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

When Zhu Jian arrived outside the Wuying Hall, the late autumn frost hit him, and the sun in the sky was already setting in the west, casting long shadows of everyone.

Zhu Jian stretched and slowly walked towards the Cabinet Office.

Now, apart from Sun Chengzong, all the other cabinet members have gone to Nanjing to pay homage at Xiaoling Mausoleum. The duty room has also been temporarily requisitioned by Zhu Jian as a place to store the memorials of the Military and Political Bureau.

Upon entering the cabinet office, a mountain of memorials came into Zhu Jian's view. Sun Chengzong and Li Banghua were carefully reading the memorials behind the mountain, completely unaware that Zhu Jian had already entered the room.

Zhu Jian casually flipped through a memorial, written by the Jiangxi Provincial Governor, who was reporting to the emperor about the peace and prosperity under his rule and praising the emperor's virtues. He then tossed it aside.

The sudden noise startled the two of them, causing them to look up.

Upon seeing the visitors, Sun Chengzong and Li Banghua immediately stepped down from their desks and bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty, we, your subjects Sun Chengzong and Li Banghua, pay our respects!"

"These useless memorials need no reply; just glance at them and toss them aside!"

After finishing his speech, Zhu Jian waved his hand, signaling the two men to stand up: "From now on, impeachment memorials, eulogies, and memorials from subordinate officials will not require approval. The focus will be on reviewing the memorials from the generals and governors of each garrison!"

As Zhu Jian looked at these memorials, he felt quite disgusted. These things were like information cocoons; reading too much of them made one feel that the world was at peace, which affected one's accurate judgment.

"Your Majesty, we obey!" Sun Chengzong and Li Banghua stood up and said.

"In the name of the Military and Political Bureau, an imperial edict was issued to Zhang Qiping, the Governor of Henan; Song Xuezhu, the Governor of Shandong; and Deng Qian, the Governor of Zhili, requiring all prefectures and counties in the three provinces to investigate disasters and provide relief to the people. Disaster areas were exempted from taxes and the Liaodong military service. Governors who did not cooperate with the three provincial-level officials and below could be dismissed on the spot! Governors could temporarily serve as officials at all levels!"

Zhu Jian tightened the central government's control over military affairs, but delegated the power of provincial governors to appoint and dismiss officials in order to deal with natural disasters and political matters.

Upon hearing this, Sun Chengzong was alarmed: "Your Majesty, this would greatly increase the power of the provincial governors, potentially leading to a situation similar to the warlordism seen at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty!"

Zhu Jian's decree completely went against the ancestral system. Since Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming Dynasty had been tightening central power without ever changing it. However, Zhu Jian directly delegated central power to the provinces, allowing the governors to have semi-autonomy.

"I am not Emperor Xian of Han, and the regional governors are not the prefects and governors of the late Han dynasty!"

"The governors of various regions have no power to appoint or dismiss officials, and the prefects and magistrates of the various prefectures and counties are outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant. The governors are powerless to do anything about it, and in the end, it is the common people who suffer."

"When officials force the people to rebel, the people have no choice but to rebel. Now, disaster and war have swept across the five northern provinces, and I have no choice but to take this path!"

After a moment's thought, Li Banghua stepped forward and said, "I suggest that personnel be dispatched to the governor's office to jointly investigate this matter!"

Li Banghua still hasn't broken free from the system of checks and balances, and is preparing to send someone to the governor's side, ostensibly to jointly investigate, but in reality to monitor the governor.

Zhu Jian waved his hand: "No need, let the governors of the three provinces handle it themselves!"

Adhering to the principle of "if you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them," Zhu Jian first suppressed the disasters in the three provinces of Henan, Shandong, and Zhili.

After thinking for a moment, he added, "Shaanxi province will be exempt from taxes for three years, and the Liaodong military pay will be deducted! Zheng Chongjian, the former governor of Ningxia who blocked Li Zicheng at Tongguan, will be appointed governor of Shaanxi, and the governor's office will be located in Xi'an!"

"Sun Chuanting, the former governor of Shaanxi, has been appointed Minister of War! Yang Sichang, the former cabinet member and Minister of War, has been appointed Minister of War in Nanjing and concurrently Governor of Southern Zhili!"

It turns out that Yang Sichang, the Minister of War, was an obedient man and a supporter of Emperor Chongzhen. He could also be described as a blind follower. Regardless of whether Emperor Chongzhen was right or wrong, he would follow his orders. Even if the emperor was wrong, he would still do it. However, he also had some ulterior motives and would suppress others.

Zhu Jian will still use people like this, but he won't put them in the core positions anymore. His talents are not suitable for chaotic times, so it's better to let him keep an eye on Southern Zhili.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Sun Chengzong replied.

Although Sun Chengzong is now a Minister of Military and Political Affairs and a member of the Cabinet, and can offer opinions, all specific matters of the court and the appointment and removal of officials are decided by Zhu Jian alone. The Military and Political Bureau has become Zhu Jian's personal fiefdom.

Moreover, the decrees issued by the Military and Political Bureau encountered no resistance. The original administrative system of the Imperial Household Department, the Grand Secretariat, the Six Ministries, and the Censors in the capital was no longer functioning after Zhu Jian removed the Grand Secretariat and the Ministers of the Six Ministries.

The Ming Dynasty's administrative system was now transformed by Zhu Jian into two lines: Political Affairs and Military Affairs Bureau → Provincial Governors → Prefects of each prefecture, and Military Affairs and Military Affairs Bureau → General → Soldiers of each battalion.

The heads of the six ministries and other high-ranking officials of the Grand Secretariat, who were traveling south to pay homage at the Xiaoling Mausoleum, were unaware that within just over ten days, Zhu Jian had reshaped the power structure of the Ming Dynasty...

.......

Three days later, at dawn, the sky began to lighten with the first hint of white.

Zhu Jian then led military and political minister Hong Chengchou, general Gao Jie, Liu Guoneng, He Renlong, and 10,000 soldiers through Zijing Pass to Shanxi.

After traveling for two days, they caught up with Hu Dawei, who was leading the way from the capital. He was as fierce as a tiger, and Cao Bianjiao led an army of 40,000 men.

Zhu Jian, who had just joined forces, received a message from the Eastern Depot regarding the confessions and other information about Shanxi merchants in the capital.

Because martial law was still in effect in the capital and the city gates remained closed, officials and merchants in Shanxi were unaware of the dramatic changes taking place there. They continued their usual practices, stockpiling grain, ironware, cloth, salt, and other goods, preparing to continue smuggling...

After reviewing the confession, Zhu Jian handed it to Hong Chengchou: "Xinzhou is their transit center. Head straight to Xinzhou with the entire army and seize this batch of supplies!"

Hong Chengchou took the letter from Zhu Jian and read it carefully. After finishing, he slowly said, "A smuggling system has now been formed, and military intelligence is also mixed in within this system!"

Having said that, he sighed deeply: "It seems that these officials and gentry in Shanxi are completely rotten...!"

Zhu Jian didn't bother with commenting; instead, he turned and said, "Order Hu Dawei to garrison Zijing Pass and cut off all routes in and out of Shanxi!"

"Liu Guoneng led his troops to Taiyuan and stationed them there. He appointed Zhang Bingwen, the governor of Shanxi, and a group of Shanxi officials to the military camp to meet him. After entering the camp, they were all detained. Anyone who dared to break into the camp was to be killed without exception!"

Before Zhu Jian even arrived in Taiyuan, he detained all the provincial officials in Taiyuan and blocked a large number of routes out of Shanxi.

It is now November, and frost has fallen in Shanxi. Meanwhile, things have calmed down in all parts of the Ming Dynasty.

Li Zicheng was suppressed in Shangluo, Shaanxi by Qin Liangyu and the newly appointed Shaanxi governor Zheng Chongjian, and no further encirclement and suppression was carried out.

Zhang Xianzhong also surrendered to the imperial court in Gucheng and is waiting for an opportunity there. After the Qing army withdrew from the border region, they did not take any further action, presumably waiting for the winter to pass. Therefore, now is a good time for Zhu Jian...

As soon as Zhu Jian entered Daizhou, he saw that the city gates were tightly closed, and the refugees huddled together under the city walls, without making a sound.

A disheveled woman clutched her baby tightly, as if afraid someone would snatch it away. Beside her, an old man gripped a long cane tightly, shrinking back into the crowd as if to find some respite...

When the refugees saw the army approaching, they neither moved nor cried out, as if they had no strength left and their lives were entirely in the hands of fate.

Liao Changwen, the fourth-rank prefect of Daizhou, was enjoying the singing and dancing performances of courtesans in the garden of his mansion, with a full house of distinguished guests below.

"Lord Liao, a few days ago, quite a few refugees passed through, and some of the women were particularly pitiful. I exchanged a few bushels of millet for a few of them. I hope the Prefect will take a look!" said Li Lianqing, the richest man in Daizhou and a local gentry, with a smile.

This man was over sixty years old, with a face full of wrinkles. He was dressed in a gorgeous silk outfit, which showed his status. His son was a sixth-rank official under the Shanxi Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office. His family owned tens of thousands of acres of fertile land and had a high reputation among the gentry in Daizhou.

Upon hearing this, Liao Changwen, the prefect of Daizhou, nodded slightly without saying much.

Over the years, he's received so many women as gifts that he no longer values ​​them. Now, he's after gold, antiques...

Seeing this, Li Lianqing smiled and said, "I also have a landscape painting from a previous dynasty and a brush washer left over from the Song palace in my residence. I would appreciate it if the Prefect could take a look at them."

Hearing this, Liao Changwen slowly opened his eyes and sighed, "Sigh."

When Liao Changwen spoke, all the others turned their gazes to him: "This year, His Majesty fought a battle in Shuntian Prefecture. Although he won, he consumed a great deal of grain. Now, the disaster situation in various parts of Daizhou is worsening. We implore you all to lend a helping hand!"

Liao Changwen meant that the emperor had consumed the grain, and the government had not yet allocated any relief grain, so he had no grain to sell.

"Of course, there are still some unclaimed lands in the north and south of Daizhou. I am willing to reclaim and cultivate them to help the disaster victims!" Li Lianqing continued with a smile.

Li Lianqing's idea was that since the goods had already been sent out and there was no grain left, surely they could at least claim some land...

Liao Changwen nodded: "Then I'll have to trouble you all!"

Before he could finish speaking, a servant rushed over and whispered in Liao Changwen's ear, "Lord Liao, the Military and Political Minister and Governor-General of the Three Border Regions, Hong Chengchou, is leading several generals into the city!"

"Minister of Military and Political Affairs?"

"I heard a while ago that His Majesty established a new department in the court called the Military and Political Bureau, and therefore dismissed the Second Grand Secretary and more than forty other officials..."

Liao Changwen nodded slightly, and said thoughtfully, "So it's this person. What's he doing in Daizhou if he's not fighting in Shaanxi?"

Having said that, he slowly stood up: "Let's go and invite them!"

Even so, he still couldn't afford to offend Hong Chengchou, since Hong Chengchou held a higher official position than him.

After the servants left, Liao Changwen slowly said, "This prefecture will not keep you any longer. Please make yourselves at home!"

He then walked quickly toward the city gate.

Upon arriving at the city gate, they saw a dense array of banners and an endless army outside. Liao Changwen wiped the sweat from his brow and shouted, "Open the city gate quickly!"

He truly hadn't expected that Hong Chengchou would bring so many soldiers.

The vast army in the distance and the refugees huddled together below the city formed a stark contrast.

In the midst of the army, Zhu Jian, mounted on horseback, slightly turned his body and announced: "Gao Jie, take over the city's defenses. No one is to leave the city without my decree!"

"As you command!"

Gao Jie led his soldiers through the wide-open city gates and poured into the city.

Surrounded by his constables, Liao Changwen, the prefect of Daizhou, approached the army and bowed, asking, "I am Liao Changwen, the prefect of Daizhou. May I ask which one of you is Lord Hong?"

Zhu Jian squinted and cursed, "Liao Changwen, are you blind? Can't you see all these refugees below the city walls?"

Liao Changwen was taken aback, his face flushed. In all the time he had been in Daizhou, no one had ever dared to curse him like that.

"May I ask who this gentleman is?"

"I'm asking you a question!"

"I?"

Realizing what had happened, Liao Changwen hurriedly prostrated himself on the ground: "Your Majesty, I was unaware of your arrival and have failed to greet you properly!"

"Your Majesty's words are understandable, but I also have my reasons. The city's granaries are currently empty!"

"As fierce as a tiger, arrest all these officials in Daizhou and confiscate their homes one by one!" Prosecutor Zhu didn't want to waste words with these people; he'd just take whatever he could find.

"Your Majesty, we have done nothing wrong, why are you confiscating our property?" Liao Changwen shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Chop it up!"

Before Zhu Jian could finish speaking, the soldier escorting Liao Changwen suddenly drew his knife and swiftly brought it down, causing blood to gush out. The remaining Liao Prefecture officials were so terrified that they fell silent...

As he spoke, the once-powerful fourth-rank prefect was dismembered...