The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 897 Emperor Jingyan's Road to Redemption

Demonstrations and marches are still continuing in Da Qi. The constitution has given citizens freedom and rights, but because of their short-sightedness, they are willing to be bewitched by the Rakshasa and are trying to hang their emperor.

The country is divided.

Economic inequality and a sense of cultural division. Some dream of a Celestial Empire, advocating the extermination of all Europeans and a unification of Asia and Europe like Kublai Khan. Some, overwhelmed with chastity, fight for the rights of the weak, such as advocating for gender equality. Even more people, aside from eating, drinking, defecating, urinating, birth, aging, illness, and death, remain indifferent to everything, as if nothing matters to them. They can survive like cattle and horses, simply existing.

"I heard that women in your area don't have votes and can't participate in elections."

"It's not just Britain, it's the same in France and the Netherlands. But in Europe, farmers want to live with more dignity, and you don't have that in Qi."

Liu Fan reminded: "It is our Great Qi, Queen, you also belong to the Great Qi now."

Mary shrugged. "I belong only to myself and do not obey any monarch or government except you..."

Emperor Jing Yan smiled awkwardly. Now was not a good time to flirt.

As the monarch of the most powerful country in the Eastern Hemisphere, he has complicated feelings towards his homeland.

If the majority of his subjects are slaves, he is a slave owner.

In terms of status, slave owners have no right to laugh at slaves. Slave owners are just high-level slaves, and in essence, they are also slaves.

"It will take time for the people of Qi to realize that they are human beings, not animals. I will propose to Congress to lift the blockade of Wakoku, increase investment in Nagasaki and Edo, increase immigration, and make Wakoku a normal country."

Mary asked in confusion, "Why? As far as I know, the people of Qi have a deep hatred for Wa."

Liu Fan recalled the scenes he had seen in Nagasaki in the past few days. He could not tolerate the existence of such a piece of land under his rule (at least in name only).

"I have a responsibility to the land I can influence, and everyone on every land should be a human being, not an animal or a slave. In addition, I need to provide us with a way out."

Mary didn't understand what the word "we" here meant. Was it him and herself, or the entire nation?
But the queen was already used to her husband's high-flown speeches:

"Your Majesty, are you planning to rebuild the Japanese city?"

Emperor Jingyan shrugged his shoulders and said in the tone of a British person:

"We can't keep Japan as a no-man's land forever. If we do, God will blame us."

Unfortunately, Liu Fan does not believe in God.

Mary said worriedly, "Rebuilding it will cost a lot of money, and the parliament won't agree to it."

Liu Fan said seriously, "Let me reiterate, rebuilding Japan is not a losing business."

There is no point in cruel exploitation. Long-term garrison and slaughter are not worth the cost for Da Qi, which is about to start industrial Ge Min.

It is foreseeable that as time goes by, the price paid by Qi will become increasingly heavy.

The hatred from a hundred years ago should be resolved by people from a hundred years ago and has nothing to do with people from a hundred years later.

Hateful education is only found in barbaric countries like Rakshasa. It poisons all citizens like a plague, and Da Qi should stay away from it.

Compared with occupying the land of other ethnic groups, Emperor Jingyan cares more about the empire's business profits and long-term stability. He will not repeat the mistakes of Peter I and Louis XIV.

"We must destroy the old world of life and death, black and white, winner-takes-all. This world has been like this since Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms."

"Bageer said we have no history. Our history is nothing but a cycle of reincarnation, restarted when the northern barbarians come south... Emperor Guangde started a good example, and Empress Tianshou further promoted the division of fiefdoms. Now the empire will be in my hands, completely breaking free from what Berger called the cycle of reincarnation. You should be happy."

"Yes, I am very happy."

Queen Marie had never heard of Berger. In order to cover up her ignorance, when the emperor looked at her, she nodded as if she understood and tried to force a smile.

~~~~~~~~
At the Nagasaki Bugyosho, Liu Fan received a telegram from Tianxin City.

"Your Majesty," Captain Wang Bin said cautiously, "this is an ultimatum from the opposition representatives."

"Read it."

Liu Fan bathed in the misty hot spring, enjoying a moment of tranquility.

Nagasaki's hot springs are said to be rich in various minerals that can cure and prevent many diseases and have many benefits for the human body. He thought of the short-lived Emperor Taizu.

The opposition's demands mainly include the following:

All expenditures of the Navy and Air Force must be immediately disclosed to the public. They can no longer be concealed under the pretext of confidentiality or being too advanced to be displayed.

Comprehensively disclose the assets of officials at all levels and their families;
Halt military spending on the European battlefield, immediately withdraw the "righteous army" back to the country, and stop aiding Annan in Korea;

Promised provinces greater personnel and financial powers.

Reform the news censorship system, allow private individuals to establish newspapers, and the government shall not interfere without reason.

Improve the living rights of workers from North Korea, Japan and other countries...
"enough!"

Liu Fan was too lazy to listen any further, it was the same thing over and over again!
At this moment, he really hopes that there will be a prime minister like Kang Guangxu who can come out and take charge and help him share the pressure.

Unfortunately not.

The current cabinet is a bunch of professional bureaucrats, or more accurately, a bunch of useless people who can only offer various solutions but cannot take any responsibility!

For dinner, they had caviar and sushi sent by Lord Fengxing. Mary was not used to these Japanese delicacies, so she took a small bite of the sushi and put it aside. Liu Fan suddenly became furious, slammed the table, and said that Japanese people were starving to death every day. He also said some very unpleasant words.

Mary thought the emperor was angry with her (she had refused to fulfill her duties as queen last night because she was too tired), and was about to apologize, but Liu Fan said:

"Your father, having just defeated the French, now turns his guns against the Qi. His people are cold-hearted."

Mary looked confused. As the queen of Da Qi, she must and could only represent the interests of Da Qi.

"Britain prides itself on being the defender of fairness, justice, freedom and democracy. But when the threat is gone, your father turns his butcher knife against his allies. The British are supporting the rebellion!"

Mary quickly shook her head. "Impossible! The British are not interested in the political activities in Tianxin City."

"Our country has done the most for Korea and Annan! Workers from all over the world live and work in peace and contentment! Their working and living conditions are far better than those of the workers in the British mines. This is a well-known fact! But the British keep throwing mud! They describe me as a tyrant like Louis XIV! This is an insult to me!"

Mary consoled him, "Are you worried about these foreign forces?"

"Don't worry! What I'm worried about is the breakdown of the alliance with Britain, and Da Qi will return to the era of several circles."

Mary said worriedly, "Don't those who try to build a utopia want to make this country a better place?"

Liu Fan sneered: "They are just using Ge Ming's name to gain personal benefits. Da Qi cannot be destroyed in the hands of these people!"

Liu Fan felt that he was being fooled and was becoming more and more like a clown.

Since ascending the throne, he has lost the possibility of reconciliation with domestic conservatives for various reasons.

The emperor could only gain the support of foreign powers (such as Britain and the Netherlands) by implementing reforms and foreign relations, thereby consolidating imperial power and enhancing the legitimacy of his rule.

It turns out that this strategy really works.

However, as the reform enters the deep water zone, many institutional reforms can no longer be implemented.

The foreign relations that the emperor once had high hopes for are now getting worse.

If he lost power, would he be like the unfortunate Louis XIV, sent to the guillotine by the violent citizens of Paris, in the name of Ge Min?

The people don't know what they can build, but that doesn't stop them from destroying everything in sight first.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Emperor Jingyan's thoughts were known by his confidants.

Wu Zhongguo rushed over from Tsushima Island and without any rest, he went straight to the hot spring where the emperor was and reported his intelligence work to Liu Fan.

"The number of rioters has increased dramatically. In April, there were only a few hundred people demonstrating, in May it became a thousand, and now there are tens of thousands of people participating."

Liu Fan leaned half of his body out.

“Is there anyone who supports this?”

He hoped to hear that the British and the Dutch were involved in this matter, so that he would feel something in his heart. If it was only supported by external forces, it would prove that most of the people of Qi still supported Emperor Yan.

However, the spy chief's answer disappointed him greatly.

"Nothing has been found yet. I have already sent people to monitor the surrounding embassies of various countries."

Liu Fan asked in confusion: "Where did the funds and weapons, I mean Molotov cocktails and the like, come from?"

Wu Zhongguo stared at the rising hot air, feeling as if he was talking to the emperor through the clouds, unable to figure out the young emperor's thoughts.

"These were all prepared by the rioters themselves, and some were donated by southern provinces."

Liu Fan smiled awkwardly: "They are very determined."

The spy chief remained silent.

The emperor stared into his eyes and said impatiently, "So, what countermeasures do you, the Suoyi Guard, have? We don't give you billions of dollars every year just to catch a few thieves."

Wu Zhongguo quickly stated: "The Suoyi Guard only obeys the emperor's orders. As long as His Majesty gives the order."

Liu Fan interrupted with a wave of his hand: "Tell me your strategy."

Wu Zhongguo gathered his thoughts and said, "Your Majesty, if you give the order now." Speaking of the crucial moment, Wu Zhongguo reached out and adjusted his golden eye sockets, "then we can suppress those thugs and nip all acts of rebellion in the bud."

Liu Fan asked: "Suppress it?"

Wu Zhongguo replied: "Yes, shoot him to death!"

"Kill them all?"

"A portion is enough. Don't be fooled by their resounding slogans. In reality, most of them are just people trying to take advantage of the situation. They are a mob and will scatter at the sight of blood."

Liu Fan took a deep breath. The open slaughter of unarmed citizens was too sensational.

"That way I'm closer to a French razor."

The spy chief quickly said, "Your Majesty, Da Qi is not France, and you are not Louis XIV."

"Tell me more!" Liu Fan jumped out of the hot spring pool, and a maid gently covered the emperor's back with a clean white towel. Queen Mary was waiting nearby. Once her husband had put on his towel, she handed him a cup of tea. Liu Fan took it, drank it in one gulp, and sat down on a nearby stone bench.

Mary waved her hand, and the crowd retreated. Liu Fan asked her with a slight smile:
"Are you sure you want to listen?"

Mary shrugged her shoulders and said nonchalantly, "Women can't participate in politics? Your Majesty's aunt, the Queen Divine Right, is a great monarch."

"That makes sense." Liu Fan smiled slightly, turned around and looked at Wu Zhongguo standing next to him, motioning this confidant to sit down.

Wu Zhongguo sat down carefully.

"How many people are you going to kill? How much will it cost?"

Wu Zhongguo counted on his fingers for a moment and gave his answer: "That depends on your Majesty's determination."

"No nonsense!"

"If we want to stabilize the situation in Tianxin City, at least one hundred people will die and it will cost 50 million Qi Yuan."

"One hundred people!" Liu Fan jumped up from the stone bench in shock.

Wu Zhongguo quickly explained: "Of course they are not innocent civilians."

"First, they bribed the mob leaders, then arranged for death row prisoners to march at the front of the parade... and afterward, provided their families with generous compensation."

"And then?" Queen Mary interrupted.

Wu Zhongguo was slightly stunned, but soon returned to normal:

"Immediately publish articles in newspapers to guide the public to discover the truth behind the riots—to understand the Emperor's difficulties and hardships. Most importantly," he paused deliberately.

"I'll ruin the reputations of those key members. I'll have people collect evidence patiently, and I'll always find loopholes. I'll wait until they're no match for me, and then I'll kill them with a borrowed knife."

Wu Zhongguo was quite skilled at this and had probably used this kind of dirty talk many times before.

Liu Fan laughed and said, "Have you ever helped Queen Tianshou like this?"

"Your Majesty, you are too kind," the spy chief said modestly. "It's not really a favor. Helping the monarch out of trouble is one of the duties of the Mino Guard."

"Oh."

It seems that the Great Qi Dynasty was never clean. Taizu Liu Zhaosun's hands were stained with blood, and even during the self-proclaimed tolerant Tianshou era, there were all kinds of dark things that could not be seen in the light.

"Can we get a hundred people together?" Liu Fan was already tempted when he asked this question. Just as Wu Zhongguo said, this was the most cost-effective way to solve the problem.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. If the Heavenly Prison is short of manpower, we can go to the mines outside the capital to find the Japanese and the Rakshasa people. They can also withstand bullets."

“It just makes life difficult for foreigners.”

"Your Majesty, don't worry. Their families will be given compensation afterward."

Liu Fan thought for a moment but couldn't make up his mind.

Violence is not what he wants. In this era, violence is like Pandora's box. Once opened, it is difficult to close it.

However, if the riots are allowed to continue, more than one or two hundred people will die.

Seeing the emperor's hesitation, Wu Zhongguo urged him, "Your Majesty, we can't delay any longer. If the Central Guards start to rebel, Your Majesty might..."

He didn't finish his words, but his meaning was very clear. If he didn't make up his mind to take action now, once the situation worsened, Emperor Jing Yan would most likely not be able to return to the country.

"We'll do as you wish," Liu Fan finally decided on a plan. "The funds will be paid to you in advance. We'll do it quickly and cleanly, leaving no future troubles and minimizing unnecessary casualties."

~~~~~~~
After sending Wu Zhongguo away, Liu Fan couldn't wait to go to the Unknown Mount Wushan the next day.

Once a haven for Buddhist Master Huineng and his disciples, Mount Shiranui was once a mountainside sanctuary. Within the Shiranui Zen Monastery, hundreds of innocent girls were sacrificed to the immortal demon monk. Day after day, year after year, this tragic history finally ended a hundred years ago when Yuan Chonghuan and the demon monk perished together.

The remains of the evil monk still remain on the cliff on the mountainside.

As we all know, Emperor Jingyan Liu Fan grew up under the care of a palace maid named Yuan, who was one of the descendants of Yuan Chonghuan. Therefore, Liu Fan had heard many stories about Yuan Chonghuan since he was a child. Later, the comic strip about Yuan Chonghuan pacifying Japan and beheading Tokugawa Iemitsu in battle became popular all over the country and was even adapted into a drama. Liu Fan has read the comic book more than ten times.

It was the deceased Yuan Chonghuan who supported Liu Fan through his miserable and unfortunate childhood.

Emperor Jingyan had great respect for this famous minister of the Great Qi Dynasty. After he ascended the throne, he rewarded Yuan Gong's descendants many times and organized the editors of the Hanlin Academy to rewrite "The Biography of Yuan Chonghuan".

One of the reasons for coming to Nagasaki this time was to pay homage to Yuan Chonghuan in person.

Yuan Chonghuan eventually died in the Nagasaki Bugyosho, but his cenotaph was buried at the foot of Mount Unknown.

It is said that this was to allow Yuan Gong to stay here to suppress the evil spirit of the demon monk Shiranui.

Local people say that although the evil monk was poisoned to death by Yuan Gong, his evil spirit still haunts people after his death, often teasing newlyweds and unmarried girls... Japan is a country of ghosts and monsters, and there are tens of thousands of gods, ghosts and foxes in the country. Therefore, most famous mountains and temples have shrines to scare away evil spirits and express people's grief.

The next day, after leaving the imperial court, Liu Fan instructed his attendants to prepare hot springs so that he and the empress could bathe and change clothes before offering sacrifices, as a gesture of respect to Lord Yuan.

Queen Mary is only sixteen years old this year, but her physique is no different from that of an adult. She has inherited most of the good looks of King George and the Queen. Her hair is like golden waves of wheat, and her body is like a strong horse, and she is a fierce horse...

The honeymoon trip was much longer than the wedding night, and the two of them finished bathing after an hour.

After getting dressed, the Emperor and Empress, surrounded by their guards, headed towards Mount Unknown.

It has been a long and difficult journey.

All I saw along the way was desolation.

On the way, they met two Japanese woodcutters. The carriage convoy was still far away. The ragged woodcutter was like a frightened deer. He dropped the firewood and fled into the dense forest in panic, leaving Liu Fanmali confused.

"Your Majesty," said Ushiba Toshishige, the Nagasaki magistrate, who followed him around and explained, "They are all barbarians, meaning people who are not registered as such. They are worried about being captured and forced to serve."

“Are they isolated from the world?”

Niu Changli replied, "Your Majesty, the wild men occasionally come to the military camp at the foot of the mountain and exchange firewood, prey, and troops for salt and cloth."

Liu Fan gazed towards the sparsely populated forest and said aloud, "I work from sunrise to sunset, rest from sunset to sunrise. I dig wells for drinking and till the fields for food. What power does the emperor have over me?"

Liu Fan also envies such a life.

The guards wearing bulletproof vests and holding rifles rode on horseback, looking vigilantly at the dense forest around them. Fortunately, upon learning that the emperor and empress were going to pay homage to Yuan Gong's Temple, the Nagasaki garrison mobilized a thousand soldiers and horses, who had already swept the route in advance.

But the road is still difficult to walk on.

The loess road surface was full of potholes. Even with the empire's best carriage shock absorption system, people in the carriages could still feel themselves bouncing up and down like riding a horse.

After walking for half an hour, the captain of the guard Wang Bin who was on guard in front came back and said that there was no road left.

"The road has been washed away by the flood. I'm afraid the carriage can't pass through."

Volcanic ash mixed with rainwater formed sticky volcanic ash. Walking on it was like walking into hell.

Niu Changli trudged along, taking one step forward and one step back. He tried his best to support the Emperor of Da Qi who was also having difficulty walking, and Queen Mary was not in good condition either.

This scene reminded Nagasaki Bugyo of the landing on Iwo Jima forty years ago. It was a war between the Great Qi Empire and the Netherlands for colonies. It was a rare era in which the empire was truly militaristic.

"What a rotten road this is! Even in the most desolate counties of Britain, there is no such..."

Niu Chang Lizhong said quietly: "Respected Queen, this is a place abandoned by the empire..."

The group rode their horses with difficulty and arrived at the border of the unknown volcano.

I don’t know if the volcano is still bare, with sparse trees and few animals, just like it was more than a hundred years ago.

Thirty years ago, there was a huge sulfur mine here. Later, due to excessive sulfur mining, several volcanic eruptions occurred, killing at least 30,000 Japanese samurai (who were sent here to serve). The governor then decided to completely abandon the mine.

Today, the place is overgrown with weeds and covered with volcanic mud. It is almost deserted. As for the Yuan Gong Temple, no one has visited it to worship for many years.

"Your Majesty," Nagasaki Bugyo said, "there are ferocious beasts in the mountains. At this time of year, bears and tigers may appear at any time."

Liu Fan didn't believe that there would be any bears or wolves in such a desolate place. Even if there were, it would not be a reason to stop him from paying homage to Yuan Chonghuan.

"We are well-armed. Don't worry. I have a rifle in my hand that can kill an elephant with one shot."

The emperor took out a brand new old-fashioned Nimi rifle from his horse's saddlebag. The gun body was coated with machine oil and the barrel was shining. It seemed that it had been well maintained.

Such antiques are already very rare. The captain of the guards, Wang Bin, roughly estimated that this was a standard weapon from the late Wuding period.

"What kind of gun is this! I've never seen it before!"

"Nonsense! This gun is older than my grandfather!"

"Not only your grandfather, but also my uncle's grandfather, who used this to conquer Japan and defeat Chuan Jiaguang!"

"Your Majesty, can you show me?"

The appearance of the antique Grandpa's gun immediately caused a commotion among the young guards, and there was a lot of discussion all around.

Guns are of great significance to soldiers.

The emperor magnanimously handed the master's gun to the guards to play with. However, the head guard Wang Bin was sweating profusely as he watched, and kept reminding his men:

"Be careful, don't fire it!"

After the guards had examined it, Liu Fan began to explain the origins of the gun: "This was forged by Lei Shangshu (Lei the Carpenter) at the order of Emperor Taizu. It was given to the Crown Prince, Emperor Taizong, as a birthday present in the 31st year of the Wuding reign. Before Emperor Taizong's death, he bestowed it on Empress Tianshou. Thirty years ago, the Empress passed it on to me..."

After hearing this, everyone couldn't help but marvel at it. It was indeed a gun that was passed down through three generations, and the gun remained even though the person was gone.

"Don't worry, with this gun here, ordinary beasts won't be able to get close to me."

Although he had a gun in his hand, the captain of the guards was still worried about the emperor's safety and suggested bringing a few more guards. Liu Fan readily accepted Wang Bin's suggestion.

Everyone walked up the mountain along the ridgeline.

After walking for an hour, I was exhausted and out of breath. The thick volcanic ash lingered like a nightmare.

Finally, Yuan Chonghuan's cenotaph was found among the thorns and vines on the mountain. Due to the erosion of time, only half of the tall and majestic stone tablet was exposed above the ground.

Push aside the messy thorns, sweep away the layers of fallen leaves, and arrange the incense and offerings.

Despite the hardship of the five or six hours of trekking, Liu Fan dragged his exhausted body and knelt down in front of the remaining half of the stone tablet, weeping uncontrollably:
"Master Yuan, I'm here to see you!"

~~~~~~~~
(End of this chapter)