(The previous chapter was posted incorrectly, but it has been corrected now)
The spring of the forty-three years of Chongzhen has finally arrived in Beijing, the most virtuous capital of the Ming Empire. The climate, which has been dry and cold all winter, has gradually become a bit humid and warm. After a long winter, people began to become active. They took off their heavy leather jackets and large cotton-padded jackets, put on neat spring clothes and walked through the streets. This spring, the city of Beijing is even more prosperous and lively than in previous years. Teahouses and restaurants are all booming, and several "custom alleys" in the outer city have never been as prosperous as they are now.
The reason why Beijing, which had been deserted for many years, suddenly became lively is because the 43rd year of Chongzhen Emperor's reign was a very special year - Zhu Youjian, who had been emperor for more than 40 years, turned 60 this year. It was announced at the opening ceremony of the first Tiandihui that the Ming Emperor will be in his retirement year!
The opening ceremony of the Tiandi Club was very grand! Zhu Youjian brought Zhu Cihong, Zhu Ciyu, Zhu Cibing, Zhu Hehao, Zhu Yiyan and other descendants, as well as important ministers in the court, as well as the political princes, ministers and officials of the Tiandihui, in the presence of Emperor Taizu Gao. The god (not Mr. Guan) had previously sworn a blood oath, and then publicly announced the "System for the Inheritance of Emperor Ming's Imperial Industry", which stipulated the age of the emperor, the method for generating the crown prince, and the appointment and dismissal of the alternate crown prince.
Yes, the crown prince has a spare tire!
Because cultivating a crown prince is time-consuming and labor-intensive, and no one can guarantee that the crown prince will live to the day he ascends the throne. Therefore, there must be a group of spare tires behind the crown prince!
There can't be only one spare tire... Otherwise, the crown prince and the spare tire will be gone together. What will happen?
In addition, the crown prince's spare tire does not have to be the crown prince's brother. The crown prince's son can also be the spare tire. Moreover, the order of spare tires has to change according to the age of the crown prince's son. When the crown prince's son is young or the crown prince does not have a son yet, his brother is the top backup. And when the crown prince's son grows up, his son will be the top spare tire. If the crown prince reaches a certain age and still has no son, he must adopt his nephew as a son.
And those alternate princes who have lost their backup status will receive a generous compensation after the official princes ascend the throne. Then go to live in your own Wangzhuang. Unless there are some special circumstances (such as the sudden death of the crown prince and no heir, or they have lost their backup status for more than ten years), they are not allowed to leave within ten years...
In short, Emperor Chongzhen made clear, strict, and unambiguous provisions in the "System for the Inheritance of Emperor Ming's Industry" regarding various problems that may be encountered in the process of succession to the throne.
The main responsibility of the Great Tomorrow Society is to supervise the implementation of the "System for the Inheritance of Emperor Ming's Industry" - don't think that this is a small power that is not a big deal, but a considerable power!
Moreover, this power gave Tiandihui great authority, and made it easier for Tiandihui to seize more power in the coming years - because no emperor, crown prince, or alternate crown prince was willing to offend Tiandihui. Moreover, once a situation arises when a young master ascends the throne, the young master's father will often issue an edict before his death, granting the Heaven and Earth Society greater power... Compared with powerful officials, mothers, and eunuchs, they believe in protecting the Ming emperor's legacy from generation to generation. Brothers of the Heaven and Earth Society.
After all, the Tiandihui brothers are a large group of people, coming from all over the world and at all levels, and they have no military power, so it is impossible for them to usurp the throne.
While it is easy to grant power, it is difficult to take it back!
Therefore, the Tiandihui later became more and more like a constitutional parliament...
However, the fundamental source of the Tiandihui's authority - the "System for the Inheritance of the Imperial Industry of the Ming Dynasty" - also firmly tied the Tiandihui to the imperial power of the Ming Dynasty.
When generations of Ming subjects and Tiandihui brothers all believe that the purpose of the Tiandihui's existence is to ensure the inheritance of the Ming Dynasty, the leaders of the Tiandihui may not even dare to think about abolishing the imperial system!
The reason why Zhu Youjian established the Tiandihui and gave the Tiandihui the power to supervise the "System for the Inheritance of the Emperor's Imperial Industry" was because he felt that the Tiandihui could ensure the long-term inheritance of the emperor's industry. He also wanted to give Ming's brother countries and The country of sons and the country of grandsons should set an example.
Compared with the Ming Dynasty, the Zhu Ming Dynasty in these countries is more likely to be usurped! Therefore, there is a greater need for a "System of Inheritance of King's Industry (Khan Industry)" and triads, vassal associations and alliances that can supervise this "Inheritance System"...
In order to maintain the authority of the "Huang Ming Emperor Industry Inheritance System" and the Tiandihui, although Chongzhen regrets it now, he can't go back on his word... Forty-three years of being the true master has come to an end, and he has to be the master again. What an emperor!
Thinking of this, Chongzhen was really reluctant to give up!
"My son, Cixun, respectfully wishes my father to be in peace!"
"My son, Ciyu, respectfully wishes that my father is in peace!"
"My son, Cibing, respectfully wishes my father to be in peace!"
The three filial sons came together to greet Zhu Youjian... They came to discuss the inheritance of the throne with Zhu Youjian.
Among them, the fourteenth son of the emperor Zhu Ciyu and the third son of the emperor Zhu Cijiong both served as Zhu Cixiang's backup - but that was already twenty or thirty years ago. Moreover, Zhu Ciyu, like Zhu Cixiang, did not have a ancestral village or a closed household, so Zhu Ciyu would not be suspicious of anything, and instead nominated him to be the clan official.
And Zhu Cibing did not have a village or a household because his biological mother Wei Qinghui died early. Therefore, when he was very young, he was sent by Chongzhen to study next to Zhu Cixiang, and he was brought up by Zhu Cixiang's concubine Wu Sanmei.
Moreover, under Zhu Cixiang's training, Zhu Cibing has now become the president of the banking guild. He is a high-ranking figure in Zhu Cixiang's system. Because Zhu Cixiang has not been able to get involved in military power for a long time, he does not have his own royal village or closed households. , so his system focuses on finance and education. For example, positions such as the general manager of the Salt Bank (Zheng Zongming), the president of the banking guild, the general manager of the Pacific Shipping Company, and the head of the five southeastern universities are all considered important people, and their status is not below the governors of the four provinces.
"Good morning, please take a seat!" Zhu Youjian waved his hand and asked all three sons to take their seats, and then glanced at the first assistant Lu Xiangsheng and the second assistant Wei Zaode who were also in the Wansheng Hall today.
Lu Xiangsheng immediately reported: "Your Majesty, I have drafted two alternative reign names."
Chongzhen said: "Tell me about it."
Wei Zaode said: "One of the reign titles is Tongzhi, which means that the Supreme Emperor, the Emperor, and the Crown Prince rule the world together!"
When Zhu Cihong heard this year name, he felt bad.
There was Emperor Meiji in Japan, and he became Emperor Tongji...
"Tongzhi, not bad!" Chongzhen looked at Zhu Cixiang, "Boss, what do you think?"
"Father, I would like to hear another reign name..."
Lu Xiangsheng said: "His Royal Highness, the great nephew of the Emperor, also has another reign name named Hong Xian."
What? Zhu Cixiang's eyes almost popped out, why is it Hong Xian?
Lu Xiangsheng shook his head and explained: "Hongzhe, inherits the meaning of Hongwu. Xianzhe, ushered in the beginning of constitutional government. Hongxian, together, is the way of constitutional government in the country of Hongwu. From the day His Highness ascended the throne, our Ming Dynasty has become a brand new The weather is great.”
That makes sense!
Zhu Youjian added from the side: "Boss, I have asked Master Zhang to do the math. The Hongxian reign number is the number eighty-three, and eighty-three is twenty-four. Master Zhang said this is the number of heaven, and the sky is one. The number on the ground is ten. This is the two hundred and forty years of the Kingdom of Zuo!"
Is it far-fetched to interpret 83 as 240 years? Zhu Cihong thought: Wouldn't it be better to explain it as eighty-three days?
"Father," Zhu Cixiang had already seen that Emperor Chongzhen was interested in Hong Xian, so he had no choice but to steal Yuan Datou's treasured reign title, "My son, please choose Hong Xian!"
"Okay!" Zhu Youjian nodded, "Then in seven days, you will be my seventeenth generation emperor, Emperor Hongxian!"
"I dare not..."
The emperor Hong Xian in history only worked for 83 days...
"No need to give in!" Zhu Youjian waved his hand, "I know you have wanted this position for more than 20 years... I will let you be the emperor now, but remember, you can only be 18 The new emperor will give up his throne to a wealthy son in 18 years!"
