Di Ming

Chapter 251 "The Royal Army Returns in Triumph! Officials Come Out of the City to Welcome Them!"

The imperial court issued an edict to return to the capital to present the captives, naturally believing that the rebellion had been quelled and all the work had been accomplished. Logically, Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang should have been happy.

However, Zhu Yin and Qi Jiguang were still somewhat depressed when they received the imperial decree.

The imperial court rejected the proposal to restore prefectures and counties in Gansu and to reclaim the Western Sea and establish military garrisons.

After leading the army for several months, spending so much money, and causing so many deaths and injuries to soldiers and civilians, this is the result.

It was only because the imperial court was willing to recover the Hetao region that Zhu Yin planned and worked for several years.

Seeing that there were no outsiders in the tent, Qi Jiguang sighed and said, "I knew long ago that the court would not only not recover Xihai, but also would not agree to restore the prefectures and counties in Gansu."

Zhu Yin shook his head and said, "It's a pity that the court and the emperor didn't allow such a good opportunity to recover the Western Sea! If the court doesn't want this land of the Western Sea grassland, the Tartars will naturally come to occupy it, and it will be a disaster sooner or later."

Zhu Yin was utterly disappointed with the court.

The Ming Dynasty at that time was powerful, with over a million soldiers and a population of one or two hundred million. It was fully capable and necessary to expand its territory and increase the living space for China.

Unfortunately, this mighty celestial empire was firmly controlled by conservative and complacent rulers and ministers who had no ambition for progress and only sought stability.

Despite being as strong as a lion or tiger, he harbored the heart of a cow or sheep. From the reign of Emperor Xuanzong onwards, he abandoned vast territories. Instead of grazing horses across thousands of mountains, he allowed the Tartars and Japanese pirates to threaten the two capitals multiple times.

The vast grasslands of the Western Sea could support hundreds of thousands of horses, and there were also the benefits of salt lakes and leather, as well as the ability to control Tibet and connect with the Western Regions. Now that the main force of the Western Sea Mongols has been annihilated, this is the best opportunity to reclaim it in one fell swoop.

It's like the imperial court has already gotten its hands on a piece of fat meat, but it stubbornly refuses to eat it! Can't you believe how infuriating that is?

The imperial edict also sternly warned him that since the Hetao region had already been recovered, he should not try to recover the Xihai region, lest he anger the entire Mongol tribes and incur the dissatisfaction of the Tibetans.

In short, you can't go to the Western Sea. Going there would be considered provoking border troubles! That would definitely be a crime, not a merit.

Qi Jiguang sat down, drank a cup of wine with a gloomy expression, showing no joy whatsoever for quelling the rebellion. The old general, slightly drunk, said:

"The Western Sea and Mongolia are currently vulnerable, which is a golden opportunity to reclaim them. Alas, if the court could gain control of the Western Sea, there would be no more trouble with warhorses! It is a pity that the court will not listen."

"Court officials fear that military generals will gain merit and become too powerful, and the emperor fears that military generals will become too powerful and difficult to control. They are all acting out of selfishness! With such a heart in the court, where is the affairs of state? How can the soldiers of the land not be disheartened? If this continues, their passion will cool, and who will still have the will to fight?"

Qi Jiguang's eyes were a little moist. "For forty years, I have been busy with military affairs, like putting out fires, running around in all directions, treating the symptoms rather than the cause. I have won many battles, but they were all defensive and counter-offensive battles."

"Japanese pirates, Tartars, Burmese, and foreign barbarians can all take the initiative to invade the Ming Dynasty with their weak strength, but the Ming Dynasty can only defend itself and is only willing to defend itself!"

"Taking the initiative to expand territory is the most effective form of defense. The court clearly understands this simple principle, yet it refuses to do it."

Zhu Yin nodded silently upon hearing this, suddenly feeling a pang of envy for Zhu Shuaixin. At least Zhu Shuaixin was able to lead a large number of soldiers and civilians to establish a kingdom in the Western Regions.

Even though he had some business at sea, he still had to serve as Wanli's subject.

There's really no comparison between them.

Although he was a time traveler, the things Zhu Shuaixin could do were very difficult for him to do.

Because of the difference in social status.

Zhu Shuaixin was a true prince, and theoretically he was qualified to be emperor. His father did indeed become emperor, which naturally held great appeal for the people and soldiers of Hexi who were already dissatisfied with the court.

Therefore, Zhu Shuaixin's ability to gain the support of the Mongol rebels and the people of Hexi shows that his title as the Crown Prince of the Western Ming Dynasty was not entirely without merit.

Identity and title can be incredibly useful at times. Especially when the situation is chaotic, it's easy to raise an army, with manpower and money, and a large base of support.

If Zhu Shuaixin and his son successfully establish a separatist regime in Hexi, many people across the country will voluntarily surrender to them. If they enter Guanzhong, some will offer up cities to surrender, and ministers will secretly engage in illicit dealings.

What about himself? Even if he raised the banner of rebellion, his base of support would only be the Jinghai Army and Ning Caiwei's merchant group. Why would anyone else risk joining him in this rebellion? When the court mobilizes a large army to suppress him, how long can his small force hold out?
The Ming Dynasty was a behemoth. Even at its end, it was so weak that Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, and Huang Taiji rebelled for over a decade, facing internal and external troubles, before finally forcing Emperor Chongzhen to hang himself. Then the Southern Ming emerged and lasted for another twenty years.

Could it be that my current strength is greater than that of Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, and Huang Taiji combined?
Not to mention that the Ming Dynasty today is much stronger than it was at the end of the Ming Dynasty!

Therefore, rebelling at this time would be a dead end with absolutely no chance of success.

We have to keep enduring this!
But to put it another way, if I had Zhu Shuaixin's status, I wouldn't have the power I wield as a civil official today.

"Father," Zhu Yin poured his adoptive father a cup of wine, "you don't need to get angry over the court anymore. Even Master Shen is unwilling to reclaim the Western Sea, let alone the Grand Secretary and the Emperor?"

"My godfather's military achievements over the years are enough to warrant a marquisate, but he hasn't even been granted the rank of earl yet. We'll see if he gets a title this time."

"A title?" Qi Jiguang shook his head and sneered. "I never expected that. In the Emperor's eyes, I'm just a Jiangling faction member and a lackey of Taiyue. The fact that he didn't kill me but instead reinstated me is already a tremendous favor, a way to atone for my crimes. How could he possibly grant me a title?"

Zhu Yin was speechless and felt sorry for Qi Jiguang.

He didn't care about titles because he was a respected civil official. But Qi Jiguang was a military general who had made so many military achievements, yet he couldn't obtain the title that military generals valued most.

It was because the emperor believed he was a remnant of Zhang Juzheng!
But Zhang Juzheng has been dead for ten years, why are they still holding onto this?

Even if they really are remnants of a faction, they've already been dealt with, punished, and it's time to turn the page, right?
Do you really think that using this one trick, which is worse than using it for a long time, is a guaranteed way to keep using it?
Qi Jiguang suddenly laughed: "Young Tiger, don't feel sorry for me, and don't try to fight for me, lest the emperor suspect our relationship. It's no use trying; the emperor won't grant me a title."

Zhu Yin remained silent. He had already received intelligence that the emperor had refused to grant Qi Jiguang a title. Even if his adoptive father achieved greater military exploits, he would have no chance of being granted a title.

Zhu Yin suddenly felt a little ashamed, because he himself was also a descendant of the Ming Taizu. But to be fair, the Zhu family was really harsh and ungrateful to military generals and meritorious officials.

In this respect, they are not much better than the Zhao family.

Qi Jiguang said, “Let’s hurry back to the capital to present the prisoners. According to the imperial edict, only 30,000 troops should be left to guard Hexi, and the rest of the troops should be withdrawn. Every day the army is away, it consumes a lot of money and food. The court is even more anxious than we are and is reluctant to spend money.”

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "Actually, it's just that the Emperor is reluctant to spend money. When I left the capital, Grand Secretary Wang Xijue warned me that military campaigns should not exceed six months and the expenditure should not exceed two million taels of silver. Now I have done it, so he and the Emperor can't find fault with me."

Qi Jiguang took a sip of wine. "This time, at most, I'll be promoted from Junior Guardian to Grand Guardian, ranking among the Three Dukes, and then I'll have one of my sons appointed as a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. That's all I'll be content with. As for you..."

Qi Jiguang pondered for a moment, "You will not be granted a title; the emperor is reluctant to part with it. I estimate that your position as Vice Censor-in-Chief will be promoted to a third-rank official in the capital, and then your position as Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince will be promoted to Grand Tutor or Grand Preceptor of the Crown Prince. You will not be granted the title of Grand Preceptor of the Crown Prince."

"Although you are a top scholar and have made great contributions, you have only been in office for less than four years. If you can be promoted to a third-rank official in the capital, it will be enough to shock the world. Be content with becoming a vice minister or vice censor-in-chief."

"You are too young. The emperor and the chief minister will have to keep you in check and won't let you rise too quickly. Moreover, if you make even the slightest mistake, you will easily be demoted. Young Tiger, the emperor will find an excuse to demote you sooner or later."

Zhu Yin sneered: "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. If you don't demote me, I will become a Grand Secretary at the age of twenty. Can the Emperor trust me? Even if His Majesty trusts me, the court officials will not."

Qi Jiguang stroked his beard and said, "I am very pleased that you understand. Ups and downs in officialdom and the ups and downs in the political arena are normal, and there is no need to worry about them. It is not a good thing for a man to have too smooth a life without experiencing hardships."

Zhu Yin said, "Father, please rest assured. I am not a power-hungry official. Like you, I only serve as an official to do my job. Even if the court finds an excuse to demote me from the capital or even dismiss me from office, I will not give up on myself."

"Give up on yourself?" Qi Jiguang laughed. "I'm more worried about you being too ambitious than about giving up on yourself..."

He looked intently at Zhu Yin, "Young Tiger, you are too ambitious. Your aspirations are too great, so great that they make this old man uneasy. I'm afraid even the position of Grand Secretary may not satisfy you. You are surnamed Zhu, and you are ultimately different from other ministers."

Qi Jiguang, upon reaching this point, also felt that fate was somewhat absurd.

What kind of adopted son did I choose?

This really put him in a difficult position.

Zhu Yin lowered his eyes, poured Qi Jiguang another cup of wine, and said casually, "Father is truly discerning. It's really too difficult to hide anything from Father."

Qi Jiguang picked up his wine cup. "Don't worry. I can see through your intentions because we are father and son, and our relationship is too close. You don't hide many things from me. In fact, you hide it very well, and it's hard for others to see through you. Hmm, which faction do you come from? You can tell me now."

Zhu Yin's eyes flashed, "Father, guess."

Qi Jiguang slowly narrowed his eyes, "You've returned from Southeast Asia, you wouldn't happen to be from the line of Crown Prince Yiwen and Emperor Jianwen, would you? The eldest son's direct line?"

Zhu Yin looked somber and nodded, saying:
“I dare not hide it from you, Father. I am a descendant of Jianwen, born into the eldest branch of the Ming Dynasty. My sixth-generation ancestor, Zhu Wentang, was born in Southeast Asia. His mother’s surname was Guo, and she was the granddaughter of Marquis Guo Ying of Wuding. She accompanied Emperor Jianwen on his southern expedition to the sea at the age of twelve.”

Qi Jiguang calculated with his fingers and said, "The current emperor is a ninth-generation descendant of Emperor Taizu, and you are also a ninth-generation descendant of Emperor Taizu. In that case, you and His Majesty are brothers of the same generation."

He didn't know that Zhu Yin was actually a ninth-generation descendant.

Zhu Yin said, “I should have been born in the ‘Da’ generation, with the character ‘Jin’ in my name. But to avoid trouble, we stopped using the ‘Chang’ generation name after our sixth ancestor, and changed our names. Overseas, we are surnamed Wu, not Zhu. This is because the Ming Dynasty was founded by the Kingdom of Wu, hence the surname Wu.”

"I see." Qi Jiguang looked pleased. "The rumors are true. Emperor Jianwen did indeed go to Southeast Asia. No wonder Emperor Chengzu sent people to Southeast Asia to search for him many times. They traveled everywhere, almost searching the heavens and the underworld, fearing that Emperor Jianwen would abdicate and be captured by the enemy."

“My ancestors once accompanied the eunuch Zheng He on his journey to Southeast Asia. They personally searched for and questioned the local natives on various islands in Southeast Asia, asking if any nobles from the Central Plains had come here, but to no avail. This matter is also a secret of my family.”

It turns out that Qi Jiguang's ancestors had accompanied Zheng He on his voyages to the Western Ocean and had been tasked with finding Emperor Jianwen.

Qi Jiguang sighed again, "Emperor Jianwen was appointed to the throne by Emperor Taizu, so he was naturally the legitimate successor of the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Chengzu's uprising to seize the throne was a usurpation of the throne by a concubine, which was a completely unjust act. However, Emperor Chengzu's lineage secured the throne and passed it down to his descendants, thus becoming the legitimate successor."

Qi Jiguang also felt a deep sense of sorrow. The Chengzu Emperor was a rebel against the Taizu Emperor, yet the rebel became the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, a dynasty that continues to this day.

This differs from Li Shimin's Xuanwu Gate Incident. Li Jiancheng was only the crown prince at the time and had not yet ascended the throne. The root of the Xuanwu Gate Incident was still the brothers fighting for the throne.

Li Shimin was also the eldest son of the legitimate wife, so he naturally had the right to compete for the throne. The Xuanwu Gate Incident was merely a palace coup, and the matter was settled within a day, with minimal impact.

But the Jingnan Campaign was different.

At that time, Emperor Jianwen was already the emperor, and the rightful heir personally groomed by Emperor Taizu. However, Emperor Chengzu forcibly raised an army in rebellion, fighting a major war for four years, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.

This isn't a struggle for the throne; this is treason! Compared to Li Shimin, Emperor Chengzu is far inferior.

“What Emperor Chengzu?” Zhu Yin said bluntly, not giving Zhu Di any face at all. “He was a traitor, he just won.”

"You want to reclaim the throne from our ancestors?" Qi Jiguang's expression was extremely solemn. "Young Tiger, this is a matter of great importance. One wrong move and you will be crushed to pieces and never recover. How many people will die because of this? I am sixty-five years old and have long been unafraid of death. What I am worried about now is you."

Zhu Yin rose from his seat and bowed, saying solemnly, "Father, you possess extraordinary talent and keen insight, with a far-sighted vision. In my opinion, how many more years does the Ming Dynasty have left?"

Qi Jiguang remained silent for a long time, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

“Child Tiger, you are the second person to ask me this question. The first was Xu Wenchang.” Qi Jiguang’s voice was filled with melancholy. “I did not answer Xu Wenchang back then, but I am willing to answer you today.”

"Since ancient times, no dynasty has ever survived. Its rise is swift, and its fall is sudden. Rise and fall are all governed by destiny. As the saying goes, every few hundred years there will be a change of dynasty and change. Our dynasty has lasted for more than two hundred years since the founding of the dynasty by Emperor Taizu. It is like a hero in his twilight years."

"Looking at the world, I see that on the surface it is peaceful and prosperous, but in reality the ruler is incompetent and the ministers are corrupt, the civil officials are greedy and the military is weak, the morals of the world are declining and human desires are rampant. It is like an old man with a hundred diseases, whose chronic illness is difficult to cure and whose problems are difficult to reverse."

"This is what is meant by the hidden worries of a prosperous age. Looking at the state of the world, I'm afraid there will be earth-shattering changes within a few decades. If that's the case, it's hard to guarantee that the Ming Dynasty will still exist in a few decades. At that time, the remaining people will feel a sense of loss and will inevitably yearn for their lost homeland, the Ming Dynasty."

Qi Jiguang was a man of great strategic vision, so Zhu Yin was not surprised to hear his analysis.

"Good!" Zhu Yin looked at Qi Jiguang with a determined gaze. "Since Father knows this, why not let me give it a try? If I can truly be blessed by Heaven and reclaim the throne of the legitimate heir, wouldn't I be able to become a second Guangwu, allowing the Ming Dynasty to rise from the ashes like a phoenix? That would extend the Ming Dynasty's reign for hundreds of years! This world needs a change of rules, Father!"

"You?" Qi Jiguang narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing this adopted son. "Young Tiger, you are blessed with innate intelligence, extraordinary talent, a heart for the common people, and an extraordinary bearing. You are indeed a rare young hero throughout history. But—"

"But if you want to achieve your ambition of becoming a king, ability alone is not enough. You also need good fortune and destiny. If you are unlucky and lack destiny, no matter how talented you are, you will inevitably die and your clan will be wiped out, like a moth drawn to a flame. I will not stop you from having the ambition to save the world and bring peace to the people, but you should think carefully. Once you embark on this path, there will be no turning back."

Zhu Yin said in a low voice, "I have no regrets. I just wanted to give it a try. If the emperor is capable, I also want to be a good minister who can govern the country well and benefit both the people and the nation. But the emperor is not capable. He has not attended court for several years. I can't stand it. He doesn't care about the Ming Dynasty, but I do!"

Qi Jiguang patted Zhu Yin on the shoulder and sighed, "Young Tiger, I'm too old to go crazy with you anymore, and I probably won't live to see that day. Take care of yourself. I hope you succeed, but I... can't help you anymore."

His attitude seemed to be that he did not oppose Zhu Yin reclaiming the ancestral throne, but he would not help Zhu Yin rebel.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin felt a great sense of relief.

He knew perfectly well that if his godfather said he wouldn't help, then he definitely would!
They just won't help openly.

"Father, just enjoy your retirement in peace," Zhu Yin said with a smile. "I will never let you suffer."

Qi Jiguang nodded and changed the subject, saying, "Make preparations today, and we'll set off back to the capital tomorrow."

After discussing it, the two announced the imperial edict to the generals. The generals were disappointed and indignant when they learned that they were not allowed to recover the Western Sea.

What is the logic behind this? The Western Mongol invasion of Hexi and their participation in the rebellion have now been annihilated. Why doesn't the imperial army enter the Western Mongol territory?

However, the imperial decree had already been issued, and although the generals were full of complaints, they had no choice but to obey.

Zhu Yin immediately ordered that they return to Jingdong early the next morning.

...

Inside the governor's residence in Liangzhou City, Zheng Guowang was reading a letter from home.

The letter was written by his elder brother, Zheng Guotai.

In his letter, the elder brother mentioned an incident: Li Mingcheng, the Empress Dowager's favorite nephew, was impeached by the censor Wang Han for misbehaving in Lian'er Hutong, killing a prostitute, causing a murder, which aroused public anger and tarnished the reputation of the Empress Dowager's relatives. He was asked to be dismissed from his post and confined to his quarters.

The Empress Dowager was furious upon hearing the report, and the Emperor issued an edict reprimanding the Censor for meddling in other people's business. Instead, he charged Censor Wang with "slandering a member of the imperial family and making unfounded accusations" and fined him half a year's salary.

However, after the imperial edict was issued, Sun Mian, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Justice, submitted a memorial stating that Wang Han's impeachment was well-founded. He not only defended Wang Han but also impeached Li Mingcheng, who, as a relative of the emperor, was involved in a murder case and behaved improperly, and should be severely reprimanded by imperial decree.

The emperor simply kept the document in the archives and refused to issue it.

In the end, it even reached the cabinet. The cabinet was busy with important military and national affairs all day long, and had no intention of dealing with such trivial matters. Wang Xijue and others could only issue a token reprimand, with both sides giving each other a scolding, which was considered to be equally unfair.

However, although Li Mingcheng was unharmed and impeachment did not affect him, his reputation was ruined and his public image in the capital was extremely poor.

Of course, the main point of her brother's letter was for her to impeach Zhu Yin as soon as possible and find fault with Zhu Yin since the suppression of the rebellion in the Northwest.

The objective was simple: to prevent Zhu Yin from being promoted due to his merits. Zhu Yin was the tutor of the eldest prince, and his honor or disgrace was related to the eldest prince's honor or disgrace; his prestige could not be allowed to grow too great.

Zheng Guowang put down his brother's letter, his eyebrows furrowed in thought, his long, slender, white fingers tapping incessantly on the table.

To be fair, she didn't think Zhu Yin had done anything wrong, let alone committed any crime.

Zhu Yin has commanded with composure and performed exceptionally well over the past few months. His hard work and contributions are evident to all.

But because of differing stances, they still nitpicked and impeached him!

Who told him to be at odds with the Zheng family?
"Brother Yueying." A voice interrupted Zheng Guowang's thoughts; it was Hao Yun who had arrived.

Hao Yunlai sat down opposite her and said directly, "I have a divination result."

Zheng Guowang smiled slightly, "Tell me about it."

Hao Yunlai said eloquently, “I have been calculating the images, numbers, principles, and divination of the Book of Changes over the past few days, and I have obtained the thirteenth number of the principles, which is the peony in spring. The words are: Talented and versatile, with extraordinary wisdom and strategies, patient and gentle in handling affairs, and able to achieve great success.”

"This divination is very auspicious. After returning to the capital, Brother Yueying will be able to soar to great heights."

"What do you mean by soaring to the sky?" Zheng Guowang shook his head. "At most, he'll be appointed as Vice Censor-in-Chief and sent to serve as an outlying governor."

"That's all?" Hao Yunlai was speechless upon hearing this.

Although you, Zheng Guowang, have also made contributions, how can you compare to Zhu Zhihu? If you could be promoted to Vice Censor-in-Chief and then Governor this time, wouldn't that be fast? That's all!

Sigh, he really is Consort Zheng's brother. It's infuriating to compare oneself to others.

He came today to probe, wanting to know what official position Zheng could help him get promoted to.

Zheng Guowang, of course, knew Hao Yunlai's purpose and said with a smile, "Brother Huaji has also made contributions in suppressing the rebellion. When he returns to the capital to report his merits, he will definitely be promoted to the position of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."

Upon hearing that he was a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel, Hao Yunlai immediately beamed with joy.

He's a junior official in the Ministry of Personnel! He's only been in office for less than four years. If he serves as a junior official in the Ministry of Personnel for a few more years, even if he's transferred to a provincial post, he could still become a governor. Within ten years, he'll definitely be promoted to vice minister or vice censor-in-chief.

"I won't thank you," Hao Yunlai chuckled. "It's all for the court and for His Majesty."

Zheng Guowang said, "It is precisely for the sake of the court that we cannot let personal feelings interfere with public duty. Those who should be impeached and matters that should be impeached cannot be ignored regardless of personal feelings."

Hao Yunlai, knowing the situation, smiled and said, "Brother Yueying is absolutely right."

The two men, without tacit agreement, immediately wrote impeachment memorials, jointly impeaching Zhu Yin for "various illegal acts," each word like a knife!

……

The next day, Zhu Yin, Qi Jiguang, and others escorted the coffins of Bo Bai and Zhu Shenyu, along with some important prisoners, and led their troops away from Liangzhou, heading east.

The return journey was much slower. The group traveled for nearly a month, and it wasn't until the end of August that they finally saw the capital.

Upon arriving outside Beijing, officials from the Ministry of Rites had already prepared a triumphant welcome ceremony.

Zhu Yin had already sent people to make contact and cooperate with the officials of the Ministry of Rites on related matters.

As soon as Zhu Yin's troops appeared, three cannon shots rang out from the city wall.

"Boom boom boom!"

The master of ceremonies then loudly proclaimed:
"The royal army has returned in triumph! All officials have come out of the city to welcome them!"

"play music!"

P.S.: The little tiger is really back today! Everyone, guess what position he'll be promoted to? Will he get promoted at all? Thank you for your unwavering support! Goodnight!
(End of this chapter)