Ming Dynasty: A mere unruly commoner is rebelling against the heaven?

Chapter 115 Huai En actually dared to communicate with the cabinet!
What frightened the civil and military officials was not only Zhu Youtang's determination and courage.

More importantly, they now discovered that Zhu Youtang also possessed the strength to match it.

With the 100,000-man Xianzhen Camp in place, what kind of rebellious force can't the Ming Dynasty suppress?
If there really is a rebellion in the northwest, it will be just as Zhu Youtang said.

One person rebels, one person is killed!
If a hundred people rebel, kill the hundred people!
Ten thousand people rebel, and ten thousand people will be massacred!
If a million people rebel, then we will attack the Ming Dynasty again!
Zhu Youtang glanced coldly at the ministers kneeling on the ground and spoke lightly.

"Everyone, please stand up. Don't mention the matter of enthroning the King of Zhongshun anymore."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

After Zhu Youtang made the final decision, the remaining trivial matters would be the responsibility of these officials.

In various parts of the northwest, how many prefectures and counties should be set up and who should be the prefects and county magistrates? These are all issues.

At this time, the chief minister of the cabinet, Xu Pu, walked out of the queue holding a tablet.

"Your Majesty, if you want the northwest county, you need to consider it carefully."

"The concerns of the ministers in the court are not without reason. We should take precautions against the Northwestern natives mutinying and causing trouble."

"Although the Ming army is strong now, soldiers are dangerous weapons. It is better not to use them if possible."

"Sun Tzu said, 'In war, attacking the heart is the best, attacking the city is the worst.'"

"It would be better if we could achieve this without bloodshed."

Zhu Youtang naturally took this into consideration.

"I understand. That is why the counties and prefectures in the northwest sent the descendants of criminals and exiles to settle in the northwest."

"At the same time, we will relocate some native people from the northwest to live in the Central Plains."

“Also, relax the threshold for the Northwest imperial examination and include the Northwest imperial examination in the list.”

"At the same time, the Northwest Official School was established, funded by the imperial court, to teach Chinese studies to the Northwest natives for free."

"No matter how good or bad your grades are, ten quotas for the Northwest natives will be given to them every year."

"The candidates from the Northwest can be given priority in being appointed as prefects and county magistrates of the Northwest."

Zhu Youtang’s method was very simple, which was to force ethnic integration.

At the same time, policies were implemented to protect the imperial examinations, making it easier for them to pass the examinations and become Juren and Xiucai of the Ming Dynasty.

The logic is also very simple. If ordinary northwestern natives want to improve their lives, they have to take part in the imperial examinations.

To take part in the imperial examination, one had to learn Chinese characters, speak Chinese, practice Chinese etiquette, and accept Chinese culture.

At the same time, after passing the imperial examination, one would become an official of the Ming Dynasty court.

The butt determines the thinking. Being in the position of officials of the Ming Dynasty court, how can these native officials not be loyal to the Ming Dynasty court when doing things?
To put it bluntly, this process of sinicization lasted for forty years, spanning two generations.

Are they Han people or Hu people?
Zhu Youtang's words were like a bolt from the blue, making these shrewd officials suddenly understand how to deal with ethnic minorities in border areas.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

"After forty years of such education, the natives of the borderlands of the Ming Dynasty will be loyal to the Ming Dynasty court regardless of whether they are Han or Hu!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Xu Pu, Liu Jian, Wang Shu and others were excited.

The frontier ethnic policy that had troubled the Ming Dynasty for more than a hundred years seemed to have been solved with just a few words from Zhu Youtang.

Afterwards, Zhu Youtang issued several decrees regarding this expedition.

The first is to build a martyrs' cemetery around Suzhou Wei.

All the martyrs who died on the northwest battlefield were buried in the cemetery and were worshipped by the Ming court for generations.

At the same time, special tomb keepers were appointed, and local officials were required to pay regular tributes on major commemorative festivals.

Second, the families of all martyrs who died on the northwest battlefield would receive a pension of twenty taels of silver or twenty strings of Hongzhi Baochao.

Third, the young women of the Turpan Khanate who moved from Gaochang City to the interior were either rewarded or sold and dispersed to various places as slaves.

After issuing these decrees, Zhu Youtang announced the adjournment of the court and returned to Hongde Hall.

Starting today, policies that will affect the entire Ming border and all ethnic minorities will be implemented.

Xu Pu, Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and Xie Qian hurried to Wenyuan Pavilion.

They had to translate Zhu Youtang's will into practical steps as soon as possible.

These detailed tasks are laborious and require a lot of consideration.

The ability of these four people to do their work is still very good, and Zhu Youtang finds it easy to use them.

The civil servants of the Ming Dynasty were all capable, but they were more thoughtful.

Just like an old-fashioned TV, it needs to be tapped frequently to use.

……

After Zhu Youtang returned to Hongde Hall, he did not rush to review the memorials, but leaned back on the couch, ready to take a rest.

At this moment, Wang Zhi, the director of the Western Factory, hurriedly walked into the Hongde Hall.

At this moment, Wang Zhi, who usually did not show his emotions, also had a worried look on his face.

"Your humble servant Wang Zhi pays respect to Your Majesty."

Zhu Youtang opened his eyes, looked at Wang Zhi in front of him, took a deep breath, picked up the teacup beside him, and prepared to drink tea.

"Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Wang Zhi stood up, a somewhat conflicted look on his face, then took a step forward and lowered his voice.

"Your Majesty, when I was investigating the relationship between the poisoning case of the previous emperor and the harem, I accidentally found out that Huai En had a very close relationship with Empress Dowager Zhou and Empress Wang in the 21st year of Chenghua."

"And Huai'en also had frequent contacts with the three ministers of the previous dynasty, Wan'an, Liu Ji, and Liu Wei."

"In September of that year, Huai'en was banished by the late emperor to Nanzhili to guard the Xiaoling Mausoleum."

"what?!"

Zhu Youtang was so shocked that his hand holding the teacup trembled, and the priceless cloisonné teacup fell to the ground with a crisp sound. "Bang!"

Following this crisp sound, Wang Zhi knelt on the ground again, not daring to speak again.

Zhu Youtang was stunned, his eyes full of disbelief.

After a moment, Zhu Youtang came back to his senses, his face becoming extremely serious.

"You mean, Huai En not only had an affair with the outside court, but also conspired with the harem?!"

Wang Zhi lowered his head and did not answer directly: "I am just reporting the truth."

Huai'en secretly communicated with the outer court and conspired with the harem for matters that could be big or small.

To put it simply, these things happened in the previous dynasty, which does not mean that Huai En would dare to do the same now.

But to put it in a broader sense, Huai En dared to have secret communications with other courts during the previous dynasty, so what about now?

Was he also secretly contacting the civil servants of the previous dynasty in a place that Zhu Youtang didn't know about?
It was a great taboo for the emperor if a eunuch in the harem had an affair with a civil official from the previous dynasty, and even immediate execution would not be excessive.

What's more, Huai'en not only had secret dealings with civil officials, he also had close contacts with the Empress Dowager and the Queen in the harem.

Contacting the harem and the former dynasty at the same time, what exactly does Huai En want to do? !

No wonder Zhang Min was forced to swallow gold and commit suicide, but Huai En was unharmed, even though both of them were eunuchs who had protected him since childhood.

No wonder, as they were all eunuchs working for the emperor, Wang Zhi was slandered and infamous for eunuchs, while Huai En was praised well in history books.

That makes sense!

It all makes sense!

Which eunuch who has a private relationship with the civil officials would not be praised?
But Zhu Youtang really didn't want to believe that Huai'en, who had been with him and protected him since childhood, would betray him!

In the 21st year of Chenghua, Huai En secretly communicated with the outer court and conspired with the harem. What was the purpose? !

Zhu Youtang slammed the table, stood up and walked to the outside of Hongde Hall, and said in a low voice: "Ask Huai En to see me!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Wang Zhi quickly stood up and followed Zhu Youtang closely.

……

East Factory Yamen.

Huai En was sitting on a recliner, happily warming himself by the fire and making tea.

Now, the murder case of the previous emperor handled by the East Factory has reached the final stage.

Huai En handed all the matters over to his godson Li Guang, and he himself just sat there to have some peace and quiet.

At this time, a young eunuch from the Imperial Household Department rushed into the Imperial Household Department, crawling and tumbling. Even in this cold winter, he was sweating all over.

"Eunuch Huai! Something bad has happened... Something bad has happened..."

When Huai En saw the panicked look of the young eunuch, his heart suddenly sank, and he quickly asked, "But His Majesty wants to summon us?"

“Exactly…exactly!”

The young eunuch was so anxious that he was out of breath: "His Majesty wants... wants the eunuch to go to Anle Hall to meet him!"

"Huh? What?!"

Huai En was so anxious that his legs went limp and he fell directly from the recliner to the ground.

"Sir, are you okay?"

The guards from the East Factory all around rushed to help, but were pushed away by Huai En.

"Quick! Quick! I have to go to the palace to see His Majesty!"

Huai En muttered to himself, without even putting on a cloak, and rushed into the snow in just his coat.

"Eunuch Huai, the cloak! Put on the cloak!"

The young eunuch from the Imperial Household Department caught up with Huai En, who was jogging, holding Huai En's fox fur cloak, and put the cloak on him.

It's no wonder Huai En lost his composure. It's really because the position of Anletang is too sensitive.

Anle Hall is located at the northernmost end of the imperial palace, near Bei'anmen, far away from the Forbidden City.

This is where the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty palace recuperated after falling ill.

It was also a place for eunuchs who were allowed to retire by the emperor to live out their lives.

After the death of some eunuchs who had no other family members or relatives, their tablets would be placed in Anle Hall, and the younger eunuchs would worship them every year.

This is the most unlucky place in the palace. Usually, no one comes here except the eunuchs who are responsible for cleaning the tablets and delivering medicine to the sick eunuchs.

But it was this place where Zhu Youtang lived for five years.

In the sixth year of Chenghua, Concubine Wan was the most favored concubine in the harem and no other concubines were allowed to give birth to princes.

After becoming pregnant, Ji hid in the harem.

However, after Ji gave birth to Zhu Youtang, Concubine Wan found out about it, so she ordered Zhang Min to get rid of Zhu Youtang.

However, Zhang Min could not bear to see Emperor Xianzong die without an heir, so she secretly raised Zhu Youtang in Anle Hall and told Concubine Wan that she had gotten rid of Zhu Youtang.

So Zhu Youtang grew up in Anle Hall until he was five years old.

It was not until the eleventh year of Chenghua that Emperor Xianzong learned of Zhu Youtang's existence and gave him a name.

Zhu Youtang was then sent to Concubine Wan's Zhaode Palace and raised by her.

Until now, Zhu Youtang still vaguely remembers what Concubine Wan looked like.

She was a kind-looking woman, and was gentle to Zhu Youtang. She was not as vicious and cruel as rumored by the outside world.

However, Zhu Youtang did not live in Zhaode Palace for too long and was sent to Cining Palace of Empress Dowager Zhou.

When Zhu Youtang was sent to the Cining Palace, all the ministers in the cabinet wrote to the emperor, requesting the establishment of a crown prince.

The following month, Emperor Xianzong officially appointed Zhu Youtang as the Crown Prince.

For many years thereafter, Zhu Youtang lived in the Cining Palace with the then Empress Dowager Zhou.

(End of this chapter)