Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 227 Legal System
In the lobby, Zhu Lang solved the problem of transferring the Fujian Army, and he felt relieved.

Zhu Lang looked at the people below and said

"That's roughly what happened in Fujian Province. There is one more thing. Now that the four prefectures in southern Zhejiang have been taken over by the imperial court, we should also appoint a governor of Zhejiang Province to oversee the affairs of Zhejiang Province."

"Now that Fujian and Zhejiang are one, the candidate should be recommended by you from Fujian Province."

The officials of Fujian Province looked at each other, and then looked at Zhang Kentang. Zhang Kentang looked at the smiling Regent, and after a slight hesitation, he spoke.

"Minister Zhang Tongchang came to Fujian alone this time to contact various parties, and only then did he unite the forces of all parties and wait for the arrival of the imperial army. I think Minister Zhang is highly respected by the people of Fujian Province and has outstanding talents and abilities. He can be a candidate for the governor of Zhejiang Province."

Upon hearing this, all the officials in Fujian Province nodded secretly. Zhang Tongchang had made friends with all parties in Anping City. Everyone had seen how he behaved. He was also a confidant of the court, so he was indeed a good candidate.

Everyone couldn't help but sigh in their hearts. Zhang Kentang is indeed a senior official. He really knows how to guess the intentions of his superiors.
Just when everyone thought that the matter had been settled, His Royal Highness the Regent suddenly chuckled and said:

"That won't do. I want to bring Mr. Zhang back to the court for another important purpose. I can't give it to Lord Zhang. Lord Zhang, please choose someone else."

Zhang Kentang thought for a moment and then spoke again.

"Zhang Jiayu, Doctor Zhang, is an old official in Fujian. He is brave and resourceful in coming to Fujian to borrow troops. He can be a candidate for governor."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Lang spoke again

"But Doctor Zhang is not good enough. Doctor Zhang is from Guangdong Province. I cannot do without him in northern Guangdong."

"I have said that the affairs of Zhejiang and Fujian will be decided by you from now on. You can tell me who you want to recommend. Lord Zhang, please stop thinking about asking for people from the imperial court."

Zhang Kentang's expression became hesitant when he heard this. Fujian Province had just annexed the province, and he originally thought that His Highness had proposed the candidate for the governor of Zhejiang Province in order to place a member of the imperial court in Fujian and Zhejiang. But now it seems that this is not the case.
In fact, if the Governor of Zhejiang and Fujian was not Zhang Kentang at this time, but someone else, then maybe Zhu Lang really wanted to place a trustworthy person in Zhejiang and Fujian to watch over Fujian Province.
But at this time, the Governor of Zhejiang and Fujian happened to be Zhang Kentang, so Zhu Lang didn't need to do anything extra.
After the fall of Emperor Longwu in his previous life, Zhang Kentang went through many twists and turns and finally joined the Lu Regent.

At that time, the regent of Lu was Huang Binqing, Zhang Mingzhen and other generals. The status of civil officials in the court had already fallen to the extreme. They were often scolded by the generals, and their real power was also taken away by the generals.

The civil officials under Lu Jianguo could not bear the humiliation and fled one after another, but Zhang Kentang still tried his best to maintain it. However, Zhang Kentang's endurance of humiliation did not bring him the desired result.
Six years after the fall of Emperor Longwu, Zhoushan, where Lu Jianguo was located, was finally captured by the Qing army. Lu Jianguo fled to the sea again, but Zhang Kentang gave up the chance to escape and decided to die with the city when the Qing army entered Zhoushan City.

On the day when the Qing army broke into the city, Zhang Kentang wore a scarlet robe and a Liang hat and hanged himself at Xuejiao Pavilion in Zhoushan. The Qing army then massacred all the people in Zhoushan.
Zhu Lang did not know such detailed information, but he remembered that Zhang Kentang died for his country. In addition, the fact that he spent all his family wealth to recruit soldiers in Fujian Province was enough for Zhu Lang to confirm this man's position.
Since this person is reliable, Zhu Lang does not need to place another person in the position. This can also show the sincerity of the court to the officials of Fujian Province.

Moreover, Zhang Tongchang and Zhu Lang really have other uses, that is, to place people there, and he would never leave these two people in Fujian Province.

Zhang Kentang saw that His Highness seemed to be really ready to let him choose someone, and for a moment he felt a little embarrassed.
There are indeed many people in Fujian Province who are qualified to be the governor, such as Zeng Ying, Lu Zhenfei and other former officials. They are all suitable candidates, but thinking of the current situation in Fujian Province, he hesitated.
For example, the Shi and Zheng families in Fujian Province were obviously at loggerheads. Zeng Ying and the other two were too close to the Zheng family. Recommending them to take up such a high position as the governor of Zhejiang Province at this time would be seen as favoring the Zheng family, which would most likely cause dissatisfaction among Shi Fu and others. However, he did not want to be involved in the dispute between the two families.

Besides, Zheng Chenggong is now the governor of Fujian Province, and the governor of Zhejiang Province should not choose someone who is too close to the Zheng family.
Zhang Kentang thought about it and finally decided to choose someone who had no connection with either side.

"After the previous emperor was in trouble, the former Right Censor-in-Chief Liu Zhongzao also recruited soldiers in the mountains to defend the land and restore it."

"This time the imperial court restored Fujian Province, and Liu Zhongzao led the army to capture Fu'ning Prefecture. Later, he led the army to attack Chuzhou in Zhejiang Province, and made great contributions. I think this person can be the governor of Zhejiang Province."

"Liu Zhongzao?"

Zhu Lang thought for a moment, then looked down at Zheng Chenggong.
"Governor Zheng, what do you think?"

"Since you are valued by Lord Zhang and have made great contributions, you must be a capable official. I have no objection."

Since yesterday's welcoming event, the Zheng family has also discovered that His Highness the Regent is not happy with the Zheng family. After returning home to discuss yesterday, the Zheng family has decided to keep a low profile in the court in the future.

Before the Zheng family made new achievements, it was already a rare opportunity for the Zheng family to maintain its current position, so how could they dare to ask for more? At this time, Zheng Chenggong would not do anything to cause trouble.
After Zhu Lang asked Zheng Chenggong, he asked Li Mingzhong

"Lord Jingguo, what do you think of this person?"

"When I led the army into Jianning, I also received a report that several counties in the northern part of Jianning Prefecture had been recovered by this Imperial Censor Liu."

"I heard that when the Qing invaders occupied Fujian, this man led his troops to attack the Qing invaders many times in Tongpan Mountain. This is very rare. I have no objection to using this man as the governor of Zhejiang."

Zhu Lang nodded and looked at Shi Fu below.
"What do you think, Duke Gu?"

Shi Fu was also surprised when he saw His Highness the Regent's look, but he never thought that His Highness the Regent would come to ask him
Zhang Kentang is the Governor of Zhejiang and Fujian, so he should be asked. Zheng Chenggong is the Governor of Fujian Province and is also a civil official. Although Li Mingzhong is a military official, he is your Highness's confidant, so it's okay to ask him. But what does it mean to ask him about blessing? When did a military official decide the position of a civil official governor?

Although Shi Fu was somewhat caught off guard, he remained calm and spoke carefully.
"The selection of the governor of Zhejiang is of great importance. As a military official, I should not say too much. I will listen to your highness's decision."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Lang waved his hand and said

"Duke Gu is wrong. I will take this opportunity to explain the future of Fujian Province."

"After I left Fujian, I appointed Li Mingzhong as the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, Shi Fu as the general of Fujian, and Zheng Zhibao as the general of Zhejiang. The generals of the two provinces and all the generals under their command were under the command of the governor, and the governor's office was responsible for all war defense in Fujian and Zhejiang."

"Zhang Kentang was appointed as the Governor-General of Zhejiang and Fujian, Zheng Chenggong was appointed as the Governor of Fujian, and Liu Zhongzao was appointed as the Governor of Zhejiang. The Governor-General's Office was responsible for all government affairs in Zhejiang and Fujian and the supply of food and wages to Fujian."

"Zhejiang and Fujian are on the front line. If we report everything, we will definitely miss the opportunity to fight. From now on, all major emergency affairs in Fujian Province will be decided by Zhang Kentang, Li Mingzhong, Zheng Chenggong, Shi Fu, and Liu Zhongzao."

"If there is a dispute, the five of us will vote to decide. Once the decision is made, it can be implemented immediately and then reported to the court. Do you understand?"

Zhang Kentang was shocked when he heard this. His Highness the Regent's arrangement basically deprived the civil officials of their right to lead the army.
If this is done, the admiral will be in charge of military affairs, while the governor-general will be in charge of government affairs and food and wages. Moreover, according to what His Royal Highness the Regent said, all military officials will be able to participate in the decision-making and voting of major events in Fujian Province. In other words, the status of military officials in Fujian Province will be greatly improved in the future.
Zhang Kentang looked at the officials of Guangdong Province above him, but at this time, Lu Daqi, Su Guansheng and others all had blank expressions on their faces, obviously they had known about this for a long time.
If it was a peaceful time, the army could be managed with civil officials leading it, but now it was a chaotic time. The Ming court was facing a group of aristocrats from the Qing military group. If they let civil officials lead the army to fight, they would be courting death.

After experiencing the continuous defeats after Jiashen, and after Li Mingzhong, Jiao Lian and others led the army to win several consecutive victories, the civil officials of Guangdong Province also realized that it was impossible for the civil officials to control the military and political affairs in their hands as before. It was not that they did not want to, but His Highness the Regent had already proved with facts that in the end, only military officials could lead the army and win great victories for the court.
After Jiao Lian and his team won two big victories in a row and Zhu Lang pushed them hard, Lu Daqi and his team finally had to give in.

His Majesty the Regent has tens of thousands of imperial guards under his command, and his momentum has been greatly boosted by his successive victories. At this time, they have no choice but to give in.
Zhu Lang looked at Zhang Kentang who had been silent for a long time, and suddenly spoke

"This is the decision of the imperial court, Lord Zhang, do you understand?"

Zhang Kentang was shocked when he saw the cold gaze coming from above. He knew that this matter was probably not something he could change.

Even though he has made great contributions to the restoration of Fujian Province, if he dares to oppose this matter, I am afraid that His Highness the Regent will replace him without hesitation.

After the implementation of this system, the power of civil officials will be greatly reduced. This is a major event to change the court's personnel system. Civil officials such as Lu Daqi in the court were all silent at this time. It is obvious that His Highness or the military officials have the upper hand in the court.
Compared with this, how could he, a newly-joined governor, possibly shake up such a major event?

Zhang Kentang glanced at Lu Daqi and others above him, and seeing that the civil officials of Guangdong Province remained silent, he had no choice but to stand up and accept the order.

Zhang Kentang accepted the order. Zheng Chenggong, the governor of Fujian Province who was appointed by favor, would not oppose it. Li Mingzhong would greatly improve the status of these military officials after the implementation of this system, so it would be even less likely for them to oppose it.

After several people respectfully accepted the order, Zhu Lang also let out a long sigh. Today's matters, first of all, to take over Huguang, send military supervisors, and transfer the Fujian Army, he and the ministers in the court had no disagreement on these matters, and they could work together to advance them.

The only thing that happened was the separation of the army, which was the result of his efforts. Now that it was finally settled, Zhu Lang finally felt relieved.
Zhu Lang was actually going to discuss these three things today. Now that the three things had been decided, Zhu Lang was not going to force everyone to stay any longer, so he said
"Everything in Fujian Province has been basically settled. If there is nothing else, you can go down and rest."

The ministers in the hall heaved a sigh of relief when they heard this. Today's events were all extremely important.
Although these matters were arranged and completed under the promotion of His Royal Highness the Regent, everyone was a little confused and could not see the specific gains and losses. Seeing His Royal Highness the Regent release the people, they were ready to retreat and discuss.

But before everyone stood up, Zhang Jiayu below suddenly stood up and said

"Wait a minute, I have something else to discuss with you."

"This morning, the envoy Zheng Cai came to my house and said that he had something to report to the court." Zhang Jiayu took out an envelope from his sleeve. The ministers in the hall looked at the envelope in Zhang Jiayu's hand, but their faces were thoughtful.

Zhang Jiayu ignored the expressions of the people present and said after presenting the envelope.

"Zheng Cai proposed that if the court would allow him to live in Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, retain his title of Duke, and appoint him as the general of Fujian Province and allow him to continue to lead his old subordinates, he would be willing to lead 30,000 troops to surrender. He also hinted that the regent of Lu could also be handed over to the court."

Zhang Kentang and others in the hall were immediately disheartened when they heard this. What do you mean by eating from two governments? It is clear that Zheng Cai still wants to do the old way of dividing land and collecting salaries, and then raising his own troops.

Shi Fu's face was even more unfriendly. He had just decided on the position of the general of Fujian Province. If Zheng Cai became the general of Fujian Province, what would he do?

The officials of Fujian Province were furious, but when Lu Daqi and others heard that Zheng Cai was willing to hand over Lu Jianguo, their faces showed a little bit of emotion.

Zhu Lang took the letter from Li Guoyong, glanced at it, and suddenly chuckled.

"Zheng Cai is really imaginative. When I was fighting desperately with my soldiers, Zheng Cai sat on the island and watched. Now that Fujian Province has been recovered, he has set his sights on me."

"With Zheng Lian as the governor of Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, and Zheng Cai as the general of Fujian Province, why doesn't he let me make him the King of Fujian, so that he can rule Fujian Province?"

"An army of 30,000 is impressive, but unfortunately all the loyal soldiers in my province have fought bloody battles, but there is not an inch of land left. I can give him a piece of land and make him a king. What a pity, what a pity!"

Zhu Lang casually placed the letter on the table beside him. The ministers below saw the look on His Royal Highness the Regent's face and knew that His Royal Highness the Regent would not agree to this matter, so they relaxed.

In fact, it was impossible for Zhu Lang to agree to Zheng Cai's request at this time. From Zheng Cai's behavior in Anping City and his behavior after welcoming the regent of Lu, it can be seen that Zheng Cai is ambitious and domineering.
Zheng Cai is the most typical military leader at this time. This kind of people don't care about the righteousness of the monarch and his subjects, they only care about strength and interests.

Not to mention ceding the two prefectures at this time, even if Zheng Cai directly led his troops to surrender, he would have to consider carefully whether to recruit this person. His government, Gui Jianguo, would not tolerate such an arrogant person!
"Don't worry about Zheng Cai. Is there anything else?"

Zhu Lang looked at Zhang Jiayu below, and Zhang Jiayu spoke again

"In addition to Zheng Cai, Xiong Ruolin from the Prince of Lu's side also sent someone over, saying that the Prince of Lu wanted to meet with Your Highness."

Zhu Lang frowned when he heard this. He had been busy arranging the affairs of Fujian Province before, but had never taken care of Lu Jianguo. Now he thought that Lu Jianguo was indeed a troublesome matter.

Zhu Lang looked at the ministers below and said

"How do you think the court should treat the Prince of Lu and others?"

As soon as Zhu Lang finished speaking, Lu Daqi stood up and said in a cold voice
"The dispute between Tang and Lu dragged on for a long time. The two sides were fighting for the affairs of the previous dynasty, which made the people of Zhejiang and Fujian panic. The envoys of the two sides went back and forth constantly."

"In order to win the support of the civil and military officials of the two places, both sides offered huge salaries and titles, which made the two provinces chaotic. This allowed the Qing invaders to take advantage of the situation and invade the two borders of the Ming Dynasty."

"I have personally witnessed this incident and know the harm it has caused. We must not allow the King of Lu to claim to be the supreme ruler and disturb the people's hearts at this time!"

Lu Daqi's voice was cold, and he continued to speak

"Your Highness is the direct descendant of the Divine Sect. Now you have defeated the Qing invaders and shocked the barbarians. Who in the world does not regard Your Highness as the legitimate heir of the country?"

"The imperial court has gathered a large army in Fujian Province at this time, and we should order the King of Lu to abdicate and return to his fiefdom, and submit to the emperor. If the King of Lu still refuses to change his ways, I ask Your Highness to send a large army to destroy him immediately."

"The legal system of the country is inherited by the will of heaven. How can we allow ordinary people to act presumptuously? The world has been in chaos for a long time. Only when we understand the legitimacy of Your Highness can we call on the heroes of the Han Dynasty to unite and restore the Han Dynasty."

"This is not a personal grudge, this is a public war. Even if it means bloodshed, we should not hesitate!"

The ministers below were also shocked when they saw the stern look on Lv Daqi's face. Lv Daqi was indeed a minister of several dynasties. He was really murderous.

But then all the military officials below, regardless of Fujian or Guangdong, stood up and echoed loudly, threatening to do whatever it takes to wipe out the rebellious Prince Lu.

This matter concerns the position of His Royal Highness the Regent. What are these military officials used for? Isn't it to protect His Royal Highness the Regent's throne? If they don't show their loyalty now, when will they show their loyalty?

Zhu Lang looked at the murderous Lu Daqi below, and also slightly side-glanced. He never thought that Lu Daqi would have such a big reaction to this Lu Jianguo.
However, Zhu Lang looked at the ministers below who were shouting and calling for war, but he did not comment. He pressed his palms and waited for everyone to sit down before he spoke softly.

"I know what Mr. Lu is thinking, is there anything else?"

When Lu Daqi heard this, his brows immediately frowned. In his opinion, this was something that did not require any hesitation.

During the Longwu Dynasty, the relationship between the previous emperor and military officials such as Zheng Zhilong was so tense, which may not be without the contribution of Lu Jianguo. The reason why Lu Jianguo was not dealt with resolutely during the Longwu Dynasty was that the Qing army had already invaded Zhejiang Province at that time, and the court needed Lu Jianguo and others to block the front, which made the court turn a blind eye to Lu Jianguo.

But now that the Qing invaders in Fujian Province have been annihilated, there will be no external worries in the short term. It is time to take this opportunity to completely resolve the Lu Regent and clarify the orthodoxy of the world.
Su Guansheng and other ministers below heard what His Royal Highness the Regent said, and they also knew that His Royal Highness the Regent might not be satisfied with Lu Daqi's proposal.
But everyone was a little unsure of the Regent's thoughts at this time. Su Guansheng and other Guangdong officials had been with Zhu Lang for the longest time, and they could vaguely guess what the Regent was thinking.

But no matter what, supporting the extermination of Prince Lu is the absolutely correct thing to do at this time. Can they, as ministers, take the initiative to persuade His Highness to let Prince Lu go? Isn't this clearly giving others a handle?

Therefore, all the ministers in the hall, whether they knew Zhu Lang's intention or not, remained silent at this time.
There was silence in the hall for a while. Just as Zhu Lang was about to speak, Zhang Kentang suddenly stood up and said in a deep voice:

"How to deal with the King of Lu is up to your Highness to decide. I dare not say more."

"But there is only one thing. No matter what, Prince Lu and Zheng Cai and his people must not stay on Zhongzuosuo Island any longer!"

Zhang Kentang was the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang. The Zhongzuo was right on the border of Fujian Province. If Zheng Cai and others were interested, they could visit all the prefectures of Zhangzhou and Quanzhou in one day.

They had to guard against the Qing invaders in the direction of Zhejiang Province in front, and there were tens of thousands of Lu Jianguo troops sitting behind them with unclear attitudes. Who could bear this? Therefore, Zhang Kentang could not allow Lu Jianguo and his group to stay on Zhongzuosuo Island.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Lang nodded slightly and said

"What Mr. Zhang said makes sense. We fought to the death in the front and finally killed the Qing invaders. There is absolutely no reason for them to wait behind and reap the fruits of our labor."

"As for the attack on the King of Lu, there is no need to be so fierce."

"I have said before that I am willing to tolerate anyone who is willing to drive out the Qing invaders and restore our Han dynasty. If we and the King of Lu attack again now, wouldn't it be Han people killing Han people, and we will be laughed at by the Qing invaders?"

"If the Prince of Lu is willing to abdicate, that would be great. But if the Prince of Lu is still reluctant to give up his position as regent, then let him go on his own, whether to Zhejiang Province or Nanzhili and Jiangsu Province, and let him fight the Qing invaders to restore the country. No matter how many Qing invaders they can kill, it is better than the Han people killing each other."

"Enough blood has been shed by the Han people. If we want to fight to the death, we should fight with the Tartars. Family members fighting against each other. There have been enough such things since Jiashen. I don't want to do it again."

The officials of Guangdong Province, such as Zhang Tongchang, looked as if they had expected it. However, the officials of Fujian Province looked at His Royal Highness the Regent above with astonishment. For the first time, they felt that His Royal Highness was indeed somewhat different from the others.
Lu Daqi was silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up and saluted, saying respectfully

"Your Highness cares about the people of the world. This is a blessing for our Ming Dynasty and the country. I respectfully accept your advice."

Lu Daqi bowed and saluted, and then the ministers in the hall stood up and followed suit, shouting "Shengming!"
Zhu Lang didn't care, he just waved his hand and asked everyone to stand up.
The ministers returned to their seats. Zhang Kentang hesitated for a moment, but then spoke again.

"What if the King of Lu is unwilling to give up his fiefdom and is determined not to leave?"

"It's not up to them. I am willing to tolerate them because they still have the ambition to recover. If they are prepared to lie on the island and wait for death, then there is no need for them to exist."

Zhang Kentang, Shi Fu and other officials of Fujian below were shocked to see His Highness the Regent suddenly become murderous, but Lu Daqi and others were relieved. Was this the His Highness the Regent in their impression?
"Send someone to Zhongzuo to set a time, and I will meet with the King of Lu to see whether they want to live or die."

All the ministers in the hall were startled, and then they all bowed and accepted the order and dispersed.

As the court meeting ended, the messenger quickly set out from Fuzhou City and rushed to Zhongzuo.
(End of this chapter)