Chapter 74 Towards a Republic: No Dynasty Lasts Forever.
Speaking of the television, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately abandoned his hindsight bias. He had recently been watching Zhang Juzheng, who was truly a genius. As for the television, he wasn't ready for that yet.
"Well..." Old Zhu chuckled dryly, slapping Zhuge Liang's shoulder heavily with his large, fan-like hand, almost knocking the feather fan off. "It's not that we're not going to return it, it's just... we have to follow a certain procedure!"
Zhuge Liang raised an eyebrow: "Methods?"
“That’s right!” Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes darted around, and he confidently counted on his fingers, “Look, this television set is a rare commodity. We’d have to choose an auspicious day to return it, wouldn’t we? Besides, we’d have to get the approval of the three provinces and six ministries first. The Ministry of Rites would draft a regulation, and the Ministry of Works would inspect the machine…”
Wei Zhongxian listened with wide eyes. Although he didn't know what a treasure a television set was, judging from the Emperor Taizu's shameless attitude, even a fool could tell it was an extraordinary item!
Wei Zhongxian's first rule for survival in the palace: No matter how unreasonable your master is, you must cheer him on.
The old eunuch's eyes darted around, and he immediately bent over and stepped forward:
"His Majesty the Great Ancestor was so busy with state affairs that it's only natural he might occasionally forget something!" he said with a fawning smile as he massaged Zhu Yuanzhang's back. "Besides, a man like Prime Minister Zhuge wouldn't care about something so short-lived..."
"Bang!"
Zhu Yuanzhang retaliated with a powerful backhand slap, landing squarely on Wei Zhongxian's back, the sound as loud as a firecracker. Wei Zhongxian staggered, coughing up a mouthful of blood, but his obsequious smile remained, making him look utterly comical.
"You eunuch!" Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes widened. "Stop trying to play tricks on us! Go back and explain the mess of the Ming Dynasty to your master. If you dare to hold anything back..." Old Zhu grinned maliciously, clenching his fist, his knuckles cracking horribly. "Then you'd better watch out!"
Zhu Yuanzhang's purpose in coming here was to teach Wei Zhongxian a lesson and, incidentally, to avert the demise of the Ming Dynasty.
It seems that Wei Zhongxian has been beaten into submission and is terrified. If he doesn't play a role soon, he's really afraid that the founding emperor will skin him alive.
The others gradually returned to their respective dynasties. Zhu Yuanzhang also returned to the Ming Dynasty without delay. During this time, Wei Zhongxian maintained the posture of bowing and did not move at all.
The main problem is that he's afraid to move.
At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty, accompanied by Wang Chengen, paced anxiously back and forth in the main hall.
"My lord, why hasn't Wei Zhongxian returned yet?" Emperor Chongzhen had asked this question countless times.
Wang Chengen stood bowing in the shadows, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead: "Your Majesty, the sun is already setting, Eunuch Wei must be..." He glanced furtively at the darkening sky outside the window, "...should be arriving soon."
Surely they can't just not come back...? Wang Chengen wasn't sure either.
When Wei Zhongxian appeared in the main hall, Emperor Chongzhen was both alarmed and delighted. He was delighted that there was a celestial being, but alarmed that this celestial being had chosen Wei Zhongxian.
How will he control Wei Zhongxian in the future?
Wouldn't he piss on my neck?
Thinking this to himself, Chongzhen still maintained a semblance of pretense on the surface. He went to greet Wei Zhongxian, and before he could even grasp Wei Zhongxian's hand, he hurriedly said, "Wei, you've had a hard day."
"Truly the Ming Dynasty..."
Before he could even utter the word "savior," Chongzhen stopped in his tracks. "Wait, who is this person covered in bruises?"
Was the immortal recruiting Wei Zhongxian to be used as a punching bag?
Emperor Chongzhen was puzzled.
But he didn't feel sorry for her.
He had thought that Wei Zhongxian, having gained the favor of the immortals, would surely return arrogantly, but who would have thought he would be in such a sorry state? The emperor's gaze swept from Wei Zhongxian's swollen cheeks to his torn official boots, and a strange sense of pleasure suddenly rose in his heart—it seems that the immortals don't like this old eunuch very much either!
When Wei Zhongxian saw Emperor Chongzhen, it was as if he had seen a savior; he immediately knelt down.
"Greetings, Your Majesty! My beloved Your Majesty!"
Having experienced Zhu Yuanzhang, when I saw Chongzhen, he was handsome and kind, and I thought he was the most amiable emperor in the world.
Although they did take action against him later, their methods were extremely gentle compared to those of the founding emperor.
Emperor Chongzhen originally reached out to grasp Wei Zhongxian's hand for physical contact, but after Wei Zhongxian knelt down, Chongzhen had no choice but to help him up, saying, "Wei Zhongxian, please get up quickly."
"This old servant will not rise." Wei Zhongxian lay on the ground, not daring to get up at all.
"Wei Banban, what's wrong? Did something go wrong today?" Chongzhen had been interested in inquiring about the recruitment of immortals, and he keenly realized that now was a good opportunity.
Emperor Chongzhen raised his eyes and met Wang Chengen's gaze. Wang Chengen immediately understood what Emperor Chongzhen meant.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
We couldn't let ourselves be interrupted so easily. Fortunately, Wang Chengen had already sent everyone else out of the hall.
These words were like opening a floodgate, and Wei Zhongxian burst into tears: "Your Majesty! This old servant has seen the founding emperor! The founding emperor... he personally beat this old servant!" As he spoke, he lifted his robe to show Chongzhen the bruises on his body.
"Wait!" Emperor Chongzhen grabbed Wei Zhongxian's hand, his face flushed. "The founding emperor... has appeared to us?"
Wei Zhongxian, sobbing, recounted everything that had happened in Songyang County, including how Zhu Yuanzhang had treated him with extreme violence and even forced him to copy the Great Ming Code.
On that day, Wei Zhongxian lived a life that was not fit for a human being.
The founding emperor was too ruthless.
Originally, Emperor Chongzhen was worried about how to control Wei Zhongxian, but now, with Emperor Taizu around, not only Wei Zhongxian, but even Zhao Gao could be trained to be like a dog by Emperor Taizu.
With his ancestors backing him up, Emperor Chongzhen remained calm.
After listening to Wei Zhongxian's tearful complaints, a glint of shrewdness flashed in Emperor Chongzhen's eyes. He coughed lightly and asked with feigned concern, "Wei Zhongxian, has the Emperor Taizu mentioned matters of state?"
Wei Zhongxian wiped away his tears and recalled, "Your Majesty, the Emperor Taizu did indeed ask this old servant about some affairs of the court, and... and he even scolded this old servant..."
"That's it!" Chongzhen slapped his thigh, startling Wei Zhongxian. "The Emperor Taizu is testing you!" He paced back and forth, thinking more and more that it was a brilliant idea. "Here's what we'll do: starting tomorrow, you will go to the Emperor Taizu every day and recite the contents of important memorials to him."
Upon hearing this, Wei Zhongxian's face turned deathly pale: "Your Majesty, this old servant's memory..."
Whether he has a good memory or not is another matter, but to endorse the founding emperor's teachings, wouldn't that be asking for his life?
Just the thought of standing in front of the founding emperor makes his legs tremble, and he might even get hit again. He's absolutely unwilling.
“Eh~” Chongzhen interrupted him with a smile, “Didn’t the Taizu Emperor ask you to copy the Great Ming Code? Isn’t this a good opportunity to practice your memory? Besides…” He patted Wei Zhongxian’s shoulder meaningfully, “You know the Taizu Emperor’s temper. If he finds out that someone dares to make excuses…”
Wei Zhongxian trembled and immediately knelt down: "This old servant obeys the decree! This old servant will go and prepare immediately!"
“However, there is one more thing…” Wei Zhongxian gritted his teeth, still preparing to reveal the historical matter. He was now in the same boat as the Ming Dynasty, and there was no room for him to waver.
He knelt before Emperor Chongzhen, his forehead pressed against the cold gold bricks, his whole body trembling like a leaf. He had just recounted the events of the future, and now the hall was eerily quiet; even the crackling of the burning candles could be clearly heard.
"Your Majesty..." Wei Zhongxian cautiously raised his head, meeting Chongzhen's bloodshot eyes. The young emperor's face was deathly pale, his body trembling slightly beneath his dragon robe, yet he forced himself to maintain his imperial dignity.
"You just said..." Chongzhen's voice was hoarse beyond recognition: "My last... moments were at Coal Hill..."
I thought he would be a restorer of the dynasty, and with the help of the founding emperor, he could reach new heights. I never expected that he, Chongzhen, would be the ruler who brought about the downfall of the country.
Wei Zhongxian kowtowed heavily: "This old servant deserves to die! But this matter is absolutely true; Magistrate Jiang said it himself. When His Majesty... when His Majesty died for his country, only Eunuch Wang was by his side..."
The emperor possessed the wealth of the entire world, and all people under heaven were his subjects, yet his departure was so desolate.
Emperor Chongzhen suddenly stood up, his sleeve knocking over the teacups on the table, shattering them on the floor. He staggered to the window, gazing at the outline of Coal Hill in the distance, and suddenly let out a sob that sounded like a mix of crying and laughing.
"Grand Companion..." Chongzhen turned to look at Wang Chengen, who stood in the shadows, "So, in the end... it was... who stayed by my side..."
Wang Chengen was already in tears, and he knelt down with a thud: "This old servant swears to follow Your Majesty to the death!"
Wei Zhongxian glanced at the master and servant, his heart filled with mixed emotions. This usually unassuming eunuch actually possessed such loyalty!
"Wei Zhongxian." Emperor Chongzhen suddenly turned around, his eyes sharp as knives. "Since you know about later events, what about the Qing army's entry into the pass..."
Wei Zhongxian trembled and bowed even lower: "Your Majesty, this old servant heard from the founding emperor that, according to the original destiny, not long after Li Zicheng captured Beijing, Wu Sangui would lead the Qing army into the pass..." He glanced at Chongzhen's ashen face and hurriedly added, "But now, with the guidance of the founding emperor, we can definitely turn the tide!"
Emperor Chongzhen gripped the window frame tightly, his knuckles turning white. Suddenly remembering something, he asked sharply, "And what about you? What was your fate in your original destiny?"
The air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly. Wei Zhongxian's face turned ashen, and large beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
"Speak!" Chongzhen kicked over the table.
"This old servant...this old servant has been ordered to commit suicide by His Majesty..." Wei Zhongxian collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face, "I hanged myself at Fucheng Post Station...my property was confiscated...all my associates were executed..."
Upon hearing this, Chongzhen suddenly burst into laughter, but his laughter was filled with desolation. He had originally harbored a sliver of hope, but now even that hope was gone, because this was the very plan he had originally intended to use to deal with Wei Zhongxian.
Wei Zhongxian kowtowed desperately, pleading, "Your Majesty, have mercy! This old servant knows his mistake! The founding emperor ordered this old servant to atone for his sins with meritorious service; this old servant is willing to serve like a slave..."
Emperor Chongzhen stopped laughing and coldly looked at Wei Zhongxian, the once all-powerful eunuch. At this moment, Wei Zhongxian was no longer the imposing figure he once was; he resembled a stray dog.
Wang Chengen bowed forward, his robes rustling softly as he spoke: "This old servant is here."
Emperor Chongzhen tapped his long, slender fingers lightly on the armrest of his dragon throne, making a rhythmic sound: "What do you think I should do with him?"
Wang Chengen slightly raised his eyes, his gaze lingering for a moment on the trembling Wei Zhongxian. The flickering candlelight in the hall cast a dim light on Wei Zhongxian's pale face. The old eunuch pondered for a moment, then spoke softly but clearly: "Your Majesty, although Eunuch Wei's crimes are heinous, the current political situation is turbulent, and the war in Liaodong is critical... Perhaps keeping him alive would be more useful, and there is also the Emperor Taizu."
Upon hearing this, Wei Zhongxian abruptly looked up, a glint of disbelief flashing in his cloudy eyes. He gazed at this colleague whom he had always suppressed, his throat bobbing a few times, but ultimately he couldn't utter a word. He simply kowtowed heavily, the sound of his forehead striking the gold bricks echoing clearly in the silent hall.
Emperor Chongzhen remained silent for a long time, the tapping of his fingers gradually slowing down. The sound of the night watchman's drum came from outside the palace; it was already past midnight. The young emperor finally sighed, a sigh filled with complex emotions: "So be it." He stood up, his bright yellow dragon robe gleaming softly in the candlelight. "Wei Zhongxian, I will give you a chance to atone for your sins."
Wei Zhongxian trembled, his wrinkled hands gripping the hem of his clothes tightly.
"From this day forward," Chongzhen's voice suddenly turned cold, like a blade tempered with ice, "you will go to Songyang County every day, not only to recite memorials..." He slowly walked down the steps, his gold-embroidered boots making a crisp sound on the floor tiles, "but also to find out for me the exact routes and timing of the Qing army's possible entry into the pass! Remember, not a single word can be missed!"
Wei Zhongxian felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead hitting the gold bricks with a loud thud: "This old servant obeys the decree! This old servant will do his utmost! Even if it costs him his old life, he will share Your Majesty's burdens!"
After Wei Zhongxian withdrew, Chongzhen stood alone in the hall, gazing absently at the flickering candlelight. A night breeze seeped in through the cracks in the window, causing the candlelight to flicker and casting a long, drawn-out shadow of his. Wang Chengen quietly fetched a brocade cloak with cloud patterns and carefully draped it over him, saying, "Your Majesty, the night is chilly..."
"My lord." Chongzhen suddenly grasped the old eunuch's withered hand, a hand etched with the marks of time. "If that day truly comes... you don't have to..."
Wang Chengen shook his head firmly, tears glistening in his cloudy eyes, yet shining brightly in the candlelight: "This old servant swears to follow Your Majesty to the death."
That night, the Qianqing Palace was brightly lit. Wei Zhongxian knelt before his desk, which was piled high with memorials. Wang Chengen stood to the side, watching him expressionlessly.
"Shaanxi is suffering from a severe drought. Please allocate 300,000 taels of silver for disaster relief..." Wei Zhongxian stammered, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
“Eunuch Wei,” Wang Chengen said coldly, “His Majesty said that we must memorize it, not just read it aloud. Tomorrow we will recite it to the Emperor Taizu to handle state affairs. We cannot slack off.”
With a bitter expression, Wei Zhongxian had no choice but to continue reciting. That night, Wei Zhongxian's ghostly howls and wailing as he recited his lessons echoed through the Qianqing Palace, frightening the eunuchs on night duty so much that they dared not approach.
—But at this moment, on the other side, in the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Yuanzhang was tenderly stroking the television. They had spent a considerable amount of time together, and the television had provided him with a wealth of information.
They got along very well. Whenever it was late at night, Zhu Yuanzhang would turn on the television and eagerly absorb the images that revealed future history.
The screen was playing "Ming Dynasty 1566," and Yan Song's oily face dominated the entire frame. This treacherous minister, infamous in later history books, was now smiling obsequiously at the camera: "Your Majesty, please look, this is the new Yun brocade presented as tribute by the Jiangnan Textile Bureau this year..."
The scene shifts to the emaciated people of Jiangnan toiling in the fields. The thin, bony farmers are bent over, planting rice seedlings under the scorching sun, and most of the grain they painstakingly cultivate will be handed over as taxes.
"Insolent!" Zhu Yuanzhang slammed his fist on the table, the teacups clattering loudly. His chest heaved, his eyes burning with fury. Was this the Ming Dynasty he had founded? Were these the descendants he had placed his hopes on?
The scene shifts to Yan Song's mansion. In the resplendent hall, delicacies are laid out on a long table. Yan Shifan, holding a gold-inlaid jade wine cup, clinks glasses with a group of richly dressed officials. In a corner, several ragged servants tremble and attend to him.
"This cup is a toast to our Grand Secretary Yan!" an official with a fawning smile said loudly.
"Hahaha, let's drink together!" Yan Shifan tilted his head back triumphantly and drank the wine in one gulp, the liquid dripping down his lips and onto his priceless python robe.
Zhu Yuanzhang's fingernails dug deeply into his palms. He clearly remembered how severely he had punished corrupt officials: skinning them alive, imprisoning their entire families... But now it seemed that even these cruel punishments had failed to deter corrupt officials in later generations!
The camera then shifts to Yan Song's study. In the dead of night, the Grand Secretary is counting silver notes under the lamp. Stacks of notes rustle as his withered fingers turn the pages. Several account books sit on the table, densely filled with records of the amounts of tributes given by officials from various regions.
"The Provincial Treasurer of Zhejiang, five thousand taels of silver..."
"The Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai, two hundred taels of gold..."
"The Prefect of Suzhou owns 300 mu of farmland..."
Each number felt like a knife piercing Zhu Yuanzhang's heart. His breathing grew heavier, and veins bulged on his forehead. This was all the hard-earned money of the people!
What pained him most was what happened next: a ragged old farmer knelt before the Yan family mansion, lamenting the drought that year. Yan Song simply waved his hand impatiently, ordering his servants to drive the man away.
"Please, Your Honor, have mercy! More than thirty people in our village have already starved to death..." The old farmer's cries gradually faded into the distance.
Zhu Yuanzhang abruptly closed his eyes, two streams of hot tears rolling down his cheeks. Was this the Ming Dynasty he had founded? Was this the empire he had placed his hopes on?
I thought it would be passed down for thousands of generations, but now I realize that was just wishful thinking.
The Jiajing Emperor was too far removed from him; what Zhu Yuanzhang was most reluctant to part with was returning the television set.
I'm so reluctant to part with it!
But no matter how reluctant he was, Zhu Yuanzhang had to say goodbye to the television set first thing tomorrow morning.
Happy times always seem to pass too quickly. Zhu Yuanzhang arrived at the official residence with a television set in his arms.
Everyone else is waiting there.
This television set is something not only Zhuge Liang wants to see, but Huo Qubing also wants to see. Words are too pale and powerless; seeing it with one's own eyes might shatter the last glimmer of hope.
Everyone thought that a television set was some kind of magical object, but it turned out to be just a black box.
Huo Qubing circled the television, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Magistrate Jiang, is this guy really that powerful?"
A question that comes from the soul.
Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, but his gaze never left the black box: "General Huo, don't be anxious. As far as I know, this thing needs electricity to operate."
"Electricity?" Huo Qubing looked blank. "The kind of electricity that's like lightning?"
Lightning comes from the sky; how can mortals tame it?
Could Magistrate Jiang possibly conjure lightning with his bare hands?
Huo Qubing couldn't help but look at Magistrate Jiang with a hint of admiration in his eyes. So amazing!
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily and connected the television set to the generator: "General Huo, it's not lightning." He skillfully turned on the television set.
With a soft "click," Zhu Yuanzhang pressed the power switch. The television screen first flashed a few static patterns, then suddenly shone with a blinding light, causing everyone present to instinctively squint.
On the screen, a breathtaking scene gradually came into focus: red flags waving, a sea of people. A man stood atop the city wall, solemnly declaring in a thick Hunan accent: "The Chinese people have stood up!"
"This is..." Huo Qubing abruptly took a step back, the chair behind him wobbling precariously. His eyes widened, staring intently at the rising five-starred red flag on the screen. "Is this a change of dynasty?"
Zhuge Liang stopped waving his feather fan, his usually composed face now filled with shock. He strode forward, his voice trembling slightly: "This...this happened so many years later? Why are the flags here so different?"
The top part shows stars, while ancient flags mostly used dragons as totems, which symbolized the emperor.
What do these stars represent?
Yuchi Jingde's face turned deathly pale. His hand trembled as he pointed at the cheering crowd on the screen: "Why are these people... wearing such strange clothes? And those iron birds..." Just then, several planes participating in the parade flew by on the screen.
Like a giant kite without a string, something Qin Shubao had never seen before, he held his breath in awe. And the horse-drawn carriage that could carry people looked so effortless to drive.
What exactly is this?
Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath and turned to look at Magistrate Jiang. He didn't know what it was either; he had never seen it before. If anyone present knew what it was, it would undoubtedly be Magistrate Jiang.
"This is China more than 500 years after the Ming Dynasty. By then, the Ming Dynasty... had long since become a dynasty in the history books." Jiang Ge's eyes swept over the people in the official residence one by one. "Qin, Han, Three Kingdoms, Tang, Song, all have become the past."
A deathly silence fell over the room. The cheers and cannon fire emanating from the television set sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet office. Everyone was speechless, stunned by the scene from the future.
Huo Qubing suddenly slammed his fist on the table: "So this is why Old Zhu wanted to change the fate of the Ming Dynasty?" His voice was heavier than ever before, "To avoid..."
To prevent the Ming Dynasty from becoming a thing of the past...
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone in the clerk's quarters knew what he meant. Zhu Yuanzhang had abandoned all imperial airs in order to curry favor with Magistrate Jiang. He was far more dedicated than those of them who still clung to their airs. It turned out that it was all for the sake of the Ming Dynasty.
Everyone remained silent.
They suddenly understood Zhu Yuanzhang's intention—no one wanted their era to become the past, and no one wanted their life's work to turn into cold words in history books.
Unfortunately, what they didn't know was that no matter which dynasty it was, the final destination was always the same—to become a republic.
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Author's Note: I originally wanted to use a poem for the ending, but I was worried about it being censored. I don't know what the censors will block in this chapter, but I'll try my best to update more often in the future. Thank you to all the readers who support me. Also, I'm planning to change the pre-orders to feature all female historical figures and see how they would change in modern times. This book has more male historical figures, so I'm planning to write an all-female story. I wonder if everyone will continue to support me [cheeks resting on hands][cheeks resting on hands][cheeks resting on hands]
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