Jianxin Emperor

The **Jianxin Emperor** (1715-1781), birth name **Jin Shuang** *(晉塽)*, temple name Shizong *(世宗)* was the 11th Emperor of the Ji dynasty in Ceres, being the first of the Reformist Emperors. Under his reign, Ceres began opening up to the outside world and modernizing, and the process was largely smooth due to most of the conservative elements in the Ji empire having been killed in the civil war of purged for supporting the wrong side.

Shizong was the father of the two emperors who succeeded him, Guangzong and Wenzong, as well as Jin Yongshan, Prince Song and several other leading figures in the Ji court

## Biography

### Early life

Jin Shuang was born in 1715 as the 8th son of then-Crown Prince Jin He. At the time of his birth, he had no chance of succeeding the throne. Before he reached his first birthday, the emperor Xingzong died and his father became the emperor. Afterwards, Shuang was made Prince of Ze, a distant region in the empire's southern border.

### Viceroy of Nanhe

In 1741, Shuang was appointed Viceroy of Yuenan and sent far away from the capital. In theory it was a decent, cushy job, but in reality he had been exiled from the capital, and was closely monitored by the Censorate's commissioners. A few more years later, his eldest brother, Emperor Xiaozong died, and his 3rd eldest brother succeeded the throne. This perhaps gave him hope that one day, it would be his turn to be emperor

During his time in Yuenan, there wasn't much to do, and Shuang took a fascination to the goods, books, and technologies of foreign traders in Hekou. In observing some Lenian vessels fighting with pirates off the shore, Shuang discovered that Ceres was severely lagging behind Osporia technologically. This inspired him to study the foreigners even more and promote modernization.

### Yongkang Tragedy

In 1751, Emperor Dezong died and Shuang's 4th eldest brother, Jin Huan took the throne. The peasant revolts that soon followed began the largest Cerese civil conflict in the 18th century. As Viceroy, Shuang was in theory obligated to lead his troops to the capital to protect the empire and emperor. Therefore, he led his troops north to crush the rebels. The capital had already fallen, forcing the emperor to flee to Fengnan to seek protection from General Li Qian. By 1753, most of the peasant rebels had been suppressed, and the conflict transitioned into one between 2 factions in the empire

### Feng-Ze Contention

In 1753, Li Qian murdered the emperor and installed the crown prince, Jin Xian, as a puppet child emperor. A 3-year long civil war ensued, in which Shuang finally emerged victorious. However, Li had murdered the child emperor and most of the Imperial clan by then, leaving Shuang as the most legitimate successor to the throne.

### Reform

With the end of the civil war, Jin Shuang, now the Jianxin Emperor, began a purge of the old elites who would oppose his reforms. Most of them had already conveniently died in the civil conflicts, and the surviving ones mostly supported him. With few conservative elements left, the Jianxin Emperor began a series of rapid reforms, restructuring the decaying, feudal empire into a modernized, industrialized one. His successors would likewise continue his reforms