The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 162 The matter is settled and time has come to an end

A sacred light shone in Li Xianmu's eyes, a pure devotion that transcended all else, as he gazed towards the heavens.

Who in this world could be more loyal to the Ming Dynasty than the Li family?
Even the Zhu imperial family probably never imagined that the Ming Dynasty could last for five hundred years.

After the resounding shouts of hundreds of people ceased, the banks of the Yangtze River fell silent for a moment, with only the continuous sound of the surging river lapping against the shore.

The idea that nothing is sacred without sacrifice is fully embodied in this moment.

Powerful clans and mainstream religions hold regular gatherings, whether for prayer or other purposes. Whether ancestors and deities can hear them is another matter, but those who attend greatly strengthen their sense of identity with their family and organization. On a larger scale, this translates into nationalism and patriotism education for an ethnic group or nation.

In ancient China, Confucianism played this role: to educate people on personal morality, filial piety within families, loyalty to the emperor, and boundless responsibility towards the world. This is the essence of self-cultivation, family harmony, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world!

Li Xianmu looked around at the attendees and nodded slightly when no one noticed. As it turned out, this theory was completely sound.

Even seasoned veterans from Jiangnan who had been immersed in officialdom for many years were still moved, while the young officials who still had some passion in their hearts were even more touched.

"A ritualistic process should be established within the family and in any future organization. Every organization and group needs a sacred aura."

Li Xianmu thought to himself.

The oath to the Yangtze River in Jinling caused a great stir in Jiangnan. Almost all the scholars in Jiangnan flocked to the banks of the Yangtze River just to catch a glimpse of the stone tablet.

Because the oaths of that day were inscribed on the stone tablet, and countless people had made their own oaths under the tablet, it had almost become a trend among scholars.

Not only in the three provinces south of the Yangtze River, but also in the surrounding areas, where merchants traveled north, south, east, and west along the Yangtze River, scholars from surrounding prefectures and counties traveled hundreds of miles to pay homage to the first stele praising the sacred Ming Dynasty.

Li Xianmu, who spearheaded the affair, saw his prestige in Jiangnan rise again. Some people initially thought he was deliberately using the incident to coerce powerful families in Jiangnan on behalf of the court, and that there were also personal grudges involved. But now no one doubts his motives anymore.

The despicable naturally became more wary of him, but the noble revered him. The prestige that Li Qi once held in Jiangnan gradually began to shift to him. In the eyes of the scholars of Jiangnan, he was no longer just the successor of Li Zhongwen, but also Li Xianmu!
But that's a story for another time. Amidst the hustle and bustle of Jiangnan, Duke Zhang Fu of England led his elite troops from three battalions down the Grand Canal and arrived in Nanjing.

……

Upon arriving in Nanjing, Zhang Fu first saw the tall stone tablet standing on the banks of the Yangtze River and the words carved on it. His eyes narrowed immediately, and he was about to ask Li Xianmu when this was done when he learned that it was erected by Li Xianmu and the civil and military officials of Jiangnan. He immediately burst into laughter.

"Xianmu, you are truly talented."

Zhang Fu laughed loudly, making no attempt to hide his appreciation, and even a hint of admiration.

Since ancient times, the Chinese people have despised those who were good at flattery and sycophancy, calling them sycophants, and believing that these people would corrupt the virtue of the monarch.

Since ancient times, the Chinese people have admired those who dared to speak frankly and remonstrate with their rulers, considering them to be the backbone of the nation who were not afraid of death.

For example, Li Qi pointed out Emperor Jianwen's mistakes in front of the court officials and even resigned his post, which completely broke through the limitations of his reputation, making him famous throughout the world and full of praise.

For example, Li Xianmu's first step in cultivating his reputation was to argue for the position of crown prince, even at the risk of angering the emperor.

In the eyes of the world, Li Qi and Li Xianmu were both outspoken and courageous ministers, pillars of the nation.

Zhang Fu, however, thought otherwise. The Li father and son were not the kind of hotheaded, straightforward officials. Many of the things they did were more pleasing to the emperor than flattery; it was just that their skills were so superb that no one could find fault with them, and they were even praised as truly loyal ministers.

Li Xianmu knew that his father-in-law was also a man of considerable political wisdom, so he smiled and did not refute. Instead, he skipped over the matter and said, "Uncle, this time I have made great achievements as the governor of Jiangnan. I have instructed all the officials of the Six Ministries and the provincial officials of the three provinces of Jiangnan to wait outside. You may make any decisions on any orders."

Zhang Fu was immediately startled. Even though he already knew from the stone tablet that Li Xianmu must have done something big in Jiangnan, the fact that he could command the civil and military officials of Jiangnan as if they were his subordinates still made him tremble with fear. This was truly extraordinary.

Zhang Fu patted Li Xianmu on the shoulder and said solemnly, "Thank you for your hard work, Xianmu."

Li Xianmu laughed loudly, "This humble nephew has only done his bit. I only wish that Uncle will have good fortune in military affairs, make great contributions to our Great Ming, display his power in Annam, and deter the barbarians!"

Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo remained silent. As father-in-law and son-in-law, and as political allies, their relationship required no formalities; everything was understood without words.

Li Qi, looking up from the heavens, shook his head slightly.

What Duke Zhang Fu and Li Xianmu are thinking now is that Duke Zhang Fu is getting old, and his health will probably start to decline after the Yongle era. With no one to succeed him, the Duke of Ying's mansion may decline and become a noble family with only the title of duke.

In the early stages, Zhang Fu protected Li Xianmu, and later, after Li Xianmu rose to power, Zhang Fu supported the Duke of Yingguo's mansion. Their peak periods happened to coincide.

Otherwise, if the father-in-law and son-in-law were one the top military official and the other the top civil official, the emperor would be awakened by nightmares in the middle of the night.

The problem is that Duke Zhang Fu of England lived a very long life. Historically, he was able to go on expeditions with the army even at an advanced age, which shows that he was still in good health.

In this life, Li Xianmu has emerged out of nowhere and is bound to reach the pinnacle. At that time, Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo will become an obstacle to his ascent. It is unknown what choice he will make then.

After the two men talked for a while and disembarked, they were greeted by a group of civil and military officials from Jiangnan. They then headed to Nanjing, where Zhang Fu would stay for half a month to wait for the preliminary logistical work to be completed before heading south.

Li Xianmu would not wait until the campaign against Annam was over and the supplies were transported away by sea before returning to the capital. His position as a logistics officer was merely a part-time one.

During these two weeks, Duke Zhang Fu of England was not only busy with the southern expedition, but also thoroughly understood what Li Xianmu had done in Nanjing. Even he couldn't help but fall silent for a moment.

In the end, he could only sigh, "Xianmu, you have the bearing of Li Zhongwen Gong."

Time flies like an arrow, and soon Duke Zhang Fu of England set off from Nanjing, leading an army of 100,000 to Annam. The laborers following behind were still supervised by Li Xianmu and sent to the front line by various provinces and garrisons.

The northern canal had long been frozen over, and Li Xianmu was just about to set off from Nanjing.

When he left Jiangnan, many people came to see him off. Some hoped that he would really leave, while others admired him and wanted to see him one last time before he left. The banks of the Yangtze River were crowded with people.

With his back to the rolling Yangtze River and looking back at the majestic city of Nanjing, Li Xianmu was quite emotional. This trip to the south of the Yangtze River had brought him a lot of political prestige and reputation, which would greatly reduce the pressure on his senior brother Wang Gen when he came to the south of the Yangtze River to spread the philosophy of mind.

The large ship that carried him away docked at the pier, and the deputy envoy hurriedly walked from the ship to Li Xianmu's side to report: "Your Excellency, everything on the ship is ready, and we can set off to return to the capital."

Li Xianmu nodded, then addressed the officials and students of Jiangnan, saying in a clear voice, "Gentlemen, I have troubled Jiangnan this time, and I am grateful for your assistance in achieving great things. I will now take my leave. I hope we will meet again someday. I wish you all great success in your careers!"

"This is all thanks to the governor."

"The governor is capable and has brought benefits to Jiangnan. We admire him."

Li Xianmu turned and boarded the ship. As he was leaving, someone asked loudly, "Does the Governor have any last words for the students of Jiangnan?"

Li Xianmu pointed to the towering stone tablet and said, "Just remember the oath we made to Nanjing along the Yangtze River!"

"I will never forget it!"

"We will never forget!"

Scattered voices came from the riverbank, all from teenagers and young adults, among whom perhaps there were ambitious people like Yu Qian.

A single spark can start a prairie fire.

The sails were raised high as the ship headed north.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the eighth year of the Yongle reign, a sensational "sorcery case" broke out in the Jiangnan region, affecting the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty. It quickly became the focus of the struggle for succession between the Crown Prince's faction and the Prince of Han's faction. Li Xianmu stepped forward in this storm. He first protected the Crown Prince, and then went to Jiangnan to define the nature of the matter. The gentry of Jiangnan became the victims of the "sorcery case".

However, this does not mean that the gentry of Jiangnan were innocent victims. The subsequent "memorial and decree case" and "crying at the temple case" proved that the corruption and depravity of the Jiangnan gentry had already shown signs during the Yongle period.

Li Xianmu severely punished the gentry involved in the memorial and the temple crying case, and nearly 50,000 people were exiled to Annam, including a large number of intellectuals, craftsmen and musicians. The present-day Wanggui District of Annam Province was established by these people.

The successive outbreaks of the "Sorcery Case," the "Records of Official Documents Case," and the "Temple Crying Case" dealt another heavy blow to the Jiangnan gentry in politics. Historical records state that "the gentry and elders of Suzhou and Changzhou were almost entirely wiped out." However, thanks to Li Xianmu's exceptional political skills, the "Oath of Nanjing on the Yangtze River" significantly weakened the rebellious sentiment of the Jiangnan gentry, propelling the process of reconciliation between the North and South in the Ming Dynasty forward once again. — *Records of Major Cases in Jiangnan during the Yongle Era*

(End of this chapter)