Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 596 The Way of the Emperor! Zhu Yunwen's Decree!
Even today, although the "new learning" has spread like wildfire and is sought after by countless officials and Confucian scholars in the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Zhu Yunwen has never publicly endorsed it.

Zhu Yunwen's intentions were like a spring breeze brushing against willows, leaving no trace, yet all the trees knew his direction.

You can tell the wind direction by watching the willows sway.

His attitude was actually quite clear.

It's clear that it's the same thing; the fact that the emperor didn't speak publicly means there's still room for maneuver.

Although the new learning is the dominant school of thought, the Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism has been deeply rooted in the Confucian world for hundreds of years and is a force that should not be underestimated.

As an emperor, Zhu Yunwen sought balance and subtle, gradual influence, rather than personally intervening and arbitrarily instigating a life-or-death factional struggle.

He wants to let those below fight it out, while he sits high and mighty, waiting for the final moment to make the decisive decision.

This is the way of power.

Now, the time is ripe.

Taking advantage of his visit to Qufu to pay homage to Confucius, he aims to bring an end to this long-standing dispute over the orthodoxy of the Way.

But Zhu Yunwen could not paint it himself.

He needs someone to add this bold and significant stroke to his painting.

This person must possess an indisputable identity, enough to silence all the Confucian scholars in the world.

His gaze fell upon Duke Yansheng, Kong Ne.

Kong Ne felt a chill run down his spine and almost immediately understood the emperor's intention. He quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty has given the order, and I will obey."

His face immediately showed a look of great difficulty: "But I am ashamed of my own appearance."

"Although I have studied poetry and books diligently since childhood, I am not naturally gifted and my writing skills are really limited."

"This magnificent article, which elucidates the profound meaning of the new learning and corrects the origins of Confucianism, could only have been written by a great Confucian scholar of our time."

"I fear that my writing skills are inadequate, and that what I write will only make me a laughingstock, thus failing Your Majesty's trust and jeopardizing this grand plan to establish the orthodox tradition!"

These words were spoken with heartfelt sincerity.

Kong Ne's literary talent was indeed mediocre; that is a fact.

He was able to become the Duke of Yansheng and the head of all civil officials in the land because of his bloodline as a direct descendant of the sage.

If we're really talking about writing skills, in a real contest among scholars, it would be harder than climbing to heaven for Kong Ne to pass the imperial examination and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations).

However, there was a deeper reason why he refused to write the article, which Kong Ne dared not say outright.

Taking sides and making a statement before the emperor is one thing, but personally standing at the forefront and cheering for the "new learning" is another!

While the new learning is gaining momentum, followers of the old learning still abound throughout the government and the country.

The way the Kong family has survived for thousands of years is to maintain a detached attitude in any conflict.

Once he openly endorses the new learning in the name of "Duke Yansheng," he will have completely tied himself to the chariot of the new learning, and from then on he will be embroiled in endless attacks and debates.

The power to "speak on behalf of the sages" has never been based on bloodline, but on the power that Confucian scholars across the land fought for with real swords and spears!
It is the "second power" after the imperial power!
Otherwise, the Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism would not have flourished.

Zhu Xi would not be revered by many scholars as the foremost figure after the sage.

Without the ability to convince all Confucian scholars, even the Confucius family, though direct descendants of the sage, could not easily seize such "power."

At least, Kong Ne didn't think he had that ability.

"It doesn't matter."

Zhu Yunwen's face still wore a gentle smile, but his words left Kong Ne no room for evasion: "Whether an article is good or bad depends on one's intentions."

"Just write down everything you think and feel."

"After you finish writing it, hand it over to me for my personal review."

He looked at Kong Ne, who was slightly stunned, and slowly added the last sentence:

"At that time, I will arrange for great Confucian scholars such as Fang Xiaoru to polish and correct your work."

"You only need to take a look, sign your name, and then print and publish it."

Upon hearing this, Kong Ne's last shred of hope vanished.

His Majesty the Emperor has already paved all the way for him and blocked all his escape routes.

Payment for writing? This isn't payment for writing; it's clearly ghostwriting!
He was naive; all he needed to do was be a puppet with a stamp on his head.

Now that things have been said to this extent, there's no way he can refuse anymore.

When it's time to take sides, you must take sides.

This is the true foundation upon which the Confucius family finds its place and establishes its existence.

If one continues to refuse, it would be tantamount to openly opposing the emperor.

In an instant, Kong Ne made his decision. Without further hesitation, he kowtowed deeply, his voice devoid of any doubt:

"I accept the decree!"

Zhu Yunwen smiled contentedly, then waved his hand with a hint of weariness: "I am tired. That's enough for today. You may all leave."

"Your Majesty, please leave!"

Kong Ne and his ministers bowed and filed out.

At this moment, however, the Duke of Yansheng felt no more ease or glory than before, only endless heaviness.

He knew that from this moment on, he and the Kong family behind him were firmly bound to the young emperor's chariot, and there was no turning back.

Of course, in this dispute, His Majesty the Emperor, who holds absolute power, is bound to win.

However, the debate over Confucian orthodoxy may continue for hundreds of years, or even longer.

How things developed in later generations is another matter entirely.

……

Inside the guesthouse, after everyone had left, Zhu Yunwen did not rest immediately.

He simply sat alone in his brightly lit study, closing his eyes to rest.

Beside the throne, piled high were briefings and memorials sent from Nanjing via a dedicated telegraph line, like snowflakes.

The red-covered document contains the Military Affairs Department's latest intelligence on the war situation in various regions.

The blue item is a progress report from the Administrative Office regarding the construction of the new coastal port.

The black items, on the other hand, are secrets from the Ming Dynasty and around the world, presented by the Intelligence Bureau and the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.

As an emperor, even when he was thousands of miles away, the pulse of the entire empire still beat clearly under his fingertips.

Zhu Yunwen rubbed his temples, feeling a deep sense of exhaustion wash over him.

This was an empire that expanded rapidly and was therefore in a state of constant war.

While Emperor Zhu was personally leading a large army to expand territory on the western front, the campaigns on the southwestern border were also ongoing. The Ming army was waging war to pacify Tibet and implementing the "reform of native chieftains and replacement of officials with centrally appointed officials" in various southwestern regions.

Not to mention the vast overseas territories, where almost every day, the expedition fleets of nobles would clash with unknown indigenous tribes, large or small.

Most of the time, the expedition fleets could handle things on their own, but sometimes, the Ming navy was needed to intervene, to deter and mediate, or even to directly participate in the war.

To become a beacon of world civilization, one must shoulder the responsibility of maintaining order, a path destined to be long and arduous, fraught with iron and fire.

In later years, the United States has been waging wars almost every year, the only difference being the scale of the wars.

It should be noted that conflicts between nations in later generations were relatively peaceful.

This era is filled with more conflict and wars are more frequent. War is a matter of national importance, and he must pay close attention to it at all times.

During this period, he made many arrangements and gave many instructions to the administrative office regarding the anti-corruption campaign and the establishment of a new judicial system.

These instructions provide a general framework, but the specific implementation rules still need to be reviewed and discussed by the administrative office.

Once the plan is finalized, it will be submitted to the emperor for approval and implementation.

This was something Zhu Yunwen valued highly, and he had to carefully review each point.

In addition, there is information on the economic development of various parts of the Ming Dynasty, especially the construction of seaports in coastal areas.

The Ming Dynasty's current development is now a unified effort, both internally and externally.

With the increasing import of goods from overseas, the economy of the Ming Dynasty is becoming more and more important.

The original port was already overburdened.

Fortunately, Zhu Yunwen had already made arrangements to build a new seaport.

Shanghai, Quanzhou, Guangzhou...

The development of these coastal cities ensured the smooth flow of overseas supplies.

Although many of the specific details were drafted by the government affairs office and related departments, Zhu Yunwen himself had to review them in the end.

It wasn't that he wanted to be busy, but rather that the officials of the Ming Dynasty lacked foresight, and the regulations they formulated never satisfied Zhu Yunwen.

This problem is almost unsolvable.

After all, officials make the best decisions based on the current situation.

He views the issue from the perspective of the next few hundred years.

Left with no other option, Zhu Yunwen had to personally review and revise the document.

He also wanted to personally review the research conducted by the Academy of Sciences that concerned the future of the empire and provide guidance.

In short, Zhu Yunwen is really busy.

"His Majesty."

Zhao Rui entered silently like a cat. Seeing the emperor with his eyes closed and not speaking, he stood quietly to the side, not daring to disturb him.

Zhu Yunwen did not open his eyes, but simply hummed softly through his nose and asked, "What is it?"

"Your Majesty, the Shandong Inspector Wang Shoulian, together with officials from the Ministry of Rites, has drafted the ceremonial procedures for the sacrificial ceremony and submitted them for Your Majesty's review." Zhao Rui presented the memorial, wrapped in bright yellow silk, with both hands, bowing deeply.

The great affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs.

For the emperor to personally come to offer sacrifices to the sage was a very important event in this era.

The entire sacrificial ceremony must be arranged according to specific rules.

These things were certainly not handled by Zhu Yunwen himself.

But in the end, he has to review and approve it.

After all, since Zhu Yunwen was personally presiding over the sacrificial ceremony, he first needed to be familiar with the procedures.

Zhu Yunwen opened his eyes, the weariness from before had faded, replaced by a profound clarity.

He reached out and took the memorial, casually flipping through a few pages, his brow furrowing slightly.

"This process is too complicated. Simplify it as much as possible."

He paused, then added in a low voice, "I have been feeling unwell lately and do not want to be overworked by these trivial matters."

Then, as if talking to himself, he said, "Of course, if it's a part that I don't need to participate in personally, then let them do whatever they want."

While Confucian rituals could certainly demonstrate the majesty of a dynasty and consolidate its rule, in the end, those so-called 'rituals' were often extremely complicated.

To put it bluntly, it's really torturous.

A grand ceremony, bowing, reciting scriptures, bowing again, reciting scriptures again...

A complete process can often take half a day, or even all night.

Such a lengthy passage would be torture for anyone.

Zhu Yunwen detested this kind of trouble the most, so he naturally tried to save as much effort as possible.

However, if he doesn't have to participate and can simply sit on the platform and watch others "perform," then that's a different story.

In fact, Zhu Yunwen wished the ceremony were as grand as possible, so that the scholars could be tempered by more "rites," which could be considered a baptism in their hearts.

"This servant understands and will certainly convey the order accordingly," Zhao Rui replied respectfully.

Just as Zhu Yunwen was about to close the memorial, his eyes suddenly glanced at the back page and saw the arrangement of the guards. His brows furrowed again, and his tone carried a hint of doubt:
"There are already enough guards accompanying the emperor. Why do we need to bring in so many more warriors just to hold a ceremony to worship a saint?"

Zhao Rui quickly bowed and replied, "Inspector Wang said that His Majesty's personal visit to Qufu to worship the sage is an unprecedented grand ceremony since the founding of our dynasty."

"Throughout history, such grand ceremonies are few and far between."

"Such a momentous event will surely draw crowds of people."

"Moreover, the number of Confucius descendants in Shandong alone is in the tens of thousands."

“They may not be able to attend regular sacrificial ceremonies, but they will certainly all be present for grand ceremonies in His Majesty’s presence.”

"With the addition of the local people who come to watch, Qufu will be packed with people on the day of the ceremony, and there is a risk that some people may take the opportunity to cause trouble."

"Therefore, it is necessary to mobilize a large force to maintain order and safeguard peace."

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly; what he said made sense.

Wang Shoulian appeared to be a very rigid and prudent man, but he was also meticulous in his actions. No wonder the government entrusted him with an important task and appointed him as the Shandong Provincial Inspector.

After a moment's thought, Zhu Yunwen gently closed the memorial and said, "In that case, let's do as he has suggested."

"Yes, this servant will go and deliver the decree immediately." Zhao Rui lowered her head, slowly took a few steps back, and was about to turn and leave when she suddenly heard a clear, cold shout from behind: "Wait!"

Zhao Rui hurriedly bowed and respectfully greeted the emperor, awaiting his instructions.

Zhu Yunwen asked in a calm voice, "Is a telegraph machine installed in the Confucius Temple?"

Zhao Rui was slightly taken aback, and after a moment of hesitation, he carefully replied, "This... should not be the case."

"However, Qufu and the surrounding counties had already laid cables and installed telegraph machines."

"Hmm." Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and instructed, "My sacrificial ceremony to the sage is a grand event that attracts worldwide attention. It must be sent back to Jinling immediately so that the whole world can know about it and it can be proclaimed to the world."

He pointed to the memorial on the table and said, "Since the cable is nearby, it would be very convenient to run a few lines over it."

"Order people to do it immediately, and install several telegraph machines in the Confucius Temple so that the sacrificial ceremony can be quickly transmitted to all directions."

Just like the grand military parades of later generations, which are broadcast live by various television stations.

Zhu Yunwen also intended to turn this sacrificial ceremony into a "live broadcast".

Of course, it was impossible to show the entire nation the scene like in later generations.

All they could do was install a few telegraph machines to "broadcast" the message.

The telegrams were transmitted directly to administrative organs at all levels across the country, which also thoroughly consolidated the status of the new school.

"Yes!" Zhao Rui responded, lowering her back even further. "This servant will immediately issue an order to send people to make preparations. This matter must be completed before the sacrificial ceremony."

……

(End of this chapter)