Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

What do you think of the two of them?

After seeing Niu Jinxing and Song Xianze off, Zhu Youjian questioned Liu Ruoyu.

He was the head of the Directorate of Palace Attendants, responsible for the selection of officials in the inner court, and he had a knack for judging people.

Zhu Youjian had him present so he could observe the two men.

Liu Ruoyu had barely spoken, having been observing Niu Jinxing and Song Xianze's words and actions.

He already knew the truth and said to the emperor:
“Niu Jinxing is resourceful, but he is also cunning and narrow-minded.”

“Song Xianze has some crooked talents, and he doesn’t follow the right path.”

"Neither of them will go far in their official careers."

"Your Majesty's decision to place them in the inner court is quite appropriate."

He deeply admired the emperor and somehow discovered the two of them.

Neither Niu Jinxing nor Song Xianze would have gone far in officialdom; Song Xianze might not have even been able to enter officialdom at all. Being taken in as a private retainer by the emperor, however, gave them the opportunity to demonstrate their talents.

However, both men had obvious shortcomings; they were not suited for the role of prime minister. Compared to figures like Zhang Pu, they were far inferior.

Moreover, after being labeled as the emperor's private subjects, they didn't even have the opportunity to become ministers.

Liu Ruoyu felt that these two might have a future if they entered the palace, but now they were stuck in the middle, neither inside nor outside, making it difficult for them to achieve great things.

Zhu Youjian had no intention of making these two prime ministers. He merely smiled at Liu Ruoyu's words, and of course, he would not reveal the reason why he had discovered them.

He would never have recruited these two if they hadn't made a name for themselves in history.

Although they have flaws, they can all be considered talented individuals.

His job is to guide and nurture them, giving them opportunities to showcase their talents.

Therefore, he instructed Liu Ruoyu:

"You and Gao Shiming should help Song Xianze with religious matters."

"I am the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, and the City God Bureau must be firmly under my control."

The City God's Office was given more power, almost all of which was given to handle religious affairs. Zhu Youjian naturally wanted to keep this position in his hands.

He planned to further improve the City God Temple by establishing a chief priest directly appointed by the emperor and forming a council of priests.

The Alliance of Righteous Gods should also be led by the City God Priest, with other sects participating.

Since Zhu Youjian was unfamiliar with the candidates, he could only rely on recommendations from the inner court.

As the Ministry of Personnel within the inner court, the Directorate of Palace Attendants naturally had to assume this responsibility.

Liu Ruoyu was naturally delighted by this, and the Directorate of Palace Attendants certainly wanted to expand its power.

The City God's Office belonged to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, an outer court office. The Emperor's decision to allow him to intervene gave him the opportunity to meddle in outer court affairs.

This example can be cited in the future to intervene in more government departments.

They could participate in anything the emperor wanted to control.

At this time, Zhu Youjian was not paying attention to the power struggle between the inner and outer courts. He instructed Liu Ruoyu:
"Although Song Xianze's proposal of immortality has some flaws, it is beneficial to the morale of the army."

"We must not let the soldiers think they are short-lived. We should have the City God send priests to the army to spread the theory of immortality."

"It can also be combined with the Confucian ideals of establishing virtue, establishing words, and establishing merit to achieve immortality, and promote the idea of ​​achieving immortality through merit. We must never allow the idea of ​​short-lived races to spread in the military, or make soldiers consider themselves barbarians."

"The common people mainly promoted the idea of ​​immortality, so that scholars and commoners could have a long-term perspective and not be eager for quick success and instant benefits."

“Short-lived and fast-living species are inferior and should be condemned as barbarians and slaves.”

They worried that the promotion of immortal, long-lived, short-lived, and fast-growing races might cause class divisions, leading to the categorization of the people of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Youjian decided to primarily promote the ideas of long-lived and immortal beings, while keeping a low profile regarding short-lived and fast-growing beings, who were relatively rare in the Ming Dynasty.

Even if social classes were to differentiate, he hoped that the people of the Ming Dynasty would evolve towards immortality, rather than degrading some to short-lived or fast-growing species as an oppressed class.

Liu Ruoyu, having assisted Gao Shiming in compiling Daoist scriptures, possessed a relatively good understanding of religious affairs. He smiled and said:
"The path of immortality values ​​life and extends to countless beings."

"Both the City God Temple and Taoism are religions suitable for those seeking longevity, and they focus on this life."

“Only Buddhism focuses more on reincarnation, and monks must be ordained and will not leave any descendants.”

"I believe that the official investiture of deities should exclude some Buddhist deities."

This statement surprised Zhu Youjian, who couldn't understand why Liu Ruoyu was so concerned about religion.

In fact, he overlooked the influence of religion on eunuchs. Because eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty had no offspring, they often sought solace in religion.

Most eunuchs were Buddhists, but there were also Taoists like Gao Shiming.

As a member of Gao Shiming's faction, Liu Ruoyu naturally leaned more towards Taoism, which is why he spoke well of Taoism and wanted to suppress Buddhism.

Zhu Youjian paid little attention to Liu Ruoyu's ulterior motives. He thought of the religious beliefs of eunuchs because of Liu Ruoyu's concern for religion, which was a problem that had to be taken seriously.

Furthermore, in the theory of immortality, to which category should eunuchs belong?
Although many eunuchs lived to a ripe old age, because they had no offspring, they often acted without restraint, adhering to a short-lived mentality.

'It seems we need to educate them more and keep them separate from the princes.'

Short-lived species tend to have a mindset that is inherently driven by short-sightedness and a desire for quick success, which is something Zhu Youjian was unwilling to see.

Therefore, he decided that the influence of eunuchs must be eliminated in the education of the princes, as these people were not normal people.

In terms of education, he planned to encourage eunuchs to believe in Taoism and worship the City God, so as to cultivate a mindset of valuing life and longevity.

He said to Liu Ruoyu:

"Your reminder is correct. We do need to pay more attention to Buddhist deities."

"We cannot introduce just any kind of Buddha; the court only recognizes the true deity who may be a synthesis of the three religions."

"There should also be a City God Temple in the palace to worship the City God of Beijing, Emperor Chengzu."

He then instructed Liu Ruoyu:

"As the head of the Directorate of Palace Attendants, you must also be careful about your faith in eunuchs."

"Don't let them blindly follow heretical religions; the eunuchs in the palace can only worship the true gods."

"Back then, many eunuchs were followers of the Hongyang Sect, and their scriptures were even printed by the palace's scripture printing factory."

"This kind of thing must not happen again; it must be strictly prohibited."

This happened during the Wanli era, when the Hongyang Sect was at its peak and nearly triggered a rebellion.

Considering the historical events surrounding the Nine Lotus Bodhisattva, Zhu Youjian felt that the faith of eunuchs and palace maids must be taken seriously.

Even if ordinary palace servants couldn't be taken care of, eunuchs and female officials with ranks, as well as those with religious beliefs, had to be identified.

Religion could not be allowed to spread within the palace and become a force that could influence the court.

The investigation into the eunuchs' beliefs naturally falls under the responsibility of the Directorate of Palace Attendants. Liu Ruoyu wouldn't refuse to increase their power, and even suggested:

"Many people in the palace worship Guan Yu, and others worship the Nine Lotus Bodhisattva. I think it is appropriate to set up a temple inside or outside the palace, with eunuchs serving as temple keepers, to monitor whether there are any heretics."

"Furthermore, the Eastern Depot also worships Yue Fei, and a temple can be set up to worship him."

Zhu Youjian nodded in approval and instructed him and Gao Shiming to handle the arrangements.

He hoped that eunuchs would increasingly embrace Taoism and cultivate the mindset of longevity.

Therefore, he decided to say:
“If a eunuch performs meritorious service and receives a medal, his family can also benefit from it.”

"Those with great merit can become nobles or hereditary officials." "Those with lesser merit can have their younger brothers or nephews become hereditary soldiers and be given priority in being placed in the royal family's property."

“High-ranking eunuchs must have relatives. I do not want any reckless people to appear in the palace.”

"The Imperial Household Department must also make proper arrangements for the families of these people. They cannot be left without a way out, nor can they be allowed to act recklessly."

"I hope that the eunuchs in the palace are also long-lived, and not eager for quick success and instant benefits, and not with the mindset of short-lived species."

This deeply moved Liu Ruoyu, who felt that the emperor truly cared about them.

Although the current emperor dealt with Wei Zhongxian after ascending the throne, he bestowed more titles upon eunuchs than he had since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

Many eunuchs who had previously held hereditary official positions were converted to noble titles and were granted fiefdoms overseas.

Now, the emperor has decided to grant military ranks to eunuchs with minor merits, which will benefit even more people.

In the future, eunuchs will have more career options, and their brothers and nephews will receive more preferential treatment.

Similarly, their promotions must be slower. We cannot allow another Wei Zhongxian to emerge, climbing the ladder by any means necessary—

Having had enough of the suffering inflicted by Wei Zhongxian's faction, Liu Ruoyu felt that the most important aspect of the Inner Palace Bureau system was to prevent the emergence of another Wei Zhongxian.

Any behavior that seeks quick success and instant benefits should be rejected as short-lived behavior.

He had already come up with many plans and intended to write them down in the Inner Palace Supervisory System.

The outer court was formulating its own system of rites and laws, and the inner court was also working to perfect its own rules and regulations.

As the first Director of the Inner Palace after the emperor reorganized the Inner Palace Offices, he naturally bore this responsibility and ensured that his name would be passed down through the Inner Palace Office system forever.

Zhu Youjian greatly appreciated his idea and instructed him to convey it to Gao Shiming, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, to reorganize the inner court system.

After obtaining his approval, no modifications could be made without the emperor's order.

The inner court also needed to be institutionalized to conform to the new rites and music.
-
After seeing Liu Ruoyu off, Zhu Youjian thought of Gao Shiming.

He was quite satisfied with the position of Director of Ceremonial Affairs.

After Wei Zhongxian and Wang Tiqian seized power, he needed a low-profile eunuch.

Gao Shiming fit this need perfectly. He kept a low profile in the court and among the people, but he still retained the core power of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

After the cabinet expanded its power, it tested the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs several times, but he resolved each attempt quietly.

Zhu Youjian had no immediate plans to replace the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs and intended to let Gao Shiming continue in his position.

At the same time, what he admired most about Gao Shiming was that this man had compiled Taoist health preservation books—

Now it seems that this is the mindset of an immortal being, no wonder they act so calmly.

Zhu Youjian hoped there would be more elderly people like this, and felt he needed to find something for them to do, so he summoned Chen Wangting and said:
What is the Martial Arts Association busy with right now?

What are your thoughts on the theory of immortality?

Chen Wangting was a pure martial artist who served as the president of the Martial Arts Association after Ji Jike was transferred to a post outside the capital.

He didn't care much about the theories circulating among scholars, but after hearing the emperor's explanation, he understood what long-lived and short-lived species were.

He frowned and said:

"The purpose of practicing martial arts is to protect the nation and maintain one's strength to achieve great things."

"If you think about longevity during a battle, it will be a deadly thing."

"Do we martial artists all have a short-lived mentality?"

This is something he doesn't approve of; who wants to be considered a short-lived barbarian?
However, martial arts duels are indeed a matter of life and death. Some martial artists are afraid of power but not of virtue, and only believe in overwhelming force.

The thought that such a fate would lead to barbarization made Chen Wangting feel extremely distressed, and he felt that he could not accept this theory.

Zhu Youjian then said:

"Martial arts combat, bravery and aggression, are all about gambling with one's life, and are undoubtedly short-lived behaviors."

"However, if the Ming Dynasty wants to remain powerful, it must also value martial arts and cultivate a spirit of courage in battle."

"Now that firearms have been widely adopted, the role of individual bravery on the battlefield has been greatly reduced."

"I hope the Martial Arts Association will change its mindset and clarify that the purpose of practicing martial arts is to cultivate oneself, to nourish one's character, and to have a healthy body."

"Martial artists should be long-lived, not short-lived."

This left Chen Wangting speechless, unsure how to respond.

"Mastering both literary and martial arts skills, one can then serve the emperor"—this is the belief of many martial artists.

The current emperor values ​​martial artists and has recruited many highly skilled martial artists from the martial arts world.

However, things change too quickly on the battlefield. With the widespread use of new firearms, brave and valiant generals are already being phased out.

Chen Wangting realized that neither he nor Ji Jike had been able to participate in the battle, and knew that the emperor was speaking the truth.

The martial arts association must change its mindset in order to survive in the new era.

However, the purpose of martial arts training had changed from combat to fitness, a change that was too great for Chen Wangting to accept for the time being.

He said to the emperor:

"Martial artists should cultivate themselves, but if it weren't for maintaining strength, who would bother to do so?"

"Will the martial arts tournament still be held? How will martial arts competitions at all levels be handled?"

Organizing martial arts competitions is the primary function of the martial arts association.

The martial arts world of the Ming Dynasty has been booming in recent years, with many outstanding figures emerging.

Now that the emperor has ordered the Martial Arts Association to change direction, Chen Wangting doesn't know where the Martial Arts Association's future lies.

How can self-cultivation be compared to combat? Moreover, the aggressive and violent nature of martial arts competitions is a short-lived behavior.

Zhu Youjian said with a smile:

"The martial arts association's change of direction does not mean that it will stop holding competitions."

"Instead, the purpose of the competition needs to change. It should not be about selecting the strongest at the cost of injury or death, but about transforming into a sporting event."

"The purpose of sports is physical education. We should use scientific methods to analyze methods of physical education and use competitions to attract participants."

"Sports events should not only be about competition, but also about entertainment. They must be educational and entertaining to attract more people to participate."

Then he said to Chen Wangting:
"The Tai Chi that Master Chen practices is a kind of martial art that can maintain health, which is very much in line with the concept of sports."

"In the past, we focused more on killing and defeating the enemy in order to compete."

"In the future, we can pay more attention to health preservation and develop a health-preserving Tai Chi that can be practiced by the elderly."

He looked at Chen Wangting with a smile, hoping that Chen would develop the health-preserving Tai Chi.

This type of boxing is popular as gymnastics for the elderly, giving them something to do to pass the time.
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Chen Wangting stared wide-eyed, finding it hard to accept such a drastic change.

He became the president of the martial arts association not for health reasons, but to defeat others in the ring.

Unexpectedly, the emperor regarded Tai Chi as a health-preserving exercise and asked him to develop a health-preserving Tai Chi that the elderly could practice.

This left him feeling quite disappointed, and he still felt listless as he left the palace.

The emperor's words today can be considered a death sentence for warriors. From now on, their duty will no longer be to go to the battlefield, and martial arts competitions will become entertainment.

The thought that a martial artist's future status might be reduced to that of an actor filled Chen Wangting clenched his fists, determined that this was absolutely unacceptable. (End of Chapter)