Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Spurred on by Yuan Keli, Sun Chengzong almost agreed on the spot.

However, he ultimately had to consider his own life and fortune, and after calming down, he asked:
"With the Jianwen Emperor's reforms serving as a cautionary tale, how could His Majesty not be prepared for the restoration of rites and music?"

"Brother Yuan, what are the Emperor's preparations? You should at least tell me."

"We can't just jump in without knowing anything."

Yuan Keli nodded and praised:
"Brother Sun is still so calm; he is a man capable of handling important matters."

"To tell you the truth, His Majesty has been preparing to rebuild the empire for the past few years."

Sun Chengzong was shocked to hear this, never expecting the emperor to be so pessimistic about the situation.

In his view, although the current situation in the Ming Dynasty cannot be described as a peaceful and prosperous era, it is far from being in a state of great chaos.

Since ascending the throne, the current emperor has quelled the She-An Rebellion and recovered Liaodong and other areas, thus saving the Ming Dynasty.

Why is the emperor so pessimistic, preparing to rebuild the empire?
Completely puzzled, Sun Chengzong asked blankly:
"To rebuild the world?"

"Who are we going to fight?"

Yuan Keli quickly responded:

"Go and defeat all those who resist, and implement the new system of rites."

"His Majesty is determined to restore the rites and music, and there is no way he will give up halfway."

"If the conflict is truly irreconcilable, the Emperor will lead the new army to reclaim the empire and suppress all resistance forces."

"Both of us have been through war, so we should know the fighting strength of the new army."

"Using them to attack other places is absolutely a sure thing, every single time."

Sun Chengzong listened in silence, but he believed what he was told.

The fighting strength of the new army was beyond his expectations; otherwise, the Liaodong campaign last year would not have spiraled out of control.

With the tens of thousands of new troops that the imperial court currently has, it is possible to reclaim the country.

Not to mention that new firearms were constantly being produced, and the imperial court was constantly training new armies.

Thinking of the situation in Liaodong, Sun Chengzong said in a hoarse voice:
"The fact that the Restoration Army has been placed under the Imperial Guard means that His Majesty is preparing for Liaodong, right?"

"If you want to rebuild your empire, you first need a secure rear base."

"With the capital and Beizhili backed by the Northeast, and control over the Grand Canal and the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area, there is no force in the world that can rival us."

"This is Emperor Chengzu's strategy for pacifying the rebellion; His Majesty has truly played a grand game!"

In the past, when Emperor Chengzu quelled the rebellion, he first subdued the various armies of Daming to stabilize his rear, and then marched south along the Grand Canal, capturing Nanjing and establishing his dynasty.

The current emperor's military deployment is clearly modeled after this, which means he is preparing to conquer the world again.

It's no wonder that Yuan Keli was so worried and wanted him to mediate between the emperor and his ministers in the court.

If things escalate to this point, it will be a disaster for everyone in the world.

As a responsible scholar-official, Sun Chengzong naturally did not want to see this situation.

He said to Yuan Keli:

"With this preparation, the victor will surely be the emperor."

"Brother Yuan, rest assured, I will definitely participate in something that is a sure thing."

Yuan Keli smiled and said:

"In that case, in a few days you will resign as the Governor of the Beijing Garrison and take up the post of Governor of the Great Wall to help His Majesty stabilize the troops around the capital and prevent any rebellion."

"His Majesty also believes you have talent in border defense, and has appointed you as a member of the Court of Colonial Affairs to establish a border defense committee."

“Any government office that is involved in frontier affairs can be included in this committee. Moreover, it does not need to go through the cabinet and can handle the matter itself in the name of the Court of Colonial Affairs.”

"In other words, you are the prime minister of frontier affairs, and you can make decisions on all matters beyond the Great Wall on your own."

"Even if you call him a border support, that's not entirely unacceptable!"

As the highest-ranking official, Sun Chengzong held the title of regent minister, and he was fully responsible for border affairs, so he certainly deserved the title of border regent.

Although their power cannot compare to that of the Grand Secretary, the Second Grand Secretary, or the Privy Councilors, they are much more free. They don't need to pay attention to anyone except the Emperor's orders.

Moreover, with this title, he became one of the prime ministers in the imperial court, and naturally had the power to regulate yin and yang.

The fact that the emperor and Yuan Keli made these arrangements indicates that they were already prepared.

After Sun Chengzong figured it out, a smile appeared on his face.

This was not only because he felt valued, but also because the position offered opportunities to make contributions and potentially elevate his rank.

Based on his understanding of the current emperor, as long as he could recover the former Han and Tang territories beyond the Great Wall and establish the three-tiered border defense line according to the court's plan, not only would his achievements be recorded in history, but the emperor would also not be stingy with the title of duke—

This was what he cared about most; his title of First-Class Marquis was only one rank away from that of a Duke.

However, the status of a duke is far superior to that of a marquis, and the area of ​​his fiefdom is also 90,000 square miles larger.

Therefore, after realizing that becoming a high-ranking official was out of the question, Sun Chengzong's greatest hope was to be promoted in rank. He even fantasized about being posthumously granted the title of Prince of the Second Rank and having his name listed in the Imperial Library, thus becoming one of the highest-ranking meritorious officials in the Ming Dynasty.

He thought to Yuan Keli:

"I will submit my resignation letter right away."

"I can also handle matters concerning the balance of Yin and Yang."

"As long as I am here, the capital and Beizhili will not be in chaos, and no one should try to cause trouble here."

"If anyone has any ill intentions, they'll have to get past me first."

Yuan Keli was satisfied and felt very reassured about Sun Chengzong.

Sun Chengzong may not have been very good at fighting; he was good at defense but not offense.

But it is precisely because of this trait that he is very steady in doing things.

With him in charge of military power in Beizhili, there will definitely be no problems.

Compared to that, he was more worried about the Beijing garrison, fearing that the nobles had too much influence there.

Therefore, he instructed Sun Chengzong to make arrangements to transfer some meritorious officials from Liaodong to the Beijing garrison.

He was helpless against the Imperial Guard and the Eagle Flying Army. If the emperor insisted on using force, he had no way to stop him.

However, given the current emperor's emphasis on etiquette and the establishment of laws, he will always have a legitimate reason for doing anything. He will not act recklessly unless absolutely necessary.
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The two were so busy with this matter that they even brought Liu Lishun into it.

As the emperor's chosen successor, Yuan Keli valued Liu Lishun highly and considered him a person to whom he could entrust important matters.

Liu Lishun was equally shocked when he learned that the emperor was preparing to rebuild the empire.

Because he hadn't expected the emperor to be so pessimistic:

"People in various regions are very supportive of the parliament and like the emperor's saying that the emperor, his ministers, and the people should govern the country together."

"As long as the people's hearts are still with the country, and it doesn't come to the point of having to fight for the country again, no one can truly rebel."

This was his feeling, and also the reason why he quickly set up a parliament.

The overwhelming support from the people for the parliament was propelling him forward. Yuan Keli was also aware of the public's, especially the gentry's, support for the parliament, as it was highly beneficial to them.

However, these people might not support the emperor's other measures.

For example, the creation of the Yellow Book still has many problems.

He said to Liu Lishun:

"It is suggested that the gentry support this, but they have their own ideas about how to make the suggestion."

"If the emperor hadn't forcibly set it, the proportions of scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, and property owners, as well as the poor, would not have been so easy to determine."

“You should be well aware of this as you are in charge of establishing the Shuntian Prefecture Council.”

This made Liu Lishun fall silent, thinking of some of the voices that had been circulating recently.

Indeed, many people in Shuntian Prefecture proposed to increase the proportion of gentry, as property owners wanted to take away the seats of poor people as councilors.

If it weren't for his unwavering determination and the emperor's support, these people could have actually altered the proportions through various connections.

Thinking back to how the emperor restricted land and slavery in Suzhou and Songjiang, and how it was ultimately the Eagle Flying Army that quelled the unrest, Liu Lishun nodded and said:

"There is indeed a possibility of unrest, and the Emperor's concerns are not unfounded."

"However, the possibility of major chaos is not high, as the local authorities do not have such a powerful force."

Yuan Keli shared this view, but as the head of the Privy Council, he knew that everything had to be considered first. He said to Liu Lishun:
"We must prepare in advance whenever there is even the slightest possibility of something going wrong."

"I have ordered the General Staff to develop contingency plans so that there are ways to deal with any rebellions that occur in various places."

"We will hold more exercises in the future to deter unruly local forces."

This was something he and Sun Chengzong had agreed upon, using the pretext of preventing rebellion to hold exercises and deter local forces.

That way they will be more obedient and won't be ignorant of the emperor's authority.

Liu Lishun nodded silently, knowing that this was the only way.

If it weren't for the Eagle Army and the Engineering Battalion keeping things in check, the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area would never be so peaceful.

The restoration of rites and music throughout the land requires a large army to maintain order. That way, even if chaos arises, it will not endanger the state.

Upon hearing these words, Liu Lishun's heart tightened, and he said to his teacher:
"Sir, I believe we should expedite the formulation of laws and regulations to solidify the agreed-upon powers such as those related to war and martial law."

"Only in this way will the emperor have the authority to continue the restoration of rites and music."

"Otherwise, if the emperor has no power and has to stop remaking the rites and music for the sake of the country, that would truly be a great disaster!"

Yuan Keli hadn't thought of it that way before, but he became worried after hearing Liu Lishun say it.

He had previously advised the emperor not to rush into reforming the rites and music, but he did not expect that if reforming the rites and music endangered the country, the emperor might back down.

That would be troublesome; the factional strife between the old and new factions of the Northern Song Dynasty would soon appear in the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, he immediately said:
"Your considerations are quite sound!"

"The powers of war, martial law, and pardons that should be granted to the emperor should be decided as soon as possible."

"Otherwise, if those ministers are allowed to force the emperor to suffer losses, the emperor might really overturn the table and stop the restoration of rites and music."

"At the joint meeting on April 16th, draft out all the necessary etiquette and regulations without any reservations."

Liu Lishun nodded and then suggested to Yuan Keli:

"Regarding the provisions of military law, I believe the Privy Council should take the initiative."

"Now the imperial court is training a new army equipped with firearms, and the military system and merit system are very different from those in the past."

"Students thought that military laws, such as military regulations, needed to be revised."

Yuan Keli was about to retire and wanted to continue the system he had established. He nodded and said:
"These are all being drafted and will be submitted to parliament in the future to be formally turned into law."

"Your Shuntian Prefecture Council cannot have too few military officers."

"The greatest power of the Five Military Commands now is to protect the rights and interests of the soldiers, and they are keeping a close eye on it."

Having a seat in parliament means having the right to speak.

The nobles and generals of the Five Offices who had been expelled from the court recommendation process and had suffered losses in this regard were very concerned about the matter of military officers serving as councilors. They even discussed with the Privy Council and the Ministry of War the possibility of giving them the right to recommend military officers as councilors.

Although Yuan Keli rejected the proposal, he still allowed the five prefectures to participate in the election of military officers as councilors. Their civilian military officers could also be considered military officers, and they needed these military generals to lead the way and retain their councilor seats.
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After the master and apprentice discussed and agreed, the previously agreed-upon rules and regulations, such as the right to wage war and the right to impose martial law, were quickly drafted.

Article 7 of the Etiquette Law stipulates:
The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty commands the Ming army and has supreme command over the army. All armed forces directly under the Ming Dynasty and its vassal states should be loyal to the Emperor.

The Ming emperor directly commanded the Imperial Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, including but not limited to land, sea and air forces, with a limit of 60,000 personnel.

The appointment and removal of officials in the Imperial Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, as well as the appointment and removal of generals in the Beijing Garrison and the Great Wall Army, were directly under the emperor's jurisdiction.

Through resolutions passed by the court and the parliament, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty could represent the Ming Dynasty in declaring war, negotiating peace, and signing treaties with foreign powers.

As resolved by the court assembly, the Ming emperor was authorized to authorize the Privy Council to establish a wartime committee responsible for local mobilization and combat operations.

With the joint resolution of the court and the parliament, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty could appoint a wartime prime minister and form a wartime cabinet to be responsible for general mobilization and combat.

Specifically, this is stipulated in the relevant articles of the "Military Laws of the Great Ming Dynasty" and the "Collected Statutes of the Great Ming Dynasty".

It was clearly stipulated that military power around the capital belonged to the emperor, who had the power to wage war against foreign powers.

The mobilization system was also incorporated into the rites and laws, increasing the Ming Dynasty's war potential.

The subsequent eighth article, also related to war, mainly concerns domestic power:

[In order to suppress rebellious activities, protect public safety, or avoid disasters, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty may impose martial law as needed.]

During martial law, the emperor could directly issue edicts and decrees. However, after martial law ended, whether the edicts issued during martial law would continue to be implemented required a decision by the court.

The emperor may impose martial law on certain areas of conflict and authorize governors-general and viceroys to form wartime committees to implement this power. Certain laws may be temporarily repealed in martial law areas, with the sole purpose of quelling the unrest.

When martial law has been in effect for more than a month, a court assembly should be convened to make a decision.

When martial law has been in effect for more than a year, a parliamentary resolution should be convened.

Martial law is in effect overseas and beyond, with no time restrictions.

Specifically, this is stipulated in the relevant articles of the *Great Ming Code* and the *Collected Statutes of the Great Ming*.

The emperor's martial law powers were tightened, reduced from three months to one month, and if it exceeded one month, a court meeting would be held to decide whether to continue.

However, the martial law in the overseas and border regions was still relatively relaxed, and the emperor could use this to directly issue decrees to manage the overseas and border regions.

This was established under the strong advocacy of Yuan Keli, Sun Chengzong, and others, granting the emperor the power to exert his energy in overseas and border regions.

The ministers in the court did not insist on this, because they were more concerned about the domestic situation than the overseas regions.

Especially since there were frequent wars abroad, even without this provision, the emperor could invoke the martial law regulations for war zones to maintain martial law in overseas and border regions.

They were more concerned with the power of pardon, and explicitly wrote this into the rites and laws, giving the emperor unlimited power of pardon.

However, at Zhu Youjian's insistence, the provisions for post-trial pardons and concurrent sentencing for previous offenses were also included to prevent some people from acting recklessly because they could be pardoned:
The emperor of the Ming Dynasty had the power to pardon the crimes of his subjects and to issue general amnesty decrees and special amnesty decrees as needed.

Pardons for criminals should be granted after trial. If a pardoned person re-offends, the previous offense will be punished.

Specific provisions are detailed in the relevant articles of the "Criminal Law of the Great Ming Dynasty". (End of this chapter)