Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

When summarizing the Liaodong campaign, Zhu Youjian emphasized:
"The Liaodong Martyrs' Monument must be built as soon as possible."

“The names of all the soldiers and civilians who died in Liaodong should be engraved.”

"For those whose names cannot be found, a monument to the unknown martyrs will be built to record their deeds."

“Each garrison should also build a martyrs’ cemetery, and those with outstanding achievements should be deified.”

This is something he has always emphasized: strengthening the military's sense of honor.

At the same time, the Investiture of the Gods was used to change the culture of Northeast China, bringing this region inhabited by barbarians under its complete rule.

He had already decided that all martyrs with names and descendants would be given the titles of mountain god, water god, and earth god. Their descendants would serve as priests to spread the martyrs' deeds.

The City God Temple was used to counter religions such as Shamanism, and to replace nature worship and superstition with the belief in righteous gods.

This entire system requires perseverance, so the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was also incorporated into the Frontier Commission to be responsible for this matter.

Although Sun Chengzong was a Confucian scholar who did not speak of strange phenomena or supernatural beings, he did not deny the existence of deities. In particular, the supreme deity of the City God Temple was Houtu, the supreme deity of Confucianism.

Given his achievements in granting titles and establishing fiefdoms, he would most likely become the City God of his fiefdom after his death, belonging to the City God pantheon. Therefore, he immediately said:
"Many ethnic groups in the border regions have religious beliefs. I believe that the Court of Imperial Sacrifices should be included in the Border Regions Committee."

"The major orthodox religions of the Ming Dynasty should also go to the frontier to spread their faith and let the various ethnic groups in the frontier worship the true gods."

"I believe that heroes of all ethnicities who are devoted to the Ming Dynasty should also be deified and included in the pantheon of City Gods."

Zhu Youjian nodded in agreement and said:
"It is permissible to appoint non-human races as gods."

"But we need to change their names, clothing, and culture, and make them naturalize as Chinese."

“If Buddhist deities can be converted, then they can naturally be converted as well.”

The example of Buddhism's assimilation demonstrates that this is possible.

The courtiers chuckled inwardly, thinking of the Buddhist conference that was still being held after the Buddha's Birthday.

This conference was held at the emperor's request to unify Buddhist doctrines, re-translate and reinterpret scriptures, and finalize the Thirteen Buddhist Canons.

Not to be outdone, Taoism, at the suggestion of the City God, has decided to hold the Houtu Festival on the summer solstice on the 19th of the fifth lunar month, and to establish the thirteen classics of Taoism.

Under the imperial court's instructions, the two religions began to clash.

Zhu Youjian paid close attention to this matter, hoping that the reform of Buddhism and Taoism would help the Ming Dynasty expand its territory.

But the most important is the City God Bureau, especially the City God pantheon derived from meritorious officials and heroes.

This not only reduces the soldiers' fear of death, but also transforms the local culture and educates the local residents with the spirit embodied in the deeds of the martyrs.

To ensure the implementation of this initiative and to protect the descendants of the martyrs, Zhu Youjian decided to award medals and grant them special privileges:

"The descendants of heroes and martyrs, as well as the meritorious officials who have made contributions to the country, are the foundation of the Ming Dynasty."

“These people should be given special treatment. I have decided to award them medals and confer titles upon them all.”

"Those who hold honorary titles are considered scholars and are included in the social security system."

"When the finances are more abundant in the future, we will pay them their full stipends and give them the treatment they deserve."

"The Ministry of War's Merit and Merit Department is in charge of this matter, while the Five Military Commissions are responsible for protecting the rights and interests of military personnel."

The word "medal" may sound unfamiliar, but some people do know it.

Cheng Jiming, Minister of Rites and Associate Grand Secretary, said:

"His Majesty has awarded the Gold Pen Medal to the winners of the Journalism Award, conferred upon them ranks, and granted them the power to submit memorials to the emperor using the medal."

"How are medals issued by the Ministry of War counted? Do they grant the same authority?"

Zhu Youjian nodded and said:
"They are all medals, so naturally they should have the same rights."

"If the meritorious person receives the medal, then their rank will be raised."

“When a martyr is awarded a medal, it is held by his or her heir, and an additional medal is awarded on top of his or her existing medal rank.”

"If a medal holder has a grievance, he or she can use the medal to petition the authorities once a year."

"If the matter reported is unreasonable, the medal will not be returned, but the rank will be retained."

"The Office of Transmission will have dedicated personnel to handle this. The Court of Imperial Stud and the military committees of local councils must ensure that the memorials for medals are delivered. If any are lost, the responsible party will be held accountable."

These words sent a chill down the spines of all the officials present.

Knowing that this power, though seemingly small, actually makes the medal holder someone you can't afford to offend.

Otherwise, if they were to submit a memorial to the emperor with their medals, it might attract his attention and bring disaster upon themselves.

This did indeed provide them with protection, making them less likely to be bullied.

Officials who want their descendants to have similar security are very proactive in this regard. Han Rizuan, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel:

"Military officers receive medals for promotion, and civil officials should receive the same."

"I believe that regardless of whether they are civil or military officials or commoners, when they are awarded medals for their meritorious service, they should be given a chance to appeal their grievances."

The courtiers echoed his agreement, and Zhu Youjian, in order to ensure the smooth establishment of the medal system, nodded and said:
"Awards of honors require medals, and those who possess medals have corresponding privileges."

"This can be written into the merit system as one of the new systems of the imperial court."

The courtiers unanimously praised the award and discussed which medals to establish.

Zhu Youjian had considered this for a long time and spoke first:

"Medals are first and foremost established for heroes and martyrs; there must be medals for heroes and martyrs."

"Moreover, they are divided into four categories based on their deeds and achievements."

"Among them, the Special Class Martyr Medal is made of gold, and the award is at least four levels. The Privy Council, the Ministry of War, and the Five Ministries jointly decide on the number of levels to be awarded. Those with particularly outstanding merits may be awarded a hereditary title."

"The first, second and third class medals for martyrs will be awarded the third, second and first class medals respectively. Each army will submit a list of names, and the Ministry of War's Merit and Merit Department will review the list and decide whether to award them."

This decision indicates that there is no upper limit to the number of honors awarded for the Special Class Heroic Medal, and it may even lead to the attainment of a noble title.

The assembled officials listened with envy, yet none objected. The Minister of Rites, Cheng Jiming, declared:
"I believe that loyal ministers who died for their country should also be regarded as heroes and martyrs, and they should be awarded medals."

“Those who were previously granted hereditary titles may be converted into peerages.”

There were many such people. Zhang Daojun, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, inherited his position because his father, Zhang Quan, died for his country in Liaodong.

Under the current system, it is entirely possible to change one's title.

Zhu Youjian nodded and said:
"Award these people first, and then proceed with the others step by step."

"Those who fight bravely and make meritorious contributions can be awarded the Warrior Medal."

"The Order of the Warrior is also divided into three classes, with the Special Order of the Warrior being awarded a hereditary office or a hereditary title."

"This medal is only awarded to officers and soldiers at the platoon level; officers of higher rank are awarded the Order of the Precious Tripod."

"The highest honor is the Order of the Pillar of the Nation, awarded to pillars of the nation."

"For example, those who commanded victories in battles, saved the emperor, or made great contributions to the court could be awarded the Pillar of the State Medal. Recipients of the Pillar of the State Medal would also receive a national honor or higher and a hereditary knighthood or higher."

This was a medal system primarily for the military, and Zhu Youjian had initially intended to award medals to them as well. Civil officials were unprepared for this; instead, they modeled their medals after the Warrior Medal, establishing the Loyalty and Bravery Medal and the Loyalty and Diligence Medal, to be awarded to loyal and courageous civilian officers, as well as diligent and hardworking civil officials.

They also wanted to establish the Order of the Nation, modeled after the Order of the Precious Tripod, to be awarded to those who had contributed to the nation.

However, Zhu Youjian did not agree, because he did not believe that the merits of civil officials in their daily lives could benefit the country.

Therefore, he decided to award the Pillar of the Nation Medal to civil officials as well, and to award the Pillar of the Nation Medal to those who have made great contributions to the country, instead of establishing a separate medal.

Medals such as the Gold Pen Medal awarded to civilians are similar, but at the same level as the Warrior Medal.

The highest honor is the Pillar of the Nation Medal, regardless of whether one is a civil or military officer.
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The requirements for obtaining a medal were quite high, so in order to encourage meritorious service, Zhu Youjian established a medal below the medal.

Those who performed meritorious service and received rewards were awarded medals.

Although medals do not have the same authority as honorary medals, once a certain number of medals are awarded, an application for an honorary medal can be made.

Similarly, commemorative medals were awarded to participants in any major battle or important campaign certified by the imperial court.

Commemorative medals can be divided into commemorative awards and commemorative medals. Commemorative medals are awarded to teams that have made collective contributions. Commemorative awards, like medals, can be accumulated, and after reaching a certain number, one can apply for an award.

The quantity of these two types of badges will be very large, said Shang Zhouzuo, Minister of Works:

"Your Majesty, the number of medals is limited, but the Ministry of Works has enough craftsmen to make them."

"But the number of medals and commemorative badges is too large. The craftsmen in the Ministry of Works who can make badges also have to make silver coins, so they are really powerless to do so."

Zhu Youjian had anticipated this matter, and he brought up the medals and awards at this time because the problem could be solved.

Pointing at Sun Yuanhua, Zhu Youjian said:
"Minister Sun, tell the ministers about the spiral minting machine brought back from the West."

"With this, the Ming Dynasty can use machines to mint coins and press badges."

"Have the commemorative medals for my mission to the West, which I ordered you to suppress, been produced yet?"

Besides promoting the development of the navy and the colonization of India, Sun Yuanhua has been busy these days digesting the things he brought back from the West.

The spiral minting machine was of paramount importance, as the emperor believed it could solve the problem of silver coin minting.

However, this machine actually had many problems. Its biggest drawback was that the cost of pressing the silver coins was not low; it was even higher than the cost of craftsmen making them. This is why it was not very popular or valued in the West.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian instructed Sun Yuanhua to first use it to manufacture badges, and then use machines to press the patterns to prevent counterfeiting.

"We've already achieved results," Sun Yuanhua said.
"The spiral minting machine is a machine used by the West to mint coins, and it can also be used to press badges."

"Although the cost is higher, the designs are more exquisite. Moreover, each badge has the same pattern, making them easier to identify."

"I believe that medals and awards can be machine-pressed to prevent counterfeiting."

They requested the emperor to provide a detailed explanation using images and to bring back samples of the commemorative medals from their mission to the West.

Zhu Youjian immediately gave his permission, and soon, images of a spiral coin-making machine drawn by a Western artist, along with pressed samples, were brought over.

When everyone saw the pressed sample, they thought it was indeed exquisite.

However, upon seeing the required steel and manpower, they all frowned.

Shang Zhouzuo, Minister of Works:

"Although this machine is better, it increases the cost."

"I believe that medals should be suppressed, and awards are unnecessary."

Qin Shiwen, the Vice Minister of War, said:

"I believe that the value of medals can be suppressed."

"There are so many medals that they can be minted like coins."

"Even if someone forges it, it's useless. When applying for an award, they not only look at the number of medals, but also at the merits recorded by the Ministry of War."

This was supported by many Privy Councillors who believed that medals and commemorative badges should be given, but not necessarily to be particularly exquisite.

Taking the cost into consideration, Zhu Youjian nodded and said:
"Then let's press the medals with machines, and cast the badges and commemorative medals."

"The distribution of funds should be recorded to facilitate the review of merits."

Then, turning to a somewhat disappointed Sun Yuanhua, he said:
"The mission to the West was arduous, so these suppressed commemorative medals were all designated as commemorative medals and collectively awarded the first class."

"The Ming Dynasty must quickly replicate and improve upon this spiral coin-making machine."

"If animal power or water power could be used for stamping, the cost would likely be even lower."

“At that time, medals could also be used to suppress coins, and even mint coins.”

"The Ministry of Works should also pay attention to this matter and have the Academy of Arts and Sciences establish a research institute to improve it."

He made a special arrangement for this, instructing them to improve the spiral coin-making machine.

Even if the current cost of minting coins with this machine is high, it will eventually come down once there is an incentive to do so.

At that time, machine-made coins will be able to be produced on a large scale and eventually replace stamped coins.

Furthermore, the power requirements of the spiral coin-making machine would spur the development of animal-powered and water-powered machinery in the Ming Dynasty. It might even create demand for steam engines, stimulating the craftsmen of the Academy of Literature to research steam power.

This was also one of Zhu Youjian's objectives:

To broaden the application needs of steam engines and stimulate their rapid development and improvement.

To this end, he has commissioned the Taipusi Vehicle Research Institute to study steam locomotives and the Ocean Research Institute to study steamships. These are major consumers of power, and as long as one of them yields results, the invented steam engine will sell well.

The same applies to steam pumps; the severe drought in the Ming Dynasty made such machinery extremely necessary.

When Sun Yuanhua was sent as an envoy to the West, he specifically instructed that relevant products be collected.

The steam engine used for pumping water was not found, but Sun Yuanhua brought back the water pump.

This water pump was developed by Galileo and others at the behest of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who wanted to create a water pump with a lift of about 15 meters.

However, no matter how hard Galileo and others tried, the pump's head was limited to 9 meters.

The project can be considered unsuccessful. When Sun Yuanhua visited Galileo, he heard about it and brought back the water pump they had developed from the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Knowing that the emperor had predicted a drought, he believed that this water pump would be helpful in combating the drought and providing disaster relief.

Zhu Youjian was indeed extremely pleased when he saw it, and ordered that it be copied. He also ordered the development of a low-cost and easy-to-produce water pump based on the conditions of the Ming Dynasty.

He didn't have any requirements regarding the pumping height, because he knew that under standard atmospheric pressure, the maximum height that could be achieved by expelling air was 10.3 meters.

Therefore, the maximum head of a water pump based on this principle is 10.3 meters, and it cannot be increased further. The current head of 9 meters is already close to the limit, and there is no need to increase costs to reach the limit.

Therefore, his goal is to reduce the cost of water pumps so that they can be widely used in various regions.

At the same time, this pumping principle was used to develop hand pump wells, making it convenient for people to draw water from underground.

These were all brought back from the West by the mission, which greatly pleased Zhu Youjian. He hoped that Sun Yuanhua and others would continue to organize them and find more things that would be useful to the Ming Dynasty.

The next mission to the West is already being prepared. Zhu Youjian instructed Sun Yuanhua to compile a list of the items lost along the way, and then send another mission to collect them.

Rubber, essential for pumped water wells, was of paramount importance. Zhu Youjian decided to continue sending ships to the Americas to collect rubber tree seedlings and other species. (End of Chapter)