There is no such thing as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras

Chapter 384 Primogeniture
Nie Yu, dressed in the casual clothes he wore when he was the King of Han, was receiving the cabinet ministers in the front hall.

Although he is now the founding emperor of the new Han Dynasty, his reign is more frugal than that of any other founding emperor in history.

First of all, there was no imperial palace. There was only a temporary palace converted from the residence of the Viceroy of Liangjiang. It was enough to live in, even more than enough, but in terms of scale, it could not compare to the imperial palace, let alone a proper temporary palace.

A dragon throne has been made, but it is not made of pure gold. A proper dragon throne is not entirely made of gold, otherwise how could it be comfortable to sit on?

Most dragon thrones are made of carved wood, even though the cost of carved wood is higher than that of pure gold.

The dragon throne beneath Nie Yu's buttocks was something he specifically emphasized should not cost too much, so the Ministry of Rites only found ordinary wood and had craftsmen carve it meticulously, making sure it didn't look shabby.

Liu Jun, the chief minister who oversees the cabinet, is currently reporting on matters related to his ascension to the throne: "Your Majesty has just ascended the throne and should appoint an empress, concubines, and a crown prince. Furthermore, the retired emperor should also be given an honorific title to fulfill the filial duty of the emperor."

"Accurate."

Nie Yu nodded slightly upon hearing this: "Once the Queen, the concubines, and the King Emeritus arrive in Nanjing, the Ministry of Rites will issue the imperial edict for their investiture, and the inner court will cooperate in bestowing the titles."

"As for the Crown Prince, we will wait until the Queen and Ye'er's party arrive in Nanjing before we can proceed with the investiture ceremony."

These investitures are necessary procedures after ascending the throne, and they must be conferred as they are. Even the issue of establishing a crown prince is not something Nie Yu intends to delay any longer.

He now has two sons and a daughter, if not many children.

There were no surprises in choosing the crown prince; he was undoubtedly the son of Queen Chen Huilan, and also her eldest legitimate son.

His nickname was Ye'er, and his formal name was Nie Xingye. Nie Yu originally intended to name him Xinghua, but this reckless behavior was stopped in time by the Ministry of Rites.

How can the name of a crown prince be the same as the reign title of the founding emperor?

Not only the Crown Prince's name, but the Ministry of Rites also worked with various departments of the Cabinet for several months to persuade Nie Yu to leave behind naming rules and character order for future generations.

Both the Ming and Qing dynasties had corresponding rules and orders for the names of their imperial families. The name "Da Ming" was given by Zhu Yuanzhang, and it was named according to the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, earth) in that order, which could last for at least 500 years.

The intention was to ensure the Ming Dynasty's lasting rule, but in reality, it contributed a number of names to the periodic table of elements for later generations.

Although the pseudo-Qing dynasty didn't leave behind many long poems, it still imitated Han Chinese dynasties by using the same middle character in all their names. Only when one of them became emperor would the names of the other brothers be changed to homophones or near-homophones.

The Ministry of Rites' purpose was also to symbolize the longevity of the new dynasty.

Although it was unlikely—no dynasty lasts forever—Nie Yu, after careful consideration, still composed two lines of poetry.

To revitalize China and bring peace and prosperity to the nation.

The Ministry of Rites received a reply and strongly requested additional funding, but Nie Yu refused, stating quite bluntly: "What dynasty lasts a thousand years? We'd be lucky if they could even finish passing down these eight characters."

For a very simple reason, Zhu Yuanzhang left behind a long poem, but in reality, only the first two lines were passed down.

Exactly ten characters, and the three-hundred-year reign came to an end.

Upon hearing that the emperor was willing to establish a crown prince, and that it would be the undisputed eldest son of the legitimate wife, all the officials breathed a sigh of relief.

Throughout history, the selection of a crown prince has always been a complicated matter involving the conflict between choosing the eldest son and the most virtuous.

The Han and Tang dynasties were among the hardest hit. After Li Shimin's Xuanwu Gate Incident, the Tang Dynasty basically became a dynasty where the position was filled through competition.

The number of crown princes who can normally succeed to the throne must also follow the primogeniture system, which means that, if not extremely limited, there are very few.

Even Li Shimin's own sons could not succeed to the throne normally as crown prince, let alone other emperors, which brought continuous chaos to the political situation of the Tang Dynasty.

It's impossible for a power struggle among princes to avoid the deaths of many and the turmoil in the local courts.

The Song Dynasty patched up the Tang Dynasty's system for the crown prince issue by requiring the candidate to serve as the prefect of Kaifeng before being appointed as crown prince. If the candidate served as the prefect of Kaifeng, he was guaranteed to become the crown prince.

But there were always one or two people who liked to make exceptions, which made the Song Dynasty a chaotic mess.

The Ming Dynasty completely corrected this flaw by firmly adhering to the primogeniture system. Even after the Jingnan Rebellion of Zhu Di, the Ming Dynasty continued to uphold the primogeniture system, successfully ensuring that the political situation remained stable for more than two hundred years.

The Qing dynasty learned from the Ming dynasty's mistakes. The primogeniture system was stable but not ideal, as it could not guarantee the maximum number of emperors. However, allowing power struggles to continue unchecked was also not advisable, as the political turmoil would have too many consequences. Therefore, Emperor Yongzheng established the secret succession system.

Before the emperor died, no one knew who the crown prince was, but he tacitly allowed healthy competition among the princes to ensure that the princes were not too stupid and would not cause political instability.

Nie Yu did not intend to continue using the secret succession system of the pseudo-Qing dynasty, as it would not be of much significance to him. He would rather continue to clearly establish the primogeniture system.

However, he also implemented a supplementary measure, namely, establishing the Imperial Academy, so that the Crown Prince could study and learn in the academy from a young age and come into contact with academic elites.

Unless one is exceptionally dull-witted, one can always learn some principles of governance and understand the basic situation of the country, so as not to be completely manipulated by civil officials.

Whether or not a person can become a wise ruler is a matter for future generations. Even if he teaches the crown prince to be an exceptional genius, he cannot guarantee that the prince will become a wise ruler.

Wise rulers work very hard; not everyone can suppress their desire for enjoyment and truly govern diligently so that the people can live in peace and prosperity.

Having resolved the most pressing issue for the new Han Dynasty, the officials all felt a slight sense of relief. Suddenly, Dai Yi, the Minister of Justice, asked, "Your Majesty, with the new dynasty newly established, is it necessary to grant a general amnesty to appease the people?"

Nie Yu said, "There's no need for a general amnesty. Local authorities can investigate the crimes of prisoners. Minor offenses should be allowed to be visited at home, but major offenses should not be tolerated."

Granting amnesty to the entire nation was a common tactic used by dynasties throughout history, serving both to appease the people and alleviate their burdens.

Because of the harsh punishments in ancient times, ordinary people could easily commit crimes if they were not careful.

The emperor liked to grant amnesty to the people, also for their sake, so that people who had made minor mistakes could return home safely, alleviate public resentment, and at the same time avoid causing too much impact on local agricultural production.

However, now it is the new Han Dynasty, and the criminal law has been changed to the "New Law of the Great Han". The punishment for minor crimes with severe penalties has long been gone, and officials are supervised by the Censorate to ensure integrity.

Those who are imprisoned are almost certainly innocent, so a general amnesty is indeed unnecessary.

Dai Yi just mentioned it casually. It was just a common practice of the founding emperor to teach the world, and it wouldn't have much of an impact if there were no amnesty.

Liu Jun then reported: "With the establishment of the new dynasty, new departments and offices are being set up in various ministries, including the Court of Judicial Review, the Court of State Ceremonies, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs. The specific list of officials in each department, as well as the locations of their offices, have been submitted in this memorial. I request Your Majesty to review them!"

Nie Yu took the thick memorial and began to read it carefully. In addition to the main institutions such as the Court of Judicial Review, the Court of State Ceremonies, and the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, there were also secondary institutions such as the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Imperial Observatory, and the Imperial Medical Academy.

The Dali Temple and Honglu Temple were basically formed by splitting off officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Justice, and assigning them corresponding responsibilities to form new departments.

For the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Justice, there was not much loss. Although many officials lost their power, the remaining ones could maintain basic operations without much problem.

The officials appointed to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were seconded from the Ministry of Revenue.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices was in charge of folk agriculture and sericulture, as well as important sacrificial rites related to farming.

If he had to be honest, Nie Yu felt that this department was unnecessary. The records of sacrifices could be handed over to the Ministry of Rites, and the agricultural and sericultural taxes could be handed over to the Ministry of Revenue.

But the cabinet only replied with four words: "Respect Heaven and follow the ancestral laws."

This is the most intuitive understanding of agriculture and sericulture among ordinary people. The establishment of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was necessary, which meant that the new Han Dynasty recognized the farmers' simple desire to respect Heaven and their ancestors. All agricultural sacrifices and the promotion of agriculture and sericulture were to be presided over by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

With the Taichang Temple in charge of agricultural and sacrificial rites, the people and farmers would feel at ease, believing that the new dynasty valued agriculture and would not excessively exploit or persecute the farmers.

Besides the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, there was also the Imperial Observatory. Although in later generations, the Imperial Observatory was stereotyped as a group of charlatans who fooled the emperor, only knowing how to look at the stars all day long and say things like "ominous signs (I know what you're thinking)".

In reality, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau's work, besides observing the stars, also included formulating and revising the calendar to ensure its stable operation within the dynasty.

The creation of a calendar does not mean that we can rest easy for the next few hundred years.

Because the reference point for the formulation of the ancient Chinese calendar was wrong from the beginning, the calendar of each dynasty had to be revised almost every few years.

Even though the reference point was wrong, the calendar could still be used normally, all thanks to the advanced algebraic calculations of ancient times. As long as I calculated enough data, there wouldn't be any major errors.

Commonly known as "the strong can make bricks fly".

The establishment of the Imperial Observatory was approved by Nie Yu, who even thoughtfully renamed it "Astronomy Museum." Along with it, four colleges of chemistry, physics, medicine, and mathematics were also established.

Five academies were established at once, but only four of them were staffed, and most of them were Taoist priests and craftsmen, with very few proper scholars.

The medical school was staffed entirely with recruited doctors who, after passing an examination, would be granted the title of Imperial Physician, making them virtually indistinguishable from regular Imperial Physicians. The medical school was regarded by the officials as the Imperial Medical Academy of the new dynasty.

The planetarium is currently unoccupied, and even the office space remains in the Ministry of Works' plans for the reconstruction of the imperial city. Nanjing is no longer the capital of China. Although the economy is developed, finding people with astronomical expertise in a short period of time is still quite difficult.

Nie Yu's initial idea was to first set up a makeshift team, and only when the team was in place could they recruit and cultivate talent.

Others might think physics, chemistry, mathematics, and astronomy are just fancy tricks, but Nie Yu knew the importance of these subjects. He even abandoned the Imperial Medical Academy and turned it into a medical school.

He doesn't have much time left, at most forty years, and if you take into account the butterfly effect he has created, it might not even be thirty years.

With the opening of maritime trade by the new Han Dynasty, trade with European countries, including Britain, will only become more prosperous. Moreover, the ability of China's vast market to absorb silver is unmatched by any European country.

The First Opium War originated from the fact that the British, unable to manage their trade deficit, resorted to selling drugs—a low-cost, high-return activity—which was banned by Lin Zexu, leading to their anger and subsequent war.

If it were the Han Dynasty now, there would likely be a war with the European powers in the future. The British have already lost their North American colonies. If the Han Dynasty were to compete with them in trade and plunder silver, the British would not be able to withstand it and might even start a war prematurely.

These European colonists were all lunatics; they would actually sell the rope that would hang themselves for profit.

(Note: During the Anglo-Dutch Wars, the Dutch, fearing that the British would not be able to repay their debts, lent money to sell warships to the British, thus successfully losing the war.)
After reading the memorial, Nie Yu nodded and said, "I think it's acceptable. Let's proceed according to this plan and first establish the teams in each department, then gradually add more later. As the new dynasty is being established, everything requires the joint efforts of all of you. Don't be afraid of making mistakes; if problems arise, just correct them."

"The ministers obey the order."

All the ministers responded in unison.

(End of this chapter)