Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1314 Zhongwu
The Forbidden City, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Zhu Shenzhui is meeting with Wang Jinwu, but this time it is not a summons from the cabinet, but rather Wang Jinwu's "farewell speech" before leaving the capital.

Half a month ago, news suddenly came from Shanxi that Zhu Shenzhui's uncle, Wang Jinwu's father Wang Rong, had suddenly passed away. Since Zhu Shenzhui went to the capital, Wang Rong had not followed him to live in the capital, but had continued to stay in Shanxi.

In Wang Rong's words, it's hard to leave one's homeland. Although Wang Rong was Zhu Shenzhui's uncle, he knew that Zhu Shenzhui had just entered the capital and the emperor's position was not yet secure. Shanxi was the territory where Zhu Shenzhui started his career. As an elder, he was originally the commander of Shanxi. Naturally, he had to help Zhu Shenzhui settle down in Shanxi so that he would have no worries about the future.

When Zhu Shenzhui started smuggling salt, Wang Rong supported him wholeheartedly, not only providing him with the initial capital but also enlisting the help of the people of Wangjia Village. In this sense, Zhu Shenzhui's foundation was provided by Wang Rong; without Wang Rong, Zhu Shenzhui would never be where he is today.

After ascending the throne, the country gradually stabilized. Zhu Shenzhui repeatedly tried to persuade Wang Rong to live in the capital, but Wang Rong refused each time. Over time, Zhu Shenzhui realized that Wang Rong did not want to cause him any trouble.

Since his uncle thought this way, Zhu Shenzhui no longer insisted and allowed Wang Rong to continue serving as the Commander-in-Chief of Shanxi. However, he was never short of the titles and favors he deserved. Not only was Wang Rong granted the title of Earl, but he also received many rewards from the palace during festivals. Not only Zhu Shenzhui, but Empress Xu Jingqiu received the same. Wang Rong never flaunted his position in Shanxi, but assisted the emperor in stabilizing the region and implementing state affairs. Shanxi's outstanding achievements in recent years were inseparable from Wang Rong.

Although Wang Rong was over sixty, he had always been in good health, and no one expected him to pass away suddenly. According to the person who brought the news, Wang Rong had drunk a few too many drinks at home one day and went to bed early. He never woke up, and when he was found the next day, his body was already cold.

Wang Rong's death was very sudden, which left Zhu Shenzhui deeply saddened. Judging from the circumstances of his death, the doctors who examined him said it was probably due to heart disease. Such things are impossible to prevent. Although Wang Rong had always been in good health, he was getting old after all, and his daily diet was quite heavy. In addition, he liked to drink a few cups of alcohol often. It might not have been a problem when he was young, but at his age, it led to this consequence.

Wang Rong's death deeply saddened Zhu Shenzhui, and he was even more heartbroken upon hearing the news. His uncle had supported him years ago, extending a helping hand during his family's most difficult time; those memories flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern.

Zhu Shenzhui had previously considered sending someone to forcibly bring Wang Rong to the capital for a reunion when Wang Rong became unable to continue his work. Since the Jingnan Rebellion, although Zhu Shenzhui and Wang Rong had exchanged letters frequently, they had never met again. Recalling their last meeting, which was before the Jingnan Rebellion, Zhu Shenzhui clearly remembered what Wang Rong had told him: to have no worries and do whatever he wanted, that with him in charge in Shanxi, nothing would go wrong, and that if things became unbearable, he could retreat to Shanxi, and Wang Rong would support him wholeheartedly.

So many years have passed in the blink of an eye. With the Ming Dynasty's resurgence and the country's gradual strengthening, Zhu Shenzhui's position as emperor has become increasingly secure. However, Wang Rong's sudden death caused Zhu Shenzhui great distress.

After Wang Rong's death, Zhu Shenzhui, as emperor, was unable to return to Shanxi for the funeral. He could only make more arrangements for Wang Rong's affairs after his death, giving him the treatment he deserved, and insisted on giving him the posthumous title of "Zhongwu" (忠武).

This posthumous title is no ordinary one; "Zhongwu" was the posthumous title of Zhuge Liang, and thus became the highest posthumous title for a military general. After Zhuge Liang, Yuchi Jingde of the early Tang Dynasty and Guo Ziyi of the mid-Tang Dynasty also received this title. Later, Yue Fei and Han Shizhong also received the title of "Zhongwu," and in the Ming Dynasty, the founding general Chang Yuchun also received the title of "Zhongwu," demonstrating the significance of this posthumous title.

Now, Zhu Shenzhui has also bestowed the posthumous title of Zhongwu upon Wang Rong, which seems excessive to outsiders. After all, in the eyes of others, although Wang Rong was the emperor's uncle, in reality, whether in terms of military rank (official position) or everything he did, he was inferior to those who also received this posthumous title.

In their view, Wang Rong was merely a military commander in Shanxi who had never fought any battles in his life, let alone achieved any notable victories. It was rather inappropriate for him to receive this posthumous title simply because he was the emperor's uncle.

Because of this, some officials even submitted memorials urging Zhu Shenzhui to change Wang Rong's posthumous title, feeling that Wang Rong was unworthy of it. However, Zhu Shenzhui insisted on making the decision. Although others might consider Wang Rong's military rank (official position) low and his lack of significant military achievements, Zhu Shenzhui believed that Wang Rong deserved the title. Without Wang Rong, there would be no Zhu Shenzhui as he was today, nor would there be the Ming Dynasty as it is today. For many years, Wang Rong had unconditionally supported Zhu Shenzhui, laying the foundation for his later campaign to quell the rebellion. Furthermore, Wang Rong's long tenure in Shanxi, whether as a local commander or later as a regional commander, was crucial to Zhu Shenzhui's stability in the region. Without Wang Rong, how could Zhu Shenzhui have achieved his later success? From this perspective, Wang Rong's contributions were immense.

Thus, the posthumous title was forcibly established, and the officials had no objections. However, Wang Rong's death also triggered another event: a change in the cabinet.

As a son, Wang Jinwu was obligated to observe mourning for his father upon his death; this was both customary and a matter of filial piety, and Zhu Shenzhui could not prevent it. Although Zhu Shenzhui could theoretically use the emperor's power to "seize the mourning period," the problem was that Wang Rong was his maternal uncle! If he did so, how could Zhu Shenzhui face the deceased Wang Rong?
Therefore, when Wang Jinwu submitted his memorial regarding the mourning period as usual, Zhu Shenzhui rejected it for the first time. However, after a few days, when Wang Jinwu submitted his memorial again, Zhu Shenzhui could only express his agreement.

As a result, Wang Jinwu would have to resign and return to his hometown to observe mourning for his parents. With his departure, the cabinet would be one person short. In addition, Wang Jinwu was not only the second-in-command of the cabinet, but also the representative of the military in the cabinet. Zhu Shenzhui was in a great dilemma as to who would take over his position after he left.

There are many generals in the army, several of whom are capable of leading independently, and even some generals of the same rank as Wang Jinwu. However, there are not many people whom Zhu Shenzhui can trust as much as Wang Jinwu. Moreover, as the military's representative in the cabinet, this person must be reliable and possess considerable independence. If this person is not chosen well, and someone incompetent and self-serving is placed in this position, then Zhu Shenzhui's initial adjustments and arrangements for the cabinet will change. It is possible that the cabinet will become a tool in the hands of civil officials again, which is an outcome that Zhu Shenzhui absolutely does not want to see.

Therefore, Zhu Shenzhui ultimately selected Li You to join the cabinet.

In fact, Zhu Shenzhui had considered Li You's entry into the cabinet long ago. After all, Wang Jinwu had been in the cabinet for quite some time. Even without Wang Rong's death, he wouldn't have stayed in the cabinet for more than a few years. According to the current term of office for cabinet members, Wang Jinwu would step down and give up his position when his term expired. So last year, Zhu Shenzhui was considering who should replace Wang Jinwu, and he thought of Li You at that time.

The choice of Li You was not only because Li You was Wang Jinwu's apprentice and also the emperor's man, but also because Li You had made many contributions over the years, especially when he crossed the sea with Zheng Hongkui to attack Liaodong in the north, where he made outstanding military achievements. In addition, Li You later took over the Beiyang Navy and became the Beiyang Admiral, and made meritorious contributions in the battle to completely pacify Liaodong in the Ming Dynasty.

In terms of military rank, Li You is now considered a high-ranking general in the Ming Dynasty's military. In terms of age, Li You is in his prime. In addition, Li You has a relationship with the emperor and his abilities are not bad, making him a good candidate.

However, Li You was relatively young, and it wasn't entirely appropriate for him to take over the position so quickly. The original plan was to wait a few years until Wang Jinwu retired from the cabinet before appointing Li You. During this period, Zhu Shenzhui intended to transfer Li You from the Nanyang Navy to the General Staff Office, initially as Deputy General Staff Officer, and then gradually promote him to higher positions after he entered the military central government. However, due to Wang Rong's sudden death, many arrangements couldn't be made in time. Zhu Shenzhui was also hesitant to appoint anyone else to the cabinet, so he had no choice but to reluctantly put Li You in, hoping he wouldn't disappoint him.

In fact, Zhu Shenzhui had an even more suitable candidate in mind: Wang Hai, who was far away in Mongolia. Whether in terms of ability, loyalty, or other aspects, Wang Hai was more suitable than Li You for the position of Grand Secretary. Unfortunately, Wang Hai had always been in Mongolia, and was currently a crucial minister to Tengger, helping Tana and Tengger manage Mongolia and implement the court's policies there. This was a significant matter, and only with Wang Hai in Mongolia could Zhu Shenzhui truly feel at ease. Furthermore, Wang Hai's status was different, especially his background, which was easily criticized. Moreover, Wang Hai had married a princess and held the official position of Imperial Son-in-Law. If he were to be brought back to the Grand Secretariat, there would likely be considerable opposition in the court. After much consideration, Zhu Shenzhui ultimately abandoned the idea.

"This time you return to your hometown to observe mourning, please burn more paper money and light some incense for your uncle on behalf of your sister-in-law and me." Unlike usual, Zhu Shenzhui was not wearing the emperor's robes today, but only a plain cloth robe, similar to Wang Jinwu sitting opposite him.

As the emperor, Zhu Shenzhui was saddened by Wang Rong's death, but Wang Rong was only his maternal uncle, so Zhu Shenzhui could not perform mourning for Wang Rong, and the rules did not allow it either. Therefore, Zhu Shenzhui could only use this method to mourn Wang Rong.

Wang Jinwu nodded, his expression filled with sorrow. His father's death had been so sudden, and as his son, he hadn't even seen him one last time. Now that the emperor had brought up the matter, Wang Jinwu naturally agreed without hesitation. Moreover, he knew that the emperor's words were not mere politeness, but rather sincere sentiments.

(End of this chapter)