After comforting Qian Chu, Zhao Kuangyin instead found his own heart somewhat blocked.
That matter of the Yuan imperial brothers, what did it mean by "unlike Zhao Da and Zhao Er"?
Earlier, that later-generation narrator had sighed over the founding rulers of Tang, Yuan, and Ming losing their wives. Yet Zhao Kuangyin still remembered his first wife Lady He. Just last month he had gone to offer sacrifice to Lady Wang. The pain of losing one's confidante, who had not felt it?
Of course, what also pained him was this younger brother. In the past he had truly believed brothers could be mutual support. But now…
For a time Zhao Kuangyin did not know to whom he could speak this tangle of sorrow.
At last he suddenly recalled something.
"Was not the founding ruler of Tang Emperor Gaozu?"
…
Within Huagai Hall, seeing the later generation list out the three rulers of Ming and Portugal respectively, Zhu Yuanzhang for a moment felt hot blood surge within him.
Yet once the heat cooled, worry followed.
"I recall that this Zhengde was the one who absurdly issued the pig prohibition edict?"
Empress Ma gave a faint nod.
"The later generation offered explanations for him, saying that this edict was connected with… with struggles against civil officials."
Her voice lowered at the end.
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. Power struggles had always been common through the dynasties. But placed against such a background, seeing a small country cross the seas to act with impunity, while the vast Ming he founded busied itself with factional strife and stood "utterly unprepared" at the borders, stirred complex feelings in his heart.
It was as though he had toiled to mine ore and forge iron, tempering a fine blade with which to accomplish unmatched feats, only to be wounded on the battlefield by a musket fired fifty paces away. Absurd and unwilling.
Driven by this mood, even hearing the later generation mock the Mongols' indulgence in lust, heavy drinking, and slaughter did not make him laugh.
As for the examination system, he was thoroughly familiar with it. Before the Hongwu third year reopened examinations, he had already carefully studied the differences between Song, Jin, and Yuan systems, and read memorials from officials and commoners debating the matter.
Thus the Son of Heaven tried to relax and occasionally commented.
"At the beginning of the Yuan restoration, their court could still take equal numbers from two lists. Yet even so, when the Mongols answered policy questions they needed only five hundred characters. Han candidates wrote at least a thousand."
"And in the later period, the Yuan examinations admitted but a handful of Han. I truly do not understand those scholars who still yearn for Yuan. Are their heads made of wood, longing to serve as cattle and horses for the Mongols?"
Empress Ma pressed her lips in a smile. Only because her husband now knew he sat as Son of Heaven and had ministers present did he restrain himself. Otherwise he would certainly have jumped up cursing.
After complaining, she looked at him and said with admiration,
"If only in our Hongwu reign two triple-first laureates could arise from Hebei."
The thought was simple. In recent years, scholars crossing the border northward to join Yuan had decreased. Yet those from the north coming south to Yingtian to sit for examinations had not increased much. Many northern scholars were still observing.
If a northern talent could win triple first, perhaps northern civil culture would flourish at one stroke.
Yet such a thing could only be imagined. The probability was no greater than the sudden appearance of this light screen.
"This Qian clan prospers. But what does this 'father of' mean?"
"Most likely a title to mark achievement," Empress Ma guessed.
Reasonable. Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, full of envy, watching the unfamiliar portraits fade as a securely preserved iron certificate appeared on the screen.
Hearing that it had connections to him, Zhu Yuanzhang did not hesitate.
"Qian Yongqin. Investigate this name."
The Embroidered Uniform Guard recorded it. Empress Ma asked curiously,
"You also issued iron certificates of immunity. Did none survive to later ages?"
"The youth spoke of one that truly saved a life. Not that only one survived."
Zhu Yuanzhang had listened clearly.
"If those Hu calling themselves Qing gained power, they would not easily coexist with Ming. Families holding my certificates would likely not please the Qing."
Mention of the Hu Qing weighed heavily. Zhu Biao smiled lightly.
"The Tang iron certificate still held force in Father's reign. That Qing is stingy indeed not to recognize Father's."
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled.
"Ming inherits the Han succession. The Tang emperor counts as a former emperor of Ming. His vermilion script must be honored."
"How much more my own certificate. So long as it does not involve rebellion, how could it not be recognized?"
Li Wenzhong grinned.
"If such certificates carry weight in later ages, we three must instruct our households to preserve them well."
In Hongwu's second year, six dukes and twenty-eight marquises were enfeoffed, all granted iron certificates. He, Li Shanchang, and Xu Da were among the six dukes.
---
The light screen continued.
[Lightscreen]
[In 1314, compared to the "Yanyou Restoration of the Examinations," more people within Yuan focused on the "Yanyou Land Rectification."
Rectification did not mean management as in modern usage. It meant re-measuring fields and recalculating tax grain. Simply put, re-surveying land.
For a feudal dynasty, two matters were lifeblood. Measuring land. Registering population. Only by mastering these figures could one claim to be a functioning state capable of planning development. Even a small household must know how many mouths it has and how much money.
But as stated before, the "official advancement method" meant local officials shared in imperial power, naturally forming factions. When local officials were not appointed by the central court, any policy became exceedingly difficult.
Facing Emperor Renzong's order to survey land, local magnates colluded. They concealed and falsified acreage, attaching large tracts under poor peasants' names.
Since surveying aimed at taxation, magnates used the imperial order to squeeze those peasants mercilessly.
The result was the Ganzhou uprising in Jiangxi the following year led by Cai Wujou. Though suppressed, Emperor Renzong understood the land survey could not proceed.
His ambition extinguished, he turned to indulgence. After five years more, nine years on the throne, he died of excessive drinking at thirty-five.
Looking back, Yuan succession had never been normal. Kublai promoted sinicization and passed to a grandson when his son died. Yet the heir-apparent grandson was an elder nephew. After his death, his younger brother ascended, with a pact of brothers succeeding brothers and uncles succeeding nephews. It was chaos.
For Renzong, by Han rites and Kublai's intent, he should have passed to his eldest son. Yet his throne came from his elder brother honoring their pact. By reason he should have given it to his nephew.
Ultimately, Renzong exiled his nephew and passed the throne to his own son, Emperor Yingzong.
Yingzong proved more reckless than his father. Upon accession he loudly called for reform, cutting officials, supervising corruption, protecting the poor, making Yuan great again.
To Mongol nobles, whether Yuan was great mattered less than their privileges. After brief conspiracy, they enacted a traditional solution.
In the ninth month of 1323, Mongol nobles killed Emperor Yingzong and his chancellor, physically halting reform. History calls it the Nanpo Incident.
From that point, Yuan's rush toward destruction could no longer be reversed.]