The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

Chapter 79 Lin Yue is going to invent history.

Zhao Hu cried for a while, then began to mutter curses under his breath.

"It's all that treacherous villain Ji Gang's fault! Lord Lin had already exhausted himself with flood control efforts and was in poor health, yet he still forcibly dragged Lord Lin away."

It was this person who persecuted Lord Lin, which is why he fell ill and never recovered!

If anything happens to Lord Ruolin, I, Zhao Hu, will be the first to not let him off!

Ji Gang's expression was subtle, but he dared not say anything.

Zhu Di, however, remained silent, his feelings a mixture of emotions.

The two of them watched the others in silence, quietly sobbing by Lin Yue's sickbed.

Soon, a month had passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhu Di has been extremely busy these days.

While he was busy preparing for the fleet, he also ruthlessly investigated Li Zhigang's cronies.

At the same time, he did not neglect the important task of people's livelihood. Because the floods in the four prefectures of Suzhou, Songjiang, Jiaxing and Huzhou had not yet subsided, Zhu Di issued an edict to exempt the rent and taxes of the disaster-stricken fields for that year, and also distributed 6,280 shi of grain to relieve the disaster victims in Kunshan, thus relieving the urgent need.

At the same time, local officials were ordered to repair several damaged water conservancy projects within a specified time, including the collapsed banks of the Han River in Anlu and Jingshan, and the eastern dike of the Luo River in Zhangqiu, in order to consolidate the foundation of flood control.

Zhu Di acted swiftly and decisively in every matter, demonstrating his determination and efficiency in handling affairs.

In his spare time from official duties, Emperor Yongle often visited a side hall to see Lin Yue, who was seriously ill and on the verge of death.

Ever since Lin Yue fell into a coma, that conversation became a knot in Zhu Di's heart.

What else does Lin Yue know? What news about Emperor Jianwen is he going to tell us?

However, just when Zhu Di thought he would never know the answer in his lifetime.

A miracle occurred.

Lin Yue's condition suddenly improved!

Dai Sigong rushed into the palace and urgently reported the good news to Zhu Di.

"Your Majesty, Scholar Lin's high fever has subsided, he is lucid, and was able to get out of bed to eat this afternoon. He is also able to move around without difficulty, which shows he is in excellent health!"

"Excellent! Imperial Physician Dai has rendered miraculous healing; he has rendered a great service and deserves a reward of a thousand gold pieces!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di suddenly stood up, his face beaming with joy.

That's great! There's still a chance for things to turn around. My dear nephew, wait for me, I'll send someone to fetch you right away!

After days of pent-up frustration, Zhu Di finally saw a turning point. Without asking any further questions, he strode out, shouting, "Prepare the carriage! Proceed to the side hall immediately!"

For some unknown reason, perhaps due to the power of the Homelander, Lin Yue recovered completely in a very short time.

In just half a day, he was able to get out of bed to eat and had basic mobility, looking much healthier than a patient who had been bedridden for over a month.

Zhu Di strode into the side hall, expecting to see Lin Yue lying unconscious on his sickbed, but found that it was not like that at all.

Lin Yue was in high spirits, chatting and laughing with the palace maids who were taking care of him.

Seeing his reaction, Zhu Di was not angry. He strolled to the table, glanced at the female official administering medicine, and teased her.

"Lin Yue, your recovery this time is truly a stroke of luck, and it must be due to the excellent care of the female official in the Department of Pharmacy."

This pharmacist is of dignified appearance, meticulous in thought, and knowledgeable in medicine. I have decided to bestow her upon you as a fitting match, in recognition of your merit in controlling the floods. What do you say?

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue paused in his boasting and looked up at the female official.

I hadn't noticed before, only looking at her broad-chested figure, I thought she was an ordinary palace maid. Now I realize that she is wearing the regular clothes of a sixth-rank official and has a fish-shaped tally bestowed by the court at her waist, so she is actually a female official.

Most people would either refuse outright or simply agree at this point, but Lin Yue was different; he chose "yes" over "no".

Lin Yue immediately put down his chopsticks, stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and spoke angrily to Zhu Di in a suddenly serious tone.

"Your Majesty, I dare not accept this chaotic decree."

The sage said that a ruler should treat his ministers with propriety, and ministers should serve their ruler with loyalty.

The Director of Pharmacy was a sixth-rank official in the imperial court, in charge of the prescriptions for medicines in the palace and examining the skills of medical professionals. He was an official who advanced in rank based on his own talent and in accordance with the regulations of the court.

Your Majesty's arbitrary bestowal of concubines upon officials, treating it as a mere reward, not only dishonors the official system of the court but also disrespects the integrity of court officials. I absolutely cannot allow this."

Zhu Di's smile faded slightly, but he wasn't particularly angry.

Lin Yue, well, it's normal for him to criticize people; it would be strange if he didn't. He's probably on his deathbed.

Lin Yue continued his tirade against Zhu Di in a loud voice.

"When our Great Ming Dynasty was founded, Emperor Taizu Gao eliminated the malpractices of the previous dynasty and abolished the slave system. Although there are still people such as musicians, boat people, and destitute people, they are all because their ancestors were punished or they were forced to make a living, but their status is by no means that of slaves."

"I have heard that in the surrounding barbarian lands, there are still those who enslave people and buy and sell them at will. But the people of our Great Ming, even those of lowly status, are protected by the laws of the court and cannot be bullied at will. This is the advancement of the Great Ming."

Lin Yue changed the subject, deciding to take a step back after putting the label on Lin Yue.

"However, our Great Ming Dynasty prides itself on being the Celestial Empire, the center of the world, and the pinnacle of civilization, and should strive for perfection."

In the past, during the Jingnan Campaign, Your Majesty established the empire. Those who did not submit were forced to have their families, wives, and daughters sent to the Jiaofangsi (Imperial Music Bureau) to become entertainers, and their families were never allowed to leave this system for generations. People from Jiangnan and Zhejiang were among those who were considered lowly, either because their ancestors did not follow the king's rule or because they had been associated with rebels. They were thus nailed to the list of the lowest social classes and were despised by others for generations to come.

The ancients said, "No offense should be pardoned too severely, and no punishment too small." Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have repeatedly claimed to be lenient towards your subjects and to allow them to rest and recuperate, yet you allow this malpractice of collective punishment to continue. Is this not a contradiction between your words and actions?

Lin Yue's tone became increasingly impassioned.

"Our Great Ming Dynasty has no system of slavery, which is a civilized act that far surpasses the surrounding barbarians. However, Your Majesty has personally expanded the list of quasi-slaves. This move is far removed from the original intention of Emperor Taizu Gao to abolish harsh policies and care for the people!"

In my opinion, this system of social rank not only disgraces the people, but also tarnishes Your Majesty's reputation as a benevolent ruler!

After ascending to the desired altitude, Lin Yue bowed and cupped his hands in greeting, then began to conclude by mentioning some things that Zhu Di was not quite capable of doing.

"If Your Majesty truly wishes to be a sage ruler for all ages and to solidify the foundation of the Ming Dynasty for ten thousand generations, you should immediately abolish all discriminatory and base statuses such as musicians, servants, and degraded people!"

Remove the shackles of social status, pardon the sins of ancestors, and enable all people under heaven, regardless of their noble or lowly birth or past grievances, to farm, study, take exams, and become officials, and to be treated equally.

Only in this way can the lingering resentment from the Jingnan Rebellion be washed away, demonstrating Your Majesty's magnanimity and sincerity, winning the hearts of the people, ensuring the stability of the nation, and living up to the name of our Celestial Empire!

As expected, Zhu Di was slightly angered upon hearing this.

If you're going to abolish the status of "lowly people," then just abolish it. Why bring up the Jingnan Rebellion and make it seem like he's the one who created it?

He was about to agree to it, but now he's insisting on arguing and debating with you.

Emperor Yongle said in a deep voice, "Lin Yue'er's words are far too frivolous."

How can the sins of our ancestors be forgiven indiscriminately?

Punishing crimes and wrongdoing is meant to warn future generations; if we indiscriminately pardon everyone, how can we uphold justice and fairness?

Zhu Di took two steps forward and retorted in a booming voice, "Take the Pu family of Quanzhou, for example. Should they also be pardoned?"

The Pu family of Quanzhou were a foreign ethnic group, deeply favored by the Song court. However, when the Yuan army marched south, Pu Shougeng betrayed the Song and surrendered to the Yuan. He held a banquet to lure and kill more than 3,000 members of the Southern Song imperial family and loyal officials, and handed over 400 warships in Quanzhou Port to the Yuan army, directly accelerating the demise of the Southern Song.

His descendants colluded with Persian immigrants to form the Ispahi Army, which burned, killed, and looted in Quanzhou and the surrounding areas for ten years, causing great suffering to the people.

After Zhu Yuanzhang ascended to the throne, he deeply resented the Pu family's betrayal of their country and their traitorous acts. He not only ordered the exhumation of Pu Shougeng's tomb, the whipping of his corpse three hundred times, and the scattering of his ashes, but also issued the "Prohibition of Pu Orders," ordering that the men of the Pu family be slaves for eternity, the women be prostitutes generation after generation, be confiscated by the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment district), and that the entire clan be permanently classified as lowly, barred from taking the imperial examinations and entering officialdom. The clan genealogy and tomb inscriptions were to be burned, and they were to never be able to rise again.

Zhu Di's gaze was sharp as he stared directly at Lin Yue.

"The Pu family of Quanzhou betrayed the country and the imperial court; their crimes are too numerous to count!"

If we follow your logic, even the descendants of such traitors should be pardoned and treated equally. How can we appease the wronged souls of the three thousand members of the Southern Song imperial family?

"You want to abolish the status of the lowest of the low? Are you going to go against the late Emperor Taizu's dying wish and exonerate the descendants of a traitor?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue frowned slightly and lowered his head to ponder for a moment.

Zhu Di's words made a lot of sense. The tragic deaths of members of the Southern Song imperial family and the calamities suffered by the common people were indeed too numerous to mention. He himself would not be willing to grant them a complete pardon.

Lin Yue thought for a moment and then decisively said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. The Pu family betrayed their master for personal gain, slaughtered members of the imperial family, and caused chaos among the people. Such traitors and rebels deserve to be executed."

If their descendants were allowed to live on, it would not only dishonor their loyal souls but also fail to quell public anger; this would indeed be inappropriate.

Zhu Di, seeing that Lin Yuezhen agreed with him, was about to speak when he heard Lin Yuezhen say something.

"Since that's the case, then let's kill them all!"

The entire Pu clan, including all those confirmed to be descendants of traitors, regardless of age, shall be exterminated to eradicate any future troubles.

In this way, there would be no more people of the "lowly status" of the Pu family, and naturally no one would suffer the generations of enslavement.

Lin Yue replied matter-of-factly, "What I mean by abolishing the status of the lowly is to remove all the shackles of identity and treat all people in the world equally."

But the descendants of traitors and rebels should not exist in the world in the first place, so how can they be pardoned?

"First exterminate these criminal families, then abolish the lowly status of the remaining innocent people. This will not only comply with the laws of Heaven and justice, but also demonstrate Your Majesty's impartiality towards the people. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

Zhu Di was greatly shocked upon hearing this.

He had assumed that Lin would explain, compromise, cite classical texts to refute ancestral rules, or even resort to sophistry.

But he never expected that Lin Yue would advocate for the complete extermination of the enemy.

The hall fell silent. Even the female officials preparing medicine held their breath and secretly glanced at the two of them.

Zhu Di stared at Lin Yue, seeing that he looked frank and not joking, and secretly smiled bitterly to himself.

This Lin Yue is indeed someone who doesn't play by the rules. He was serious about the issue of lowly status before, and now he's made the shocking statement of wiping out his entire clan. He's truly unpredictable.

But it doesn't matter anymore; being classified as a lowly person is a minor matter. Let's get back to the main topic and talk about the whereabouts of Emperor Jianwen, which is of utmost importance.

Zhu Di composed himself, waved his hand, and decided to skip the topic: "This matter involves many aspects, so let's discuss it later."

Seeing that Zhu Di was considering changing the subject, Lin Yue straightened up and glanced at the officials accompanying Zhu Di, his gaze settling on an elderly man dressed in the robes of a seventh-rank Hanlin official.

"That colleague, are you the Hanlin Academician in charge of compiling the Veritable Records?"

The old man was taken aback. He glanced at the Yongle Emperor, and seeing that he didn't react, he replied, "My official position is Hanlin Compiler. May I ask what business Scholar Lin has with me?"

Lin Yue immediately said, "Since you are writing the Veritable Records of Emperor Taizong, then write it in detail."

It is written that in June of the first year of the Yongle reign, His Majesty summoned me to a side hall and personally admitted to my slip of the tongue, saying that I should not have looked down on the female officials in the palace, and mentioned the abolition of the social class of "lowly status" throughout the land, indicating that he was already considering it...

Hu Yan looked troubled and looked up at Zhu Di.

Zhu Di was also helpless; Lin Yue was truly unreasonable.

However, this was not a bad thing; it was also a way to demonstrate his open-mindedness. So Zhu Di nodded and said, "It's nothing, just record it as it is."

Hu Yan bowed and replied, "Your subject obeys the decree."

After saying this, Zhu Di raised his hand and waved, saying, "You may all leave. Only Minister Lin will remain in the hall."

Upon seeing this, the eunuchs and palace maids serving in the hall, as well as the Hanlin officials accompanying the emperor, all bowed and took their leave. In a short while, the side hall was completely cleared, leaving only the emperor and his minister standing facing each other.

Seeing this, Lin Yue was puzzled and decided to continue his personal attacks on Zhu Di.

"Your Majesty, I believe that a ruler should not have private matters. All important military and national affairs, as well as major plans for the people's livelihood, should be discussed publicly in the court with all officials."

May Your Majesty dismiss your attendants? What is it that you wish to discuss?

Such behavior is absolutely not that of a wise ruler.

3

Lin Yue then launched into another righteous and stern remonstrance to Zhu Di. At this moment, he had no recollection of the incoherent ramblings he had uttered while delirious with high fever, and simply assumed that Zhu Di had some ordinary confidential matter to discuss.

Zhu Di sat down on the edge of the couch, staring directly at Lin Yue, without responding to his words. He waited until the palace doors were completely closed before asking a question.

"Lin Yue, I have a question for you, and you must answer truthfully."

When you were in a high fever and coma, you mentioned the Jianwen Emperor, saying he was in Korea. Is that true?

"Emperor Jianwen? Joseon?" Lin Yue was taken aback upon hearing this, his brows furrowed, and his face was full of confusion.

When did I ever say that? Isn't the story of Emperor Jianwen fleeing overseas just unofficial history?

That doesn't seem to be entirely true; at least the historical records conflict with each other, but what does that have to do with him?

Lin Yue instinctively wanted to reject it, but then a thought flashed through her mind.

Joseon was a bulwark of Liaodong, closely intertwined with the Ming Dynasty, and also had many conflicts with the various Jurchen tribes in Liaodong. Although Joseon now recognized the Ming Dynasty as its suzerain, it still secretly coveted Liaodong.

If the Jianwen Emperor's affair could be used to push the Ming Dynasty to strengthen its control over Korea, or even bring it under direct jurisdiction, the strategic defense of Liaodong would be greatly enhanced.

In the future, it will be able to maintain the initiative in resisting the Mongols in the north and the Jurchens in the east, and at least there will be no earth-shattering defeat like that at Sarhu.

Thinking of this, Lin Yue immediately changed his tone, speaking with unwavering conviction and a resounding voice.

"Since Your Majesty already knows, I dare not conceal it!"

"That's right, I have indeed heard the news that Emperor Jianwen fled to Korea!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di's eyes flashed with intense light, and he leaned forward abruptly, eagerly pressing for an answer.

"Is this true? Where did you get this information? Is it reliable? Can you confirm he's in North Korea? Where exactly? Who took him in?"

A barrage of questions came out of his mouth, revealing his long-held obsession.

Lin Yue calmly answered questions by combining unofficial histories from later generations with a little bit of his own invented history.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I did not witness this myself, but I heard about it from the refugees in Jiangnan during the flood control efforts."

While I was in Songjiang Prefecture providing disaster relief, I heard a rumor that on the eve of the fall of Nanjing in the summer of the fourth year of the Jianwen Emperor's reign, a fast boat sailed out through a secret passage at Jin Chuan Gate, carrying several monks, eunuchs, and a bald young man dressed in a brocade robe.

He paused, then continued hesitantly, "Some people say the fast ship is going down the Yangtze River, and it looks like it's heading towards Southeast Asia..."

"