Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"Wartime Acts! This is dragging everyone into war!"

The members of Congress were all scholars, so they could naturally see the implications of the wartime law.

If it weren't for the word "wartime," indicating that it would only be used during wartime, they would not hesitate to veto the bill, even if they were appointed by the current emperor.

However, the addition of the word "wartime" makes it open to discussion—

Because everyone knows that a state of war cannot last, even during the Hongwu era.

What they fear is the emergence of an emperor like Chengzu, who spends most of his time waging war after becoming emperor.

Even if the current emperor is not that kind of emperor, who knows if one won't appear in the future?

Therefore, they naturally had reservations about the wartime legislation, and even Liu Zongzhou shared this sentiment:
"Your Majesty's desire to govern is too hasty, which inevitably leads to self-interest; and this self-interest, in turn, results in criminal law."

“Strict law enforcement and emphasis on rewards and punishments during wartime is governing the country with criminal law, not the right way to govern the world!”

This approach was one that he vehemently opposed in his "Memorial to the Emperor on the Way of Yao and Shun".

Despite his close cooperation with the current emperor, he resolutely opposed the wartime legislation.

Seeing that Liu Zongzhou was acting this way, the members of the National Assembly naturally gave their full support and elected him to represent the National Assembly in advising the Emperor.
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Zhu Youjian was not an emperor who would not listen to advice. After receiving Liu Zongzhou's request for an audience, he immediately received him in the Qianqing Palace.

Upon hearing Liu Zongzhou's concerns about the wartime law, he asked:
"In your opinion, which of the states of Qin, Qi, and Chu was the strongest during the Warring States period?"

After pondering the emperor's intentions, Liu Zongzhou replied:
"Among the Warring States, Qin was naturally the strongest."

"But its appointment of Legalists who emphasized penal law was akin to the tyrannical Qin dynasty!"

"The Qin Dynasty collapsed only three years after Qin Shi Huang's death."

"If Your Majesty adopts the Qin system, I am afraid I am unfit to assist you."

Since he had even mentioned resigning, Zhu Youjian hurriedly said:
"Of course I will not use the Qin system!"

"However, the military merit system and the heavy rewards and punishments in the Qin system were very suitable for wartime."

"The world today is a time of great strife, and the Ming Dynasty can no longer be called a celestial empire where all nations pay tribute."

"If a country were to become like Qi or Chu, or even unite to attack the Ming Dynasty, how should the Ming Dynasty respond?"

This is a real problem, and it is something Zhu Youjian has repeatedly emphasized.

For the past few years, he has been instilling in his ministers the idea that the Ming Dynasty is no longer the only hegemon in the world and must pay attention to other countries.

Although Liu Zongzhou was somewhat pedantic, he was not ignorant of worldly affairs. After repeated explanations from the emperor, he had come to accept that the world did not entirely belong to the Ming Dynasty.

The world's powers today are more like the Warring States period. Even though the Ming Dynasty has its advantages, other countries are not weak either.

In this way, the emperor's concerns became justified.

Against the backdrop of this struggle for supremacy among various states, only by adopting the Qin system could victory be achieved.

However, Liu Zongzhou was genuinely averse to the Qin system and advised against it, saying:
"Your Majesty, the Han dynasty inherited the Qin system, but it also made many improvements and additions."

"I believe that even in times of war, we should make more use of the Han system."

"Emperor Wu used this to defeat the Xiongnu, and the Ming Dynasty will naturally be able to defeat the enemy as well."

Although they still opposed the Qin system, their attitude softened somewhat.

Zhu Youjian pretended to be receptive to good advice and said:

"That's right. I intend to adopt part of the Qin system, just like the Han Dynasty, and only use it in wartime."

"Once the state of war ends, the Ming system will naturally be used, which is the etiquette and law stipulated in the new Three Rites."

These three major rites were drafted by Liu Zongzhou, and he naturally defended them extremely.

Hearing the emperor mention the importance of observing etiquette again filled him with joy. Then, another thought crossed his mind, and he said to the emperor:

"Wartime laws can be enacted, but they must be governed by etiquette and law."

"We cannot casually enter a state of war and drag the world into war."

"I believe that since Parliament represents the people, whether or not to enter a state of war should be approved by Parliament."

This requirement is a constraint on the emperor. It prevents the emperor from declaring a state of war so casually, as he did in recent days.

Although Zhu Youjian was reluctant to have a noose around his neck, after careful consideration, he ultimately agreed.

After all, he was also worried that his descendants might produce an emperor like Emperor Wu of Han, who would establish a great dynasty but then almost collapse.

That was not what he was pursuing; he simply wanted to use wartime legislation to enhance the Ming Dynasty's ability to cope with war.

In particular, he and his successors mostly lacked the ability to lead troops, and the wartime laws were in effect for too long, posing a risk of being sidelined by the wartime prime minister.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian agreed that the power to decide on entering a state of war would be granted to the National Assembly.

However, Zhu Youjian's agreement to this rule was not without conditions. He required the National Assembly to endorse it and to levy additional war taxes when funds were insufficient during wartime.

At the same time, under a state of general mobilization, the imperial court has the power to conscript everyone for military service. Although Liu Zongzhou was extremely displeased with this practice of treating the entire country as a military camp, he could only agree in order to prevent the emperor from arbitrarily entering a state of war.

Ultimately, the provisions concerning the Privy Council in the "Great Ming Ritual and Law Convention" were supplemented with an additional clause:
The Ming emperor commanded the Ming army, authorized the Privy Council to assist in handling military affairs, and appointed a Privy Council minister to preside over the Privy Council. Specific regulations were stipulated in the *Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty* and the *Military Laws of the Ming Dynasty*.

When the National Assembly permits the declaration of a state of war, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty may select Privy Councilors to form a wartime committee and appoint a wartime prime minister to oversee war affairs.

The establishment and dissolution of war commissions, the drafting and amendment of wartime laws, and the collection of war taxes shall all require the consent of Congress.

When enemy forces threaten the capital and the Ming Dynasty faces imminent destruction, the Ming Emperor has the authority to directly declare a state of war, issue a general mobilization order, and conscript all citizens to participate in the war. A wartime headquarters is established to oversee the war effort as commander-in-chief. However, the state of war must be withdrawn within one month after the threat is eliminated.
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After Liu Zongzhou returned with these preliminary drafts, they were supported by all the members of the National Assembly.

They witnessed once again the weight Liu Zongzhou held in the emperor's heart; only this great Confucian scholar could change the emperor's mind.

Congress quickly passed this clause and added it to the draft law.

The formulation of wartime legislation will also be based on this.

Once this policy is established, the specific terms will be easier to negotiate.

Even Zhu Youjian did not participate; instead, he had Yuan Keli lead the wartime committee to discuss matters with the parliament led by Liu Zongzhou.

The clash between the two government offices was naturally not harmonious.

Even though Yuan Keli and Liu Zongzhou shared similar ideas, neither wanted the war to continue indefinitely.

However, in order to win the war, Yuan Keli had to fight for certain powers.

The other members of the War Committee were even more fiercely vying for power. They wished the entire court could be controlled by the War Committee, giving them complete control.

Ultimately, through negotiation, both sides formulated a series of regulations, including the Martial Law Regulations, Wartime Mobilization Regulations, Wartime Production Regulations, Wartime Material Regulations, Wartime Price Regulations, Wartime Transportation Regulations, and Wartime Financial Regulations, which were compiled into the "Wartime Act".

Although this bill is not even considered a law, but merely a temporary act, it has been incorporated into the Convention on Civil and Legal Etiquette, making it extremely difficult to amend.

After Zhu Youjian reviewed and approved it, he finally signed and approved it.

He hoped that through this, the Ming Dynasty could be mobilized to defeat the enemy when it encountered danger.

This law had a significant impact, especially in Shuntian Prefecture and Beizhili, where its effects were immediate.

Under orders from the Ministry of Equipment and the Ministry of Industry, various workshops and mines began producing supplies according to wartime regulations. Furthermore, the profit margin on produced goods was capped at 10%, mostly set at 5%, maintaining a minimal profit.

Many businessmen who invested in factories and mines complained bitterly. If the stock exchange hadn't temporarily locked up the share prices, the stocks of many related companies would probably have plummeted.

However, the people of the capital had mixed feelings about the wartime situation.

Although the name "state of war" sounds unsettling, its impact on them at present is not particularly significant.

Many people were also pleased that prices were under control, with fluctuations exceeding 10% requiring approval from the wartime committee.

The prices of fabrics and other goods that were about to be mass-produced even began to drop. Some people took the opportunity to buy new clothes, something they hadn't done in a long time.

Vehicle workshops producing horse-drawn carriages, cement workshops producing cement... these enterprises controlled by the imperial court also began to expand production.

Zhu Youjian directed the expansion of the inner court enterprises, using all the funds accumulated in previous years for this expansion.

It's rare to find a time like this where you don't have to worry about your products not selling.

The more capital a company has, the more it should expand; even a 5% profit is a considerable sum.

Some merchants shared this view. They were optimistic about the Ming Dynasty and naturally expanded their production as well.

In particular, the imperial merchants who were affiliated with the inner court had no choice but to expand production along with the inner court enterprises.

The entire Shuntian Prefecture area was bustling with activity; normally, you wouldn't see a single idle person.

Zhu Youjian's previous rectification of Shuntian Prefecture has yielded results.

Beizhili was also affected, with many resources being mobilized.

In other places, because the emperor was far away, the state of war did not have a significant impact.

In many rural areas, people were completely unaware that a state of war had been declared.

Only the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area, like Shuntian Prefecture, has ushered in great development.

Liu Lishun controlled the confiscated funds from the Chu vassal state, so he was not short of money. The Suzhou-Songjiang New Area also had many hired laborers, servants from various places who had come seeking freedom.

Settling them was originally a headache, but as soon as the wartime law came out, Liu Lishun immediately knew what to do:
He referenced the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the imperial court and established the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. He then recruited senior craftsmen and engineers to serve as management and set up factories for production.

These products are all needed by the imperial court, so there's no worry about selling them. As long as the quality is guaranteed, a stable profit can be made.

Profit-driven businessmen might look down on it, but the workers were delighted. The people of the Suzhou-Songjiang New Area felt much more at ease, and the workers settled down.

Their ready-made clothes and canned goods were very popular on the front lines, and the tents and boats they produced from imported timber from Southeast Asia covered all aspects of life, including clothing, food, shelter, and transportation.

Even Zhu Youjian had to sigh:

The weapons for the front lines came from the north, while the supplies for daily life mainly came from the south.

This region, with its highly developed handicrafts, was finally put to use by the imperial court. (End of Chapter)