The Golden Family, rising from the Western Regions

Chapter 404 Your Majesty, I earnestly request that you ascend the throne and formally establish a nation.

After Zhou Bowen and Wu Huan left, Li Xiao shook his head slightly and chuckled, "That scoundrel Wanyan Yongji, although incompetent and foolish, only knows how to enjoy himself all day long."

"They don't even dare to breathe loudly in front of our Qin state, but they are ruthless towards the Song state."

Gu Zizhong put down his teacup and echoed, "Your Majesty is right."

"The generals of the Jin Kingdom's southern army have caused a lot of trouble for the Song Kingdom on the border in the past two years, robbing grain and money, killing and seizing land, and forcing the Song Kingdom to increase its annual tribute."

“They lost land and people in Guanzhong here, and now they want to make up for their losses by taking double from the Song state. They’re quite shrewd.”

Li Xiao nodded slightly and tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "That's why the Song Kingdom is so eager to form an alliance with us."

"They want to use our troops to contain the Jin Kingdom, but nothing in this world is free; everything has its value."

While the two were discussing the State of Song, Jin Dao stood quietly to the side, not interrupting at all.

When the Song envoy was in the council hall, his attention was entirely on Li Xiao, and he did not notice the still immature boy at all, let alone know that he was Li Xiao's eldest son on whom he had placed high hopes.

Listening to his father and Gu Zizhong analyze the situation and weigh the interests, Jin Dao silently memorized every word and gained a deeper understanding of the "game between countries," which was more useful than reading countless military books in school.

Sitting in the corner, Zhao Yue's face was full of sorrow and confusion.

Born into the royal family of the Song Dynasty, she knew that the Song Dynasty was rich in resources and had abundant wealth. Its hundreds of thousands of troops were well-equipped, and their weapons and armor were said to be the best in the world.

However, in every battle against the Jin Dynasty, the Song army suffered repeated defeats.

Even she, a princess who had been married off to the Qin state, couldn't understand why her seemingly powerful homeland would perform so poorly on the battlefield.
What went wrong?
This confusion weighed heavily on her heart like a boulder, making her both worried about the Song Kingdom and utterly powerless.

Considering her status as a princess of the Song Kingdom, Gu Zizhong refrained from saying anything more negative about the Song Kingdom. He then changed the subject, took out a document from his robes, and reported to Li Xiao on the development achievements of Xizhou over the past two years.

While Li Xiao was reviewing the documents, he explained from the side: "In the past two years, we have relocated 20,000 Han people from Guanzhong and Lingzhou to Xizhou, adding 200,000 mu of arable land. Last year, the total grain output exceeded 500,000 shi."

"The Uyghurs, Tibetans and other ethnic groups are now accustomed to speaking Han language, wearing Han clothing and abiding by Qin laws. Last year, their tax payments increased by 40% compared to the previous year."

"There are also the Baishishan saltpeter mine and the sulfur ditch, with stable production that can fully meet the needs of the military workshop."

……

Li Xiao's southern tour was originally intended to inspect the governance and military preparedness of various regions in the Western Regions.

Listening to Gu Zizhong's report, and combining what he had seen and heard on the way with the reports from the Jinyiwei spies, he nodded frequently, a satisfied look on his face: "Well done."

Gu Zizhong's reported achievements were certainly exaggerated, but as long as no problems arose, there was no need to scrutinize them closely.

"Xizhou is the throat connecting our Qin state with the Western Regions and the Central Plains. You have made great contributions by governing this place in an orderly manner and stabilizing the people's hearts."

Receiving Li Xiao's praise, Gu Zizhong perked up and seized the opportunity to speak directly.

"Your Majesty, I have some heartfelt words to say, and I dare to offer them to you today."

"Now the territory of the Great Qin has reached ten thousand miles, extending west to the Western Sea, east to the border of the Jin Kingdom, north to the northern grasslands, and south to the plateau. The country is powerful and the people are loyal."

……

"Such achievements are rare among those who have achieved them throughout the Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties."

His tone grew increasingly impassioned, and he stared intently at Li Xiao: "But you are still only the King of Qin."

"Although there are titles such as 'Tengri Gur Khan' in the northern desert and 'Supreme Sultan' in the western regions, in the eyes of the Han people of our Qin state, these are honorific titles of foreign races and cannot be considered as the orthodoxy of China."

"Your unparalleled achievements in pacifying the chaotic world, expanding the territory, and comforting the people have far exceeded the regulations for a 'king'."

"How can a mere 'throne' be worthy of the vast empire you have conquered?"

"How can we be worthy of the bloody battle fought by hundreds of thousands of Qin soldiers?"

"How can we live up to the earnest expectations of the people?"

In his view, Li Xiao's achievements had long surpassed the scope of "king" and only the position of "emperor" could match this great achievement.

Only by establishing a formal dynasty could the Qin dynasty's foundation be legitimate and passed down to future generations.

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you ascend the throne and formally establish a nation."

Gu Zizhong bowed again, his head lowered to his chest: "This is not only my wish, but also the wish of hundreds of thousands of Qin soldiers and the people of the world."

"Only by becoming emperor can you demonstrate the legitimacy of the Qin Dynasty; only by becoming emperor can you make the barbarians on all sides completely submit; only by becoming emperor can your achievements be recorded in history forever and shine as brightly as the sun and moon."

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only Gu Zizhong's heavy breathing.

Jin Dao stood behind Li Xiao, his heart pounding with excitement, only one thought in his mind: "Father is finally going to become emperor."

But this excitement didn't last long before he suddenly remembered his mother's words: "Jin Dao, you are your father's eldest son, which is your good fortune, but it is not your reliance."

"Your father is first and foremost the king of Qin, the future emperor, and only secondly your father."

“What your father wanted was never a son who could only enjoy the fruits of others’ labor, but an heir who could shoulder the responsibility of the Qin Dynasty’s vast territory and inherit his illustrious military achievements.”

"Even if you become a king or even a crown prince in the future, you must never slack off in the slightest. The country is won by fighting and also by defending. If you are not strong enough, you will be replaced sooner or later."

At the time, he only nodded, seemingly understanding, but now he suddenly understood his mother's deeper meaning.

My father will become emperor and will appoint a crown prince, but I, as the eldest son, may not necessarily be able to sit on that throne.

What my father values ​​is ability, the ability to lead troops and govern the country like him, not the empty title of "eldest son".

Jin Dao clenched his fist quietly, secretly making up his mind: "I will not let my father down."

On the other side, Li Xiao looked at Gu Zizhong, who was bowing, without any surprise in his eyes. Instead, he calmly said, "You are not the first person to advise me to become emperor. Chen Chong had already mentioned it when we were in Tingzhou."

"However, you are right. A 'king' throne is indeed unworthy of the current Qin Dynasty, and unworthy of the blood and sweat of hundreds of thousands of soldiers."

His tone suddenly became firm: "The matter of declaring oneself emperor should indeed be put on the agenda."

"For the next six months, all government affairs of the Qin Dynasty must give way to preparations for the coronation of the emperor."

"As for the eastern expedition against the Jin Kingdom, we must wait until the Eighth Division is fully established before we can rush it."

Li Xiao's response was completely candid, simply telling everyone that he was about to become emperor.

It's simply because the men of the northern frontier have always been straightforward and have not been influenced by the empty etiquette of the Confucian "three refusals and three concessions" in the Central Plains.

In their view, the honor they deserve should be accepted without hesitation; feigning humility is not only hypocritical but also makes them a laughing stock.

Seeing Li Xiao readily agree, Gu Zizhong was overjoyed and quickly stood up and bowed: "Your Majesty is wise—no, Your Majesty is wise."

"On behalf of all the people of the world, I thank Your Majesty. It is truly a blessing for all the people of Great Qin to have a ruler like you."

Although his flattery was a bit excessive and his words were quite cheesy, Li Xiao accepted it without hesitation.

There is a reason why sycophants exist, especially those who are capable, good at handling affairs, and have a pleasant way of speaking. Which ruler would not like them?
Li Xiao gestured for him to sit down, his tone returning to calm: "Becoming emperor is not for my empty title, but for the future of Great Qin."

"Only by establishing a legitimate dynasty can the laws be made more rigorous, the people feel more at ease, and the soldiers feel a greater sense of belonging."

"You'll need to put in a lot of effort on this matter."

Gu Zizhong straightened his chest and loudly replied, "I would gladly die ten thousand times over."

Li Xiao nodded slightly and continued, "I have seen all your achievements in Xizhou."

"Once this southern tour is over, you will return to Longcheng with me and be transferred to a central position. You have experience in grassroots governance, and once you are in the central government, you will be able to better assist me in handling government affairs."

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your trust," Gu Zizhong said excitedly, his eyes filled with emotion.

Although the governor of Xizhou had great power, it was limited to civil administration and he could not be considered a local emperor. Returning to the central government would give him a better future.

Gu Zizhong's true pursuit was to be granted high office and to bring blessings to his descendants.

Finally, Li Xiao looked at Gu Zizhong and said in a serious tone: "After you are transferred back to the central government, in addition to helping to improve the formal laws of our Great Qin, the most important thing is to be in charge of all the preparations for the emperor's ascension to the throne."

"You must take the lead in implementing the rituals for worshipping Heaven, the revision of the regulations and systems, and the procedures for the enthronement ceremony. You must ensure that everything is done thoroughly and properly, without making any mistakes."

From then on, the Qin state focused on two top priorities: preparing for Li Xiao's coronation ceremony and accelerating the formation of the Eighth Garrison.

Thanks to the Qin army's continuous victories in its eastern and western campaigns, a large amount of spoils flowed into the Qin state. As long as one was a soldier, one would become wealthy, buying slaves and building large houses. Even if one died in battle, one's family would receive generous compensation.

Therefore, many young people voluntarily join the army, and some even look forward to the outbreak of the next war.

Meanwhile, after the Song envoys' constant efforts and Zhao Yue's tireless flattery and persuasion, with his pillow talk relentlessly, Li Xiao finally agreed to the request for a joint attack on Jin.

"But not now, at least two years from now."

"Only after my coronation ceremony is over, the Eighth Garrison is fully formed, and the Qin army has rested and reorganized can we send troops." "As for the specific start time and scale of the war, that will be decided by the Qin state."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Bowen and Wu Huan felt a chill in their hearts.

They had hoped that Qin would send troops as soon as possible to relieve the pressure on Song in Huainan, but the "two-year" deadline undoubtedly dashed their hopes.

Wu Huan couldn't help but step forward and said urgently, "Your Majesty, the Jin invaders' offensive in Huainan is becoming increasingly fierce, and the people of our Great Song are suffering greatly. If we wait two more years, I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what?"

Li Xiao interrupted him, his eyes sharp as knives: "The Song Kingdom has hundreds of thousands of troops, can't it even hold out for two years?"

"If you are afraid of being destroyed by the Jurchens, you might as well submit to my Great Qin and pay tribute, becoming a vassal state of my Great Qin. I will send troops immediately."

Having said that, Zhou Bowen and Wu Huan understood that further argument was futile, so they could only bow and reply, "Your Majesty is joking; we understand."

Li Xiao then changed the subject and put forward another condition: "In addition, the Qin state needs a large amount of military provisions in preparation for the eastern expedition."

"The State of Song must provide the State of Qin with one million shi of grain within six months."

"However, I am not a greedy person, and I know that one million shi of grain is not a small amount for your Song Kingdom."

"Qin will not take it for free. Qin will purchase this million shi of grain with gold, silver and copper coins and settle the payment at the market price."

Zhou Bowen and Wu Huan exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes. They had thought that Qin would forcibly demand it, but they did not expect that it would offer to buy it with gold and silver.

Grain is a strategic resource and will not be sold to foreign countries easily. The Song state had already agreed to a maximum of 200,000 shi of grain, and a million shi would require a lot of effort.

Because of the enormous losses on the road, even if all the grain were transported from Sichuan, it would still take 1.2 million shi (a unit of dry measure) to prepare.

Therefore, even if the Qin state used money to purchase them, it would still require a tremendous amount of effort to gather the necessary funds.

However, in order to borrow troops from Qin, these grains had to be provided, since Qin had also paid for them.

In fact, over the years, the Qin state has plundered a large amount of gold and silver from the Western Regions and Guanzhong through its eastern and western expeditions. Now, the amount of gold and silver in the country far exceeds the needs of circulation, and slight inflation has already occurred.

In Longcheng, a gold coin that could buy five bushels of grain last year can only buy four bushels this year; the prices of cloth, cattle and sheep have also increased by nearly 20%.

If gold and silver don't circulate, they're no different from a pile of stones.

The State of Song rarely sold its grain to other states. The State of Qin bought grain from Song mainly through smuggling by Song merchants. The price was high and the quantity was small.

Now, under the pretext of jointly attacking the Jin dynasty, exchanging gold and silver for grain can both alleviate domestic inflation and stockpile military provisions, achieving two goals at once.

"Your Majesty, a million shi of grain is a huge amount. Our Great Song Dynasty needs time to prepare it. The six-month deadline is probably..." Zhou Bowen tried to buy more time.

"Half a year at most."

Li Xiao's tone was firm, without the slightest concession: "If the Song Kingdom cannot even gather this much grain, then there is probably no need to discuss the joint attack on the Jin Kingdom anymore."

Zhou Bowen and Wu Huan felt helpless, but they could only agree: "Your Majesty, we will report back as soon as possible and urge the country to prepare grain."

After the audience, Zhou Bowen and Wu Huan dared not delay. The next day, they hurriedly left Gaochang City with Qin's reply and returned to Lin'an to report back.

They knew that when the news of "the King of Qin proclaiming himself emperor," "the two-year agreement," and "one million shi of grain" reached the Song court, it would inevitably cause a huge uproar.

Their plans for the Northern Expedition had to be temporarily shelved.

In the blink of an eye, two months had passed, and Li Xiao had already returned to Longcheng from Gaochang City.

At this time, Longcheng was bustling with activity. Core ministers such as Gu Zizhong, Zhang Xinghua, and Han Jiuguang gathered at the Prince's Mansion almost every day to discuss matters, the most important of which was the key issue of establishing the country and becoming emperor: the name of the country.

On the day of the meeting, Gu Zizhong was the first to bow and speak: "Your Majesty, preparations for the coronation ceremony are nearly halfway complete, and the matter of the national title needs to be decided as soon as possible."

"We have discussed this matter and would like to first inquire of Your Majesty's opinion: whether or not to continue using 'Qin' as the name of the state?"

Li Xiao sat upright in the main seat, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly shook his head: "Qin, not suitable."

"Firstly, this is not the official name of the country, but rather what people call me because of my title 'King of Qin.' In the end, it is just a title of king."

"Secondly, Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms and used 'Qin' as the name of the dynasty. With such a brilliant example before him, if I were to use it again, it would inevitably be seen as copying someone else's ideas. Moreover, the Qin dynasty only lasted for two generations and its meaning was not auspicious."

Zhang Xinghua then said, "What Your Majesty says is absolutely right."

“In that case, ‘Tang’ should also be excluded.”

Within the Qin state, especially among the people of Guanzhong, there is a view that the Qin king's surname is Li, which was the imperial surname of the Tang dynasty, and he may be a descendant of the Tang dynasty.

Therefore, some people suggested that inheriting the Tang Dynasty's system would be more conducive to ruling the Central Plains.

But Li Xiao was clearly not satisfied either.

After determining the direction of elimination, Gu Zizhong, Zhang Xinghua, Han Jiuguang and others discussed behind closed doors for three days, reviewing various classics, and finally came up with three national titles for Li Xiao to choose from.

Han Jiuguang stepped forward first, holding a document, and said, "Your Majesty, we, your subjects, recommend 'Dazhong' as the name of our country."

“‘Zhong’ means the center of the world. It means ‘to govern the four directions from the center of the world’. It not only shows our dynasty’s ambition to rule the world, but also implies that our dynasty is the legitimate successor of the Central Plains, so that all tribes and barbarian countries can feel our dynasty’s legitimacy and inclusiveness.”

Zhang Xinghua then added: "We, your subjects, next recommend 'Great Yuan'."

“The character ‘元’ comes from the ‘Great Qian Yuan’ in the Book of Changes, which means ‘the beginning of all things and boundless prosperity’.”

"It fits the great achievements of our dynasty in expanding its territory and ending the chaos, and the character '元' is grand and majestic, easy to pronounce and easy for people to remember and spread."

Finally, Gu Zizhong stepped forward and said solemnly, "We, your humble servants, have thrice recommended the 'Great Ming'."

“‘Ming’ means brightness, and it is derived from the meaning of ‘the sun and moon shining brightly and illuminating all directions.’ Firstly, it implies that our dynasty will end the chaos and darkness since the end of the Tang Dynasty and bring peace and light to the world.”

"Secondly, the character '明' symbolizes integrity and strictness, which can reflect our dynasty's governing direction of strict laws and clean governance."

"Thirdly, the word 'Ming' is a homophone for 'Min' (people), implying 'putting the people first,' which allows the people to feel the king's benevolence."

After the three ministers explained the meaning of the three national titles, the hall fell into a brief silence, and all eyes were on Li Xiao, awaiting his final decision.

Upon hearing the names of these three countries, Li Xiao exclaimed, "What talented people!"

"Da Zhong" and "Da Ming" were the two alternative names for the dynasty that Zhu Yuanzhang considered before he became emperor. In the end, Zhu Yuanzhang chose "Da Ming".

Needless to say, the "Great Yuan" was established by the Mongols, but in reality it was a Han Chinese dynasty disguised as a Mongol dynasty.

Li Xiao composed himself and first looked at the two characters "Da Zhong".

While the meaning of "the center of the world" is auspicious, the term "Great Center" is a purely Confucian political concept, carrying the connotation of "the Doctrine of the Mean".

Li Xiao built this empire through ruthless warfare and decisive decision-making, and he has never liked the ambiguous "mediocrity" approach.

Using "Da Zhong" as the name of the country would make it seem as if it had lost its pioneering spirit, so it was the first thing to rule out.

Secondly, the name "Great Yuan" is quite good, implying grandeur and showcasing both the majesty of a dynasty and its cultural depth.

However, the Ming Dynasty was not bad either. The Book of Changes says, "The Great Ming Dynasty has a beginning and an end. The six positions are completed in due time. At that time, it rides the nine dragons to govern the heavens."

This short sentence directly binds "Great Ming" with "Heaven's Way" and "True Dragon," implying that the dynasty is ordained by Heaven, and the monarch is the Son of Heaven, who rides nine dragons and rules the world.

But precisely because of this, he found it difficult to make a decision. The grandeur of the "Great Yuan" and the sense of destiny of the "Great Ming" each had their own merits, and choosing either one seemed a pity.

"I need to consider this matter for a few more days. You may all leave now." Li Xiao ultimately did not make a decision on the spot and waved for the ministers to disperse.

Back at the inner palace, Li Xiao inquired about the thoughts of Xiao Yanyan, Li Dongshan, Li Dongjiang, and others before finally making up his mind.

Three days later, Li Xiao summoned all officials and generals to gather in the main hall of the Prince's Palace.

"I have carefully considered the three names of the country proposed by you all, and I will decide on them today."

"The name of our dynasty is 'Great Ming'."

Li Xiao continued, "The name 'Da Ming' signifies that it was ordained by Heaven, demonstrating the legitimacy of our dynasty; the bright sun and moon, shining everywhere, symbolize the end of chaos and the bringing of peace to the world."

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly firm: "From this day forward, the name 'Qin' will no longer be used, and our dynasty will be officially named 'Great Ming'."

"After the coronation ceremony, we will announce to the world that the light of the sun and moon will illuminate every inch of China."

"Let the people of the Central Plains and the barbarians of all directions know that the rightful successor of the Chinese nation has returned to the Ming Dynasty."

"Peace and prosperity will be established by the Ming Dynasty."

Upon hearing this, the officials and generals bowed deeply and shouted, "Long live the Great Ming Dynasty!"

"Long live your Majesty, long live, long live your Majesty!"

(End of this chapter)