At the beginning of the 26th year of Longwu, on the 11th of March, Xiao Ruxun called Xiao Zhenbang to his study in the side hall of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
"In recent days, you have handled government affairs very well, and I am very satisfied with many aspects. You have learned the way I handle government affairs, and you have not disappointed my expectations of you. You are already a very qualified Crown Prince, and I am very relieved to hand the Daqin to you."
Xiao Zhenbang was already in his thirties, and was very mature. His political means were very shrewd, and he had played a lot of role in dealing with administrative and military issues, and had initially established his own reputation.
This kind of reputation could not be compared with that of Xiao Ruxun, but if he wanted to be a Crown Prince and inherit Xiao Ruxun's position, it was still enough.
Xiao Zhenbang did not know why his father called him to the study and said such words. Before he had time to react, Xiao Ruxun pointed to a box on the table, and asked Xiao Zhenbang to open it.
Xiao Zhenbang opened the box, and it turned out to be the Imperial Jade Seal.
The small Imperial Jade Seal that was often worn by Xiao Ruxun.
"Father, this is …"
"The Imperial Jade Seal, I do not know whether it is real or fake. It is probably fake, but it is not important. It is worn by me, and if I say it is real, then it is real."
Xiao Ruxun narrowed her eyes. "Back then, in the third year of Longwu, the leader of the Chahar tribe, Bu Yan, offered this jade seal to your father. He said that this was the heirloom jade seal passed down by his ancestors, and that he had kept it all this time. He wanted to use this jade seal to exchange for an alliance between your father and him.
He felt that this Imperial Jade Seal had great magic, and only the existence of this Imperial Jade Seal could be recognized as the legitimate Emperor, and the others were not legitimate. However, I did not care. The purpose of accepting it was to let Buyan relax his vigilance, to buy time, and then in the seventh year of Longwu, I would destroy him. "
Xiao Ruxun paused for a moment, took a sip of tea, and then said, "A jade seal doesn't mean anything. It's just a small one that isn't even as big as a jade pendant. Can it be considered orthodox? This Imperial Jade Seal cannot prove that you are legitimate, otherwise, Qin would not have died in the second generation. Zhenbang, what do you think? "
Xiao Ruxun looked at Xiao Zhenbang.
Xiao Zhenbang pursed his lips and slowly said, "The Imperial Jade Seal is not enough to be orthodox. In the hearts of the people of the world, the people of the world are happy and prosperous. Naturally, it is orthodox. If the people of the world are in chaos and suffer from famine, even if there are ten Imperial Jade Seals, they will still perish.
If the world is in chaos and suffers from famine, then even if you have ten Imperial Jade Seals, you will be destroyed. "
"Yes, the heart of the people is the true meaning of whether or not one is orthodox. If the people of the world think that you are orthodox, then you are naturally orthodox. If the people of the world think that you are not, then even if you have ten or a hundred Imperial Jade Seals, you deserve to die.
"Buyan, why did you present it to me? If it can really prove that Buyan is legitimate, and can rule the whole of Mongolia, then why did Buyan present it to me? There is only one reason. This is something that does not matter, something that does not make a difference whether I have it or not. "
Xiao Ruxun stood up, took the Imperial Jade Seal, and put it in his hand. Then, he took Zhenbang's hand, and handed it to him.
"Whether it is legitimate or not is not in the Imperial Jade Seal, but in the people of the world. You care about the people of the world, and have never slacked off, so the people of the world will naturally regard you as the legitimate one."
Xiao Zhenbang blinked, and looked down at the Imperial Jade Seal in Xiao Ruxun's hand, and was at a loss.
"Father, this is …"
"I'll leave it to you. When you reach my age, when you're tired, tired, and can't lift your spirits anymore, don't be attached to this position of power. Give it to your chosen successor and let the young people do it. You can live your life in peace. This is better than anything else."
Xiao Ruxun smiled, and looked at Xiao Zhenbang: "Zhenbang, I am tired, and I don't want to be the Emperor anymore. I can't move anymore, you can be the Emperor."
Xiao Zhenbang was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes suddenly widened.
"Father! This … child … this … "
Before he could finish his words, Xiao Ruxun stretched out his hand and pressed on the top of his head.
"Don't panic in the face of danger, don't panic. How can you forget the principles I taught you since you were young?"
Xiao Zhenbang looked at Xiao Ruxun in disbelief, until he was sure that Xiao Ruxun was not joking, and was not testing him, but really wanted to hand the throne to him.
Because he saw that the white hair on Xiao Ruxun's head seemed to have suddenly increased.
"Father …"
"Since ancient times, the succession of the throne has always waited for the old Emperor to die before the new Emperor can take the throne. Not for anything else, but because they have grasped power, they are reluctant to let go of it. They are suspicious of everything, suspicious of everything, worried about nothing, and don't care about anything except power.
At first, I thought I would be like that, and I would not let go of power until I die, because for this power, when you were young, I killed too many people, stepped on those people's bodies, and I got this power.
But after your mother passed away, I often thought quietly, thinking about my gains and losses over the years, thinking about the future, thinking about the present, thinking about the past, and finally, I suddenly found that I have no energy to continue to lead the Daqin forward. "
Xiao Ruxun pointed at the white hair on her head and said, "I'm old and useless. If I continue to be the Emperor, I won't be able to withstand the torment. If things go wrong, I'll ruin Great Qin's good situation. It's not worth it. Zhenbang, you're full of energy. It's time for you to be the Emperor."
Xiao Ruxun held Zhenbang's hand tightly.
"It wasn't easy for Great Qin to reach where it is today, it really wasn't easy at all. Your father doesn't want to see the great situation that you single-handedly created be ruined by your father. Your father won't allow himself to become the Emperor of Tang or Emperor Wu of Han in his later years. As such, it's time for you to be Emperor.
Xiao Ruxun clenched Zhenbang's hand into a fist, letting him hold the small Imperial Jade Seal tightly.
"The Imperial Jade Seal is indeed nothing in our eyes, but in the eyes of outsiders, it's the symbol of imperial power. From today onwards, wear it, walk out, and announce to the world that you, Xiao Zhenbang, are going to be the Emperor."
Zhenbang's mind was still muddled, he really couldn't react to such a huge amount of information for a while. Xiao Ruxun shook his head and smiled, reaching out to pinch both sides of his cheeks.
"For more than 20 years, I've tried my best to maintain the harmony of the family, not letting the family become like other imperial families without any human feelings. Why do you not believe in me now?"
Xiao Zhenbang suddenly reacted, his eyes immediately turned red, and tears immediately filled his eyes, flowing down uncontrollably.
"Father … you … you really …"
"After becoming the Emperor, I wanted to protect your mother, give her glory and wealth, and give her the best. Now that your mother is gone, what's the point of being the Emperor?
What should be done has been done, and what shouldn't be done has also been done. I've done so much, I don't know what the future will be like, but even if something goes wrong in the future, I can't do better than before. "
As he said this, Xiao Ruxun took Zhenbang's hand.
"The Great Qin I'm leaving you is an unprecedentedly large Empire, and being its Emperor is a very glorious thing. You will be able to wield supreme power, but at the same time, being its Emperor is a very dangerous thing. A thousand-kilometer dike will be destroyed by an ant's hole, and you won't know when the Empire's roots will be eaten away."
"Father's teachings, I will remember in my heart, and I dare not forget the lessons of Qianming."
Xiao Zhenbang had been learning how to deal with government affairs by Xiao Ruxun's side for seven years. Xiao Ruxun had taught him everything that should be taught, but how to use it, it still depended on him.
Before that, Xiao Ruxun still wanted to make one last confirmation.
"Then let me test you. For me, the way to govern is to control. I am the founding Emperor, and my prestige is unparalleled. No one in the whole country can compete with me. I can be arbitrary and not afraid of anything. But you don't have my prestige and military achievements, so what is your way of governing?"
Xiao Zhenbang looked at Xiao Ruxun.
"Father, won't you blame me?"
"Why would I blame you? You are my son, and soon you will be the new Emperor. I have only trained you since you were a child, and you are still worried that I will abolish your position as Crown Prince? Be honest and tell your father everything. "
"Yes!"
Xiao Zhenbang gritted his teeth and said, "My way of governing is to follow the rules, stabilize the people's hearts, secretly cultivate forces, train new people, and win over the people's hearts. Everything is the same as when you were on the throne.
Pay attention to those who are useful and those who are not. After a few years, when the people's hearts are stable, I will take down those who are disobedient in the name of corruption and replace them with my own people to establish my prestige. This is my great purge. "
Xiao Ruxun nodded slowly and said something that made Xiao Zhenbang feel relieved.
"Yes. First, as an Emperor, you must be ruthless. No matter who it is, as long as he threatens your authority, disrespects you, or disobeys you, he is a scourge and must be removed. The more capable he is, the more scourge he is, the more he must be removed. Without loyalty, talent is bullshit.
It doesn't matter if he's one of my subordinates or not, as long as he's disobedient or disloyal, he'll be executed. In the future, you'll be the Emperor, and everyone in Great Qin will listen to you and see you as their leader. I'm here to help you see through those people who don't know what's good for them. "
"Yes, Father."
Xiao Zhenbang nodded and then said, "In the future, I will focus on making arrangements for the illegal acts of some high-level and low-level officials I have witnessed over the years. They use the loopholes in the rules and regulations of the imperial court to seek personal benefits. Many local departments are corrupt, and the common people and merchants are suffering. I do not intend to sit back and do nothing."
"I have three informants in the local areas: Black Poison, Black Water, and the Imperial Plantation. Three channels of information. I basically know everything that happens in the local areas. But do you know why I have not carried out a large-scale purge of corrupt officials since the 21st year of Longwu?"
Xiao Ruxun asked.
"Father wants to continue to observe and see who is instructing behind the scenes. There must be a chain of interests from the central to the local areas. Otherwise, it will not be able to develop. Father wants to pull out the radish and bring out the mud.
Xiao Zhenbang guessed.
Xiao Ruxun nodded and then shook his head.
"That's right, but it's not just that. Zhenbang, I'm keeping them alive not only to observe which caterpillar instigates them to seek personal gain, but also to figure out where the loopholes they've drilled come from and use this as evidence to fill in the loopholes. Most importantly, it's for you."
Xiao Ruxun took Xiao Zhenbang's hand and let him sit next to him.
"For … me?"
Xiao Zhenbang was a little confused, but he soon came to a realization. "Father, you mean to leave them to me to deal with?"
"Yes, to leave them for you to deal with."
Xiao Ruxun smiled slightly and said, "There is no end to the corrupt officials. Zhu Yuanzhang, the First Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, killed corrupt officials. He killed so many officials in the world that they trembled in fear and had three nightmares in one night. They even had to bid farewell to their families during the court meeting and prepare their wills and coffins. But did he kill all the corrupt officials?"
"No, after Zhu Yuanzhang died, the corrupt officials became more rampant."
"Yes, there is no end to the corrupt officials because they are also people. Greed is human nature. If you want to kill all the corrupt officials, you will have to kill everyone in the world. Is that possible? No. That's why it is important to prevent the existence of corrupt officials from destroying the foundation of the country.
Most of the time, corrupt officials were easier to control than honest ones. If you killed a corrupt official, you had a reason to do so, but if you killed an honest one, you would be criticized. Just like the former Hai Rui, no one could kill him because he had achieved the pinnacle of morality.
This type of person sounds good, but in reality, he isn't a good person. Especially to the Emperor, if there are honest and upright officials everywhere, the Emperor will be in a difficult position. For the Emperor, corruption and honesty aren't absolute problems. Loyalty is the most important.
Corrupt officials are easy to control because they have to listen to the Emperor's orders. Otherwise, they will be killed and it will be difficult to resist. On the other hand, honest officials are different. Their righteousness is invincible. How can they not listen to the Emperor's orders? That's why conquering the country, killing corrupt officials, using corrupt officials and protecting corrupt officials are the methods of an Emperor. "
Xiao Ruxun slowly opened her mouth and said, "The biggest reason why I kept these corrupt officials alive was to help you build up your prestige. I have fought all the big battles that I could. Even if there is a war in the future, it will only be a small one. It will be very difficult for you to build up your prestige through military means.
Then, the fastest way to establish prestige and stabilize your position is to kill corrupt officials. Kill those who have committed many evils in the local areas and have long been blacklisted by my spies. These people deserve to die. Every time you kill one, you have to publicize it in the local areas. This way, the people will know how good you are, and the people will support you.
As for the local officials, once they find out that you can kill them, they will fear you and will obey you. They will not look down on you and your control over the region will be maintained. Remember, killing corrupt officials from the central government and killing corrupt officials from the local government has a different meaning. "
"I know. Killing corrupt officials from the central government is to stabilize the Emperor's position. Killing corrupt officials from the local government is to consolidate the authority of the central government and prevent the local forces from rising against the central government."
Xiao Zhenbang understood this very well. After all, Xiao Ruxun had repeatedly taught him this since he was 15 years old. When he was fighting outside, he even specially wrote to him to remind him.
Now, he was very clear about the conflict and relationship between the local government and the central government. He knew the necessity of suppressing the local government.
"Yes, in the past, there was a saying in the local government that a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. I have changed this saying. No matter where it is, if they dare to challenge the central government, I will destroy their whole family. Therefore, everything in the local government can be controlled by me. Only then can the Daqin use the power of the whole country to do great things.
If the local forces are too big and are hindered by the central government, then the local resources cannot be mobilized. It will be difficult to carry out a national war. Just like the previous Ming Dynasty, which had a million troops but was defeated by my 100,000 troops, I overthrew the old example in half a year. You must remember this. "
"I understand. I will not reduce father's local policies. I will strengthen them. Those local people can forget about making a comeback."
Xiao Zhenbang's expression was firm. It was obvious that he had a card up his sleeve.
"Black Poison, Black Water, and the Imperial Plantation. These are the three poison-dipped daggers that I use to control the world. Each dagger can take a life. As long as you can hold these three daggers, there will be no enemy in the world. But you must know that they are all dipped in poison. They can kill people and hurt you."
Hearing Xiao Ruxun's words, Xiao Zhenbang's brows furrowed.
"Father, Black Poison is not difficult to control. After all, it still has the name of the Central Bureau of Investigation. The members have all been cleaned up, and their families are all in the capital. We can control it through normal methods. The Imperial Plantation is also not difficult to control. The people in charge are all eunuchs in the palace. They are our servants. Once they lose their power, they won't be able to do anything. But Black Water …"
"Yes, Black Water is the only organization that doesn't have to worry about this. When I first established Black Water, it was originally to spy on the military. But later on, it was needed, and Black Water kept expanding. It was involved in the military, politics, and commerce, both domestically and abroad.
So, I established Black Poison and the Imperial Plantation to divide Black Water's power and scale. I took the supervision of the central government officials to Black Poison, and the commercial spies to the Imperial Plantation. I only gave Black Water military intelligence and assassination tasks. Even so, Black Water is still the largest.
So, I also established Black Poison's headquarters in the capital, Nanjing, Myanmar, Western Region, and Dongying's headquarters in order to divide Zhang Wu's power. In recent years, Zhang Wu has become more and more confused. If I hadn't repeatedly restricted him, I'm afraid he would have wanted to be Ji Gang … "
Xiao Ruxun sneered. "It doesn't matter. I have planted spies around him. Everything about these spies is under my control. After you ascend the throne, don't touch him. As long as I'm here, he won't dare to do anything. Let's see who will die first.
In the end, he has made great contributions to Great Qin, and if he obediently dies in front of me, I won't do anything to him. However, if he lives long enough, I'll give you seven ways to get rid of him. I'll make it so that he has nowhere to go, and I'll make him the second Ji Gang. "
Xiao Zhenbang pursed his lips and nodded in agreement.
"Having said that, the existence of Black Water is very necessary. You can replace it with your trusted subordinates to do the work. Intelligence collection and infiltration in the Daqin and outside the Daqin, especially in the European continent must not be interrupted.
From my point of view, the one who can compete with the Daqin in the future is the Barbodes rhododendri in the European continent. Remember, they are very cunning and treacherous, and they are good at the way of understanding things. They are even better than the Daqin in some aspects.
I have worked hard for more than ten years to catch up with them and keep pace with them. But I don't know what will happen in the future. But they are enemies, not friends. You have to remember that although the Daqin is strong, it doesn't have no enemies. "
Xiao Zhenbang nodded repeatedly.
"I won't relax sending people to Europe. I will keep a close eye on them."
"Good."
Xiao Ruxun continued, "Other than that, you also have to pay attention to the fact that the army cannot be in chaos. I have designed a more appropriate strategy for the army. Those generals above have a limited influence on the soldiers below, so I have a stricter control over them.
And once I abdicate, or even pass away, will they try to break free from my restrictions? You have to be careful. The military system I have designed can ensure that the higher-ranking generals have no influence over the lower-ranking soldiers. The lower-ranking officers mostly come from the military academy, and the military academy graduates are also reliable.
So if you want to make a difference in the army, you can clean up the generals above, but you can't touch the lower ranks. The soldiers and officers below are still very reliable, and they don't have the ability to fight against the Emperor. They are your cornerstone. "
Xiao Zhenbang continued to nod.
"I know. It's fine if those generals are honest, but if they are not, I won't let them go."
"Don't be soft-hearted just because you have a good relationship with them. Zhenbang, remember, you are a loner."
Xiao Ruxun lowered her voice: "As an emperor, you are a loner. You should not have friends, nor can you have friends. You must have a ruthless heart that can lay a hand on anyone. Friendship is superfluous to you."
Xiao Zhenbang frowned as if he had realized something.
"That's right. I'm talking about Zhao Jingcheng. Zhenbang, it's not a good thing for Zhao Jingcheng to have too high a reputation in the army. Don't hold back just because he's your sister's husband. In order to prevent something more dangerous from happening, you have to act when you need to. Don't let something that shouldn't happen happen."
Xiao Ruxun squeezed Zhenbang's palm and found that it was sweating.
"The Emperor can't be soft-hearted!"
Xiao Ruxun squeezed Xiao Zhenbang's hand tightly. Xiao Zhenbang gritted his teeth and nodded.
"I understand. If that kind of sign really appears, I won't be soft-hearted."
"Yes. Remember, there are military academies in Daqin. There are reasonable promotion channels. Don't let too many descendants of generals occupy these channels. Those who should be suppressed should be suppressed, and those who should be eliminated should be eliminated. It's better not to have a family of generals!"
"Yes!"
Xiao Zhenbang indicated that he understood.
Although there were still many things he wanted to say to Zhenbang, Xiao Ruxun thought about it carefully. No matter how much he said, it wasn't as practical as if Zhenbang really did it. If Zhenbang could really do it, it didn't matter how much he said.
At dinner time, Xiao Ruxun personally helped Zhenbang put the Imperial Jade Seal on Zhenbang's waist, together with the jade pendant that he had rewarded him.
"Go, the Crown Prince of Daqin will become the Emperor one day. You have to face the world by yourself and bear the expectations of the world. I can't always accompany you, and I can't always overcome the obstacles for you. I want to leave you a stable country, and I have done everything I can. The future depends on you."
Xiao Zhenbang was silent for a while, then knelt down and kowtowed to Xiao Ruxun three times.
"Father, I will never forget the kindness of raising and teaching me and passing on the throne."
"Don't say these things between father and son. If you don't become the Emperor, who will?"
Xiao Ruxun helped Zhenbang up. "Go, let the world know this news first. In a few days, I will move to Wanshou Palace. In the future, you will be the master here. Take care."
"Father …"
"Go."
Xiao Ruxun reached out and pushed Zhenbang out, not letting him stay, urging him to leave. He pushed him out of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, away from him, and in front of the world.
From then on, Zhenbang was no longer just his son.
He was the Emperor of Daqin, the Emperor of Daqin who needed to face the ups and downs alone.
From the next day, an explosive news spread throughout the Imperial Palace and began to spread out. The speed was beyond people's imagination.
The Crown Prince Xiao Zhenbang wore the Imperial Jade Seal that had been worn by Emperor Longwu of Daqin for more than 20 years.
PS: I've been writing books for so long, but this is the first time that there is a leader. When I woke up in the morning and saw it, I thought I had seen it wrong. Thanks to 'Not a Lamb', which gave me great encouragement. I feel that I can work harder for the next book.
PPS: The more I write the ending, the more things I want to write. The content of the ending is almost done. Let's give Xiao Ruxun a happy ending in the next few days.
Please remember the original domain name of this book:. Jiutian Shenhuang mobile version:
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