Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

All the nations came to pay tribute to the Celestial Empire, and the ministers were all moved to hear this and took it for granted.

For China, which considers itself as the central country, it is natural for it to rule the world as the Celestial Empire. If it is just a regional hegemon, it will make people feel humiliated.

Therefore, when the ministers heard the emperor say that the Ming Dynasty was now only a four-star overlord and that there were other countries on par with the Ming Dynasty, they all felt humiliated.

Especially Qian Qianyi, who was quick to see the opportunity, bowed to the ground and said:
"We, the ministers, are incompetent and have tarnished your majesty's title as the Son of Heaven."

"I will assist Your Majesty in the future and make the Ming Dynasty a Celestial Empire again."

All the ministers knelt down and apologized to Zhu Youjian, the emperor.

Zhu Youjian was slightly stunned, and then he understood why they were like this.

Although the titles "Son of Heaven" and "Emperor" are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two.

The title of Son of Heaven focuses more on the nature of the world. Mencius said: The world refers to the area ruled by the Son of Heaven, the country refers to the country of the princes, and the family refers to the family of the nobles and officials.

In the eyes of Confucian officials, it is natural for the emperor to be the ruler of the world.

If one cannot rule the world, the title of the emperor will be tarnished, and the ministers who assist him also have the same responsibility.

So after Zhu Youjian said that the Ming Dynasty was no longer the Celestial Empire and could not rule the world, these ministers knelt down and apologized to show that they had shame.

After Zhu Youjian figured this out, he felt that he could make some progress in this regard. In particular, he wanted to distinguish the Son of Heaven from the Emperor, and let the Son of Heaven master the power of sacrifice as the Son of Heaven.

In that way, even if he lost his ruling power in the future, he could still maintain his status as a figurehead by virtue of his status as the Son of Heaven.

This is the guarantee he sought for future generations. As long as his future generations do not do evil things, they can most likely become figureheads.

Therefore, he said to his ministers as the Son of Heaven:

"The emperor has the world, dukes have their states, and officials have their families."

"The ministers of the court are called doctors in ancient times, and most of them have hereditary titles now."

"I hope that you will all have fiefs in the future and establish your own family."

"Those who have made great contributions can be granted the title of Duke and become the ruler of a vassal state."

"You and I, the king and our subjects, will work together to restore the prestige of the Ming Dynasty!"

Once again, he promised his ministers that he would share the benefits with them.

He also asked all the ministers to stand up and not have to kneel down all the time.

The ministers looked solemn and joyful. They were now certain:
The current emperor is ambitious and has not forgotten them.

These people's attitude towards outward expansion has also changed -

Because they will have a share of the fruits of the development.

In order to fulfill this promise and to distinguish the Son of Heaven from the Emperor, Zhu Youjian continued to say to his ministers:
"My Lords, do you know why I call Mongolia an empire instead of the Celestial Empire?"

"Which dynasties in history can be called the Celestial Empire?"

The ministers were somewhat confused, but thinking of what the emperor had just said, "The Son of Heaven has the whole world," Yuan Keli said:

"Your Majesty, are you saying that Mongolia did not rule the world, so it cannot be called the Celestial Empire, but can only be called an empire?"

Zhu Youjian nodded and said:
"exactly!"

"Although the Mongols were powerful for a time, they were unable to conquer Annan and Japan."

"The western expeditions to Egypt and Europe also failed."

"So it did not rule the world and could not be called the Celestial Empire."

Explaining this principle, Zhu Youjian said:
"In comparison, after Emperor Taizu founded the Ming Dynasty, many countries paid tribute."

"Emperor Chengzu sent Zheng He to the East Ocean and appointed Ashikaga Yoshimitsu as the King of Japan."

"After Zheng He sailed to the West, he invited many western countries to come and pay him homage, and explored the entire known world as far as he could know at that time."

"In the north, Chengzu made five expeditions to the northern desert, forcing the Oirat and Tatar to pay tribute."

"Many countries in the Western Regions also paid tribute."

"At that time, the Ming Dynasty was undoubtedly the Celestial Empire, but it was a pity that it did not last!"

The ministers felt nostalgic when they thought about the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty in the past.

The territory directly governed by the Ming Dynasty may not be as vast as that of the Mongols, but at its most powerful time, it had no enemies.

Almost all countries known to the Ming Dynasty submitted to it.

At that time, the Ming Dynasty was the place where all nations came to pay tribute, and it was undoubtedly the Celestial Empire.

(In the Yongle period, only a few white places were known to the Ming Dynasty but there were no records of tribute, but they could not be called enemies. The Ming Dynasty at that time could be said to have conquered the world known to people at that time)
Compared with the Dutch invasions and Spanish killings of Chinese in Luzon, the officials felt even more:
The current Ming Dynasty has declined. According to the emperor, it has fallen from a heavenly kingdom to an empire with only regional hegemony.

Yuan Keli was somewhat puzzled and asked:

"If only the Ming Dynasty during the Cheng and Xuan periods can be called the Celestial Empire, how can the dynasties before it be called the Celestial Empire?"

"Except for not having direct jurisdiction over the Western Regions, the Ming Dynasty has far more territory and vassal states than the Han and Tang dynasties. How can they call themselves the Celestial Empire?"

According to the people of the Ming Dynasty, the territory of the Ming Dynasty was far more vast than that of the Song Dynasty, roughly equivalent to that of the Tang Dynasty, but inferior to that of the Han Dynasty - the main differences were Hetao, Jiaozhi, the four counties of Korea and the Western Regions.

However, when the Ming Dynasty was at its most powerful, Hetao and Jiaozhi belonged to the Ming Dynasty, and Korea, like the Western Regions, was a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, but it was not under direct jurisdiction.

Coupled with the many vassal states conquered by Zheng He during his voyages to the West, the Ming Dynasty's prosperity can be said to "far surpass the Han and Tang dynasties."

Only a Ming Dynasty like this can be called the Celestial Empire. Can the Han and Tang dynasties also be called that?

"Han Tang certainly deserves it!"

Zhu Youjian said categorically:

“When the Han and Tang dynasties were at their most powerful, they also had no enemies and could be said to have conquered the known world as it was then known, which was what people at the time thought of as the world.”

"So the Han and Tang dynasties were undoubtedly the Celestial Empire, but the Song Dynasty was not."

"Before the Han and Tang Dynasties, the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties and the Qin Dynasty could also be said to have conquered the world as it was known to people, and could also be called the Celestial Empire."

"All under heaven belongs to the king; all the people in the world are the king's subjects. This was true at that time."

"The Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, and Ming dynasties, when they were at their most prosperous, could all be called the Celestial Empire!"

These words made the ministers feel proud after the shame they had just felt.

The Ming Dynasty could be called the Celestial Empire together with the Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties, and these ministers also felt honored.

It's a pity that the current Ming Dynasty has declined compared to the Chengxuan period, which makes them feel more urgent to revive the Ming Dynasty:

If they don't revive the Ming Dynasty into the Celestial Empire, how can they face their ancestors even if they die?
However, the difficulty for the Ming Dynasty to become the Celestial Empire again is incomparable to the past.

According to the emperor's definition of the known world as the world, the world known by the Ming Dynasty now is much larger than before.

Many ministers had seen the Kunyu Wanguo Map and the world map hanging in the Wuying Hall.

Not many ministers have the confidence to conquer such a world.

Many people are also afraid that the emperor will be ambitious and waste people's money and resources like Chengzu did.

Xu Guangqi said:

"Your Majesty has such ambitions, and we will certainly assist you with all our strength." "But the Western countries are thousands of miles away, how can we conquer them?"

"I think it is enough to restore the old territory of Emperor Chengzu, and there is no need to ask for the Celestial Empire."

Some ministers agreed with this statement, but more ministers glared at him angrily.

Some even accused Xu Guangqi of being friendly with Western missionaries and not wanting the Ming Dynasty to conquer the West.

Zhu Youjian listened to their quarrels and was pleased that some people dared to say that they had conquered the West:

Regardless of whether it can be done or not, it is good for the ministers to have such a heart, which is better than simply shrinking.

Of course, it is impossible for the Ming Dynasty to conquer all countries and become the enemy of the world. He said to his ministers:
“The world today is much larger than anyone knew.”

"So I also think it is not necessary to conquer the whole world, especially those areas that are not of much value."

"Emperor Chengzu established the Ming Dynasty's territory by pacifying the rebellion. In the future, as long as we can restore the old territory during Emperor Chengzu's time and make all countries in the world dare not be enemies of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty can once again be called the Celestial Empire and become a five-star civilization that knows the destiny of heaven."

"I hope you will work together with me to revive the Ming Dynasty into a Celestial Empire!"

For a time, all the ministers shouted that reviving the Ming Dynasty and returning to the Celestial Empire became the consensus of the Ming Dynasty's rulers and ministers.

Zhu Youjian clearly put forward his own program. Everything he did was to revive the Ming Dynasty!
After reaching a consensus, Zhu Youjian continued:
"In the Ming Dynasty, there were vassal states of princes, dukes, and earls, territories of sons, men, and knights, and even the crown prince had a territory."

"As an emperor, I naturally have to have a territory directly under my jurisdiction as my royal domain, and call it the Great Ming Empire."

"In the future, the Ming Dynasty will rule the world with the Ming Empire as the core, the princes and lords as the wings, and the many vassal states as the barriers."

"No matter where you are enfeoffed, as long as you abide by the laws of propriety, you are still subjects of the Celestial Empire and retain your Chinese citizenship."

This was his further definition of the Celestial Dynasty and the Empire, while also distinguishing between the Son of Heaven and the Emperor.

The Son of Heaven ruled the entire Ming Dynasty, and the Emperor was the monarch of the Ming Empire.

The princes and lords submitted to the Son of Heaven of the Ming Dynasty, not the emperor of the Ming Empire.

The key to maintaining the Ming Dynasty lies in the emperor himself. The Ming Empire must obtain the right to interfere with its vassal states through the relationship that the Ming emperor also serves as the Ming emperor.

If they overthrew the emperor and the emperor, the Ming Dynasty would no longer exist, and those vassal states might become independent one after another.

This was another insurance policy that Zhu Youjian set up in order to maintain the status of his descendants, hoping that he could at least maintain a nominal monarchy in the future.

In order to slow down the loss of power, he separated the Lifanyuan from other court institutions and stipulated that the emperor had the power to issue direct decrees.

Officials of the Ming Empire had no right to interfere with the Lifanyuan. They also had no right to give orders directly to vassal states, and could only issue orders to vassal states through the emperor and the Lifanyuan.

In this way, even if the emperor of the Ming Dynasty lost control of the court, he could at least keep control of the Lifanyuan. He could even regain power with the support of loyal vassals.

The ministers had not yet realized these hidden intentions. They just felt that the emperor wanted to clarify the scope of the territory under his jurisdiction.

This was naturally a good thing for them, as it meant that the emperor would not directly bring the newly opened territories under his jurisdiction, but would instead divide them up.

Therefore, they strongly supported the emperor's decision to designate the directly governed territory as the Ming Empire, and hoped that the emperor would clarify the scope of the Ming Empire.

Needless to say, the two capitals and thirteen provinces must belong to the direct territory of the Ming emperor, and there is no dispute about the military garrisons. However, the emperor's newly established Duhufu not only has military garrisons, but also governs the princes and lords, which is controversial.

Huang Liji, the head of the Lifan Yuan, said:
"The Protectorate has jurisdiction over vassal states, and I think it should be under the Lifanyuan."

"Officials of the Protectorate are sent by the Lifanyuan."

The Privy Council certainly disagreed with this. Yuan Keli said:
"The Protectorate is under the jurisdiction of the Dusi Hujun, so it should belong to the Privy Council."

"The garrisons and vassal states under its jurisdiction all belong to the Ming Empire."

This was to fight for territory for the emperor, and Zhu Youjian certainly agreed. He said:

"The Protectorate, as well as the military and civil offices and garrison lands under the jurisdiction of overseas governors, all belong to the territory of the Ming Empire."

"The Ming Empire will not be divided into fiefdoms, but fiefdoms outside the Great Wall and overseas are allowed to be divided and governed by the Protectorate General or the Governor-General."

"The chief officials of these places are recommended by the Nine Ministers, and the vassal states under their jurisdiction are supervised by the Lifanyuan, and officials from the Lifanyuan serve as subordinate officials in these places."

"For matters involving vassal states, they must be co-signed by officials from the Lifanyuan, in accordance with the rules of the vassal states."

This was used to resolve the dispute between the Lifanyuan and the Privy Council.

Huang Liji didn't have the courage to resist the emperor, but he had to fight for power for the Lifanyuan, so he thought:
"The free trade zone has no garrisons and does not need to send government officials. It should be under the jurisdiction of the Lifanyuan."

"Your Majesty, please decide whether these places are vassal states or territories of the Ming Empire."

Zhu Youjian thought about the role of these free trade zones, and after thinking about it, he said:

"The star rating of the free trade zone is similar to that of vassal states, and the specific star rating is determined by its population, strength and taxes paid."

"They are governed by the council formed by residents of the free trade zone, and are supervised by the Fanyuan, the local governors and the vassal states."

The free trade zone was regarded as a jointly governed area and was not incorporated into the Ming Empire.

However, the governors and governors sent by the Ming Empire can monitor them and have a certain influence on each free trade zone.

Zhu Youjian did this naturally in order to set up more free trade zones so that the vassal states would have less resistance to the establishment of free trade zones.

He was not very enthusiastic about expanding his directly-administered territories overseas because he knew that with the current transportation and communication conditions, he would not be able to manage it.

After Chengxuan, the inspection offices and other outposts established by the Ming Dynasty overseas gradually disappeared because it was unable to maintain long-term control.

In view of this, Zhu Youjian was inclined to divide the overseas territories and only set up garrisons and military and civil offices in important places as direct territories of the Ming Empire.

The free trade zones serve as places similar to concessions, allowing residents to govern themselves. The Ming Dynasty maintains their status and facilitates free trade for Ming citizens through the free trade zones.

After these divisions were made, the officials began to realize the difference between the empire and the Celestial Empire, and became more aware of the power of the Lifanyuan. The Prime Minister Han Yu was dissatisfied and said:

"Your Majesty, the imperial court governs the Celestial Empire. Why do you use the Lifanyuan exclusively to govern places outside the empire?"

"As ministers of the imperial court, we should assist Your Majesty in governing the entire Celestial Empire."

Zhu Youjian was speechless for a moment. Seeing all the ministers saying this, he could only say to them:

"The Council of Nobles has been incorporated into the National Assembly, and the Lifanyuan is one of the five courts. The court can naturally govern the vassal states."

"It's just that the situation of the vassal states is complicated and needs to be handled by the Lifanyuan."

"If you have any ideas, you can make suggestions to me through the court discussion or the court meeting."

He made some concessions to the ministers, but still did not give up the Lifanyuan. If the ministers wanted to interfere in the Lifanyuan, they could only go through the emperor.

Zhu Youjian still held the power to issue direct orders to the Lifanyuan without going through the cabinet and the six ministries.

This was what he had fought for when he promised not to use the imperial edict at will. Han Yu and other ministers wanted to overturn it, but they had no confidence:
If they dared to force Zhu Youjian to give up this, Zhu Youjian would dare to give up the previous agreement and use the imperial edict again.

With his current prestige, it is estimated that many military commanders and local officials would accept the imperial edict. Those officials who have the power to submit secret memorials would even accept the imperial edict quietly.

Therefore, after the debate, Zhu Youjian still retained control of the Lifanyuan. As the emperor, he granted the Lifanyuan the power to manage the vassal states.

Of course, the Lifanyuan needs the cooperation of other government offices, and the various court agencies also have a certain influence on the Lifanyuan.

At the same time, Zhu Youjian also decided that the Ming court would directly govern the Ming Empire and would not establish an imperial government just because the empire was divided.

The core areas of the Ming Dynasty were still governed by court officials.

Local officials were officials of the Ming Empire, and they had no power to interfere with vassal states outside the empire.

The concepts of Celestial Empire, Empire, and Vassal State gradually became clearly defined. (End of this chapter)