The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 70 The Institutional Design of the Ming Dynasty
Zhu Di hung the blade back on his waist, and, supporting himself on the sword, walked step by step toward the high platform of the palace. He then mounted his warhorse again, with Li Qi and the others following behind him.

As the sun set, the officials, ministers, and common people slowly made their way out of the palace with the flow of people. The clatter of hooves came from behind them, and they couldn't help but turn around to look.

Under the setting sun, the King of Yan rode his horse and cracked his whip, exuding an aura of divine might and vitality.

Almost everyone had the same thought: shouldn't someone who can rule the world do just that?
The group accompanying Zhu Di were all his closest confidants, all future nobles of the Jingnan Campaign. Their faces were naturally filled with excitement. Even they had never imagined that His Highness the Prince of Yan would have such power today, rightfully and legitimately dominating the world, with no one daring to speak out!
"Jinghe".

Zhu Di suddenly spoke up, and Li Qi quickly stepped forward and replied, "Your Highness."

Zhu Di looked at Li Qi with admiration. He owed his current power to the bravery of his generals on the battlefield and to Li Qi's advice and suggestions. "After I ascend the throne the next day, I will order the Three Judicial Offices to retry the Hu Weiyong case and investigate the innocent families involved."

The people around were also shocked, and they all understood that His Highness the Prince of Yan was going to exonerate the Duke of Han's family. Li Qi almost instantly burst into tears and choked out, "The Duke's family was framed by treacherous villains, which led to this day. Your Highness, I thank you so much that I could never repay you even if I died ten thousand times!"

"You are loyal and upright, and courageous in your duties. You have naturally won the Emperor's favor. It is truly inappropriate for the Han State to include you in the list of traitors. We should restore your innocence."

The group continued forward, but the words of the Prince of Yan still echoed in their hearts. No one expected that His Highness the Prince of Yan would overturn the list of traitors established by the late emperor as soon as he ascended the throne.

But then I thought, so what?
His Highness Prince Yan was able to smoothly inherit the Ming Dynasty's throne as the son of the late emperor.

However, the legal basis for Prince Yan's ascension to the throne was not the succession of the late emperor, but rather the elimination of the tyrant and the saving of the world. And Jianwen, this tyrant, was precisely the one personally chosen by the late emperor, bypassing all other princes.

Because of the great duty of filial piety, Your Highness naturally cannot criticize the late Emperor's faults. However, today's act of questioning him in the palace is already an actual accusation of the late Emperor's mistakes!

Now, isn't it only right to remove some of the shortcomings of the previous emperor's reign?
Otherwise, how could it be considered a great undertaking that reformed the world and eliminated a tyrant?
Thinking about these things, Zhu Di felt increasingly pleased. Before meeting Li Qi, he had already considered how to erase the traces of Jianwen. He even thought about changing the Jianwen reign title back to the Hongwu reign title, then revising the history books, and restoring all policies to the Hongwu era, to show that he was the only successor of the late emperor.

But he knew in his heart that doing so would be of great harm to the world, and he would inevitably be subject to the ways of the late emperor.

Now, he doesn't need to change the history books to insist that he was the successor chosen by his father, nor does he need to abolish the Jianwen era name. He can simply use the day of his ascension to the throne as the new era name. He can freely decide policies. What a wonderful thing this is!
Li Qi could guess what Zhu Di was thinking, but Zhu Di probably didn't know that every gift of fate came with a hidden price.

He was happy, but his descendants were not.

Since Li Qi's arrival, without anyone's knowledge, he has twice interfered with the underlying political logic of the imperial succession.

On one occasion, he proposed "the emperor's son should become emperor," and on another occasion, he proposed "eliminating the tyrant."

These two interventions were seen at the time as ingenious solutions to the problems, making Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Di's reigns as emperors increasingly comfortable.

However, if someone knew about the succession to the throne among Zhu Qizhen, Zhu Qiyu, and Zhu Jianshen, as well as the Great Rites Controversy among Hongzhi, Zhengde, and Jiajing, and looked back at history, they would surely think, "If only I had known then what I know now!"

The group headed towards the Hall of Literary Glory to discuss the coronation ceremony the following day, as well as how to deal with Jianwen's former subordinates, past affairs, and the imperial family members of Emperor Xiaokang's lineage in the palace.

It wasn't until dusk that Zhu Di reluctantly allowed everyone to leave the palace. As they walked along the palace road, all the meritorious officials who had helped quell the rebellion showed affection to Li Qi.

Most of this was naturally because everyone could see how much His Highness valued Li Qi.

Once the Duke of Han's mansion is removed from the list of traitors, this man's future will naturally be very bright. Even if he cannot become one of the Nine Ministers, he will certainly be able to serve by the emperor's side as an advisor.

Li Qi's gaze fell on Zhang Fu, who was walking at the back of the group. After the Jingnan Rebellion, he was enfeoffed as the Earl of Xin'an. Among the noble families, he was not considered illustrious. However, Li Qi knew that Zhang Fu was an outstanding person among the second generation of noble families of the Prince of Yan. He had accumulated merits step by step and became the Duke of Yingguo, becoming the head of the noble families of the Ming Dynasty.

Most importantly, he lived long enough to have a huge influence during the reigns of the Yongle, Hongxi, and Xuande emperors.

Zhang Fu had a daughter who was historically the wife of the Duke of Mu. She died during childbirth along with her unborn child. Born in the 30th year of the Hongwu reign, she is now three years old, six years younger than Li Xianmu, which is a very suitable age for marriage.

If such a family could be chosen for Li Xianmu, then after his death, when Li Xianmu is still too young to support the family, at least he would have someone to rely on.

Moreover, the Duke of Ying's family is not part of the royal family, so the next generation of the Li family would not become relatives of the emperor. In Li Qi's plan for the family, the Li family was to gradually sever their blood ties with the royal family, since the Ming Dynasty would exclude relatives of the emperor from the court.

Zhang Fu sensed Li Qi's probing gaze and looked over. He saw Li Qi smile and nod at him, which made him even more puzzled. He remembered that his family and the Duke of Han's mansion had no old relationship.

After all, before the twenty-third year of Hongwu, the prestige of the Han State Duke's Mansion was far beyond what Zhang Yu could compare to. Even now that His Highness the Prince of Yan has succeeded in pacifying the rebellion, Zhang Yu will certainly be posthumously granted the title of Duke, and Zhang Fu will also be granted a title, making them a prominent family.

However, the Duke of Han's family will soon be exonerated. Li Qi's wife is the Princess of Lin'an, and Li Qi himself is favored by the emperor. In the future, he will surely be ranked above Li Qi in the court.

Although he was full of doubts, Zhang Fu was a shrewd and insightful person, not only a capable and brave general, so he immediately returned the greeting.

Li Qi walked slowly and landed beside Zhang Fu. Zhang Fu knew that Li Qi had something to say to him.

"I heard that my late father served as the Privy Councilor during the Yuan Dynasty, and later returned to officialdom. In the eighth year of the Hongwu reign, he gave birth to Zhang Tongzhi?"

Zhang Fu was very curious as to why Li Qi asked these questions, but he nodded nonetheless. Then he heard Li Qi mutter something like, "A white snake coils around a golden spear, a blue dragon falls into a cold pool."

Before he could figure out what Li Qi meant, he heard Li Qi solemnly ask again: "If I offend you later, please do not hold it against me, Magistrate Zhang. It was truly from the bottom of my heart that I could not help myself."

I wonder if Magistrate Zhang has a young daughter, born in the year of Ding Si, the year of the Snake.

The year Ding Si was the thirtieth year of Hongwu. Zhang Fu was shocked. Before the Jingnan Rebellion, the Zhang family was just a small family, and they lived far away in Beiping. Li Qi could not possibly know about this. Not to mention Li Qi, even most people in the Yan vassal state did not know.

Now that Li Qi is so certain about this matter, how could Zhang Fu not be alarmed?

Li Qi smiled calmly, "It seems there is indeed one." Zhang Fu asked urgently, "How did the Prince Consort find out?"

Li Qi smiled and said, "Now is not the place to talk. The next day, when the Assistant Magistrate comes to my residence, we can discuss this in detail, and I will answer your questions."

Since Li Qi said so, Zhang Fu naturally had no choice but to give up and left the palace with endless curiosity in his heart.

After everyone parted ways, Zhang Fu and the others naturally continued to inspect the camp. Although the world was largely at peace, the imperial edicts sent to all directions had only just begun, and not all of Jianwen's officials had yet been beheaded. If they were to make a careless move and be overturned by the loyalist army, it would truly be a laughing stock for the world.

Li Qi went straight back to the princess's residence. Princess Lin'an stepped forward with a smile on her face. She had naturally heard about what happened in the palace today. As Li Qi's bedmate, she knew as soon as she heard about today's events that it was Li Qi's doing.

"After the curtain falls, a brilliant light will eventually rise."

As Princess Lin'an removed Li Qi's outer robe, she remarked with admiration, "The Imperial Son-in-Law's talents can now be fully displayed."

Upon hearing this, Li Qi paused, his hand trembling involuntarily. Should he use all his abilities?
How many things can he do in the limited time he has?

He put aside these thoughts and said softly, "Your Highness just promised in the palace that after ascending the throne, you will order the three judicial departments to retry the Hu Weiyong case and exonerate those families who were wrongly implicated."

"really?"

Everyone knows that, although no names were mentioned, this was set up specifically for the Duke of Han's government; they just didn't want to directly contradict the late emperor.

"Your Highness's intention is to exonerate the Duke's family and then bestow a posthumous title upon my father, but naturally, we need not consider titles or such matters anymore."

Princess Lin'an was overwhelmed by the immense joy and felt a little dizzy for a moment. When she came to her senses, her eyes filled with tears. "How wonderful! Our child will no longer have to bear such sins. Mu'er will surely shine brightly in the future!"

As the couple were talking, Li Xianmu walked in from the outer room, saying, "I will surely bring glory to our ancestors and gods in the future, and I will definitely be able to regain the lost title."

"Father!"

Li Xianmu bowed respectfully to Li Qi, who patted him heavily on the shoulder. "Although Your Highness has agreed to bestow a posthumous title upon your grandfather, in my opinion, it is probably a mid-level posthumous title like 'Min' that expresses sympathy."

Mu'er, you must work hard in the future. Our Li family was once the first duke's family in the founding of the country. In all aspects, we should be comparable to the King of Kaiping and the King of Zhongshan. Only the best posthumous titles such as "Wencheng" and "Wenzhong" are worthy of us, and we should even be posthumously granted a royal title and allowed to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

To bring glory to our ancestors—isn't that what we, as their descendants, should do?

Li Xianmu was very clever. When he heard his father tell him to work hard, he immediately understood that his father meant there was no hope in the reign of Prince Yan, Zhu Di. Only by waiting for many more years, and then in the next reign, if the family was still in a high position, or even a trusted minister of the emperor, then the emperor would naturally consider the merits of the descendants and restore the reputation of the ancestors.

After a brief interlude, the family of three sat around the table for a meal. Li Qi, without avoiding Li Xianmu, directly addressed Princess Lin'an: "My lady, I have found a marriage for Mu'er with a young general under His Highness the Prince of Yan, named Zhang Fu. He has a three-year-old daughter, who would be a good match for Mu'er. I will invite him to my residence in a few days. If he agrees, you can take Mu'er to Zhang's residence, or invite Zhang Fu's wife to the princess's residence."

"what?"

Princess Lin'an never expected Li Qi to suddenly drop such a big deal, but she also knew that Li Qi would never speak without reason, and that he must have his reasons for doing so.

"Who is this Zhang Fu, that he has gained the favor of the imperial son-in-law?"

Princess Lin'an understood Li Qi quite well. How could a three-year-old girl know about good and bad matches? She must value Zhang Fu!
Li Xianmu seemed not to have heard his father's words, and continued eating his meal at a leisurely pace. It was clearly his business, but he acted like an outsider.

Li Qi removed the skin from a chicken leg and placed it in Princess Lin'an's bowl. He pondered and said, "Zhang Fu's father, Zhang Yu, was formerly the top general under the Prince of Yan. He died in battle during the Jingnan Campaign while trying to rescue the Prince of Yan."

When the Prince of Yan bestows titles upon his officials, the posthumous conferment of a Duke title is inevitable. Therefore, the Zhang family's lineage is not in question. Most importantly, Zhang Fu, although a second-generation descendant, is a skilled and courageous general. Under the Prince of Yan, he is one of the most outstanding figures, and his future prospects are limitless.

His Highness Prince Yan is a man of great loyalty and righteousness. Zhang Yu died for him, so he will surely give Zhang Fu an important position. However, the world is not at peace right now. The Mongols are constantly raiding the borders in the north, and the barbarians in the south are also restless. There will be many places where we need to wage war in the future. It will not be a problem for Zhang Fu to become a Duke in the future.

Moreover, Zhang Fu is a man of great loyalty and righteousness. If I were to become unworthy in the future, he would not take advantage of my misfortune. With a family like Zhang Fu supporting Mu'er, I can truly feel at ease.

Li Xianmu finally looked up from his meal. He could tell that his father valued Zhang Fu highly, even to the point of entrusting him with a responsibility.

"Father, is your health...?"

Li Qi was taken aback when he heard this, but then he understood. Li Xianmu was really too smart. He could tell from just a few words that there seemed to be a problem with his body.

Princess Lin'an also realized that what Li Qi had just said was indeed thought-provoking.

Li Qi didn't intend to hide it from them. Zhan Zhan said, "My health is indeed deteriorating, but it doesn't look like anything serious yet."

Upon hearing that this was indeed the case, Princess Lin'an turned deathly pale almost instantly, her body swaying uncontrollably. "How did things come to this? There were never any signs before."

"Extreme wisdom is bound to bring harm, and deep affection is not long-lasting. My husband suddenly realized the lost teachings of the sages and attained enlightenment in Jiangpu. How could he not pay a price?"
The current situation is what I must bear. What I hope for now is to hold on to this broken body until the day Mu'er becomes the top scholar in the imperial examination!

So that my death would prevent Mu'er from taking the imperial examinations for three years.

"Father……"

Li Xianmu, who was usually calm and composed, choked up when he heard that his father was thinking of him even at the end of his life. He then disregarded etiquette, lowered his head and ate his meal in large mouthfuls, tears streaming down his face.

Four thousand words, two more chapters of six thousand words each, and I promised ten thousand words, I will definitely do it!
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(End of this chapter)