Inheriting a Taoist temple, the story begins with Wu Zetian offering incense.

Chapter 409 Destroying Ten Kingdoms, Reviving China! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Upon hearing that moving the capital would benefit the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang decided to put the matter on the agenda.

Of course, moving the capital involves many aspects and cannot be resolved in a few words, but arrangements can be made in advance, such as firing bricks and building the city. Once the city is completed, everything will fall into place naturally.

While establishing the capital in Nanjing was a good idea, it made it difficult to exert influence in the north, especially in the northwest, where it would be even more challenging.

Setting out from Nanjing to conquer Gansu and other places would take several months just to travel, which would consume a huge amount of food and energy. Even if they arrived, they would be an exhausted army that would be at the mercy of others.

Starting from Luoyang is like having the script of the Eastern Han Dynasty, but a pure version without the interference of the empress's relatives in politics. Conquering the Northwest would be incredibly easy.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked:
"Immortal Master, which country did you ask me to destroy before?"

"Japan!"

During the Yuan Dynasty, after Kublai Khan conquered Goryeo, he sent envoys to Japan, which was separated by a sea, to request "friendly relations." The Kamakura Shogunate in Japan did not respond.

Kublai Khan felt humiliated and launched a large-scale invasion of Japan. The first invasion failed due to underestimating the enemy. The second invasion was carried out with a stronger force, but a typhoon struck, causing heavy losses to the fleet, and the campaign was abandoned.

The Japanese called this typhoon "Kamikaze," and later, people often regarded Kamikaze as a belief, which originated from this strong wind.

Now, upon hearing the I Ching's prediction of the destruction of Japan, Zhu Yuanzhang brought up his hatred for Japan:

"When the nation was founded last year, I sent someone to Japan to confer a title upon the King of Wa, but the envoy was killed..."

Confucius asked:

Why don't you send troops to attack?

Zhu Yuanzhang then spoke of his predicament:
"The court is saying that Japan is protected by divine winds. Kublai Khan should not have provoked them in the first place, which led to the loss of a large number of troops and even affected the fate of the Yuan Dynasty. Our Great Ming has just been established. It would be unwise to attack rashly."

The Book of Changes says:

"There are no divine winds. As long as you go to war, the weather will be favorable... The gods of China are your support. If you need any god's help, just pray at the Hunyuan Palace."

With this guarantee in hand, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately signed a military pledge:

"Within one year, the soldiers of our Great Ming will surely set foot on the land of Japan, and within three years, we will surely destroy its capital."

As long as nature doesn't sabotage us, taking over Japan should be a piece of cake. Besides, the Japanese pirates are constantly harassing the coastal areas; it's time to settle accounts with these bastards.

Confucius took a piece of paper and gave Zhu Yuanzhang a list of territories that must be destroyed or occupied:

Japan (ethnic enmity), Jurchen (national annihilation), Northern Yuan (ten generations of enmity), Southern Yue (territorial division), Luzon (island seizure), Korea (betrayal), Oirat (border invasion), Tatars (plunder), Western Regions (faith conflict), Burma (border conflict).

By conquering these ten countries and regions, the territory of the Ming Dynasty will not only expand, but it will also become a major land power and a major maritime power... Walking on two legs is naturally more stable than walking on one leg.

Zhou Yi handed the list to Zhu Yuanzhang and said with a smile:

"This is the perfect tonic for your Great Ming Dynasty. Once realized, the Great Ming Dynasty will far surpass the Han and Tang Dynasties and become the highest peak of China."

Old Zhu took it, examined it carefully, and then gently tucked it into his pocket:
"Once the fighting in the north eases up a bit, I will start sending people to do these things. The shipyards in Quanzhou and Yangzhou will be urged to start construction soon to prepare for the naval campaign."

At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang had not yet established a maritime ban, nor had he established any so-called "countries not to be conquered." The goals Confucius set for him were, in effect, the elimination of the landlord mentality of closing the door and living a secluded life, which was prevalent in history.

Then, Zhu Yuanzhang inquired about his lifespan:
"Immortal Master, how long can I live?"

The Book of Changes says:

"You've lived to seventy, so don't worry about your lifespan. Just do what you want to do."

Zhu Yuanzhang always thought he would only live to be fifty, so when he was almost fifty, he stopped fighting against foreign enemies and handed over all matters to Zhu Biao. He also indulged the meritorious officials.

He had read too many stories of brothers seizing power in history books, so he wanted to transfer power smoothly. As a result, when he turned fifty, he not only ate well and was able to fight and jump, but he was even more energetic than before.

It was at this point that Old Zhu realized Hu Weiyong had gone too far... Since he had gone too far, then let's start with him.

Having just passed the hurdle of turning fifty, Zhu Yuanzhang hardened his hands, thoroughly investigated corruption internally, and waged wars against foreign powers year after year, quickly shifting from conservatism to radicalism.

Confucius reminded him:
"Emperor Zhu needs to pay attention to the people's beliefs. The information I saw from the immortal master says that missionaries are spreading foreign religions in the coastal areas and worshiping foreign evil spirits. This matter is of great importance, so you must be careful."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded repeatedly:
"Thank you for the reminder, Master. I will arrange for someone to stop this."

The wind and rain outside gradually stopped. Wu Meiniang prepared a bunch of small items for Zhu Yuanzhang, such as flashlights and lighters, so that he could use these things to attract the attention of the ministers. When he came again, she would give him some solar panels and a few walkie-talkies to improve communication around Nanjing and gradually change the Ming Dynasty.

After Zhu Yuanzhang left, Wu Zetian said:
"History books say that Zhu Chongba was cruel and bloodthirsty, but after chatting with him today, I feel that the historical records are biased."

Zhou Yi nodded:

"For many years, the people under his rule maintained a tax rate of one-thirtieth, a rate that was only achieved during a few periods in history, such as the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing. In addition, he reduced taxes many times, established schools, almshouses and other welfare institutions, built water conservancy projects, dredged rivers, and promoted tree planting, investing a lot in people's livelihood... Unfortunately, despite doing so much, he still earned the title of tyrant in history."

The emperors who seem powerful in the eyes of modern people didn't have a good reputation in ancient times, especially during the Ming Dynasty. The Confucius family led the way, taking pride in belittling the emperor. Scholars and officials from all over the country would frequently go to temples to cry and engage in moral blackmail. The portrait of Zhu Yuanzhang with a pockmarked, long face originated from the Confucius family in Qufu, and was then mistakenly believed to be what Zhu Yuanzhang actually looked like.

Don't you think about it? If Zhu Yuanzhang really had a long, narrow face, would Empress Ma have stolen pancakes for him to eat? Would Guo Zixing have accepted him as his son-in-law?
Confucius sighed:
"This is my fault. I have always advocated the simple and honest folk customs, the benevolent kings, and the loyal ministers of the Yao, Shun, and Yu era. I never expected that all the scholars and literati of China would become hypocrites."

An emperor who pleases the literati is a good emperor; an emperor who does not please the literati is a tyrant who indulges in extravagance and debauchery.

Fortunately, it wasn't too late; there was still time to salvage the situation.

Just as Zhu Yuanzhang eliminated the division between the North and the South and the multi-ethnic groups, he simply and brutally ordered that all people living within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, regardless of where they came from, should change their names and surnames to Han names, follow Han etiquette, and respect Han sages.

At first, people from different places were hesitant and wanted to preserve their own traditions, but after three generations, they became one family. There were no more messy ethnicities, cultures, and traditions; they were all thoroughly Han Chinese.

Although it is a bit troublesome to change the views of intellectuals now, it can still bring about a significant change after three generations.

Wu Zetian thought that next time she could prepare some teaching materials for Zhu Yuanzhang and change the Ming Dynasty's eight-legged essay system for selecting officials to a system of selecting officials based on their respective subjects.

To determine the type of talent needed, we simply set exam questions based on that specific area and select the best candidates.

Taking advantage of the downfall of the Confucius family in Qufu during the Hongwu era, we should seize the opportunity to reform the imperial examination system and establish textbooks for all levels. If we develop in this way for fifty years, the Ming Dynasty will usher in an era of flourishing talent.

Even in an era dominated by the rigid eight-legged essay, the Ming Dynasty still produced travelers, astronomers, mathematicians, and so on. If their minds were opened up now, their achievements would likely be even greater.

In a sense, this was tantamount to a Renaissance taking place in the Ming Dynasty.

Europe rose to prominence through the Renaissance, and now the Ming Dynasty is directly following their path, leaving Europe with nowhere to go.

On the other side, in the world of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty.

Wei Qing's army slowly returned to the capital. Wherever they went, the people would welcome them with food and drink, and line the streets to celebrate the Han Dynasty's victory over the Xiongnu once again.

Wei Qing led a small force, most of which remained in the five southern prefectures of Mohe to guard the prisoners and strive to build the road to Jinyang before winter to enable a rapid response in the northern frontier.

In addition, some prisoners will be transported to Hedong for mining.

Hedong has been a vital hub for salt and iron production since ancient times. During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao's dominance in the north was largely due to the supply of salt and iron from Hedong.

Now, Wei Qing plans to have people open mines to increase iron smelting and begin mining coal to produce coke, further improving the quality of Han Dynasty ironware.

When they arrived in Jinyang, Huo Qubing contacted Wei Qing via walkie-talkie.

Today, Wei Qing, the Marquis of Pingyang County, finally arrived in Pingyang County and visited Huo Zhongru's home. As Huo's maternal uncle, he had a hot pot meal with the Huo family.

The mutton was brought from the Xiongnu, and it tasted delicious. Huo Guang, who had just turned eight, ate it with shining eyes... Huo Zhongru's salary was relatively small, and his family rarely ate meat in the past.

Ever since Huo Qubing came, the little guy has had meat to eat at every meal, which makes him very happy.

Huo Zhongru spoke about the living conditions in Pingyang County:

"Yesterday, someone was poisoned by beans again, and it almost killed them. It was only by Qubing's method of purging the stomach and inducing vomiting that they were saved... General, do you have any recipes for eating beans?"

Wei Qing glanced at Huo Qubing:
"It can be made into tofu or dried tofu to avoid poisoning. As for how to make it, Qubing has a lot of experience."

Having grown up in the palace, Huo Qubing lacked the sensitivity to matters of daily life that Wei Qing, who came from a background of horse slaves. Upon hearing the word "tofu," he pulled out his tablet and found the process of making tofu:
"We're still waiting for the tofu from Huainan to come over. Since that's the case, let's start with Pingyang County first."

Huo Zhongru wanted to give it a try as soon as he heard that:
"If it becomes a hit in Hedong, it needs a catchy name."

Huo Guang reacted quickly:
“My elder brother is the Marquis of Champion of the Han Dynasty, so how about we call him Champion Tofu?...Brother, what does tofu taste like? Is it delicious?”

Huo Qubing said with a smile:

"I will go to Master's place tomorrow. I will bring you a piece of tofu so you can try it."

When the Hunyuan Palace was mentioned, Wei Qing asked:

"Is there progress in other worlds as well?"

"Yes, but I don't know the specifics yet. General Zigong and Ban Chao haven't been there for a long time. Every world is making rapid progress, so we need to hurry up too."

Wei Qing nodded:

"Once we have gathered enough military provisions, I will request Your Majesty to send troops to Hexi to resolve the threat from the Xiongnu."

While the uncle and nephew were chatting, Xin Qiji, after many days of travel, finally arrived in Bianliang, the Nanjing of the Jin Dynasty, during the Southern Song Dynasty!

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Thank you so much to reader [Longfei Jiuxiao] for the 10,000 book coins! You've gone to so much trouble, thank you so much!

(End of this chapter)