Chapter 462: Seventy-two Years of Tiangong
Zhu Jianxuan arranged Zhu Jinggui’s work for the next period of time.

Before the formal ceremony of enthroning the Crown Prince, Zhu Jinggui had already begun working according to Zhu Jianxuan’s arrangements.

Everything needed for the enthronement ceremony had been prepared last year.

Now, in addition to being familiar with the entire ceremony process, Zhu Jinggui can also understand other routine affairs of the cabinet and the Secretariat.

Time soon arrived and it was February 1st, and the formal ceremony of enthroning the Crown Prince was successfully completed.

Under the witness of the main royal family members, princes, nobles, vassal monarchs, and court officials of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Jianxuan asked his eldest son Zhu Jingkun to stand up and read the imperial edict.

Zhu Jinggui was officially enthroned as the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, becoming the future heir to the Ming royal family.

Zhu Jinggui first bowed to Zhu Jianxuan, and then stood under Zhu Jianxuan’s throne to accept the worship of all the ministers.

After the enthronement ceremony, the Ming Dynasty’s grand pilgrimage this year finally came to an end.

The overseas vassal monarchs began to prepare to return home, and the Ming court was about to return to normal.

The government offices and companies, which have been busy for over half a year, can now relax a little.

In this way, Zhu Jianxuan chose an inconspicuous prince as the crown prince.

Among the other princes who were not elected, many were obviously unwilling to accept their fate, but they did not dare to take any additional actions, nor did they have the conditions to do so.

According to Zhu Jianxuan’s arrangement, after completing their internship, the princes all went to run various industries and none of them went directly to work in the central court.

The princes who organized various industrial investments would of course “cooperate” with certain bureaucrats in the central court and local areas.

However, under the pressure of Emperor Zhu Jianxuan, this kind of cooperation basically remained at a relatively low level, and it was difficult to form a party that shared honor and disgrace.

The situation in the central court was still completely dominated by the emperor, and no one dared to challenge the emperor’s authority.

Most of the officials in the central court usually adopt an attitude of not offending nor getting too close to an outstanding prince who wants to cooperate with them.

Many of them considered placing a bet, but few considered placing a big bet.

Most of the bureaucrats were waiting for the emperor to choose a crown prince, and then they would turn around and follow the crown prince. This was the safest option.

Ordinary princes certainly had some confidants of varying degrees of reliability in the court and local areas, but none of them were enough to help them accomplish bigger things.

They lost in the competition for the crown prince, and most of these officials were trying to persuade the corresponding princes not to think too much about it.

Therefore, after Zhu Jianxuan appointed the crown prince this time, although a large number of princes, royal family members, nobles, and bureaucrats were shocked, various affairs in the court were unusually stable.

After Zhu Jinggui became the crown prince, he began to run back and forth between the cabinet and the Secretariat every day, and also had to attend meetings of the Royal Industrial Group.

Then every evening he would go to the palace to have dinner and chat with Zhu Jianxuan, discussing what had happened during the day.

In this process, Zhu Jinggui has gained unprecedented power, second only to the Ming Emperor in the world.

Because he could participate in cabinet advice and discuss decision-making methods directly with the emperor.

If it were an ordinary prince, such an arrangement would certainly be special, but if Zhu Jinggui became the crown prince, this arrangement would be completely reasonable.

After Zhu Jinggui had basically adapted to this kind of life, Zhu Jianxuan continued to “add burdens” to him.

That is to directly grant him more important powers.

Zhu Jianxuan quickly decided to establish a president position in the Royal Industrial Company, which would be held by Crown Prince Zhu Jinggui.

The president’s current power is the veto power over the affairs of the Royal Industrial Group.

For the time being, Zhu Jinggui will not be allowed to directly decide all matters of the Royal Industrial Group, but he will be allowed to control all plans that do not conform to Zhu Jinggui’s ideas through veto power.

In the next few years, Zhu Jianxuan began to guide the crown prince in doing things while delegating power to him step by step.

First, the cabinet’s routine government approval power was given to Zhu Jinggui, but after Zhu Jinggui approved it, it still had to be shown to Zhu Jianxuan.

Zhu Jianxuan picked out the more important things, or the things that he thought needed special attention, and brought them out for on-the-spot discussion and instruction with Zhu Jinggui.

For ordinary affairs, or matters that Zhu Jianxuan felt there was no need to say anything, he would directly ask the Ministry of Public Security to issue the order for execution.

Zhu Jinggui criticized more and more, and Zhu Jianxuan reminded less and less.

In the 62nd year of Tiangong, when Zhu Jianxuan was 85 years old, most of the routine government affairs were handled by Zhu Jinggui.

There are only a few special types that are still handled directly by Zhu Jianxuan and personnel from relevant agencies.

First of all, the financial budget and final accounts had long been authorized by Zhu Jianxuan to be reviewed by the Council of State, and after review, they would be submitted to Zhu Jianxuan for approval before implementation.

Then came the revision of the laws, which were compiled by the Ministry of Justice, reviewed and revised by the Council of State, and implemented after approval by Zhu Jianxuan.

Next were the Censorate, the Imperial Censorate and all supervisory and review matters. The corresponding departments would draw up plans, which would be implemented after approval by Zhu Jianxuan.

Finally, the affairs of the Regular Military Governor’s Office and the Imperial Guard Military Governor’s Office are still reviewed and planned by the Privy Council and the Imperial Guard General Staff, and then submitted to the emperor for approval before implementation.

In addition to the routine government affairs, the appointment and removal of public officials of the third rank and above still need to be reviewed and approved by Zhu Jianxuan in person.

In other words, Zhu Jianxuan basically handed over the country’s routine administrative power to the Crown Prince Zhu Jinggui.

As emperor, Zhu Jianxuan continued to hold power over finance, legislation, justice, supervision, military affairs, and the highest level of personnel power.

Zhu Jinggui had actually obtained power close to that of a prime minister.

Because Zhu Jianxuan is really old. After he turns 80, he can be a consultant, but he cannot keep up mentally if he handles routine government affairs in person.

Only some key decisions can be made.

Most routine affairs were left directly to his son to decide, allowing him to gradually gain administrative power and gradually share his pressure.

After the grand audience on Zhu Jianxuan’s 85th birthday, Zhu Jianxuan asked Zhu Jinggui to accompany him back to the harem to rest.

Zhu Jianxuan sat on his recliner, asked Zhu Jinggui to sit next to him, and then chatted with him casually:

“Prince, what do you think is the biggest problem facing the Ming Dynasty right now?”

Zhu Jinggui thought about this question every day, but he looked around before he started talking:
“I think the biggest problem facing the Ming Dynasty right now is regional disparity.

“People living in different regions have very different lifestyles, and the key is that the income and assets they have and can obtain are very different.

“This should be a problem that exists in any country, and it is also a problem that has always existed in the Ming Dynasty.

“But because the Ming Dynasty has truly unified the world, the areas it directly and indirectly controls are unprecedentedly large, and these problems have also become unprecedentedly large.

“Not to mention the differences between Europe and Ming, where the Baiyi lived, even the differences between the provinces in different regions of Ming are becoming increasingly greater.”

Zhu Jianxuan was silent for a few seconds after hearing this, and then tried to give him a suggestion:
“These are all problems, but if you look at it the other way around, they are also potential achievements.

“You think the biggest problem is the differences between different regions. I think the reason for these differences is the unbalanced development between different regions.

“Not to mention the most advanced technologies and equipment, which are now only used in a very small range and in a few institutions.

“Even in terms of the most basic infrastructure, there are huge differences between different regions.

“Most people in Shuntian Prefecture use smartphones to watch TV shows and movies at any time, while people in inland Africa may still be dealing with soil every day.

“Most of the major cities in the Ming Dynasty now have railways and highways, all county towns have asphalt roads, and electricity, the Internet, and tap water are also rapidly becoming popular.

“In many settlements in inland Africa, apart from some basic mechanical equipment, the lifestyle may not be much different from a hundred years ago.

“Have you ever considered allowing the children of immigrants in inland Africa to use smartphones to access the Internet?
“Let all counties and even villages in the world be connected by asphalt roads?

“If we could spread the best technology, facilities, and products we have now to the whole world.

“It will not only be a major political achievement, but will also allow the Ming Dynasty to continue to prosper for decades.”

The industrialization and technological development of the Ming Dynasty were directly promoted by Zhu Jianxuan in a large number of specific directions, and then carried out by force using the enormous power of the Ming court.

A large number of new industries created by Zhu Jianxuan were quickly implemented through the power of the imperial court in the early days and produced actual benefits locally.

However, the imperial court did not use its power to popularize them globally.

Zhu Jianxuan must concentrate his efforts and continue to climb the most critical technology trees and develop all the technologies he can before he dies.

The issue of popularization can be left to future generations.

Now most of the high-tech technologies are in Ming Dynasty, and are even concentrated in central court agencies and even the Academy of Sciences.

Australia can still keep up with the technological progress of its own country to some extent, but other places are far behind.

In several important industrial areas of the Ming Dynasty, the lifestyle of ordinary people has become very similar to that of the 21st century in Zhu Jianxuan’s previous life.

The more populated areas in other continents are almost entering the World War II era.

Many remote areas in inland Africa are still in the agricultural era, but have received support from external industrial industries. The development of different regions in the world is extremely unbalanced.

Just as Zhu Jianxuan said, popularizing Ming Dynasty’s local technology and facilities to the world is the natural direction for Ming Dynasty to continue to maintain prosperity in the next few decades.

Zhu Jinggui suddenly understood what was going on when he heard Zhu Jianxuan’s instructions.

This is my natural conservative approach, and it may be my natural highest goal in life.

As long as you do this well, you will be well regarded in the future.

Zhu Jinggui quickly bowed:
“I will follow your father’s teachings and do my best to promote the technologies and facilities created by your father to every corner of the world.

“These technologies and facilities can be promoted globally to eliminate imbalances between different regions, while also improving the court’s ability to control local areas.”

Zhu Jianxuan exhaled lightly:
“Yes, I made the Ming Dynasty rule the world, but I did not truly integrate the world. This is the task of your generation.

“Then regarding the future, regarding your future, what do you think will be the biggest crisis that may occur in the future?”

Zhu Jinggui hesitated for a few seconds:
“If we talk about the biggest crisis in the future, I think it will still be the nobles and the feudal lords.

“This can be regarded as a commonplace issue in all dynasties. The nobles and vassal states were the heroes and allies when the dynasty was founded.

“If the overseas vassal states were not directly loyal to each other, the difficulty of Ming Dynasty unifying the world would increase dramatically.

“The current management capabilities of the Ming Dynasty court are not enough to directly govern the entire world.

“But after the dynasty unified the country and the world entered a stable stage, they would in turn affect the stability of the world.

“Due to their status, the nobles run most of the civilian industries and have more advantages than ordinary people. It is almost a matter of course for them to bully the common people.

“The nobles had large houses, rich land and assets, intermarried with each other, and had more and more children.

“The harm caused by the feudal lords is well known…”

After listening to this, Zhu Jianxuan thought for a while and said:
“Your analysis is not wrong. The nobles and the feudal lords are indeed the problem. In fact, you also want to talk about the problem of the royal family, right?

“They do occupy a lot of social resources and it is indeed a troublesome problem, but I think it may not be the most serious problem.

“Of course, these are things of the future, and I have no way to accurately judge them. I can only tell you my analysis as a reference for you to deal with the situation in the future.

“I remember when you were in school, I specifically told you that reform is not like shaving a tree. It is not like cutting off any bad branch.

“Reform is the process of replacing old institutions and groups with new ones.

“If you want to abolish the nobility and feudal lords, you must prepare in advance the personnel and institutions to replace them.

“Take the reduction of feudal lords as an example. Before reducing feudal lords, corresponding provinces must be established and corresponding officials must be prepared.

“At the same time, we need to make a good assessment of whether the difficulty and cost of reducing the power of the vassal states is really beneficial compared to the benefits after the reduction of the power of the vassal states.

“In my opinion, now is definitely not the time to completely reduce the power of the feudal lords. The Ming Dynasty does not yet have the conditions to directly govern everyone in the world.

“As for the issue of the nobility, that is even more complicated, and that is where I think the real problem lies.

“If you want to eliminate the nobility, you must consider the resources the nobility currently controls, their current social status, and what group they will belong to in the future.

“The best outcome, of course, is for the court and the people to share these resources equally, but this is obviously the most idealistic scenario.

“The change in social group status had already occurred once before, at the turn of the Tang and Song dynasties.

“The aristocratic families that had been passed down from the Han Dynasty were massacred by Huang Chao, and first there was the most chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era in history with warlords fighting each other.

“After the country regained stability, a group of scholar-bureaucrats and landlords emerged who inherited the tradition of farming and studying, and they replaced the social status of the aristocratic families.

“The literati without private armed forces are easier to manage than traditional aristocratic families, but they are also more likely to surrender and rebel.

“If the nobles of the Ming Dynasty were to be eliminated directly, the group that would replace them would most likely be civilian merchants.

“Merchants who have only wealth but no status should indeed be easier to manage than nobles.

“In fact, the nobles are now transforming into businessmen. Many nobles do not rely on salaries to survive, but rely on land leasing and business profits to make a living.

“However, the moral level of a pure businessman is lower than that of a noble.

“They will do anything for profit.

“The identity and status of the nobility and their family are public and on the surface of society.

“The court can demand that the nobles set an example in morality, can force the children of the nobles to receive education, and can impose all-round restrictions on them.

“But when it comes to merchants who are completely civilians, the various restrictions imposed by the imperial court will not be very convenient.

“And the identity of a businessman can change at any time…”

When Zhu Jianxuan said this, he felt that he couldn’t catch his breath, so he waved his hands weakly:

“I am really old now. I can’t hold on any longer after saying all this. Let’s stop here today. Go back and think about it. I’ll take a rest…”

Zhu Jinggui quickly bowed and clasped his hands:
“I will take my leave now. Father, please have a good rest…”

When Zhu Jinggui left, Zhu Jianxuan had already closed his eyes and was lying on the recliner with his mind completely empty.

Trying his best not to think about anything, Zhu Jianxuan lay there for nearly an hour before he felt his spirit had barely recovered.

Zhu Jianxuan sighed softly in his heart, feeling that he would not live for many more years.

In the next few years, Zhu Jinggui began to organize infrastructure construction in remote areas according to Zhu Jianxuan’s advice.

Organize the construction of railways and highways that run vertically through Africa, America, and Europe.

Laying high-capacity Haiti optical cables across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans will increase network speeds in Europe, Africa, America and the continent.

Build more power stations and expand the power grids in Europe, Africa, America and Europe.

Zhu Jianxuan would occasionally offer some suggestions, but he basically no longer made any requests, and routine government affairs were completely handed over to Zhu Jinggui.

Zhu Jianxuan felt that his health was getting worse every year.

My vision started to become blurry, my ears started to become less sensitive, and my voice became increasingly unclear.
But even so, Zhu Jianxuan was still able to move and did not fall down and was unable to get up.

Zhu Jianxuan lived until he was ninety years old and was still able to participate in the grand pilgrimage on his birthday normally, but the hosting of the ceremony was directly handed over to the crown prince.

When Zhu Jianxuan was 95 years old, he held another grand audience. Zhu Jianxuan sat on his imperial desk, staring blankly at the people below.

None of the ministers that served when Zhu Jianxuan was the King of Wu can be seen now, and all those in front of him are juniors.

Tian Yiming, who was younger than him, has passed away. Cui Guodong and Nelson, who got married late, and their sons who inherited the title are now very old.

The titles of Cao Zhendong and Liu Biao have even been passed down to their grandchildren.

Zhu Jianxuan could no longer recall what these two guys looked like.

Zhu Jianxuan felt that he only had a few years left to live.

So after watching them finish their ceremony, he asked the Grand Secretary beside him for paper and pen, and wrote down a special order:

“Order Crown Prince Zhu Jinggui to ascend the throne immediately, and the Ministry of Rites to select an auspicious day for the coronation ceremony.”

There was only one thought left in Zhu Jianxuan’s mind:
“I should have passed the throne to the crown prince while I was still alive.

“Then even if I die suddenly, I will just be the death of an emperor emeritus.

“The emperor has already ascended the throne and is staying where he is. This will have the least impact on the situation at court.

“Why am I still thinking about these things at this time…

“Does it really mean I have to die… Oh…”

Zhu Jianxuan was really starting to get confused, and he said the last two paragraphs to himself unconsciously.

As Zhu Jianxuan’s voice became smaller and smaller, a microphone was placed directly next to the imperial desk so that everyone present could hear his voice.

Everyone was used to the old emperor’s soliloquy, but the content of his soliloquy today still made everyone confused.

Everyone stared in amazement as Zhu Jianxuan picked up the completed question book and handed it to the 75-year-old eldest prince Zhu Jingkun beside him:

“Boss, go make the announcement…”

Zhu Jingkun, with gray hair and beard, took the question book with both hands and read out the sentence on it word by word.

This is the 72nd year of Tiangong, and an era is coming to an end.

(End of this chapter)