wall could withstand small firearms and was stronger than the walls of medieval Europe, but could not withstand ordinary artillery fire.}
{As they passed the Great Wall, they silently estimated the formation and number of the Qing army. He even measured the feet of a young woman, which were only five and a half inches long.}
{…less than 14 centimeters? Not even as long as a cell phone today?}
{Three-inch golden lotus... fuck...}
{The British consciously collected all the data about the Qing Dynasty.}
{As for the Qing Dynasty...it's hard to say.}
……

[At that time, China was at the end of the Kangxi and Qianlong eras, but the British had already predicted that its future was not good.]

[This behemoth still looks majestic, but it is too closed and backward, and is only supported by its residual power. ]

[It seems as if all Western knowledge never existed, and all reverence for science has been replaced by monolithic centralization.]

[When the emperor thought he could abandon everything overseas to maintain the stability of his regime, his fate was sealed.]

……

The Second Emperor of Qin (Timeline of Ziying's Succession to the Throne)

He wore a long crown and a black robe.

Ziying knelt on the table.

He looked at the sky and said slowly:

"Prime Minister..."

"I am determined to reform the law."

Li Si knelt opposite, his face expressionless.

He knew that Ziying would definitely carry out reforms.

If there is no change, Qin will still perish in the second generation.

Then what’s the point of him deposing Hu Hai or not?
But the reform also depends on how it is carried out!
It depends on what the emperor thinks...

"I wonder what your majesty's inclination is?"

Ziying's eyes sank slightly and he straightened his back subconsciously.

"Tendency..."

"Prime Minister... Why did the Qin Empire collapse at its most powerful moment?"

Sweat broke out on Li Si's forehead.

Do all emperors like to ask such fatal questions?
"According to Tianmu, it is all due to the abuse of people's power, harsh punishments and harsh laws, etc."

Ziying didn't say anything, he just looked at Li Si.

Li Si subconsciously wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Looks like we need to come up with something real.

"His Majesty."

"It took more than 550 years for the Qin Dynasty to rise and unify, but it took less than three years for it to collapse and perish."

"According to the mirror of the sky that reflects the past and present, I have summarized three essentials and accepted the demise of the past dynasties."

Ziying raised his hands and folded them together, bowing and saying:

"Please teach me, Prime Minister."

Li Si quickly returned the greeting and said in a deep voice:

"Xiang Ji said that he could be replaced."

"Liu Bang said, a real man should be like this."

"Chen Sheng and Wu Guang said, are there any kings, princes, generals or ministers of different species?"

“The key to the downfall of nations throughout the ages lies in these three words.”

Li Si reached out and picked up the bamboo slips, carving knife and small tripod on the table.

They lined up one by one and said:

"Xiang Ji, a noble of the six kingdoms, a top figure in the world."

The small tripod is placed in the center.

"Liu Bang, the tyrants, the knights-errant, the citizens, the officials, the merchants, the middle-class elites of the world."

The carving knife is placed on the lower right corner of the small tripod.

"Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, the lower-class people of the Qin Dynasty struggling on the brink of life and death."

The bamboo slips are placed in the lower left corner of the small tripod.

Li Si stretched out his hand to signal Ziying to look at the three-legged tripod, and said slowly:
"So, when he can replace him, a real man should be like this, and kings, princes, generals and ministers are not of the same kind. These three sentences appear at the same time."

"My Great Qin was destroyed just like that... like a rotten tree."

Ziying looked at the three objects on the ground and nodded slightly.

"But Prime Minister, what does this have to do with the past dynasties?"

Li Si put his hands into his sleeves and bowed his head.
"Because the road to the fall of all dynasties is to follow the track of the Qin Dynasty."

"Why did the Qin Dynasty collapse?"

"In a nutshell, it's all because Qin's law shattered everyone's sense of security."

"They refused to submit to Qin's oppression and unification."

Li Si cupped his hands and said loudly:

"Our Great Qin can certainly rise through military merit, but it can also fall by violating the Qin laws that are as dense as cream and as complicated as autumn tea."

"There is no time limit for imprisonment, lifelong service, and there are status differences, such as marquis, Sikou, slaves, and concubines. The management methods and legal treatment are very different."

"The number of prisoners relocated to Ling County alone reached a quarter of the county's registered residents."

"The huge number of prisoners weakened the foundation of the Qin Dynasty's system of equal registration of citizens."

"In other words, Qin law is now extremely exclusive and narrow."

"It viewed as an enemy anyone who did not follow the Qin dynasty's way of doing things, and used brutal and high-handed tactics to crush them."

“Therefore, in terms of culture, it must adopt a policy of restricting thought and suppressing heresy, encouraging practicality and opposing humanity.”

"In short, the court's cultural policy was based on extreme anti-cultural tactics."

"Your Majesty, this is not just the cause of Qin's fall."

“It has been like this throughout the ages.”

Li Si felt that he had said almost everything, and concluded:
"Society is in decline and needs to be rebuilt."

"The reform of our Great Qin must start from the roots, which are very different from the land of Qin."

“First, abolish the policy of keeping the people ignorant and attach importance to governing the country through culture.”

“Second, the prosperity of the people’s livelihood is the foundation of the country.”

"Third, the foundation for ensuring long-term stability in the country is to greatly reduce the power and expenses of government, practice strict economy, and govern according to the law."

"The system is governed by law, and it overcomes the rule of man."

Ziying fell silent as he listened.

This is no longer a reform...

This is the reconstruction of the Qin Dynasty!
He looked at the various scenes in the sky and thought of the Han Dynasty again.

"This world... may not be impossible to be named Qin..."

"Prime Minister, is there any chance that Xiang Ji can be used by me?"

Li Si shook his head silently.

Ziying sighed slightly.

"what a pity……"

……

The period of Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty
"In my opinion, the population of more than 300 million during the Qianlong period was simply the result of the large amount of arable land left over from the Ming Dynasty's large-scale development of Jiangnan."

Huo Guang sat opposite Liu Fuling, his eyes focused, and he said calmly:

"The greatest achievement of the Qing dynasty rulers was to maintain domestic peace for more than a hundred years, allowing the population to grow normally."

Liu Fuling picked up the wine cup from the lacquer tray, took a sip, and said with a smile:

"The general doesn't think highly of the Qing dynasty."

Huo Guang remained calm, he nodded slightly and said softly:

"From what I have seen, the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties since Zhu Di were all worthless."

Liu Fuling's hand holding the wine cup paused slightly, with a curious expression on his face.

"Appreciate further details."

Huo Guang said bluntly:
"During the Tang Dynasty, Chinese navigation technology had developed to the point where long-distance transportation along the coastline was possible."

"During the Southern Song Dynasty, the coastal areas gradually surpassed the inland areas of the Yangtze River Basin and became the economic center."

"But the Southern Song Dynasty was not ambitious and lived in complacency, and did not transform the strategic advantages brought by overseas trade into real military combat effectiveness." "The Southern Song Dynasty was eventually destroyed by the Mongolian army."

Liu Fuling brought the wine cup to his lips and replied:
"Then there came Zhu Yuanzhang who reshaped the world."

Huo Guang nodded and said:
"I don't want to say much about Zhu Yuanzhang's personality and policies."

"But the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, which once again achieved the feat of bridging the north and the south, cannot be faulted."

"Due to geographical factors, although the economy in the south is prosperous, it is cut off by mountains and rivers, making it difficult to organize large troops to conduct rapid mobile operations."

"Although the land along the Yellow River in the north has less land output and a smaller population, the troops are more mobile, while the width of the Yangtze River is not enough to resist the large northern troops moving southward."

“So to protect the maritime trade along the Yangtze River and along the southeast coast, the new regime had to effectively rule the north and resist the southward advance of ethnic minority armies north of the Great Wall.”

"No matter what Zhu Di's mentality was, this decision to move the capital of the Ming Dynasty to Beijing was inevitable after the scope of China expanded to a certain extent."

Liu Fuling kept repeating the word "inevitable" in his mouth, and he seemed to understand it in his heart. He subconsciously said:
"Because of the economic development of the South?"

Huo Guang looked up at the emperor and said sternly:

"Of course."

"Since ancient times, China has regarded the Central Plains as its confidant and the four directions as its brothers and sisters."

“But by the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Huaxia had two confidants.”

"One is that it has been around since ancient times, and the other is the lifeblood of the world."

“This is the first time this has happened.”

"So Zhu Di's strategy was based on preserving his two trusted confidants."

"He defended the north and personally led the army deep into the Mongolian desert many times, breaking up the Yuan regime into nomadic tribes again."

"Expand southward, build a strong navy with national strength, organize large-scale fleets to sail to the Western Ocean, and open up trade routes."

"In the south, more effort is put into seafaring activities."

"This change is a necessary choice after the expansion of territory and the shift of economic center, and it is also a very correct choice."

“The world is not static.”

"Since the South can become the lifeline of the Central Plains, why can't maritime trade become the lifeline of China?"

"Confucian scholars talk about the governance of the Three Dynasties."

Huo Guang looked at the emperor who seemed to be thinking deeply, and said softly:

"But my Han territory was not given to me by anyone."

The corner of Liu Fuling's mouth twitched, but he blocked it with the wine cup.

He understood now.

This requires taking two steps at a time!
Aren’t you afraid of getting your balls pulled?
“It’s really a long-term solution.”

Liu Fuling drank the wine in one gulp.

"Let's point out a path for future generations. Just walk slowly."

"It also saves us from having to keep going around in circles on this small piece of land."

"at last……"

Liu Fuling looks at the "British" in the sky

"Let an outsider beat him up."

……

On the canopy.

In front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

A eunuch who was neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin, held a yellow silk cloth and read loudly to the square in front of the palace:
"My grandfather reigned for sixty-one years, and I dare not compare with him. If I am blessed by the heavens, by the sixtieth year of Qianlong's reign, I will be eighty-five years old, and I will pass the throne to my son and retire from government affairs."

"Now I know enough to teach and accept, and I am the first complete person in the history."

Amidst the ministers’ kowtow and cheers.

Qianlong, wearing a black fox warm hat, a yellow dragon robe and a sable hood, stood up from the throne.

His bright eyes slowly swept towards the square in front of the temple.

In the square in front of the temple.

Thousands of princes and ministers, wearing brilliant feathers on their crowns and gorgeous court robes, bowed and knelt like a tide to the sound of solemn Shao music.

Looking at the man who slowly knelt down in front of him.

Qianlong smiled and handed the large green jade seal "Emperor's Treasure" in his hand, which was three inches and nine tenths of an inch wide and one inch thick, to the man kneeling in front of him.

"Although it is an internal Zen, the era name must be announced."

"Then change the reign title to Jiaqing."

"Same as your title of prince."

The man took out the jade seal, suppressed his excitement, and said in a trembling voice:
"My son prays day and night for the health of His Majesty."

……

[The 1795th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign ()]

【Qianlong, who had been emperor for sixty years, made a surprising decision. 】

What decision?

【Hand over the throne while you are still alive. 】

[He said that when he first ascended the throne, he had sworn to heaven that he would only be emperor for 60 years, leaving the record of the longest reign to his grandfather, Kangxi.]

【Qianlong's decision surprised everyone in the world.】

【Because there was no emperor in the Qing Dynasty who "abdicated". 】

[We know that "abdication" is of course a nice word, because Yao and Shun were both famous for abdication. ]

[But the power of Chinese emperors is generally lifelong, so if you abdicate, it means that you have a high character and are not greedy for power or position, which is of course a good thing.]

【But "abdication" is also very risky. 】

[Throughout history, apart from the legendary Yao and Shun, most abdications since ancient times were forced, and most of the retired emperors had a miserable end. ]

……

{Indeed, Tang Gaozu Li Yuan was forced to abdicate the throne by his son Li Shimin before he had served as emperor for long. After being a lonely emperor for nine years, he died quietly.}
……

Tang Dynasty and Emperor Gaozu's period
Li Yuan threw the quilt wrapped around him to the ground again!
"I am here now, right?"

Li Jiancheng also thought of becoming a "headless knight"

Li Shimin changed his position somewhat awkwardly.

Freeze said!
Nothing has happened...at least not now.

……

{Tang Xuanzong became the Empress Dowager, and lived in fear of her son's suspicion every day. The ministers and friends around her were exiled one by one, and she was eventually placed under house arrest by her son and died in depression.}
……

Tang Xuanzong Period
Li Longji accepted it calmly.

We're all used to it.

Generally, when taking inventory of those bad things, I always include myself.

"Emperor Taizong must be tired of it."

Li Longji glanced at Yang Yuhuan, who looked expectant, and said sourly:
"So no one comes to educate me anymore."

"You, stop looking!"

……

{Several other emperors in Chinese history, such as Emperor Huizong of Song, Emperor Gaozong of Song, and Emperor Yingzong of Ming, were also tragic figures, and all of them had tragic endings.}
……

Ming dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang could understand Qianlong's thoughts.

Don't mention anything else.

Solving the succession issue while you are still alive can minimize the shock of the power transfer.

Ensure that the stability of the dynasty is not threatened in any way.

After all, the transfer of power has always been a difficult problem to solve.

If the emperor is critically ill or dead, his hands are no longer able to wield the power effectively, and accidents are very likely to occur during the handover process.

Therefore, Qianlong did this to minimize the risks during the transfer of power in successive dynasties.

and……

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Biao, thoughtfully.

You can also gain a good reputation.

……

[The sixty-first year of Qianlong's reign, the first year of Jiaqing's reign (1796), the first day of the first lunar month.]

【Qianlong held a "abdication ceremony". At 7:00 am, Qianlong's fifteenth son Yongyan ascended the throne and became emperor.】

[The reign title was changed to Jiaqing, and he was called "Emperor Jiaqing" in history]

【An unprecedented record in Chinese history was born.】

【The smoothest transfer of power in Chinese history was successfully completed. 】

(End of this chapter)