The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 161 The Mighty Yangtze River
Lee Hyun-mok recalled being quite shocked when he first heard these remarks.

He asked, "Father, the Mohist school perished precisely because its organization was too tight. The Mohist disciples only knew about the Grand Master, but not about the monarch."

The Qingli Party of the Song Dynasty was just a group of scholars with the same political views who came together to reform the laws, but they were feared and demoted by the emperor.

Even if the School of Mind were to develop, once it flourished in the future, it would inevitably have to be deliberately allowed to split, just like the Neo-Confucianism of today; otherwise, the emperor would certainly not be at ease.

The organization my father wants to establish is utterly treasonous; how can it possibly exist in this world? I fear that even mentioning it would immediately lead to my untimely death.

Li Xianmu's considerations were comprehensive, but he would always remember his father's reply: "When you are well organized, you will no longer be a scattered court of officials, but a force capable of coup d'état."

Whoever gets in your way, go and deal with them.

If the emperor is unwilling, then let him rule by doing nothing; as long as the Ming Dynasty has an emperor, that's sufficient.

Scholars often say that a sage emperor can govern the world by doing nothing, but that is just an expression of aspiration. No one has ever really wanted to take power away from the emperor.

Most of those who did that became new emperors.

Because imperial power cannot be touched by others!

Li Xianmu was shocked by his father Li Qi's words. If he hadn't had absolute faith in Li Qi, he would have questioned the meaning of life.

Li Xianmu used to wonder why his father was so confident, but now he knows that no matter how powerful the emperor is, he is still a mortal who will grow old, get sick and die, while the Li family has the help of an immortal ancestor and will surely stand at the end of the road to victory!
What he needed to do was cultivate his reputation and become the savior in the eyes of the people, just like Wang Mang before he usurped the throne in the Han Dynasty.

Whether he assists the Crown Prince or now asks the civil and military officials of Jiangnan to swear an oath with him, it will greatly enhance his prestige. A saint who acts purely for the sake of the country and the people, and who also has a bright future, will surely attract many people.

In the main hall of the governor's office, silence fell. Li Xianmu coldly surveyed the crowd and said in a deep voice, "Are you all unwilling?"
Such a display of loyalty to His Majesty, actually…

Before Li Xianmu could finish speaking, everyone quickly interrupted, saying, "Your Excellency, please don't misunderstand. We are just too shocked. How come we never thought of such a method before?"

Li Xianmu put away his composed expression and smiled, "I knew that although you all have some minor faults, you are still loyal subjects of my Great Ming Dynasty and loyal to His Majesty the Emperor."

The crowd spoke at once, but all solemnly replied, "As ministers of the state, we are naturally loyal to His Majesty."

"Loyalty is good. Then let's not delay. I have already ordered people to build a high platform on the banks of the Yangtze River."

"Let's go together, let's go together."

"What a glorious and fortunate event!"

"It will surely be emulated by the world."

A cacophony of cheers arose, a mixture of joy and bittersweet merriment. In truth, after a moment's thought, it was indeed a good thing, at least allowing His Majesty the Emperor to let bygones be bygones regarding the Jiangnan affair, since the people of Jiangnan were all extremely loyal subjects.

Nanjing is located on the banks of the Yangtze River. Looking at the high platform from afar, it is actually only about one meter high, but the area is quite large, enough to accommodate everyone here today. As soon as they saw the high platform, everyone knew that Li Xianmu had this idea for a long time, because this platform could not be built in a day.

Everyone smiled wryly. Could it be that Li Xianmu had already prepared for today when he came to Jiangnan?
Shaking off the unnecessary thoughts in their minds, regardless of the truth, since Li Xianmu entered Jiangnan, they have been led by the nose by one thing after another because of the sorcery, the emperor's suspicion of the White Lotus Sect, and the temple crying incident. They couldn't even organize an effective resistance. Now, the oath-taking matter is nothing in comparison. Let it go and leave Jiangnan as soon as possible.

"Your Excellency, I am unaware of this oath."

"Please follow my lead and recite the hymn." "As you command."

Li Xianmu pointed to a huge rock on the banks of the Yangtze River and said loudly to everyone, "The oath we make today will be engraved on a stone tablet by our organization so that it may be passed down to future generations."

Erecting inscriptions on stone to commemorate achievements is an old tradition of the Han people. In the past, Qin Shi Huang erected inscriptions everywhere, and later there was the famous Yanran Inscription. Even Zheng He's voyages to the West included an inscription in Ceylon. This inscription was later discovered, proving that during the Ming Dynasty, a great fleet came here to spread civilization and the majesty of the Celestial Empire!
oath.

This is a magical language, containing a power that inspires awe.

When Li Xianmu solemnly looked at the crowd, the crowd gradually quieted down, and everyone's face was solemn. At this moment, no one thought about anything else and waited quietly.

Nothing can be truly awe-inspiring without magnificence!
Nothing can be sacred without sacrifice!

Today, almost all the prominent figures in Jiangnan are here, standing on a high platform, facing the rolling Yangtze River.

Never ceasing, it flows towards the sea, with towering white waves crashing against the shore, where fish and shrimp frolic. For thousands of years, this great river has witnessed the rise and fall of countless dynasties, the fierce battles fought by heroes on horseback, and the magnificent glories that have unfolded within its waters.

The scenery always evokes emotions.

Almost everyone thought of Li Zhongwen's "Linjiang Xian".

The Yangtze River rolls eastward, and its waves wash away all heroes.

They might be considered heroes, but they don't really. They might even be nothing more than cowards standing in opposition to heroes. However, there are heroes among them, and more than one person has turned their gaze to Li Xianmu, who is standing at the very front.

Their eyes held either complexity or longing.

Li Xianmu is a man who can truly be called a hero. I envy him so much. He has a noble birth, exceptional talent, and a future destined to soar to great heights.

Indeed, this is how a true man should be!
The gazes from behind pierced Li Xianmu's back, unable to conceal his heroic spirit.

"Today, on the banks of the Yangtze River, we swear to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty and to treat the common people kindly."

Even if the Yangtze River dries up, it will be like a stream;
Even if the sea dries up, it becomes like a pond;
Even if Mount Tai collapses, it will be as flat as the ground.

We remain true to our vows made today, and will never change them until the end of time.

"Your Majesty, who sits high on the Holy Throne, may the world forever be loyal to you and to the nation; may you forever be wise and infallible, ruling over all, just as the authority and expectations entrusted to you by Heaven."

After Li Xianmu read it aloud, the rest of the group followed suit.

As they read on, they realized that there was indeed a reason why the Li family, father and son, could gain the emperor's trust. Their loyalty to the emperor and to the Ming Dynasty alone was far beyond what anyone else could match.

When news of today's events reached the capital, the emperor was even more determined to give Li Xianmu an important position, and his future could no longer be described as bright.

It can be said that wherever he goes, a golden road is paved.

Not a single word is false!

(End of this chapter)