Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 328 The Officials' Lingering Fear

"Sir, obey the order."

Xu Yu, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, and the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy all bowed deeply.

Although Xu Yu had never worked in the Ministry of Rites, he was still the provincial governor in charge of a region. He didn't need to do everything himself. As long as he knew how to manage his subordinates, he believed that the Ministry of Rites could still operate normally.

Even better.

The same applies to the Hanlin Academy and the Court of State Ceremonies.

Arranging the imperial procession and setting up the positions of officials for the emperor's enthronement ceremony, as well as drafting imperial edicts, were all tasks they were already very skilled at and were simply doing in their job.

"Ah."

"Take the emperor away."

Zhu Jinzhen waved his hand, then looked at the historian who was writing furiously beside him: "Do you know how to write it?"

Several historians felt a jolt in their hearts, and when they met Zhu Jinzhen's ambiguous smile, they trembled all over.

One of the historians stepped forward and replied with a forced smile, "His Majesty the Zhengde Emperor has reached the end of his life, leaving behind a will to pass the throne to Prince Su. All the officials are heartbroken and have come together to bid farewell to His Majesty the Zhengde Emperor."

"Aren't historians supposed to record events truthfully and without altering a single word?"

“This…” The historians exchanged glances and silently lowered their heads in shame.

They wanted to record the facts as they were, without changing a single word.

But they have to dare to do it.

Right before their eyes, the entire cabinet had just been swept away by Zhu Jinzhen, and all of them were imprisoned for the heinous crime of implicating nine generations of their families. Every official in the court was asked to die without exception.

Even if they had their own ideas, they wouldn't dare to write in front of Zhu Jinzhen and all the officials that on a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, after Prince Su had successfully quelled the rebellion, he would invite Emperor Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao, to die together with all the officials in the Fengtian Hall.

If they were to write it that way, they have no doubt that they might be beheaded today if they left the Fengtian Hall with their left or right foot first. They might even find things in their homes that could constitute treason for no apparent reason.

They were also unsure.

The same historian who had stepped forward earlier reluctantly replied, "Your Majesty, the historian has indeed recorded the facts truthfully and without any falsehoods."

"Heh, is this the version of history I have before me, the real version of history, yet another version embellished with the style of the Spring and Autumn Annals?" Zhu Jinzhen scoffed, seemingly unconcerned.

He truly didn't care about his posthumous reputation, nor did he care how future generations would judge him.

The reason for asking the historian was simply out of a sudden burst of curiosity.

Zhu Jinzhen didn't care whether the historians recorded the facts truthfully, used the Spring and Autumn Annals style, or even kept different historical records, one in public and one in private, one in the capital and one in his hometown.

"The Ministry of Rites quickly drafted the earliest date for the sacrificial ceremony at the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

"Retreat."

After giving one more instruction, Zhu Jinzhen got up and headed straight for the inner palace.

"Respectfully bidding farewell to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"

Although Zhu Jinzhen had not yet formally ascended the throne, Zhu Houzhao's will had already been read aloud, and they had all invited Zhu Houzhao to his death. Now, who among the civil and military officials would care about such a trivial change in address?

Hearing the sound behind him, Zhu Jinzhen revealed a light smile.

From this day forward, this Forbidden City, and indeed the entire Ming Dynasty, belongs to Zhu Jinzhen.

……

After the court session ended, the officials remained as if in a dream.

They immediately began to whisper among themselves, their expressions complex.

They all had a vague premonition that the Ming Dynasty would usher in a period of rapid development in the future.

There's no other reason than that their new emperor is too skilled in combat, his martial prowess is too high!

Even if you were to include all the fierce generals and soldiers from the founding of the dynasty by Emperor Taizu, as well as all the famous generals, experts, and soldiers from the reign of Emperor Taizong, they would still be no match for any one of the armies of Cangyun or Tiance.

Even the immortals in the celestial realms were slaughtered by Zhu Jinzhen's fierce generals. Could a mere few states possibly overturn the heavens?

"Do you think we have a chance to see the Ming Dynasty unify the world, restore the glory of the Qin and Han dynasties, and have all nations pay tribute and the world submit? Let all the land under heaven be the king's land, and all the people on the shores of the earth be the king's subjects? Let the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers shine on our Ming Dynasty's territory?" someone suddenly said.

To unify the world and restore the glory of the Qin and Han dynasties?

All nations come to court?

Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king.
Wherever the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers shine, all is the territory of the Great Ming.

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in everyone's eyes.

If that day ever comes, then as subjects of the Ming Dynasty, they will be bestowed with more than just ordinary honors. If they achieve something great and assist Zhu Jinzhen in governing the Ming Dynasty well, it will be nothing more than a matter of leaving a name in history!

After all, the significance of reunifying a divided world is immense.

Anyone with a little knowledge knows this.

That was an unparalleled achievement, no less than that of the First Emperor and Emperor Wu of Han.

And they will be witnesses to history, or even writers of it. Even if they are only mentioned briefly in the long river of history, it is already an unparalleled honor.

"With the power wielded by our Prince... no, His Majesty."

"Unifying the world, isn't that easy?"

He Jian's voice was filled with excitement, and his face was flushed, as if he had already foreseen the day when Zhu Jinzhen would unify the world.

Upon hearing this, all the officials nodded in agreement.

"Yes, our Emperor, not to mention anything far away, just look at the Cangyun Army and Tiance Army that entered the city today. Any hundred-household commander could probably crush tens of thousands of troops, including the Sui Dynasty, the Song Dynasty, the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, and the Liao Dynasty."

"They have millions of troops, enough to kill them?"

"Gentlemen, the news is still behind schedule. It is said that there are two large armies of the Mongol Yuan army fighting on His Majesty's orders. Before our Emperor Jingnan was launched, he had already fought six battles and won six victories in a row, crushing the Mongol Yuan army."

"I have also heard of this matter. Even the gates of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, which were known as the most impregnable among all nations, were breached. That mighty cavalry, which roamed the grasslands, swept in and were invincible!"

"The Great Snow Dragon Cavalry is similar, invincible in sweeping across the grasslands. However, it seems they did not penetrate too deeply into the Mongol Yuan territory, but instead headed north to prevent the Liao from suddenly advancing south. But it is said that they also defeated the Liao and caused them to flee in disarray."

"Hiss, if I remember correctly? Those Youlong Cavalry seem to be female light cavalry, under the command of the Tian Ce Mansion, right? It is said that there are only eight thousand of them, not even ten thousand?"

"That's right, the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry only numbered around ten thousand."

"hiss!!!"

Upon hearing their explanations, everyone present gasped in astonishment, once again stunned into silence.

"Less than 20,000 men, and they routed the two great and fierce kingdoms of Mongol Yuan and Liao, leaving them unable to even take care of themselves?" An official swallowed hard, then looked at the Cangyun Army and Tiance soldiers passing by beside him as if he had something in mind.

Eight thousand elite cavalrymen decisively defeated the Mongol Yuan dynasty.

Ten thousand Snow Dragon Cavalrymen routed the Liao army.

But the army Zhu Jinzhen brought to the capital during the Jingnan Campaign numbered over 70,000!
Everyone quickly realized what had happened, gasping in shock, their scalps tingling, a complex mix of horror and relief welling up inside them.

"Fortunately, Prince Su is the Prince Su of our Great Ming Dynasty, and he has no intention of being killed further."

"otherwise……"

Eight thousand Youlong cavalry were enough to almost crush the Mongol Yuan dynasty. An army of more than seventy thousand Cangyun and Tiance soldiers could not possibly defeat the mere Imperial Guards and the Jingying garrison. Even if all the troops from the nine border towns and garrisons of the Ming dynasty were mobilized to the capital, they would be no match for the Ming army.

There will only be one outcome.

They were utterly routed, and some were even... completely wiped out.

"really!"

Everyone felt a sense of unease. Fortunately, Zhu Jinzhen's Jingnan campaign was a one-sided crushing victory, and the capital was already under his control. Otherwise, the capital would have been awash in blood today.

(End of this chapter)