Chapter 960: Zhou Wang Enters the Capital

The next day, An Chen sent a telegraph report stating that Nanchang had no intention of rebellion, for although they possessed large numbers of private soldiers not on official rolls, what they held in hand were not swords or guns, but hoes, sickles, and shovels.

These private soldiers were all military households hidden away, entirely used by local garrison commanders as tenant farmers and laborers to till land and conduct commerce.

Indeed, these men were also forced to help the generals haul goods, build houses, and repair roads.

They not only used them themselves but also rented out these private soldiers to local gentry and powerful clans—any household needing to build, repair roads, or transport goods could summon them; the wages earned were split: half went to the soldiers, half seized by the generals.

One colonel named Zhu Liu was even crueler: his soldiers were treated like oxen and horses, sent out to smash stones and build houses for the gentry, and not a single coin of their wages was given to them—only their three daily meals were guaranteed.

The Emperor was furious, roaring in the Qianqing Palace: "Are my Great Ming soldiers utterly devoid of spirit? How can they still not rebel, after all this?"

The Empress: "... Your Majesty, you are the Emperor—how can you ask them to rebel against you?"

"Not against me," the Emperor scanned the room, saw no one else, and whispered: "Whoever makes my life unbearable, I'll make their life unbearable too. If they rebel against those generals, I'll learn sooner of their suffering."

Pan Yun slowly set down her teacup and said: "Your Majesty, they still have families. These garrison troops differ from border troops—they've been soldiers for generations, their families live together, able-bodied men serve nearby, and some are drafted to frontier garrisons."

"As for soldiers sent to the frontier, forget them. Those left behind have grandfathers, fathers, and brothers all serving in the military; their mothers, wives, and children till military farmland outside the camp—who dares rebel, and who could?"

The Emperor opened his mouth but could not speak for a long while.

Pan Yun lowered her eyes, turning her teacup in her hand: "Your Majesty, the military household and artisan household systems must be reformed. Father begets son, son begets grandson, grandson begets son—generation after generation, they remain military households. Once, they could earn promotion through battlefield merit, but now, they can only become tenant farmers and laborers for profit-seekers across generations."

"Soldiers are the shield protecting the nation, protecting the monarch. Now that the tuntian system has decayed, how much combat strength will remain in our Great Ming's million-strong army if this continues? When another force like the Oirats invades from the north, can Great Ming still hold its borders, hold the capital?"

The Emperor fell silent for a long while, then asked: "Did they foresee this too? Is that why this military audit is proceeding?"

Pan Yun said: "Your Majesty must thank the Duke of Ying—he foresaw this future even in Datong. He paved the way for you in advance; you must walk it, and walk it well, or his efforts will have been in vain."

Abolishing the military and artisan household systems and reforming the military structure cannot be accomplished overnight, nor can it be done now.

But they can prepare in advance—at least, a consensus on military reform must be built.

The Emperor decided to spend this time speaking with civil and military officials, first asking who had good ideas, and simultaneously screening ministers who supported reform—for promotion where due, and reassignment where needed.

Then, when the timing was right, he would act.

The State Preceptor once said: state affairs must be stable, not rushed—especially reform.

Otherwise, the harm caused by hasty reform could be ten or even a hundred times greater than that of clinging to outdated norms.

Besides civil and military officials, he also needed to understand the views of the imperial clan.

Fortunately, his birthday was approaching, and many princely lords would come to the capital to pay tribute.

The Emperor's birthday was on the third day of the eighth month.

Zhou Wang and his heir apparent also arrived in the capital to celebrate.

The Zhou Wang lineage was legitimate, and Zhou Wang's status had always been peculiar among the princely lords. The first Zhou Wang was Zhu Yuanzhang's most favored son, granted a fiefdom directly in the Central Plains.

Thus, after Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, the one he feared most was Zhou Wang.

Even Zhu Di, after succeeding in the Jingnan Campaign, remained most wary of this younger brother, born of the same mother.

Zhou Wang likely knew this, so he lived his life with extreme caution, never meddling in military or political affairs, devoting himself entirely to medicine.

Later, the title passed to his son—the old Zhou Wang Pan Yun had met—who, like his father, loved medicine, but also had another passion: drama composition.

He personally authored thirty-one zaju plays; though none were famous and their ideas were backward and feudal, he truly imposed no burden whatsoever on the local commoners.

Unlike Qin Wang, who abducted women, castrated boys, and imposed oppressive taxes, or Lu Wang, who used young boys as medicinal ingredients to brew elixirs for immortality, this Zhou Wang genuinely loved writing scripts, hiring actors to perform, and often invited people to watch his plays for free—to promote them. He caused no harm whatsoever; instead, he enriched the lives of local people.

Thanks to two generations of Zhou Wangs' caution and benevolence, and with emperors on the throne having changed again and again, the current heir with higher succession priority than Zhou Wang is Xiang Wang; thus, both previous and current emperors had lowered their guard against Zhou Wang.

This new Zhou Wang is named Zhu Zijin; the old Zhou Wang had no sons, so he was adopted as the heir.

He ascended the title partly due to Pan Yun's contribution.

So upon entering the capital, after paying respects to the Emperor, Empress, and two Empress Dowagers, he brought his son to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to seek out Pan Yun.

The Spring Official came out to meet him and replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, the State Preceptor is not at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau—she left early this morning for the Ministry of Works. But her two junior disciples are at the Imperial Medical Bureau."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Wang thanked the Spring Official, left his visiting card, and turned to leave with his son.

Zhu Tongqie was already a half-grown youth; seeing his father about to leave the palace, he halted.

Zhu Zijin turned back and asked gently: "What is it?"

Zhu Tongqie said: "Father, since we've entered the palace, why not visit the Imperial Medical Bureau?"

Zhu Zijin: "We don't know her junior disciples."

Zhu Tongqie: "But our Zhou Wang lineage has practiced medicine for generations—don't you wish to republish Grandfather Ceng Zu's 'Book of Emergency Food Plants'? And 'Pu Ji Fang' and 'Pocket Formula'? Why not ask the Imperial Medical Bureau's physicians to help check for additions or deletions? If there are new prescriptions, include them in the reprint—it would be a great good deed."

Zhu Zijin hesitated, then shook his head: "I know your intentions, but we can also seek help from skilled physicians outside. We are princely lords—we should avoid the Imperial Medical Bureau, not seek them out."

Zhu Tongqie: "Father, our Zhou Wang lineage has now reached the third generation, and the current Emperor is kind and mild—he won't suspect anything."

"The Emperor is upright, of course he won't suspect—but we must still be cautious," Zhu Zijin, who had personally endured the cruelest imperial power struggles, looked at the spirited youth before him, gently patted his head, and whispered: "Your great-grandfather and grandfather were wise and cautious, yet still suffered demotion and reprimand. We are far inferior to them—our only option is to be even more careful."

Zhu Tongqie could not convince his father, and with his head drooping, he was led out of the palace by him.