Mixed with salted fish in Hongwudang

Chapter 653 Qianren Reform!

Kyoto, Japan.

After Mikihito returned to Kyoto, he immediately carried out drastic reforms.

The first step is to take over power and conduct an all-round campaign against the guardians of local daimyo.

In fact, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu had basically unified the entire territory of Japan at this time. The only ones guarded by a few disobedient daimyo were cleared by the general Yan Yi who was stationed at the Iwami Silver Mine.

For example, Nagato's Ouchi Yoshihiro was the person who gave Ashikaga Yoshimitsu the most headache.

Therefore, the so-called war for the unification of Japan was nothing more than Ashikaga Yoshimitsu sending envoys under the banner of the Emperor to inform the guardian Ming territories in various places, telling them that they must now listen to the Emperor and be loyal to the Emperor.

The guardians of other regions were not strong enough, but now that the Northern and Southern Dynasties have been unified, and Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, under the banner of "honoring the emperor", it is natural for him to express his loyalty to the emperor.

Half a month later, Japan's battle for unification was completely over, and superficial reunification was generally achieved.

This made Emperor Mikihito feel like he was dreaming. The division that had lasted for hundreds of years ended in his own hands?
Another thing that surprised Qianren was that during the conquest of local areas to protect the Ming Dynasty, Yuan Daoyi not only spared no effort to contribute, but after fully returning power to the court, he actually took the initiative to hand over power and returned to the Luyuan Yuan he built to become a monk. !
This made Emperor Minahito very puzzled and felt that this was not the Minamoto no Yogi he knew.

Although Emperor Heisei abdicated, he did not return to his official residence. Instead, he stayed in Kyoto to become a monk.

When Emperor Kanhito encountered a difficult matter, he would subconsciously consult Emperor Heisei.

After all, the two of them are essentially blood relatives, much closer than an outsider like Yuan Daoyi.

"Your Majesty Xicheng, how sincere do you think Yuan Daoyi is?"

I don't know whether it was because he was relieved of his position as emperor or because he was enlightened by the Buddha. Xicheng's words were subconsciously clouded.

"No matter how true General Ashikaga Yoshimitsu is, we must consider him to be [-]% sincere!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"May I ask Your Majesty, do you think you can rule Japan on your own?"

Qian Ren shook his head when he heard this.

"cannot!"

"Then let me ask Your Majesty again, do you think the Japanese army now takes orders from you, or does it take orders from Minamoto Moriichi?"

Qian Ren answered without thinking.

"It must be Yuan Daoyi!"

"The shogunate has ruled for hundreds of years. How many samurai in the world still know that there is an emperor?"

Seeing Qianren say this, Xicheng couldn't help but smile.

"Isn't this over?"

"Since Your Majesty knows that he cannot rule Japan and knows who all the armies in the world take orders from, what else is there to worry about?"

When Qianren heard this, he first showed a stunned expression, and then became confused again.

"Brother Xicheng, you don't understand what I mean..."

"I know that we can't do without Kaiyuan Daoyi now, I just don't know how to arrange him."

"If we continue to hand over the country's military and political power to him, what will be the difference from before?"

"But if we reduce his power, what will we do if he bites us back?"

This time it was Xicheng's turn to frown. Obviously this question was a bit out of line, and the Buddha couldn't give him much hint.

Xicheng thought for a long time, and suddenly his eyes lit up.

"Your Majesty, do you still remember the system of the Ming Dynasty?"

"What system?"

"The cabinet!"

"Didn't the Ming Dynasty form a cabinet specifically to draft documents and handle official affairs for His Majesty the Emperor?"

"Why don't your Majesty follow the example of the Ming Dynasty and establish a cabinet, with Yuan Daoyi as the chief minister, and then add a few cabinet ministers to assist him."

"In this way, we can not only weaken Yuan Daoyi's rights, but also divert his advice and cultivate potential enemies for him."

"Because according to the cabinet system established by the Ming Dynasty, other secondary assistants can only take over military and political power if they remove the first assistant..."

Qianren's eyes lit up when he heard this.

"Yes!"

"How could I forget this? In the name of learning from the Ming Dynasty, let's form a cabinet and let Yuan Daoyi be the chief minister of the cabinet!"

"Thank you, Brother Xicheng, for clearing up the confusion. I'll go back and take care of this matter right now!"

Luyuan Courtyard of Xiangguo Temple.

Minamoto Daoyi has completed his ordination and is just waiting to complete the ordination ceremony before he can officially become a Buddhist disciple.

Although he has stepped into Buddhism, his heart still remains in the world of mortals.

A Jingji next to Yuan Daoyi saw Yuan Daoyi's dissatisfaction and couldn't help but ask tentatively.

"Sir General, can the Emperor really make you a monk right before his eyes?"

At this time, Minamoto Doichi, who had successfully defeated the Ming garrison, completed the nominal unification of the entire territory of Japan, ended the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and became famous, pretended to retreat into the mountains and forests.

"if not?"

"My general's achievements are unmatched by all the generals in the past dynasties. If I continue to stay in the court, I may be worthy of my supreme respect!"

"This……"

"General, are you going to take the position?"

"I'm sorry, but I heard a prophetic poem a long time ago!"

“Ji’s country in the East China Sea has been a work of art for hundreds of generations.

"Yousi is the auxiliary wing, and Heng is the master of Jianyuan Gong."

"In the beginning, we established legal affairs, but eventually we became ancestor worshipers."

"This branch surrounds the sky and the earth, and the king and his ministers are determined forever."

"The grain fills the fields and the sun goes away, and the fish and eggs give birth to feathers and fly."

"Empress Ge went to war, and Sun Chang, the descendant of the middle class."

"Bailongyou lost water, and he sent it to his hometown in distress."

"Yellow chickens are eaten by humans, black rats are eaten by cow intestines."

"After the elixir water is gone, the destiny lies with Sangong."

"When all the kings are gone, apes and dogs will be called heroes."

"The stars are flying in the wild, and the bells and drums are noisy in the country."

"The green hills and red soil are vast and empty."

After reading this poem, Ichijo Tsuji nervously paid attention to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's expression. Seeing the violent rise and fall of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's chest, he knew that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu had listened.

"General, this poem predicts that the emperor will perish in the first generation, and apes and hounds will appear to disrupt the world!"

"The Ashikaga clan of Kamakura in Kanto is born in the year of monkey, and the general's zodiac sign happens to be dog. Doesn't it just fit in the saying that monkeys and dogs are called heroes?"

"As for the first emperor...the current Emperor Mikihito happens to be the first emperor, right?"

The more Ashikaga Yoshimitsu listened, the more excited he became, and his face couldn't help but turn red.

In fact, he had heard this poem and had already understood the metaphor contained in it.

Over the years, he has been following the content of this poem. Now he has unified the Northern and Southern Dynasties of Japan, and made all the local Ming Dynasties loyal to the royal family. He is only the last step to replace the emperor and replace him!To do it or not to do it?
Once it is completed, your family will become the Emperor of Japan from generation to generation, and the line will last forever!
When Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was struggling, he suddenly heard the sound of "The Emperor has arrived."

"The Emperor has arrived, everyone goes out to greet him!"

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu frowned subconsciously when he heard this.

But he did not greet him immediately. Instead, all the monks in the temple ran out to greet the emperor, and then he came belatedly wearing a cassock.

"The poor monk pays homage to His Majesty the Emperor!"

When Emperor Mikihito heard this, he quickly jumped down from the carriage, walked a few steps quickly and came to Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and enthusiastically grabbed Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's hand.

"General Ashikaga, you are the pillar of our country, how can you become a monk and serve the Buddha?"

"If you do this, where will the people of the world be, where will the imperial court be, and where will it be for me?"

"I and the imperial court cannot do without you. You'd better come back to the imperial court with me and take charge of the overall situation!"

When Ashikaga Yoshimitsu heard this, he looked at Emperor Inihito in surprise.

Although he was not willing to delegate power, he did not expect that Emperor Mikihito would take the initiative to ask him to return.

After all, the emperor had been suffering from the shogunate for a long time and had finally taken back his power. How could he let it go so easily?
"Your Majesty, you are embarrassing the poor monk. The poor monk has pledged himself to the Buddha and made a promise in front of the Buddha. How can he change it easily?"

Mikihito doesn't believe Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's lies. This guy is so close to having his conspiracy to usurp the throne written on his face. To use Cao Cao to describe Ashikaga Yoshimitsu is an insult to Cao Cao!

"General Ashikaga, if you say that, then I will become a monk for you!"

"You return to the court to take charge of the overall situation, and I will fulfill your wish in front of the Buddha on your behalf!"

When Qianren said this, he walked firmly towards the temple, causing panic inside and outside Xiangguo Temple.

Although it is not uncommon for an emperor to become a monk, it is an act passed down after his son. This is the first time for a sitting emperor to become a monk like Emperor Mikihito.

A group of monks immediately admonished him.

"Your Majesty, please put national affairs first and give up the idea of ​​becoming a monk..."

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu couldn't help but sigh in his heart when he saw this kind of noise coming from all over the temple.

It seems that the emperor's lineage has not been cut off, and it still has a certain prestige in the government and the public.

If the emperor is rashly deposed, it will not only arouse the dissatisfaction of the Ming Dynasty, but also attract the opposition of the monastery and the public family.

When the time comes, Japan will fall into internal and external troubles, and there will be only one way to perish!
"Your Majesty, please take back your order. I will just return to the court with you."

Seeing that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu finally relented, Emperor Mikihito immediately said with a smile.

"Great!"

"With the help of General Ashikaga, I am sure to revitalize Japan!"

"I plan to fully imitate the Ming Dynasty system in the Ming Dynasty, establish state and county systems in various places, and form a cabinet in the court, with Ashikaga Shogun as the first chief minister!"

"Chief?"

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu is not very interested in this position. After all, he was once the leader of the military and political powers, and even the taxes of merchants in Kyoto were collected by him.

But for the current situation, this may be the best choice.

Either it will fall into internal and external troubles and completely drag Japan into the abyss.Either maintain the harmony between the monarch and his ministers for the time being, and block the behemoth Ming from the door first.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu never expected to defeat the Ming Dynasty, and he never dared to dream of such an outrageous plot.

In his opinion, if they could stop Ming Dynasty with their whole country, they would have succeeded if Ming Dynasty felt that this was a hot potato.

"All right!"

"But Wei Chen has a small request."

Qianren heard the words of Qianyun.

"My dear, please tell me. My dear, please don't make a single request. Even ten or eight of you will agree to it."

"In other words, even if you say you want the throne of emperor, I will gladly give up the throne and I will never be sloppy!"

As soon as Mikihito said these words, not only the surrounding monks were shocked, but even Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was stunned.

This is the position of emperor that he has longed for!

If he really makes such a request, will Emperor Mikihito really abdicate?
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu understood after a second thought.

If he really makes this request, Emperor Mikihito will most likely abdicate.

After all, Japan's military and political power is in his own hands, and Emperor Mikihito has no right to object at all.

But once he does this, Japan, which has been kneaded back together, will fall into pieces again, or even disperse into dozens of parts, returning to its previous separate situation.

In this way, let alone dealing with the Ming Dynasty, it would be difficult to deal with the rebels in the country.

Therefore, even if he wanted to usurp the throne, he would have to postpone the matter.Maybe we can only follow the example of Sima Yi and leave the matter of usurping the throne to his descendants!

Seeing that Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was still reluctant to speak, Mikihito couldn't help but add another sentence.

"If General Ashikaga is dissatisfied with the title of Chief Minister of the Cabinet, you can create your own one!"

When Ashikaga Yoshimitsu heard this, he quickly shook his head and denied it.

"Your Majesty has misunderstood. The minister is not dissatisfied with the title of chief minister, but..."

"Let's put it this way, Wei Chen has two sons. One is the eldest son Ashikaga Yoshitomichi. He will take over my position and continue to manage the army for Your Majesty."

"Wei Chen also has a younger son, Ashikaga Yoshitsugu, who is very talented in poetry and music. Wei Chen wants him to return to secular life and serve His Majesty."

Emperor Mikihito understood what Ashikaga Yoshimitsu meant as soon as he heard this. First of all, he would not let go of the military power, and the team members had already been selected.Secondly, if the younger son wants to take an official position in the court, the official position should not be too low.

Only when these two conditions are met will he return to the DPRK to preside over government affairs.

From the bottom of his heart, Emperor Mikihito did not want to agree to any of the conditions.

But based on the actual situation, Japan today cannot do without Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

With Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the daimyo and guardians of the world can maintain a semblance of peace and give the emperor the most basic dignity.

Therefore, no matter what he thinks in his heart, he must comply with it.

"it is good!"

"I thought it was such a big deal, but it turns out it's just such a small thing!"

"However, next we must fully imitate the Ming Dynasty and adopt the official positions of the Ming Dynasty. You can choose among the six ministers and nine ministers. Whichever one you choose, Ashikaga Yoshitsugu will hold that position!"

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu saw that his request was fulfilled, and he immediately agreed with satisfaction.

"Wei Chen thanks Your Majesty, Wei Chen will return to Kyoto with Your Majesty now!"

After Emperor Mikihito dealt with the matter of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, he immediately carried out drastic reforms - fully imitating the Ming system.

When Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty, the number of officials was very small, which can be described as shabby.

In such a large county, there are only two or three people who can really be called officials, that is, the county magistrate, the county magistrate, and the chief registrar. In smaller counties, only one person, the county magistrate, is an official, and the rest are yamen and officials.

The central government is even more streamlined and can barely maintain the operation of the empire. There is not a single redundant person.

According to Lao Zhu's style of doing things, the Ming Dynasty's salary does not support idle people!

Emperor Mikihito carried out reforms based on this model, and the first one to bear the brunt was the public family in Kyoto.They have held official positions in the court for generations, and many families are even named after official positions.

Now Emperor Kanhito is fully following the example of the Ming Dynasty. First of all, the number of officials has been greatly reduced. Secondly, he has to open up a new subject to recruit scholars instead of selecting them from the public, which has harmed the interests of a large number of people.

Therefore, Emperor Mikihito's reforms met with fierce opposition from the top down at the very beginning.

(End of this chapter)