The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 928 First, set a small goal
Most members of the Qi Empire believed that Liu Xuan's sudden withdrawal of the vassal states was not a wise move, but rather a reckless act that lacked consideration for the overall situation and was an irresponsible action.

It is utterly incomprehensible and insane to rashly launch a military attack against the four powerful vassal states.

Even setting aside the political correctness of so-called infringements on democracy and independence, the emperor's actions were a disaster and would inevitably have unimaginable consequences.

The subsequent development of the situation is self-evident.

Although the rebellions of the four powerful vassal states were quelled, the intervention of Britain and other European countries, the counterattacks of the diehards, not to mention the resulting chaos, any one of these factors was a pain that Tianxin City could not bear!
"Why is the emperor so willful and arbitrary! Can't he be restrained?"

Of course, it is impossible to restrain him. The Emperor of Qi is only twenty-two years old this year, and his mind is not yet fully mature. He is the youngest monarch in the history of Qi. It is said that the education he received in his youth was extremely perfunctory.

Liu Xuan could not understand the good intentions of the previous emperor. He only believed that the empire could be reborn in his hands. As for where the future would lead, that was not something the emperor needed to consider.

Liu Xuan believed that he truly had the right to act recklessly.

The emperor commanded a sizable army, the well-equipped Longxiang Army, numbering over 50,000, possessing formidable firepower, and loyalty was the defining characteristic of this army.

As for whether the Longxiang Army is loyal to the Empire or to the Emperor himself, only Heaven knows.

In contrast, although the parliament also had hundreds of thousands of troops, they could not directly control these troops and therefore lacked the resources to challenge the emperor.

Relying on the Longxiang Army, the emperor quelled the rebellion in the four garrisons and eliminated any voices that obstructed imperial power.

Furthermore, the emperor displayed a pure, all-or-nothing courage.

To achieve their goals, emperors are willing to sacrifice everything, including themselves.

This kind of do-or-die courage is something that those pot-bellied councilors living in luxurious mansions in Tianxin City certainly do not possess.

For most people, this was a time of despair, because most of them would become the price of the reduction of power among the feudal lords.

For idealists, this was undoubtedly the best of times, as the emperor used his imperial power to forcefully implement what he considered to be the right new policies.

Liu Xuanzheng was a thorough idealist.

He devised and implemented a plan to eliminate all non-essential cases.

When talking about the upcoming nationwide elimination plan, Liu Xuan always said the same thing.

"Set a small, achievable goal, like killing a hundred million people first."

One hundred million is not just a simple number; it represents one hundred million people, regardless of their location, gender, or age. One hundred million is a number so vast that describing it as a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood is no exaggeration.

From any perspective, the mass elimination plan is a terrifyingly massive transformation plan.

By systematically eliminating a group of Qi citizens with the strongest servile mentality, the empire was divided into seven parts, each with its own checks and balances, thus achieving a certain balance of power and ensuring the maximum protection of the rights of ordinary people.

To realize this grand plan, the first step is to conquer the four major warlord regions, which simply means to weaken their power.

The emperor has already achieved this goal.

The next goal is to achieve the "small target" of 100 million. According to the operational plan formulated by the General Staff, the reduction of the power of the regional military governors will result in the loss of at least 500,000 troops and the casualties of 90 million civilians.

In other words, continuing to reduce the power of regional military governors would result in a loss of 100 million people. 100 million people.

When the emperor uttered the number one hundred million, the advisors noticed that his expression was nonchalant, as if the life and death of one hundred million people was just a small goal in Liu Xuan's eyes, something that could be easily dismissed.

"The empire calls for blood and fire. Many people have become numb. Only blood and fire can awaken their memories. The empire must undergo the baptism of blood and fire, or rather, the trial, so that the empire can be reborn and the people can be transformed."

The "transformation" that Liu Xuan spoke of was exactly the literal meaning of "transformation," without any difference.

To achieve this goal, the people must sacrifice enough blood and flesh, including bones.

Tragedy was inevitable.

However, the emperor did not care about these things; to be precise, he ignored them all.

Baptism and rebirth were topics the emperor frequently mentioned; necessary sacrifices, detours of the times, and necessary growing pains had almost become his mantra. Sometimes, after saying similar things so often, even the emperor himself began to believe them.

Fortunately, Liu Xuan was a pure and upright person, and later historians found it difficult to find any flaws in his personal character when commenting on this emperor of the Great Qi.

Therefore, it is quite difficult to deal with the emperor using the traditional methods of labeling him, finding fault with him, and smearing him.

The saying goes, "He who is without desire is invincible." If one has no greed in his heart, the outside world will naturally have no way to harm him.

In any case, the reduction of the power of the feudal lords has begun and will not end easily.

The empire is destined to be engulfed in a bloody storm.

The various vassal states reacted differently to the sudden changes in Tianxin City.

The most powerful vassal state, Liaoyang, was the most unruly towards the imperial court.

Military governor You Sangui was quite dissatisfied with the expansion of imperial power. He repeatedly submitted memorials, requesting that Tianxin City grant Liaoyang more power, such as the right to mint coins and the right to handle foreign affairs.

As early as when the late emperor died, You San immediately led his troops north to offer sacrifices. Because of the large number of troops, the roads were blocked and the residents fled. Tianxin City was afraid that You San might cause trouble, so it ordered him to set up a tent outside the city to offer sacrifices and leave after the ceremony.

The year after Liu Ye assumed personal rule, he already knew the interests of the court both domestically and internationally, as well as the gains and losses of the previous dynasty's regional military governors. The emperor once said: "Since I took over the government, I have regarded the four regional military governors, Britain, and maritime trade as the three major issues. I think about them day and night, and I have written them down and hung them on the pillars in the palace."

Upon hearing this, You Sangui flew into a rage: "How dare you, you mere brat! I have a certificate of merit hidden in my home! The late emperor promised that the You family would be the guardians of Liaodong for generations to come! The Liu family just relied on the Liaodong army to destroy the four towns of Huaixi. I've barely settled back in Huaixi, and this brat dares to discard me after I've served my purpose! What happened to democracy? What happened to the separation of powers?!"

Yu Sangui's advisor sighed deeply: "The melons of the green moss will be picked again in this combined issue!"
This statement implies that Tianxin City is untrustworthy and ungrateful, like someone who uses and then abandons their promises.
The conflict between the two sides escalated rapidly, and the situation became critical.

In 1767, You Sangui, using the excuse of deafness, submitted a memorial to the emperor requesting to be relieved of his post as Governor-General of Liaodong, and used this as a way to test the waters in Tianxin City.

Liu Xuan decisively rejected You Sangui's request and encouraged Sangui to work together with the other regional military governors to serve the Great Qi.

You Sangui submitted another memorial, stating that he was old and seriously ill, unable to shoulder great responsibilities, and firmly requested to resign from all posts, retire from military service, and return to his hometown of Kunming to live out his retirement.

This time, the emperor showed no mercy. He immediately ordered You Sangui to hand over all the affairs under his jurisdiction and placed them under the supervision of the governors of Liaodong and Korea.

The Governor-General of Liaodong, Tong Sanyuan, the Admiral Ma Guozhu, and Sun Benshen jointly petitioned for You Sangui to remain in charge of Liaodong affairs.

Liu Xuan was furious and, citing the need to take care of You Sangui's health, resolutely refused. He also ordered Tong Sanyuan, Ma Guozhu, and Sun Benshen to retire early as a form of punishment.