A resurgence of the late Ming Dynasty, starting with a trillion-dollar clone.

Chapter 42

Winter came earlier than usual in Wuchang. It was only October, but the river wind was already chilling to the bone. Ma Yongsheng sat in the study of the Governor-General's Office of Huguang—now called the "General Administration of the Jingnan Army"—with several documents spread out in front of him, but his eyes were fixed on the bare tree branches outside the window.

Three urgent reports were laid out on the table.

One document was sent by Jin Shenghuan from Kaifeng, stating that the plague in the north was basically under control, but nine out of ten houses were empty, and in some counties, the number of survivors couldn't even fill a single village. The remnants of the Qing dynasty had retreated beyond the Great Wall, and the Mongol tribes were also withdrawing, leaving the entire North China region a vacuum. Jin Shenghuan asked whether troops should be sent to occupy it.

The second document, written by Instructor Sun from Luoyang, described a similar situation. The heart of the Central Plains was desolate, stretching for thousands of miles. In some places, bandits had even risen up—not living bandits, but rather groups of "living corpses" who, at night, would attack the remaining villages. Instructor Sun requested reinforcements to suppress them.

The third and thickest document was sent by Huang Zongxi from Nanjing. It provided a detailed report on the recovery of Jiangnan: land had been redistributed, new policies had been implemented, and schools and clinics had been built. However, there were also a host of problems—the gentry were resisting, officials were corrupt, and the newly allocated farmers did not know how to grow new crops, resulting in poor harvests and famine.

Ma Yongsheng rubbed his temples. Each of these problems was thorny.

Unifying the world? Easier said than done. The Qing dynasty has collapsed, but the country is nearly in ruins. The north is deserted, the south is starving, and in between lies the half-dead Central Plains. He currently has less than 100,000 troops at his disposal; trying to control such a vast territory is like trying to catch fish in a pond with a tattered net.

The door opened gently, and Chen Xiuying entered carrying a bowl of medicine. Seeing Ma Yongsheng still sitting there, she sighed, "Chief, it's time to take your medicine."

Ma Yongsheng snapped out of his daze and took the bowl. The medicine was bitter, but he didn't even flinch. Since returning from Beijing, his body hadn't fully recovered. That battle at the level of consciousness had damaged his very foundation; the military doctor said he'd need at least a year of recuperation. But where would he find the time to recuperate?

"Where is An'er?" he asked.

"He's asleep." Chen Xiuying sat down opposite him, watching him drink his medicine. "He called me 'Dad' today, though it was a bit mumbled."

A smile appeared on Ma Yongsheng's face. Ma An was almost six months old, looked like him, but had eyes like Chen Xiuying's, big and bright. The other children were all healthy, which was probably the only comfort in these chaotic times.

"Xiuying," he suddenly said, "if one day I'm gone, you all...

"Chieftain!" Chen Xiuying interrupted him, her eyes reddening. "You're saying such things again!"

"I mean, if," Ma Yongsheng put down his medicine bowl, "this world may remain in chaos for a long time. I may not live to see the day of peace."

Chen Xiuying bit her lip and said after a long while, "Then you should try your best to live to see the peaceful days. The children can't be without their father."

Ma Yongsheng smiled and said nothing more. Live to see the day of peace? He wanted to too. But the countdown to the sun's collapse still ticked in his mind: 709 years, 11 months, and 7 days. More than seven hundred years—it sounded long, but to lead this civilization, which had just crawled out of plague and war, to a point where it could escape the solar system… it was simply a pipe dream.

But he had to tell the story of the dream.

After taking his medicine, he told Chen Xiuying to rest, and he continued reading his documents. The door rang again, and this time Huang Zongxi and Instructor Sun entered together. Both looked travel-worn, clearly having just returned from out of town.

"Mr. Huang, Instructor Sun, please have a seat." Ma Yongsheng stood up to greet them.

Huang Zongxi waved his hand and said directly, "Chang Sheng, the situation is not good. The new policies in Jiangnan are stalled."

Why?

"The resistance is too great." Huang Zongxi looked exhausted. "Although those gentry are outwardly compliant, they are secretly sabotaging us. They send people to collect exorbitant rents for the land allocated to the peasants; they incite the people to believe that reading new books will cause them to be possessed by evil spirits when the schools are built; they spread rumors that the doctors in the clinics are using dead people to make medicine. The people are ignorant and believe it when they are frightened."

Instructor Sun added, "There are also problems within the army. Some generals feel that the country is at peace and it's time to reward those who have made contributions. But where are we going to get the money for rewards? So they cut back on military pay and even let their soldiers loot. I've arrested a few, but the law doesn't punish everyone, so it's difficult to deal with."

Ma Yongsheng remained silent. He had actually anticipated these questions. Conquering the world was difficult, but governing it was even more difficult. Especially governing the world with a system completely different from the old era was like rowing against the current.

"Mr. Huang, do you have any suggestions?"

Huang Zongxi thought for a moment: "To address the root cause, we must start from the source. First, we should establish the imperial examination system, but not the rigid, formulaic examination; instead, we should test practical knowledge—arithmetic, agricultural administration, water conservancy, and law. We should select a group of people who truly understand practical matters. Second, we should publish newspapers to clearly explain our policies and principles to the people, preventing the gentry from monopolizing the discourse. Third…" He paused, "we need to give them a proper title."

"Name?"

"That's right." Huang Zongxi looked directly at Ma Yongsheng. "You are now the 'Grand General of the Jingnan Army,' which is essentially a warlord. To rule the world, you need a legitimate title. Either become emperor, or at least... become king."

The study fell silent. Instructor Sun looked at Ma Yongsheng, waiting for his reaction.

To declare oneself emperor? To declare oneself king?

Ma Yongsheng walked to the window. Outside lay Wuchang City, with the Yangtze River stretching like a ribbon in the distance. This city, this empire, was won by him and his brothers with every sword and spear. If he wanted to become emperor, no one would dare oppose him.

But... after becoming emperor, what then? Like Zhu Yuanzhang, establishing a new dynasty, only to be replaced by another dynasty three hundred years later? A cycle that repeats itself until the sun collapses?

No, that won't do.

He turned around: "I cannot become emperor."

Huang Zongxi and Coach Sun were both taken aback.

"Why?" Huang Zongxi asked urgently, "If the name is not correct, the words will not be proper!"

"It is precisely because we need to rectify the name that I cannot call myself emperor," Ma Yongsheng said slowly. "What is an emperor? He is the private property of one family or clan. What I want to build is not the Ma family's empire, but the empire of all people."

He walked back to the table, spread out a piece of paper, and picked up a pen: "What we want to establish is not a new dynasty, but a new system. In this system, there is no emperor, no hereditary succession. Power comes from the people, officials are elected by the people, and laws are made for the people."

Huang Zongxi's eyes lit up: "This...this can be done?"

"Let's take it one step at a time." Ma Yongsheng began to write, "First, establish a 'parliament.' It will be composed of representatives elected from various regions to discuss national affairs. The parliament will be divided into two houses: the upper house will be composed of gentry, scholars, and generals, and the lower house will be composed of farmers, artisans, and merchants. Major decisions must be passed by both houses."

"Then who will carry it out?"

"A 'Cabinet' will be established," Ma Yongsheng continued. "The head of the Cabinet will be called the 'Prime Minister,' elected by parliament for a five-year term, renewable once. The Cabinet will have various ministries, each responsible for military, civil, financial, industrial, educational, and medical affairs."

"What about military power?"

"Nationalize the military," Ma Yongsheng said. "Establish a 'Military Affairs Yuan' that is accountable to the Cabinet. Generals will be appointed by the Parliament, and soldiers will be changed from an all-volunteer force to a conscripted force, serving for three years before retiring as civilians."

He finished writing and put down his pen: "I call this system the 'civilized system.' Civilization means that the world belongs to everyone and power is shared."

Huang Zongxi and Instructor Sun stared at the words on the paper, speechless for a moment. These ideas were too advanced, too… shocking. No emperor? Rule by all the people? How could that be possible?

"Longevity," Huang Zongxi's voice trembled, "isn't this... isn't this step too big?"

"A small scale won't do," Ma Yongsheng said. "If we follow the old path, we'll build a new Ming Dynasty, only to become corrupt again in two hundred years, and perish again in three hundred. What I want is a path that we can keep going on. Even if it's slow, it has to be in the right direction."

Instructor Sun scratched his head: "But will the common people understand? They're used to the emperor; if he's suddenly gone, won't they panic?"

"So we have to take it slowly," Ma Yongsheng said. "First, we will rule under the name of 'Regent' and implement this system. Once people get used to it, we will formally abolish the imperial system."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, we have an advantage—the world has just experienced great chaos, and the old order has completely collapsed. At this time, there will be the least resistance to establishing new rules."

Huang Zongxi pondered for a long time before finally nodding: "That makes sense. Then... shall we start the pilot program in Jiangnan?"

"Yes," Ma Yongsheng said. "Mr. Huang, you go back to Nanjing to prepare for the first parliamentary election. Instructor Sun, you reorganize the army and prepare to implement the conscription system. I will stay in Wuchang to coordinate all parties."

"What about the north?" Instructor Sun asked. "Jin Shenghuan is still waiting for orders in Kaifeng."

Ma Yongsheng thought for a moment: "Let General Jin also conduct a pilot program in the north. But since there are fewer people in the north, we can be more radical—directly distribute land to households, exempt them from taxes for three years, and encourage land reclamation. Tell the people that the land belongs to them, and after paying a small amount of public grain, the rest of the grain they grow belongs to them."

"Will this work?"

"We'll know once we try," Ma Yongsheng said. "It's better than letting the land grow weeds."

With the plan set, everyone went about their business. Ma Yongsheng remained alone in his study, staring at the paper he had written. A civilized system… to promote civilization in 17th-century China was simply a pipe dream. But he had to try.

Because this is the only way that might break the cycle of history.

In the following months, unprecedented changes began to take place in the areas controlled by the Jingnan Army.

In Nanjing, Huang Zongxi posted notices announcing the implementation of "parliamentary elections" in the eight prefectures of Jiangnan. Each county would elect three representatives to form the "Jiangnan Parliament." There were no restrictions on the representatives' backgrounds; as long as they were literate, had no criminal record, and had ten people jointly recommending them, they were eligible.

The notice caused an uproar throughout the city. The gentry scoffed, calling it nonsense. But the common people—farmers who had attended private school for a few years, literate craftsmen, and small merchants—were intrigued. Become an official? Something they never dared to dream of before, now they actually had a chance?

The number of people who signed up was unexpectedly high. Although many were just there for the fun of it, at least it got started.

In Wuchang, Instructor Sun began reorganizing the army. He announced that all soldiers could choose to retire after serving three years, receiving a resettlement allowance and land upon retirement. At the same time, he promoted "equality between officers and soldiers"—generals were not allowed to beat or scold soldiers, and the food standards were the same for everyone; violators would be severely punished.

At first, the veteran soldiers were not used to it and caused trouble a few times. But Instructor Sun suppressed them with an iron fist, killing several ringleaders and promoting a group of good recruits to officers, and the situation gradually stabilized.

The most effective results were seen in the north.

Following Ma Yongsheng's instructions, Jin Shenghuan implemented "direct land distribution" in Henan and Shandong. As long as people were alive, land was distributed per capita, and land deeds were issued on the spot. Taxes? Completely exempt for the first three years, and from the fourth year onwards, only one-tenth of the harvest was collected.

When the news spread, the survivors who had been hiding in the mountains and cellars came out one after another. Their hands trembled as they received the land deeds—for the first time in their lives, they had land that truly belonged to them.

They were willing to risk their lives to survive and for this land.

The north began to see a return of activity.