354: Chapter 355 The Foundation of the Ming Dynasty: The Debate Between Chinese and Barbarians

The next day, during the Hour of the Rabbit.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony.

A long-awaited morning court session.

Lu Chen sat upright on the Dragon Throne, his calm gaze sweeping over the officials below.

"Rise."

An indifferent voice rang out; it wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"We thank Your Majesty!"

The ministers rose and stood solemnly with their heads bowed.

"Yesterday, I returned from the west."

"The current territory of Great Ming far exceeds that of the Han and Tang dynasties," Lu Chen spoke slowly. "A domain of tens of millions of li, unprecedented in history."

He paused, his gaze sharp as a blade as he scanned the ministers.

"A vast territory is not merely a blessing, but also a hidden concern."

"Do you all agree?"

No one dared to answer.

Yang Xiao, the Left Chancellor of the Grand Secretariat, bowed and stepped forward: "Your Majesty is wise. With such a vast territory, the people are diverse, customs differ, and languages are incomprehensible. It indeed requires proper governance to ensure long-term peace and stability."

"Good," Lu Chen nodded slightly. "What Yang Xiao says aligns perfectly with my intentions."

He stood up and paced to the edge of the vermilion steps, looking down at the ministers.

"I have summoned you all today to discuss only one matter."

"The Debate of Hua and Yi!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a slight commotion rippled through the hall.

The expressions of many civil officials shifted slightly.

The Debate of Hua and Yi—the distinction between the civilized and the barbarians—had existed since ancient times.

Its core was to distinguish the Huaxia people from the barbarians and establish the orthodox status of Huaxia.

However, since the Mongol Yuan Dynasty occupied the Central Plains, the world had been 'barbarized' for a century, and the traditional Han clothing, rituals, and music were nearly extinct.

"I intend to divide the territory of Great Ming into two parts: 'Inner Lands' and 'Overseas'."

"Our ancestral Huaxia lands, the expanse of the Nine Provinces, shall be the 'Inner Nine Provinces'! This is the foundation of Great Ming and the orthodox lineage of Huaxia!"

"The people of the Inner Nine Provinces are all noble descendants of Yan and Huang, the beloved children of Great Ming!"

"Every citizen of the Inner Nine Provinces, regardless of wealth, shall be eligible to enter official schools, study the Way of the Sages, understand etiquette, and know honor and shame!"

Hearing this, the ministers below were moved to tears, their bodies trembling with excitement.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Your Majesty is wise!!"

No one knew who shouted first, but soon, shouts of praise rose and fell one after another.

Lu Chen raised his hand and pressed down slightly, silencing the ministers' excitement.

His gaze turned toward the newly conquered lands.

"The Four Islands of Dongying, the Korean Peninsula, the Indochina Peninsula, the South Asian Subcontinent, Central Asia, Western Asia, Eastern Europe..."

With every place name he recited, the hearts of the ministers skipped a beat.

These were all vast lands that had been newly conquered!

"All the aforementioned regions shall be the 'Overseas Provinces'!"

"The Overseas Provinces are also part of Great Ming's territory, under the jurisdiction of Great Ming, and must acknowledge Great Ming's orthodoxy and obey the great ming code!"

"However," Lu Chen's tone shifted, becoming cold and hard.

"The people of the Overseas Provinces are not of our race; their hearts must be different!"

"Though they are subjects of Great Ming, they cannot be viewed as equals to the people of the Inner Lands!"

"The provincial officials of the Overseas Provinces shall be virtuous men from the Inner Lands appointed by the imperial court."

"Local natives may only serve as 'clerks' to handle local administrative affairs."

"But regardless of their status, people from the Overseas Provinces shall never, in their entire lives, be permitted to serve as officials in my Inner Nine Provinces! They may not enter the 'civil service'!"

"To sum it up in one sentence: the Inner Lands are primary, the Overseas are secondary! Huaxia is superior, the barbarians are inferior!"

"This is the national policy! Unchanging for ten thousand generations!"

Boom!

After these words were spoken, the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony erupted like a boiling pot!

Too... too ruthless!

This was no longer a simple Debate of Hua and Yi!

This was blatant ethnic segregation and cultural suppression!

The vast newly conquered lands and hundreds of millions of people were directly classified as second-class citizens!

Never to rise again!

While this would certainly maximize the stability of the Huaxia orthodoxy and eliminate the possibility of foreign races growing powerful,

It would also inevitably provoke strong resistance from the Overseas Provinces!

The management costs would be unimaginably high!

"Your Majesty, this must not be!"

A Censorate official tremblingly stepped out and knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, this policy... I fear it harms the harmony of heaven and will cause the Overseas Provinces to become estranged, leading to endless future troubles! Please, Your Majesty, reconsider!"

"Future troubles?" Lu Chen sneered, looking down at the Censor. "I ask you, when the Mongol Yuan ruled the Central Plains for a century and treated our Han people as fourth-class citizens, did they ever show a shred of mercy? Did they care about the Han people's estrangement?"

"This..." The Censor was speechless.

"I ask you again, when the mighty Han and prosperous Tang expanded their territories and dealt with barbarians, did they ever show the slightest hesitation?"

"Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever the rivers flow, all is Han land! Those who do not submit, though far away, shall be executed!"

"This is the backbone of Huaxia!"

"What I do today is merely following the example of the sages of old, setting things right!"

"Where is the wrong in that?!"

Lu Chen's voice was like a resonant bell, echoing through the great hall.

Yang Xiao stepped forward again and bowed. "Your Majesty's foresight is profound; we were dull-witted. This national policy is the foundation for ten thousand generations. We shall follow the imperial decree and implement it with all our strength!"

"We shall follow the imperial decree!"

Lu Chen nodded in satisfaction.

This was the effect he wanted.

Great Ming must be the Great Ming of the Huaxia people!

As for those overseas barbarians...

They were merely tools.

Providing resources and labor, they should just be obedient subjects.

Wanting to stand on equal footing with Huaxia?

In their dreams!

Just as he was about to speak on the specific details of the implementation,

Suddenly,

Lu Chen's brow furrowed imperceptibly.

His internal True Qi and Divine Sense were so vast that they already permeated the entire palace and even the capital.

Just now, he acutely sensed a slight disturbance and fluctuation in Yin Susu's aura coming from the Kunning Palace.

Though it was weak, it was...

Is she... about to give birth?!

...

Kunning Palace.

Inside the warm chamber, the atmosphere was tense.

Yin Susu lay on the delivery bed, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, her face pale as she bit her lower lip hard.

Beside her, experienced midwives and palace maids were busy.

Hot water, ginseng soup, clean cloths...

Fang Yanqing, Ji Xiaofu, Yang Huangyi, and others waited anxiously outside, glancing inside from time to time.

The newly appointed Left Palace Manager Ma Xiuying was also there.

Watching this scene, Ma Xiuying remained calm, but a trace of worry was hidden deep in her eyes.

This was the first time she had experienced such a situation.

"Ah—!"

Yin Susu's uncontrollable cries of pain came from inside.

Fang Yanqing and the others felt their hearts tighten.

"Your Majesty the Empress, push! Just a little more effort! I can see the head!" the midwife's voice encouraged.

Just then.

"His Majesty arrives—!"

The urgent announcement of an eunuch came from outside the hall.

Everyone was startled and quickly turned around.

They saw Lu Chen walking in with large strides, a trace of barely perceptible anxiety on his face.

He didn't even pay attention to their salutations and headed straight for the delivery room.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, you cannot!"

Several old nannies quickly stopped him. "The delivery room is a place of blood and filth; Your Majesty's precious person must not enter!"

Lu Chen paused, his brow furrowed.

"No matter!"

Lu Chen stepped into the delivery room.

A thick smell of blood rushed towards him.

He saw Yin Susu at a glance.

Their eyes met.

A flash of surprise crossed Yin Susu's eyes, followed by a surge of infinite peace of mind.

It was as if as long as she saw him, she had a pillar of support.

"Your Majesty..." she said weakly.

Lu Chen walked quickly to the bedside, ignoring the midwives and maids, and directly grasped Yin Susu's cold hand.

With the support of Lu Chen's True Qi, Yin Susu felt her whole body fill with strength.

...

"Waa—!!"

A loud, clear cry of a baby suddenly rang out!

It was like heavenly music!

The midwives and maids wept with joy, their hands and feet moving nimbly to clean and wrap the baby.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Felicitations, Your Majesty! It is a prince!!" The midwife knelt on the ground excitedly, holding the wrapped baby.

This was his son.

Great Ming's... eldest son of the primary wife!

He carefully took the baby from the midwife's hands.

"Your Majesty... please give him a name," Yin Susu said softly.

Lu Chen held his son and pondered for a moment.

His gaze was deep, as if seeing into the future.

"Inheriting the blessings of heaven, shining through ten thousand generations..."

He spoke slowly, his voice carrying a sense of solemnity.

"He shall be named... Lu Chengyu!"

"'Cheng' means to inherit, taken from the 'Book of Documents'—'sincerely hold the mean, and inherit the blessings of heaven'—symbolizing that he will inherit the lands of Great Ming and take up the Mandate of Heaven."

"'Yu' means to shine brightly, from the 'Classic of Poetry'—'The bells and drums clang, the stone chimes and flutes sound... bringing down abundant blessings'—implying a bright and flourishing light with long-lasting blessings."

"Lu Chengyu..." Yin Susu murmured the name, her eyes sparkling with joy. "A good name!"

"Pass down my decree!"

The voice was not loud, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.

"Hereby, Lu Chengyu is invested as the Crown Prince! He shall occupy the Eastern Palace to bring peace to the realm!"