The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 273 Three cracks of the whip, civil and military officials in unison
The news of Jiang Han's determination to become king quickly spread throughout the various prefectures and counties under his jurisdiction.

The entire Sichuan region was mobilized, with civil and military officials performing their respective duties and making intensive preparations for the ceremony.

Five months is neither a long nor a short time;

The generals leading the troops dared not be negligent. After a brief rest in Chengdu, they immediately mustered their troops and marched towards southern Sichuan.

Li Zicheng led 10,000 troops straight to the southwest, towards Jiading Prefecture and the Sichuan Provincial Military Command area.

Although there are many garrisons here, their military preparedness has long been neglected.

When Li Zicheng's army arrived, the soldiers of the various garrisons surrendered without resistance.

Occasionally, a few loyal commanders of the thousand or hundred households would try to defend the city, but as soon as the fighting started, they would be tied up and sent out of the city by the people and soldiers in the garrison.

By June, Li Zicheng had almost pacified the two prefectures with a single proclamation, quickly bringing them under his control.

Shao Yong's task was to take over Luzhou Prefecture and Xuzhou Prefecture in the central region.

The journey was even smoother. When the officials of the prefectures and counties along the way heard the news of the fall of Chengdu and the death of the King of Shu, they were already terrified and could not muster any will to resist.

The people in these areas were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the royal army, and some of the bolder ones even raised the banner of rebellion to support the king's army.

Often, when Shao Yong arrived at the city gates with his troops, the city gates would already be open, and he would be happily invited into the city by the local people.

In mid-July, Shao Yong easily seized the two prefectures and stationed his troops along the Yangtze River.

The toughest challenges fell to Li Laowai and Heizi, namely Chongqing Prefecture and Zunyi Prefecture in the southeast.

Chongqing Prefecture was an important town on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, with high walls and deep moats. Prefect Qiu Xingwen was a die-hard who vowed never to surrender.

Zunyi Prefecture was the stronghold of Yang Yinglong, the former governor of Bozhou.

Although the Bozhou Pacification Commission has been split into two and the Tusi system has been abolished, many Tusi tribes still harbor rebellious intentions and have always wanted to wrest back the ruling power from the imperial court.

But now the tide has turned, and these sporadic acts of resistance are no longer a threat.

In May, the two split up, with Li Laowai heading towards Changshou and Heizi attacking Jiangjin, thus forming a pincer movement against Chongqing Prefecture.

After a siege and fierce fighting lasting nearly half a month, Chongqing city was breached, the city walls were blown up, and Prefect Qiu Xingwen died fighting in the street battle.
Commander Ren Hong attempted to escape amidst the chaos, but was overtaken by the outer cavalry and killed by a hail of arrows on the banks of the Yangtze River.

After capturing Chongqing, the two continued their southward march without stopping, passing through Tongziyi, crossing the treacherous Loushan Pass, and penetrating into the heart of Bozhou, where they occupied Hailongtun, the former stronghold of the Yang family chieftain.

Upon learning of the arrival of the rebel army, the local chieftains of Zunyi Prefecture gathered together, attempting to negotiate with the two generals leading the troops in hopes of regaining their hereditary rule.

Since the Ming court had already abolished the native chieftain system and replaced it with direct imperial administration, this area should naturally be placed under Jiang Han's command.

In addition, Li Laowai and Heizi were not easy to talk to, and with August fast approaching, they were too lazy to waste time arguing with these chieftains.

In any case, there is only one principle: the policy of replacing local chieftains with centrally appointed officials must not be abandoned, and no chieftain or tribe may resist; those who disobey will be executed and their entire clan exterminated.

Seeing their tough stance, the leading chieftain tribes conspired to join forces with the local Ming army to teach these outsiders a lesson.

The two generals were overjoyed upon hearing the news. They had been looking for a reason to deal with these chieftains, and now, the chieftains had delivered themselves to their doorstep.

Not long after a group of local chieftains and Ming soldiers launched their rebellion, 20,000 troops surrounded them from all directions, chasing and killing this rabble all over the mountains and plains.

In less than two months, the entire Bozhou area was plowed up several times by Li Laowai and Hei Zi's troops.
Several chieftains who resisted stubbornly were killed in battle, and the remaining tribes, seeing that the situation was hopeless, surrendered their land in mid-July.

Thus, in just over four months, the entire territory of Sichuan fell into Jiang Han's hands.

While the military generals were conquering cities and seizing territories on the front lines, the civil officials in the rear were not idle either.

Zhao Sheng and his staff, along with newly surrendered former Ming officials, gathered in Chengdu, working day and night to prepare for the upcoming coronation ceremony.

The most important thing is to choose a suitable title.

Inside the main hall of the government office, the debate was extremely heated.

Zhao Sheng spoke first, offering his opinion:

"I believe that the title of Prince Yong should be chosen."

"As everyone knows, the commander-in-chief originated from Shaanxi, and most of his core members are also from Qin (Shaanxi).

"Shaanxi was formerly known as Yongzhou, which was one of the nine provinces in the Yu Gong (a historical record of ancient China)."

"Currently, the Ming court has a Prince of Qin in Xi'an, so for the time being, we will not call him Prince of Qin, but instead use Prince of Yong."

"Using this title will allow us to firmly grasp the foundation and constantly remind the soldiers from Shaanxi."

"Moreover, the character '雍' also implies harmony and stability."

"At a time when the world is in chaos, it is very opportune for the commander-in-chief to take this opportunity to put forward the slogan of 'stabilizing the four directions and restoring peace'!"

Upon hearing Zhao Sheng's words, the local officials in Sichuan were not pleased.

Li Xinghuai, the prefect of Jianzhou, immediately stood up and argued his case based on reason:
"Zhao Zanhua is mistaken."

"It is true that the Great Marshal originated in Shaanxi, but now the place where the dragon rises is Sichuan!"

"The title of king should be connected with the fortunes of Shu in order to be stable. How can we abandon what is near and seek what is far away?"

"Although the title of King of Shu is somewhat unlucky and should not be used again, it should not be used as the title of King of Yong either."

Wang Chengbi, the prefect of Long'an, nodded in agreement, saying:
“Prefect Li is absolutely right.”

Throughout history, how could those who controlled Sichuan not use the name of the Shu region?

"In the past, Liu Bei occupied the Shu region and declared himself King of Hanzhong, thus establishing the Shu Han dynasty; later, Wang Jian and Meng Zhixiang used Shu as their title and established their own state."

"This is the will of Heaven and the will of the land. We should follow the will of Heaven and the will of the people. How can we go against the tide?"

"otherwise!"

Upon hearing this, a civil official from Shaanxi standing next to Zhao Sheng immediately stood up.

“If he cannot be called the King of Yong, then the title of King of Hanzhong is not worthy of the name, since Hanzhong is still in the hands of the imperial court.”

"In my humble opinion, a title of king does not necessarily have to be confined to one place. The commander-in-chief's ambition is for the whole country, how can he be limited to a name from a corner?"

For a time, the main hall of the government office was filled with a great deal of noise.

Some insisted on the title of "King of Shu," some advocated for "King of Yong," and others proposed "King of Han" or "King of Shun."
In any case, each side sticks to its own version of events and refuses to give in.

After arguing for a long time, no one could convince anyone else, so everyone had no choice but to write down the proposed alternative titles and their reasons in detail and submit them to Jiang Han for a decision.

Jiang Han read through the documents presented one by one, and after a moment's thought, he made a decision.

He picked up his pen and circled the characters "Han King".

Setting the title of king is only one part of the process; there are still many other things waiting for Jiang Han to decide.

Establishing a government and setting up a system is no easy task. It is a crucial step in the transformation from a bandit regime to a legitimate government, and every aspect must be carefully considered.

After much deliberation, Jiang Han decided to adopt the mature system of the Ming Dynasty and make slight additions and subtractions to it.

For example, the original six ministries were changed to eight ministries, retaining the six ministries of Revenue, Rites, Personnel, War, Justice, and Works, and adding the ministries of Agriculture and Education.

It is now the eighth year of the Chongzhen reign, and natural disasters will only become more frequent and severe in the future.

The establishment of the Ministry of Agriculture, specifically responsible for farmland irrigation, grain seed promotion, and disaster prevention and relief, was intended to fundamentally solve the food problem.

He has a longer-term plan for the academic department.

After taking over Sichuan, we now have a foothold, so it's time to put the establishment of schools and the training of talent on the agenda.

History has proven that science and technology are the primary productive forces.

There are many Western missionaries in various parts of Sichuan, and Jiang Han plans to gather them together to help compile some teaching materials.

The West is probably also fighting a thirty-year war right now. Sir Nicholas Tse hasn't even been born yet, so there's still time to start training talent from scratch.

In addition to the establishment of government agencies at all levels, there were also many personnel appointments and systems for rewarding and punishing meritorious service that Jiang Han needed to personally review and approve.

How should meritorious soldiers be promoted and rewarded? How should surrendered officials be assessed and appointed?

Every day, countless documents piled up on his desk, keeping Jiang Han extremely busy.

But he also understands that only by establishing a sound government framework can the government operate more smoothly in the future.

While the commander-in-chief and civil and military officials were busy, the craftsmen in the Ministry of Works were also extremely busy.

The ceremonial objects, regalia, robes for civil officials, and ceremonial armor for generals needed to be made urgently.

Time flew by amidst the intense preparations, and the day of the coronation ceremony was fast approaching.

On the eighth day of the eighth month of the eighth year of Chongzhen's reign, at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM).

The city of Chengdu was deserted as everyone flocked to the city, and the Shu King's Palace and its surrounding area were especially crowded with people who came to join in the excitement. The city was brightly lit, as bright as day.

In accordance with Jiang Han's requirement that "rites need not be entirely based on ancient systems, but rather on military appearance, drawing on the stories of the Han and Tang dynasties, and adhering to practical considerations," the ceremony for the coronation of the king was held in the huge square in front of the Chengyun Hall of the Shu King's Palace.

At the exact moment of Yin (3-5 AM), the solemn sound of bugles broke the dawn, and the ceremony officially began.

Civil and military officials filed out from the two side offices and, guided by the officials of rites and eunuchs, formed two lines in the square and stood in their respective positions.

On the right is the civil official line. At the head of the line is Zhao Sheng, Jiang Han's chief steward and core advisor. Behind him are Li Liyuan and other old staff who have followed him from Shaanxi to fight in four provinces.
Next came Wang Chengbi of Long'an Prefecture, Li Xinghuai of Jianzhou, Xue Zhiheng of the Xue family, and other former Ming court officials and chieftain representatives who had submitted to the Ming court.

The next row consists of promising young talents selected through the imperial examinations held in Baoning Prefecture, such as Wu Xi and Zhou Defu.

The military officers on the left were even more spirited and exuded a murderous aura.

Leading the group were Dong Erzhu, Fang Hong, Shao Yong, Li Laowai, Cao Er, Li Zicheng, and a host of other trusted generals.

They were all fully armored, with sharp blades around their necks, their expressions solemn yet tinged with barely suppressed excitement.

Behind the generals were the military commanders who had been promoted for their merits, such as Wang Wu and Ma Xu.

Even some Ming generals who had surrendered, such as Ma Ke, were arranged to watch the ceremony from the back of the line as a gesture of appeasement.

Around the square, heavily armored soldiers stood solemnly along the road, their military bearing imposing and the air utterly silent, save for the crackling of torches and the fluttering of colorful flags in the morning breeze.

The first step of the ceremony is to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth.

On the altar set up in the very center of the square, whole pigs, cattle, and sheep had already been displayed.

Jiang Han deliberately didn't wear the imperial robes, but instead changed into a brand new red and black straight-cut fish-scale armor.

He was also equipped with beast-face shoulder armor, ring-arm armor, double dragon chest plates, and a six-lobed bright iron helmet with gold guardians, making him look even more heroic and upright.

He stepped forward slowly, burned incense and prayed, then personally read the sacrificial text to comfort Heaven and Earth.

Afterwards, the procession moved to the circular hall behind the Chengyun Hall to prepare for the ancestral worship ceremony.

The Round Hall is a large, circular hall with a single-eaved pyramidal roof, symbolizing the concept of "heaven is round and earth is square".

This place was originally used to enshrine the memorial tablets of the Shu kings of past dynasties, but they have long been removed and now only the memorial tablets of Jiang Han's parents are placed here.

Originally, the civil officials wanted to trace the origin of the Jiang surname and find a cheap and illustrious ancestor for Jiang Han.

Some say it originated from the Ying surname, referring to someone who was enfeoffed in the early Western Zhou Dynasty to establish the Jiang State, which was later destroyed by Chu, and whose descendants took the state name as their surname. Others say it originated from Xiao Zhen, the second son of Xiao Gou, a prime minister in the late Tang Dynasty, who changed his surname to avoid disaster and later moved to Shaanxi.

However, Jiang Han ultimately rejected all these messy ancestral claims.

What nonsense about my illustrious background! I am just a lowly soldier from Yansui. What does the world have to do with me?

After a brief ceremony, Jiang Han immediately led his men away from the circular hall.

He always felt that this place was too yin (negative) and wondered if it was just his imagination.

When his men were taking inventory of the items in the circular hall, the soldiers found a carefully tanned and preserved human skin in a box.

Only after comparing the records of the Prince's Mansion did they discover that this was actually the human skin that had been peeled off from Duke Lan Yu of Liang.

After the ancestral worship ceremony, the main event of the day began: ascending the throne to receive court congratulations.

As dawn broke, the auspicious time arrived.

Jiang Han took the lead and stepped into the Chengyun Hall, whereupon the master of ceremonies beside him immediately announced:
"Please ascend the throne, Your Highness, Prince of Han!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the guards on both sides behind him, clad in armor and carrying swords, passed neatly beside Jiang Han and stood guard around the hall, their expressions stern.

Under the watchful eyes of the assembled civil and military officials outside the hall, Jiang Han ascended the high and mighty dragon throne step by step and settled down calmly.

Snapped!
As the whip cracked, the eunuch at the entrance of Chengyun Hall shouted at the top of his lungs:
"The officials entered the hall and stood in their respective ranks!"

Jiang Han sat high on his throne, looking down into the Chengyun Hall and observing the scene before him.

As the morning drums sounded, the civil and military officials participating in the ceremony entered the main hall in turn and lined up below the steps.

After everyone had taken their positions, the eunuch waved his whip twice to signal the drumbeats to stop and began playing ceremonial music.

The majestic and rapid drumbeats abruptly stopped, and a melodious sound of ceremonial music resounded from behind the Chengyun Hall.

when!when!when!
After about half a cup of tea's time, the ceremonial music gradually subsided, the eunuch brandished his whip three times, and the master of ceremonies beside him immediately chanted:

"kneel--!"

Inside and outside the hall, all the civil and military officials and representatives of the soldiers knelt down in unison.

"Kowtowing—!"

"Kowtowing again—!"

"Three kowtows—!"

"prosper--!"

"kneel--!"

After this grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows, everyone prostrated themselves on the ground and shouted in unison:
"Long live the King of Han! Long live the King! Long live the King!"

The sound, like rolling thunder, burst out of the main hall, resounded throughout the entire palace, and even reached the streets outside.

Immediately afterwards, soldiers outside the palace beat huge war drums and fired salutes, the booming sound shaking the entire city of Chengdu.

Hearing the roar in his ears and looking at the dark mass of civil and military officials in the hall, who were prostrate on the ground, then stood up again, their eyes fixed on him, Jiang Han was filled with emotion.

These were the people who followed him from the war-torn capital region to the vast, sandy northwest desert.
From the majestic mountains of Shanxi to the impregnable defenses of Sichuan, they fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood step by step.

Now, they are all kneeling here, offering their lives, their future, and their possessions before him.

Jiang Han felt an indescribable surge of heroic spirit erupt from his chest, instantly filling his entire body.

He who bears the nation's disgrace is called the master of the state; he who bears the nation's misfortune is called the king of the world.

This chaotic era at the end of the Ming Dynasty should be ended by him!
After the third drumbeat, Jiang Han exhaled a breath of stale air and raised his right hand in a gesture:

"No need to pay tribute."

"Thank you, Prince Han!"

Everyone then stood up and stood respectfully with their hands at their sides.

At this moment, the master of ceremonies beside him announced loudly once again:

"Recite the King's edict of accession!"

Zhao Sheng stepped forward in response, solemnly received a scroll of bright yellow silk edict from the official in charge of ceremonies, faced the crowd, took a deep breath, and began to read aloud:
In the eighth year of King Wei's reign, the year was Yi Hai, the eighth month was mid-autumn, and the first day of the month was Gui Chou.

The King of Han hereby proclaims this to Heaven and Earth, to the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and instructs all his subjects in Sichuan to know it:

Alas, the Great Ming Dynasty, since the founding emperor, Emperor Gaozu, ascended the Huai River, swept away the barbarian Yuan, and ushered in a new era, has lasted for 267 years.

However, to this day, the dynasty is in decline and the social order has collapsed.

The current foolish ruler, residing deep within the palace, is unaware of the people's suffering; he trusts eunuchs and thus destroys his own defenses.

The high-ranking officials of the court, having eaten their fill all day long, only knew how to exploit others to fill their own pockets; the clerks and officials at all levels of the government were like tigers and wolves, only concerned with collecting taxes to curry favor with their superiors.

Furthermore, they imposed heavy taxes and levies, treating the common people like dirt; they indulged their own clansmen, exploiting the entire country like a precious commodity.

This caused chaos throughout the land, upheaval across the world, with starving corpses blocking the roads and the dead lying in heaps.

The court is tyrannical, and loyal officials are disheartened; soldiers weep blood, how can they survive?
I was originally a lowly soldier from Yansui, born into humble circumstances.

Seeing the people suffering and indignant at the presence of treacherous officials, he raised his arm and rallied heroes from all walks of life, wielding his sword and raising the banner of righteousness.

It was not for the sake of wealth and status, but in fact for the sake of the people's survival and relief from hardship.

From Shaanxi to Shanxi, and then to Henan and Sichuan, their banners swept through the land.

It was only through the bravery of the soldiers and the unity of the officials that Chengdu was conquered and Bashu was taken.

Now, by the mandate of Heaven and in accordance with the will of the people, I hereby ascend to the throne as King of Han in Chengdu.

This is hereby proclaimed throughout the land, so that all may know.

From this day forward, under my rule, officials will be honest and upright, taxes will be levied in a measured manner, farmers will have their land, and residents will have their houses; scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants will each live in peace and contentment.

Those who are greedy, cruel, and harm the people must be punished with severe penalties and harsh laws, and no one, not even their relatives, will be spared!
The edict was written in a powerful and resounding style, listing the crimes of the Ming court, explaining the original intention of the uprising, and announcing the new policy program. It stirred the hearts of everyone in the hall, especially the generals who had followed Jiang Han for a long time, who clenched their fists in excitement.

After Zhao Sheng finished reading the imperial edict, Jiang Han immediately began announcing the new institutional changes and personnel appointments.

The regime was newly established, and its overall framework temporarily followed the Ming system, but it was set up with eight ministries.

"The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites were under the command of Zhao Sheng, who was responsible for the circulation of money and grain, etiquette and education, and the selection of some low-ranking officials."

"The Ministry of Agriculture, headed by Li Xinghuai, is responsible for agriculture, sericulture, water conservancy, grain storage, and disaster relief."

"The Ministry of Works will continue to be led by Zhuang Qirong to manufacture military equipment and establish workshops."

"The Ministry of Education was overseen by Wang Chengbi, who was responsible for holding imperial examinations, selecting officials, and establishing schools."

"The Ministry of Justice, under the jurisdiction of Xue Zhiheng, is responsible for criminal judgment review and the redress of wrongful convictions."

"As for the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War..."

Jiang Han paused for a moment,

"Temporarily vacant."

The civil and military officials in the hall knew very well that personnel and military power were their lifeblood, and the King of Han would certainly not easily relinquish them.

Other positions, such as the Censorate and the Court of Judicial Review, are also temporarily vacant.

First, establish the government office. Once a suitable candidate is found, adjustments can be made.

Generals at all levels in the army, commanding officers, and personnel of directly subordinate agencies such as the Grain and Tax Bureau also received rewards and promotions.

For the time being, the general in charge of the troops will still be called a deputy general, but Jiang Han promised that he could be promoted to general after the army is expanded, and he will be in charge of a region.

In addition, he re-established the five ranks of nobility: "Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron," and the first batch of nobility would be granted to viscounts and barons as a reward for meritorious officials.

Rewards should be given gradually, so that there will be no more rewards to give when generals of all ranks make further contributions.

Jiang Han was particularly generous to the soldiers at the grassroots level.

All soldiers who had followed him before entering Sichuan received a full thirty-six taels of silver, which amounted to two years' worth of pay.

After entering Sichuan, the militia recruited from various places were given ten taels of silver each because they had already been given land.

Upon hearing the news, the guards outside the palace were overjoyed and almost knelt down to kowtow on the spot, only managing to remain standing due to military discipline.

The confiscation of the Shu King's Mansion's wealth accumulated over two hundred years gave Jiang Han enough confidence to reward the entire army.

At the same time, he also announced a one-year reduction in taxes and grain levies for people in various parts of Sichuan in order to win over the hearts of the people.

That night, a grand victory banquet was held in the Shu King's mansion, with toasts and cheers resounding.

The palace lanterns were lit one after another, illuminating the hall as bright as day. The civil and military officials drank heartily, celebrating this hard-won stage victory.

As if they had planned it together, a group of people in the hall stepped forward one after another, continuously offering toasts and congratulations to Jiang Han, who was at the head of the table.

The musicians beat the drums, and the dancers in the center of the hall, wielding red shields and jade axes, danced to the beat of the drums.
After the music ended, Zhao Sheng quietly rose from his seat, approached Jiang Han at the head of the table, and whispered, "..."
"Your Majesty, now that the government has been established and the system has been set, the overall situation is initially stable."

"Shouldn't you start thinking about your wedding?"

"Both the Li and Wang families have daughters who are virtuous and kind. Why don't you meet them first?"

"Or, shall I issue a document directly, announcing to the entire province, to select imperial concubines for you?"

Although Zhao Sheng's voice was low, the generals at the nearby tables who were drinking happily all slowed down, held their breath, pricked up their ears, and secretly glanced at Jiang Han with concern.

Jiang Han glanced around and took in everyone's expressions.

I'm almost twenty-nine now, and it really wouldn't be right to delay any longer.

This is not only a major life event for him personally, but also related to the stability of the regime.

Jiang Han smiled and nodded to Zhao Sheng:

"In my opinion, there's no need for a selection of imperial concubines. It's such a big fuss."

"Let's meet the girls from the Li and Wang families first, and choose one from each family."

Then, Jiang Han paused, raised his voice slightly so that everyone around could hear him:

"It's not just me, there are so many brothers in the army who are still single!"

"Now that the fighting has subsided, it's time for them to settle down, start families, and live peacefully."

He turned to Zhao Sheng and instructed him:
"You should issue a notice tomorrow to select eligible women in Sichuan. Choose those who can manage a household and live a good life, not some pampered young ladies who can't lift a finger."

"Go back and tell the brothers that I have given them wives!"

"Make sure they each prepare their saved military pay!"

(End of this chapter)