To say that one could expect the deaf old dog to do something good for the Great Ming with money was unlikely, but Qian Long Laogou had a large dog head. Chopping it off and exhibiting it at the Ancestral Tomb, Xiaoling Tomb, and Changling Tomb would certainly be useful.
After having Qian Long Laogou taken away, Zhu Jinsong walked towards Zhu Erdan, Zhu Sanshun, Zeng Cheng, Liu Hemeng, and others who had come to welcome him, and then they proceeded together to the Forbidden City.
Standing outside Chengtian Gate, Zhu Jinsong's expression was extremely solemn.
"The Divine Continent has been submerged for over 150 years. This imperial city, built by Han artisans, has finally returned to the hands of the Han dynasty. This history of submerged land for over 150 years must not be forgotten."
The important figures following behind Zhu Jinsong remained silent, their gazes fixed solemnly on Chengtian Gate, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.
When the Jurchens entered the pass, even calculated at full strength, the Manchu Eight Banners numbered no more than 180,000. Including their dependents, the total was no more than a million. Even with the Mongolian Eight Banners, it was only a few million.
With the forces of Li Zicheng, the Southern Ming court, or Zhang Xianzhong, any one of them could have easily crushed the Jurchen Eight Banners.
However, the final outcome was astounding.
There were too many miscellaneous factors involved, but the most crucial one was that none of the factions were ever united. While scheming against each other, these factions also had constant internal strife, dedicating a large amount of energy to infighting, truly embodying the essence of "those who are proficient outside are incompetent inside."
Yet, as Hegel said, the only lesson humanity learns from history is that humanity learns no lessons from history.
The Jurchens, who had gained an immense advantage, did not learn from the lessons of the Yuan Dynasty's demise, nor from the lessons of the Ming Dynasty and the Southern Ming court after entering the pass.
The Jurchens turned the Four-Tier System of the Yuan Dynasty into a system of no intermarriage between Manchus and Han, and separate trials for Banner soldiers. Besides vigorously promoting textual purges, the rest was merely changing the soup without changing the medicine, or even advancing further. They also shifted the blame onto the Yuan or Ming dynasties.
The internal strife of the Ming Dynasty and the Southern Ming court transformed into mutual recriminations between Manchu and Han officials in the Qing Dynasty. Everyone strived to please the sole master, seeking to eliminate rivals to climb higher, never caring about the lives of the common people.
Therefore, the Great Qing also perished.
When will the Great Ming, which has risen again from the piles of history, perish?
The atmosphere became inexplicably heavy.
Shaking his head slightly, Zhu Jinsong said no more and led the assembled officials through Chengtian Gate, heading directly for Fengtian Hall.
Fengtian Hall was actually a reduced version. It suffered lightning strikes and fire in the fourth year of Yongle, and was rebuilt in the fifth year of Zhengtong. Then, in the thirty-sixth year of Jiajing, it suffered lightning strikes and fire again and was rebuilt in the forty-first year of Jiajing. Fengtian Hall had shrunk by one size. Later, it was destroyed by fire again in the thirty-fifth year of Wanli. After being rebuilt in the sixth year of Tianqi, it was burned down by Li Zicheng in the Jia Shen year.
The Fengtian Hall after the first reduction was renamed Huangji Hall by Jiajing. After being burned by the dog Chengzi, Sun Zhi, who occupied the Central Plains, renamed it Taihe Hall and rebuilt it in the thirty-fourth year of Mazzi.
Jinshen Hall, renamed Jianji Hall by Jiajing, was also renamed Baohe Hall by Sun Zhi. Huagai Hall, renamed Zhongji Hall by Jiajing, was also renamed Zhonghe Hall by Sun Zhi.
The three major halls all bore the character "He" (harmony), yet they were completely unintegrated, which was quite ironic.
Now, Fengtian Hall has been restored to its original name, still called Fengtian Hall. Huagai Hall and Jinshen Hall have also reverted to their original names. The plaque "Jian Ji Sui You" personally inscribed by Qian Long Laogou has also been removed.
Furthermore, the Golden Imperial Hall never displayed the four characters "Zheng Da Guang Ming." This plaque was personally inscribed by Sun Zhi, and Qianlong traced and mounted it in the main hall of Qianqing Palace, having nothing to do with Mazzi.
Upon arriving at the main entrance of Fengtian Hall, Zeng Cheng stopped first and bowed, saying, "May Your Majesty ascend the throne and preside over court affairs!"
The civil and military officials following Zeng Cheng also bowed in unison and said, "May Your Majesty ascend the throne and preside over court affairs!"
Zhu Jinsong nodded slightly and then strode towards the dragon throne. After Zhu Jinsong was seated, Liang Chen, the Left Assistant Minister of the Court of Diplomatic Relations, loudly proclaimed, "His Majesty ascends the throne and presides over court affairs; all officials pay homage!"
As Liang Chen's voice fell, Zeng Cheng and the other civil and military officials also entered Fengtian Hall in succession and, according to the etiquette of the grand court assembly, bowed and said, "Long live Your Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand years!"
In truth, the symbolic significance of this grand court assembly was greater than its practical significance. The actual grand court assembly was far more complex than this.
It should be noted that there was no situation where eunuchs would shout at the top of their lungs to announce the commencement or dispersal of court sessions. This was the responsibility of the Court of Diplomatic Relations. The shouting by eunuchs to announce court sessions and dispersal in television dramas is all nonsense.
After completing the procedures of the grand court assembly, the civil and military officials went to their respective yamen. Zhu Jinsong, along with Zeng Cheng and others, came to the Wenyuan Pavilion, which was the office of the Grand Secretariat of the Ming Dynasty, and was not the same Wenyuan Pavilion built by Qian Long Laogou for the existence of the "Siku Quanshu" (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries).
Moreover, the Forbidden City would store the "Yongle Encyclopedia," and the "Siku Quanshu" truly did not have the qualification to be stored in the Forbidden City.
However, upon arriving at Wenyuan Pavilion, Zhu Jinsong's expression turned grim. He handed the intelligence report from Ke Zhiming to Zeng Cheng.
Zeng Cheng merely glanced at it and knew that some people were finished—
Since Joseon's annexation, the Great Ming had begun to rectify affairs in Joseon. Unscrupulous gentry were dealt with as in the Central Plains, and land was distributed as in the Central Plains. Not only were the community schools and county schools fully aligned with the Great Ming, but the Great Ming was even preparing to migrate some of its people to Joseon.
Then, some of the Joseon people went crazy.
As the saying goes, mountain pigs cannot eat fine bran. Certain crazy Joseon people felt that Joseon's land should belong to Joseon and not the Great Ming, and that community schools and county schools should use the Joseon language and characters instead of Chinese characters and script.
Especially since the Great Ming was planning to migrate people from the Central Plains to reside and farm on Joseon's land—wasn't this encroaching on our Joseon's living space?
These greatly dissatisfied Joseon people began to fiercely attack En'en Jun Yi Xian. Some bolder ones even secretly gathered, planning to crown the deposed Yi San as the King of Joseon, striving to drive the Great Ming out of Joseon's territory.
Even if they couldn't completely drive out the Great Ming, they at least wanted to protect the interests of the Joseon people, to make the Great Ming stop migrating people, and to preserve Joseon's language, characters, and culture.
In any case, this was the intelligence report. Zeng Cheng's first reaction after reading it was that someone was going to suffer.
Casually handing the report to another Grand Secretary, Zeng Cheng bowed and said, "Your subject believes that it is sufficient to let Tokugawa Ienari know the news. It is unnecessary for Your Majesty to be angered by this."
Zhu Jinsong let out a cold laugh and asked, "Wouldn't that be too lenient for them?"
If the news were leaked to Tokugawa Ienari, and a hint given, Tokugawa Ienari would naturally send troops to deal with Joseon. Although this matter would bring no benefit to the short and stout ones, they always liked to do things that harmed others without benefiting themselves. Not to mention the bait of fertilizer from Kyushu Island.
However, Zhu Jinsong did not intend to let those Joseon people off so easily.
When they need him, they kneel and call him father; when they don't need their father, they want to close the door and live their own small lives?
Is there such a good thing in the world!
Zeng Cheng was not at all surprised by Zhu Jinsong's reaction.
As soon as the Emperor of the Great Ming Zhu Jinsong entered the Forbidden City, these unfortunate Joseon people jumped out to stir up trouble. Wasn't this deliberately causing trouble for Emperor Zhu?
Causing trouble for Emperor Zhu...
Thinking of Zhu Jinsong's temperament, Zeng Cheng couldn't help but feel sorry for the Joseon people.
After carefully considering, Zeng Cheng said with a poker face, "Since Joseon dislikes the Great Ming, then return Joseon's territory to them, take the Joseon people who are loyal to the Great Ming out of Joseon, and let them fend for themselves."
"If Your Majesty still feels it is not enough, you can recall the agricultural association personnel dispatched to Joseon, and withdraw the troops stationed in Joseon, letting the Joseon people make a fuss first. When they make a fuss, then strike them with one decisive blow." xxs 壹贰
Zhu Jinsong's expression improved slightly.
However, Zeng Cheng's next words amused Zhu Jinsong: "However, Your subject must remind Your Majesty that the national treasury is currently empty..."
Zhu Jinsong knew that Zeng Cheng's statement about the national treasury being empty was not genuinely empty, but rather that Zeng Cheng was deliberately imitating Liu Huaiwen, the old miser's usual demeanor.
Zhu Jinsong could even imagine Liu Huaiwen holding a mouse, swinging the mouse around, and wailing, "The national treasury is empty, the national treasury is truly empty, look, even this mouse has starved to death!"
"What, the national treasury is full of gold and silver but no grain? That's impossible, it's all fake, it's slander, you are slandering me, is there any justice, do you still follow the Great Ming Law!"
After forcibly driving this extremely hilarious image from his mind, Zhu Jinsong smiled and pointed at Zeng Cheng, saying, "You must not let Uncle Huaiwen hear these words, otherwise he will come looking for me to buy a cat."
After speaking, Zhu Jinsong suddenly sighed again, "Actually, we can't blame Uncle Huaiwen for being stingy. He has suffered. He is afraid of poverty. If he hadn't been so penny-pinching, the Great Ming's foundation would have been squandered by me long ago."
Zhu Jinsong knew very well that his ability to eliminate the Great Qing in just a few years, while his cheat system undoubtedly took most of the credit, was also undeniably due to Liu Huaiwen, the Minister of Revenue who had served as the chief steward since the uprising from Jade Emperor Mountain.
If Liu Huaiwen hadn't tightly held the purse strings since Jade Emperor Mountain, he wouldn't have had the money to develop new flintlock guns, percussion guns, cannons, and steam engines, nor the money to vigorously promote community schools and build bridges and roads.
Fortunately, Liu Huaiwen was a meticulous old miser, and the Great Ming had accumulated its current foundation. Although Liu Huaiwen always cried about the emptiness of the national treasury, when it came to important matters, the national treasury had never held back.
Smiling and shaking his head again, Zhu Jinsong said, "Forget it, let's not talk about Uncle Huaiwen anymore. Let's continue talking about Joseon."
"Since the Joseon people are willing to make a fuss, let them fuss for a few days first. The people originally to be migrated to Joseon will be resettled in the Liaodong and Guseong Governorates. After the Joseon issue is completely resolved, then we will migrate people to Joseon again."
With Zhu Jinsong saying this, Zeng Cheng understood. His Majesty first uttered the word "labor" and then changed it to "Joseon." His Majesty would never make such a slip of the tongue. Therefore, there was only one truth.
His Majesty only wanted Joseon's land, not Joseon's people.
Or rather, His Majesty wanted to turn all Joseon people into laborers.
Thinking of this, Zeng Cheng couldn't help but lament for his own hair.
Because the situation in Joseon was very complex. Among the Joseon people, there were both scoundrels who wanted to cause trouble and some ordinary people who were wholeheartedly willing to follow the Great Ming.
Turning those scoundrels into laborers was easy, but what about those ordinary people?
While Zeng Cheng was privately distressed, Zhu Jinsong brought up a new idea.