The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 78 Today, I am finally exonerated.
The courtiers were greatly shocked.

What shocked them was not that Li Qi believed the Ming Dynasty was a first-class nation, but rather how Li Qi would convince the emperor and everyone else to agree with his idea.

Justice resides in the hearts of the people. Some things cannot be accepted just because you make up stories. Trying to glorify yourself is nothing but embarrassing.

If it weren't for Li Qi saying these words, they would have already attacked him.

Zhu Di had only intended to cooperate with Li Qi in putting on a show and pushing forward the matter of Yuan history, but he hadn't expected it to escalate into such a large-scale affair. At this moment, he sincerely asked, "Minister Li, what if the Mongol Yuan dynasty wasn't part of China?"

Li Qi did not launch into another long speech, for he could hear the anxiety in the emperor's voice. He calmly and proudly declared in a voice that everyone could hear, "Then I, the Great Ming Taizu Emperor, am the one who will rebuild China!"
"Throughout history, all the sage kings, wise rulers, and saints, from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the emperors of the Tang and Song dynasties, are remembered by later generations and even enshrined in imperial temples. This is all due to the great achievements and virtues of our founding emperor, Emperor Gaozu!"

His words, once uttered, were like the clouds in the heavens, leaving the assembled officials in the hall speechless.

The court assembly had been going on for quite some time, and bright light streamed in, illuminating the bright red and purple robes of the officials in the hall.

Even in the depths of winter, the flame in Zhu Di's heart could not be extinguished.

He gripped the armrest of the throne tightly. If the throne had not been made of metal, it would have been crushed under his powerful grip. Even so, he could not control his surging emotions.

"It is thanks to Emperor Gaozu that you are able to wear the old Han clothing here; it is thanks to Emperor Gaozu that all the people under heaven can use Chinese characters instead of numbers for their names; and so on, which are too numerous to mention."

Does the destruction of the Yuan Dynasty simply mean a change of dynasty?
Can the destruction of the Yuan Dynasty be described simply as a change of destiny?
Is the destruction of the Yuan Dynasty something that can be clearly explained by the Five Elements?
"Atop this celestial palace, I ask my ministers, is the legitimacy of my Great Ming's ascension to the throne inferior to that of the Xia Dynasty?"

The hall fell into a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The next moment, Xie Jin, Chen Ying, Zhu Gaochi, and many other ministers proclaimed in unison, "Our Great Ming is no weaker than Xia!"

The voices within the hall rose in unison, like a tidal wave, flowing out of the hall and continuing unabated outside. People live on a breath; it is said that those who breathe in the breath attain divinity and longevity. A single breath can even sustain the life of a dynasty, as exemplified by the story of the Qin King's Battle Song at the end of the Tang Dynasty, which annihilated the rebel army.

After this wave of events subsided, the emperor's voice, as firm as if cast in metal, descended from his throne: "Issuing Li Qi and Xie Jin as chief editors to revise the historical records since the end of the Song Dynasty."

The divine decree is like thunder, destroying everything, yet also shaping everything.

This was not merely an imperial edict for compiling history, but a modification of the consciousness that had prevailed for the past thousand years; it represented a change in the underlying ideology of the Ming Dynasty.

The origins of the Ming Dynasty and its legitimacy in ruling the people of the land have been clearly answered today.

The officials in the palace today may still be somewhat bewildered, and the people of the world, the ordinary folks, may have no idea that such a momentous event has occurred in the Nine Heavens Palace.

Even if they knew, they wouldn't care. They would only care about today's rice price, today's meat price, whether taxes could be reduced, and whether they could save some money and food to get through the winter.

But nothing in this world can be accomplished overnight. This is just a good start. In any era, top-down change is the fastest.

People's collective consciousness can change, and as Li Qi's theories spread, these ideas will gradually take root in people's hearts.

The formation of a true nation is a long process!
Li Qi was not in a hurry. He had a successor, and Li Xianmu would carry on his legacy and pass it down from generation to generation.

Li Qi and Xie Jin received the imperial decree.

The original chief compilers of the History of Yuan were Song Lian and Wang Yi, the leading scholars of the time. Now, the new chief compilers are Li Qi and Xie Jin, which has greatly angered the ministers of the Zhejiang School.

Especially the Dongming Academy lineage, to which Song Lian, Fang Xiaoru, and Wang Yi belonged, a school of thought that had gained momentum since the early Yuan Dynasty, was now watching helplessly as the Yuan Dynasty was about to be severely damaged, and they could no longer use any excuse to satirize the Ming Dynasty. Their hearts were bleeding.

However, after Xie Jin's three questions and Li Qi's recounting of the dynasties' acquisition of power, they all knew that the general trend had changed. Suppressing the Mongol Yuan and revitalizing China was the current national policy, and they would not be allowed to speak out again.

Anyone who dares to stand in the way of this trend, even princes, will be crushed to pieces and have no way out.

Unfortunately, they didn't know that if Li Qi and Xie Jin were to revise the History of Yuan, they would also be doomed. This was a trap set by Li Qi, and they would all die from all sides.

As a time traveler, Li Qi detested the literary inquisitions of the Qing Dynasty. However, this incident in the Yuan History had nothing to do with literary inquisitions. Li Qi felt that he would be letting down Song Lian by not taking action.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhu Di dropped another bombshell: "Li Qi's advice today has made our Great Ming Dynasty shine brightly, which greatly pleases me."

His father, the Duke of Han, was once involved in the Hu Weiyong case. I also have a past relationship with the Duke of Han. I believe that although the Duke of Han has some desire for power, he has no intention of rebellion.

"Chen Ying, I entrusted you with the investigation of the Hu Weiyong case. Have you found anything?"

The emperor, with his imposing presence, asked the court officials what he intended to do. For a moment, their gazes toward Li Qi were filled with envy; the emperor truly valued Li Qi.

Chen Ying stepped forward and said repeatedly, "Your Majesty, the Hu Weiyong case is vast and complex, but I focused my investigation on the case of the Duke of Han's mansion and determined that it was the former commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Mao Xiang, and the former Minister of Justice, Yang Jing, who framed him. Both of these traitors have been executed." In fact, Chen Ying had not investigated at all. After all, as soon as the emperor sent the news, the scholars of the Eastern Ming School in Zhejiang began to obstruct it. Otherwise, the Yuan History Case would not have been launched in advance, and this turmoil in the court today would not have occurred.

But does it matter?

The investigation into Hu Weiyong's case was just a formality, originally intended to exonerate Li Qi's family. If he were to actually find that other families were innocent, wouldn't that cause trouble?

Zhu Di was very satisfied with Chen Ying's words and said with a smile, "Just as I expected, the Duke of Han is, after all, a veteran minister of the Prince's residence, and he would not have any thoughts of rebellion."

Whether Li Shanchang harbored treasonous intentions was unknown to the ministers, but since he was already dead, the emperor had the final say.

Since the emperor says that Li Shanchang was wronged, then let it be wronged.

Thinking this, my gaze still involuntarily fell on Li Qi. This is why there must be descendants. Now that Li Shanchang has been exonerated, isn't it because Li Qi is successful?
Looking at the other founding nobles, they are all still on the list of traitors.

"Today is a joyous day for the nation, so I will announce it here and now: the Li Shanchang family will be removed from the list of treacherous officials and rebellious ministers, Li Shanchang's reputation will be restored, he will be posthumously awarded the title of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Rites will issue a posthumous title and submit it to me."

Even Li Qi was somewhat shocked; Zhu Di's treatment of his close associates was truly exceptional.

He originally thought that being able to exonerate his family and restore their innocent status as commoners would be enough, but he didn't expect to be posthumously granted the title of Vice Minister of Revenue. However, upon further reflection, he realized that this official position was probably used to bestow a posthumous title upon Li Shanchang.

After all, a commoner is not entitled to a posthumous title.

Without hesitation, Li Qi knelt on the ground, bowed three times and kowtowed nine times to Zhu Di, and said with tears in his eyes, "Your subject Li Qi kowtows to thank Your Majesty for your grace. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years and be well!"

Zhu Di laughed loudly, "Minister Li, this is all you deserve. From now on, no one will be able to use this matter to humiliate you again."

The emperor's words sent a chill down many people's spines. They hadn't expected that the emperor would even know about this matter, and Zhu Di's closeness to Li Qi was truly extraordinary.

Zhu Gaochi's chubby face wore a sincere smile; he was genuinely happy for Li Qi.

Zhu Gaoxu narrowed his eyes slightly. He had always harbored ambitions to seize the throne, and seeing how much the old man valued Li Qi, he naturally had the idea of ​​winning him over.

[Congratulations, host, on completely shedding the title of "Sinner Clan." Achievement points +500, current achievement points: 1900.]

The Li family has shed its label of a sinner clan; the patriarch's reputation cap has been removed (capped at 100; current reputation is 90).

[Patriarch Li Qi shocked the world in the Golden Palace, reputation +4, current reputation 94.]

[The Li family has shed its label of a sinful clan. Given that patriarch Li Qi's reputation has surpassed 90, the Li family's prestige has spread far and wide, and its future is bright. Family reputation +60, current family reputation 70.]

A series of system messages appeared at the same time, almost overwhelming Li Qi. Li Qi had long guessed that there would be great changes after getting rid of the title of Sin Clan, but he did not expect it to be this big.

Clan Chief: Li Qi (Scholar-official)

Family Rank: Gentry (Ordinary Gentry)
Direct descendants: 1 (Li Xianmu).

Clan Chief Reputation: 94
Family Reputation: 70 (Ordinary gentry, with a certain reputation within a certain area)
Incense Points: 0 (Not Activated)
Achievement Points: 1900

The data panel is completely different now.

Especially the family's reputation, thanks to the fact that the upper limit of the Li family's official career has been opened up, coupled with his existence as a sage of the times, the Li family can now be considered quite famous.

However, this family prestige is mainly due to Li Qi's existence. Once Li Qi dies, it will plummet instantly, and the family prestige of 70 is basically the peak.

A characteristic of the Ming and Qing dynasties was that no family lasted long. Almost all families relied on their leaders, and the accumulation of a family's prestige required years of wealth and status.

When this family is mentioned, even without specifically mentioning any particular person, a sense of respect naturally arises; that is true family prestige!

However, the current Li family is much better off than when Li Qi first transmigrated. Although he has never truly held the reins of power, he has still accomplished a great deal by taking advantage of the special historical juncture.

By leaving such a Li family member to his son, Li Qi felt that he had already done right by everyone!

Even on a cold winter day, the sunlight fell on people, bringing a touch of warmth. Li Qi smiled, knowing that the future of the Li family and the future of the Ming Dynasty would be even better.

(End of this chapter)