The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 55 Li Qi's Actions
Zhu Di was extremely proactive, especially after Zhu Gaochi fled back to Beiping, he had been making preparations ever since.

Therefore, he did not even fight back when he was in dire straits as in history, but instead directly used his power to "control the borders" to start an army.

Furthermore, Li Qi, leveraging his renowned reputation among scholars, especially north of the Yellow River, had already spread the story of the Prince of Xiang throughout the land.

Zhu Di was pleasantly surprised to find that he didn't even need to explain anything; his soldiers and even the scholars knew what he was going to do.

Moreover, Li Qi's reasoning was very appropriate.

Li Qi's criticisms of the emperor in the Golden Palace were all brief and to the point, mostly accusing the emperor of protecting treacherous officials. The main criticism was directed at Huang Zicheng, Qi Tai, and others.

This is no longer the pre-Qin era. If he were to directly declare that he wanted to punish the tyrant, Zhu Di would face immense political pressure, and even the princes would have to cooperate with the court to quell the rebellion.

The slogan "Purge the court of corrupt officials and quell national turmoil" is very much in line with reality today.

Without any prior consultation between the two, Li Qi set up the stage, and Zhu Di took to the stage to perform. Their coordination was seamless and their tacit understanding was perfect!
Prince Zhu Di of Yan rallied his troops in Beiping before marching south. A proclamation sent from Beiping to all corners of the country and to the capital shook the entire nation!
"The Prince of Yan reported to the Emperor and issued a proclamation to all quarters:"

May you be blessed with peace and prosperity, and may your humble servant, the Prince of Yan, bow his head in gratitude.

The Mongol Yuan dynasty was tyrannical, and the late emperor received the mandate to take up his three-foot sword, sweep away the world, and establish the Ming dynasty.

As a descendant of Emperor Gao, I was granted land and enfeoffment, and was able to establish an ancestral temple. When I took up my post, I made an oath in front of Emperor Gao.

Even if the sun no longer shines, even if the Yellow River and the Yangtze River dry up, even if the Five Sacred Mountains are all razed to the ground, I and my descendants will protect the Ming Dynasty for generations to come, serving as a great bulwark for the nation.

The late emperor and Emperor Xiaokang also swore that if the princes were sincere and diligent, their vassal states would never fall, their descendants would inherit the throne without fail, and they would share wealth and honor.

Your Majesty has only been on the throne for a year, yet the four kings of Zhou, Dai, Qi, and Min have been deposed and reduced to commoners. I am filled with trepidation and have a question: While the four kings are certainly guilty, did they harbor any intention of rebellion?

Your Majesty has not issued any decree to reprimand them, nor has Your Majesty instructed or instructed them, yet you have stripped them of their titles. Is this not absurd?

The Prince of Xiang was known for his virtue; who in the world did not know him? Yet he was forced to his death in his palace and even given a derogatory posthumous title. If the late Emperor and Emperor Xiaokang knew this in the afterlife, how could they let it go?
When Your Majesty was still a prince, you were known for your benevolence. I heard that the late Emperor once asked Your Majesty what to do if the princes did not follow the law. Your Majesty replied: "Win them over with virtue, control them with propriety. If that doesn't work, reduce their territory. If that still doesn't work, replace them. If all else fails, raise an army to attack them." How could you have completely changed this once you ascended the throne?
After careful consideration, I have come to realize that Your Majesty has been controlled by treacherous officials and is unable to control yourself!

The treacherous officials in the court are trying to use the emperor to command the feudal lords and then plot against the Ming Dynasty. I cannot sit idly by and should respond to the late emperor's call to raise an army to punish them!

If the treacherous officials in the court see this book, they should release the four kings of Zhou, Dai, Min, and Qi back to their old territories and re-establish their vassal states; remove the derogatory posthumous title of the King of Xiang and exonerate him; and then cut off their own heads, so that they may still have a way back. If they remain obstinate, the next day the Jingnan Heavenly Army will come to Yingtian, and their three clans will be exterminated!

If not, by imperial decree, purge the court of corrupt officials and quell the national crisis!

Zhu Yunwen crumpled the document in his hand into a ball with a snap, his brows furrowed with rage. Looking at the letter in his hand and recalling its contents, he roared angrily, "Rebellion? How dare you rebel?!"

Most people in the hall felt a jolt of surprise. This letter of challenge contained clear political demands, essentially calling on the emperor to completely overturn the current strategy.

If this is agreed to, what is the current emperor?
No wonder the emperor was so angry. What really struck the courtiers as odd was the familiar wording and style of the proclamation, which resembled what the imperial son-in-law, Li Qi, had said in the Golden Palace.

This was the effect Li Qi wanted; sometimes, the effect of a deathbed remonstrance is far less than that of a subtle, gentle persuasion.

From the moment Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, raised his army, Li Qi's advice would resonate in people's hearts from time to time. If the court encountered difficulties, the doubts would grow louder and louder.

Especially since Li Qi was not dead and was even in the capital, even if he didn't say anything, Zhu Yunwen, Huang Zicheng, and other officials would feel like they were sitting on pins and needles, and would dream that someone was mocking them.

Humans are emotional beings, and this will inevitably affect the court's decision-making!
In the imperial court, and throughout the provinces and even in the towns and cities of the Ming Dynasty, almost everyone knew that the Prince of Yan had rebelled and was going to the capital to kill the treacherous officials!

One piece of bad news after another came from the north. Prince Yan, Zhu Di, controlled a large area of ​​land in no time, and his army of 100,000 rushed south to quell the rebellion!

The Prince of Gu, who was guarding Xuanfu, fled south alone. His army was completely wiped out by the Prince of Yan. The other princes, the Prince of Liao and the Prince of Ning, remained inactive and watched the Prince of Yan march south. The Prince of Dai, who was under house arrest in Datong, made some moves, but they were quickly suppressed. However, this was still a hidden danger.

If the princes guarding the nine border regions had followed the Prince of Yan south, the collapse of the court and the state might have been imminent. Fortunately, only the Prince of Yan has raised the banner of rebellion.

……

"Father, His Majesty offered sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, stripped the members of the Yan Prince's clan of their titles and reduced them to commoners, and then decided to raise an army to attack Yan. The court established the Pingyan Provincial Administration Office in Zhengding, Hebei, and appointed Geng Bingwen, the Marquis of Changxing, as the Grand General to lead the army to attack Yan. The army advanced in several directions at the same time, and at the same time sent proclamations to the three provinces of Shandong, Henan and Shanxi to supply military funds."

Li Fang sighed, "Although the Yan army is fierce, war is a battle for resources. The Yan army is far inferior to the imperial court in terms of both territory and manpower. It is difficult for the King of Yan to fight the whole country with only one place."

Li Mao nodded in agreement, saying that the imperial court had countless troops to replenish its ranks and inexhaustible resources, enough to wear down the Yan region.

Li Qi looked at Li Xianmu. His son was naturally very intelligent, but his only weakness was in military affairs.

The system assigns the following talent levels: [Military Strategy: 72; Leadership: 51; Bravery: 69]

Therefore, he wanted to test him and see how good he really was. "Mu'er, what do you think?"

Li Xianmu pondered for a moment, then said earnestly, “Father, Confucius said: To know what you know, and to know what you don’t know, that is true knowledge!”
"I am ignorant of military strategy. Even if I were to speak, it would be nothing but empty talk, harmful to others and of no benefit to the matter, only making me a laughingstock."

Li Fang and Li Mao blushed immediately upon hearing this.

Li Qi was very pleased; having great ambitions but lacking talent was an extremely serious problem.

Li Xianmu, at only eight years old, was able to restrain his arrogance and decisively admit his shortcomings, which will surely enable him to work diligently and practically in the future.

Li Qi laughed and said, "What comes out of your mouth in this quiet room will enter my ears, and I won't write it down in any book. Just say it. Even if you don't know anything about military affairs, you've read so many books and have a broad understanding of other subjects, so you should have some insights."

(End of this chapter)