The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 5 Sharpening the Knife for the Enemy

Night had fallen, but the small windows in the Li family's villa were brightly lit.

Li Qi held a pen in his hand, looked up at the clear moon in the sky, and after a long while, he put down his pen with the force of wind and thunder, as if wielding a divine sword.

Princess Lin'an, heavily pregnant, entered the study. "My husband, why aren't you asleep so late?"

Li Qi put down his pen, took the calming tea from Princess Lin'an, and helped her sit down. "When I was reading this evening, I suddenly thought of the old stories of the Duke's mansion when I came to the chapter 'Treat the ruler with sincerity'."

In fact, before the great calamity, my father had warned me many times, but he and his followers were stubborn and refused to listen, which led to the current predicament.

Overwhelmed with grief, I have taken up my pen to write this essay to express my remorse to my father, the Emperor.

Princess Lin'an understood.

It has been half a year since Li Qi and his family returned to the capital. Because the case in Yangzhou Prefecture has not yet broken out, Li Qi has kept a low profile.

On the one hand, he accompanied Princess Lin'an during her pregnancy, and on the other hand, through Princess Lin'an's channels, he sent the emperor a letter of apology and his reading notes.

She not only established a persona of "acknowledging and correcting her mistakes," but also increased her standing in the emperor's eyes through her academic progress.

The results over the past six months have been remarkable, and the palace frequently sends messages of greeting.

Princess Lin'an could tell from her father's reply that he was very satisfied with Li Qi's serious attitude, sincere repentance, and obvious progress.

Princess Lin'an picked up the article written by Li Qi, "This humble subject has heard that rulers and ministers of the past bore the weight of the world and worried about the hardships of the people."
…,
Ancient stories of emperors and their ministers have been recorded in history, such as the relationship between Emperor Taizong of Tang and Wei Zheng. Now, the emperor is far superior to Taizong, but his ministers are all driven by selfishness rather than public interest.

…,
Your son feels deeply ashamed. I should have advised Father to treat His Majesty sincerely sooner… Now His Majesty has forgiven this humble subject out of familial affection. If I do not serve you sincerely in this life and the next, how can I possibly survive in this world?

With just the four characters "treat the ruler with sincerity," Li Qi wrote an 800-word essay, which also quoted extensively from classical texts. This demonstrates the power of the "great Confucian tradition."

Products produced by the system must be of high quality.

Princess Lin'an now had a general understanding of what Li Qi had done, and asked suspiciously, "Prince Consort, Father Emperor forbade you to participate in politics, but this involves some political views. Did you do this on purpose?"

Li Qi did it on purpose; he deliberately timed the writing of this article to coincide with the time of the case in Anfeng County, Yangzhou Prefecture.

His eyes gleamed: "My wife, although I cannot serve as an official, have you not heard of the minister in plain clothes?"
If we are to build a ladder to the clouds or stepping stones for our descendants, then our current position and power are insufficient to do so.

Princess Lin'an's eyes reddened upon hearing this. Ever since Liu Yong of the Song Dynasty referred to himself as a "white-robed prime minister," this term has come to mean political disappointment. Hearing Li Qi say it now, she felt only heartache.

Hearing Li Qi mention "climbing the ladder to the clouds" and "the stone underfoot" brought tears to her eyes.

"My husband had a bright future ahead of him, with both literary and military talents, but... is there really no other way?"

"Impossible. Not to mention me, even the child in your womb will never be able to surpass the rank of a third-grade official in the capital."

Li Qi gently stroked Princess Lin'an's swollen belly, inside which lay his child.

The next generation of heirs of the Li family.

He was well aware that the Hu-Lan Party case was a major event that spanned the Hongwu reign, and Li Shanchang was one of the key figures in the case, meaning that Li's political future was zero.

This situation was not expected to change until at least the Yongle era.

As long as the status of a descendant of a disgraced official remains, it will be a shackle that prevents one from climbing to the top of the political ladder.

The process of completely exonerating Li Shanchang—that is, bestowing upon him a posthumous title, granting him a princely rank, and allowing him to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple—was extremely difficult at every step.

Emperor Renzong of Ming was a good emperor who valued civil administration. During his reign, the Li family may have had a chance to exonerate Li Shanchang.

However, the actual granting of a royal title to Li Shanchang may have to wait until the Li family's power and status are even higher.

Moreover, in this world, there are gains and losses. The Li family was spared death because of Princess Lin'an's status, but their status as relatives of the emperor also limited their future.

Only after Princess Lin'an passes away will the Li family descendants, including Li Qi and Princess Lin'an's grandchildren, truly have unlimited numbers.

The Li family now has no choice but to take unconventional approaches.

Princess Lin'an, unwilling to dwell on these painful memories, asked, "Why is this document being presented at this time?"

Li Qi pointed to a passage in the text and said, "Although the whole text talks about the necessity of 'treating the ruler with sincerity' and how to 'treat the ruler with sincerity,' this passage is actually the core."

Princess Lin'an looked in the direction Li Qi pointed, and the content was roughly as follows: "The corrupt officials in the court are emerging one after another. Their crimes are as deep as the ocean and their evil as heavy as the mountains. Before the bodies of the previous batch of people who were killed have been cleaned up, the next batch of death row inmates have been sent to the execution ground."

Li Qi said with a cold glint in his eyes, "There are so many stories of harmonious relationships between rulers and ministers in ancient times, but the Ming Dynasty only had corrupt officials."

The Emperor has become increasingly bloodthirsty in recent years because he has grown increasingly distrustful of his subjects.

Some people denounced the emperor as a tyrant, even citing Mencius's saying that the ruler treats his subjects like dirt and the subjects treat their ruler like an enemy.

And I, as your husband, will be able to give Father Emperor an answer that will satisfy him most.

This is the sharpest sword Li Qi has forged in the past six months, a divine sword that can roam freely in the Hongwu Dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang's greatest wish was to ensure that the Ming Dynasty would last for ten thousand generations, and that his descendants would forever rule the country.

Although Li Qi's annotations appear to be Confucian scholarship, their core is the result of his diligent work, drawing on the wisdom of later generations, referencing ancient and modern methods of governance from both China and abroad, and taking into account the current situation of the Ming Dynasty.

Every word and every sentence was intended to move Zhu Yuanzhang and to enhance the legitimacy of the Ming Dynasty's imperial rule!
In this era, no one understood better than Li Qi how to please a feudal ruler; no one understood better than Li Qi how to strengthen the rule of a feudal dynasty!

This is a grand strategy that began as soon as the great Confucian scholar's legacy was acquired.

First, he used Princess Lin'an to move her with his emotions, with the aim of establishing communication between Jiangpu and the palace, so that his thoughts could be seen by the emperor. And these "new Confucian" ideas with the characteristics of the Ming Dynasty were his trump card!
The Embroidered Uniform Guard was a knife in Zhu Yuanzhang's hand, killing flesh and blood, while his Neo-Confucianism would be another knife that kills without shedding blood.

One in the light, one in the dark; one civil, one military—they safeguard the eternal stability of the Ming Dynasty.

"When Father sees these, he will surely summon me to the palace."

"So it was to enter the palace. Is it something important?"

Li Qi stroked the paper of the letter and said in a deep voice, "It is about Yang Jing, the Minister of Justice. He participated in the downfall of the government and even attacked us in Jiangpu County. I will naturally not let him go."

These past few days, I've gathered some information. A commoner named Wang Wu from Anfeng County, Yangzhou Prefecture, has come to the capital to file a complaint. This case is of great importance, involving the Five Military Commands, the Ministry of War, and the garrisons. Father will surely entrust it to the Minister of Justice, and that means Minister Yang Jing's death is imminent. "Could it be that Yang Jing is corrupt and perverts the law? Father has always despised such things. If it's true, he's doomed, but..."

Seeing Princess Lin'an's hesitant expression, Li Qi smiled and said, "My wife, are you trying to say that I cannot get involved in this matter?"
This is because it involves attacking ministers and interfering in politics, and the emperor will be furious.

My father will surely reprimand me severely, and may even temporarily let Yang Jing go in order to teach me a lesson, only to deal with him later.

Princess Lin'an nodded silently.

Zhu Yuanzhang was a man who valued politics more than practical matters. He knew that abolishing the prime minister system would be detrimental, but from a political perspective of maintaining imperial power, he still did it.

Yang Jing's violation of the law was a specific issue, important but too common. However, Li Qi's involvement in this matter touched upon the political climate of the Hongwu reign, which Zhu Yuanzhang could not tolerate.

Li Qi would never commit suicide.

He gently stroked Princess Lin'an's long black hair and said softly, "My wife, don't worry. I don't intend to directly impeach Yang Jing. Sometimes, killing someone doesn't require personally holding a knife and stabbing them to death. Just watch how Yang Jing died under the overwhelming force of the times."

The oil candles flickered, and the room fell silent.

“Father, if you grant the Li family a bright future today, the Li family will ensure the Ming Dynasty’s rule for another five hundred years. Now that you have read this article, you should draw your sword, which I have been sharpening for so long.”

He thought to himself, but no one answered; only the bright moon hung high in the sky.

……

Fengtian Temple.

Today, not only Zhu Yuanzhang was in the palace, but also the Crown Prince Zhu Biao, who had just returned to the capital. He was very pleased to see the "Daoist learning" that Li Qi had brought to the palace. It was "refreshing" and "progressed rapidly," and he was showing signs of becoming a "great Confucian scholar."

He once joked, "He can pass the imperial examination in three months, and in half a year he is already as good as the average person who has studied for ten years. Such a speed of progress is rare in my life. My brother-in-law has the appearance of a sage."

The article Li Qi wrote last night has been sent to the palace. Judging from the smile on his father's face, his brother-in-law has once again touched his father's heart.

Zhu Yuanzhang had just finished reading it when he handed it to Zhu Biao and said with a sigh, "If Li Qi had realized his mistake earlier and advised Li Shanchang, things might not have come to this."

Zhu Biao took it and looked at it. "It turns out to be 'Treat the ruler with sincerity'."

He read quickly. “My brother-in-law spoke earnestly, and from the Li family’s misfortune, he concluded that a subject must treat his ruler as if he were the heavens, and be completely open and honest in everything he does, in order to achieve harmony between the ruler and his subject. This is something that no one has ever said before.”

Because it's simply impossible. No one can completely open their heart to another person. Moreover, in a society that is outwardly Confucian but inwardly Legalist, the essence of the relationship between the ruler and his subjects is that "the ruler and his subjects are constantly at war," and the two sides are adversaries!
Those sages would naturally not waste their time on this; anyone else who wrote such things would only be criticized for pandering to superiors and would be despised by the literati.

However, Li Qi wrote these things because he had experienced the collapse of a great empire and the destruction of his family due to the distrust between the emperor and his ministers, and thus he had these insights.

This also reinforced the image of him as someone who "sincerely repented" in Zhu Yuanzhang's mind.

"Biao'er, we're going to push Li Qi out. He's capable and thoughtful, so there's no need to keep nagging him."

"Publish Li Qi's article so those ministers can see it. Learn from past mistakes; we are not unreasonable people, nor are we people who punish without warning."

Zhu Biao asked in shock, "Father, are you planning to exonerate the Duke of Han's family?"

Pushing Li Qi to the forefront is an extremely unusual signal, and it's hard to imagine how the outer court will interpret it.

No, quite the opposite!
"I want you to release all of Li Qi's writings about repentance from the past year. Even Li Shanchang's own son said that his father was the main culprit in causing distrust between the emperor and his ministers. Aren't I absolutely right in doing this?"

This is one of Li Qi's tactics of retreating to advance!

Zhu Yuanzhang valued his reputation above all else; he would never admit to making any mistakes.

Li Qi's actions were aimed at saving face for Zhu Yuanzhang.

Since it's impossible to overturn the verdict in the case of the Duke of Han's Mansion during the Hongwu reign, it doesn't matter if we add a little more ink to his already infamous reputation.

Using something that has no inherent value, yet gaining the emperor's greater trust—who wouldn't say that's incredibly profitable?

Zhu Yuanzhang instructed Zhu Biao, "Biao'er, we know you've always felt that we've been too ruthless in our killings, but let me tell you, if these scholars aren't disciplined, they'll remain rebellious for a day."

Don't think we don't know that those scholars look down on us.

snort!
Then we'll teach them a lesson. But these scholars are truly wicked. If force doesn't work, we'll try persuasion. They want to undermine the foundation of our Great Ming Dynasty, and we will never allow that.

We didn't have anyone to rely on before, but now that we have Li Qi as our weapon, let's sharpen them properly!
"It's truly a blessing from heaven for the Ming Dynasty that I was able to meet Li Qi before I died. If it were anyone else, I really wouldn't feel at ease."

Zhu Biao naturally understood the meaning behind his father's words.

Li Qi is a very special individual.

Only by combining knowledge and power can a Confucian scholar become a true leader of the scholar community, like Liu Bowen, the Earl of Chengyi, whose power was so great that he could even rival the behemoth that was the Huaixi Nobles!

Li Qi was born with congenital deficiencies.

First, he was guilty of a great crime and was not tolerated by the world. He was even allowed to live because the emperor had shown him special mercy. Legally, Li Qi was still sentenced to death immediately. This sentence was blocked by the imperial power, but it was not canceled.

If the emperor so desired, he could have executed Li Qi legally and justifiably. This is why Li Qi said, "I live only because of love." He truly survived because of "the emperor's love."

Secondly, he was a relative of the emperor, a status that made him a "favored person," or "someone with connections," which further distanced him from scholars.

Li Qi has no real political future, so he cannot provide political resources or benefits to other members of his faction, and therefore cannot rise to a high position and consolidate his power.

He could only be a court writer, like the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a tool in the emperor's hand.

Furthermore, because Li Qi is extremely talented, his future achievements in literature and philosophy are limitless. His status as a sage is no exaggeration. He is fully capable of standing up to the imperial power and those scholars. This sword will be extremely sharp!
How can a future sage of Confucianism who wholeheartedly stands on the side of imperial power and poses no threat to it not be considered a blessing from heaven?
What about Li Qi?
Of course he knew about this!

He knew this from the beginning; it was the wrong path.

But he willingly and proactively became this knife, willingly and proactively clearing obstacles for the Ming Dynasty royal family and the Ming emperor!
Among them is a wish for the well-being of all people.

However, there is also the possibility that he wants to stand in a high position for the sake of his soon-to-be-born son, the eldest son of the Li family.

as well as,

May our family endure for generations!
(End of this chapter)