The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 86 The Struggle for the Throne
When Li Qi entered the palace and met the emperor, Zhu Di's first words were a smile: "Jinghe's power and prestige are so great that all the scholars are deeply impressed."

Li Qi's heart sank, realizing that the emperor already knew about what happened on Zhuque Street.

As he stepped forward and bowed respectfully, he replied sincerely, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your trust and respect, which has enabled a lowly subject like myself to earn the respect of the court and the people."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di burst into laughter. What he admired most about Li Qi was that he always remembered that authority was bestowed by the emperor. He waved his hand and said proudly, "I do not mean to blame you. Ministers whom I trust should naturally be respected by the people. Otherwise, wouldn't my power be insufficient to awe the world?"

After saying that, he added, "Come forward, the matter of the Yuan Dynasty history is almost over, isn't it?"

Knowing that his days were numbered and that Zhu Di would not care too much about his overstepping of authority, Li Qi immediately said, "Your Majesty, the entire lineage of Dongming Academy has been detained. Having been involved in such matters, Fang Xiaoru's lineage has already been cut off by half."

Zhu Di was quite satisfied. The matter they had discussed about trampling on Fang Xiaoru was finally nearing its end. "Five points left?"

"Other schools of thought in Zhejiang are also on edge. At this time, we should thoroughly investigate any connection between them and the Dongming school of thought. Before the court has clarified the relationship, not a single word about the Zhejiang school of thought should be allowed to enter the court."

The reasons were perfectly legitimate, but they were tainted with fallacies and heresies, shaking the very foundation of the Ming Dynasty's rule.

Zhu Di understood that Li Qi was trying to use this opportunity to suppress the other schools of thought in Zhejiang. He narrowed his eyes and asked softly, "Is Jinghe trying to get the schools of thought in Zhejiang to actively sever ties, or even suppress the Dongming Academy?"

Li Qi nodded directly, and then calmly said: "The Confucian atmosphere in the countryside of eastern Zhejiang is extremely strong. If we don't take care of it, the revival of Eastern Ming's doctrines is only a matter of time."

Only by having other schools of thought in the local Zhejiang region keep a close eye on things can we ensure that no one revives their doctrines.

"If that's the case, then it can be said to be foolproof!"

Zhu Di laughed and said, "Jinghe is indeed wise and intelligent, beyond the reach of ordinary people."

"In my opinion, now is the time to unite all the schools of thought in Zhejiang with one mind."

"To unite all schools of thought?"

Zhu Di frowned and hesitated, saying, "Of course I hope so, but it's impossible to achieve. Even though I'm not a great scholar, I know that people have a thousand faces and there are countless paths to follow. Unification is impossible; things will always rise and fall."

Unifying schools of thought is like making all officials in the court loyal to the emperor and patriotic; Zhu Di wanted to, but knew it was impossible.

Li Qi laughed and said, "Your Majesty has misunderstood me. Even if Confucius were to be resurrected, he could not make everyone in the world think and desire the same way. What I meant was to use the history of the Yuan Dynasty to make all schools of thought have a core idea, such as respecting the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Di was immediately invigorated. He paced back and forth in the hall. These Confucian scholars were indeed useful, but for a dynasty, they seemed to be more concerned with the Confucian orthodoxy. If the dynasty could be placed above the Confucian orthodoxy, that would be a great thing.

"Jinghe, you are a great Confucian scholar of our time. I'm entrusting this matter to you. No, I'll even promote you and make you a saint!"

Li Qi's eyes lit up. It had finally arrived. He hadn't done all this without any selfish motives. He already had a great reputation among the people. Once he had the Zhejiang East School kneeling in submission, if he could also gain official recognition, he would have a firm foothold and be able to leave his mark on the annals of Confucian history.

"Jinghe, you go ahead and do it. I'll think about it carefully."

Zhu Di hesitated for a moment, then could only let Li Qi leave first.

After leaving the palace, Li Qi pondered what official recognition Zhu Di could give him. If he could be honored with a place in the Confucian Temple after his death, that would be the best outcome.

But what about when they're alive?

Li Zhigang was already the former Minister of Rites, the nominal head of the Six Ministries and the head of the Nine Ministers, but this position could not be given to Li Qi. First of all, it was against the rules to jump from the fifth-rank Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall to the second-rank Minister of Rites.

The Minister of Rites truly oversees the affairs of a ministry, but Zhu Di only hoped that Li Qi could be his advisor. Li Qi himself did not want the empty title of Minister of Rites, but rather the real power of Grand Secretary.

"That would be the Three Dukes and the Three Sovereigns."

Li Qi immediately rejected this possibility. Historically, these positions were only restored in the twentieth year of the Yongle reign, but they were never officially appointed. They were only granted to designated individuals. Moreover, to suddenly place them above the ministers of the six ministries would be even more ridiculous.

After shaking off these thoughts, Li Qi began to ponder his proposal in the palace earlier. This proposal was an attempt to make changes because he felt that Confucianism was exhausted in the world today.

This brings us to the fact that Confucian scholars in the past had a strong sense of family, country, and the world.

This concept reached its peak during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Although the scholar-officials of the Eastern Han Dynasty were persecuted so severely by the emperor, typical scholar-officials such as Wang Yun still took the Han Dynasty as their responsibility.

It took Cao Cao so many years and countless massacres of the court officials to finally wipe out all the scholar-officials loyal to the Han dynasty and ultimately replace the Han dynasty.

Since the collapse of Han Confucianism, accompanied by the chaos of the Five Barbarian Tribes and frequent changes of regime, Confucianism in the Tang Dynasty was at a low point. Then, when Song Confucianism began to promote the Confucian orthodoxy, Confucianism gradually moved towards a path of having a family but no state.

Homeless!

Li Qi, who had traveled from a modern nation-state, felt a chill and nausea whenever he heard this word.

Li Qi's goal of gradually establishing a nation-state in the Ming Dynasty was only the beginning; he also needed to profoundly change the thinking of all scholars.

To completely bind the people, the nation, and the people together, so that everyone would devote themselves to the Ming Dynasty.

But by then...

Whether it was during the Hongwu or Yongle reigns, the suggestions Li Qi made to the emperors were the kind that sounded very good at the time, but the problems became more and more significant over time.

This suggestion is no exception.

When scholars and common people are all striving to make the Ming Dynasty better, they will find that there seems to be a huge obstacle standing there.

"Uncle!"

As Li Qi was heading out of the palace, he suddenly heard Zhu Gaochi's voice. He turned around and saw Di Pangpang walking towards him with a worried look on his face.

"Your Highness."

Zhu Gaochi walked up to Li Qi and said with a smile, "I am about to leave the palace. Would you like to accompany me, Uncle?"

After he finished speaking, a hint of tension appeared on his face.

Li Qi knew why. Now that everything was settled and the throne was secure, there had been discussions in the court about establishing an heir to appease the people. Zhu Gaoxu had risked his life during the Jingnan Rebellion and his contributions were far greater than those of Zhu Gaochi. Therefore, there were voices in the court and among the nobles, especially among the meritorious officials, calling for Zhu Gaoxu to be the crown prince.

Most importantly, Zhu Di doted on Zhu Gaoxu!

"Naturally, there's nothing wrong with that."

Li Qi smiled and agreed. Zhu Gaochi's face lit up with surprise and relief. The two walked together, and Li Qi suddenly said, "Your Highness, you don't always have to worry too much."

Zhu Gaochi was suddenly startled.

Li Qi suddenly coughed violently, then subtly turned his sleeve towards Zhu Gaochi. Zhu Gaochi was horrified to discover that there were bloodstains on Li Qi's sleeve, and immediately exclaimed, "Uncle, you..."

Li Qi said in a low voice, "I hope Your Highness will keep this a secret. His Majesty knows, you know, and I know." Zhu Gaochi was somewhat taken aback, but still nodded heavily, and then couldn't help but ask, "Has the imperial physician been summoned...?"

He didn't say anything more until he finished speaking. The Imperial Hospital was full of people and eyes, so how could it be kept secret?

"This is due to the exhaustion of my mind and spirit; there is no cure. My skills are all acquired through the deduction of my fate!"

Zhu Gaochi's face was full of solemn respect. "Uncle is truly a gentleman and sage of ancient times. His willingness to die for the Dao is truly admirable."

"Let's not talk about these things, Your Highness. You don't need to worry too much and harm your health."

Having learned of Li Qi's health condition, Zhu Gaochi's feelings upon hearing these words were completely different. He said somewhat dejectedly, "Father is considering making my second brother the heir..."

Li Qi said in a low voice, "Your Highness will definitely be made Crown Prince. The eldest son of the legitimate wife should be chosen. His Majesty must know this principle. Moreover, all of us ministers will recommend Your Highness. This is the right way. Especially since His Majesty is not the heir apparent, he will care even more about this matter."

Zhu Gaochi was surprised that Li Qi would recommend him so directly. When he thought of Li Qi's frail body, tears welled up in his eyes.

"Uncle, I really don't know how to thank you."

"Your Highness will surely be a benevolent ruler in the future. It is my honor, Li Qi, to be able to contribute to Your Highness's ascension to the position of Crown Prince. There is no need for Your Highness to express gratitude."

Zhu Gaochi now understands why both the late emperor and the current emperor liked Li Qi. Li Qi's words were so pleasant to hear, yet they didn't come across as flattering; they were always the truth. If Li Qi's health hadn't been so poor that he probably wouldn't have survived until then, he would have wanted to continue to trust and rely on Li Qi.

"What Your Highness really needs to worry about is that after the establishment of the crown prince, the Prince of Gaoyang will probably not give up and will definitely continue to vie for the throne."

Zhu Gaochi immediately realized something and whispered, "Are you referring to the matter of Emperor Jiancheng of Tang?"

Li Qi shook his head and said, "The Prince of Gaoyang has none of Emperor Taizong's methods. If he really had such methods, I'm afraid even His Majesty would be uneasy."

Emperor Taizong of Tang was skilled in both literature and martial arts, without any shortcomings. The Jianwen Emperor's downfall was inevitable, while the Prince of Gaoyang was nothing more than a brave but reckless warrior.

Your Highness is exceptionally wise and intelligent; I have no worries about being able to handle it.

Upon hearing Li Qi's assessment of his younger brother, Zhu Gaochi wholeheartedly agreed. In terms of sheer intellect, he could easily defeat Zhu Gaoxu.

My worries are nothing more than concerns about my father's thoughts.

"What I am truly worried about is Your Highness's health. Your Majesty is in the prime of life and has always been in good health, and will be able to be emperor for many, many years. But Your Highness's health is not so good."

What should we do if there is a disaster involving Xiaokang?
The Ming Dynasty has just experienced one such event, and it's hard to guarantee that His Majesty won't have other thoughts. After all, some things are too similar, and for those who experienced them firsthand, there will always be a lingering shadow.

Therefore, Your Highness should take care of your health and persevere!

That's why I told Your Highness not to worry.

Worrying is bad for your health!

Engage in daily physical activity, dress warmly in winter, avoid going out at midday in summer to prevent heatstroke, and avoid overexerting yourself mentally while handling official duties. Always strive to maintain good health.

Emperors like Zhu Gaochi, whose lifespans are clearly recorded, would likely have been shorter than those in historical records. So, if he didn't live to see the historical lifespan, he would be completely finished.

The disaster of Xiaokang!

Zhu Gaochi was startled and realized that Li Qi was absolutely right. As the eldest son of the legitimate wife, the Ming Dynasty, which had just experienced a change of the throne, did not want another second son of the legitimate wife to succeed to the throne.

Therefore, with the support of these ministers, the position of crown prince should be very secure.

But if someone dies right in front of the emperor, like Emperor Xiaokang, then things become much more complicated.

So taking care of your health and living well is the most important thing!
Zhu Gaochi said solemnly, "I am fortunate to have received guidance from my uncle today, otherwise I would have been anxious and wasting time on pointless matters."

Seeing that Zhu Gaochi had taken his words to heart, Li Qi was very pleased. Zhu Gaochi was a kind man, and now he was leaving behind a legacy of goodwill by promoting him to the position of Crown Prince before his death. He would surely repay him in the future.

Historically, after Zhu Gaochi ascended the throne, he first restored the title of Duke of Wei, and then promoted all the officials who had helped him consolidate his position as crown prince. Yang Rong and others finally got what they deserved.

Li Qi estimated that the incense offerings he received today might even be worth a hereditary title. When the title of Duke of Wei was restored, he suddenly thought of Li Shanchang's descendants, and the title would come to him.

Even if he didn't receive a title, Li Shanchang should at least be posthumously honored. The reigns of Emperors Renzong and Xuanzong were a good time for the Li family to completely exonerate Li Shanchang.

The two left the palace together, a scene that was naturally witnessed by those with ulterior motives, and Zhu Gaoxu will likely find out about it soon.

When Li Qi returned to the princess's residence, he found that the brothers Li Fang and Li Mao were both there. Both brothers were already married, and Li Qi had chosen good marriages for them.

"Fang'er".

Li Qi reached out and beckoned Li Fang over. While Li Fang was still somewhat bewildered, he patted his head and said with a smile, "Your father has made a good connection for you today. I'm afraid a good thing will happen to you in the future."

If the Li family were to be restored to their former titles, the titles would naturally fall to Li Qi's eldest son, Li Fang.

Li Fang was even more confused.

Li Mao also came over and asked, "Father, is there any good thing that will happen to your son?"

Li Qi immediately put on a stern face and said, "Do you want a beating?"

Li Mao quickly apologized, and Li Fang couldn't help but laugh out loud.

When Princess Lin'an led Li Xianmu out, they saw Li Mao standing as punishment against the wall, while Li Fang served Li Qi tea.

"Third brother, hurry up and come with your brother. Your sister-in-law made your favorite osmanthus cake."

Li Mao looked at Li Qi expectantly, and Li Qi waved his hand and said, "You go too."

Li Mao was overjoyed and gently placed the book he had been carrying on his head onto the bookshelf before slipping away. Princess Lin'an said irritably, "A married man is not as steady as a child like Xianmu."

Looking at his three sons playing and fighting, Li Qi felt a mix of joy and worry. Princess Lin'an noticed this and asked him about it. Li Qi then recounted his conversation with Zhu Gaochi.

"Zhu Gaochi was certain to become emperor, but those around him might not live to see him ascend the throne."

I'm very worried that Fang'er and the others will be implicated and suffer utter ruin.

Historically, Xie Jin died here, and many other ministers who were close to Zhu Gaochi were imprisoned or even died.

Princess Lin'an also fell silent.

The struggle for succession has always been brutal!
(End of this chapter)