Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Empress Zhou was very happy to hear that the emperor had agreed to her proposal.

However, her worries did not completely disappear, because she knew all too well that being the successor to a holy ruler was no easy task—

Neither Qin Shi Huang nor Emperor Wu of Han, nor Emperor Taizong of Tang nor Emperor Taizu of Ming, were the originally designated successors to the throne.

There are even cases like Emperor Wu of Han, where the crown prince rebelled and died along with the empress.

Empress Zhou certainly didn't want this to happen, but she wasn't sure if the emperor, being older, would change his mind.

Now that the emperor intends to implement abdication, she seized the opportunity to say:
"The system of abdication within the palace is good, as it can make the succession to the throne more stable."

"However, the risk of being coerced by ministers still exists."

"Your Majesty should establish rules so that the Emperor and the Crown Prince can only be forced to abdicate if these rules are violated."

“They cannot be forced without reason if they have not violated these rules.”

Zhu Youjian valued systems above all else, and upon hearing this, he nodded in agreement:

"That is indeed the case; we cannot allow ministers to act freely."

"Otherwise, if the emperor wouldn't dare offend his ministers, how could he stand with the people?"

"I will clearly stipulate in the rites and laws that only in cases of immorality and lack of virtue can the emperor be forced to abdicate or the succession rights of the crown prince and other members of the royal family be abolished."

"If there is no immorality or lack of virtue, then it is just a minor problem; at most, a self-criticism edict will be issued."

What is the absence of the Way?

In Zhu Youjian's view, this violated the orthodox tradition he had established, which he considered the biggest problem.

Moreover, this lineage would have specific content. He commissioned Qian Qianyi to compile the "Huangming Baoxun," which was a collection of the words and deeds of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty according to his own doctrines, to serve as a textbook for the imperial family.

The principles of "the world belongs to all," "selecting the virtuous and capable," and "distinguishing between Chinese and barbarians" in the Precious Teachings are all part of the moral tradition he left behind.

The future edition of the "Chongzhen Precious Instructions" will record more details so that future emperors can follow it.

To violate this orthodox tradition was, in Zhu Youjian's view, to be immoral and thus be forced to abdicate by his subjects.

As he explained his thoughts on the orthodox tradition, Zhu Youjian instructed the Empress:
“Establishing the orthodox tradition is a very important matter.”

"This concerns whether our descendants can live as long as Confucius."

"If the orthodox tradition I established can be recognized by the world, then our descendants will be the descendants of saints."

“As long as they are not immoral and devoid of virtue, no one will dare to exterminate them.”

“Look at the Kong family, sometimes they even look down on the royal family. Their status is more noble than any other family.”

This is an insight he gained after several years in power.

The Kong family seemed to have little power and little influence in the court.

However, if you want to deal with them, you will encounter great resistance.

The current Duke Yansheng, Kong Yinzhi, surrendered to the Manchu Qing dynasty in history and voluntarily shaved his head and changed his clothes to show his support.

Zhu Youjian knew about these things and even considered punishing them, but he was always hesitant to act for fear of inadvertently harming them.

Confucius's influence throughout the world was immense, and the Confucius family continued to benefit from his legacy. Unless they had committed heinous crimes, Zhu Youjian (Emperor Youjian) would have had no way to punish them.

Ultimately, his biggest move was to elevate the status of the Southern branch of the Confucius family by favoring Kong Zhenyun. He appointed them as sacrificial officials at the Nanjing Confucius Temple to spread their teachings beyond the Great Wall and overseas.

This made Zhu Youjian very uncomfortable, especially now that he needed to establish his position within the orthodox lineage:
"Confucius's influence is still too great. If I want to seize the orthodox lineage, the Duke Yansheng may be the biggest obstacle."

"I hope the Confucius family will be sensible and not force me to take action."

Thinking this to himself, Zhu Youjian knew that dealing with the Kong family was now unavoidable.

Because he wanted to re-establish the orthodox tradition, he needed to regulate the sacrificial rites at the Confucian Temple and define the Confucian orthodox system. Those sages who conformed to his orthodox tradition would have their status elevated in the Confucian Temple.

Those who do not conform to his doctrines, or even contradict them, will be demoted or even expelled from the Confucian Temple.

This matter must be discussed with the Confucius Temple, and the lineage of the Duke Yansheng is likely to make demands.

Zhu Youjian had a headache just thinking about it, so he could only put it aside for the time being.
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Empress Zhou was so overjoyed when she heard that the emperor wanted her descendants to be considered holy offspring that she was speechless with delight.

She never imagined that her descendants would not only inherit the throne but also become the descendants of a saint.

This made her even more worried:

"My son's talent is far inferior to Your Majesty's."

"Can he become a descendant of the saints and inherit His Majesty's lineage?"

Zhu Youjian came to his senses and said with a smile:
"It's alright, don't worry too much."

"I previously relaxed the emperor's requirements to include middle-class people precisely to prepare for this situation."

"As long as our descendants do not lack morality and virtue, they will not lose their position in the tradition."

"Look at how many great Confucian scholars there were in the history of the Confucius family? Most of them were just average people."

This put Empress Zhou at ease, reminding her of the Dukes Yansheng throughout history.

Indeed, few of these people were truly outstanding; most, as the emperor said, were merely of average intelligence.

Some of the Dukes of Yansheng were even quite despicable, tarnishing Confucius's reputation while they were alive.

Zhu Youjian would not allow such a thing to happen. He said:
"I will compile a precious set of teachings and leave behind family precepts."

"All my descendants, regardless of their talents, must not be immoral or lack virtue; otherwise, they will be expelled from the imperial genealogy."

"I will specify the standards for immorality and lack of virtue. The Empress manages the harem and has the obligation to educate her children."

"After the princes and princesses learn to read, the most important thing is to memorize these."

"If there are any signs of immorality or lack of virtue, then they must be corrected. These rules cannot be taken lightly and will tarnish my reputation."

"The same applies to the imperial family; I will instruct the Imperial Clan Court to educate them."

Several standards were established for immorality, and the loss of virtue was defined as a violation of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness.

This loyalty not only required the imperial family to be loyal to the emperor, but also demanded that the emperor be loyal to China and the nation.

This stance is absolutely crucial and cannot be wrong, otherwise it would violate the founding principle of the Ming Dynasty: to expel the barbarians and restore China.

Then there are the two words: benevolence and righteousness. As long as one upholds a benevolent heart and treats one's subjects with kindness and compassion, even if one's abilities are somewhat lacking, the people of the world will still consider one a good emperor.

Emperors like Song Renzong and Ming Xiaozong were not particularly capable. However, they had excellent reputations because of their benevolence and kindness.

Zhu Youjian would rather his descendants be weak than have them be cruel and tyrannical, becoming the tyrants in the eyes of the people.

The emergence of such a monarch could have led to the loss of the Ming Dynasty.

It might even damage one's own virtue, leading to extermination in the name of revenge.

It can be said that his system of internal abdication and other measures were all aimed at preventing the emergence of a tyrant.

The future Ming Dynasty will not need a very capable emperor, much less a tyrant.

The emperor wants to occupy the position of the self-proclaimed upright officials, standing on a moral high ground to criticize and instruct his subjects, while refraining from interfering in specific details and taking as little responsibility as possible.

The most important aspect of this was restraining one's desire for power, which also allowed Zhu Youjian to gain a deeper understanding of Confucius's saying, "To subdue oneself and return to propriety is benevolence." (End of Chapter)