Xie Ming

On the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the second year of the Hongguang reign, Zhu Cilang died in Hangzhou. The first emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty fled south in panic when the Qing army from the north launched a major invasion. He was seriously ill and could not be cured. He was beset by internal and external troubles and could not find a way out. He was driven to the brink of death by a sudden illness and vomited blood. Thus, he came to an end.

Later, the Hongguang Emperor was restored, and the successor was established.

The youngest son born to Consort Hui, Shen Yuzhen, ascended the throne before the coffin and changed the era name to Shaotong.

Shao means to inherit; Tong refers to the legitimate succession. Together, the two characters mean to inherit and restore the succession of the former kings.

On the 19th of that month, at the Jia Chen hour, the Dog star clashes with the South, while the God of Happiness is in the Northeast; the God of Wealth is in the Northeast; and the God of Fortune is in the Southeast.

The late Emperor Zhu Cilang was buried at an auspicious time in the northeast corner outside Hangzhou.

In gratitude to the spirit of Emperor Hongguang, Zhu Shaotan, who was just over a month pregnant, ascended the throne before his spirit.

Civil and military officials lined up to offer sacrifices and pray for blessings, and welcomed the new emperor. The following year, the reign title was changed to Shaotong. Empress Dowager Chen Wanxuan was supported, and Consort Hui was elevated to the status of Consort Hui. The two women jointly ruled from behind the curtain and consulted on state affairs.

Upon the ascension of the new emperor, a general amnesty was granted, and the news caused an uproar throughout the court and the country, leaving the entire nation in a state of panic and discontent.

In times of chaos, those who dare to act will not shirk their responsibilities.

Xiao Jingchuan, having accomplished this task and gained fame for purging the court of corrupt officials and for his meritorious service in supporting the new emperor, was specially appointed as the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, and was regarded as a regent minister appointed by the new dynasty, and was promoted to Grand Tutor.

Externally, the war in the north was still raging, and the Qing army of the Jurchens was still pressing in with a large force, making the situation extremely precarious.

He then assisted him, and promoted Xiao Jingchuan, the Duke of Jingguo, to continue as the supreme commander of the national military affairs, and appointed him as the Grand Marshal in charge of all the troops in the country.

Apart from one person, this victory was a complete success. All the officers and generals who fought in the north have been commended and rewarded to reward the entire army.

The following is a breakdown of the newly promoted generals in each department, from top to bottom:

I. Sun Peizhong, originally General Dingyuan, was a third-rank military officer who served as a deputy general.

He is now promoted to General Jianwei, a first-rank military officer, and is in charge of the affairs of the General.

Second, Li Huchen was originally the Xuanwu General, a fourth-rank military officer, and served as a deputy general.

He is now promoted to General of the Dragon and Tiger, a second-rank military officer, and is in charge of the affairs of the General.

Third, Ma Minglu, originally a Wujie General, a fifth-rank military officer, was in charge of garrison duties.

He is now being promoted to the rank of Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, a rank of third grade. He intends to join the military and enter the court to assist in the war effort.

Fourth, Yuan Ping, a commoner who entered the ranks of military officers, was promoted directly to General Dingguo, a second-rank military officer, and served as a deputy general.

Fifth, Gu Changting, originally a Wuyi General, a fifth-rank military officer, was in charge of garrison duties.

He is now promoted to General Zhaoyong, a third-rank military officer, and is acting as a deputy general.

6. Xu Jizu, formerly Zhaoxin Xiaowei, a sixth-rank military officer, was acting as the head of the company.

He is now promoted to General Zhaoyi, a third-rank military officer, and is acting as a deputy general.

7. Li Hongsheng, originally a military general, held the rank of fifth-grade military officer and was in charge of garrison duties.

He is now promoted to General Huaiyuan, a third-rank military officer, and is acting as a deputy general.

8. Zhao Yingyuan, abandoned the darkness and turned to the light, was promoted to General Dingyuan for his meritorious service, with the rank of a third-grade military officer and the duties of a deputy general.

9. He Zhou, originally a low-ranking military officer in a prefecture and county, was promoted to General Mingwei, a fourth-rank military officer, due to his great military achievements in the eastward campaign against the Qing, and served as a deputy general.

10. Chen Jiulang, originally a flag officer in the army, was exceptionally promoted to the rank of Xinwu General, a fourth-rank military officer, and served as a deputy general.

11. Lan Qi, formerly a flag officer in the army, was exceptionally promoted to Xuanwu General, a fourth-rank military officer, and served as a deputy general.

All other meritorious officers and soldiers at various levels will be reviewed and rewarded accordingly, and will not be listed individually.

After reviewing the military affairs of foreigners, he reported to the central government that many of the civil officials in the six ministries were treacherous and corrupt. He sought to trace the root of the problem, clean up the officialdom, and set the record straight.

The new dynasty brought about sweeping changes and transformations.

During this period, the most important positions in the Six Ministries were appointed. Following the routine Grand Court Assembly on the 20th, the following new appointments were announced.

The two ministers, Ni Yuanlu and Li Shichun, were found to have no conclusive evidence of collusion with Ma Shiying and his ilk during this period, so they sought to remain in the cabinet and manage the affairs of the two ministries.

The Ministry of Justice, formerly held by Gao Hongtu, is now filled by Lin Zengzhi, who was transferred from the south to serve as Minister of Justice. He is now in the cabinet and will replace the Minister of Justice.

Of course, aside from the fact that the Northern faction was largely trying to preserve its own interests and maintain stability for fear of damaging the foundation of the court and creating a tense atmosphere, it was also necessary to appease the Southern faction and gentry.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Zeng Ji from the south was appointed as the Minister of War.

The Ministry of Revenue appointed Lin Zhiwan, the former secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, to fill the vacancy.

This man surnamed Lin was someone Xiao had previously encountered in court when he was temporarily transferred to Jiangning on behalf of Ma Weimin.

He is indeed a shameless scoundrel.

Furthermore, Bai Ma was later appointed to manage grain supplies in Zhenjiang, where he was assassinated. According to intelligence from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, this assassination attempt was likely related to Bai Ma.

However, considering the overall situation, the Southern Court could not maintain its stability for the time being, so it had to compromise and consider adding key members of the Southern Party to balance the situation.

Xiao Jingchuan had no choice but to grit his teeth and force him to take the position.

In comparison, this person is quite prestigious among the gentry in the south, and it would be most appropriate to appoint him to this position.

Having finished discussing the previous affairs of the court, as for the successor...
After weighing all these old, trivial matters, Xiao Jingchuan had actually prepared a backup plan for establishing a new government.

Among them, the newly inserted rising key is like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

For the position of Minister of Works, Qi Gang, a commoner who had served by his side in recent years and was known for his steady and capable work, was selected.

This was truly unprecedented; the imperial court had never done anything like it before, and it was a first.

This move is likely also intended to gauge the reactions of all parties involved.

In addition, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs in the palace was abolished. From the late Ming Dynasty, starting with Wei Zhongxian during the reign of Emperor Tianqi of the Ming Dynasty, the situation of eunuchs causing chaos in the government, wielding power over the country, and causing the collapse of social order was thus completely stopped.

Furthermore, Qiu Zhizhong was promoted and transferred to the position of Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, where he was given the responsibility of supervising all officials.

He also continued to serve as the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

This move can be considered a violation of the ancestral system of the Ming Dynasty.

The purpose was quite clear: Xiao wanted to do everything he could to give Zhizhong a chance to prove himself.

To reform the bureaucracy and rectify the government.

Xiao Jingchuan could not do without Qiu Zhizhong for a single day, just as Emperor Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty could not do without Xiao He for a single moment.

As the saying goes, "A thousand sails pass by the sunken ship, and ten thousand trees bloom before the withered tree."

Today I listen to your song, and for now, I'll rely on a cup of wine to lift my spirits.

The various schedules and forms passed by in the blink of an eye.

The morning court session ended hastily on the 20th, and it was almost dusk, around 5 PM.

Regardless of whether the new peachwood charms are old or new, at this moment, all the trivial matters are piling up, and Xiao is busy with his own business, worrying about family affairs.

In the backyard of the Huang residence, the man in the main hall, his face sullen, was filled with shame and anxiety, and those around him were worried about him.
PS:

I'm so sorry, everyone.
There have been so many messy things going on at the company lately, which has caused some delays.

Updates may not be timely at times, please forgive me!

However, please rest assured, this book may be a bit slow, but I absolutely guarantee it will be completed! Haha (End of Chapter)