Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Having made up his mind, Sun Chengzong acted very discreetly.

While he wouldn't be considered completely closed off from visitors, he was virtually invisible to everyone except for very close friends and family.

Many ministers could only interact with him during court ceremonies, which caused them considerable dissatisfaction.

However, Zhu Youjian was quite satisfied with this, thinking that Sun Chengzong was sensible.

He has already been granted the title of Marquis, and given the highest honors and official positions.

If Sun Chengzong is still not satisfied, he will let the civil officials take action, and there are people in the court who are jealous of Sun Chengzong.

Putting aside other things, Han Kuang's attitude towards Sun Chengzong's existence was quite ambiguous.

Although he wanted to use Sun Chengzong's influence to consolidate his power, Sun Chengzong's high position and close relationship with Yuan Keli made him feel uneasy.

If someone wants to target Sun Chengzong, he won't let Sun Chengzong fall, but he'd be happy to see Sun Chengzong suffer a setback.

What happened to Wang Yangming after he was granted a title? There are precedents for this.

In this situation, Sun Chengzong's decision to decline contact with others was absolutely a wise one.

However, Zhu Youjian was not satisfied with just that. He summoned Li Fengxiang, the head of the Imperial Horse Administration, and said:
"The rule that nobles and military personnel should not form factions was established by me some time ago."

"Go to the Privy Council, the Ministry of War, and the Five Ministries and have them jointly issue an official document."

“Any connection with any political party or social organization must be clearly severed.”

“Those who believe in non-orthodox religions or do not accept the City God’s faith will also be transferred from the military.”

"No religious sect may develop followers in the army without the permission of the City God priests. The religious activities of soldiers must be reported to the City God priests and supervised by guards at all levels."

This is a new demand he made while promoting the policy of non-partisanship among military personnel.

As one of the most influential social groups, religion was subject to strict surveillance by Zhu Youjian.

He was confident in controlling Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. He was also able to accept the spread of sects that accepted the emperor as the supreme god on earth and whose deities were officially recognized as righteous gods within the army.

Other sects declined to participate, and their followers were to be expelled from the military to prevent advanced weapons and tactics from being stolen by certain believers.

The City God priests, together with the guards, will be responsible for the ideological education of the army and provide spiritual support to the soldiers.

Li Fengxiang asked cautiously:

"What should we do if someone is hiding something?"

Zhu Youjian said with a serious expression:
“If they conceal it, they will be severely punished. The Military Supervisory Office and the Embroidered Uniform Guard both have supervisory responsibilities.”

"Furthermore, I will draft a military oath, which all soldiers shall swear before my portrait and the national flag of the Ming Dynasty."

“Those who break their oath can be arrested on charges of deceiving the emperor, and then their specific responsibilities will be investigated.”

Following the style of oaths used in later generations, the following oath is drafted:

I am a soldier of the Ming Dynasty, and I solemnly swear: to be loyal to His Majesty, loyal to the court, to obey orders, and to follow commands. To be devoted to my duties, to be independent and unaffiliated, to strictly observe discipline, and to keep secrets. To be brave and tenacious, unafraid of sacrifice, to diligently hone my skills in killing the enemy, and to be ready for battle at any time. To never betray the army, and to vow to defend the Ming Dynasty to the death.

Li Fengxiang, Yuan Keli, and others were instructed to draft the oath-taking procedure together. Once it was formalized into a system, it was submitted to the emperor and issued as an imperial edict, thus gaining legal status.

This system will later be incorporated into military law as part of the new system of rites and music.
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Li Fengxiang was in charge of military affairs in the palace. After Zhu Youjian neglected his duties, he often reviewed and approved the court's memorials on military matters.

He had a good relationship with Yuan Keli; when conveying instructions at the Privy Council, he specifically mentioned:

"Lord Yuan should speak carefully with Lord Sun and make him clearly draw a line between himself and the Donglin Party."

“He already wielded considerable power as a nobleman, and he also had fiefdoms.”

"Stop forming cliques and factions in the army, lest you disturb His Majesty's peace of mind."

Yuan Keli nodded slightly, clearly knowing who the emperor's order was aimed at. Sun Chengzong, of course, was very sensible and didn't get involved in such messy matters.

However, some people insisted on bringing him in. For example, the Northern Confucian Society, which split off from the Donglin Party, wanted to bring him in.

He planned to advise his friend not to continue being ambiguous about the Donglin Party issue. He should sever ties decisively and not remain entangled.

Sun Chengzong still holds the title of Privy Councilor and is the Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies, so he naturally knows about this matter.

He sighed deeply, knowing that he couldn't avoid making this statement now.

The current emperor is outwardly lenient but inwardly suspicious; he appears very kind but actually distrusts no one.

Even loyal ministers like Yuan Keli have been subject to several ups and downs. This is the third time they've elevated him, giving him the high position of Privy Councilor.

If one fails to recognize the situation after the emperor has made it clear, one will soon face repercussions from the emperor.

Faced with this situation, Sun Chengzong naturally knew what choice to make.

However, as a self-proclaimed scholar of the Qingliu faction and a marquis, Sun Chengzong had a sense of shame and would not openly publish in the newspaper that he had severed ties with the Donglin Party.

After the military oath was passed, he, along with the commanders of the Five Military Commissions, publicly swore an oath in the imperial court, declaring that as a soldier, he would strictly abide by the regulations.

All the past grievances were cast aside after the oath was taken. This naturally included the relationship with the Donglin Party.

Zhu Youjian was quite satisfied with this statement, especially the fact that Sun Chengzong led those meritorious officials in taking an oath, which greatly alleviated his worries about these people.

Overjoyed, he ordered the Ministry of Justice to issue a public document, commanding newspapers such as the Imperial Gazette and the Capital Gazette to report on the matter.

The ongoing music festival is soliciting military songs, and outstanding submissions will be selected to join the newly formed Ming Dynasty Military Band.

This matter became widely known and caused a sensation in the capital.

Music festivals are a major event in Beijing, and the people of Beijing still have a good impression of the heroes who made contributions to Liaodong.

Seeing these people taking the lead in swearing an oath to protect the Ming Dynasty, their enthusiasm was immediately ignited.

Many people actively submitted their work, and some even sang their own songs in the street.

Singers chanted phrases like "Good sons and daughters should join the army" and "Serving the country in the military is the greatest honor," which greatly changed the traditional notion that "good men don't become soldiers" and elevated the status of soldiers.

Under Zhu Youjian's orders, the Military Service Department's Mobilization Hall held a briefing session, inviting meritorious soldiers to recount the official positions and lands they had received.

The feudal nobles and hereditary soldiers made many ordinary people realize that:

Joining the army and making meritorious contributions was a way out, an opportunity for them to rise in rank, become officials, and acquire land.

The recruitment drive of the Beijing Garrison was immediately launched, and those who had no other options and were unwilling to accept their current situation began to join the army.

Amidst this bustling scene, the purge of some personnel from the military naturally went unnoticed.

Some soldiers who insisted on believing in non-theistic sects or participated in gangs were purged.

They either transferred to other jobs or found their own way to make a living, receiving some severance pay.

However, because these individuals were highly capable and potentially destabilizing, Zhu Youjian ordered the formation of a foreign legion, allowing them to join. Regardless of their Ming citizenship, anyone swearing allegiance to the emperor could join.

The Western mercenaries recruited by Xu Guangqi from Xiangshan'ao were transferred to the Foreign Legion.

His influence within the military has greatly diminished since he was previously in charge of training the new army.

His idea of ​​having Sun Yuanhua return to a military post also came to nothing.

Even those who held positions in the Privy Council, such as Zhang Tao and Han Yun, had to leave the church.

Apart from the foreign legions, the influence of Nestorian Christianity within the military was completely eradicated. (End of Chapter)