Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 443 Imprisoned Dragon: I'll hold it in even if I die!

Who wouldn't want to go out?

Even Yoshiyuki himself could no longer suppress that desire deep down.

Confined to this corner of the inner palace year after year, the world felt as small as a prison cell. Day after day, gazing at the sky, the monotony and oppression almost wore away one's soul.

But what can he do?

He was a servant, and even the Emperor Emeritus was willing to stay here, so how could he dare to say a word about wanting to leave?

Besides, the inner palace has long been completely sealed off. Unless His Majesty issues an edict to lift the ban, even if he wanted to leave, he would have no chance of escaping.

Now that Zhu Yuanzhang has the idea of ​​leaving the palace, it is like a godsend for him.

If the master really goes out, wouldn't he, as the closest personal servant, also benefit and see the light of day again?
Thinking of this, Yoshigaki felt an overwhelming surge of excitement, as if his blood was boiling.

He hurriedly stepped forward and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the new policies are being implemented smoothly, the world is at peace, and the seas are calm and the rivers are clear. You no longer need to be confined to this inner palace."

"Since the Emperor Emeritus yearns for the outside world, I dare to suggest that he leave the palace one day to see the magnificent Ming Dynasty with his own eyes?"

Yoshigaki was convinced that his words of persuasion would surely touch the heart of the retired emperor, who had been confined to the deep palace for so long.

Unexpectedly, Old Zhu slowly shook his head.

"I can't get out..." he sighed softly, his tone a mixture of helplessness and resignation.

"When we decided to fake our death and hide deep within this inner palace, we were already determined that unless the sky falls and the earth collapses, and Tong'er really can't clean up the mess, then this old bone of mine will risk everything to stage a spectacular 'resurrection' to turn the tide and protect the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. Otherwise, I will never step out of the inner palace again in this lifetime."

Old Zhu's tone changed slightly: "But now, Tong'er has done a great job, and none of the troubles we were worried about have happened."

"With the new policies being implemented smoothly and everything running in an orderly manner, what reason do we have to go out?"

Yoshigaki asked, somewhat puzzled, "Your Majesty, I am too foolish to understand. Why do you only appear when the court is in chaos and Your Majesty is at a loss? I cannot fathom the reason behind this."

Old Zhu raised his head, gazing at the leisurely drifting white clouds in the sky, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Everyone in the world knows that the Emperor Emeritus has passed away, and he was given a grand funeral; his remains have been laid to rest."

"If it were to reappear in the world without any reason, wouldn't that be a huge joke?"

"If the Ming Dynasty is on the verge of collapse and Tong'er's throne is in jeopardy, then our 'resurrection' will be of immense value."

"Let the world be shocked, confused, or even think it's absurd, let them talk about it."

"What does it matter if we can stabilize this vast land?"

"When future generations talk about it, they will only say, 'So many things, past and present, are all just fodder for laughter!'"

His gaze shifted to Ji Yuan, and his tone grew increasingly heavy: "But right now, the Ming Dynasty is stable and the weather is favorable. If we rashly show ourselves and stand openly in front of the world, we will not be helping Tong'er, but rather causing him trouble."

"At our age, we can't really help our grandson much, so we can't hold him back. Do you understand that?"

At this point, a complex expression appeared on Old Zhu's face, a mixture of relief and self-deprecation.

He leaned back in his chair, his voice softening, yet carrying an indescribable desolation: "So be it, let's just stay peacefully in this inner palace, watching the sun rise and set every day, counting the stars in the sky every night, and quietly living out the rest of our lives."

"When the heavens call us, we will depart and be done with it. That will truly end it all."

In the courtyard, a gentle breeze rustles the leaves, and the shadows of the trees sway beside the wicker chair.

Yoshigaki stood to the side, looking at Old Zhu's weathered face, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

He wanted to say something more, but ultimately swallowed it back, simply lowering his head silently, a nameless sorrow welling up in his heart.

Yes!

If the retired emperor were to reappear before the world, it would surely be a momentous event that shakes the court and the country.

As the emperor, Zhu Yunwen had to face the doubts of the court officials and give a reasonable explanation to the people. This pressure and trouble were more than just "tricky".
The retired emperor certainly wouldn't want to cause any trouble for His Majesty.

Thinking of this, Yoshigaki's heart sank, and a faint sense of despair quietly arose.

He originally had no desire to leave the inner palace.

After all, they had been trapped here for a long time and had long been used to this life of isolation from the world.

But Old Zhu's words of sentiment just now were like a ray of light, igniting the long-dormant hope in his heart.

However, this hope was ruthlessly extinguished by Old Zhu's next words, turning into a wisp of smoke and disappearing without a trace.

His mood plummeted, and an undisguised sense of loss settled over his face.

Just then, Old Zhu seemed to be touched by something, his gaze narrowed slightly, and he said in a low voice, "Our funeral has already been held in a grand manner."

"When the day comes that I truly pass away, there will be no need for any further fanfare."

"Find a simple coffin, properly prepare my old bones, and send a few trustworthy people to quietly send it into the mausoleum that has already been built."

"No one in the world needs to know."

Yoshigaki's heart skipped a beat, and a wave of bittersweet emotions welled up in his nose.

This sorrow stems not only from lamenting one's own inability to leave the inner palace, but also from the heart-wrenching pain of Zhu Yuanzhang's approaching old age.

Although the retired emperor once held sway over the world, he can now only wait for his fate in this small place. How can this desolation not move people?

He, who was usually quick-witted and adept at responding, stood there dumbfounded, forgetting to reply and even more so to offer words of comfort to the old emperor who had experienced so much.

Suddenly, Yoshigaki had a flash of inspiration, as if he had grasped at some lifeline.

He suddenly raised his head, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He leaned forward slightly and said respectfully but firmly, "Your Majesty, this servant dares to say that what you said is not entirely correct."

Old Zhu was slightly taken aback, turned his face, and looked surprised.

Yoshigaki was his most trusted maid, always obedient and never daring to contradict him. What's wrong with her today?
Old Zhu squinted, quietly waiting for him to continue.

"Logically speaking, this matter is indeed very thorny. The Emperor Emeritus has 'come back to life,' and it's not easy to get the world to accept that. But it also depends on who it is."

Yoshigaki's voice was filled with excitement: "His Majesty's actions are brilliant and his wisdom is outstanding. Even if Zhuge Liang were to be reborn, he would probably find it difficult to match him."

"To bring the retired emperor back to life would be an impossible task for others, and would bring them endless trouble."

"But for His Majesty, it may not be so."

"Even with such a difficult task as the new policies, Your Majesty has been able to implement them flawlessly and steadily. This shows that Your Majesty's methods are superb and your thinking is ingenious, far beyond what ordinary people can imagine."

"Your Majesty always has ingenious ideas that others can't think of. Perhaps you can even turn this embarrassing problem into a joyous occasion that will make the whole country jubilant and celebrated!"

After hearing this, Old Zhu shook his head slightly, a helpless yet doting smile appearing on his lips. His tone was a mix of teasing and wistfulness: "You little rascal, do you really think Tong'er is some kind of celestial being descended to earth?"

"Even if a god were alive, this matter wouldn't be so easily resolved. Stop overthinking it and save your energy."

Yoshigaki, however, was unwilling to give up so easily, a sly glint flashing in his eyes.

He bent slightly, smiling warmly as he leaned closer, and said softly, "His Majesty is meticulous and his plans are unparalleled. Who can fathom his thoughts?" "Your Majesty, how will you know if it will succeed or not if you don't try?"

Old Zhu waved his hand, his gesture revealing a hint of impatience.

“If we go and talk to him about this, wouldn’t that just create more trouble for him? We can’t bring ourselves to do that.”

After saying that, he turned his gaze to Yoshigaki: "If you really want to try, you can just pass on a message yourself."

"But remember, you are not allowed to use our name to convey any orders, nor are you allowed to use your cleverness to give hints and make him mistakenly believe that it is our will."

Upon hearing Old Zhu's words, Yoshiyuki was overjoyed, as if a bright lamp had suddenly lit up in the dark night.

He suppressed his excitement, but a bright smile had already spread across his face.

As expected, although the retired emperor declined verbally, his yearning for freedom was already hard to suppress.

Otherwise, why would he agree to let me pass on the message?

Although he could not explicitly state his will or offer any secret instructions, Yoshigaki firmly believed that with His Majesty's filial piety and keen insight, as long as His Majesty learned that the Emperor Emeritus was living a melancholy life in the inner palace, he would definitely find a way to bring him back to the light of day.

His Majesty's implementation of the new policies with thunderous force, decisiveness, and swiftness, may have been driven by this deeper meaning.

With the new policies implemented and the overall situation in the country remaining stable, the reason for the retired emperor to continue "living in seclusion" in the inner palace no longer existed.

The more Yoshigaki thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and his hopes grew wildly like spring grass.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" He quickly bowed and greeted you, his voice clear and bright, his eyes brimming with undisguised joy.

Before he finished speaking, he turned around and quickly stepped aside, already planning how to properly send out the message.

The next day, using the palace's secret channels for transmitting messages, Yoshigaki cautiously let slip the news.

……

After autumn arrived, the weather in Nanjing was exceptionally pleasant.

The autumn breeze is refreshing, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and the azure sky stretches as far as the eye can see, spotless.

Taking advantage of this rare good weather, Zhu Yunwen once again came to the docks of Yingtian Prefecture for inspection.

In the past, it was no small matter for the emperor to leave the palace.

Banners blotted out the sun, yellow earth paved the road, gongs and drums resounded, creating a grand spectacle.

Officials in various places were on high alert, with guards numbering in the tens of thousands. If the local governments added layers of extravagance, the scene was extremely extravagant and wasteful of resources.

If one does not want to go to such great lengths, there is only one way left—to travel incognito.

That was indeed much easier. The emperor could take off his dragon robe, put on plain clothes, and with three or five attendants, he could blend into the city unnoticed.

However, while traveling incognito makes it easier to understand the people's sentiments, it makes it inconvenient to handle government affairs, ultimately treating the symptoms but not the root cause.

In a sense, the elaborate spectacle of the emperor leaving the palace was a carefully crafted scheme by officials.

There are two hidden thoughts behind this.

Firstly, there's the issue of officials' own pride and vanity.

When officials leave the capital to take up their new posts, they always make a grand and impressive procession to leave in style.

If one returns home in glory, then one should make a great fuss, lest the neighbors not know.

Who wouldn't want to hold their head high in front of their hometown folks?

This pomp and circumstance is not only a way to enhance one's own prestige, but also a symbol of status and position.

Since he himself was of such a high standard, the emperor's travels should naturally be of an even higher standard.

Otherwise, if an official's entourage were more imposing than the emperor's, wouldn't that be presumptuous, rebellious, and treasonous?
Secondly, officials were unwilling for the emperor to leave the palace easily.

In their view, the emperor should sit securely in the deep palace, content to be a symbol of supreme power, and preferably never step out of the palace gates.

The phrase "the sage king governs by doing nothing" often mentioned in Confucian classics is their pretext.

This sounds elegant, but its meaning is crystal clear.

Your Majesty, you need not trouble yourself with managing state affairs. You only need to sit on the dragon throne and entrust the government to us, your ministers.

The strategies for governing the country are to be decided by us, your learned ministers.

As long as you have the wisdom to recognize talent, select good ministers, trust us, and let us do things, the world will naturally be at peace. Why do you need to travel around personally?
These words sound grand and dignified, but in reality, they represent the ideal vision in the hearts of countless Confucian scholars over the past thousand years.

The emperor sits high in the ancestral temple, a figurehead who does nothing, while these scholars, with their vast knowledge and learning, are chosen by the emperor to realize their ambitions and govern the world.

To put it bluntly, it's about seizing the emperor's power!
As a result, the emperor's travel ceremonies were designed to be extremely complicated and extravagant.

A single trip is time-consuming, laborious, and incredibly expensive. The emperor himself is also extremely uncomfortable and bothered by the various etiquette and rules, and gradually becomes reluctant to leave the palace.

The officials' objectives were thus quietly achieved.

Zhu Yunwen saw right through this trick.

He was unwilling to be bound by these outdated rules and regulations.

When the new policies were being implemented, he took advantage of the pretext of eliminating long-standing abuses in the court to completely change this complicated system of travel etiquette.

Zhu Yunwen issued an edict that all officials' ceremonial processions should be simplified when traveling.

The deafening drumbeats and the swaggering flags of the past have all been removed.

Instead, a low-key and pragmatic mode of transportation has emerged, which neither disturbs the public nor wastes public funds unnecessarily.

Of course, he didn't simply simplify things.

The necessary security measures have not only not been reduced, but have become even more rigorous and comprehensive.

After all, the personal safety of officials must be guaranteed.

The emperor set an example by taking the lead himself.

For his daily outings, he abandoned elaborate ceremonial processions.

No longer bound by those chaotic etiquette rules, as long as the security measures are watertight, travel will be as smooth as flowing water.

To this end, Zhu Yunwen specially established an agency dedicated to protecting the emperor, named "Tian Shu Si".

Its members were all elites carefully selected from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Ministry of Justice's Guard Division, and the New Army's Imperial Guard Brigade; each was exceptionally skilled and loyal.

Having survived an assassination attempt, Zhu Yunwen was extremely vigilant about his own safety.

……

(End of this chapter)