Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 63
Zhu Youjian squinted his eyes slightly while sitting on the dragon chariot, and yawned without paying attention.

As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he also made a lot of preparations for today's meeting with the cabinet, and he hardly slept all night.

Can the Ming Empire withstand the invasion of Jiannu?

If it can withstand it, how will Daming rejuvenate and move towards a prosperous era again?

In the coming era of great voyages, and the era that is about to widen the gap with the West.

As an ancient empire, can Ming Dynasty close this gap, and let Chinese society completely get rid of the vicious cycle of dynasty cycles, and enter a new era of history that is leaping forward step by step?

These are the questions that linger in Zhu Youjian's mind.

He found that the Ming Empire under his control had many places that needed to be changed, but there were many places that could not be changed.

He didn't know where to start, and he didn't know whether a change would cause more serious consequences.

As a time traveler, before that, no one gave him any successful experience.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian could only try to deduce and simulate by himself, and hoped to determine the future ruling goals of Ming Dynasty through exchanges with contemporary rulers.

It was getting brighter.

The red glow penetrated from the thick dark clouds to the Forbidden City.

Zhu Youjian opened his eyes, and saw the majestic Qianqing Palace in front of him.

At this time, the civil and military officials had also entered the Qianqing Palace through the left and right gates.

Except for the seven cabinet members who will participate in the discussion of politics today.

There are also six ministers and ministers, the left and right censors and the left and right deputy censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, and the Guozijian Jijiu also attended the hearing.

The military attaches are the left and right governors and governors of the five army governors' mansions, as well as He Xin, the imperial horse supervisor.

The inner ministers are the eunuchs who supervise the ceremonies and the eunuchs, and the commanders and commanders of the Jinyiwei.

Compared with the usual court meeting, the scale was not large, but it also gathered almost all the heavyweight ministers of Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Youjian stepped down and entered the Qianqing Palace directly from Danxi of the Qianqing Gate.

At this moment, the crown prince Zhu Cihong also walked in front of Zhu Youjian accompanied by his entourage and eunuchs: "I send my respects to my father and emperor."

In fact, Zhu Youjian didn't hate Zhu Cihong.

In his opinion, being so obedient and friendly as a 15-year-old boy is much more sensible than when he was 15 years old.

A 15-year-old boy who was supposed to be rebellious, free-spirited, reckless, and daring to fight against his parents and teachers, now behaves more gentle, stable and obedient than anyone else. Zhu Youjian has to admit that if Zhu Cihong was in a common people's house, he should also Not a worthless child.

But he is the son of the emperor, the future ruler of the Ming Empire, so he is destined not only to surpass ordinary people but also to surpass geniuses.

Zhu Youjian could tell that Zhu Cihong, who had been in confinement for three months, had obviously lost a lot of weight, but he was also more silent than before.

After Zhu Youjian asked him to get up, Zhu Cihong stood aside and barely said a word.

"Do you know what the civil and military officials who are walking towards us are?"

Zhu Youjian broke the dull atmosphere and asked Zhu Cihong, he naturally put himself into the role of a father who taught by precept and deed.

"My son knows that they are the pillars of my empire, loyal ministers and good generals!"

Zhu Cihong's answer made Zhu Youjian shake his head involuntarily, and touched Zhu Cihong's head:

"You are still very simple, do you know what the common people call them?"

"I don't know, my father please show me," Zhu Cihong understood etiquette, and bowed to Zhu Youjian with his hands clasped.

"Stinky boy, as a prince, what's the use of being obedient and sensible? Look at the bugs on them. The common people call them beasts in clothes. Do you know what beasts in clothes are? They're just a group of hypocrites. Spicy people; they are not swords in your hands, you can order them at will, they are mounts under your command, you have to learn to control and tame them, and not be backed by them, understand?"

When Zhu Youjian said this, Zhu Cihong nodded hurriedly: "I understand."

"It's good to understand. These people are Jinshi selected by thousands of people. They are very shrewd. You have to rely on them to rule your empire and prevent them from dragging down your empire. You can't be soft-hearted or stingy with rewards, butchers and benefits. Have both at the same time.”

Zhu Youjian continued to educate Zhu Cihong a few words, and seeing that the cabinet and other officials had already entered the main hall, he came out with the prince and others.

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

As soon as Zhu Youjian sat on the throne, all the officials congratulated him.

Only at this time can he truly experience the greatest joy of being an emperor, which is to make these officials who are usually high above surrender at his feet.

"Be flat!"

After Zhu Youjian habitually asked the officials to get up, he ordered:
"Today's court discussion is not to choose the cabinet ministers and seven ministers, but to discuss why the Ming Dynasty has today's consequences. The capital fell, and the thieves almost occupied half of the rivers and mountains. How to innovate and get rid of the evils, get back on your feet, and bring the world together as soon as possible, and reunify China!"

"The minister waits for the order!"

All the officials responded to Zhu Youjian in unison.

"The seven elders of the cabinet are the ministers of the country, and they are all old. Please give me their seats!"

Of course, Zhu Youjian did this not because the seven cabinet members were old, but because he intended to improve the status of the cabinet and strictly enforce the superiority and inferiority of the top and bottom, so as to make all the ministers focus on the position of the cabinet. , not on his own emperor's throne.

The seven members of the cabinet are naturally seated by Shane.

Zhu Youjian didn't like to sit for a long time. After all the civil and military officials stood up and sat down, he got up and walked down, standing in front of the seven members of the cabinet:

"This year, that is, during February and March of the 17th year of Chongzhen, from Datong to Xuanhua to Juyongguan, from the governor general to the general censor, most of them defected to the enemy and rebelled, so that the capital fell overnight. Dead Sheji is the ancestral system of my Ming Dynasty, but the crown prince is young and the common people have no means of living. How can I hang myself and abandon the century-old foundation of my ancestors? It can save the Daming country from fire and water."

"Because of this, I summoned all my love ministers today to ask why the world has become like this, whether I did something wrong, or everyone sitting here did something wrong, or what happened to Daming The problem is that the common people are uneasy about living and working, and they rise up to rebel, the world falls apart, and the hearts of the officials are scattered!"

What Zhu Youjian said made all the officials present fall into silence. In fact, they didn't need Zhu Youjian to say that they could feel that Daming's current situation was indeed very bad.

But Confucianism told them that in such a situation where the dynasty may change, there are two choices, one is to seek fame and the other is to seek profit.

The so-called seeking fame is naturally a martyrdom.

The so-called seeking profit is naturally surrendering to the new dynasty, continuing to be a literati and official, and continuing to transfer the knowledge of ten years of hard study to the new emperor's family.

Therefore, many of them have never seriously considered how to save Daming.

Confucianism did not teach them how to save the world when the dynasty was in crisis, so many people could only talk empty words at this time.

Now, when Zhu Youjian asked, they didn't know what to say, and they didn't even dare to say it. After all, everyone knew that the emperor in front of him had a bad temper, and if he was not casual, he would be killed.

Zhu Youjian also knew what they were thinking, so he also said bluntly: "Today's court meeting is not a court meeting to eliminate traitors, but a court meeting to discuss the new policy of Ming Dynasty. As the prince said to me just now, everyone present today is a court meeting. I am a loyal minister and good general of the Ming Dynasty, so all you dear ministers, please speak freely without trying to save my face, and you can even speak out about my mistakes, if I don’t kill anyone today, I won’t punish anyone!"

　Thank you book friend Thunderbolt Six Disasters Canglong for the reward of 100 book coins
　　
　
(End of this chapter)