The Emperor's enthronement ceremony is imminent, but there is one crucial matter that has not yet been resolved, and that is the Imperial Covenant. Zhang Ke has long said that he wants the monarch to grant the people, and when he ascends the throne, he will swear an oath to the covenant law, but this law has been delayed and difficult to deliver, which has made many people feel sad.

In fact, since March, representatives from all walks of life have been selected from all walks of life in the north and south of the Great River, inside and outside the Great Wall, and even in overseas territories, ranging from a dozen to three or four hundred, including the military.

Six or seven thousand deputies, plus assistants and attendants, as well as tens of thousands of students, all rushed to the capital, and the number of personnel far exceeded the capacity of the capital.

For this reason, Zhang Ke had to issue an order to temporarily arrange half of the personnel to Tianjin, and it was this arrangement that caused the people to quickly divide into two factions, and an unprecedented debate began on the imperial covenant.

As a commercial city, Tianjin gathered most of the merchants in the north, and they united with representatives of the business community, as well as scholars, to advocate that the imperial law should protect private property as the core, and that different powers should be given according to their contribution to the state. In short, all they have to do is distribute power according to how much they pay taxes.

The advantage of this is that a small number of wealthy businessmen can gain a greater say, and then influence the situation of the dynasty and the direction of the empire. At the same time, they also demanded support for overseas expansion, support for industrial development, and use the army of the empire to open up markets, a total of more than a hundred.

The person who confronted them was Emperor Shi Hongfu.

The core proposition of Hong Fu is that the monarchy is granted by the people, and this people are the farmers and the industrialists, with 360 lines, and all people are born equal. The power of the empire is the transfer of power to all the people, and as the ruler of the empire, it must be accountable to all the people. Naturally, this idea was strongly supported by the peasants and the military.

He put forward his own views on the issue of protecting private property, saying that in order to truly protect private property, it is necessary to enact legislation prohibiting annexation, and the land allocated to the people cannot be bought or sold.

As an imperial teacher, Hong Fu has been running a school in Liaodong for many years. There are disciples all over the world, and his ideas are naturally supported by countless people. They also turned out a number of Zhang Ke's remarks, pointing out that the root cause of the succession of the rise and fall of the past dynasties was land annexation, and that the common people who had lost their land had become tenant farmers and homeless people, and that once natural and man-made disasters occurred, they would inevitably go down the road of rebellion. If a law is promulgated that the annexation of land will never be allowed, then all the people will live and work in peace and contentment, and the world will always enjoy peace.

Regardless of whether this logic is valid or not. The refusal of annexation touches the interests of the gentry group. At the same time, they were not accustomed to the business faction, which quickly became centrist, moving between the two extremes, with some issues supporting the commercial faction and some supporting the imperial faction.

The three major factions debated, and the most lively was the newspaper. Zhang Ke initially imitated the form of Di Bao and promoted cultural newspapers and periodicals in the army. Later, the Southeast published a business newspaper. After years of reserves, the newspaper is growing by leaps and bounds. This great debate provided the best subject for the newspaper.

Every day, hundreds of articles are delivered to newspapers, constantly published, and distributed everywhere. The people who read the newspaper were not limited to scholars and merchants, but also ordinary citizens. A decent teahouse and restaurant will subscribe to more than a dozen newspapers, and also arrange special personnel to read the newspapers.

Thanks to the participation of the citizens, the original obscure words were quickly replaced by the vernacular. Only when everyone understands that they can win enough support. Whoever pays it back is also a lot of pretending to be sophisticated, I'm sorry, no one cares about you!

Scholars of all stripes had to learn to put down their bodies. even went to the teahouse to promote his ideas, and some were more anxious to stand at the intersection, the vegetable market, find a vacant space and start to speak.

Confucius paid attention to the gentleman's words and deeds, but now his disciples and grandchildren have to learn to speak like a river and their tongues bloom lotus. If you say it well, it will naturally attract countless applause, and if you say it badly, you can only step down in disgrace, waiting to be more fully prepared, and then come to avenge it.

This frightened a group of people, and John Tong, as a missionary, and his companion Tang Yuhan, came to Macao after two years of drifting across the sea. At that time, the Nanjing teaching case had just broken out, and there was almost no place for them to exist in the land of China. John Tang was unwilling to give up his previous achievements, he led the people to the north, once again emulated Matteo Ricci, and brought the Western calendar, arithmetic, and machinery to the capital.

With his mastery of astronomy, he successfully predicted lunar and solar eclipses and became famous. Many scholars began to care for them, and some even joined the Society of Jesus to help them in their mission.

However, the great empire quickly became in crisis, and countless peasants joined the rebellious rebels, and then a strong commander quickly eliminated the rebels and killed the emperor......

In the dead of night, John Tang was writing his notes under the oil lamp, recording everything he saw and heard. For him, the vast empire of the East is like a brilliant diamond, with dazzling brilliance on every face.

There is the richest food in the world, the best cuisine, the rich and courteous people, the wise and intelligent officials, the brightest silk, the most exquisite porcelain, with a history of thousands of years......

What amazed John Tong the most was the Oriental management method, although there were still nobles, but the real management of the country was the wise man who passed the examination from among the scholars and stood out. No matter what your pedigree, as long as you have talent, you will be in an important position, what a perfect system, what a great design!

In comparison, the stupid aristocracy of Europe, apart from the so-called blood, is nothing short of shit compared to the officials of the East.

With excitement, John Tang wrote down the method of selecting officials in the East and sent it back to Europe. He dared to say that these things would surely shake the West.

"Old friend, I think your notes must be revised, the East, the magical land, is exploring a new way of governing the country again!" Deng Yuhan said with a smile.

Luo Yagu, who had a big beard, didn't see it that way, he shook his head, spoke fluently in Beijing films, and said: "I don't see it that way, these phenomena that appear in the East have all appeared in the West." For example, the selection of parliamentarians, such as the enactment of laws to limit imperial power, such as the protection of private property, this is nothing new, on the contrary, the Eastern world is lagging behind us. I think this is something that the West should be proud of. At least we're not good for nothing! ”

After saying a lot in one breath, Luo Yagu took a sip of tea, a faint bitterness crossed his throat, and he looked at Tang Ruowang with a smile.

"Hey, old friend, it's your turn!"

John Tang shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile: "I'm sorry, your opinion should be wrong, the so-called British Magna Carta." Just a treaty between the king and the nobility. In fact, such treaties have existed in the Eastern world for thousands of years, and they say that 'kings and scholars rule the world together'. Take the fallen Ming Dynasty as an example, if the emperor wants to issue an order, he must go through the vote of the cabinet and be approved by the Six Science Corridors before it will officially become an unchangeable will. If the emperor wants to collect taxes at will and fight against foreign countries, it is simply impossible. ”

Roya Valley was not convinced. He asked, "Old friend, since the Eastern World has restrictions. Why do they gather so many people to discuss a law? ”

"Hahaha, you've finally got to the point!" John Tang smiled and said: "The Eastern world is improving their system, not only scholars are joining politics, but even ordinary people are also participating in it, and the new laws and regulations must reflect the interests of everyone." What a great idea, and I really hope that this law will be made quickly, and that I will immediately translate it into Latin and send it back to the West. Any king who wants to go down in history only needs to follow the above. That's totally fine. ”

The heated discussion lasted for three months, and seeing that the situation was finally over, Zhang Ke convened representatives from various factions, together with the principal officials of Beijing and Central China, and convened a formal meeting to draw up the law.

During the meeting, the parties were still arguing fiercely, and the white-haired Hong Shibi was more energetic than the young people, collecting all kinds of information every day, personally debating, and killing all sides. In fact, the old man knew in his heart that this was the last thing he could do in his life, and turning political ideas into golden rules had a fatal attraction for people in politics.

Opposite him are businessmen such as Bao Shiqing, Gao Guifang, and Ye Yongxin, and everyone quarrels from morning to night. For their quarrel, Zhang Ke maintained an unprecedented tolerance.

He barely said a word, just listened silently to everyone's opinions, and took some notes from time to time.

After another ten days of discussions, under the coordination of Wang Huazhen and others, everyone discussed some common principles. For example, the distinction between agriculture and industry should be abolished, and all people should be equal. Although the Ming Dynasty was not a slave system, there were still many semi-slaves, such as maids and maids who bought and sold, long-term laborers hired by landlords, and concubines who were raised, all of which were abolished.

In response to the controversial issue of private property, Zhang Ke adopted the suggestions of both parties, stipulating that private property was sacrosanct and inviolable, and at the same time, Zhang Ke also strictly limited land annexation.

For example, any land sale must be approved and the maximum amount of land owned must be set. Of course, it's only for the mainland, and the more you open up in the vast overseas territories, the more you can develop, that's your ability. While protecting property, Zhang Ke also wrote the patent right, which was highly praised by Sun Yuanhua.

In addition, out of the concept of equality for all, the law abolished the existence of patriarchal law, and the original patriarchs could even punish or even execute their descendants, and had absolute dominance over the descendants. This is no longer in the statute, and anyone who violates the rights of others is punished.

After the abolition of thousands of years of patriarchal law, a large number of disputes will inevitably fall on the imperial court. After some thought, Zhang Ke upgraded the Dali Temple, which was on a par with the Yushitai, and led the judicial system of the world, set up branch temples in various places, and arranged personnel who were proficient in legal provisions to act as judges and handle cases. In this way, the judicial power is separated from the executive power.

In addition, the principle of great unification was also determined, for example, the Tusi existing in the southwest was stipulated in the covenant law to be gradually abolished and replaced with the jurisdiction of liuguan.

With the gradual improvement of the law, a new national system has emerged, although Zhang Ke did not say much, but this law is undoubtedly soaked in his painstaking efforts and highly reflects his will.

On the eve of the completion of the agreement, Zhang Ke specially called his son Zhang Yan to the study. In front of the two of them, there was a huge sand table, two capitals, thirteen provinces, nine sides, and grasslands, all of which appeared in front of them.

With a huge territory, a population of 150 million, and the most powerful empire in the world, in your own hands!

Even Zhang Ke's blood was boiling, not to mention the young Zhang Yan, with his fists clenched, carefully staring at every mountain and river, his eyes widened from time to time, revealing a look of amazement.

"Yan'er, in front of you, the ancestral property that can be squandered from time to time is the responsibility on your shoulders. To make a covenant for the father and convene the representatives of the world is to let the people of the world shoulder the responsibility with you, and the establishment of a responsible cabinet is both a restriction and a protection for you, do you understand? ”

Zhang Yan nodded vigorously and said, "Well, the child understands." ”

"Well, Yan'er, my father will not always sit on the throne, it took twenty years to fight the world, and I will not sit in the world for more than twenty years."

"Father!" Zhang Yan exclaimed: "You are prosperous in the Spring and Autumn Period, shouldn't you talk about the throne so early!" ”

"What can't be discussed, silly boy, as a father, he doesn't want to give you the throne now, even if he gives it to you, you can't do it well!" Zhang Ke looked at the sand table and said with a smile: "All dynasties, such as Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, have been on the throne for a long time, and it is inevitable that they will make mistakes, which is not a good thing for the country or for themselves. In addition, inheriting the throne too early, just like Tianqi and Chongzhen, is still a hairy child, who doesn't know how to exercise power at all, and the lord is suspicious, and it will be even worse. ”

Zhang Yan listened to his father's words silently, and couldn't help asking, "Father, what can you do?" ”

"As I said, I'll sit for twenty years at most, and I'll retire early before I make a mistake. During this time, the father will cultivate your ability, and when you are thirty or forty years old, you will also mature, take over the world, continue to train my grandson, and after twenty years, you will also abdicate. However, this is only to postpone the degradation, and sooner or later, the descendants of the Zhang family will lose control of the empire. ”

"So what?" Zhang Yan asked.

"It's simpler, just don't care about anything, and leave everything to the responsible cabinet!"

The conversation between Zhang Ke and his son was listed as the first secret of the empire, and this set of methods ensured that five successive generations of emperors worked hard to govern the empire, and the empire flourished. It wasn't until there was a little bastard who loved beauty and didn't love the country that the cabinet basically replaced the emperor, and after another hundred years, the emperor basically became a symbol of the country......

Just when Zhang Ke was actively preparing for the enthronement ceremony and the imperial covenant, suddenly Mandariva ran to the capital with a pair of children, they did not cause trouble for Zhang Ke, but sent a bloody human head.

"Father, from the direction of the North Sea, a group of bearded men appeared, with sharp firearms and fierce combat power, attacked the Chechen Khan and killed Lin Dan Khan. They offered their heads to their father, and wanted to trade with the Celestial Empire......" Yu Ge knelt on the ground and reported loudly. (To be continued......)