Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 51 Old System
All the officials in the palace were honored and rewarded, and they all bowed down together.

Zhu Lang also shouted, "No need to bow," but the ministers still bowed and returned to their seats.
At this time, the rewards had been given, and today's business was over. Zhu Lang looked a little tired, and was about to end today's court. But just as he was about to signal Wang Kun to adjourn the court, Li Yongmao, who had been silent, suddenly stepped out.

"Your Highness is wise and benevolent. Today, our Ming Dynasty has another wise ruler. It is truly a blessing for the country."

"Since ancient times, there has been no sage king who has achieved success without learning. Now that the new dynasty has been established and all the wise men have gathered, I ask Your Highness to start the imperial lecture as soon as possible, learn the teachings of the sages, and become the Yao and Shun of all ages," Li Yongmao said respectfully.

In fact, this is also a necessary step for a new dynasty. Zhu Lang thought that these people would wait a day or two before discussing this matter, but he did not expect them to be so anxious. They immediately proposed to hold a lecture after they had just finished conferring titles on everyone in the court.
But now that Li Yongmao had spoken, Zhu Lang had no choice but to regain his serious expression and speak to the people below.

"Good, Mr. Li is a famous minister in China, well versed in the classics. Please recommend the great scholars in China to serve as lecturers in the imperial court. I will prepare a bed for them and serve you with all my heart."

"Your Highness is wise"

When the ministers below saw Zhu Lang's direct response, they were also satisfied and shouted in unison:

Why were all the ministers in the court so impatient that after receiving the reward, they immediately jumped out and asked Zhu Lang to hold another imperial lecture?
Did all the ministers in the court really respect Confucius so much that they were so eager to read the Four Books and Five Classics to Zhu Lang again?
In fact, the ministers did not care about what sutra was read at the imperial lecture, but the ceremony itself.

The real purpose of the Imperial Lecture was to allow the new emperor to publicly confirm the orthodox status of Confucianism, which was the top priority.

All the ministers in the court were Confucian disciples. Since the emperor respected Confucianism as the teachings of the saints, it was natural for him to rule the country with Confucianism.

Who are the Confucians? They are the Confucians.
To rule the world with Confucianism is to rule the world with them. This is why all the ministers and even the scholars in the world attach so much importance to the imperial lectures.

Scholars have studied the teachings of Confucian saints for ten years. They have worked hard for more than ten years. If one day the emperor suddenly says that you don’t want to study Confucianism anymore, what should they do?

If we hold the Jingyan lecture, invite great scholars, and teach the Confucian classics, then Confucianism will remain the orthodoxy, and the hearts of scholars all over the world will be at peace. This is the true meaning of the Jingyan ceremony.

Of course, there were many factions within Confucianism, and there were many who attempted to gain power by fighting each other in front of the emperor through the imperial lectures, but that is another matter.

If the significance of the Imperial Lectures to scholars throughout the world was to establish the orthodoxy of Confucianism and to stabilize the hearts of scholars, then the Imperial Lectures had another significance to the people at the core of the imperial court.

The lecture was a ceremony in which the lecturer replaced the sage and explained the sage's teachings to the emperor, imparting the principles of governing the country. This was actually teaching the emperor, which meant that the lecturer was actually half of the emperor's teacher.
The emperor lived in the deep palace for a long time, and ordinary people could not easily see him. However, through the opportunity of the imperial lecture, these ministers who served as lecturers could bring private goods when they lectured on the classics and show their talents and ambitions.
In the current system, the emperor nominally controls almost all power. Once a lecturer passes the imperial lecture and is valued by the emperor, he will almost certainly be appointed by the emperor in the future. This is a great opportunity to soar to the sky.
Throughout the dynasties, countless ministers were favored by the emperor through the channel of Jingyan, and thus became important officials of the central government. Therefore, the position of Jingyan lecturer has always been the focus of competition among all parties in the court.

Zhu Lang looked at the ministers below, his mind turned, and he suddenly said
"Now the Eastern Tartars are rampant and the world is in turmoil. If we want to revive our country, we must improve our military preparations."

"In ordinary times, we should focus on pastoral governance and education. However, in the future, the country must attach equal importance to pastoral governance and military affairs in order to eliminate the Eastern Tartars and restore the sacred artifacts of the country."

"I grew up in the government office and have no knowledge of military affairs. General Li Mingzhong is a famous general in the country. He has traveled across the country and is well versed in military affairs. In addition to the great scholar lecturing on the classics, I want to have General Li Mingzhong serve as a lecturer at the imperial lectures to teach military affairs."

Zhu spoke loudly, and Li Mingzhong's face lit up when he heard it. If he could serve as a lecturer in the imperial lecture, then he, Li Mingzhong, would be the half-master of the royal palace, and his status in the army would surely rise in the future.
But after listening to Zhu Lang's words, the faces of the ministers below were somewhat ugly. The matter of the imperial lecture was that they, the Confucian scholars, explained the way of the saints to the emperor. How could they allow a rough warrior like Li Mingzhong to attend the lecture?
Your Highness should rule the world with Confucian scholars and officials, not get involved with these warriors. How can such rough warriors take their place in the imperial lectures?
All the court officials looked at Li Yongmao who had stepped out. Because Li Yongmao was under the rule of mourning, he did not hold any real post in the six ministries during the establishment of the new dynasty. Therefore, the court gave Li Yongmao the responsibility of such a noble task as the Imperial Lecture.
Li Yongmao frowned slightly when he heard this and said
"Your Highness's words are indeed good advice. At this time, Your Highness should also learn military affairs."

When the ministers on the left heard Li Yongmao's words, they all frowned. What was wrong with this old Li? Was he really going to let Li Mingzhong, a crude warrior, into the imperial lecture?
"However, General Li is in charge of the national army and is very busy with military affairs. I am afraid he has no time to teach Your Highness. The officials in the Ministry of War are also well-educated people who have read military books. If Your Highness wants to learn about military affairs, you can ask the officials in the Ministry of War to teach Your Highness."

Li Yongmao spoke with a serious face. After hearing what Li Yongmao said, the ministers could not help but nod secretly.

That's right. We, the children of the saints, have read all kinds of books on the classics and the art of war. If we want to hear about the art of war, it should be explained by the civil officials like us.

What military tactics does a crude warrior like Li Mingzhong know? Does he know what it means to run away? Does he know what it means to pull the ladder out after climbing over the wall? Does he know what it means to harm your neighbor? Does he know what it means to conceal the truth? He doesn't understand.

But we have been officials for decades, and we are very familiar with this kind of strategy. We have even killed countless people and horses, and only then did we establish ourselves in the court. Your Highness, please listen to our detailed story. Li Mingzhong looked at Li Yongmao in the hall, and his face suddenly darkened. These civil officials are really thick-skinned and black-hearted. They can even say such obvious lies.
I'm just standing here without saying anything. How the hell do you know I don't have time? How the hell do you know I can't find time to give a lecture to His Highness?
Li Mingzhong was about to open his mouth to refute, but now that he was a marquis, ranked among the top national officials, he felt more confident when facing Li Yongmao.

But just as he was about to speak, Zhu Lang above him spoke
"Mr. Li is wrong. The Ministry of War does have people who are well-read in military books, but what I want to learn about military affairs is not some brilliant strategies or tactics. I use General Li Mingzhong as my lecturer, and what I want to learn is the practical affairs of the army, which can only be taught by someone with long military experience."

"What is the practical business of the army? Let me ask you, a battalion of soldiers and horses wants to rush 300 miles to bypass the enemy. How fast are the horses and how many days will it take to arrive? How much water should each soldier carry on this trip? Should they carry fodder for the horses?"

"If we don't carry it, will it affect the horses' ability to charge? If we need to carry it, should the soldiers carry it on their bodies, or should we use grain carts to transport it? If we use grain carts to transport it, will it delay the journey and affect the raid? Can you answer me, Lord?"

The civil officials in the court looked at the regent who was asking questions like a string of bullets, all with astonishment on their faces. These questions were difficult for them to answer, not to mention them, even the minister in charge of grain and grass in the Ministry of War would find it difficult to answer them.

Those military officials could calculate the food and grass needed by an army, and perhaps even calculate how much of the food and wages would fall into the hands of the soldiers after the generals at all levels had sucked the blood of the soldiers.

But if Zhu Lang hadn't led a raid once, it would have been impossible to get an answer in such a hurry.

"This……"

Li Yongmao's expression froze. He thought for a while but the more he thought, the more confused he became. A hint of embarrassment appeared on his face.

The military officials on the right, especially those who had led a surprise attack on the rear, quickly came up with answers in their minds.
Looking at the stunned civil officials on the left, all the military officials raised their heads and straightened their chests slightly, and even the red official robes on their bodies seemed to become brighter.
Seeing Li Yongmao's embarrassed expression, Zhu Lang also spoke up to help.
"Master Li, don't worry about it. Everyone has his own expertise. It's understandable that Master Li has never been in the military and doesn't understand the details of the military. But when it comes to governing a region and advising the people, how many people can surpass Master Li? Civil and military officials have their own strengths, and that's how it should be."

"War is a major issue for a country. If you give orders rashly without knowing the details, you will destroy the country's sacred weapon. In the future, the ministers in the court will inevitably have to lead the army to a certain place. If you don't understand the situation in the army, how can you do it?"

"I think when General Li Mingzhong gives a military lecture, not only I can listen, but you all can also come and listen."

When Li Yongmao heard that Zhu Lang was planning to have all the officials in the court attend Li Mingzhong's lecture, he could not help but speak.
If all the officials went to listen to Li Mingzhong's lectures, wouldn't it mean that all the prime ministers in the court were half-disciples of Li Mingzhong? How could Li Mingzhong have such a big face?

But Li Mingzhong was completely unaware of this at the moment. He stood in front of him and nodded his head, with an expression that said, "It should be so."
This is his family's skill. If it weren't for His Highness' order, you guys would have nowhere to listen.

Li Yongmao was about to speak, but Zhu Lang interrupted him.
"Marquis Wu Jing is a national hero. It is also the old system of the country to use military officials as lecturers for the imperial lectures. There is no need to say more about this matter. Let's just settle it."

"Mr. Li, please appoint the lecturers for the Imperial Lecture as soon as possible so that the Imperial Lecture can be held earlier."

"Yes, I obey your order."

Seeing Zhu Lang's firm tone and that he really had no good reason to refute, Li Yongmao could only retreat respectfully.

After the discussion of the imperial lecture was over, everyone in the court received their rewards. No one in the court reported anything anymore, so Zhu Lang dismissed the court and everyone left.

The King of Gui's regent ceremony and first grand court finally came to a successful conclusion.
All the court officials gained something. All the ministers were rewarded. Li Yongmao was given the task of recommending the imperial lecture. Zhu Lang also forced Li Mingzhong into the imperial lecture, binding Li Mingzhong more closely to himself.
Each party retreated and felt that it was acceptable, but who won more in the end would depend on each person's own methods in the future.
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(End of this chapter)