Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

From the use of civilian warriors, the attitude towards barbarians is emphasized.

After Zhu Youjian's words were spread, the officials became more aware that:

The emperor attached great importance to the distinction between Chinese and barbarians, and did not regard the barbarians who were hostile to the Ming Dynasty as human beings.

In this case, the barbarian kings would naturally not admit it. Those half-Chinese, half-barbarian kings who took the initiative to assimilate should also be singled out.

After Huang Liji learned about this, he looked at the manuscript of "A Brief History of Chinese Chronicles" that he had finally completed and couldn't help but sigh:
"This book hasn't even been finished yet, so I have to revise it."

"After the strict control of the Chinese and foreign defenses, the orthodoxy and reign titles of all dynasties will be reviewed again."

Thinking about the amount of work involved, he felt the difficulty.

But if it is not changed, how can it be used as a textbook for the imperial examination?
When students point it out, he will be laughed at, and his name, Huang Liji, may become infamous because of his historical writing.

Zhang Ruitu, who had already resigned from the cabinet and was only serving as a minister of state, also felt that his previous efforts had been wasted, and sighed:
“This brief history may seem simple, but it is actually very troublesome.”

"The correspondence between the Yellow Emperor's era and the emperor's reign title must be determined, and the Ganzhi, Huili, and Western eras must also be calculated."

"These were finally completed, but there are problems with orthodoxy again."

"Your Majesty said there is no unified time, how do you say these should be written?"

Whenever this is mentioned, the officials at the National History Museum who participated in the compilation of the brief history are full of complaints.

The emperor originally requested that a brief history be compiled, and it would be best if it could be completed that year.

Everyone thought it would not be difficult and could be written in a few months.

I didn't expect that I would find out how difficult it was after I started.

Just deciding on the reign title and orthodoxy took them several months.

After completing the comparison tables of various calendars and chronologies, Huang Liji could only ask the emperor for more time for compiling them.

Zhu Youjian's purpose in compiling the brief history was to bribe the officials and let them make achievements in civil governance. Naturally, he agreed to this and gave them a three-year grace period.

I plan to use the content in the brief history to define the scope of questions in next year’s exam.

After Huang Liji and Zhang Ruitu stepped down as Grand Secretaries last year, they worked hard and finally completed the first draft.

Unexpectedly, before it was presented for commendation at the end of the year, the book was faced with revisions due to orthodoxy issues.

In this way, their achievements would naturally go to waste. And the emperor might even be displeased by another postponement.

Huang Liji felt a headache when he thought about this matter. But he had to face it, so he said to Zhang Ruitu:
"It is not our business to revise the brief history alone. Each volume also needs to be revised."

"Why don't we submit a petition together and ask His Majesty to make a ruling."

Zhang Ruitu thought so too, so he together with Fang Zhuangli, Yang Jingchen, Yuan Keli and others submitted a petition to the emperor, requesting the emperor to make the decision.

Zhu Youjian had almost forgotten about this matter at this time. It was only when he saw their memorial that he remembered this incident.

Thinking about the controversy about the Emperor's Temple some time ago, he called together personnel from the National History Museum, the Ministry of Rites, and the Imperial Academy to discuss the matter:

"In the Imperial Temple, there are now fifteen emperors and thirty-two famous ministers enshrined."

"There are also Kublai Khan, Muqali, Borchu, Borshu, Chilaowen, Bayan and other Mongolian monarchs and ministers who are receiving sacrifices in the side hall."

"This number is indeed too small. I think we should include all the orthodox people from all dynasties in the sacrifice."

"We will count the emperors who are legitimate one by one, and put their annals in after we have determined them."

He discussed with his ministers and decided on the legitimate emperor and reign title.

All the emperors who were listed as orthodox were placed in the side hall for worship. Those half-Chinese and half-barbarian emperors who actively assimilated to Han culture were placed in the side hall like Kublai Khan.

This forms public opinion and history books are compiled based on it.

The ministers were very interested in this and enthusiastically discussed the orthodoxy of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties. There was not much controversy in the previous ones, but after the Qin Dynasty destroyed the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, there was a period of time when the orthodoxy was lost.

Then Qin conquered the six kingdoms and orthodoxy emerged again.

According to this conclusion, Qin Shihuang should be included in the Temple of Emperors.

However, as a special emperor, Qin Shihuang obviously could not be simply worshipped in a side hall.

Not to mention that the title of emperor originated from Qin Shihuang. According to the theory of the Celestial Dynasty established by Zhu Youjian some time ago, the first Celestial Dynasty after the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties was founded by Qin Shihuang.

If such an emperor is not placed in the main hall of the Imperial Temple, which other emperor would be worthy of him?

Zhu Youjian said:
"Qin Shihuang founded the imperial system, and the Han Dynasty's system drew a lot from the Qin system."

"His pioneering contributions are indelible and should be placed in the main hall of the Imperial Temple."

This seemed natural to him, just like the Qin Emperor and Han Emperor, who were always mentioned together.

However, the ministers were not used to this because Qin Shihuang had such a bad reputation.

Because of his incompleteness, the Six Classics of Confucianism gave rise to disputes over modern and ancient texts. As long as the officials believed in Confucianism, no one was willing to put him in the main hall of the imperial temple.

They all cited classics to show that Qin Shihuang was a tyrant. No matter how great his achievements were, such a monarch should not be placed in the main hall of the imperial temple.

However, some people saw the emperor's idea and began to agree with him. Yang Jingchen said:

"The rule of the Three Dynasties was long, and the Celestial Empire founded by Qin Shihuang was the first era of the Celestial Empire that was within reach."

"If Qin Shi Huang is not in the main hall of the Imperial Temple, I wonder which other emperor would be worthy of the title?"

"Even the emperor and his ministers in the early Han Dynasty were just following the Qin system."

Obviously, he saw the emperor's admiration for Qin Shihuang and defended him here.

Of course, the ministers denounced such words that flattered the emperor.

Their biggest reason is that the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties were the Celestial Empire, and even though the Qin Dynasty was the Celestial Empire, it could not be called a special era.

However, if you ask them what the rule of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties was like, these people cannot answer.

More and more officials supported Yang Jingchen, and some began to agree that the Qin Dynasty was the first celestial dynasty that was within reach. It was not as far away as the Three Dynasties, which was like looking at flowers in the fog.

It is really inappropriate that the monarch who founded the Celestial Empire cannot be in the main hall of the Imperial Temple.

Zhu Youjian listened to their arguments and gradually came up with an idea. He said to his ministers:
"China has such a long history that simply dividing it into dynasties is a bit too complicated."

"I think that ancient history should be divided into periods, such as the ancient times and the distant past."

Following the historical periodization of later generations, ancient history began to be divided into eras:

"The ancient times are too far away to be traced back to ancient times, and there are no written records. Now we only know that stone tools and pottery were used, knotted ropes were used to record events, and city-states and tribes existed at that time."

"In ancient times, when the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors ruled the country, Emperor Huangdi mined copper from Shoushan Mountain to cast tripods and swords, indicating that copper tools were being used at that time. After Cangjie invented characters, there were even written records."

"But because the time is so long ago, most of their deeds cannot be verified. They are mixed in with myths and legends. It can be called the legendary era."

The ministers agreed with this statement. They also did not think that all the records about the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were true. There were even many versions of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and the one used in the Imperial Temple today was just one of them.

Therefore, the ancient history and prehistoric history are not completely reliable history, and the contents of history books are simply compiled according to the classics handed down.

After the ancient times comes the ancient times. Zhu Youjian said:
"The Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties can be called the three ancient dynasties."

"There are more records left by these three generations, and many bronze artifacts, jade artifacts, and bamboo slips have been excavated."

"Especially the history of the Zhou Dynasty, which is relatively clear."

"After the national uprising and the republican administration, it can be accurate to every year."

“The content of the chronicle mainly begins from here.”

The ministers had no objection to this statement. In fact, they usually referred to the three ancient dynasties as Xia, Shang and Zhou.

The ideal of many Confucian scholars is to restore the rule of the Three Dynasties.

Zhu Youjian then used this concept to expand on the topic. After the three ancient dynasties, he proposed the three medieval dynasties:
"After Qin conquered the six kingdoms, the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Warring States Period ended, and the ancient era also came to an end."

"The Qin Dynasty abolished feudalism, established counties, and implemented centralized power, which was a major change in Chinese history."

"We should make the wheels of the same gauge, the writing system of the same script, and the system of measurement the same, and establish a unified standard for the whole world."

"Tools also shifted from copper to iron, more private land was reclaimed, and the public well-field system collapsed."

"Therefore, I think that the Qin Dynasty is completely different from the three ancient dynasties. It can be called the Middle Ages along with the Han Dynasty, the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties."

"Among them, the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties were at their most prosperous and could be called the Celestial Empire, the three dynasties of the Middle Ages." This statement clearly elevated the status of the Qin Dynasty, calling it the founder of the Middle Ages and one of the three dynasties of the Middle Ages.

Some people also say that when studying the governance of the Three Dynasties, as long as it is not specified to be ancient, the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties can be included.

When the Confucian officials thought of this, they suddenly felt sick, because they had never thought that they would have the day to learn the Qin system.

These people also do not think that the Qin Dynasty has such an important status. Yuan Keli questioned:

"Your Majesty, the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers of the Qin and Han dynasties, and the Three Departments and Six Ministries of the Sui and Tang dynasties are not exactly the same."

"If the Qin Dynasty created an era, didn't the Sui Dynasty also create a new era?"

This statement is somewhat interesting, but it is not enough to completely distinguish the Sui and Tang dynasties from the Qin and Han dynasties. Zhu Youjian said:
"Whether it is the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers or the Three Provinces and Six Ministries, at their core they are all about centralization of power."

"In the Middle Ages, the goal was also to unify the world. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty used Confucianism to unify the world, which has influenced the present. After China was divided, it was reunited again and again."

"From the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the core of China was basically determined. The Han people as the main body of the Chinese nation also began to form, and they were distinguished from foreigners such as the Hu people."

"The Han people during this period were very positive and progressive, and their civilization and prosperity far surpassed those around them."

This was a glorious era in Chinese history, and when the officials recalled their impressions of the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties, they all felt fascinated.

No matter how much criticism there is towards these three dynasties, they must admit that the first impression given by the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties is that they are powerful.

The names for China in Sanskrit and Western languages ​​originated from Qin.

The two names "Han people" and "Tang people" have become nicknames for the Chinese people in the surrounding areas.

The Medieval Era was indeed the founding period of China, and the power of the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties was unquestionable.

In contrast, the Song Dynasty dared to fail no matter it was facing Liao, Jin, Yuan, Xixia, or Annan. During the Song Dynasty, China no longer had the status of the Celestial Empire.

Even places like Yanyun, Hetao and Jiaozhi were not recovered. In order to resist foreign enemies, the Yellow River was opened three times, leaving Hebei and Huanghuai in ruins, and the disaster continues to this day.

Zhu Youjian said with a heavy expression:

"After the Middle Ages came the Modern Age, specifically the Song and Yuan dynasties."

"This was the first time that China had no advantage over its neighbors and was even destroyed by foreigners, leading to the barbarians taking over China."

"We, the rulers and ministers, must take the lessons left by the ancients as a warning."

These words silenced the ministers.

Because the emperor was once again acknowledging that the empire had been lost and believed that the Mongols were barbarians who had come to rule China.

The Han people and Chinese are not special in this world and it is possible that they will be completely wiped out.

It is difficult for some people to admit this, but fortunately, the Mongols ruled China for only a few decades before they were driven back to the grasslands by Emperor Taizu.

China has once again experienced a renaissance and entered the modern era.

Zhu Youjian said proudly:

"This dynasty is the present generation, which was founded by Taizu to expel the barbarians and restore China."

"By the time of Emperor Chengzu, the core territory of the medieval period was restored, and the status of the Celestial Empire was restored among the people."

"Now I have remade the rituals and music, and I hope to return to the Celestial Empire with you all."

"I wonder if you are willing to follow me to accomplish this great cause?"

When the ministers heard this, they naturally shouted "Long live the emperor" and expressed their willingness to support the emperor.

At the same time, they also realized from the decline of the Song and Yuan dynasties in modern times that it was not natural for China to become the Celestial Empire.

The two Song dynasties failed to do so for more than 300 years, and the Ming Dynasty only lasted for a period of time during the Cheng and Xuan periods.

In this case, what reason do they have to criticize the Qin Dynasty for unifying the country for a short period of time?

Most dynasties did not become the Celestial Empire at all, and could even be described as separatist forces.

Therefore, after this analysis, Qin Shihuang was successfully included in the main hall of the Imperial Temple. The status of the Qin Dynasty in the Middle Ages cannot be avoided at all.

After confirming the status of Qin Shi Huang, Zhu Youjian added other monarchs who founded the Celestial Empire, such as Emperor Wu of Han. He also rearranged the order of the emperors in the main hall according to historical periods:

"The main hall of the Imperial Temple has five rooms. The middle room has three emperors, and the east room has five emperors."

"The western room was originally occupied by Xia Yu, Shang Tang, and Zhou Wenwang, but was later abandoned when Zhou Wenwang finally served the Shang Dynasty."

"But I think otherwise. King Wen was actually the founder of the Zhou Dynasty. In the later period, he was supported by the princes and fought for the world with the Shang Dynasty. At least he could be ranked as the orthodox, and his status was on par with Xia Yu and Shang Tang."

"In addition to King Wu who conquered the Shang Dynasty, the western room should have four emperors: Yu the Great, Tang of Shang, King Wen of Zhou, and King Wu of Zhou, as examples of ancient emperors."

This statement was supported by all the ministers.

Because the perfect monarch they imagined was King Wen of Zhou. The word "Wen" has a supreme status in the posthumous name system.

Of course they supported the emperor's decision to invite King Wen of Zhou back to the Imperial Temple.

The four ancient monarchs of three generations, Yu, Tang, Wen and Wu, should indeed be put together.

After confirming this, Zhu Youjian continued:

"The east room was originally occupied by King Wu of Zhou, Emperor Guangwu of Han, and Emperor Taizong of Tang. The west room was originally occupied by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Emperor Taizu of Song, and Emperor Shizu of Yuan."

"Later, as Emperor Gaozu of Tang gained the world from Emperor Taizong, his worship was abolished. Emperor Shizu of Yuan was moved out in the 24th year of Jiajing, and now he is invited back in and listed as a side hall for worshipping the half-Chinese and half-barbarian monarch."

"I think that this division of rooms is a bit confusing. We should have another room in the east to commemorate the emperors of the Qin and Han dynasties, and another room in the west to commemorate the emperors of the Sui, Tang and Song dynasties."

"Qin Shi Huang, Han Gaodi, Han Wudi, Han Guangwu, except Qin Shi Huang, the three emperors of the Han Dynasty were all called by posthumous titles and placed in the east room."

"Emperor Gaozu of Sui, Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Song were all referred to by their temple names and placed in the room to the west."

In addition to King Wen of Zhou and Qin Shihuang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Gaozu of Sui, and Emperor Gaozu of Tang were also added.

The total number of emperors enshrined in the main hall of the Imperial Temple reached twenty.

The ministers were somewhat puzzled, Yuan Keli said:
"Emperor Wu of Han was enshrined in the imperial temple for his achievements in founding the Celestial Empire, which is understandable."

"What achievements did Emperor Gaozu of Sui and Emperor Gaozu of Tang have to deserve to be included in the main hall of the Imperial Temple?"

"The Sui Dynasty failed to conquer Goguryeo, so it cannot be called the Celestial Empire. How could Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty gain the world as Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, so how could he be enshrined in the main hall?"

Zhu Youjian explained carefully:
"Although the Sui Dynasty cannot be called the Celestial Empire, Emperor Gaozu of Sui restored the Han surname and unified the north and the south, which was a great achievement in restoring the unity of China."

"In addition, Emperor Gaozu of Sui had the merit of ruling the country during the Kaihuang Reign, so he is qualified to be included in the main hall for worship."

"As for Emperor Gaozu of Tang, he was the founding emperor of the Tang Dynasty. The various systems of the Tang Dynasty, especially the imperial examination system of self-examination and regular examinations, were established during the Wude period."

"He did not gain the throne entirely because of Taizong, so he is qualified to be worshipped in the main temple."

This explanation, combined with the current advocacy of the Great Defense of the Chinese and the barbarians, highlighted the achievements of Emperor Gaozu of Sui. This monarch who restored the Yang surname from Pu Liuru was praised by his ministers.

However, Emperor Gaozu of Tang still could not convince people of his achievements, because the system in the early Tang Dynasty was basically inherited from the Sui Dynasty, and Emperor Gaozu of Tang did not make any great achievements when he founded the country.

Yuan Keli, who admired Emperor Taizong of Tang, retorted at this time:

"After Li Jing defeated the Turks, Emperor Taizong of Tang said, 'The Supreme Emperor, for the sake of the people, became a vassal of the Turks.'"

"Although this is a temporary measure, it makes it inappropriate for Emperor Gaozu of Tang to be included in the main hall."

"According to the orthodoxy set by your majesty, the ruler of the barbarians is not orthodox, let alone those who pay homage to the barbarians."

"Only after the great defeat of the Turks in the third year of Zhenguan could the Tang Dynasty be called orthodox, and Emperor Taizong of Tang was the true founding emperor."

As soon as these words were spoken, they dealt a severe blow to Emperor Gaozu of Tang's status.

Many officials agreed with this view. Zhu Youjian, who emphasized the importance of defending against foreign invaders, had to admit that Yuan Keli's statement was correct:
If we acknowledge that Emperor Gaozu of Tang, who was a vassal of the Turks, was the orthodox ruler of China, the status of the orthodox monarch of China would be lower than that of the rulers of the barbarians, which does not conform to what Confucius said: "It is better for the Chinese to have no ruler than for the barbarians to have one."

Therefore, Emperor Gaozu of Tang was not only not included in the main hall of the Imperial Temple, but he was not even allowed to be in the side hall.

Because he always paid tribute to the Turks during his reign, he could not be called a legitimate monarch at all.

On the contrary, although Emperor Taizong of Tang paid tribute to the Turks in the early period, he soon destroyed the Turks to wash away the shame. Therefore, he was not only a legitimate monarch, but also could be included in the main hall of the Imperial Temple based on his achievements.

Even Song Gaozong, although he surrendered to Jin after the Shaoxing Peace Agreement, could be called the legitimate monarch because he was an independent monarch before that. The same was true for his successor Song Xiaozong, who restored his independence after the Longxing Peace Agreement. So the two could be called the legitimate monarchs for a period of time.

According to the view of the distinction between Chinese and barbarians, the orthodox emperors and reign titles of all dynasties were determined by Zhu Youjian and his ministers from ancient times to the present. All orthodox emperors were included in the side halls of the Imperial Temple for worship. Those with great achievements were even included in the main hall. (End of this chapter)