Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 138 Those who share the same virtues are of the same mind; those who share the same mind are of the same comrade.

……

Zhu Youjian took a few deep breaths, and the loneliness in his chest slowly subsided.

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the lattice windows, casting dappled shadows on the golden bricks of the warm pavilion, while a faint aroma of tea and sandalwood filled the air.

His earlier statement that "the Ming Dynasty is dead" was actually just a Pinduoduo version of his grand vision...

But it doesn't matter, if we keep cutting, we might just manage to get that final hundred-yuan red envelope.

Judging from the current results, this rhetoric has accurately hit the pain points of this era and ignited the flames in the hearts of these individuals.

Now that the atmosphere has been built up to this point, let's strike while the iron is hot and lay the groundwork for an even deeper connection.

Zhu Youjian's face regained its gentle smile, and he adjusted his posture to make his voice sound more soothing.

"Be flat."

The voice was soft, yet it was like a gentle spring breeze, causing Gao Shiming, Wang Tiqian, and Lu Xiangshang to unconsciously relax and slowly straighten up.

Zhu Youjian's gaze slowly swept across the three faces.

He could clearly sense that, after the speech and the polite exchanges, an invisible connection was quietly forming between them.

And he, as the one who guided all of this, needs to give this connection a formal status in a timely manner.

Was it a harmonious relationship between ruler and subject? Perhaps, but what he wanted was far more than that.

Zhu Youjian cleared his throat and spoke clearly, word by word.

“When I read the ‘Discourses of the States,’ it says: ‘Those who share the same virtues share the same heart; those who share the same heart share the same ideals.’”

He paused slightly, his gaze becoming exceptionally serious as he looked at the three men: "What you three ministers have said, done, thought, and felt today is truly in line with my virtues and heart."

"In this way, among the four of us, there are civil officials, eunuchs, and the emperor, with different statuses, but as long as we remain steadfast in our commitment to the country and its people, how can we not call each other 'comrades'?"

Name and reality are interdependent; this has always been the case.

The Donglin Party and the eunuch party can define each other.

He, Zhu Youjian, the supreme ruler of the Ming Dynasty, whose words carried the weight of the law, how could he not define those in the world who truly aspired to change the world?!
The term "comrade" is far superior to "imperial party" or "royal party".

It naturally stands on the moral high ground, striving for a common goal, rather than for the emperor's personal gain.

How much unnecessary criticism can this avoid when implementing new policies in the future!

Private morality? Offering something to the emperor? Flattering the ruler?

Sir, would you like to hear what you're saying?
Don't you want to take a look at where you are? You're the one who's morally bankrupt!

Let's punish you with the big stick of feudalism!

Upon hearing Zhu Youjian's words, the three people in the pavilion reacted with varying expressions.

Gao Shiming only shuddered slightly, but his face showed little surprise.

He was originally entrusted with a dream by His Majesty; the term "comrade" merely gave that dream a more resounding name.

Wang Tiqian was secretly delighted. He looked down at his nose and his mind was in turmoil. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and they all turned into the perfectly respectful expression on his face.

Lu Xiang-sheng, this still somewhat inexperienced future minister, felt his heart surging with excitement!
But as he glanced at the two eunuchs beside him out of the corner of his eye, a vague sense of unease arose in his heart.

To be "comrades" with eunuchs? This...

Zhu Youjian took in the expressions of the three men, but did not want them to express their opinions on this occasion.

Today, the seed has been planted; how it will take root and sprout remains to be seen, depending on his future actions.

"Very well, I am very pleased to have met three comrades today."

Zhu Youjian stopped talking at just the right moment, waving his hand as if he had only mentioned a trivial matter.

"The affairs of the world are complex and chaotic, but as long as there are more and more people of the same mind and heart, why worry about the world not being stable or the country not being peaceful?"

He turned to Lu Xiang-sheng: "Minister Lu, you may step down now. Revise that draft document, taking into account what I said today, and then resubmit it. Your specific appointment will follow shortly."

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Lu Xiang-sheng bowed deeply, filled with excitement and a touch of confusion, and left the warm pavilion.

……

The warm pavilion fell silent once more.

Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment before turning to Gao Shiming and saying, "Gao, come closer. I have a lot to say, so you should write it down."

He watched as Gao Shiming spread out paper and pen, organizing his thoughts as he slowly began to speak.

Regarding the matter of Lu Xiang-sheng's horse feed, I have several decrees to issue at the same time.

"The first decree."

"Lu Xiang was promoted to Left Vice Censor-in-Chief and appointed Governor of Yongping, Hejian and Shuntian Prefectures."

"The imperial edict ordered him to be in charge of horse feed matters, and during this period, he was free to handle all military and civil affairs, appointments and removals of officials below the seventh rank, levies on merchants and civilians, and the finances and grain of the treasury in the three regions at his own discretion!"

"Furthermore, I hereby bestow upon you another royal command flag. If you encounter any obstruction, you may act as you see fit!"

Yang Jingchen's initial suggestion for Lu Xiangsheng's appointment was to become an "inspector," emphasizing supervision.

But Zhu Youjian gave him the title of "Governor", a real high-ranking official with administrative, military and supervisory powers combined!

The matter of horse feed cost no more than 180,000 taels of silver, and it was indeed unnecessary for a governor to go there.

However, the many issues that arose from the horse grazing could serve as a model for his new policies in Beizhili, providing the most solid data for his work.

Reform, reform, the first thing to do is not pilot projects, but research!
Before he could finish speaking, he continued, "Secondly..."

At this point, he suddenly seemed to have some amnesia and couldn't recall the details.

There's nothing I can do; I talked to three people today, and each one was incredibly informative.

Zhu Youjian turned to ask, "Just now Lu Xiang-sheng said that if we only purchase horse fodder locally in Yongping, how much silver would it cost?"

Before Gao Shiming could recall, Wang Tiqian had already spoken first, bowing and replying, "Your Majesty, it is ninety thousand taels. If we use both Hejian and Shuntian prefectures this time, the cost may be even lower."

Zhu Youjian smiled slightly, gave him an approving look, and nodded.

“When Lu Xiang-sheng first arrived in the capital region, his research was mostly based on what others said, and it was ultimately not reliable enough.”

"Those who govern should avoid making assumptions the most. If you are prepared, you will succeed; if you are not prepared, you will fail. For anything that cannot be completely determined, you should leave room for a buffer."

"You convey my imperial edict, instructing him to change the budget in the horse feed strategy back to the original 180,000 taels."

"The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War will find out later and pool their savings. If there is a shortfall, it will be made up from my own private treasury. Then, Lu Xiang-sheng will take these 180,000 taels with him to his new post!"

Gao Shiming was writing furiously, completely forgetting to reply.

"Thirdly, Tian Ergeng was ordered to select officers from the two banners of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to take up their posts with Lu Xiang-sheng."

Two flags, twenty men. They were both guards and his eyes and ears.

While Lu Xiang-sheng in historical records is trustworthy, one cannot blindly believe the real Lu Xiang-sheng.

With a thousand years of history passed, who knows what really happened in between?

Moreover, with more and more governors and viceroys being sent to other regions in the future, it is necessary to establish a system for sending the Embroidered Uniform Guard to obtain information from multiple sources.

More sources of information mean more truth.

"Fourth, the telegraph system will be fully opened to Lu Xiang-sheng. He will be granted a personal telegraph code, allowed to set up a small telegraph center, and given an independent codebook."

Gao Shiming wrote furiously, and soon the snow-white Xuan paper was filled with dense, slightly messy characters.

Wang Tiqian, standing to the side, grew increasingly alarmed as he listened.

Authority, funds, manpower, and information sources!
It was merely a task involving 180,000 taels of horse fodder, yet the resources and trust His Majesty bestowed upon Lu Xiang-sheng were almost on par with those given to Sun Cheng-zong, the Grand Coordinator of Ji-Liao!
Is it true that Lu Xiang-sheng is indeed favored by the emperor, or is there some other hidden meaning behind this matter of horse feed?

Wang Tiqian couldn't figure it out for a moment, but he secretly made a note of it.

Little did he know that this combination of measures was precisely the "standard configuration" that Zhu Youjian had prepared for all future local reformers. Now, however, he was merely using Lu Xiangshan as a whetstone.

Historically, Emperor Chongzhen's personnel selection had a very significant problem.

That's extreme.

Extreme belief, and extreme doubt.

Extremely harsh, and extremely lenient.

He's like a diode.

He cannot do that. He must provide them with enough money, power, and manpower, and then decide based on the situation, giving them room for trial and error and guidance, while also helping them withstand opposition.

The right approach is to use fame and profit to attract them.

Leaving aside the aforementioned matters of money, power, and people, the issue of telegrams was something that Chongzhen could not possess.

The so-called "independent telegraph coding" was based on a scheme developed by Zou Zhiyou, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. It was with this scheme that he won the top prize in the technology competition. The second prize was won by Wang Shide's full-duplex communication scheme.

However, the concept of "personal code" was an idea that Zhu Youjian himself added, similar to the telephone number of later generations.

Unlike the fixed-location codes in Ningyuan and Jinzhou, it was only issued to special individuals like Sun Chengzong, Lu Xiangsheng, and Ma Shilong who needed direct access to the emperor's ears.

Coupled with a unique codebook, this creates an extremely fast secret reporting channel.

Once the telegraph line from the capital to Jinzhou is fully operational, theoretically, barring extreme weather conditions, he will be able to conduct semi-instantaneous communications with Sun Chengzong, Lu Xiangshan, Ma Shilong, and others, with delays ranging from 15 minutes to 1 hour!

The post stations were the whips of emperors throughout history, but the telegram was Zhu Youjian's whip of God.

It's not impossible that the vehicle camp position could be moved ten meters to the left!

As for the "telegraph center," it was the latest optimized plan presented by Tian Ergeng and Sun Chengzong after communication.

In the initial telegraph design, all information was sent and received from the capital city.

However, after discussion, they realized that various prefectures, counties, and important military towns also had a need to collect and distribute information from all parties.

Therefore, telegraph centers of different levels were established based on the capacity and urgency of information transmission.

For example, Shanhaiguan, where Sun Chengzong was stationed, was a large-scale telegraph center of the highest level.

Lu Xiang-sheng's task of feeding horses was relatively simple, and a small telegraph center was sufficient to handle it.

Each telegraph center will be equipped with additional personnel and equipment, and will be allowed to send and receive telegrams with surrounding areas.

In addition, there were various optimizations such as intelligence classification and explicit/implicit codes, which made Zhu Youjian happily issue an additional three hundred taels of silver as a reward.

All of the above constituted the "reform package" that Zhu Youjian assigned to the officials in charge of foreign affairs.

……

After Zhu Youjian finished reciting these four decrees, he silently reviewed them in his mind to make sure there were no omissions.

He breathed a sigh of relief: "That's it for Lu Xiang-sheng's matter. Draft an imperial edict as soon as possible and issue it."

"This servant obeys your command." Gao Shiming straightened up and respectfully replied.

Zhu Youjian then raised his head and looked at the two trusted eunuchs in front of him again.

Gao Shiming remained calm and composed, while Wang Tiqian wore a beaming smile.

On the surface, there is no clue whatsoever.

Comrade...

What we are saying today is just laying the groundwork; how could it possibly become what it will be like in later generations?
Smooth and diplomatic individuals include Huang Lijie and Wang Yongguang.

Those with strong spirits include Xue Guoguan and Lu Xiangsheng.

Mature and experienced individuals include Cheng Jiming and Zhang Weixian.

Those who survived included Wang Tiqian and Tian Ergeng.

Those seeking names include Li Guopu and Yang Jingchen.

Speculators such as Huo Weihua and Yang Suoxiu.

……

People in this world have all sorts of desires and wants.

Not to mention the entanglement of various factors such as place of origin, lineage, interests, social class, and aspirations.

How difficult it is to truly unite them as one, with one heart and one mind!

In the few months since he ascended the throne, he had met all sorts of people, but they all had one problem or another.

Ultimately, it all comes down to making plans based on people and using talents according to their abilities.

Enough, the road is long and arduous, but if we keep going, we will reach our destination.

Zhu Youjian slowly stood up, and the slight sense of emotion in his heart was instantly replaced by a stronger sense of pride.

Reform is not something that can be achieved by talking!
Reform requires being prepared to violently shatter everything!

Therefore, he held this officer examination on short notice before his third daily lecture.

Because this group of people is his greatest asset in daring to unleash this massive wave!
Among them were sixty-one officers and platoon leaders from the reorganized Yongwei Battalion!
Among the elite officers and vanguards recruited from the nine border regions, eighty-four men had a basic understanding of literature.

And, of the seven military officer cards that he personally verified from thousands of people on the roster, six have now been drawn!

Huang Degong, a native of Kaiyuan, Liaodong, was the captain of Juehua Island in Liaodong!

Zhou Yuji, a native of Jinzhou in western Liaoning, served as the garrison commander of the Left Garrison of Jinzhou in eastern Liaoning!

Add to that Sun Yingyuan, the current First Division Commander of the Brave Guard Battalion, and you've got the "Three Tigers of the Capital Garrison" synergy. (Morale +10%, Attack Power +20%, haha)

Then there is,

Zu Kuan, a native of Liaoyang in Liaodong, was a battalion commander in Jinzhou, Liaodong!
Cao Bianjiao, a native of Datong, Shanxi, was a military officer in Ningyuan, Liaodong.

Zuo Liangyu, a native of Linqing, Shandong, served as the Commander of the Right Wing of the Liaodong Chariots!

Kong Youde, a native of Gaizhou in southern Liaoning, was a military officer in Dongjiang Town.

……

Anything he had some recollection of from later generations...

Even those with a bad impression, such as Kong Youde and Zuo Liangyu.

As long as the official rank was low enough not to affect the frontline combat effectiveness, he transferred all the available personnel over!
Zhu Youjian's lips couldn't help but curl upwards slightly.

This hand is full of royal flushes, this is a dragon rushing in at the start!

Isn't this Ming Dynasty emperor's storyline... more exciting than starting by landing in Hainan?!

The fate of the world rests with me!
Zhu Youjian strode towards the entrance of the warm pavilion.

He paused as he passed Gao Shiming.

"Gao Banban, later you should carefully organize the remarks I made today when I summoned Lu Xiangshan, such as 'There are three deaths for a person, and three deaths for a country,' and prepare to publish them in the 'Da Ming Times.'"

Gao Shiming cupped his hands in agreement: "Your Majesty, in which issue would you like it published?"

Zhu Youjian smiled and said meaningfully, "It won't be long. It can be announced within ten days. You can start preparing now."

Zhu Youjian lifted his foot and continued walking, and a young eunuch had already eagerly pushed open the door to the warm pavilion.

The magnificent Qianqing Palace gradually came into view.

Now, Zhu Youjian is going to see what his future sharp blades are really like...

What kind of answer sheet did we give him?
(End of this chapter)