Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 483: Country Name Selection

Meng Jun was in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, trying on a dragon robe that had been tailor-made for him by the Imperial Clothing Bureau. Standing in front of a bronze mirror as tall as a person, Meng Jun looked at himself with a sense of unreality in his heart.

Meng Jun prefers black, so the dragon robe is not the yellow one of the Ming Dynasty, but a black one. After wearing the black dragon robe, Meng Jun feels that his aura seems to have become even stronger.

The dragon robe was as black as ink, with gold threads woven all four sides to outline a leaping dragon, which looked lifelike. The robe was broad yet upright, and the dragon belt around his waist perfectly suited Meng Jun's figure, reflecting his heroic demeanor.

At this moment, Yu An walked forward quickly and whispered to Meng Jun: "My king, there is urgent military information!"

Meng Jun was stunned. Although the world was not at peace yet, who would be so ignorant as to provoke him at this time? Meng Jun immediately asked, "Where is the military intelligence?"

Yu An said, "Your Majesty, this is the military intelligence outside the Great Wall." After saying that, he immediately handed over the military report.

Meng Jun took it and unfolded it. It turned out to be an urgent report from Gao Jinlu. It turned out that after the Qing army withdrew to the outside of the Great Wall, food and supplies were scarce. Gao Jinku and Hu Zhan both believed that the Qing army would face famine this year. Gao Jinku's reason was that Korea had become like this, but Bolo still ordered a plunder.

Moreover, intelligence came that the Qing government was purchasing grain from Japan while seeking ways to trade grain with some Western barbarians.

After the Qing government withdrew from the interior, many people in the north were relocated to Liaodong. Although the land in Liaodong was fertile, the people who had just moved there needed to cultivate the fields. At least before the harvest, all the grain consumed was from the Qing government's warehouse. This huge pressure forced the Qing government to find ways to raise grain everywhere.

The current Qing court is very different from that of the Huang Taiji period. Facing Meng Jun, who is about to unify the interior of China, it is impossible for Jirgalang, Bolo and other Eight Banners nobles to say that they are not panicking.

In order to weaken Meng Jun's power, the Qing court was planning to enter the pass again to plunder. However, since they had just withdrawn from outside the pass, they were short of supplies, money, food, and weapons, and their military morale was somewhat unstable. In addition, the Korean resistance organizations were also distracting the Qing court's attention.

Meng Jun closed the military report and said in a deep voice: "After I unify the interior of the country, I will definitely put down the Liao situation in one fell swoop."

Yu An nodded immediately and said, "Your Majesty will surely conquer the world." After saying that, Yu An looked at the dragon robe and said happily, "Your Majesty, this dragon robe is really beautiful, better than the portraits of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty in the palace. Your Majesty, why don't you ask the painters from the Propaganda Department to come and paint a few pictures, so that they can be passed down to future generations."

After hearing this, Meng Jun laughed and said, "That makes sense. Let that painter named Shen, or Qing or something, paint it. His paintings are lifelike."

"My lord, is your name Shen Chengqing?"

“It should be him.”

…………

On Jeju Island in Korea, the Zhou army's navy had been working here for three years. Since Li Hao fled to Jeju Island, the situation in Korea has become complicated.

When Bolo annexed Joseon, Lee Hao fled to Jeju Island. He even submitted a petition to the emperor to request submission, but Meng Jun considered that Joseon still needed Lee Hao's title of King of Joseon and interfered with Bolo's plan.

The purpose was to prevent the Qing army from easily controlling Korea, so Li Hao's request to surrender was rejected. Moreover, Li Hao's family is now in Jinan, Shandong, which means that they are completely controlled by Meng Jun.

However, since Bolo annexed Korea, he promoted the policy of shaving the hair and changing clothes. Although there were constant resistances in various places, they were gradually quelled under the bloody suppression of the Qing army and the Eight Banners of Korea.

In particular, there are no large-scale resistance organizations in several northern provinces. Only in the south, especially in Gyeongsang Province and Jeolla Province, are there still many resistance organizations. Many of these organizations have contacts and officers of the Blue Luan Guard.

Moreover, the Qingluan Guards provided these organizations with vital bows and arrows, muskets, food, and a large number of swords, guns and other military supplies.

Many weapons were transported from the Central Plains to Jeju Island by large ships. After contact, the navy arrived at the coast. Since there was no port and they could not dock, these resistance organizations could only use small boats to transport supplies.

The fighting power of the Korean rebel army was low, not to mention compared with the Eight Banners of Manchu, even compared with the Eight Banners of Korea, they were much worse. Facing the Eight Banners of Korea, these rebels could still fight against the weaklings, but if they encountered the Eight Banners of Manchu, even if there were only a hundred of them, as long as the Eight Banners of Manchu rushed to them, these rebels would be intimidated by the fierce aura of the Qing army and scatter in an instant.

Therefore, these Korean rebels were extremely dependent on muskets and bows and arrows. However, the flintlock rifles of the Zhou army were not enough to supply the entire army. The Qingluan Guards used old-fashioned muskets made by no one to support the rebels. But even so, for those rebels, these were already sharp weapons bestowed by the Heavenly Dynasty.

After receiving the muskets, some Korean gentry almost cried, saying: "The Celestial Empire has given us weapons, money and food, and helped us train our troops. This is a favor from heaven, how can we repay it?"

After the Qing army withdrew from outside the Great Wall, although Meng Jun temporarily focused his attention on the warlords in the south, a big part of the reason was that it was difficult for Zhou's army to break through the narrow Ningjin defense line. As for attacking Liaodong from other directions inside the Great Wall, the logistics pressure was too great.

Therefore, the position of Korea became extremely important. The Qingluan Guard trained and trained many Korean scholars who were unwilling to shave their heads on Jeju Island, preparing to use them to lurk in various parts of Korea and serve as guides when the army landed in Korea.

In the Qing court, although Bolo was the regent, he always led his troops to stay in Korea and did not return to Shengjing. One reason was that the Korean resistance had not been completely eliminated.

On the other hand, and the most important point is that on Jeju Island, there are three Zhou armies commanded by Gao Jinlu, Liang Min, and Yang Sanwu, and the Joseon King Li Hao is also on the island. This is like a thorn in Bolo's throat, but he cannot remove it.

………………

The news that Meng Jun was about to become emperor was vigorously promoted by the Propaganda Department. In the streets and alleys of cities in the north and south, everyone was discussing the establishment of the new dynasty.

Since Chongzhen ascended the throne, the Ming Dynasty brought more pain, chaos, and war to the people of the world. Without the contrast of the Qing Dynasty, the name Ming had lost its appeal. The people of the world urgently hoped for a new empire that was prosperous and free of corruption.

Now the King of Zhou is about to ascend the throne and establish a brand new dynasty. Both the gentry and the common people are full of expectations for the new dynasty. The world has been in chaos for so long, and the contradiction between population and land is not as tense as it was in the middle and late stages of the dynasty. The people now yearn for peace and a tranquil life. The civilians have had enough of war.

In the city of Jinling, discussions could be heard everywhere in restaurants and teahouses, and the most discussed topic among these diners was the name of the country and the choice of capital.

A scholar in gorgeous clothes waved his folding fan and said slowly: "If you ask me, our Nanjing will probably not be the capital of the new dynasty!"

"It cannot be said for sure. Your Majesty gained the world because of Nanjing. It can be seen that Nanjing is your blessed land. Besides, the north is in great trouble now. If we make Beijing the capital, it will cost a lot every year. It will be very troublesome to transport money and grain from the south. It is better to make Nanjing the capital!" said an old man, stroking his beard.

"If Your Majesty wanted to establish the capital in the south, you would not have changed Nanjing to Jinling. Moreover, since the First Emperor cut off the dragon vein of Jinling, the dynasties that used Nanjing as their capital were either short-lived or isolated."

The old man shook his head and said, "The dragon vein is a myth. The south is rich and prosperous, while the north is poor. I heard that there are strong winds and sandstorms. As for the name, it can be changed at any time!"

The scholar in fine clothes put away his folding fan and said, "If the capital is Jinling, why hasn't the king returned yet? Instead, he ordered a large number of officials from the shogunate to go north. This clearly means that he wants to move the capital."

"Haha, let's wait and see."

While people in Nanjing were debating the choice of the capital, in Beijing, many officials summoned by Yang En had been discussing the name of the country for several days, and the dispute over the name of the country had not yet ended.

Before becoming emperor, things like the country's name, reign title, and capital must all be determined.

Yang En and others easily decided on several reign titles, waiting for Meng Jun to choose one from them, but the name of the country was a long-standing dispute.

Chen Zilong stood up and said, "The name of the new dynasty should be Zhou. For example, during the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang was the King of Han at first, and then he established the Han Dynasty. Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan of the Tang Dynasty was the Duke of Tang when he started his army, and then he established the Tang Dynasty. What's wrong with calling the new dynasty the Great Zhou?"

Yang En vaguely sensed that Meng Jun was somewhat dissatisfied with the name of the country Zhou, but as the head of the civil servants, Yang En could not easily express his opinion. Therefore, after listening to Chen Zilong's words, he did not refute, but remained silent and continued to listen to other people's opinions.

Gu Yanwu shook his head and said, "Mr. Chen's words are a little inappropriate. The name Ji Zhou is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The new dynasty should have a new name. Moreover, Ming Taizu was the King of Wu at first, and he never used Wu as the country's name. In my opinion, we can use Qing as the country's name. It is easy to pronounce and has the meaning of the people's reunion and universal celebration."

Lu Zhenfei thought for a moment and said softly, "The names of the countries in the past dynasties were mostly based on the titles of the kings, or the ancestral places, or the origins of the ancestral surnames. It can be seen that the names of countries can only be generated from these few words."

At this point, Lu Zhenfei looked around at everyone and continued, "Only Zhou, Yu, Wu, Chu, and Lu."

At this time, Wu Tai retorted: "It is not appropriate. The names of Wu, Chu and Lu cannot highlight the wisdom and bravery of the king!"

Li Weitai said: "During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, people all took words from the Book of Changes as their country names. We can follow their example."

At this point, Li Weitai shook his head and recited: "Great is Qian Yuan, the source of all things, which is connected to the sky. Clouds move and rain falls, all things flow and take shape, the Great Ming has its beginning and end, six positions are established at different times, and six dragons are used to control the sky. The changes of Qian Dao make everyone correct their nature and life, and maintain harmony. It is beneficial and righteous, and it is the first to come out of the common things, and all nations are peaceful. From this, it can be seen that the name of the new dynasty can be Qian or Ning! Ning means peace and tranquility, implying peace and prosperity in the country and the world. Qian means heaven, implying that the new dynasty is the master of all nations!"

At this time, Yang En coughed and said to everyone, "Write down the name of the new dynasty. I will discuss it one by one. You say one and I refute one. When will we be able to come up with an answer?"

At the end of the discussion, the shogunate came up with six plans, and most people agreed that the name of the new dynasty should be derived from these six words, namely Zhou, Xia, Qian, Ning, Yu, and Qing.

As for these six words, everyone expressed their own opinions and quoted classics. Although everyone's words made sense, no one could convince anyone else.

Now that the coronation ceremony is imminent and the auspicious date has been confirmed, the new country's name must be determined immediately. The shogunate has been debating for a long time, so everyone says that the country's name should be decided by the king.

Yang En and a group of important officials came to the palace. Meng Jun, wearing a loose casual suit, met everyone. Meng Jun smiled and asked, "Have you discussed everything?"

Yang En bowed and said, "Please make the decision, Your Majesty!"

Meng Jun had some tea served, then motioned for everyone to sit down, and then asked, "What plans does the shogunate have prepared?"

Whoever's proposal for a new dynasty's name is selected will certainly gain political benefits, so all the officials in the shogunate hope that their proposal will be chosen by Meng Jun.

Yang En quickly stood up and replied, "Your Majesty, my colleagues in the shogunate have different opinions. Currently, there are six main names for the country: Zhou, Xia, Qian, Ning, Yu, and Qing. Your Majesty, please make the decision!"

In fact, Meng Jun did not feel any new about these country names, but since he was in this era, he should integrate into it. Meng Jun did not want to create disputes by using any unconventional country names, and there was no need to cause trouble.

Meng Jun then smiled and said, "Please share your thoughts on these country names."

Chen Zilong stood up and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, I suggest that you continue to use Zhou as the country's name. First, it is in line with the practice of all dynasties, and the people of the world are all aware of Your Majesty's title of King Zhou, so people's hearts will not be shaken. Moreover, Your Majesty's surname, Meng, if traced back, also comes from Zhou."

Meng Jun hummed and nodded. At this time, Gu Yanwu said, "My suggestion is to celebrate the country. Celebrate means to congratulate. It means that the whole world is united and supported by all the people."

Li Weitai said loudly: "My suggestion is to choose Qian or Ning. Qian means heaven, and Qian belongs to the element of fire. Our dynasty is Chengming, so we can also use the virtue of fire and use Qian as the country's name, which means the ruler of all nations. Ning also belongs to the element of fire, which means the world is peaceful and Qiankun is the only one who can rule!"

After hearing this, Meng Jun also felt that both words were good, but there were still two people who hadn't said anything, so he looked at Lu Zhenfei and Wu Tai.

Lu Zhenfei stepped out and said, "I suggest that we use Yu as the country's name. The word Yu has the meaning of responsibility and undertaking, as well as peace. Moreover, the king's hometown is Changshu, which was called Yucheng in ancient times. Using Yu as the country's name is also in line with convention."

Wu Tai suggested Xia, meaning that Xia was the first dynasty in the world, and using Xia as the country's name meant that the new dynasty would be eternal.

After everyone finished speaking, they looked at Meng Jun who was sitting in the main seat, waiting for him to make the decision and choose the name of the country.

(Today's big chapter╭(╯e╰)╮)

(Vote for the country name, the deadline is 7 o'clock tomorrow night, please participate actively. I will write the country names in this paragraph comment, and the one with the highest number of likes will be adopted!)