Ming Dynasty: Moral blackmail? I, Emperor Chongzhen, have no morals!

"I have thought it over carefully! All these people and troops shall be assigned to the Central Army and placed under my direct command!" Zhu Jian said.

"Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, when has an emperor ever personally led troops? Where would he have gone to the cabinet or the Ministry of War?" Hong Chengchou earnestly advised.

He felt that if this precedent were set and future emperors followed suit, engaging in endless wars and militarism, no one would be able to check and balance the emperor, and the Ming Dynasty would be in grave danger!

After hearing this, Prosecutor Zhu calmly said, "It didn't exist before, but it does now!"

Having said that, Zhu Jian ignored Hong Chengchou's advice and headed towards the garrison.

Seeing that the emperor ignored him, Hong Chengchou looked anxious and turned to Sun Chuanting, saying, "Lord Sun, let's try to persuade the emperor together..."

Sun Chuanting's impression of Zhu Jian had changed considerably. Having observed Zhu Jian's attitude from the sidelines, he felt that it was not unreasonable for the emperor to personally lead the troops. From what he could see now, the emperor was no longer the seventeen-year-old boy who had ascended the throne from his fiefdom as a prince...

After thinking for a moment, he turned around and said, "Lord Hong is right. Since ancient times, it has been a great taboo for foreign troops to enter the capital! But the one leading this foreign army is the emperor?"

After saying that, Sun Chuanting pointed ahead, indicating that Hong Chengchou should look in the distance.

Hong Chengchou was taken aback upon hearing this, and then looked in the direction the finger was pointing. He saw Zhu Jian standing on a makeshift wooden platform. Below the platform stood several generals who had just been promoted to general, including Zhou Yuji, Gao Jie, Liu Guoneng, Hu Dawei, and Meng Ruhu. Behind them were many soldiers, all looking at Zhu Jian with burning eyes.

"Today, I wish to lead all of you generals and soldiers back to the capital to raise funds! Are you all willing to follow me?" Zhu Jian, clad in blood-stained armor, pressed his right hand tightly to the sword at his waist... his gaze swept over the soldiers below the platform.

Before the words were even finished, a thunderous shout suddenly erupted: "We swear to follow you to the death!"

"I will follow you to the death!"

Looking at the soldiers below the stage, Zhu Jian's lips curled into a smile.

He knew that the source of power was the people in front of him, the army composed of these people—political power comes from the handle of the sword! Not some cabinet or six ministries!

Seeing this, Hong Chengchou, standing behind Zhu Jian, sighed softly and muttered to himself, "The fate of the Ming Dynasty has changed!"

Thus, more than 180 years after the Tumu Crisis, the Ming emperors bypassed the cabinet and the Ministry of War to directly control the army... and also directly controlled military pay and its distribution...

........

at the same time.

Before the Fengtian Gate of the Great Ming Emperor, Grand Secretary Zhang Zhifa and Second Grand Secretary Liu Yuliang, along with the rest of the cabinet members and officials from the Six Ministries, were kneeling to receive the imperial edict returned by Zhu Jianfa.

After the messenger finished announcing the decree, everyone stood there, stunned, looking at each other in bewilderment.

After a moment, the soldier reminded them, "My lords, please receive the imperial decree!"

Upon hearing the voice, Zhang Zhifa finally reacted: "Your subject receives the imperial decree!"

"Grand Secretary Zhang, the Emperor is returning to the capital... We must greet him here!" Liu Yuliang, the Vice Grand Secretary, reminded him.

"His Majesty personally led the army to defeat the Qing army that invaded the border, which is a good thing to enhance the prestige of the court... Why do you all seem a little unhappy?" Cabinet member Xue Guoguan said sarcastically.

Xue Guoguan was solely focused on seizing power and flattery. He would do whatever the emperor asked, whether he could or not, and he never contradicted the emperor. If the emperor asked him to do six parts, he would do eight, all to please the emperor… But he showed no kindness to anyone who stood in his way…

"Your Majesty's actions may boost confidence, but as the sage said, a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall, let alone the emperor himself," said Liu Yuyou, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, to the crowd present.

Having said that, he pursed his lips and said, "We should advise the Emperor, hoping that he will heed the words of the sages!"

"That's right!" Hui Shiyang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, echoed.

Hui Shiyang was a member of the Donglin Party and valued the words of the sages. This time, Zhu Jian had skipped court and gone out to personally lead an expedition, which was a violation of the sages' teachings. Therefore, from Hui Shiyang's perspective, he had to strongly advise against it.

With Hui Shiyang echoing his sentiments, several others followed suit.

However, none of the cabinet members expressed their opinions. They felt that the emperor's prestige was too great at the moment, and it was better not to provoke him. As for these self-righteous people, they were no longer their concern.

Sun Chengzong, also a cabinet member, looked at the group of people who were preparing to offer their advice and said, "We will receive His Majesty at Chengtian Gate. As for other matters, we will follow His Majesty's orders!"

Sun Chengzong was subtly advising the group not to meddle in other people's business.

Upon seeing that Sun Chengzong, a cabinet member and fellow member of the Donglin Party, had spoken, the group quickly stepped forward: "Please, Grand Secretary Sun, lead the way for us..."

"I'm getting old... my back aches after kneeling for a while..." Sun Chengzong said, then turned around, rubbing his back, and walked towards the cabinet on his own.

Although Sun Chengzong was a member of the Donglin Party, the Donglin Party was a clique, not a tightly organized group, so he could only offer advice... In Sun Chengzong's view, with the emperor's triumphant return, these people would easily be punished if they tried to cause trouble again... But he didn't have any good solutions; he could only offer advice, and whether they listened or not was up to them...

"We will greet you here tomorrow!" Zhang Zhifa set the tone and then turned back to the cabinet.

They were already feeling uneasy, and the emperor's unusual behavior had made them even more uncertain about his intentions... And now the emperor was leading a large army back, the purpose of which was currently unknown... They sensed that things were gradually spiraling out of control...

The next day.

A group of court officials greeted the emperor's return at Chengtian Gate.

Meanwhile, at Yongding Gate in front of Chengtian Gate, a group of censors and officials were preparing to advise the emperor, urging him to take the words of the sages as the standard for their actions.

Not long after.

Zhu Jian led his army to the vicinity of the capital. The dragon banner fluttered in the wind among the military flags, and the bloodstains on the armor of the soldiers beside him had long since dried, forming brown spots.

"Your Majesty, someone is here to greet you at Yongding Gate!" Sun Chuanting said from his horse, pointing to the people kneeling on the ground in front of him.

Zhu Jian frowned slightly: "I ordered them to greet me at Chengtian Gate, why are they here at Yongding Gate...?"

After thinking for a moment, he waved his hand and said, "Very well, I'll accept their good intentions!"

"Liu Guoneng, Gao Jie!"

The two men standing nearby immediately dismounted upon hearing the sound and trotted to Zhu Jian, saying, "Your subordinates are here!"

Both of them were surrendered generals from peasant armies, with no roots or power in the court, and were marginal figures. Now that they felt the emperor's favor, they naturally followed the emperor's lead!

"After entering the city, the two of you will take over the city's defenses! Without my decree, you may enter but not leave!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" After receiving the order, the two led their 6,000 troops into the city through Guangqumen in the east, instead of Yongdingmen.

"Cao Bianjiao, Sun Yingyuan, Zhou Yuji, He Renlong, and Hu Dawei, fierce as a tiger, lead your respective personal guards and follow me into the palace!"

"The rest of the generals will accompany you!"

"Hong Chengchou reorganized the deputy commanders of each battalion, and ordered the brigade commanders to remain stationed in their original locations!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" everyone replied in unison.