Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 626 A Double-Edged Sword: Zhu Yunwen's Decision!

Both men felt a chill run down their spines, their expressions changed slightly, and they quickly bowed in unison, saying, "Your Majesty is wise! Although the Academy of Sciences is ordered to record telegrams from all over the world, Your Majesty has long had a golden rule: all confidential telegrams are recorded only by their codes, and without Your Majesty's personal decree, no one may decipher a single word!"

Lai Wen'an added, "This is a secret concerning the safety of the nation. Even though we are in charge of this place, we dare not pry into it in the slightest!"

"Moreover, this place is strictly regulated. Without the emperor's personal presence, the procedure for opening the secret telegram files cannot be completed at all."

"Even if we had the greatest courage, we would never be able to see even the slightest bit."

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and smiled, "I was just joking, you don't need to take it so seriously."

Technology has always been a double-edged sword.

When used properly, it can exert a great advantage.

If used improperly, it can cause serious harm.

The telegraph played a crucial role in the unprecedented speed at which the Qing Dynasty collapsed.

Following the Wuchang Uprising, a telegram was sent throughout the country, triggering a chain reaction that led to other regions following suit.

Within just two months, more than half of the provinces declared their secession from Qing rule, causing the vast Qing Dynasty to collapse almost overnight.

Imagine, without the telegraph, there would be no nationwide telegram.

Therefore, due to the limitations of information dissemination, even if the Qing Dynasty were to collapse, it would be a gradual process, rather than a sudden change of the entire country overnight.

In the network information society of later generations, there are countless similar examples.

Because information spreads so quickly, if left unchecked, a riot could sweep across the country in a single day, overthrowing what appeared to be a solid regime.

As a time traveler, Zhu Yunwen had a very clear understanding of this.

Therefore, when he was laying cables across the country and connecting all parts of the country with telegraph machines, he ordered the Chinese Academy of Sciences to work with Peking University to build a system specifically for monitoring all telegrams across the country.

All telegrams, once sent, pass through here and are recorded.

However, this kind of record only records messages with binary code like "01000101...", then summarizes, archives, and seals them away.

According to the rules he established, unless the emperor himself came, no one was allowed to translate or examine the telegrams without authorization.

There are two purposes to this: firstly, all telegram data is recorded and traceable.

He can find anyone he needs to investigate.

On the other hand, even those responsible for monitoring and recording did not know the specific content of the telegrams, because no one could tell at a glance what thousands of binary numbers meant, which ensured that the court's secrets would not be leaked.

Of course, this place itself has a very strict disciplinary system.

All records are kept in the main hall, under the watchful eyes of everyone, with everyone acting as a supervisor to prevent any possibility of cheating.

Once recorded, it should be sealed immediately and never opened again.

It was kept absolutely secret from the outside world; even the Minister of State and the Minister of the Army were completely unaware of it.

Zhu Yunwen used a very simple name: an important scientific research project jointly undertaken by the Academy of Sciences and the Imperial University of Peking.

Everyone knows that the current emperor is the founder of the "science" lineage. He proposed many scientific concepts and personally conducted a large amount of scientific research. Some of these projects are highly confidential. Therefore, no one would suspect that His Majesty was conducting a secret scientific research project within the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Telegraphs were a novelty, and none of the court officials understood their intricacies, so they naturally couldn't imagine that they would be monitored and recorded.

Zhu Yunwen entrusted this matter to the Academy of Sciences because the Academy itself is a purely scientific research institution and is not involved in power struggles within the officialdom.

With them carrying out the plan and Wen Yuanliu from the Imperial University of Peking supervising it, this arrangement was flawless.

"I have come here today to personally review the telegrams." Zhu Yunwen's previous affability vanished, replaced by a solemn expression.

He ordered in a deep voice: "Issue my decree that from the day I decided to make the Northern Tour until today, all telegram records sent and received from Nanjing City by the Political Affairs Office, the Military Affairs Office, and all departments and offices in the capital shall be retrieved."

"Furthermore, all telegrams exchanged between government offices at all levels throughout Shandong Province during this period should be extracted."

“Select another group of meticulous and loyal telegram translators to immediately translate all of these telegrams.”

"This matter is of great importance, and you must keep it a secret and not let even the slightest word leak out!"

"Anyone who reveals even the slightest bit of information to the outside world shall be executed immediately."

Unlike the telegraph operators at ordinary telegraph offices, the recorders here were only responsible for recording line by line of binary code; they had never received any training in deciphering telegrams.

On the contrary, they are not allowed to access or learn about telegram translation.

This prevented them from exploring any possibility of understanding the meaning behind the code.

This is precisely for the sake of absolute secrecy.

Therefore, when Zhu Yunwen needed to decipher these long-forgotten secrets, he had no choice but to assign other personnel.

The Ming Academy of Sciences has no shortage of talent. After receiving the order, Lai Wen'an acted swiftly and quickly assembled a capable team.

The process of retrieving the files is far more complex than simply issuing an order.

The entire process was complicated and rigorous. Opening the archives required multiple layers of verification. Not only did it require an imperial edict written in the emperor's own hand and stamped with the imperial seal, but it also required the signatures and official seals of Duke Wen Yuanliu, Dean Lai Wen'an, and a group of relevant officials.

Only after all the procedures were completed flawlessly could several keys of different shapes be retrieved from a more secluded warehouse, which were then opened by different people to retrieve the corresponding telegram records.

This place is an absolute forbidden zone in the heart of the empire, and professionals who translate telegrams are naturally not allowed to set foot here.

The sealed telegram records were carefully sent out and transferred to another heavily guarded building.

Inside the hall, dozens of carefully selected interpreters stood quietly with their hands at their sides, creating a solemn atmosphere.

The intensive translation work immediately commenced.

Zhu Yunwen personally took charge of the situation, and in the quiet hall, only the scratching sound of pen tips gliding across paper could be heard.

Soon, lines of code that were originally cold and meaningless were transformed into text of varying lengths.

The vast majority of the telegrams were routine official correspondence, dry and monotonous.

But hidden within the sand lies a wealth of secret information that cannot be revealed.

In a telegram, a local official flattered a high-ranking official in the capital, claiming that he had "selected two exceptionally beautiful actresses" and sent them to the capital with his trusted confidant, "just to amuse Your Excellency."

Another letter was a tip-off, in which an official secretly informed his local colleagues that "an inspection team from above is coming soon. The person coming is no ordinary individual, so be sure to handle the situation carefully and do not give them any leverage."

Even more extreme, some would pave the way for their own relatives: "My younger brother will soon be taking up a post in your esteemed place, and I earnestly hope that you, brother, will take some time out of your busy schedule to look after me."

……

Such telegrams, varied and numerous, unfolded like a scroll painting of officials, revealing the undercurrents beneath the surface of the court. Even Zhu Yunwen, the emperor, was greatly surprised by what he saw.

Ultimately, using such methods to monitor officials was not what he desired.

Firstly, this move is tantamount to showing the world that he, as a monarch, has absolutely no trust in his officials.

This would not only damage his imperial authority, but also chill the hearts of his officials and alienate them from each other.

Secondly, although this method may be effective in the short term, the people in the court are all shrewd, and they will inevitably find out about it in time.

At that time, they only need to avoid telegrams and find other ways to transmit secret messages, and this costly surveillance will become a dead letter, a mere formality.

For this reason, Zhu Yunwen ordered that the records be kept but not deciphered, and that no official be investigated based on them.

This sword of Damocles, hanging over the heads of all officials, can only be drawn and held back in ordinary times, so that it can strike the enemy decisively at the most critical moment.

In addition to the telegrams mentioned above, there are also telegrams exchanged between officials after the "military remonstrance" at the Confucian Temple.

These are also among the purposes of Zhu Yunwen's "fake death".

The real world is not a game; it's difficult for him to know whether a subject is truly loyal to him.

Only after his death can the behavior of his ministers truly reflect the real thoughts of many people.

Although Zhu Yunwen ordered that the death be kept secret in order not to alarm the people, the ministers of state affairs and the ministers of military affairs were on duty day and night in the Qin Zheng Hall. Even a fool could guess that something had happened to the emperor.

In such circumstances, officials would naturally engage in behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

Telegrams were their most convenient tool for communicating with their accomplices in distant places.

After all, times are changing. In this era where everyone uses telegrams to transmit information, it would be extremely foolish to send someone by fast horse.

If you can't react quickly, you'll fall behind others.

These telegrams also reflected the true thoughts of countless officials.

Especially when the court was facing major changes, the officials all used their unique abilities to achieve their goals, which also showed the most realistic "face of life in officialdom".

Zhu Yunwen simply read the telegrams one after another without making any comments, merely memorizing them to prepare for future personnel decisions.

Soon after, Zhu Yunwen set his sights on the target he was truly looking for.

One of the telegrams was clearly written by Wang Zuo, a high-ranking official in the court, and sent to the front lines of the western expeditionary army.

However, the person who received the telegram was not a general in charge of military power, but an inconspicuous logistics clerk.

In the telegram, Wang Zuo instructed the man to "inadvertently" convey the information he had already gathered about Prince Yan, Zhu Di, to the retired emperor through a tribal khan of the Kipchak Khanate within the next few days.

The telegram had a hint of mystery, and Zhu Yunwen frowned slightly. He immediately issued an edict ordering people to thoroughly investigate all the telegrams between Wang Zuo and this civil official.

Sure enough, the situation quickly became clear.

Months earlier, this man had already learned about the current situation of Prince Yan, Zhu Di, through a traveling merchant.

That former vassal king has actually arrived in the distant continent of Europe as ordered, and is now thriving there, becoming the richest man in the area.

At that time, he called Wang Zuo to ask whether he should report this news to the emperor.

Wang Zuo's reply was concise and to the point: remain inactive and await further instructions.

The other letters are correspondence between Wang Zuo and Wang Shoulian, the Shandong Provincial Inspector.

In their telegram, the two expressed their deep sorrow at the erosion of the foundations of traditional learning by new learning, and their indignation at the decline of morality and the loss of traditional values. Their words were filled with resentment.

They even pointed the finger directly at the emperor, believing that "treacherous officials at the emperor's side have misled the emperor's ears," which led to the current state of the world.

In his letter, Wang Zuo also instructed Wang Shoulian to lead a group of civil officials and scholars in a collective act of remonstrance when the emperor personally visited the Confucian Temple to worship the sages.

At that time, he and a group of upright officials in the court will also respond, and they will surely succeed.

In addition, there were secret telegrams exchanged between Wang Zuo and other conservative officials.

Even more significant than all of this was the connection between Wang Zuo and an unexpected figure.

Zhu Gang, the former Prince of Jin, who was supposed to be enfeoffed in the New World but left his fiefdom without permission, and recently secretly landed on the coast of Fujian.

The telegram contained very little information, and the content was not very coherent.

There must have been many secret messages that were secretly passed on through handwritten letters.

Even this tiny fragment reveals astonishing information.

A vast network, ostensibly dedicated to upholding traditional learning and resisting new policies, was thus exposed as a covert conspiracy.

"So it was him, it really was him!" Zhu Yunwen was filled with emotion.

Zhu Gang had previously committed rebellious acts, and not just once.

However, in order not to upset Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Yunwen spared him, only removing him from his original fiefdom, but then enfeoffing him on a new continent thousands of miles away.

It is said that after Zhu Gang arrived there, he led five hundred men and, relying on the advanced firearms and cannons of the Ming Dynasty, attacked cities and villages, defeated one native tribe after another, and has already occupied a vast territory.

According to intelligence reports from the Ming Dynasty's intelligence bureau and military affairs department, the territory Zhu Gang occupied in the New World was probably not much smaller than that of the Ming Dynasty's homeland.

However, that place was, after all, a wild and undeveloped land, far less prosperous than the Ming Dynasty, and lacking in advanced technology.

In terms of total economic output, the Ming Dynasty is likely a hundred times larger than theirs.

Regardless, as the ruler of a vast territory, Zhu Gang must have been living a very comfortable life.

Zhu Yunwen also thought that he would behave himself and live a peaceful life as a prince.

Unexpectedly, he still came back.

Moreover, they planned such a big event.

"Once is acceptable, twice is acceptable, but not a third time!" Zhu Yunwen shook his head gently: "I can no longer indulge him or let him go."

"However, Uncle Sha has a bad reputation, and it will be difficult to explain to Grandfather the Emperor."

Zhu Yunwen pondered this in his heart and quickly made a decision.

"Didn't Zhu Gang say he was ill and that's why he came back to the Ming Dynasty for treatment?" Zhu Yunwen's lips curled into a mocking smile: "Then let him die of illness in the Ming Dynasty!"

……

(End of this chapter)