Zhu Jingyuan took all the concubines to have lunch at Qianqing Palace, and followed them to their future residence in the afternoon.
Return to Qianqing Palace in the evening and spend the night with Liu Muyun.
The next morning, we went to the Wenhua Palace to prepare for the emperor's daily work.
In the emperor's office, the bachelors led by Lin Zexu and Niu Jian were already waiting here in advance.
A stack of memorials from courtiers was also placed on the emperor's desk.
Zhu Jingyuan knew that these memorials should be the resignation memorials of the old ministers.
When Zhu Jingyuan came here today, he originally planned to deal with these memorials immediately and then start adjusting personnel arrangements.
However, after the bachelors led by Lin Zexu and Niu Jian saluted, Lin Zexu first reported:
"Your Majesty, Mr. Zong Bo Shen is in the waiting room and would like to ask your Majesty for instructions on the arrangements for the enthronement ceremony and the selection of the year title."
At the same time, Niu Jian also handed a memorial to Zhu Jingyuan:
"This is Uncle Zong's resignation letter..."
When a new emperor ascends the throne, some senior ministers with the highest status, even if they are less than sixty years old, may be at odds with the emperor and be asked to retire early by the emperor.
Shen Fu knew that there was a 90% chance that he would not be asked to retire, but he still followed the rules.
A copy of the memorial was written and handed in, and the emperor typed the memorial back. After this formality, both the ministers and the emperor felt at ease.
After hearing this, Zhu Jingyuan suddenly realized that the enthronement ceremony was not a trivial matter and required preparations many days in advance.
And I am not ready to follow the traditional model, so the preparation time will be even longer.
This work is the job of the Ministry of Rites, and also the job of the great uncle.
Zhu Jingyuan asked Shen Fu to come in, and at the same time opened Shen Fu's memorial and took a look at it.
After Shen Fu came in and greeted him, Zhu Jingyuan smiled and handed the memorial back:
"Mr. Shen has worked hard these years, so I have to let him have a good rest.
"But I really can't live without Mr. Shen. I can only ask Mr. Shen to work hard for a few more years..."
Shen Fu knew that this was just a formality, so he didn't bother here.
He directly took his forehead memorial with both hands, and at the same time bowed respectfully:
"Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. I will do my best to do my job well."
Zhu Jingyuan smiled and nodded, motioning for Shen Fu to sit down and talk, and asked the standing servant to bring tea.
After Shen Fu sat down, he offered his hand to Zhu Jingyuan again, and then directly spoke of his purpose:
"Your Majesty, regarding the change of the reign name next year, do you want the Sacred Heart to be the dictatorship?"
According to convention, when a new emperor succeeds to the throne, he must change his Yuan Dynasty and choose two auspicious characters for that year.
The new emperor Zhu Jingyuan can choose his own reign title, or he can ask the Ministry of Rites to prepare several for the emperor to choose from.
Although Zhu Jingyuan was preparing to revise the calendar and completely change the traditional method of counting years.
A new imperial calendar was set starting from the time when the First Emperor unified the world.
But the year name is still planned to continue to be used.
The imperial calendar, which spans two thousand years, is used to reconstruct the general history books as a large-scale ruler of the entire Chinese history.
The emperor's reign name is used in daily life and is the detailed standard for various historical stages in the short term.
At the same time, since Emperor Taizu Gao Zhu Yuanzhang, a normal emperor would only choose one reign title once he succeeded to the throne.
From then on, the reign title had the function of referring to the emperor.
Referring to the emperor by a public era name can reduce the trouble of verbal avoidance.
If you and future emperors do not choose reign names, people will probably spontaneously choose some messy nicknames in order to avoid calling each emperor by his name directly.
Rather than being so passive, it would be better for the officials to continue to select their own reign name as the emperor's public code name.
As for what to use for his reign name, Zhu Jingyuan had already carefully considered it in his mind:
"Let's use 'Grand Duke' as the title of the year. It is also a journey of the great road. The world is for the common good. Select the talented and capable, be trustworthy and cultivate harmony..."
Zhu Jingyuan originally subconsciously wanted to choose Datong.
"The journey of the great road, the world is one and the same..." The final concluding sentence of this passage is "This is called Datong."
It means that the previous words are all explaining and introducing what the "Great Harmony" world is.
Datong is a goal state, and the previous words are its characteristics and methods to achieve it.
But Zhu Jingyuan later remembered that the reign name Datong had been used by Puyi.
The key is that he used it during the Manchukuo period.
Although there is no Qing Dynasty in this world, let alone Puyi and the Puppet Manchukuo, people in this world do not know this matter.
But Zhu Jingyuan felt awkward when he thought about it.
So I decided to change it to Grand Duke.
Zhu Jingyuan read an online book called "Buried Alive in the Qing Dynasty" in his previous life, in which the emperor Zhu Heji used the title of Grand Duke.
Zhu Jingyuan felt that the shouting was quite pleasant.
Dagong means being selfless and governing for the public good.
Datong is an ideal society bound by spontaneous and noble morality.
Corresponding to this is Xiaokang, which is an orderly society constrained by laws and systems.
In fact, neither of them has any significance in terms of public ownership or republic in later generations.
Corresponding similar interpretations are all re-creations of traditional classics by people in later generations based on actual needs.
Of course, Ming officials in this world would not have the corresponding understanding that the emperor wanted to establish "public ownership" and "a republic" just because they chose the title of Grand Duke.
They would only instinctively feel that the emperor's purpose in choosing this reign name was to continue to attach importance to moral construction.
We are committed to building a harmonious world in which people generally possess noble moral qualities.
After hearing this, Shen Fu naturally, very directly, and somewhat heartbrokenly praised:
“The Grand Duke is very kind, his intentions are lofty and suitable for the present moment.
“In recent years, industry and commerce have developed rapidly, and fights for wealth are common.
"There are even businessmen who use marriage as a cover to evade taxes. They are really shameless.
"Weichen is in charge of cultural and educational affairs, and he cannot shirk his responsibility for this..."
Zhu Jingyuan smiled and waved his hand and said:
"Uncle Da Zong, don't blame yourself, Mr. Shen has done a good enough job in the position of Uncle Zong.
"Ten thousand people have ten thousand ideas. I never expect everyone in the world to be selfless.
"So I won't expect that we can really build the world into a harmonious world.
“But we can’t give up just because we feel like we can’t do it.
"We still have to work hard towards this ideal goal, so that we can be infinitely close to the world of great harmony.
“So I chose the inspiring Grand Duke for the title of the year, instead of the idealistic Datong.
"Uncle Da Zong, pay attention to the corresponding interpretation and guidance."
Shen Fu immediately nodded and agreed very seriously:
"Your Majesty is wise, please bear this in mind."
Then the two began to discuss the enthronement ceremony.
In most cases, the process by which emperors and kings actually ascended the throne and took over power was usually very brief.
The edict of passing the throne when the emperor was dying was as simple as a note and had the same logic.
If the old emperor dies, the legal heir will succeed directly in front of his soul.
If you accept the worship of major officials, you will directly become the emperor.
Because a country cannot live without a king for a day.
Then, choose an auspicious day to prepare and hold a grand ceremony.
Zhu Jingyuan is in this state now. He has inherited the status of emperor and is preparing for the formal enthronement ceremony.
According to the tradition since the Renwu Dynasty, the coronation ceremony of the new emperor is fixed on the New Year.
The enthronement ceremony itself has long been a standard.
But the new emperor may have some additional ideas of his own.
In particular, Shen Fu was familiar with Zhu Jingyuan and knew that the new emperor never acted according to common sense.
So you have to ask in advance.
Zhu Jingyuan really has additional ideas:
"I am planning to start revising the calendar now and start the new calendar directly in the AD year.
"New Year's Day is placed at the beginning of spring, so the enthronement ceremony will also be moved to the beginning of spring.
“The formal enthronement ceremony itself is still held in the New Fengtian Hall according to tradition.
“But we need to prepare for two military parades at the same time, one for the army and the air force, and one for the navy.
“I am also planning to invite monarchs from various vassal states and celebrities from home and abroad to watch the ceremony.
"Members of other royal families and troops from other countries are also invited to visit and observe the ceremony."
When Shen Fu heard Zhu Jingyuan speak, he subconsciously had the idea that this was indeed the case.
Then he was immediately shocked by Zhu Jingyuan's thoughts.
Holding a military parade and inviting more people to watch the ceremony, although it is not a traditional enthronement hall viewing operation.
However, emperors after Emperor Shizu would occasionally hold military parades and ship reviews, and the Ministry of Rites was also experienced.
It's not something out of the ordinary. It may be stressful to start preparations now, but it's still not too late.
Ming Dynasty’s military parade does not require strict goose steps.
Moreover, according to the rules set by Emperor Shizu, the military parade was the responsibility of the Central Military Governor's Office, and the civilian system was not allowed to interfere.
For Shen Fu, the most critical issue is his academic qualifications.
From the perspective of traditional Ming intellectuals, the calendar can be regarded as the most important thing:
"Your Majesty, compiling the calendar is not a trivial matter. It cannot be completed in a few months. It may not be too late to start now."
Zhu Jingyuan explained it to his father and grandfather, so he immediately understood Shen Fu's worries and immediately comforted him:
"Sir, don't be nervous. I want to study hard, and I don't want to start out of thin air.
“People in Qintian Prison usually have various ideas, and some even have relatively complete plans.
“I just took a fancy to a few ready-made solutions.
“I’m just going to put these plans together and make some simple adjustments.
“I estimate it will take them less than half a month to complete.
“There’s no need for any fanfare at all.
"Otherwise, I would have suggested to my father a few years ago to start working on it in advance.
"There is still half a year left to announce it to the public and use it to modify the equipment for printing the imperial calendar in advance."
Shen Fu felt a little relieved after hearing these explanations.
Shen Fu had not yet realized how subversive Zhu Jingyuan was planning to do with the new calendar.
Although Qin Tianjian did calculate the relevant data, he never actually considered formulating such a calendar.
However, Shen Fu is an old minister after all, and he is still cautious enough.
Although Qin Tianjian was responsible for compiling the calendar, publicity and promotion were the work of the Ministry of Rites and Da Zongbo.
So Shen Fu still instinctively urged him a little:
“If this is the case, there is indeed enough time.
“But when it comes to revising the calendar, it’s always better to start preparing in advance.
"Why don't we call Qin Tianjian to come and discuss it directly now?"
Zhu Jingyuan thought for a while and said:
"There's no rush, let's finalize the official position adjustment first, and then let people handle these specific tasks."
Shen Fu suddenly understood that Zhu Jingyuan wanted his favorite person to do it:
"Then Wei Chen will resign now?"
Zhu Jingyuan agreed casually, and when Shen Fu stood up and left, he looked at the memorials on the table:
"Which ones are asking for resignation?"
Niu Jian, who was standing next to him, immediately pushed the three stacks of memorials in front of Zhu Jingyuan:
"The first group is for civil servants, the second group is for military attaches, and the third group is for the royal family and the imperial estate."
Zhu Jingyuan first took the memorials from the civil service system and opened them in order to review and process them.
The one at the top of the list is that of Otsuka Prime Minister Wang Tingzhen.
Then there is the great Situ Lu Yinpu, and then there is the great Situ Kou Zhu Maoju.
Zhu Jingyuan was originally prepared to let Wang Tingzhen and Lu Yinpu stay in office, so he opened their memorials, took a look at them, and put them aside, preparing for the General Affairs Secretary to return.
Zhu Jingyuan hesitated a little and chose to stay in office for Zhu Maoju, the chief minister who was responsible for the restoration of the clan.
Zhu Maoju belongs to the clan, has the title of county king, and has a good reputation within the clan.
He cannot be considered a member of the regular bureaucracy.
In addition to the prison personnel they selected, Liu Zhixin and Xu Minghui were both under fifty years old.
Just think that Sikou is a little too high.
It would be appropriate for Zhu Maoju, like Wang Tingzhen, to continue to be a chief secret officer for a few years before retiring to make way for someone more talented.
After making up his mind, Zhu Jingyuan directly continued to issue the order:
"Liu Zhixin, the left chief minister of the Dashi Kingdom, was appointed as the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, and Xu Minghui, the chief trial officer of the Dashi Kingdom, was appointed as the Minister of Dali Temple."
Zhu Jingyuan was originally the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He knew the current situation of the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment and the Minister of Dali Temple, and knew that it was time for them to retire.
When I turn to their memorials later, I can just approve their retirement.
Then Zhu Jingyuan continued to read the memorial at the end:
"Transfer King Yinzhi, the left governor of the Great Food Region, to the post of Sima, in charge of the Army, Navy, and Air Force departments."
Wang Yinzhi served as the chief historian of the Dashi Kingdom. Although he worked part-time, he could be regarded as one of Zhu Jingyuan's own.
His official position at that time was the prefect of Kezhou (Crete), and Crete was Zhu Jingyuan's personal property.
It was also because Zhu Jianyan was identified as Zhu Jingyuan's person, so he always held dual official positions in the Dashi Kingdom and the imperial court.
After subsequent promotions, he has been wandering around the food territory, working with Zhu Jingyuan's full-time officials of the food country for a long time.
So he is indeed a member of Zhu Jingyuan's employment system.
The Wang family was a family of professional bureaucrats, and Wang Yinzhi's father, Wang Niansun, was also the transfer minister.
The two generations of the Wang family had a good impression in the minds of the three emperors Zhu Zhongliang, Zhu Jianyan and Zhu Jingyuan.
Now the Sima of the Ming Dynasty is in charge of the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Navy, and the Ministry of Air Force. He seems to be equivalent to the Minister of War before Chongzhen.
But there is actually a big difference.
Now the core power of the Military Affairs Department under Sima is the power to mobilize troops.
Of course, in fact, they were just going through the actual procedures for troop deployment in accordance with the emperor's orders.
The military orders produced must have the signature and seal of the emperor to be effective.
In addition, the daily work is military budget declaration and officer promotion and appointment approval.
Therefore, it is neither very important nor absolutely important. There are no absolutely important positions in the court.
The final decision-making power has been completely gathered into the hands of the emperor.
Zhu Jingyuan confirmed Wang Yinzhi's appointment and continued to read and review the resignation memorial:
"Liu Ruizhi, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, was promoted to Sikong and was in charge of the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Machinery, the Ministry of Construction, and the Ministry of Finance. He was responsible for industry, engineering, science and technology, roads, ports, and airports."
Liu Ruozhi once served as the chief minister of Zuo Changshi of Dongyi Kingdom, and was the de facto general manager of Changdao.
At that time, Zhu Jingyuan was supervising the entire Yinzhou, so Liu Ruozhi also served as Zhu Jingyuan's subordinate.
Zhu Jingyuan also directly issued orders to the other party to guide them in dealing with the Taixi people in Changdao.
But after all, unlike Wang Yinzhi, he had never held a part-time position in the Dashi Kingdom directly under the jurisdiction of Zhu Jingyuan.
Therefore, he was subsequently promoted to the central court and became Minister of the Ministry of Industry.
However, Liu Ruozhi is now sixty years old and will retire completely in two or three years.
Zhu Jingyuan now allows him to continue to serve as Sikong, with the intention of conferring honors before retirement.
When Liu Ruozhi was appointed Sikong, the following two appointments were made by the Minister:
"Wang Lai, the left minister of the Ministry of Machinery, was promoted to minister of the Ministry of Industry."
"Li Rui, the right servant of the Ministry of Arms, was promoted to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Arms."
Wang Lai and Li Rui were the two engineering officials with whom Zhu Jingyuan was most familiar.
In the past five years, the two of them have kept a low profile in order not to cause trouble to Zhu Jingyuan.
He worked hard on the idea originally proposed by Zhu Jingyuan and improved the existing design of the Ordnance Department.
The two of them have not been promoted in the past few years, but their rank has been promoted from second grade.
Now Zhu Jingyuan directly upgrades them to another level, each in charge of one department.
After Liu Ruozhi retires in two years, one of them will be chosen to be Sikong.
"Xiao Jin'an, the chief envoy of Guangdong, was promoted to the rank of junior division commander and was in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water Resources, and Taichang Temple. He was responsible for agriculture, water conservancy, heroes, meritorious service, military support, and sacrifices."
When Zhu Jingyuan was the governor of Shicheng Prefecture and supervised the Nanyang and Tiannan regions, Xiao Jinan was appointed as the chief envoy of Malacca.
The two were each other's superiors and subordinates at the time, and the cooperation was very pleasant. Xiao Jinan's ability was recognized by Zhu Jingyuan.
Politically speaking, Xiao Jinan was indeed Zhu Jingyuan's man, so he could not be promoted to the central government office.
After establishing the Great Region, he was transferred to Guangdong as the chief envoy.
It sounds like the official position is still the chief envoy, but after the reform of the large domain, the local chief envoy's grade became the second grade.
Now it's time to be directly promoted to the rank of first-level junior master.
"Ruan Yuan, the minister of Taipu Temple, was promoted to Shaofu and was in charge of Qin Tianjian and Taipu Temple. He was responsible for astronomy, meteorology, calendar, environment, resources, and transportation."
Ruan Yuan's identity is the same as that of Liu Ruozhi. When Zhu Jingyuan was supervising Yinzhou, he served as the right chief minister of the Dongyi Kingdom and the de facto general manager of the Chesapeake Peninsula.
Also because he did not work directly next to Zhu Jingyuan, he could be promoted to the central court normally.
Now you can be promoted normally from Taipusi Qing to the corresponding Jiuqing Shaofu.
"Chen Jian, the chief envoy of Shandong, was promoted to Shaobao and was in charge of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Imperial Hospital, and Guanglu Temple. He was responsible for household registration, civil affairs, food, medicine, sanitation, health, social security, and labor security."
Chen Jian's identity is similar to Xiao Jinan. When Zhu Jingyuan was training in Edo, Chen Jian was the chief envoy of Edo at that time.
The two were also each other's superiors and subordinates, and Chen Jian became Zhu Jingyuan's political ally.
Later he was transferred to Shandong and served as the chief envoy of the second rank.
Now it's time to be promoted to a level to serve as a minor security guard.
In this way, all the candidates for the new Jiuqing have been decided.
Four were retained and five were newly appointed, but regardless of whether they were retained or not, most of them were his former subordinates, and the rest were without obvious identification and camp imprints.
Among the nine ministers, seven were from the mainland. Only Chen Jian was from Edo and Xiao Jinan was from Shicheng. Moreover, Edo and Shicheng now belong to the mainland of the Ming Dynasty.
However, except for Wang Tingzhen, the other eight people have overseas working experience. Among them, Chen Jian and Xiao Jinan are considered to be working in their hometown. Their hometown was originally overseas, but later changed to local, which can be regarded as representatives of a compromise.
Zhu Jingyuan planned to follow similar rules when selecting Jiuqing in the future, thus forming a set of conventions.
To be a Jiuqing, one must have overseas service experience.
Because there are indeed some obvious differences between the overseas situation of Ming Dynasty and the domestic situation.
And Jiuqing is responsible for emergency contact in a large overseas area. If he doesn't understand the overseas situation, misunderstandings may occur.
This rule is necessary.
