The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 617: The Forever Strong
Since when, the emperor has been comparing himself with that perfect old man, intentionally or unintentionally.

This certainly does not mean that Liu Zhaosun intended to use the Qing Dynasty's high-pressure policy of keeping the people ignorant to rule the world, or to implement policies such as the North-South confrontation and the anti-Manchu and anti-Han policies in the Great Qi.

Liu Zhaosun was full of confidence in the system he created, and did not have a single doubt even in the darkest moments.

In the face of extremism, the separation of powers and human rights protectionism that other time travelers are accustomed to establishing since childhood are all rubbish.

Not to mention the colonial rule characterized by the Manchu chiefs.

Whether it is Zhiminism, Zibenism, or Shehuiism, if they all treat the people as livestock and exploit them, then the so-called Zhu Yi is just a name changed.

Any empire that goes against its original intention will eventually be destroyed.

Over the years, the only thing that has supported him in moving forward is this so-called original intention.

From being granted the title of Duke of Protectorate and becoming the controller of the Ming Dynasty, to replacing the Ming Dynasty and establishing the Great Qi.

Over the years, countless cruel experiences have taught Liu Zhaosun that he must take drastic measures to protect his original intention.

So, he chose polarism.

Take possession of all the rights and interests of the world and use them for the benefit of the empire; use the sword of the empire to open up a new world for billions of people.

If we continue to follow this system, the Great Qi will surely prosper, its country will be forever stable, and its dynasty will last forever.

Unfortunately, constrained by backward productivity and uneven quality of the people, forcing it forward would not only fail to adapt to the local conditions, but also run the risk of backlash against the empire.

Ideals are stranded.

Politics is the art of compromise.

The emperor made concessions, with polarism as the core and the systems of the Han, Tang, Ming and Qing dynasties as the skin.

The Great Qi Empire was finally stitched together into such a grotesque monster:

In terms of military: the recruitment system was combined with the compulsory military service system, and each corps underwent modern transformation. The combat training and soldier drills surpassed other powerful countries of the same period. The army was equipped with the most elite weapons, steam airships and Minié rifles. At the same time, there were still a large number of chieftain armies in the southern provinces, which were slave-based military existences that were even more backward than the Jianzhou Eight Banners.

Politically: The imperial examination system was abolished in Liaodong and Shandong, officials were recommended, private property was abolished, and the "Land System of the Qi Dynasty" was implemented to the end, truly achieving equality and food for all (at least on the surface). In the south, the imperial examination system continued to be implemented, and the examination content was still the original Four Books and Five Classics and Eight-Legged Essays. Scholars spent their whole lives studying the classics, delving into the Neo-Confucianism of Tang, Wu, Zhou, Confucius, Cheng, and Zhu. The rich had vast fields and often owned tens of thousands of acres of land, while the poor had no place to stand...
In terms of commerce: In some prefectures and counties in the north (Tianjin Wei, Jinzhou Prefecture), farmers' associations have a high degree of self-awareness, actively participate in labor, and distribute labor income according to needs. The Imperial Trade Company has established long-term and stable trade with many European countries...

In Jiangnan, the deformed business system of the Ming and Qing dynasties is still popular:

Large landowners and loan sharks, while controlling the grassroots through land annexation and rent collection, forcibly drive the resulting refugees to the cities or their homes to serve them. They also deliberately suppress the wages of their employees, enslaving the lower classes economically and ideologically. In a sense, this system is similar to the United States' printing money to reap the global benefits in another dimension. Under this system, the lower classes are trapped in a death spiral, with no hope of survival, and ultimately, the entire nation loses its ambition to make progress.

During the Ming Dynasty, the Ming army couldn't even hold Annan or Hetao, let alone the ancient lands of Europe and Yinzhou. Of course, the Tartar Qing was no better...

The Great Qi Empire had a vast territory, and there were imbalances in political and economic development among different regions. This is understandable.

However, Liu Zhaosun could not tolerate the political and economic system of the Ming and Qing dynasties, which was similar to slavery (Zhu Yuanzhang's division of untouchables and the Tatars' defense against the Han).

His mission was to liberate more than 100 million laborers on this land, completely end the meaningless internal conflicts before his eyes, and allow the people of Qi to move towards the stars and the sea (Li Dingguo and Sun Kewang's expedition teams alone could not achieve long-term occupation of the colony).

~~~~
The ten great battles in the life of the Old Man Shiquan included, of course, the security battle to suppress the White Lotus Sect.

Liu Zhaosun's ambition does not stop there. As mentioned earlier, his goal is the sea of stars.

Specifically, the next country the empire wanted to conquer was Wa, and then Annan.

Unlike the Ming Dynasty's brief occupation of Annan, what the retired emperor wanted was to completely annex and digest Annan, and the same was true for Japan.

Of course, in order to achieve these two major goals, two small goals must be completed first: one is to occupy and digest North Korea, and the other is to complete the land reform in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Qinghai, Tibet and other places.

Before completing these two small goals, the Great Qi Reform was imminent.

Only reform can change the southeast, only reform can truly control the southern provinces, and only reform can seize more human, material and financial resources.

Let the sword of the empire become the plow of the empire and open up a wider land.

Any one of these two small goals was out of reach for Emperor Qianlong.

If we go by Emperor Qianlong's standards, Liu Zhaosun could definitely be honored as an old man who is "fifty years old or a hundred years old."

Unfortunately, when it comes to stamping, graffiti, and composing poetry, Emperor Wuding was no match for Emperor Qianlong.

Of course, Liu Zhaosun also often writes doggerel now, such as the poem in remembrance of Zhang Yan:

"Three autumns have passed since we parted, and for a moment I lay mourning with a pang of sadness. Recalling my life in the inner chambers, I felt truly filial and virtuous. It is difficult to describe my entire life, and I vainly hope to extend it to a hundred years. Summer and winter nights, only twenty years remain." Another example: while on an incognito tour of Nanjing, he saw a commoner marrying off their daughters, and he improvised a poem:
Gongs and drums are beating downstairs, and the bride is shyly sitting in the sedan chair.

Today is the wedding night, the jade hairpin pierces the red crabapple blossoms.

This simple and explicit doggerel was praised by Grand Secretary Zhang Pu as:

His literature surpasses Confucius and Mencius, and his poetry surpasses Li Bai. Good poetry, good poetry!
I wonder how Confucius, Mencius and Li Bai would feel if they knew this.

The only thing to be thankful for is that Liu Zhaosun only recited poems and did not like to stamp or doodle.

Otherwise, the people of the empire in later generations would be forced to appreciate Taizu’s bizarre aesthetic taste in museums.

~~~~
In short, the retired emperor abdicated the throne to the crown prince during the heyday of the Spring and Autumn Period, and continued to control the government after abdication. Invisibly, he treated his son as a decoration, or a puppet, just like Emperor Qianlong did.

Unfortunately, Liu Kan was the son of Emperor Wuding and Empress Zhang Yan. He was a talented person and was far inferior to Aisin Gioro Yongyan.

The question then naturally arises: given Liu Kan's personality, would he have willingly accepted the path to emperorship his father had paved for him? Would he have been content to become the Jiaqing Emperor?
At the beginning of the morning on the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month in the first year of Guangde, the young emperor Liu Kan went to the Wenhua Palace to pay his respects to the retired emperor as usual.

Greeting his father twice a day, morning and evening, was one of Liu Kan's habits that he had maintained for many years. As long as he was with Liu Zhaosun - which was actually very rare - he would rush to his father on time and kneel down to pay his respects.

The chief steward Dongfang Zhu was standing at the entrance of Wenhua Palace. Seeing the little emperor coming from afar, he hurried forward and said:

"Your Majesty, are you here to pay your respects to the Emperor?"

Liu Kan said respectfully to the old eunuch, "That's right. Please ask Eunuch Dongfang to go in and report."

Dongfang Zhu said with regret, "Your Majesty is pure and filial, and can be felt by the sun and the moon. But I'm afraid the Grand Emperor is not free right now?"

"Oh? Father is still reviewing the memorials?"

Dongfang Zhu smiled and shook his head. He glanced at Wu Xiao and Pei Dahu standing at the door and whispered, "That's not the case. The memorials from yesterday have already been approved."

"Master Zhang is inside, communicating with the Emperor..."

"Zhenzhen Zhang?"

Dongfang Zhu quickly explained, "It's Zhang Yixing from the Qing Palace. He has known the Emperor for many years."

"Oh, that old Taoist priest is still alive. He must be a hundred years old."

Liu Kan muttered softly and nodded in disappointment.

"Your Majesty, do you have an urgent matter to discuss with the Grand Emperor? Should I go in and report this?"

Dongfang Zhu pretended to push open the palace gate.

Liu Kan grabbed his father-in-law's sleeve.

"No need. The imperial envoy encountered some trouble while surveying the land in Suzhou. It's a small matter and can be discussed later. Your Majesty is in deep meditation and must not be disturbed. Eunuch Dongfang, please tell your father that I have been here."

Dongfang Zhu heard this and quickly said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will definitely convey your message."

As they talked, they walked behind the stone lions in front of the Wenhua Hall. Liu Kan took out an egg-sized night pearl from the pocket of his dragon robe and gently put it into Dongfang Zhu's hand.

"Father-in-law, this is the night-shining pearl presented by the King of Annan on my mother's birthday last year. He said that if placed on the bedside, it can warm and nourish the body, have the power of creation, and make up for any defects... I can't use it, so I'm giving it to you..."

Dongfang Zhu quickly declined: "What can I do? I still want your Majesty's treasure. It's my duty to serve you."

Liu Kan said firmly, "Your Excellency, there is no need to refuse. You are the only one in the Great Qi who serves the Emperor properly. You have worked hard and made great contributions, so you deserve some rewards. Besides, Lü Demin returned from Australia this time with over a hundred boxes of Southeast Asian treasures. The Emperor doesn't like these things either, so it would be a waste to have them piled up in the inner chambers and gather dust..."

"Then I will respectfully obey your command and take it again."

Dongfang Zhu took the night pearl while declining, turned his head to glance at Wu Xiao, and seeing that the guards were not paying attention to him, he quickly stuffed the night pearl into his sleeve.

Then, pretending nothing had happened, he escorted the little emperor out of Wenhua Hall. When they reached the door, the eunuch whispered,

"Your Majesty, do you have any questions?"

Liu Kan just looked at the road below him without raising his head and said:

"Father, what do you want to know?"

(End of this chapter)