Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 345 Finale
"Great Khan! Break through to the east!"

The north wind at the foot of the mountain carried the stench of blood, tearing the tattered wolf flag into shreds.

Anda Khan's armor was riddled with arrow marks, and his scimitar was covered with layers of blood scabs.

He looked around.

The Ming army's iron cavalry surged in from all directions like a black tide, their swords flashing against the setting sun, turning the entire world blood-red.

His trusted aide, dragging his badly injured left leg, roared as he tried to cover his escape.

But some of the clansmen looked at his fine head with dangerous, burning eyes, wanting to claim a reward from the Ming army.

Anda Khan suddenly burst into laughter, the sound of which made his beard tremble.

He gazed at the banner bearing the character "Yu" in the distance, beneath which a burly general was drawing his bow and nocking an arrow.

Ten years of grudges will finally come to an end on this desert twilight.

"This Khan..."

"Born at the wrong time!"

"Since the Eternal Heaven will not allow this Khan to rule the Central Plains..."

Anda Khan suddenly ripped open his armor, revealing his chest covered in scars: "Then let the falcons carry my soul and forever circle over this grassland!"

"bring it on!!"

A cold light flashed.

As Yu Dayou's arrow pierced through the sandstorm, he saw that burly figure suddenly fall.

The scimitar was stuck in the yellow sand, and the red silk on the hilt looked like a cluster of dying flames.

The setting sun, like blood, gilded Altan Khan's armor with a final golden edge, making him look like the young Khan who once roamed the grasslands.

"Report! The enemy chieftain has been beheaded!"

"oh--!!"

Cheers erupted like waves, and Yu Dayou also felt a great sense of relief.

Only after truly clashing with Anda Khan did I realize how formidable this powerful figure was.

Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty is now vastly different from what it once was. Through alliances and counter-alliances, and by surrounding it from all sides, it was finally defeated.

Then, the turmoil in the capital resurfaced, along with the leader of the association who was united in quelling the unrest. Yu Dayou revealed a genuine smile and raised his arms, shouting:

"Long live the Ming Dynasty! Long live the Ming Dynasty!"

……

Will the Ming Dynasty last for ten thousand years?

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window lattices, casting dappled light and shadow on the floor tiles of the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Houcong, wrapped in a heavy blanket, leaned back in his recliner, his withered fingers unconsciously stroking the dragon pattern on the armrest. Upon hearing of the great victory at the front, he only sighed softly.

This person suffered from poisoning from the pills, coupled with the mental shock of the devastating news, which completely destroyed their already declining health.

Even after waking up, his days were numbered. He struggled to hold on for almost half a year before finally reaching the point of exhaustion.

Her breathing was now so light it was almost inaudible; only her cloudy eyes still shone with their last glimmer of light.

Haiyue stood quietly to one side.

The twilight cast a soft golden glow on his handsome face; he was the last high-ranking official summoned by the emperor.

"Mingwei! You haven't changed!"

Zhu Houcong scrutinized him, then slowly spoke, his voice hoarse like autumn wind sweeping through withered leaves: "These past few days, thanks to your efforts, the Crown Prince has been able to remain firmly in the Eastern Palace without causing any trouble..."

"How dare I claim credit!"

Haiyue bowed slightly: "Your Highness is exceptionally wise and intelligent. Although you have suffered hardships, they have only tempered your will. You will surely become a wise and benevolent ruler in the future."

"Is that really the case?"

A barely perceptible smile curved Zhu Houcong's lips as his gaze pierced through the palace walls, looking into the distant distance: "I owe that child so much, and now I don't know how to make amends..."

The dying always hope for comforting words, but Haiyue solemnly bowed again: "Your Highness's physical wounds may heal, but the pain in your heart is hard to bear. If Your Majesty has any compassion, you should come to the Eastern Palace in person so that father and son can meet again!"

Zhu Houcong was stunned. After a long while, he let out a sigh that sounded like both crying and laughing, and suddenly reached out his hand.

That hand that once held the reins of power over the world is now withered and dry, yet it still carries an undeniable strength.

Haiyue did not flinch, letting him hold her hand as she listened to his final words.

"I want you to agree to one thing!"

"Once the new emperor ascends the throne, make him give birth to a grandson as soon as possible and establish an heir apparent!"

Zhu Houcong's gaze suddenly sharpened, as if trying to see through Haiyue's heart: "A healthy grandson of the emperor can quell any rebellious thoughts of the vassal kings, do you understand?"

The hall fell silent, save for the ticking of the water clock.

Haiyue felt the faint power forcibly gathered on the back of her hand and slowly said, "It is only right that the new emperor should have a son to continue the Ming Dynasty's orthodoxy."

Zhu Houcong then released his grip, as if all his strength had been drained away, and collapsed onto the brocade quilt.

His gaze gradually became unfocused, yet he stubbornly stared at the caisson ceiling of the palace, where nine golden dragons were painted soaring among auspicious clouds.

"Good...good...let my grandson...be an emperor whose power no one can take away..."

As the final probing ended, Zhu Houcong's voice grew softer and softer: "Haiyue...Mingwei...what do you want? What do you really want?" The last rays of the setting sun quietly disappeared, and the candles in the hall lit up one by one. The night wind swept through the hall, ruffling the Jiajing Emperor's hair and scattering his last words.

This emperor, who believed he had his subjects completely under his thumb, closed his eyes with the biggest and final question of his life.

"Farewell, Your Majesty!"

When Haiyue bid farewell to the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, she showed no grief, but her eyes held a sense of emotion.

We cannot only look at his later decadent years; considering his entire life, Jiajing was one of the more accomplished emperors.

The following emperors were Longqing, Wanli, Taichang, Tianqi, and Chongzhen.

There are even more aspects that defy the heavens.

and so……

The absence of an emperor is very important to the people.

Unfortunately, that's not realistic yet.

Some people in later generations felt that many emperors of the Ming Dynasty neglected their duties and did not attend court for many years, but the court still functioned because of the well-established bureaucratic system.

In this respect, it is quite similar to the British constitutional monarchy. The Ming Dynasty had a cabinet, and constitutional monarchies also have cabinets, which can decentralize power.

It is a great pity that the Ming Dynasty missed the opportunity to adopt a constitutional monarchy. Otherwise, it would not have been subjected to a foolish emperor who seized power, first being invaded by barbarians and leading to a change of dynasty, and then closing itself off from the world and being ravaged by Western powers, signing a series of unequal treaties.

Haiyue, however, knew very well that the Ming Dynasty, whose centralized power was gradually reaching its peak, was fundamentally incapable of adopting a constitutional monarchy.

Leaving aside the differences in geography and culture between the East and the West, the Western constitutional monarchy was actually fundamentally unsuitable for the Central Plains dynasties with their unified ideology.
Not to mention that the most fundamental class in a constitutional monarchy is the bourgeoisie, and the bourgeoisie has structural contradictions with agrarian society;

The idea of ​​using the constitution to check imperial power and interfere in politics was unheard of.

If anyone brings this up, they will become a public enemy.

Moreover, they are enemies of all levels of society.

Even ordinary people at the bottom of society do not agree.

The world will only descend into chaos, and after a final period of turmoil, a new emperor will be elected.

Therefore, never think that you can make your country and people strong by simply taking a Western system, imitating and copying it.

But the same thing.

Extreme monarchical autocracy like that of the Ming and Qing dynasties, which centralized power in one person, was also about to reach a dead end.

Because the world is changing.

The dawn of the Age of Exploration and the invasions of Portuguese merchant ships served as a small wake-up call, signaling the rapid development of the West.

The future of feudal autocracy is destined to be such that unless every emperor is a time traveler with maxed-out skills and a hero who cares for the common people, then while the first and second generations are strong, the third and fourth generations will inevitably turn back.

Because the ruler's strategy is to weaken the people, and even the country, so that he can sit securely on the throne.

Everything must revolve around consolidating the rule.

Therefore, one key reason why the Eastern dynasties, which had always been ahead of their contemporaries, fell into a tragic situation of being bullied by the great powers in the future confrontation between East and West was that extreme monarchical autocracy was indeed eliminated by the tide of the times.

Once you see these things clearly...

Haiyue's thinking was very clear.

He wanted to change the system, but not by going directly from one extreme to another; rather, he planned a suitable path based on the times.

Such as enlightened despotism.

This was a policy implemented by feudal autocratic monarchs in the second half of the 18th century, which can be simply summarized as "a wise ruler must practice benevolent governance".

Under absolute monarchy, the monarch can rule the entire country according to his own will, and even unreasonable orders can be carried out.

However, under an enlightened autocracy, the people only obey reasonable decrees that align with the interests of the vast majority, and they do not accept or obey orders based on the monarch's momentary whims.

The current reforms should be carried out gradually.

These changes were incorporated into the Jiajing Reforms.

So, seizing the opportunity, Haiyue led her ministers to break the shackles of the idea that imperial power was invincible.

The purpose was not simply to seize supreme power from the emperor who held it most firmly; that was merely the path of powerful ministers.

Instead, it is about giving the people the courage to resist.

If we can take this step, we might be able to successfully curb the unbridled concentration of imperial power. After decades of effort, looking at the future direction of the country, perhaps by then, there will be a more suitable environment for reform.

Of course, it is more likely that the success will be temporary, but all previous efforts will be wasted in the future.

Even so, I have no regrets about coming into this era.

At least he tried.

The current situation is much better than expected.

On the 14th day of the 12th month of the 25th year of the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty in 1546, Emperor Jiajing, Zhu Houcong, passed away.

The third son of Emperor Jiajing, Crown Prince Zhu Zaiyuan, succeeded to the throne and changed the era name to Jinghe.

From this moment on, the Jingxi Reform, which lasted for forty-six years, officially began.

Hai Yue, the Grand Secretary who served two reigns, provided the answer to the reforms of the entire Ming Dynasty that Jiajing never truly understood.

Bring along a group of old partners who have walked alongside you on the road ahead!
Change the world from the ground up!
(End of this chapter)