The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 570 Calm and Calm
On the day Jin Yu Ji woke up, the news of the reconciliation between Empress Dowager Cisi and the retired emperor spread throughout Shenyang City. Within ten days, all the officials in Liaodong knew about it.

Several large military corps stationed around Shenyang entered a state of readiness for war at the same time. The officialdom in Liaodong changed drastically, and the various factions that had been watching the fight from the sidelines finally jumped out to support the emperor.

On the eighth day of September, the chief minister Ma Shiying and his grandson Chuanting issued an edict in the name of Emperor Taichu. The edict reiterated the reality that the emperor was too young to handle state affairs. In the tone of the young emperor, he hoped that the power of the Great Qi would still be handled by the retired emperor, and the matter of the emperor ruling the country in person would be discussed again.

The imperial edict was issued by the cabinet and seconded by the Empress Dowager Yang Qing'er. This indicated that the most powerful noble group in the court and the Empress Dowager's party (Yang Qing'er's party) obeyed the authority of the retired emperor.

After the imperial edict was issued, civil and military officials from all over Liaodong submitted memorials one after another, and the imperial desk was filled with memorials praising the retired emperor.

Since the Taichu Emperor is still young, since the young emperor is incapable of state affairs, since the Hou Party has lost power, and since the people of Da Qi cannot do without the retired emperor, then it is the popular wish that the retired emperor continue to hold power.

However, we cannot just ignore such a big incident.

On the tenth day of September, the Emperor issued an oral edict, severely reprimanding the two Prime Ministers:
"The government has made one mistake after another, facing internal and external difficulties, all because the cabinet was helpless. The blame lies with the Prime Minister. Considering the hard work and great contributions of these two, I will forgive them this time."

After receiving the imperial edict, Sun Chuanting and Ma Shiying immediately resigned from the position of Prime Minister, but the emperor rejected their resignation. Someone still needed to clean up the mess, and they could not just give up like this.

The Emperor summoned Liu Xingzuo, Zhang Dong, and others and ordered them, "I don't want to implicate too many people. Let them live if they can. I will kill the few who led the riot, and let the others go."

When Zhang Mazi heard this, an expression of surprise appeared on his face.

Is it that the emperor is lazy, or is it that his knife is too old to cut anymore?

"Your Majesty, these bastards are planning to usurp the throne, and you're just going to let them go like this?"

Liu Xingzuo was indignant. As the leader of the Suoyi Guard, he had recently felt more and more threats to the emperor from all walks of life in the court and the country.

This pressure comes from all sides.

Emperor Wuding implemented the "Qi Dynasty Land System" both inside and outside the Great Wall, but was hindered by officials at every turn. Many policies were distorted once they left Shenyang.

For example, in places like Tianjin and Jining, Shandong, the former canal merchants, having lost their centuries-old livelihood due to the canal's abandonment and unwilling to work as accountants in the chambers of commerce, emptied their savings and heavily bribed officials of the civil affairs chambers along the canal to return to their old ways, engaging in smuggling. They resold goods that were difficult to find on the market to the wealthy, including salt, silk, tea... except for arms, they sold everything. This industry had become a massive underground market in northern Zhili, well known to local officials, yet it persisted despite repeated crackdowns. Whenever the imperial court sent inspections, they only arrested a few minor offenders and handed them over as scapegoats.

Another example is the resurgence of Confucianism in the Qufu area. Some former Ming Dynasty scholars, aligning themselves with those who escaped the Great Purge, are planning to establish a college near Qufu under the guise of supporting education and culture. While superficially similar to the Great Qi Academy, the academy actually teaches only the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues, the principle of ruler-ruler, and the sage's heart to govern the world. These individuals have formed a "Sage Party" (called "Sage Eggs" in Qufu dialect), numbering over 10,000.

For example, prostitution on the Qinhuai River, which was banned by law, has made a comeback under various pretexts...
Such acts of lip service and carrying the red flag to oppose the red flag can be found in every corner of Da Qi, but the severity varies.

It cannot be said that there were plans and ambitions throughout the empire to overthrow the rule of the retired emperor. However, at least a considerable number of officials and civilians expressed strong dissatisfaction with the new regime from the very beginning. They hated the "Land System of the Qi Dynasty", hated totalitarianism, hated the abolition of private property, and hated the repeated purges launched by Emperor Wuding.

This kind of dissatisfaction and hatred was not obvious when the empire's basic foundation was as solid as a rock and the empire was united. However, once there was any disturbance in the upper echelons, the evil spirits in every corner would jump out to stir up trouble.

Fortunately, everything is calm now, at least on the surface.

"Don't expand your attack. You are a knife, not a hammer. Don't make too many enemies..."

After Emperor Wuding finished speaking to Zhangdong and Liu Xingzuo, he looked like an old man in his twilight years, clearly showing some signs of being unable to do what he wanted.

The great cause was not yet accomplished and undercurrents were surging. Fortunately, Blind Man Ke told the retired emperor that he would live forever and at least two hundred years.

At least, the time traveler does not have to raise his arms and shout like Kang Mazi in later generations, saying that he really wants to live another 500 years.

"Your Majesty, who should be arrested and killed?"

Liu Xingzuo asked cautiously. "Those who took the lead in submitting the petition will be spared, but for those who followed suit, pick two and execute them. Charge them with other crimes. Execute one from the army, one from the cabinet, and one from the harem. Leave the provinces within the Great Wall alone for now. I will issue an imperial decree to reprimand them."

Liu Xingzuo immediately understood what the emperor meant. The emperor wanted to warn all forces and fight without breaking them.

Thinking of the former emperor's decisive and vigorous spirit of killing gods and Buddhas, and seeing how he is now hesitant and timid, Liu Xingzuo couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

"Da Qi needs to change its ways and can no longer be like before,"

Liu Zhaosun muttered to himself and ordered the two men to retreat. At a certain moment, he thought about it and suddenly realized that the tyranny he had been thinking about could not solve the current problem. This country has been running for thousands of years. Even in the Qin Dynasty, which had the most severe control and oppression of the people, the government did not want to exploit the people like the Qi Dynasty did and do everything it could.

The Qin Dynasty lasted for too short a time, so short that not long after Qin II ascended the throne, the Qin State was destroyed amid the roars of Liu Bang and Xiang Yu.

What about the Great Qi? Liu Zhaosun now had every reason to believe that when he died, the empire would inevitably fall apart.

There was a lack of unified understanding among various provinces, government offices, and military forces, and the system could not be effectively maintained.

By then, a large-scale counterattack or even a nationwide war will be inevitable.

To avoid this outcome, one must either kill all potential enemies while alive - which is impossible - or transform this chariot that is on the verge of losing control from the inside and allow it to continue moving forward along the normal track.

What Emperor Wuding can do now is to set up the capital directly in Junzhou and carry out large-scale expansion based on the original city. This time, Emperor Wuding will personally go to the construction site to inspect the progress of the capital construction. Before that, he will not leave Junzhou easily.

Junzhou will replace Shenyang and become the empire's base camp.

It is impossible to completely abolish private property at present, so it can only be restored gradually.

The retired emperor waved his hand to let Zhangdong Liu Xingzuo step down and sit on the throne to rest. He closed his eyes and the figures of Kang Yingqian and Qiao Yiqi appeared in front of him.

"Dongfang Zhu."

The thin steward immediately stepped forward.

"I want to see someone. No, two people."

Dongfang Zhu bent down.

"Go to Jize County and call back General Kang and General Qiao. Don't make any noise."

He looked towards the southeast sky and murmured:

"The Imperial Guards haven't returned yet. I wonder what happened in Junzhou?"

Dongfang Zhu consoled him, saying, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. As long as the Fourth Corps remains, there will be no rebellion in Huguang."

Liu Zhaosun knew that this was a kind of consolation, and the reality might not be as easy as it said.

Kang Yingqian and Qiao Yiqi, mentioned by Emperor Wuding, are already on the way.

"Now that Kang Yingqian is here, I can finally feel at ease. Two Prime Ministers are not as useful as one."

(End of this chapter)