Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 250 Let's begin the system of balancing land tax and corvée labor.
"Excellent! Excellent! I never imagined that our Great Ming Dynasty would have such a person!"

After hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's story, Empress Ma couldn't help but cheer.

The Ming Dynasty still has its tough guys.

Yu Qian is not only a tough guy, but also a man of real talent.

Zhu Qiyu, who served as regent, was also a man of strong character.

He was far better than his brother, who knocked on the door for the enemy!
If he were like his brother who called for help at the gate, or like Zhao Gou of the Song Dynasty, even with many loyal and righteous men, he would still flee.

They were hunted down relentlessly, like stray dogs or fish that had escaped the net, utterly pathetic.

Fortunately, our Great Ming Dynasty did not suffer such a fate.

Otherwise, it would really drive people crazy!
Yu Qian.

"Yu Qian!"

Empress Ma read the name twice, firmly memorizing it.

"Afterwards, when merits were recognized and rewards were given, Yu Qian was promoted to Junior Guardian and Governor-General of Military Affairs."

Yu Qian said, "The fact that there are many fortified villages around the city is a disgrace to high-ranking officials. How dare I ask for rewards and credit?"
He firmly declined, but Zhu Qiyu refused...

Even after the Oirat people retreated, the Ming Dynasty did not let its guard down.

Under Yu Qian's arrangement, defenses were strengthened in various places to prevent the Oirat people from invading south again.

"We will not give Esen any opportunity to exploit."

Empress Ma nodded, agreeing that Yu Qian's actions were indeed prudent.

"What about Zhu Qizhen? Is he dead?"

Empress Ma was always kind-hearted and only wished for everyone to live long lives, let alone her descendants.

But now, she really wants Zhu Qizhen to die quickly.

Such a thing is unsettling to be alive; it's an absolute disgrace!

This is not only a disgrace to the Zhu family, but also a disgrace to the entire Ming Dynasty!
Judging from their actions, they were in no way inferior to the three Zhao brothers, Zhao Ji and Zhao Gou, of the Song Dynasty.

"No."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head.

And wouldn't he also like this thing to die quickly?

If he were to die, the history of his Ming Dynasty might be very different.

But, ironically, this thing just won't die.

"When Esen retreated, he took him away and put him to live on the grassland."

During this process, his mother, Empress Sun, repeatedly sent people to the grasslands to deliver large amounts of food, clothing, daily necessities, gold, silver, and other treasures to him..."

As a mother, Empress Ma could understand her behavior, but from another perspective, she felt that this was wrong.

Zhu Qizhen did not deserve these.

That kind of bastard should die on the grassland!
"In this process, the Ming Dynasty also used Zhu Qizhen as a hostage to blackmail the Ming Dynasty and wanted to obtain something."

But they were all turned away by my Ming Dynasty side, and all were rejected.

Under these circumstances, he changed his strategy and released Zhu Qizhen.

Empress Ma was taken aback upon hearing this; these people truly had malicious intentions.

"How is the Ming Dynasty reacting?"

"Zhu Qiyu was initially unwilling to accept it, but Yu Qian persuaded him to prioritize the interests of the nation."

Zhu Qiyu finally agreed to let him return.

Upon his return, he was placed in the Southern Palace and subjected to a life of confinement.

Empress Ma frowned, then seemed somewhat relieved.

"Next, his place probably caught fire, or he suddenly died of some disease?"

Empress Ma was all too familiar with this matter.

Similar events have occurred countless times throughout history.

Putting aside everything else, just look at his own fourth son. After he became emperor, didn't all of Biao'er's sons either catch fire or suddenly die?

The ancestors have set a good example; Zhu Qiyu could definitely learn from them!

If Zhu Qiyu had done this, Empress Ma would not have been angry; on the contrary, she would have applauded.

She also felt that this was one of the reasons why Yu Qian persuaded Zhu Qiyu to bring Zhu Qizhen back.

We can agree to his return first, to save face, and then let him die suddenly after a while.

In this way, both substance and appearance are taken care of, and things become much easier.

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed: "Sister, no, he has been living in the Southern Palace since he came back."

Ok? !

Empress Ma was taken aback upon hearing this.

How could this be?
That bastard should be killed right away! Are we going to keep him around for the New Year?!

Such a thing, with its special status and disgusting deeds, would be better off dead!
"On the one hand, Zhu Qiyu was kind-hearted; on the other hand, Zhu Qizhen's mother, Lady Sun, was the empress, and as the head of the harem, she had great control over it."

This is also largely due to the fact that many of the previous court officials were promoted by Zhu Qizhen.

Of course, there are also some speculators among them.

In any case, due to the interplay of various circumstances, the result was that this guy didn't die.

Speaking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang was also filled with regret.

If it were him, he would never let Zhu Qizhen live, no matter what.

Let alone sending him back to the capital to live in the Southern Palace.

On the way back, they and their horses would fall off the cliff!

Upon hearing this, Empress Ma couldn't help but feel worried.

"Chongba, could it be that something terrible happened later and he ascended the throne again?"

This is the last thing she wanted to see.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang let out a long sigh.

Under the apprehensive gaze of his younger sister, he nodded.

He knew what his sister wanted to see.

I also know what my sister is afraid of seeing.

He had the same idea, but unfortunately things didn't go as planned.

With this kind of thing, he's essentially back on the throne!
"How...how could this be?"

Empress Ma looked displeased, unwilling to accept such an outcome.

In the eighth year of the Jingtai reign, Zhu Qiyu fell seriously ill.

Before this, Zhu Qiyu had done something.

That was to depose Zhu Qizhen's son, Zhu Jianshen, the crown prince.

He appointed his son Zhu Jianji as crown prince.

Zhu Jianshen's position as crown prince was decided before Zhu Qizhen went on his expedition.

When Yu Qian and others urged Zhu Qiyu to ascend the throne, one of the conditions proposed by Lady Sun was that after Zhu Qiyu's ascension, the crown prince could only be Zhu Jianshen.

Empress Ma sighed upon hearing this, not because she felt Zhu Qiyu shouldn't have done it, but because she felt he hadn't grasped the important point.

What he needs to do most is not to replace the crown prince with his son, but to kill this bastard Zhu Qizhen first!

Once we kill him, it will be much easier to decide who the next crown prince will be!

"Zhu Qiyu's son, Zhu Jianji, did not live long after being made crown prince."

He died very soon.

Empress Ma was not surprised by this, as it seemed to make perfect sense.

This incident shows that Zhu Qiyu's control over the palace was indeed weak.

Most importantly, there was Sun, Zhu Qizhen's biological mother.

It seems that the first person to be killed should not be Zhu Qizhen, but Sun Shi, who only has maternal affection in her eyes and no sense of national righteousness!

In the first month of the eighth year of the Jingtai reign, Zhu Qiyu fell seriously ill and summoned Shi Heng to his bedside, where he personally gave him earnest instructions.

Shi Heng agreed to everything, but after witnessing Zhu Qiyu's illness firsthand, he began to have his own plans.

After withdrawing, he immediately sent someone to find Zhang Yi, the former Right Vice-General of the Imperial Household Department, and the eunuch Cao Jixiang, telling them that Zhu Qiyu was dying and to discuss how to secure his own future. At this time, there was a rumor in the capital that Grand Secretary Wang Wenzheng was strongly urging Zhu Qiyu to make the eldest son of Prince Xiang, Zhu Zhanxian, the crown prince.

If this is the case, Wang Wen will be a key figure in establishing the dynasty and will have made the greatest contribution.

Even if Prince Yi, Zhu Jianshen, were reinstated as crown prince, the decision would be the responsibility of civil officials, and the credit would not go to military generals such as Shi Heng and Zhang Yi.

Shi Heng said: "Zhu Qiyu's illness is already serious. If something unexpected happens, and there is no crown prince, it would be better to take advantage of the situation and ask the retired emperor to be restored to the throne. This would be an unparalleled achievement..."

Empress Ma said bitterly, "Throughout history, many of the struggles that have taken place in the royal family have been instigated by these ambitious people who want to make some contribution to the rise of the new emperor!"

"When doing this, they had a clear division of labor and worked together with the eunuch Cao Jixiang."

Send Cao Jixiang to Lady Sun to request the Empress's decree.

Subsequently, they also contacted Sun's own brother.

On the night of the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, they arrived at the Southern Palace and forcefully entered.

When Zhu Qizhen heard the commotion, he thought that Zhu Qiyu had sent someone to kill him, and he was terrified.

Only then did I understand what was going on.

After learning what these people wanted to do, he immediately agreed.

Furthermore, they asked each of these people their names and followed them out of the Southern Palace...

On the daytime of the sixteenth day of the first month, Wang Zhi, Minister of Personnel, Hu Ying, Minister of Rites, and Yu Qian, Minister of War, together with other officials, discussed the matter and decided to jointly submit a memorial to the throne requesting the reinstatement of Zhu Jianshen, Prince of Yi, as Crown Prince.

The crowd elected Shang Lu to draft the memorial, but by the time it was completed, the sun was setting and there was no time to present it to the court.

Therefore, the court officials decided to submit the memorial the following morning when Zhu Qiyu held court.

As a result, the coup took place that very night.

Something went wrong.

When Zhu Qizhen and his entourage arrived at Donghua Gate, the soldiers guarding the gate stepped forward to stop them.

Zhu Qizhen stepped forward and declared himself the retired emperor.

The soldiers guarding the gate dared not stop them.

Thus, the group entered the palace without bloodshed and headed towards Fengtian Gate, where the emperor held court.

They quickly helped Zhu Qizhen onto the throne in the Fengtian Hall.

The warriors in the hall brandished golden maces, ready to strike Xu Youzhen and his men, but Zhu Qizhen stopped them.

Xu Youzhen and the others kowtowed together and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

Shi Heng rang the bells and drums, summoning his ministers.

When the assembled officials arrived at the court, they discovered that the person sitting on the dragon throne was none other than Zhu Qizhen.

Everyone was astonished.

Zhu Qizhen said that Zhu Qiyu was seriously ill and unable to perform his duties, so the ministers asked him to come out and ascend the throne.

Xu Youzhen, standing to the side, reprimanded the assembled officials and ordered them to kneel.

The officials had no choice but to kowtow...

At that time, Zhu Qiyu was washing and preparing to hold court.

Upon hearing the noise, I initially thought Yu Qian was plotting a rebellion.

Later, upon learning that it was Zhu Qizhen's restoration, Zhu Qiyu repeatedly said "good" and lay back down on the bed...

More than a month later, Zhu Qiyu died.

He was thirty years old at the time, and was buried in Xishan with the rites due to a prince. He was posthumously given the title "Li" and buried in Jinshan. His mausoleum was destroyed, and his concubines were all ordered to commit suicide and be buried with him.

"boom!"

Empress Ma slammed her hand on the table, her emotions running high.

The person who single-handedly ruined the Ming Dynasty and brought about such a catastrophe did not die, but was instead enthroned by others.

They overthrew the emperor who, in a moment of crisis, was appointed emperor, defended Beiping, and made great contributions.

They died under mysterious circumstances, it's infuriating!
Where is Yu Qian?

After calming herself down, Empress Ma asked again, her heart sinking lower and lower.

"Some say that Yu Qian learned of Shi Heng and others' actions that night and was informed of them."

However, they did not stop it.

The troops in the capital did not make any unusual movements.

A few days later, he and Wang Zhi and others were arrested and subsequently executed…

When Zhu Yuanzhang spoke of these things, his voice was heavy with sorrow.

Yu Qian's inaction during the Tumu Crisis became one of the reasons why many people have given him negative reviews.

It is said that Yu Qian stood by and watched the coup take place, and that Yu Qian betrayed Zhu Qiyu, etc.

Well... if you look at it from this perspective, Zhu Yuanzhang also thinks it makes sense.

But he felt that perhaps Yu Qian could be viewed from a higher perspective.

What would happen if Yu Qian chose to use force? The situation would be greatly disrupted, and countless people would be affected.

More importantly, Zhu Qiyu was in poor health and had no son.

Moreover, these people's actions were permitted by Empress Dowager Sun, and they had an imperial edict in their possession.

The legal basis for Zhu Qiyu's ascension to the throne was also the imperial edict of the Sun family.

Moreover, it has already been decided that Zhu Jianshen will be made crown prince again.

In this situation, let alone whether he could mobilize his troops in time, whether those troops would obey his orders, and whether he could successfully stop them.

Even if it is prevented, it is unlikely to bring about any significant change.

This will not only make the Ming Dynasty more turbulent and subject it to more setbacks.

Did Yu Qian not know what would happen to him after Zhu Qizhen ascended the throne and restored the monarchy?

Zhu Yuanzhang did not think so.

Yet he still made this choice, and this is precisely a perfect reflection of Yu Qian's character.

What Yu Qian thought about was not any individual, nor was he loyal to any particular emperor, but rather to the Ming Dynasty!

Looking at things from this perspective, many things become clearer...

"Carved and hammered from the deep mountains, tempered by raging fire as if nothing. Unafraid of being ground to powder and shattered body, I only wish to leave my purity in the world..."

Girl, this is a poem Yu Qian wrote when he was twelve years old…

Empress Ma's eyes reddened, and she felt a tightness in her chest.

Zhu Qizhen was a beast, truly a beast!

His evil deeds alone are greater than those of Zhao Gou and his two sons!
What's the difference between killing Yu Qian and Zhao Gou wrongfully killing Yue Fei?
He actually killed someone like Yu Qian.

Zhu Qizhen truly deserved to die!
I thought that Zhu Yunwen's many actions were enough to drive people crazy.

Now that she had learned about Zhu Qizhen, Empress Ma realized that she had been thinking too much before.

Seeing his sister's reaction, Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a moment and decided not to mention the things that happened after his sister's restoration: mourning and offering sacrifices to Wang Zhen, building a temple for Esen, and sending the wives and daughters of meritorious men to the Oirats for abuse.

Otherwise, he was really afraid that his sister would get seriously ill because of such a beast.

"Girl, these things all happened in history."

Now that we're starting over, we'll make sure it never happens again!
Let me explain, girl, just so we have a general idea.

You absolutely mustn't let this upset you and ruin your health.

Zhu Yuanzhang offered words of comfort and reassurance.

"Hey girl, it's late, let's go to sleep!"

Zhu Yuanzhang stopped there and did not say anything more about these matters.

The Ming Dynasty itself was filled with many unpleasant things that followed.

He was afraid that if he said too much, the girl wouldn't be able to handle it.
What I've said today is enough for this girl to digest for a long time...

……

Inside the Wuying Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang sat in a chair, with his crown prince Zhu Biao sitting opposite him.

"Biao'er, it's time to survey the land and establish the Yellow Register!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao and spoke.

He paused for a moment, then spoke again: "The policy of 'integrating the land tax into the poll tax' should also be implemented!"

(End of this chapter)