The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 160 The Oath of Jinling
The rising sun cast a soft golden glow on the vermilion gates of the Jiangnan Governor's Office. From the gates inward, the pavilions, winding corridors, lush greenery, and even the people entering and leaving all seemed to be bathed in its radiance.

Inside the government hall, high-ranking officials and scholars were seated. At the front were the ministers of the six ministries, marquises and nobles, in the middle were provincial officials, and on both sides were renowned scholars who had long been respected in Jiangnan. This kind of lineup was even more impressive than when Li Xianmu first came to Jiangnan.

after all.

The situation in Jiangnan has changed drastically. The life, death, fortune and misfortune of tens of thousands of officials depend on the words of the Jiangnan governor. Even if it is just an act, it must be done until Li Xianmu returns to the capital.

At this moment, the people in the hall who were on good terms with each other were whispering among themselves, discussing the purpose of Li Xianmu's summons. Now that Li Xianmu was intimidating Jiangnan and controlling the officials, if it were anyone else, they would probably be showing off their power, but Li Xianmu was clearly not that kind of person.

Just then, a clear voice came from outside the hall, "I apologize for keeping you all waiting. It is my fault."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiangnan Governor Li Xianmu walked in from the outer room, bringing with him a large amount of light. Everyone's eyes narrowed and their hearts tightened.

This is because Li Xianmu is dressed in his finest attire today.

The crown he wore was not edged with ordinary gold or plain trim, but with fine pieces of mutton-fat white jade, its edges warm and lustrous. A royal-bestowed pigeon-blood ruby ​​was set in the center of the crown, surrounded by tiny pearls inlaid with gold filigree. He wore a cloud-brocade robe with python patterns, and a mutton-fat white jade belt with gold plaques around his waist. None of these three items were something that Li Xianmu, a mere fourth-rank official, could possess or wear. There was only one explanation: these were all imperial gifts!

Since Li Xianmu arrived in Jiangnan, he had only seen him once before, at the welcoming banquet hosted by the civil and military officials. The fact that he was here today dressed in such attire indicated that today was an extremely formal occasion for Li Xianmu.

After a moment of silence, they bowed and greeted each other with great joy. "Your Excellency is too kind. Please take a seat."

As Li Xianmu bowed with his hands clasped in greeting, he walked steadily to the head of the table, showing off his sword at his waist. Scholars in the Han and Tang dynasties were fond of martial arts and liked to wear swords, but this fashion disappeared in the Song and Ming dynasties. Seeing Li Xianmu enter with a sword, and recalling that he was always seen with a sword at the welcoming banquet and in the Confucian Temple, this obviously deliberate behavior surprised everyone.

Once Li Xianmu had taken his seat at the head of the table and turned to face the people from Jiangnan, the vast Mingtang immediately fell silent. Everyone looked at Li Xianmu, waiting for him to speak.

"I have gathered you all here today at the Governor's Office because it is indeed an important matter. Since I entered Jiangnan, I have relied on your assistance and have achieved quite a bit of success."

The grain sent to the capital has all been safely loaded onto ships and sailed across the ocean to the capital, sufficient for the needs of the central government. The stability of His Majesty, the stability of the court, and therefore the stability of the Ming Dynasty—this is the first merit of all of you.”

Li Xianmu spoke eloquently, and the atmosphere in the Mingtang visibly relaxed as he spoke. It seemed that today was a gathering to praise achievements, rather than another occasion for criticism. It was clear that everyone was somewhat afraid of this governor of Jiangnan. From the welcoming banquet onwards, Jiangnan had been criticized at almost every occasion, and they could never gain the upper hand.

"The imperial court has decided to transform Annam into the prefecture of Jiaozhi. Since the Tang Dynasty, Jiaozhi has returned to the hands of our great dynasty, bringing glory to our ancestors. Now, some clowns are trying to overthrow us. Therefore, the imperial army has been dispatched. Thanks to your assistance over the past few months, tens of thousands of criminals have been exiled, providing the imperial army with enough provisions to last for several years. This is the second merit of you."

Li Xianmu said with a smile, which made everyone's faces very interesting. They didn't even know whether they should agree with him. You should know that there were quite a few people present who owed the imperial court grain taxes. They just gave up quickly, so they were able to sit here safely.

Li Xianmu could tell at a glance that some people were already on tenterhooks. His purpose today was not to humiliate them, so he only made a slight move and did not dwell on the matter any further.

"I have summoned you all here today because there are two things I want to discuss with you."

Firstly, Duke Zhang of England will lead a large land army to Nanjing the following day. The heads of the six ministries and three departments of the three provinces in Nanjing, as well as the heads of the prefectures of Southern Zhili and Zhejiang provinces, will all accompany this minister to pay their respects.

These words shocked everyone.

The imperial court had a system of separate civil and military administration, and the Duke of Ying was not their superior, so in principle, he did not need to pay homage to him.

Of course, the Duke of Yingguo was a duke of the highest rank, ranking above all dukes, marquises, and court officials. In the present Ming Dynasty, he was second only to the princes and was the de facto number one minister of the Ming Dynasty. If they had a good relationship, it would be normal for him to pay a visit when he led his army to Jiangnan.

but……

Bringing all the civil and military officials from Jiangnan over there seems a bit excessive.

To put it bluntly, even when the Crown Prince arrived in Jiangnan, he wasn't treated with such fanfare. The reason Li Xianmu was welcomed by everyone was because he was already in charge of the governorship of Jiangnan, and no one wanted to offend him because of this.

But the matter concerning the Duke of England...

"This time, the imperial court is attacking Annam by both land and water. The Duke of Mu's attack from Yunnan is irrelevant to us. The Duke of Ying only led 20,000 elite troops from the three major camps south. The rest of the auxiliary troops and militia will be drawn from Jiangnan."

I also serve as the quartermaster of the Southern Expeditionary Army, and the Duke of England is responsible for inspecting all military equipment, laborers, and provisions for the army.

The majority of the provisions for this southern expedition to Annam will be transported by sea via Liujiagang. You are the officials in charge of the people of Jiangnan; accompany me to see what instructions the Duke of Ying has. Upon returning to the provincial capital, you can make preparations as soon as possible.”

The most important sentence in these words is: "I also serve as the quartermaster of the Southern Expeditionary Army." The governor of Jiangnan also served as the quartermaster, in addition to the personal relationship between Li Xianmu and Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo.

Although Li Xianmu didn't say it aloud, the meaning was clear: "Even if it means selling blood and kidneys, Jiangnan must solve the logistical problems for the Southern Expeditionary Army. Officials at all levels in Jiangnan must keep the military and national affairs, such as conscripting laborers, in mind, or I will make you regret it."

The county magistrate is not as good as taking charge now.

Although the Duke of England was powerful and held a high position, his influence in Jiangnan was far less than that of Li Xianmu at this moment.

Once he said it, everyone agreed.

Seeing that everyone understood the significance of the matter, Li Xianmu nodded in satisfaction. It was easier to talk to smart people.

According to his estimation, the final army to conquer Annam would consist of about 20,000 elite imperial guards, and then 40,000 to 50,000 auxiliary soldiers would be drawn from various garrisons. That would require at least 150,000, or even 200,000, civilian laborers. For such a major administrative matter, he needed the support of officials at all levels in Jiangnan.

Given his current influence in Jiangnan, accomplishing this task would not be difficult. The officials in Jiangnan no longer wanted to fight with him; they just wanted him to finish his work quickly and return to the capital, sending this powerful figure away. For Li Xianmu, this was a good thing.

After Li Xianmu revealed the matter of the Duke of Yingguo, everyone became even more curious. According to Li Xianmu's thinking, at least 70% of the people present today did not need to greet the Duke of Yingguo.

The Minister of Personnel in Nanjing asked on behalf of everyone, "Governor, is there anything else that is even more grand than the Duke of Yingguo's entourage?"

Just now, Li Xianmu mentioned two things. One is the Duke of England, and the other must be something that requires so many people to do together.

Li Xianmu, who had been quite relaxed and carefree while discussing the matter of the Duke of Yingguo, suddenly became serious and stood up from the seat of honor.

Seeing this, the crowd below also straightened their backs and became solemn, knowing that this matter must be of great importance.

Li Xianmu looked around at everyone, slowly closed his eyes, and then said with a sigh, "Gentlemen, after I have finished dealing with the grain, military supplies, and conscription needed in Ping'an South, I will return to the capital." No one reacted, but many people breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he was finally leaving. However, they also felt a surge of anger, as something seemed amiss today.

What did Li Xianmu want to do before leaving?
"All of you officials have studied the Four Books and Five Classics since you were young. Although I also studied the Four Books and Five Classics, my approach is different from yours."

What my late father taught me most was the way to govern a country and bring peace to the world. Do you all know the way to govern a country and bring peace to the world?

what?
Almost everyone looked bewildered, and then they looked at each other in confusion, even though all the Confucian scholars had the ideal of governing the country and bringing peace to the world when they entered the Daoist path.

Once they enter officialdom, they quickly integrate into it, becoming preoccupied with scheming and maneuvering for promotion and wealth, long forgetting all about such things.

Moreover, governing a country and bringing peace to the world is too vast and abstract to explain clearly.

Seeing that no one spoke, Li Xianmu didn't care and said to himself, "It lies in virtuous people, in virtuous laws, and in virtuous systems."

My late father taught me many things, which I will not describe in detail here. I will only talk about what I have seen since I came to Jiangnan.

I have stated more than once the importance of Jiangnan to the Ming Dynasty, and therefore I am extremely angry to find that the Jiangnan region has deteriorated to this extent.

Li Xianmu's use of the word "debauchery" surprised everyone.

"Your Excellency, is the word 'debauchery' too strong? Although there are some minor ailments, it doesn't quite deserve the word 'debauchery'."

"Yes, Governor, that's too alarmist. This is the birthplace of the Ming Dynasty. The capital was moved away just yesterday. It can hardly be called decadent."

Li Xianmu said with emotion: "You all only focus on the present, but you don't know that the land is different and things are of different quality."

As he spoke, he raised one hand, “If you were to make a cut on this arm with a sword, it would heal with just the best wound medicine, and even the scar would be removed, as if you had never been injured.”

If this arm is severed, although life will be difficult, it will not be life-threatening, and one can enjoy one's old age in peace.

However, if there is even a slight scar on the heart, even if Bian Que were to be resurrected, he could only sigh in vain. This is the difference between the same thing happening in different places.

And wasn't the Ming Dynasty the same?

Li Xianmu stepped down from above, looked around at everyone, and said in a deep voice: "It doesn't matter if the rest of the Ming Dynasty owes some money and grain. The dynasty does not depend on those places. Although officials in the other provinces of the Ming Dynasty deserve to die for corruption, bribery, or even mistreatment, it doesn't matter to the survival of the Ming Dynasty."

Jiangnan is different.

Please remember that Jiangnan is different. If the Ming Dynasty is a building, then Jiangnan is the foundation. No matter how magnificent and splendid the buildings on top are, if the foundation is not stable, they will collapse.

The three provinces comprise 60% of the population and contribute the majority of the taxes of the Ming Dynasty. If the Jiangnan region deteriorates, the Ming Dynasty will be severely shaken. If the Jiangnan region is in disarray, the Ming Dynasty will be on the verge of collapse and will perish!

Therefore, officials serving here, if they still possess any sense of responsibility, must be especially careful not to bring the bureaucratic habits of other provinces to Jiangnan!

Loud voices echoed throughout the hall, reaching the ears of everyone, though it was unclear how many actually heard them.

"Many of you have achieved official rank and were personally examined by the late Emperor and Your Majesty in the Fengtian Hall. You are the Emperor's disciples."

You gentlemen, who have been navigating the officialdom, think you understand many principles and know how to climb the ladder of power, and that you can rise step by step. But do not forget that this is still the Ming Dynasty, and His Majesty is above you. No matter how powerful a figure you curry favor with, you can never surpass His Majesty.

Your status as disciples of the Emperor is what you should cherish most.

Some people unconsciously lowered their heads, while most remained silent, staring at Li Xianmu. If they could be easily swayed by a few words, they would be oversimplifying things.

Li Xianmu didn't think he had such strong abilities that he could make the civil and military officials of Jiangnan submit to him with just a few words. To put it bluntly, if it weren't for his status as the governor of Jiangnan and the great power granted by the emperor, he would have absolutely no chance of accomplishing this.

But he remained full of pride, looked around at everyone and said loudly, "What I said earlier came from the bottom of my heart, and I hope you all will listen to it."

"I have summoned you all here today not to say these words, but to ask you to bring to a close the matter concerning my return to the capital."

When a governor was sent out by imperial envoy, he would have to write a report upon returning to the capital. There was a specific official document format for this, and the quality of the report was even related to his merits and performance.

But this only confused everyone more. "The governor is undertaking a major project in Jiangnan. With his literary talent, a mere report would be easy for him. What need is there for us to do?"

"You are too modest. As I said, this is the final step, and we need your help in this matter."

I, this official, will stand with you all facing the Yangtze River in Jiangnan and together we will swear an oath to ensure the peace and security of Jiangnan and to defend the Ming Dynasty.

Almost instantly, the hall erupted in uproar. Almost everyone stared at Li Xianmu in shock, never expecting that he had such a plan.

He's insane! He wants all the civil and military officials in Jiangnan to swear an oath!

But they dared not say anything in opposition.

Li Xianmu did this because he remembered his father telling him that in another world, there was a group of people who made a great vow to save the world.

They swore an oath to the sun, promising to sacrifice themselves for the sake of all living beings, and they kept their oath, thus ushering in an unprecedented golden age.

In Li Xianmu's understanding, perhaps they were a group of ancient Mohist disciples who actually built the heavenly kingdom that the Mohists dreamed of.

His father had told him that those who come together for profit will part ways when the profit is gone.

If one truly wants to change the Ming Dynasty, one must establish a well-organized group like the Mohists, one that possesses lofty ideals. As a leader, one must be radiant and virtuous in order to gain people's trust and following. Therefore, one must follow the righteous path and be renowned throughout the world for justice.

(End of this chapter)