The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 614: Descendants of the Imperial Elders

Liu Kan's revenge actions against the former Ming emperor and his ministers were reported truthfully to the retired emperor by the Suoyi Guards stationed in Korea.

To Zhang Dong's surprise, the retired emperor not only did not get furious as usual, but instead handled the matter coldly and strictly ordered that the matter of Ganghwa Island should not be leaked.

Liu Zhaosun was unable to forgive Liu Kan's mother's murderer on his behalf, just as the Tianqi Emperor Zhu Youjian was unable to calm his anger and convince himself to let Zhang Yan go.

"Buddha said that everything is reincarnation. Liu Kan is just like me. He will take revenge and never forgive. He is destined to follow the same path I have walked."

When there was no one around, the emperor would meditate alone. Master Zhang had taught him to cultivate his mind and meditate, and everything would return to silence.

The Great Qi's wars were not over yet. Korea and Japan in the east, Luzon, Siam, Annan and Myanmar in the south all needed to be conquered, not to mention the European countries on the other side of the continent.

At the current rate of expansion, it will take at least another hundred years to conquer the world and complete the cause that Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan and others failed to accomplish.

Therefore, Liu Kan, who inherited Liu Zhaosun's career, was destined not to be a king who maintained the status quo and ruled the country with the Huang-Lao philosophy like Emperor Wen of Han and Emperor Jing of Han.

He must kill decisively, must repay blood with blood, and must use the blood of millions of people to irrigate one or two continents (the Asian continent and the North American continent).

During his lifetime, he will fight wars all over the world like his father did. Only in this way can it be in the interests of Da Qi and be consistent with the personality of the second-generation emperor.

Rather than saying that Liu Kan chose Da Qi, it would be more accurate to say that the chariot kidnapped Emperor Guangde.

In the Wenhua Hall, the retired emperor ended his meditation, recited his inner thoughts, slowly opened his eyes, and returned to this world. He stood up from the cushion and looked towards the Qianqing Palace, where Emperor Guangde Liu Kan was observing government affairs.

"Kan'er, I hope you won't end up like me, losing too much and regretting it."

~~~~~~
One day at the end of October, the retired emperor stayed in the Cining Palace and slept with the Empress Dowager Cisi.

Jin Yuji is 33 years old this year. She has no children since giving birth to the eldest princess. It is rumored that Jin is infertile.

In fact, this was Liu Zhaosun's way of balancing the forces of all parties and preventing the Hou party from expanding too much.

When the Jin family was at its peak, it included Jin Yinghe, Jin Dajiu, Deng Changxiong, Qiao Yiqi, Yang Tong, Sun Chuanting and others, and they occupied half of the court.

Liu Zhaosun did not want his concubines to repeat the tragedy of Concubine Qi of the Western Han Dynasty after his death. He did not want to see Liu Kan being deposed, and even more did not want Huo Guang to appear and plunge Qi into chaos.

Therefore, he has been deliberately suppressing the power of the Queen's party, and at the same time, he has not had children with Jin Yuji.

After the Shenyang Rebellion, Yang Tong and Jin Yinghe committed suicide, Jin Dajiu was executed, Sun Chuanting was demoted to Shanxi, and Deng Changxiong voluntarily broke away from the Hou Party and returned to the service of the retired emperor. Almost overnight, the Hou Party's power collapsed and could no longer pose a threat to the imperial power.

As Liu Kan grew up and the throne became increasingly secure, Liu Zhaosun began to think about his love life and planned to have another son or daughter with Jin Yuji.

Today is the fifth time this month that the Emperor has visited Lady Jin. In previous years, the couple would not have seen each other for almost two months, but now they are like dry wood and raging fire, just like a newlywed.

On October 30th, at three quarters past the hour of Yin, another passionate lovemaking took place. Jin Yu Ji, resting her head in her husband's arms, asked Liu Kan about his recent observation of government affairs.

"When Kan'er was in Shenyang, he studied hard, respected his teachers, and was kind and generous. The senior officials in the Hanlin Academy all liked him very much. I believe that when he takes charge of the Great Qi in the future, he will surely become a benevolent ruler."

It was quite chilly in the Forbidden City at the end of October. Liu Zhaosun put a cloak on Jin Yuji in silence.

Jin Yuji looked up at him and said with a smile, "What's the matter? Are you thinking about Concubine Liu and Concubine Chen?"

Compared to the five visits to the Cining Palace in January, the emperor had not slept with Chen Yuanyuan and Liu Rushi for a long time.

Liu Zhaosun picked up Jin Yuji, brushed her hair, and said with a smile:
"Right now, there's a lot of work to be done. Kang Jingxiu says there's not enough fodder in Nanjing, and war horses are dying of starvation and disease every day. Fujian pirates are plundering coastal counties, and Liu Xingzuo reports that a group of Japanese pirates have arrived in Shandong... There's so much work to do, and women will only slow down my review of memorials."

Jin Yuji restrained her smile, brought a cup of hot tea, and handed it to the emperor:
"With so much going on, why do you keep coming here?"

Liu Zhaosun took the tea bowl and drank it all in one gulp. He stared at Jin Yuji for a while and said with a faint smile:
"There are three thousand rivers, and I only drink from one gourd. Your one gourd is worth three thousand beauties in the harem. No other concubine can compare to it."

Jin Yuji rolled her eyes at him and said, "We are an old couple, and you are so unruly."

Liu Zhaosun smiled and said, "How can I be old? I'm only thirty. Ke Zhen'e said that the Empress Dowager Cisheng was a supreme being, with a lifespan as long as heaven. I see that you are getting younger and younger, and even more charming than before."

Jin Yuji fetched a robe and put it on her husband. The lights were dim, and the two sat on the dragon bed, hugging each other, just like on their wedding night, chatting:
"Humph, you believe what Blind Ke says? He tells everyone he meets that they will live a hundred years and be a noble for generations. When he was in Shenyang, he told Yuan Chonghuan that he would live to be ninety-nine and die of natural causes. He also told Du Du that he was a loyal minister and would one day be one of the Three Dukes."

"Is this happening?"

Liu Zhaosun clapped his hands and laughed.

Jin Yuji said sadly, "Life is short, like grass growing in autumn. I don't want to live too long. When I'm old, people will dislike me. I'll be alone with my books and lonely. When you grow old, I'll find a rope and die before you."

Liu Zhaosun said seriously: "Okay, it's a deal. From today on, you must take good care of yourself and try to live a few more years. Tomorrow I will ask Li Zong to present you with Korean ginseng and Ganoderma lucidum from my hometown Wudang Mountain. I will make soup for you every day... Blind Ke said that I can live to be 300 years old. If you want to wait until I grow old, you have to wait at least... 100 years." Jin Yuji was speechless.

Liu Zhaosun hesitated for a long time before he finally spoke:

"Liu Kan is a bit like me, and a bit like Zhang Yan. Sometimes, he'll do anything to achieve his goals. He's not as kind and benevolent as he appears."

Jin Yuji disapproved, "Yang Qing'er and I raised this child. I spent more time with him than I did with the eldest princess. How could he not know him as well as you? Kan'er has always been quiet and doesn't like to play around. When he's with Liu Yufei, he acts like a girl. He can't even grab the pork elbow from his sister when we're eating together."

"Has the Princess gained weight again?"

"No, only 150 kilograms."

The emperor laughed heartily, recalling events from the distant past.

Human nature is complex. Perhaps what Yang Qing'er saw was another side of the little emperor.

The curtains were swirling in the west wind. Jin Yuji huddled under her quilt. She poked her head out, her eyes clear as water, and she looked pitiful.
"Husband, if you go before me, what should I do in the future..."

The Emperor lifted the quilt, took off his robes, hugged the beauty and said with a smile:

"Why don't you hurry up and give me a prince, so that he can take care of you in your old age and see you to the end of your life."

~~~~
On the sixth day of the eleventh month of the first year of Guangde, the emperor received a group of descendants of nobles in the Wenhua Hall of the Forbidden City.

The descendants of the nobles who were summoned were:

Kang Jingxiu, nephew of Kang Yingqian; Kang Guangxu, son of Kang Yingqian; Mao Chengdou, son of Mao Wenlong; Mao Yan, nephew of Man Gui; Shen Mo, nephew of Shen Lian; Wang Jin, son of Wang Erhu; Yuan Shu, son of Yuan Keli; Qi Ming, son of Qi Jin; Sun Shirui, son of Sun Chuanting...

It happened that on this day, the Australian Governor-General, Sir John Smith, also rushed back from the south, so the emperor also met with the familiar fat man.

Also summoned was Zhang Yunxiu, one of the former officials of Zhang Juzheng, who is currently the head of the Ministry of Justice.

A group of noble sons stood in the Wenhua Hall, each with a different family background, symbolizing the new distribution of power in the empire.

Among the first subordinates who followed Liu Zhaosun, some died on the battlefield, some died in internal strife, and some died of illness. Only two or three out of ten are still alive today.

The emperor paid special attention to the children of nobles, especially the descendants of generals who died in battle.
"Sun Rui, come forward, let me take a look."

Dongfang Zhu led Sun Shirui a few steps forward and came before the Emperor. Liu Zhaosun looked him up and down and said in a gentle tone:
"Is your father doing well in Hequ County?"

Sun Shirui is the eldest son of Sun Chuanting. He is about the same height as Liu Kan. At first glance, he looks like his father Sun Chuanting. Beneath his elegant demeanor, he exudes a murderous aura that is difficult to conceal.

"Your Majesty," Sun Shirui said, and several sons of nobles looked over here. Many of them just found out that this was the son of the former Prime Minister.

"Since my father took office as the magistrate of Hequ County, he has worked diligently and conscientiously, never a day without thinking of serving the court. This year, bandits were rampant, and my father organized local militia and personally led the county's peasant soldiers to fight against them... He is still in good health. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy on this old minister!"

There was another round of whispers around, and some well-informed sons of nobles began to tell the people around them about the achievements Sun Chuanting had made for the Great Qi.

Dongfang Zhu had to cough twice, and the group of young men below stopped talking and continued to look at Sun Chuanting's son.

The Emperor didn't care about the disrespect of these young people in the court. He just nodded and smiled, and said to Sun Shirui:
"Oh, wasn't Zhang Zicheng still seeking peace with me last month? Why is he harassing Shanxi again..."

Of course, the retired emperor did not know that since the beginning of autumn this year, several counties in Hequ and Baode, Shanxi have suffered disasters. The local garrison, without waiting for rescue from the court, crossed the border without authorization and entered Shaanxi to rob bandits. They ran to Zhang Zicheng's territory to extort money and used the bandit's method to deal with the bandits. This shows the fierceness of the Shanxi Qi army.

Liu Zhaosun nodded and smiled, "Your father has cut off Zhang Zicheng's path, leaving the bandits with nowhere to go. He is truly amazing. Go back and let him recuperate. The Great Qi will then attack Japan. It will take at least three to five years, and at most seven to eight years. They will definitely kill Tokugawa Iemitsu and avenge Yuan Chonghuan. When the time comes, we will immediately attack Japan. I need your father to come out of retirement and help me. He has always wanted to complete what Yuan Shaobao left unfinished."

The Eastern Expedition mentioned by the Emperor is still under planning and will not actually begin until at least five years later, so Sun Chuanting was allowed to recuperate in his hometown of Shanxi.

The Emperor looked at the others and said loudly:

"You are all the same. You have caught up with this good time. In the future, you must make great achievements for the Great Qi just like your fathers did, and not bring shame to your families!"

"This year's imperial examinations will soon be here, with both civil and military exams. Those of you who haven't yet become officials should cherish this opportunity. Take it out for a walk. If you pass, the court will select the best candidates for recruitment."

A large group of noble sons and daughters shouted in unison: "Long live our emperor! Long live the Great Qi!"

After the meeting, the retired emperor ordered Kang Guangxu, Shen Mo and Lu Demin to stay.

(End of this chapter)