Sweep Yuan

Chapter 291 The Founding of the Nation Meets the Great War
In Jiangning City, the morning light of late autumn streamed through the carved wooden windows, illuminating the polished gold-brick floor of the Marshal's Mansion's council hall. A faint scent of sandalwood and ink filled the air, along with an unusually solemn atmosphere.

Xia Yu, the magistrate of the Ministry of Rites, stood solemnly below the hall in his sleek official robes, respectfully holding a newly drafted document in both hands. His eyes, bloodshot from days of tireless work, shone with a fervent light of participating in history.

"marshal."

Xia Yu's voice was slightly hoarse with excitement, but it still retained the clear and resonant quality of a scholar:
"I have spent the last few days reading extensively and studying classical texts. I have found another auspicious name in the Book of Changes, which may be in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people, and will reflect the virtuous fortune of our Red Flag Camp!"

Shi Shan sat upright at the head of the table, his gaze calmly fixed on the Chief of Rites, who had grown thinner from the toil of preparing for the founding ceremony. He nodded slightly and said:

"Yunzhong (Xia Yu's courtesy name) has worked hard, please tell me about it."

Xia Yu took a deep breath and said loudly:

The commentary on the Qian hexagram in the Book of Changes states, "Great indeed is the Qian principle, from which all things originate... Great light shines from beginning to end, the six positions are established in due time, and the six dragons are used to govern the heavens..." The Mongol Yuan dynasty's name, "Great Yuan," was derived from "Great indeed is the Qian principle," claiming to be the origin of heaven and earth and to govern all things.

However, the Book of Changes also says, "Great brightness from beginning to end!" This word "bright" means light, prosperity, and clarity, symbolizing the brilliance of the sun and moon, illuminating the universe, having a beginning and an end, and bringing about the accomplishment of all things.

Their dynasty began with 'Yuan,' while ours ends with 'Ming,' perfectly aligning with the cycle of Heaven, signifying that our dynasty will inherit the Mandate of Heaven, end the Mongol Yuan rule, and usher in a new era! Therefore, I humbly suggest that the dynasty be named—'Great Ming'!

"The Ming Dynasty..."

Shishan silently recited this weighty word in his heart. He came from the future and had also had his share of youthful impulsiveness. He knew all too well the 276 years of turmoil that this country's name carried, as well as the endless grievances behind it.

The glorious Ming Dynasty, with its emperor guarding the nation's gates and monarchs dying for their country, possessed both a fierce and unyielding spirit and a tragic fate, marked by internal strife, rigid maritime prohibitions, and ultimately, being swallowed up by internal and external forces.

He transmigrated to this world and started from humble beginnings, taking a completely different path from Zhu Yuanzhang in the original historical timeline. He commanded the disciplined and more innovative "Red Flag Battalion" instead of the Red Turban Army system, and there was no Little Ming King Han Lin'er to offer him any tribute.

He no longer needed to rely on the folk belief of "the birth of the Bright King" to unite people's hearts. Instead, he had to clean up and guide the various irrational beliefs that might exist under his rule, including the Maitreya belief in the south and the Bright King belief in the north.

The state established by the Red Flag Battalion must bring its people and army into a more rational and organized framework, and must avoid making unfounded associations in its name.

However, such forward-thinking ideas could not be openly expressed to Xia Yu, who was filled with the sentiments of a traditional scholar-official.

Shi Shan pondered for a moment, not immediately responding to the mention of "Great Ming," but instead looked sharply at Xia Yu and posed a deeper question:
"The Book of Changes is indeed profound. However, Yunzhong, in your opinion, what is meant by 'Great Unity'?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Yu's heart skipped a beat.

He was well-versed in literature and served as the Director of the Ministry of Rites. During this period, he consulted a large number of ancient books in order to establish the name of the country. Naturally, he knew the term "Datong" (Great Unification), which first appeared in the Book of Documents, "Wu Cheng" (Military Succession), which states, "In the ninth year, the Great Unification was not yet completed." It originally referred to the great cause of unifying the world.

However, the phrase "Donghai King Yang, son of the Empress, is suitable to inherit the throne" in the "Book of the Later Han Dynasty: Biography of Emperor Guangwu" has evolved to specifically refer to the succession of the imperial throne.

However, Xia Yu, having followed Shi Shan for a long time, understood that the marshal's question was not about exploring the etymology of "great unification," but rather about questioning the legitimacy of the emperor's power and the "orthodoxy" of his regime should the Red Flag Battalion unify the world in the future.
This is by no means an easy question to answer.

The Mongol Yuan dynasty has ruled the Central Plains for nearly a century. Nine years ago, the "History of Song", "History of Jin" and "History of Liao" were completed, but so far, no conclusion has been reached on which of the three kingdoms was the "legitimate" dynasty. This is because favoring any side would lead to endless controversy and moral dilemmas.

In Xia Yu's view, no matter how entangled the Song, Jin, and Liao dynasties were, the world was eventually unified by the Mongol Yuan dynasty. According to the realistic logic of "the victor is king," it seems natural for the Mongol Yuan dynasty to enjoy "legitimacy."

But if that's the case, where does the Red Flag Battalion's righteous banner of "driving out the barbarians and restoring the Han" stand? By launching a baseless attack on the "orthodox" forces, wouldn't they themselves become traitors?
Xia Yu's forehead was slightly sweaty. As the Director of the Ministry of Rites, his duty was to build the legal basis and etiquette framework for the new regime.

Faced with Shishan's test today, he had to avoid the logical trap of this statement, carefully organizing his words, and said:

"Marshal, you are wise. Although the Mongol Yuan Dynasty rose from the northern deserts and entered the Central Plains, after its establishment, it also partially adopted Han laws to govern the hundreds of millions of people. This has been going on for decades. Although the cultural heritage of China has been suppressed, it has not been severed. This is an indisputable fact."

In my humble opinion, the so-called "great unification" can be understood as the reality of "unifying the world and benefiting all living beings".

In the past, the Mongol Yuan dynasty pacified the world, extinguished the chaos of war, and thus gained "great unification." Now, our Red Flag Battalion... awaits only that the Marshal drives out the barbarians, sweeps away the warlords, purifies the land, and ensures that his decrees are implemented throughout the four seas and his benevolence is widely spread across the world. Then, "great unification" will naturally reside in the hearts of the people and will be self-evident.

Xia Yu's meaning was quite subtle: the Mongol Yuan dynasty itself couldn't explain its "legitimacy," but it unified the world by force, thus having a de facto "grand unification."

The Red Flag Camp is no different now. There's no need to get too hung up on the vague origins of "legitimacy." As long as they can eventually pacify the country, great Confucian scholars will come to prove the legitimacy of the Red Flag Camp regime, ensuring that the benefits they gain through the new dynasty will be passed on for generations to come.

History is inherently linked to the past and the future; it cannot be separated, nor should it be separated.

Shishan didn't really want to get bogged down in the debate over legitimacy, because this wasn't his main battleground. Engaging in debates with the powerful and gentry, whose palates had been spoiled by the Mongol Yuan dynasty, would only be asking for trouble. Besides, this was clearly a matter for after unifying the country, not worth wasting too much energy on now.

But he was even more aware that if he did not take the initiative to occupy the ideological front, the enemy would fill it with all sorts of outdated arguments of "divine mandate" and "legitimacy" in order to maintain the vested interests and legitimacy of their rule that they had won from the Yuan court.

Shishan could temporarily disregard the reform of Confucianism to avoid getting bogged down in endless debates on classical studies, but if he wanted to eliminate the accumulated problems of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, he could not be too ambiguous on the core symbols that he could control—such as the choice of the name of the state.

“Yunzhong’s words make some sense. The Mongol Yuan dynasty’s rule over the Central Plains for decades is indeed an indelible part of Chinese history. In order for future generations to face the past squarely and see the future clearly, we cannot and should not avoid the history of the Mongol Yuan dynasty.”

Ishiyama used a metaphor to clarify his position, and then said:
"But this is like an orphan who is weak and whose home is seized by vicious bandits. In order to survive, he is forced to recognize the bandits as his father and pretend to be his father. When the child grows up and accumulates strength, he finally rises up, drives away the bandits, and reclaims his ancestral property."

The question is, will this reborn family continue to use the bandit's surname and customs?

Xia Yu's body trembled, and he finally understood what Shi Shan meant.

The marshal did not simply want to change dynasties, but rather to truly eliminate the pernicious influence of long-term foreign rule in terms of culture and etiquette. Therefore, he did not even want the name of the country to have any connection with the Yuan Dynasty.

He was quick-witted and soon came up with a solution, then hesitated and said:

"Before the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, the official titles of all the legitimate dynasties in China followed the ancient system, either adopting the title bestowed upon the ruler before he raised his army, or inheriting the place name of the place where the dragon rose, and all of them were single characters."

The Mongol Yuan dynasty, however, followed the interpretation of the *I Ching* and adopted the two-character name "Great Yuan." Did the Marshal believe this was contrary to Chinese tradition, and therefore refrain from using "Great Ming"?

Shishan is a time traveler who aspires to reform the national spirit and establish a new order that far surpasses that of previous dynasties. Deep down, he is actually more "anti-traditional" than the Mongol rulers.

However, just as the name of "driving out the barbarians and restoring the Han" is used to strike at reactionary forces and redistribute social resources, the more major reforms that touch upon the redistribution of fundamental interests are carried out, the more necessary it is to rely on the "righteous" pretext of a grand narrative.

It needs to be cloaked in the guise of "tradition" and seek "legitimate" justification from ancient books and historical traditions.

The so-called "interpretation of the classics by oneself" means that without carrying the banner of "returning to the right path" and "restoring the old ways," how can we mobilize forces to the greatest extent to oppose the "tradition" that has accumulated problems for thousands of years?
“Yes, that’s exactly what I meant.” Shi Shan confirmed Xia Yu’s speculation. “A two-character national title is not the true symbol of the Chinese calendar.”

Following the lines of "tradition" and "righteousness," Xia Yu continued searching for a suitable name for the country. Before long, he had an idea and said:
"The Marshal has long been known throughout the land for raising the banner of 'Expelling the Barbarians and Restoring the Han.' Moreover, the Marshal first raised his army in Xuzhou, and it was in Xuzhou that he defeated the Mongol army of 100,000 and became famous throughout the land. Xuzhou is the place where Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, rose to power. Could we... continue to use 'Han' as the name of the dynasty?"

In fact, in the administrative divisions of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, neither Xuzhou, which had long only governed Xiao County, nor Xuzhou Circuit, which was upgraded to a lower circuit in the eighth year of the Zhizheng era and governed four prefectures and eleven counties, nor Pei County, the hometown of Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang), was ever within its jurisdiction.

However, since the Qin and Han dynasties, from Sichuan Prefecture (i.e. Sishui Prefecture) to later Xuzhou, Pengcheng (the seat of Xuzhou) and Feng, Pei and other places have been closely bound together in terms of administrative division and cultural identity for nearly 1,500 years.

In the minds of Han people all over the world, Xuzhou, the hometown of Emperor Gaozu of Han, is one of the birthplaces of Han culture—this in itself is a powerful "tradition".

"Han? Shi Han?"

Ishiyama's judgment on the merits of different dynastic names was based on historical evaluations and his own intuitive feelings. It would be asking too much of him to come up with a perfect name out of thin air. "Han" was barely acceptable, but there was still a question.

"I am neither a descendant of Emperor Gaozu of Han, nor do I use the old name of the dynasty. Is it not appropriate for me to establish my rule over the world in the future?"

Xia Yu had already considered this issue when he presented several old dynastic titles, and immediately explained:
"Marshal, there is no need to worry. It is easier to unite the people by first proclaiming yourself king under the old national title; once you have established your rule over the world, you can then proclaim yourself emperor under the new national title to demonstrate the change of dynasty. The two are not contradictory."

Shishan recalled that the Ming and Qing dynasties in the original historical timeline followed the same pattern: they started with the old national name and then changed to a new national name once they had the power to conquer the world.

In the history he knew, the six founding forces at the end of the Yuan Dynasty—Xu Song, Han Song, Zhang Zhou, Zhu Wu, Zhang Wu, and Ming Xia—all used the old name of their state, which shows that they all understood the reasoning Xia Yu was talking about.

"To drive out the barbarians and restore the Han dynasty is a just cause. Let's establish the name 'Han'!"

Upon hearing this, Xia Yu felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. All the hard work and exhaustion of the past few days turned into immense relief and excitement.

Although the process of persuading someone to ascend the throne is merely a formality, the longer it takes, the more room the Ministry of Rites has to maneuver and the more it can demonstrate its authority. However, with the world in chaos, the longer this matter is delayed, the more variables there will be, and it will also give outsiders the impression of hesitation.

Now that the country's name has been chosen, everything is ready.

He immediately straightened his clothes, took a step back, and bowed deeply in the most solemn posture, his voice trembling slightly with excitement:
"The nation's name has been chosen, and the Mandate of Heaven has been revealed! Your subject, Xia Yu, earnestly requests that the Marshal, in accordance with Heaven's will and the people's will, ascend the throne as soon as possible, and assume the position of supreme authority, so as to appease the hearts of all people under Heaven and unite the aspirations of heroes from all corners of the world! Do not let the loyal hearts that have been eagerly awaiting your return remain waiting for too long!"

The purpose of declaring himself king and establishing a kingdom was to maximize the consolidation of internal forces and boost morale before the main force of the Yuan court could launch a counterattack. The necessary procedures of "three requests and three refusals" had already been completed, and Shishan judged that a large-scale military operation by the Yuan court was imminent, so there was no reason to refuse at this point. "With the will of the people, I dare not refuse again."

Shishan's voice was steady and powerful, echoing in the council hall.

"Let's proceed with the ceremony according to the regulations proposed by the Ministry of Rites and choose an auspicious day."

September 22, Jiangning (Yingtian Prefecture).

The autumn sky was clear and cloudless.

The original Marshal's Mansion has been hastily and orderly transformed into a temporary palace. Although it lacks the grandeur of the capital's imperial palace, it is still adorned with fluttering banners and imposing ceremonial guards.

Along the road from the gate to the main hall, elite Han soldiers, dressed in brand-new red battle robes and gleaming armor, stood solemnly with halberds in hand, like two straight red city walls.

The auspicious hour has arrived; bells and drums resound, and solemn and dignified music begins.

Shi Shan, wearing a specially made nine-tassel crown (simplified version) and a black robe with a red skirt and twelve imperial symbols, ascended the temporary platform step by step under the watchful eyes of civil and military officials, meritorious soldiers, and representatives of elders. He offered sacrifices to Heaven and Earth and read out the edict of accession.

"...The Mongol Yuan dynasty was tyrannical and ravaged China. I, a commoner, was entrusted with the mandate of heaven. With the help of my soldiers and the unity of my civil and military officials, we cleared the Jianghuai region and pacified the south... Now I proclaim to Heaven and Earth that I have ascended the throne and established the name of the world as 'Han', and the era name as 'Kaishuo' (Note 1)."

...The Central Secretariat was established to oversee all government affairs, the Privy Council to manage military matters, and eight ministries were set up: Revenue, Personnel, Rites, War, Justice, Works, Propaganda, and Commerce, to manage various administrative affairs... This was promulgated throughout the land so that all might know!

After the imperial edict was read, Shishan announced a great reward for the entire army, promotion of meritorious officers and soldiers, and appointment of civil and military officials who had surrendered to him according to their abilities (Note 2).

Cheers erupted throughout Jiangning City, and morale soared in the military camps, like a volcano about to erupt, filled with anticipation for the future and a fighting spirit.

The news of the establishment of the "Han" state spread like wildfire, quickly reaching all corners of the land and shaking the world.

However, because Shishan repeatedly defeated the Yuan army after the uprising, it not only gained a foothold in Jiangbei, but also took almost all the prefectures in northern Zhejiang. Compared with Xu Shouhui and Zhang Shicheng, who declared themselves kings as soon as they started their uprising, the establishment of the Red Flag Army was "popularly expected" and not so sensational.

For the Yuan officials in the surrounding prefectures who had long been terrified of the Red Flag Battalion's might, this was like "the other shoe finally dropping." Although they were even more afraid of the Han army attacking, they were spared the anxiety and wishful thinking of "whether the court would offer amnesty to Shishan and let loyal ministers and righteous men shed their blood in vain."

They began to frantically reinforce the city's defenses, raise funds and supplies, and prepare for the impending storm.

However, they clearly underestimated the Yuan court's bottom line for "operation"—an imperial edict of amnesty arrived "just in time" after Shishan declared himself king.

To be precise, this edict of amnesty was issued on September 19th, before Shi Shan declared himself king. It was only due to the long distance and slow postal service that it arrived after news of the establishment of the "Han" state spread, making it all the more ironic.

On September 19th, for his meritorious service in suppressing the "pseudo-Song" regime of Xu Shouhui and capturing more than 400 of its puppet officials, the imperial court bestowed generous rewards upon him:

The commander-in-chief, Bu Yan Temur, the Pingzhang Zhengshi of Jiangzhe Province, was bestowed with a "superior honor" and a "golden belt." Other generals, including Ha Lintu, the privy councilor of Sichuan Province, Sang Tushili, the left magistrate, and Ya Hansha, the king of Xining, were also rewarded.

Meanwhile, since the capitals of Huainan Province and Jiangzhe Province had fallen, the Yuan court appointed Buyan Temur as the Grand Censor of the Jiangnan Circuit (referred to as "Southern Censorate"), temporarily granting him the responsibility of overseeing the military affairs of ten circuits in the three provinces of Jiangzhe, Jiangxi, and Huguang, and giving him full authority to suppress bandits in the southeast.

On the same day, the Yuan court issued an ultimatum-like edict regarding Shishan:
"The bandit Shi Shan and his followers shall surrender to the government troops within twenty days and shall be pardoned."

When this edict reached Jiangning, it did not cause any panic. Instead, it allowed Shi Shan and his civil and military officials to see through the Yuan court's bluster and weakness.

"Kings."

Park San (Park Do-in's own secular name), who had already been promoted to Privy Councilor, analyzed:
"The Yuan court's move proves that its main force was exhausted after the Battle of Qishui, and its money and food supplies were greatly depleted. It was unable to organize a large-scale eastern expedition in a short period of time. Therefore, it first encouraged Buyan Temur with honors and then used this intimidation and division strategy to delay time and disrupt the morale of our army."

Shishan had been dealing with the Yuan court for two years and was well aware of the Mongol Yuan's corruption and inefficiency. However, his military strategy did not solely focus on the opponent's weaknesses and vulnerabilities, but rather emphasized adjustments to his own forces. He nodded and said:

"Exactly. The Mongols want to buy time, but we won't give them that chance!"

The strategic situation has gradually become clear. After rapidly expanding and assimilating the eastern route of northern Zhejiang, the Han army shifted to a defensive posture on the eastern front (Hangzhou and Shaoxing direction), focusing on consolidating defenses, eliminating remaining enemy forces, and pacifying the local area.

Meanwhile, the western front (Taiping Prefecture and Ningguo Road direction) can change its strategy after receiving reinforcements, shifting from passive defense to proactive offense, striking first and disrupting the Yuan army's deployment.

Sure enough, after Shi Shan declared himself king and Mao Gui's Right Guard of Bashan took the lead in attacking Ningguo Road, the Yuan court was outwardly busy mobilizing troops and frequently moving grain and supplies from various parts of Jiangnan, creating a tense atmosphere that a major battle was imminent.

However, the Yuan army's substantial large-scale offensive was delayed for a long time.

It wasn't until October that the Yuan court, like a rusty machine, began to operate slowly and clumsily.

On the first day of the tenth month, the Yuan court issued an edict ordering Dashi Temur, the Pingzhang Zhengshi of the Henan Jiangbei Province, to take command of the troops in Pizhou, Haining Prefecture, and Shuyang (which had been recaptured by the Yuan army in September) and to focus on the Huaidong line. The primary objective was to prevent Zhang Shicheng from continuing to advance northward and threaten the interior.

On the third day of the tenth month, an imperial edict was issued to establish "Righteous Army Ten Thousand Household Offices" in both Henan and Huainan provinces, in an attempt to integrate the local strongholds and armed forces to deal with the increasingly powerful "Shi Han" and "Zhang Zhou" regimes.

General Qing Tong, the Pingzhang Zhengshi of the Jiangzhe Province, was appointed to lead an expedition against Fang Guozhen.

On the same day, an imperial edict was issued to the northern provinces to "purchase" warhorses. Any family with ten horses was required to forcibly purchase two, paying only a symbolic ten ingots of paper for each horse (almost plunder) for military use.

On the seventh day of the tenth month, an imperial edict was issued promising that those who performed meritorious service in the "righteous army" could be temporarily granted military positions, and would be transferred to local official positions after the rebellion was quelled, in order to encourage local armed leaders to perform meritorious service for the Mongol Yuan dynasty and kill the rebels.

On the same day, Dashibadulu, the Right Vice Minister of Sichuan Province, was promoted to the position of Chief Minister of the province and concurrently served as the Privy Councilor, in charge of all armies in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, and given full authority to suppress the Southern Red Turban Army active in southern Henan and northern Hubei.

On October 11, the Yuan court established the "Mao Hulu Righteous Army Ten Thousand Household Office" in Nanyang, Dengzhou and other places (named after the local people who united themselves and called themselves Mao Hulu), recruited local people (mountain people) into the army, exempted them from taxes and corvée labor, and ordered them to focus on suppressing the bandits.

He also ordered Yu Shu Hu Er Tu Hua to recruit 10,000 soldiers and march south to guard Jiangling, Jingmen and other places in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, to take over the defense of Da Shi Ba Du Lu; and ordered Da Shi Ba Du Lu to lead his main force to Runing Prefecture to increase the pressure on Liu Fu Tong's troops.

At the same time, the "Jiangzhou Naval Ten Thousand Household Office" was established, and Fo Jialu, the Right Vice Minister of Jiangxi Province, was appointed to lead it, in an attempt to rebuild an armed force on the Yangtze River that could contain the resurgence of the Xu and Song dynasties and contend with the Han navy.

These measures taken by the Yuan court clearly learned from the lessons of previous years when, whenever a certain rebel army became powerful, troops were hastily mobilized, resulting in weak defenses in various regions and numerous uprisings.

After deciding to target the Shi Han regime as its primary objective, the Yuan court did not immediately launch a large-scale eastward advance. Instead, it focused on stabilizing the remaining fronts and doing its utmost to contain the expansion of the rebel armies led by Zhang Shicheng, Liu Futong, and Wang Quan.

It would be best to clip their wings first; if that's not possible, we must prevent these forces from taking advantage of the Yuan army's focus on dealing with Shi Han to stir up trouble.

But would Shishan sit idly by and wait for the Yuan court to make its own arrangements?

During this period, Xu Da's troops had basically pacified Hangzhou and Shaoxing prefectures, while Hu Dahai's troops, after clearing out the remaining enemy forces in Huzhou prefecture, marched west and captured Guangde City, the seat of Guangde Road.
Meanwhile, Mao Gui's troops made rapid advances along Ningguo Road, capturing Xuancheng, the capital of the county, and Nanling, a county under their jurisdiction, and firmly establishing themselves in the area.

War clouds loom over both banks of the Yangtze River.

On one side was the Mongol Yuan dynasty, striving to reverse its decline; on the other was the newly established Shi Han regime, determined to make progress. Both sides were racing against time, deploying troops and accumulating strength. A major battle that would determine the fate of Jiangnan and even the entire country was imminent.

On October 15th, the Yuan court finally revealed its core military deployment against the Shihan regime:

Enningpu, the Vice Minister of the Huguang Province, was promoted to Left Vice Minister and ordered to lead troops to attack Luzhou Road, which was controlled by the Han army, to exert pressure from the west.

On the same day, the newly appointed Imperial Censor of the Southern Terrace, Buyan Temur, who was in charge of military affairs in the southeast, was formally ordered to unite the various forces of Bayan Buqa, the Right Vice Minister of Huguang Province, Arhui, the Left Vice Minister of Jiangxi Province, Ali Wensha, the Vice Minister of State Affairs, Yu Que, the Left Vice Minister of Huainan Province, and the main force of the Yuan army under Yesen Temur, the Pingzhang Zhengshi of Huguang Province, to form a large-scale expeditionary army and set its sights on the Shihan regime.

……

PS: 1. The meaning of the reign title Kai Shuo: "Kai" means to create or open up, directly referring to the founding of a new dynasty; "Shuo" originally means the north (such as "Shuofang"), and also extended to mean the beginning (such as "Shuo Ri" which means the beginning of the month).

"Kai Shuo" combined means "the beginning of a new era," which both echoes the impending end of the Yuan Dynasty's history as a northern nomadic regime ruling the Central Plains ("Shuo" alludes to its old rule) and emphasizes that the new dynasty will start anew with the orthodoxy of the Chinese people.

The closest historical era name to this is "Yuanshuo" (meaning "correcting the calendar and establishing legitimacy"), which was used by Emperor Wu of Han from 128 BC to 123 BC.

2. With the current core of the Red Flag Battalion, it is actually impossible to assemble a full complement of "officials"; it is merely an adjustment based on the administrative structure of the Marshal's Office.

Moreover, just as the military organization changes with the times and circumstances, the structure of any political organization cannot remain unchanged, and the structure of a newly established regime changes drastically in its early stages.

To avoid being too verbose and dry, I won't go into detail here. I'll list the relevant characters and new official titles later when the plot is discussed.

(End of this chapter)