Here is the translation:
Chapter 1 The Beginning
Not to mention that the Chieftain had just happily accepted the ten million taels of silver and other good things like books, blueprints, and documents from the dog Qian Long, but just three months ago, the Chieftain had repeatedly said that the Jurchens still had great use.
If he were to smash Qian Long's establishment now, wouldn't that be a breach of trust with the world?
Furthermore, the Central Plains have always valued legitimacy. As the foremost leader of rebellion, who was the first to raise the banner against the Qing and occupied the entire Shandong and Henan provinces, it seemed somewhat inappropriate for the Chieftain to be under the banner of a Ming King enfeoffed by the Manchus?
Then, before Zhu Jinsong could go smash someone's establishment, Zeng Cheng, the leading official of the Menglianggu Rebel Group, secretly summoned Zhu Erdan, the second-in-command of the Menglianggu Rebel Group, and a host of other leaders.
Zeng Cheng, puffing on his dry-pipe, looked at everyone and said, "Since the Chieftain raised the banner of rebellion in Limiaocun, our Menglianggu rebels have gone from one village and one county to occupying the entire Shandong and Henan provinces. This is all thanks to the Chieftain's proper planning. I believe everyone agrees with me on this, right?"
Regarding this topic, Zhu Erdan, the second-in-command of the Menglianggu Rebel Group, found it difficult to respond. However, Liu Heming, who had just been promoted to commander of the First Army, had no such reservations. "If not for the Chieftain, are we supposed to rely on ourselves?"
"I don't need to say more. Before I followed the Chieftain in rebellion, I was an ignorant fool who couldn't even recognize three characters. Every day I faced the loess and turned my back to the sky, sweating profusely. After paying the rent to Scholar Liu, the remaining harvest was barely enough to support myself."
"And Liu Erniu, who went to Sichuan with the Third Chieftain, I don't need to elaborate on Brother Erniu's situation. The old timers of Menglianggu all know that his wife, who was about to be married, was snatched away and defiled by Master Man. Brother Erniu also became a widower."
"Uncle Huaiwen is right here. I don't need to say more about his situation."
Liu Huaiwen puffed on his dry-pipe and said in a low voice, "If not for the Chieftain, I probably would never have avenged my daughter Cui."
Liu Heming nodded and continued, "In short, without the Chieftain, either we would be unable to live under the exploitation of those landlords, or we would be oppressed by Master Man to the point of not being human."
"Moreover, it's not just us. Look at the common people of Shandong. What were they like before? What are they like now? Others may not know, but you, Old Zeng, should know. For today's good life, who else can we rely on if not the Chieftain?"
Liu Huaiwen tapped his dry-pipe and looked at Zeng Cheng, "What exactly are you trying to say, Old Zeng? Why are you bringing this up out of the blue?"
Zeng Cheng thought to himself, "I was trying to discuss matters properly, but who knew that this idiotic fellow Liu Heming would start complaining?"
Damn it!
With his words stuck in his throat, Zeng Cheng irritably replied, "Why am I bringing this up out of the blue? It's all because of the Chieftain!"
"Look at Zhu Zhongtao in Henan before, then Zhu Zhongzhi in Shanxi now, and Zhu Zhongji in Jiangsu, plus other farther places. How many so-called seventeenth Emperors of the Great Ming have appeared in this world?"
"Well, a bunch of fifth-generation descendants of Emperor Chongzhen who appeared from nowhere are claiming kingship and emperorhood. Yet the Chieftain, who clearly possesses the Imperial Seal of Emperor Chongzhen and the Imperial Genealogy of the Great Ming, is now merely a rebel leader?"
"Moreover, the Chieftain is planning to dispatch troops to suppress Zhu Zhongzhi or Zhu Zhongji, or possibly even Qian Long. But don't forget, the Chieftain, in order to exchange for the 'Yongle Encyclopedia' and those books, blueprints, and documents, had to compromise and sign a peace treaty with Qian Long."
"Therefore, in the eyes of the world, although our Chieftain was the first to rebel against the Qing, he is also the Little Ming King enfeoffed by the Manchus."
"Do you have anything to say about this?"
Hearing Zeng Cheng's words, the big shots of the Menglianggu Rebel Group fell into deep thought.
That's right. Although the Chieftain said the peace treaty with the Manchus was meant to be torn up, the matter itself was sensitive. Both the title of Little Ming King and the existence of the peace treaty would affect the Chieftain's image.
It was like wrapping ten thousand taels of gold in dog feces. As long as one wanted the gold, one would inevitably get the feces on their hands, and it couldn't be washed off.
What was even more infuriating was that if one wanted to wash off the surface feces before getting the ten thousand taels of gold, the consequence would likely be that the two thousand taels of gold would turn to dust.
After a long silence, Zhu Erdan looked up and said to Zeng Cheng, "Lord Prefect Zeng, do you have any good ideas?"
Zeng Cheng puffed on his dry-pipe and simply grunted in response, "There's no particularly good method, but there is a method that is no method at all."
As it concerned his elder brother, Zhu Erdan became anxious. "I say, Lord Prefect Zeng, if you have a way, please state it first, and we can all discuss it together?"
Zeng Cheng glanced at Zhu Erdan, then at the other leaders, and said, "The only way now, and indeed the only viable method, is for us to present a memorial to the Chieftain, urging him to ascend the throne and become Emperor."
As Zeng Cheng finished speaking, the leaders in the room fell silent. Zhu Erdan, utterly bewildered, asked, "Didn't you just say that the Chieftain accepted the Manchu enfeoffment, which would affect his reputation? If he ascends the throne now, wouldn't that have an even greater impact?"
Liu Huaiwen also frowned, "Didn't the Chieftain say before that we should accumulate grain and delay declaring kingship? Is it too hasty to present a memorial to him now?"
Zeng Cheng, however, shook his head and tapped his smoking pipe. "That's why I said it's a method that is no method at all. Only if the Chieftain immediately ascends the throne and then declares to the world that the reason he accepted the Manchu enfeoffment was solely for the sake of those classics and documents, and it was an unavoidable act."
"In this way, the attention of the world will be drawn to the Chieftain's ascension to the throne, and they will also be curious about what classics and documents the Chieftain was willing to make peace with the Manchus for."
"When the library is completed in the future, and classics like the 'Yongle Encyclopedia' are distributed to various libraries, people will understand the great price the Chieftain paid to preserve these classics."
"This will not only allow people to understand the Chieftain but also to value these classics and knowledge."
At this point, Zeng Cheng looked at Liu Huaiwen and said, "Brother Huaiwen, regarding accumulating grain and delaying declaring kingship, if it were before, I wouldn't object to you, because it was personally decided by the Chieftain, so it must be correct."
"However, times have changed."
"Our Chieftain now occupies the territories of Shandong and Henan provinces. His strength is the strongest among the many Ming princes and emperors. He is also the legitimate direct descendant. If he does not ascend the throne now, it would truly be 'Heaven gives, but you do not take, and you will be blamed'."
"Putting aside other matters, consider Shanxi and Jiangsu. How many people mistakenly believe that Zhu Zhongzhi and Zhu Zhongji, those impostors claiming to be fifth-generation descendants of Emperor Chongzhen, are legitimate and sincerely submit to them?"
"Don't forget, before Emperor Chongzhen departed, he left a decree saying that if thieves were to dismember his body, do not harm a single commoner. Compared to the brutal massacre committed by the Manchus after entering the pass, there are still people in this world who remember Emperor Chongzhen fondly."
"To put it bluntly, the longer the Chieftain delays becoming Emperor, the more fake fifth-generation descendants of Emperor Chongzhen will appear in this world. And as the fakes increase, the Chieftain's genuine claim may also become doubted."
"Therefore..."
Zhu Erdan exchanged glances with Liu Huaiwen, Liu Heming, and others, and said in a deep voice, "Then it's settled. We will urge Elder Brother to ascend the throne. As for the memorial, would you, Lord Prefect Zeng, be so kind as to draft it?"
Zeng Cheng puffed on his dry-pipe and grunted, then looked at Ke Zhiming and said, "The memorial is easy to handle. The biggest problem now is whether the common people in Shandong and Henan view this matter favorably."
Ke Zhiming, who had been silent since entering the room, suddenly spoke, "There's no need to worry about the common people. According to the news reported by our subordinates, the people of Shandong and Henan wish for the Young Master to ascend the throne and become Emperor as soon as possible."
Zeng Cheng grunted again and said, "Then this matter becomes much easier, and we can avoid unnecessary trouble."
"I will write a memorial, and we will all sign it together. Also, Leader Ke, could you assign a few people to work with our farmers' associations in various parts of Shandong and Henan, and have the common people press their thumbprints on the memorial as well?"
Ke Zhiming nodded and said, "That's definitely not a problem. The common people of Shandong and Henan have been hoping for the Young Master to ascend the throne for a long time. Especially the people of Ningyang County, Menglianggu, and Jinan Prefecture. Some have already been clamoring to present a Ten Thousand People Scroll to the Young Master."
With a clear plan and the cooperation of the entire Menglianggu Rebel Group, Zeng Cheng quickly drafted a "Memorial to Urge Ascension" with Zhu Erdan, the second-in-command of the Menglianggu Rebel Group, Liu Heming, the newly appointed commander of the First Army, and Liu Huaiwen, the chief quartermaster of the entire Menglianggu Rebel Group.
In this memorial, Zeng Cheng and others first denounced the atrocities committed by the Jurchens after entering the pass. Then they praised Zhu Jinsong for rising from humble beginnings and possessing virtues such as "daring to be the first in the world" and "caring for the common people of the world."
Next, the memorial stated that thanks to the Chieftain's leading role in opposing the Qing, the rule of the Manchu Qing was now in decline. However, many impostors claiming to be surnamed Zhu had appeared, claiming kingship and emperorhood, causing great chaos and suffering in the world. Therefore, the Chieftain, as the legitimate descendant of the Imperial Ming, should proactively step forward to rectify the situation and give the people hope.
Furthermore, the memorial proceeded to enumerate Zhu Jinsong's actions since the rebellion began, all of which proved that the Chieftain was not only chosen by heaven but was also a wise sage born with knowledge. It would be an affront to reason if he did not become Emperor.
Therefore, your humble subjects, lacking talent, implore your esteemed self to ascend the throne as the Emperor of the Great Ming and lead our Menglianggu Rebel Group and the people of the world to defeat the Manchu Qing and restore China.
Zhu Jinsong was somewhat bewildered.
What in the world was all this nonsense?
Wasn't I planning to lead troops to smash the establishments of Zhu Zhongzhi and Zhu Zhongji? Why did it suddenly turn into becoming Emperor? Although I had originally intended to become Emperor, I didn't plan to do it now!
Also, to become Emperor, wouldn't one have to go through a process of three refusals and three acceptances?
Then Zhu Jinsong said with a look of shame, "Although I was the first to raise the banner of rebellion against the Qing, I only intended to expel the barbarians and restore China. This reputation I have gained is entirely due to everyone's high regard. I, Zhu, am unworthy of it. Therefore, the matter of becoming Emperor should be left to other virtuous individuals. I, a humble peasant, do not have the fortune for it."
Zeng Cheng and the others then persuaded him, "There are so many kings and emperors in the world, but none of them have truly cared about the lives and deaths of the common people. You, my lord, have targeted corrupt gentry and landlords, and you have established farmers' associations, truly returning power to the people. You are the only one in this world who truly cares for the people. If you do not ascend the throne, the common people of the world will not be willing."
At this point, Zhu Jinsong said, "The common people want me to be Emperor? Then how come I didn't know? I think you people are just deceiving me. This should not happen again in the future."
Then Zeng Cheng and the others brought forth a Ten Thousand People Scroll. "My lord, look, here is the Ten Thousand People Scroll. All these thumbprints are here, indicating that the common people of the world are eagerly awaiting your ascension to the throne. This is not us simply babbling nonsense."
Zhu Jinsong then said, "Oh, this still won't do. After all, I come from a peasant background. I am shallow in knowledge and deficient in virtue, not fit to rule the world. Therefore, you should select someone else capable."
Zeng Cheng and the others immediately stated, "How can this be acceptable? We can listen to you on other matters, but on this matter today, your decision does not count. You cannot disregard the lives and deaths of the common people for your own reputation. Therefore, you must become Emperor whether you want to or not. In any case, we have already prepared the imperial robe and the imperial seal, and today is an auspicious day, so please wear the imperial robe!"
After three refusals and three acceptances, Zhu Jinsong became the freshly minted twenty-first Emperor of the Great Ming. From this perspective, fools like Zhu Zhongtao were utterly brainless. Because even if you did not acknowledge the Southern Ming courts, you should at least have posthumously honored the four generations between the characters 'You' and 'Zhong' – Ci, He, Yi, and Bo – from Chongzhen's lineage. How could you directly claim to be the seventeenth Emperor of the Great Ming?
After Zhu Jinsong became the freshly minted twenty-first Emperor of the Great Ming, Jinan Prefecture became the temporary secondary capital, and the original Shandong Provincial Governor's Office became the temporary imperial residence.
Then, the freshly minted Great Ming court encountered its first problem.
The reign title.
ps: Second update. Four thousand words. Another day approaching ten thousand words. I am truly too diligent!