Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

During this period, Zhu Youjian focused on the Court of Colonial Affairs, while the most important task in the court was still the leadership transition.

After Zheng Sanjun and other newly appointed Nine Ministers took office, Nanjing officials and local officials pushed forward, and the process finally began.

Following the previously established order, after the court officials were selected, officials from the south were recommended first, followed by local officials.

However, Lin Yuji, the newly appointed Left Censor-in-Chief from Nanjing, submitted a memorial to the throne with requests from Lü Tunan, the Minister of War from Nanjing, and others, stating:

"Your Majesty, Chuzhou and Hezhou have already voted to decide their affiliation, and Southern Zhili will be re-divided into prefectures and counties."

"I request that the Nanjing officials be replaced after this matter is completed."

"To avoid changing course midway and causing chaos in Southern Zhili."

This matter was arranged long ago; Southern Zhili was to be reorganized into prefectures and counties, following the example of Northern Zhili.

However, because it was difficult to determine the affiliation of Chuzhou and Hezhou, two directly governed prefectures, this matter was stalled for several years.

After the Shuntian Prefecture Council was established and the imperial court formulated policies on directly administered prefectures and directly governed prefectures, the prefectures of Southern Zhili finally couldn't sit still and took the initiative to express their intention to promote the reorganization of prefectures and counties.

Chuzhou and Hezhou, which had previously hesitated, also took the initiative to request a vote to determine the affiliation of the two prefectures.

Shi Kefa, who was assigned to take charge of the matter, also demonstrated his abilities, successfully held a referendum on the matter, and began to establish parliaments in both locations.

Now, these two prefectures have been confirmed to join Yingtian Prefecture, becoming two administrative offices of Yingtian Prefecture.

Other prefectures and counties in Southern Zhili also adjusted their administrative divisions, and a preliminary plan of fifteen prefectures was determined.

The division of prefectures and counties was closely related to taxation. Lin Yuji, who previously served as the Minister of Revenue in Nanjing, was very familiar with this, and he said:
"There are currently three governors in Southern Zhili: Jiangnan, Jiangbei, and Anhui. After discussion, we have decided that each governor will be responsible for five prefectures. The original fourteen prefectures and four sub-prefectures of Southern Zhili will be adjusted to fifteen directly governed prefectures."

"Among them, the Governor of Jiangnan was responsible for five prefectures: Yingtian Prefecture, Zhenjiang Prefecture, Changzhou Prefecture, Suzhou Prefecture, and Songjiang Prefecture. His office was located in the Su-Song New Area, and he mainly governed the Taihu Lake area."

"Yingtian Prefecture, located in the far west, was mainly governed by the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture. Jiangpu Administrative Office was established north of the river, and Lishui Administrative Office was established to the south. Chuzhou and Hezhou Administrative Offices were also incorporated, and the eastern part of Taiping Prefecture, south of Hezhou, was also established as an administrative office. There were a total of five administrative offices, each responsible for different parts of Yingtian Prefecture."

"Yingtian Prefecture remained the center of Southern Zhili, and its area nearly doubled."

This was the will of all Nanjing officials, who had found that the emperor had clearly valued Suzhou and Songjiang more in recent years than Yingtian Prefecture, where the Nanjing court was located.

Now, the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area has many schools, enterprises, associations, and even the Supreme People's Court's Labor Court is stationed here.

If this were to go further and establish various branch offices of the imperial court, it would greatly impact the status of the Nanjing court.

Therefore, Nanjing officials promoted the expansion of Yingtian Prefecture to maintain its status as the center of Southern Zhili.

In this vote, Chuzhou and Hezhou were incorporated into Yingtian Prefecture. The reason was that Nanjing officials and gentry actively courted the people of these two prefectures, persuading them to disregard the preferential treatment offered by Fengyang Prefecture in the imperial examinations and choose to join Yingtian Prefecture.

With the addition of these two places, Yingtian Prefecture's territory in the north and west expanded significantly, enabling it to exert a more powerful influence on Jiangbei and Anhui.

However, this alone is not enough. It is known that Shuntian Prefecture absorbed Nanjing officials from Yongping Office and also included the eastern part of Taiping Prefecture.

Iron ore was discovered in this area, which later became known as Ma'anshan. After the emperor predicted that the future would be an era of coal and steel, Nanjing officials recognized the importance of the iron ore and separated this area from Taiping Prefecture, incorporating it into Yingtian Prefecture as the Taiping Administrative Office.

The area around Wuhu and Fanchang, west of Taiping Prefecture, was incorporated into Ningguo Prefecture. This was so that Ningguo Prefecture could be located along the river, responding to the emperor's call to have more provincial prefectures located along the river or the sea.

The locals of Taiping Prefecture had objections to this division. However, the prefecture was small, and its population was naturally small, so their opinions were not important. Taiping Prefecture, which consisted of only three counties, was already among the prefectures and counties to be merged.

The Nanjing officials who presided over the redrawing of prefectures and counties divided them according to the imperial regulations, and no one could say they were wrong.

Yingtian Prefecture was able to expand on a large scale, establishing five administrative offices. It continued to be compared with Shuntian Prefecture, which had seven administrative offices and could almost be called a small province.

Zhu Youjian pondered this change and quickly nodded in approval.

As long as the local authorities have no objections, he respects the people's choice.

As the location of Nanjing, Yingtian Prefecture certainly needed to maintain a certain status. After expansion, it could more effectively influence the north and west, becoming the core of Anhui, Jiangbei, and Jiangnan regions.

The saying that Nanjing is the capital of three provinces actually reflects its lowest status.

As the capital of the Ming Dynasty, Nanjing's influence extended beyond Southern Zhili.

With its expanded territory and the acquisition of iron ore, Yingtian Prefecture should be able to develop even better. In the future, if the Huainan coal mine in Fengyang Prefecture is further developed, a coal and steel base can be established in Nanjing.

In this way, Nanjing would not fall behind during the First Industrial Revolution and could serve as a heavy industrial center for the imperial court's investment in the south.

With Wuhu as a riverside port, Ningguo Prefecture has more convenient transportation and can get rid of its isolated state.

In fact, if Huizhou Prefecture weren't so far from the Yangtze River, Zhu Youjian would have been eager for this important commercial center to have a riverside port.

Considering the dense network of rivers in the Jiangnan region, Zhu Youjian specifically instructed:
"We should delineate prefectural and county boundaries based on rivers and roads to reduce border disputes."

"For prefectures and counties like Huizhou that are neither near the river nor the sea, there must be a river leading to the river or the sea. If there isn't one, then a canal should be dug."

"Waterways are the lifeblood of Jiangnan, and we must pay more attention to them."

"I wish that every prefecture and county in Southern Zhili could be reached by boat directly to the sea."

This clearly represents a significant increase in investment in Southern Zhili, much like the road repairs in Northern Zhili.

Officials from Southern Zhili immediately joined in the praise, using the emperor's words to seek more resources.

Officials in other provinces were resentful because the emperor had clearly been paying more attention to the two directly governed provinces in recent years, while other provinces, as long as they were not affected by disasters, received very little attention.

Especially after the imperial court and local governments began to share taxes, they discovered that the imperial court's investment in Beizhili was significantly higher than in other places.

The addition of Southern Zhili has further fueled discontent among those outside the two Zhili regions.

Yuan Keli knew of the emperor's plan to rebuild the empire by relying on Beizhili and the Grand Canal, but he still advised against it:
"Your Majesty, the whole country is not just the Northern and Southern Zhili regions."

"The imperial court should treat all localities equally."

Zhu Youjian, naturally unable to openly admit to favoritism, addressed his ministers:

"I treat all regions of the world the same way."

"However, some places require less investment but yield quick results, so they should naturally be given priority for investment."

"The Northern and Southern Zhili regions are such places. After completing the division of prefectures and counties, reforming the local official system, and electing a parliament, there will inevitably be a period of political clarity."

"During this period, the imperial court must increase investment to promote the development of both regions." "The same applies to other provinces; after the reforms are completed, we must take advantage of the improved governance to invest more."

This statement caused an uproar among the court officials. Because the emperor was clearly threatening the local authorities:
If you don't complete the reforms, the imperial court will not invest.

This has forced those who are not fond of the division of prefectures and counties and the election of councils to seriously consider this policy.

Many people decided to change this situation and urged their hometowns to complete the reorganization of prefectures and counties.
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As for Lin Yuji, after receiving the emperor's affirmation, he was overjoyed and continued:

"In addition to Ningguo Prefecture and Huizhou Prefecture, the Governor of Anhui also governed Anqing Prefecture, Chizhou Prefecture and Luzhou Prefecture, thus governing five prefectures in total."

"The area of ​​Fengyang Prefecture in Jiangbei remains unchanged, and the five subordinate prefectures are changed into five administrative offices. Nantong Administrative Office is established south of Yangzhou Prefecture, and Tongzhou under its jurisdiction will be renamed Nantong from now on because it shares the same name as Tongzhou in Shuntian Prefecture."

“The northern areas, including Baoying, were assigned to Huai’an Prefecture, and the northern areas, including Haizhou, were assigned to Haizhou Prefecture.”

“Pizhou in the northwest was merged with Xuzhou and reorganized into Xuzhou Prefecture.”

"Thus, the Jiangbei governor also governs five prefectures, and the three governors of the Southern Zhili each govern five prefectures, making a total of fifteen prefectures in the Southern Zhili."

After this division, the administrative divisions of Southern Zhili became much clearer.

Like the Northern Zhili, the Southern Zhili became the superior institution of the various prefectures and was directly managed by the imperial court of the two capitals.

The three governors of Jiangnan, Jiangbei, and Anhui, as well as officials of various prefectures and counties, also had clearly defined jurisdictions.

Although it was a bit small for a governor to be in charge of only five prefectures, Zhu Youjian agreed to this division considering the importance of Southern Zhili, as well as its large population and tax revenue. He then instructed Nanjing officials to refine the division and determine the boundaries of each prefecture and county.

To commend their efforts and to unify authority, Zhu Youjian said:
"According to what you said, Nanjing officials can stay behind for the next round of elections, so that they can do a good job in reorganizing the prefectures and counties."

“If you do this job well, all officials in Southern Zhili will be promoted and awarded honors.”

"Lu Tunan, Minister of War in Nanjing, concurrently served as Governor-General of Southern Zhili, and was in charge of this matter."

Lü Tunan, who had accomplished this great feat, was promoted, thus expanding his real power.

With the title of Governor-General of Southern Zhili, his involvement in the affairs of Southern Zhili became more legitimate.

As the Nanjing Six Ministries Directly Subordinate Office, which was actually one of the Six Offices of Southern Zhili, he could more easily intervene in management.

Later, this position became one of the two most important governors-general in the imperial court, alongside the Governor-General of Northern Zhili.

Because the Governor-General of Northern Zhili was usually concurrently held by the Minister of Works, one of the Nine Ministers, and the Governor-General of Southern Zhili was concurrently held by the Minister of War, who was in charge of the Nanjing court, these two positions were usually regarded as being at the same level as the Nine Ministers.

The status of other governors-general was also elevated, and they were considered candidates for the Nine Ministers.

During the previous reshuffle, Sun Chuanting, the Governor-General of the Three Border Regions, failed to win the position of one of the Nine Ministers, while Min Hongxue, the Governor-General of the Two Lakes, couldn't even secure the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, which caused dissatisfaction among many local officials.

To appease them, Zhu Youjian elevated the status of the governor-general, making it clear that the governor-general was of a higher rank than the provincial governor and was eligible to be promoted directly to the Nine Ministers.

The governor was also designated as a high-ranking local official on par with the ministers of the imperial court, and could be promoted directly to vice minister or even minister.
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After some discussion, the matter concerning Southern Zhili was finally settled. The reshuffling of officials in Nanjing and Southern Zhili was postponed, and the court officials began to recommend local governors and viceroys to replace high-ranking officials in other places.

According to the previously established policy, in order to ensure stability during the leadership transition, the number of local governors to be replaced will not exceed half.

Among them, Sun Chuanting, the Governor-General of the Three Border Regions, and Cao Wenheng, the Governor of Jiangnan, were transferred to positions in the imperial court, and these two positions had to be replaced.

Zhu Youjian had already decided on the candidate for Governor-General of the Three Border Regions, or Governor-General of the Three Northwest Provinces, and appointed Shen Zizhang, the Governor of Shaanxi, to take over.

Therefore, the one who actually needs to be replaced is the governor of Shaanxi.

Zhu Youjian used his direct appointment power under the martial law system to select Yang Wenyue, recommended by Sun Chuanting, to serve as the governor of Shaanxi.

This man had previously served in the Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission, overseeing the promotion and demotion of officials and assisting Sun Chuanting in reorganizing Shaanxi. Later, he served as the Protectorate General of the Ordos Region, where he distinguished himself in the expansion of the Ordos region. This time, he was transferred back to Shaanxi to become a high-ranking local official.

Lian Guoshi, the newly appointed governor of Yansui, took office shortly after Zhu Tongmeng was transferred to the post of governor-general of immigration. Because he was quite diligent and devoted himself to suppressing popular uprisings, Zhu Youjian allowed him to remain in office to continue stabilizing northern Shaanxi.

Mei Zhihuan, the military commissioner of Gansu, was quite talented in border defense. Although he had served for four years, he was given an additional title and allowed to remain in office.

The same applies to Jiao Xin, the military governor of Ningxia. Zhu Youjian believed that these two places were under great pressure on the border and might face invasion from the Jurchens who were migrating westward. He had already ordered the northwestern border towns to increase vigilance to prevent the Jurchens from opening up the grasslands and plateaus and threatening the entire northwest.

Yang He, the governor of Shanxi, and Fan Jingwen, the governor of Henan, were both officials valued by Zhu Youjian.

He repeatedly reminded officials in the three provinces to focus on disaster relief and resettlement, with an emphasis on maintaining stability.

Therefore, most of the officials in the three provinces remained unmoved, and the officials in these martial law zones did not require the ministers to recommend them.

The first position recommended by the court was that of Governor of Tianjin. This was one of the three governors of Beizhili, and he was allowed to travel to Beijing to attend court meetings.

Huang Yuntai, the former governor of Tianjin, applied for retirement this year due to his advanced age and his great contributions to the logistics in Liaodong.

Zhu Youjian's reappointment was unsuccessful, so a replacement had to be appointed.

With Zheng Sanjun's active support, Ding Kuichu, the Left Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was appointed as the Governor of Tianjin.

He was one of Zheng Sanjun's students and had many supporters in the imperial court.

The emergence of these students was also the reason why Zheng Sanjun became one of the Nine Ministers.

Although Zhu Youjian was extremely dissatisfied with this kind of factionalism, it was also the reason why he was very wary of Zheng Sanjun.

However, considering that Ding Kuichu had not made any mistakes in recent years, the proposal was not ultimately rejected.

He decided to leave this person in the vicinity of the capital to keep a close eye on him, so that any problems could be resolved in a timely manner.

Wang Qia, the governor of Shuntian, failed to secure a position among the Nine Ministers during the reshuffle. Unwilling to take a deputy position in another government office, he chose to remain in office as governor of Shuntian.

Zhu Youjian was not very satisfied with him. He was an official who could not take responsibility and only knew how to shirk his duties.

However, considering that the Jurchens had been driven out and that the military affairs of Shuntian Prefecture were under the jurisdiction of officials such as the Governor-General of the Great Wall, there was no need for a particularly capable official. Therefore, he agreed to let Wang Qia remain in office and did not replace any officials.

The next person to be replaced was the governor of Baoding.

Lu Xiang-sheng, the governor of Baoding appointed by the imperial court, had previously been transferred to the position of governor of Liaodong for his meritorious service in supporting the war effort in Liaodong.

After Lu Xiangshan left, the position of Governor of Baoding was temporarily filled by Liu Rongsi, the Left Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shandong. He was a highly capable local official, particularly skilled in water management. He was the one who handled the major floods in Beizhili last year.

During this year's reshuffle, the title of "acting governor" was finally removed, and he was appointed by the court as the governor of Baoding. He will be responsible for managing the canals and waterways within Beizhili, and is a minister cultivated by the court specializing in waterways and grain transport. (End of Chapter)