However, Lu Xuan didn't even glance at them and walked straight past. The officials were still waiting for the new emperor to help them up, but he didn't appear. Looking up, they saw someone they absolutely didn't want to see standing in front of them.
Zhu Youjian looked at the people kneeling at his feet, his face calm, showing not even a trace of anger. However, the people on the ground still felt an unprecedented chill.
After Lu Xuan crossed the street, the ministers on the ground realized that no one was paying attention to them. Panic began to creep in. Then they noticed that Zhu Youjian hadn't left either. Not only had he not left, but a troop of soldiers stood behind him.
What was going on? Before they could even understand what was happening, the soldiers suddenly rushed forward and, in front of the entire crowd, bound them up. Only then did they realize that the situation seemed somewhat different from what they had imagined. But it was too late. They only heard Zhu Youjian speak slowly in a cold tone.
"I made a bet with Lu Xuan. He said that the capital actually has plenty of money. Enough... enough to cover the Liaodong military expenses for ten years. I didn't believe him, so he asked me to try it myself. Gentlemen, let's begin."
...............
Zhu Youjian went to exploit those ministers who constantly complained of poverty. Lu Xuan didn't pay attention to this. He believed that Zhu Youjian would definitely treat those loyal ministers well, perhaps even better than Li Zicheng and his group.
At this moment, the palace was already in sight. But to his surprise, an army actually blocked the palace gate.
Lu Xuan dismissed the crowd and stepped forward alone. Before him stood an army, composed of a small number of soldiers and eunuchs. They were presumably soldiers from the Imperial Horse Administration and eunuchs guarding the imperial city. It was said that historically, when the city fell, an entire eunuch guard within the imperial city had perished in battle…
"Long time no see, Brother Guo."
“I dare not address General Lu as a brother. After all, you have already fought your way to the capital, and one more step and you will be the emperor. How can I, a mere eunuch, be worthy to address General Lu as a brother?” Guo Zhen’s tone was somewhat sarcastic, but Lu Xuan did not pay any attention to it.
"...Were you the one who caused the sounds of fighting in the city that night?"
"Who else could it be? It's just a pity..." Lu Xuan's guess was correct. The night before last, Lu Xuan noticed internal strife in the city. He initially thought it was a power struggle between the pro-war and pro-peace factions. But now it seems that Guo Zhen received the news and wanted to protect Zhu Youjian ahead of time. Unfortunately, he failed.
"Brother Guo's loyalty and righteousness are unparalleled. He deserves to be remembered in history."
“I don’t care about making a name for myself in history. I only want to protect His Majesty. General Lu, if you want to go in today, you’ll only be able to step over our dead bodies.” Zhao Jingzhong’s expression changed, and he waved his right hand, ordering a squad of musketeers to step forward and clear away the obstacle in their path. But Lu Xuan waved him away.
"His Majesty is alright. I did not harm him, not before, and not ever." Historically, Emperor Chongzhen is a figure of mixed reputation, but at this point in time, he had actually done nothing. He was merely a naive man who believed he could save the young emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
"The emperor of the Ming Dynasty is not afraid of being harmed. What I am protecting today is not His Majesty, but the people in the imperial city."
Lu Xuan immediately understood Guo Zhen's meaning. He was afraid that if Lu Xuan entered the capital, he would massacre the Ming Dynasty's royal family and concubines. After all, such phenomena were not uncommon in history.
“I understand what you mean. If you still trust me, then I will make you a promise. Everyone in this imperial city will receive fair treatment. Those who commit crimes will be punished. But I will not touch those innocent members of the royal family.”
Guo Zhen was silent for a moment, then spoke.
“If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t believe it. But General Lu, I can try to believe him.”
Guo Zhen waved his hand, dismissing the soldiers behind him. He then followed Lu Xuan into the palace.
Zhao Jingzhong had sealed off the palace two days prior. Thousands of men and women were inside, and not a single one was able to leave. If he hadn't known of Guo Zhen's past relationship with Lu Xuan, he would have slaughtered Guo Zhen and his entire group long ago.
To Guo Zhen's surprise, Lu Xuan did not go directly to the inner palace of the capital, where the imperial family's last remaining assets were located. Nor did he go to the imperial harem, where countless beautiful concubines resided—places that the rebels were most interested in. Lu Xuan's first stop was Zhu Youjian's study.
"After being besieged for so many days, there must be a lot of official business that hasn't been dealt with in time. Find them all, let me take a look." After saying that, he ignored Guo Zhen and sat down in the chair to start processing some official documents on the table.
The Ming Dynasty in this era was plagued by a multitude of problems. Natural disasters and man-made calamities were rampant. Almost all the memorials to the throne concerned reduced grain production in various regions, requiring tax reductions or exemptions. Some serious cases demanded disaster relief from the court. In the most severe cases, peasant uprisings had already broken out, with requests for the court to send troops to suppress bandits. After reading more than a dozen memorials, Lu Xuan felt utterly overwhelmed.
He had stockpiled a large amount of grain over the years, enough to supply the entire Liaodong region for two years. However, even if this grain were distributed throughout the country, it would be a drop in the ocean. Moreover, peasant uprisings were breaking out everywhere. If these uprisings were not controlled, they would soon snowball into large-scale military disasters involving more than 100,000 people. At that time, the impact on the country would be devastating.
"Have Lu Wenzhao come to see me."
Lu Xuan said without looking up. Guo Zhen looked around and found that he was all alone. Helpless, he went out and found Lu Wenzhao.
"Your Majesty..." Lu Wenzhao immediately changed his address. Lu Xuan didn't mind.
"Lu Wenzhao, there are three major peasant uprisings in the mountains, Shanxi, and Sichuan. Make arrangements to send a few capable subordinates to quell these rebellions. Take some of the grain and provisions you've obtained in the capital with you. Remember, you must fight first. Once the fighting is nearly over, then decide what to do next. Also, send messages to Korea and Japan, telling them that we need food here. I don't care what methods they use. I just want results."
Lu Wenzhao's heart stirred slightly. So His Majesty had been preparing for this all along. The early conquest of Korea and Japan was all for this day. However, he had no sympathy for those two traitorous vassal states. After all, right now, only the people of the Ming Dynasty were the true people; everyone else was second-class citizens.
"Your Majesty, now that the situation is settled, shouldn't you consider ascending the throne?"
"Okay, but keep it simple. Find someone to make the arrangements. Also, call Zhao Jingzhong in."
After Lu Wenzhao left, Zhao Jingzhong went into the study.
"His Majesty."
"Zhao Jingzhong, I have an important task for you. Although we have taken control of the capital, as you can see, the situation is dire. Disasters are raging all over the country. I need food."
"As Your Majesty commands."
"Very well, you'll have to work harder. Fight a few more battles. Ryukyu, Cochinchina, Luzon, these Southeast Asian countries. Go to their doorsteps one by one and ask for food. If they refuse, I'll allow you to use any means necessary."
The Little Ice Age at the end of the Ming Dynasty was essentially unsolvable. The widespread crop failures in the north were an unavoidable natural disaster. If Lu Xuan had arrived thirty years earlier, allowing for careful planning within the court and the mobilization of the entire nation's resources for preparation, it might have been possible for the Ming Dynasty to weather the storm through its own potential. But now, he could only choose to appease the surrounding countries.
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Chapter 174 National Title...Huaxia (Second Update, Please Subscribe)
The coronation ceremony was so simple it was almost unbelievable. Yet, despite this, Lu Xuan won the adoration of a large group of 'scholars'. He didn't even need to promote it himself. Within days, rumors were circulating throughout the streets and alleys that Lu Xuan was frugal and wise, and would surely become a great emperor for all time.
It must be said that most educated people ultimately have a longer-term vision than those uneducated commoners. The moment Lu Xuan entered the city, he dismissed nine-tenths of the entire court. What did this mean? Did Lu Xuan look down on educated people? No, it meant countless official positions were now vacant...
During Zhu Yuanzhang's reign, officials were treated like chickens to be slaughtered. He executed officials from the court twice over. Yet, countless scholars still flocked to the capital, eager to become officials. As the saying goes, in the Central Plains dynasties, were you afraid no one wanted to be an official?
Such a great opportunity was presented to him. Who wouldn't want this benefit to fall into their lap? They would have to fawn over their superiors to get a promotion. Lu Xuan lived up to expectations, promoting a group of reserve officials for the court. These were scholars who had earned official titles but had no vacancies and could only wait at home.
Many of these people are quite knowledgeable, and most of them have no connections in the imperial court. In fact, they are the most suitable for the current situation.
This series of changes in the capital lasted for nearly a month. A new emperor, a major reshuffle of the court, and everything returned to normal. However, these had little to do with the people of the capital. They had a much bigger story to tell: the results regarding Zhu Youjian's case were in.
Lu Xuan gave Zhu Youjian five hundred men and ordered him to arrest the ministers who had betrayed him and then confiscate their property. Zhu Youjian had little experience with this. But after the first time, his eyes turned red with rage.