“The method adopted by Emperor Yongle does seem good.
Giving up some benefits, improving the treatment of the clan, and using some tough methods, the vassal kings pinched their noses and accepted his method, and took away the military power of many vassal kings.
The shortcomings of the vassal system established by His Majesty have been temporarily eliminated.
But doing so actually has huge disadvantages.
There was indeed no rebellion by the feudal lord in the future.
It ensured that there would be no more civil strife in the Ming Dynasty, and all future emperors would be in the lineage of Emperor Yongle.
However, it did not eliminate the adverse effects of the vassal system.
The vassal system became a cancer in the Ming Dynasty and seriously hindered the Ming Dynasty.
The fall of the Ming Dynasty was caused by various natural and man-made disasters, as well as the reasons previously told to Your Majesty and the two princes. The vassal king system was also an important reason.
If there was no vassal system, under normal circumstances, the Ming Dynasty could still continue to have some national destiny, and it should be possible for several decades. "
In the side hall, Han Cheng's voice rang out, and Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao couldn't help but feel panic rising in their hearts.
Is it so serious?
In fact, it was not just Zhu Yuanzhang who felt that the method adopted by Zhu Di was good, but even Zhu Biao also felt that the method adopted by Zhu Di was good.
Although it seems that there are still many problems, when combined with various actual conditions, it is still quite good.
It eliminated various hidden dangers caused by the vassal kings holding military power, which was conducive to the stability of the Ming Dynasty.
Corresponding compensation was also given, which can be regarded as the friendship between the clans.
How did it come to Han Cheng's mouth that these measures were so unbearable?
Did it actually reduce the national fortunes of the Ming Dynasty?
Is it so serious and exaggerated?
It's not that they don't believe Han Cheng's words, it's that what Han Cheng said is very different from what they think in their hearts.
"But those vassal kings, relying on their status, did evil, brought harm to one party, and harmed the people?"
After Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a while, he looked at Han Cheng and asked such a question.
When he asked this question, Zhu Yuanzhang felt heavy.
Although Han Cheng has not yet said that this is indeed the case, Zhu Yuanzhang has basically been able to confirm that there is basically no deviation between the real situation and what he thought.
The vassal kings were enfeoffed and their military power was removed. Without military power, these vassal kings would not be able to rebel.
Judging from the information obtained from Han Cheng, these vassal kings did not rebel.
Since there was no rebellion, the only reason why such great harm was caused was that these vassal kings took advantage of their status to do all kinds of evil and harm the people in their fiefdoms!
It's not unusual for this to actually happen.
While he was still alive, many of the first generation of feudal kings began to stop being human beings after they became feudal lords.
If things continue to develop for a long time in the future, the second and third generations... I'm afraid there will be more of them who are not human beings.
He must have done a lot of bad things.
"There are indeed many people who do evil, and there are also many people who take advantage of their status and power to occupy farmland..."
Listening to Han Cheng's words, Zhu Yuanzhang's chest began to rise and fall again.
Although this was an expected result, Zhu Yuanzhang was still in a very bad mood after receiving confirmation from Han Cheng.
How could these unworthy descendants do this?
Have they all forgotten what life the Zhu family lived in the beginning, what disasters they suffered, and the ancestral precepts I gave them? !
“However, these things are indeed serious, but they are not the most serious.
Compared with other aspects, what they did in the fief can only be called a furuncle disease.
These things did have a great impact on the Ming Dynasty, but they cannot be said to have reduced the national destiny of the Ming Dynasty. "
What Han Cheng said made Zhu Yuanzhang, who was furious and his chest heaving, suddenly froze.
It's not because of these?
If it's not because of these, what else could it be?
The evil done by these people is actually greater than those?
These things can be called boils, so what kind of things can be said to reduce the national destiny of the Ming Dynasty by decades?
Zhu Biao beside him was also stunned, and immediately fell into deep thought.
After pondering for a while, I still couldn't figure out how much trouble these feudal kings could cause without rebelling, causing such serious consequences.
"Really speaking, the root of this matter is still with you, Your Majesty."
Han Cheng thought for a moment and said.
At your own place?
What else have you done to harm future generations?
Zhu Yuanzhang became even more confused by what Han Cheng said.
After thinking about it for a while, I still can't figure out what could cause such a big harm.
Han Cheng didn't show any concern at all. After waiting for a while and seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao still couldn't figure it out, he directly gave the answer.
"It's the clan support system you established. This thing made Daming's clan become a cancer on Daming's body. It has been sucking Daming's blood and made Daming very weak."
Clan support system?
What Han Cheng was talking about was the clan support system? !
After hearing what Han Cheng said, both Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were shocked.
They had racked their brains and thought about many aspects before, but they did not think about the clan support system.
"Han Cheng, isn't this something right? The clan support system is a very good system. How come it has become a cancer in the future when it comes to your mouth?
This shouldn't be the case! "
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Han Cheng and asked with some doubts.
"Is it a good system? Your Majesty didn't calculate how much money it would cost to support the clan?"
Han Cheng looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked.
"According to our regulations, our son, who is the prince of the Ming Dynasty, will only have 50,000 shi of rice, 2,000 jin of salt, 25,000 guan of Ming Dynasty treasure money, and 1,000 jin of tea in the winter. cloth, and a thousand pieces each of summer cloth..."
Zhu Yuanzhang's memory is quite good, especially those things that he cared about and did personally. He immediately told the various benefits he had formulated for the Prince of Ming Dynasty like Shu Jiazhen.
After finishing speaking, he looked at Han Cheng and said: "This is not too much! The number sounds quite large. In fact, the prince also has a large family to support, as well as officials in the palace, and various expenses..."
Han Cheng said: "If you count just one, it is indeed not too much, but your Majesty, please don't forget that the Ming Dynasty does not have only one prince.
You have twenty-six sons!
According to the original history, the eldest brother does not need to be crowned a prince, but he is still sealing twenty-five princes in one breath! "
He actually has twenty-six sons?
Lao Twenty-two was just born this year. Does this mean that he will have four sons in the future?
Hearing Han Cheng's words, Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned at first, and then immediately became happy.
You really deserve to be yourself!
How come you are so good!
Lao Zhu’s family is really prosperous!
You have made a great contribution!
One man gave birth to twenty-six sons!
My own Lao Zhu family had suffered a severe population decline due to the war.
At one time it was almost extinct.
Only my own branch and the elder brother's branch were left.
The eldest brother's branch only left one son.
What now? She gave birth to twenty-six sons alone, which can be regarded as spreading branches and leaves of Lao Zhu's family!
After I passed away and went underground, when I saw my father, I straightened my back and spoke to him.
His son really cheered up the old Zhu family!
"Biao'er, you have to work hard and leave more descendants to the Zhu family for us to spread their branches and leaves!"
Zhu Yuanzhang turned to look at Zhu Biao and said with seriousness.
Through Han Cheng's narration, Zhu Yuanzhang knew that even including Xiongying, the poor eldest grandson, Biao'er only had five sons, which was far behind him compared with himself.
Zhu Biao was calculating how much money twenty-five princes would spend in a year. At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly said this, which immediately confused him.
Why are my father's thoughts so strange?
Aren't we talking about the dangers of the clan now?
How come this suddenly involves letting me have more children?
"Okay, okay, I understand, Father."
Zhu Biao nodded in agreement.
Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to say a few more words to urge the marriage.
As a result, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly swallowed the words on his lips when he thought of the bastard things that his fourth brother had done and the tragic ending of Yunxi and the others.
The good mood disappeared all of a sudden.
Not only is it gone, but I also want to beat him up again!
"Twenty-five princes, not to mention anything else, just lumi, will need 1.25 million shi in one year, and 625,000 guan of treasure money. This is really a lot of money. ."
Han Cheng looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and began to settle the score with him.
"Sounds like a lot." Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.
"But if you really count it, it's not too much. Ming Dynasty is so big, this money can still afford it."
Zhu Yuanzhang still felt that this was a small problem, far from the level of horror that Han Cheng said.
piece of cake?
Han Cheng smiled.
“Your Majesty, please don’t forget that the prince will also give birth to a son.
Except for the one who succeeds to the throne, the others still have to be named county kings.
The sons of the prince, except those who inherit the throne, will be granted the title of general of the country...
And those who inherit the throne from their fathers will also have sons.
Of the sons born, one will inherit the throne, and the others will be named county kings.
Besides, there are not only twenty-five princes in the Ming Dynasty.
Normally, everyone who becomes an emperor will have other brothers.
The emperor's brother will also be named the new prince.
Then a new cycle begins.
Under the clan system established by Your Majesty, unless a prince dies or makes a huge mistake, the prince's title will continue to be passed down.
If this continues, not to mention the rest, just how many generations will the prince have?
How many descendants should there be?
According to your Majesty's regulations, the prince of the county will receive six thousand dan per year, and the general of the country will receive 2,000 dan per year, not to mention the supply of other various items.
Just for Lumi, the numbers are astonishingly high.
Besides, what I'm counting now is just your Majesty's current standards.
If you follow Your Majesty's idea and adopt the method of improving the treatment of the clan to solve the problem like Emperor Yongle did, then the calculated number will be even greater!
One generation, two generations, three generations, the problem will not be too big, but once there are too many inheritances, the number will become extremely scary!
Moreover, after the clans started to be raised in captivity, many clans always had nothing to do and just liked to have children at home.
Some of them, just sons, numbered more than a hundred.
When they gather together during festivals, the brothers and sisters simply don’t recognize each other.
Even he himself cannot recognize his own son.
This ability to give birth to a son rivals that of King Zhongshan Jing of the Western Han Dynasty!
The process of creating a human being is extremely pleasurable, and many people like it. More importantly, after giving birth to a child, the Ming court will support it.
Not only will they not lose money, they can also get a lot of money and other things in this way.
There are not a few people who use this method to obtain money from the imperial court! "
Zhu Biao had been calculating what Han Cheng said about the prince's salary.
Zhu Biao's arithmetic is still good.
But now, after Han Cheng's explanation, Zhu Biao, who was still calculating rapidly at the beginning, gave up calculations and stopped struggling.
It can’t be counted, it can’t be counted at all!
This number was not only too big, but also too complicated, which made him feel like he couldn't start.
Although there was no way to calculate it, he knew that this must be an extremely terrifying number!
As Han Cheng finished his words, the side hall fell into silence.
Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were silent for a while.
After a while, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Han Cheng and said, "Then...how many people will there be in our clan in the Ming Dynasty in the late Ming Dynasty?"
Han Cheng tried his best to think back and said: "Together, there are about three hundred princes and county kings.
As for those who could receive imperial salary, many data were damaged due to the war, so the records available online are not complete.
However, after some calculations and speculations by later generations, it is generally believed that it was between 200,000 and 1 million people. "
"My child! So many?!!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was shocked and exclaimed.
Zhu Biao'er beside him was also shocked by this number and speechless.
Although he knew from the beginning that this was an extremely huge number.
But I didn't expect it to be so huge!
Between two hundred thousand and one million!
Not to mention the largest number of one million, just the smallest number of 200,000, that is amazing enough!
After this year, the imperial court will only pay salaries to these clans. How much will they pay?
Does the court need to do other things?
The clan was only given a salary, but they were overwhelmed!
It was also at this time that Zhu Biao suddenly understood why Han Cheng would say that the clan support system was a cancer for the Ming Dynasty!
This is really a cancer!
A cancer that can bring down the Ming Dynasty!
He said that it would shorten the Ming Dynasty's national destiny by decades. This turned out to be true!
Not only him, Zhu Yuanzhang was also shocked by the numbers Han Cheng said at this time.
Of course, Zhu Yuanzhang's first thoughts were different from Zhu Biao's.
The first thought that arose in him was, how many descendants did he have?
I have really opened up the branches of Lao Zhu’s family!
You know, Han Cheng is only talking about those who can receive salaries. There will be more people who cannot receive royal salaries.
Under such circumstances, by the end of the Ming Dynasty, the number of his descendants will even exceed two million? !
I have a child!
Why are you so powerful?
He was about to cut off his incense abruptly, and he was the only one who died in his life, and his descendants spread all over the world?
Now, my old Zhu family is completely prosperous!
No matter how big a disaster occurs, my old Zhu family will never be cut off again!
After such a surprise, worries and shock arose about Ming's need to support the clan's expenses.
After a while, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Han Cheng and said, "Han Cheng, are you trying to trick us?
Will our Lao Zhu family really have so many people in the future? Why don’t we quite believe it?
By the way, what's the name of that child in Chongzhen? "
Before Zhu Yuanzhang, he had always called Chongzhen after Han Cheng, but he still didn't know what Chongzhen was called.
Han Cheng said: "It's called Zhu Youjian."
After hearing Han Cheng's words, Zhu Yuanzhang started to chant: "Gao Zhan Qi Jianyou, Hou Zai Yi Chang You, Ci He..."
As he spoke, he curled his fingers.
After curling up the ten fingers, he started to stretch them out one by one. After stretching out two fingers, the movement stopped.
After being stunned for a moment, he quietly retracted the two stretched out fingers, staring blankly at the hands clenched into two fists.
Gao Zhanqi Jianyou, Hou Zaiyi Changyou...Zhu Youjian...
It turns out that the Ming Dynasty collapsed after it was only passed down to the Youzi generation! !
Worried that it would be difficult to recognize his children and grandchildren in the future, Zhu Yuanzhang directly wrote a generational poem for each of his sons.
In this case, from now on, whenever I hear the name, I will know whose descendant this descendant belongs to, and there will be no mistaking it.
When Zhu Yuanzhang originally set the twenty generations for each son, he was still a little bit dissatisfied. He also planned to let them start from the beginning again after the twenty generations were used up.
As a result, it was only the fourth generation’s turn to be the emperor here, and the Ming Dynasty died as a result? ?
Exactly ten, and the next ten are not used...
this……
Isn't this a little too fast?
Shaking his head and telling himself not to think too much, Zhu Yuanzhang pulled his thoughts back, looked at Han Cheng and said: "Yu Zi's generation is the tenth generation, plus our generation, Biao'er's generation, it's just the tenth generation." Second generation.
Can twelve generations of emperors really reproduce so many people? "
It wasn't that Zhu Yuanzhang didn't believe what Han Cheng said, it was actually that the numbers Han Cheng said were too astonishing.
It was beyond Zhu Yuanzhang's knowledge.
Even if he heard it with his own ears, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't quite believe that these were true.
In just twelve generations, has it really developed to this extent?
Hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's question, Zhu Biao also looked at Han Cheng.
Although he also knew that according to Han Cheng, there were really many people in Lao Zhu's family later on.
But it was unbelievable to him that so many people could develop in just twelve generations.
"It's really true."
Han Cheng said.
But then I realized that just saying this was too pale and unconvincing.
After thinking for a while, Han Cheng had an idea.
He decided to give Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao a little mathematical shock!
With a more intuitive scene, it created a strong visual impact on the two of them.
"Wait a moment, your majesty and you will soon believe that what I say is true."
Han Cheng said and walked outside.
Under the gazes of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, Han Cheng quickly walked back.
In one hand, he held a piece of unburned charcoal, and in the other hand, he held half a bag.
The bag looks heavy.
Han Cheng put down the bag, which contained half a bag of rice.
Then he took the charcoal in his hand and started drawing on the ground.
Soon, thirteen half-meter square squares were drawn on the ground.
Throwing the charcoal aside, after washing and drying his hands, he walked to the half bag of rice and grabbed half a handful of rice.
Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were both puzzled by Han Cheng's manipulations and did not understand what Han Cheng meant.
Why did you just get these things?
How could he rely on these things to prove to himself that what he said was right?
Han Chengdao: "At the time of Emperor Chongzhen, there was already a crown prince, and he was quite young.
These thirteen grids represent thirteen generations of people. "
As Han Cheng spoke, he picked up a grain of rice from his hand and placed it in the first grid.
"This represents His Majesty's generation."
Then he counted twenty-six grains of rice and placed them in the second grid.
"This represents His Majesty's twenty-six sons."
Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao already understood what Han Cheng wanted to do.
Just looking at the remaining eleven grids, and then looking at the solitary grains of rice in the first two grids, neither Zhu Yuanzhang nor Zhu Biao believed that Han Cheng could put two hundred thousand dollars on the thirteenth grid. Rice grains pointing upward.
Han Cheng looked at the two of them and said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has five sons, so how about we settle the score by assuming that each vassal king has five sons?"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "Okay."
Looking at his glorious record of giving birth to twenty-six sons, Zhu Yuanzhang actually felt that Han Cheng was still a little short of five children per child.
"Twenty-six people, if each has five children, that's one hundred and thirty people."
After that, Han formed a group of five and counted out twenty-six groups of rice and put them into the third grid.
"Your Majesty's grandchildren are also counted as five children each, that is, six hundred and fifty people."
Han Cheng then placed a few meters into the fourth grid.
But even at this time, six hundred and fifty grains of rice still looked inconspicuous when placed in the grid.
Han Cheng didn't stop.
"Later it was calculated as five sons per person, so by the fifth generation, there were 3,250 people."
Counting these meters is not that fast.
Han Cheng asked Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao to squat down for a few meters together.
Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao squatted down and walked a few meters with Han Cheng.
Under normal circumstances, Zhu Yuanzhang would not do such seemingly boring things.
But now, he saw some extraordinary significance in Han Cheng's actions.
After the three of them counted the rice in the fifth grid, Han Cheng said: "If you calculate it this way, the sixth generation should be... sixteen thousand two hundred and twenty-five people."
After listening to Han Cheng's words, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao already felt a little different.
Without Han Cheng saying anything, the two of them quickly started counting the meters themselves.
Seeing this, Han Cheng stopped the two of them: "Your Majesty, brother, stop counting. How long will you be counting like this?"
The two of them were stunned when they heard this, weren't you the one who gave in just now?
Why don't you let it go at this time?
Immediately I felt that what Han Cheng said made sense. It took me a while to count the more than 3,000 grains of rice just now. How long will it take to count these more than 1,000 grains of rice?
But if you don’t count, how can you get the corresponding number of meters?
Han Cheng said: "Bring a scale over here. Let's weigh a pound of rice and see how many grains there are in it."
Upon hearing Han Cheng's words, Zhu Biao immediately woke up.
yes!
This is a good idea!
The numbers in the front are small, so counting rice grains is okay, but once the numbers increase later, it will be really difficult to count the grains one by one!
Immediately he ran out in person and ordered someone to get the scale.
Not long after, a scale was delivered.
Zhu Yuanzhang weighed a pound of rice himself, but several people began to count nervously.
After a while, I counted clearly. There were 16,853 grains in this pound of rice.
"Then, how about calculating it as 16,250 grains per kilogram of rice? It's easier to settle accounts this way."
Han Cheng looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao and asked.
Both nodded in agreement.
So Han Chenggong placed a pound of rice in the sixth grid.
Then the seventh grid is five pounds, and the eighth grid is twenty-five pounds.
The ninth grid... there is no rice. The rice Han Cheng brought in has been used up.
But at this time, not counting Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, they were already looking at the grid in front of them and fell into a daze.
In the first grid, there was only a very inconspicuous grain of rice, but by the eighth grid, it actually weighed twenty-five kilograms!
There is no room for that grid!
This is only eight generations, and there has already been such a huge growth?
Before seeing it directly, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao had some doubts about the number of clans Han Cheng had mentioned before.
But now, they no longer doubt it at all!
But Han Cheng was still calculating at this time.
“In the ninth grid, one hundred and twenty-five jins should be placed, in the tenth grid, 625 jins, and in the eleventh grid 3,125 jins.
The twelfth grid is 15,625 pounds.
In the thirteenth grid, 78,125 kilograms should be placed.
One pound is calculated as 16,250 grains of rice, that is..."
As Han Cheng spoke, he held a quill in his hand and began to make vertical calculations on the paper.
He really couldn't figure out this thing mentally.
After a pause, he said: "Two hundred and sixty-nine hundred and fifty-three thousand two hundred and twenty-five pills!"
After reading this number, Han Cheng himself was shocked.
Is it so big?
The thirteenth generation has reached such an outrageous level?
Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, who were already sluggish, suddenly became even more sluggish after learning from Han Cheng that 'billion' means 'millions'!
Are there so many? !
Isn’t this number too scary?
Both of them were shocked by this extremely huge number.
Although what Han Cheng is calculating now are ideal numbers, the real situation is that there will be premature death, some people will not even have children, and other various reasons, which will affect the increase in the number of heirs.
There certainly won't be such a large number of people.
But it also shows from one aspect that the number of clans that Han Cheng said received between 200,000 and 1 million in imperial salary is true!
Zhu Biao still couldn't believe it and felt that Han Cheng had calculated too quickly.
So I went over to look at Han Cheng's calculation records.
It turned out that the characters written by Han Cheng were curved and simple, and they were a type of characters that he did not recognize.
Had to give up.
"Hiss~~"
After Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned for a long time, he suddenly gasped as if he had a toothache.
This is actually true!
It can really develop to so many people!
No wonder!
No wonder Han Cheng said that the clan support system is a cancer!
It’s true!
With so many clans here, Ming Dynasty will be almost drained of blood!
Under such circumstances, how could Daming have the extra money to do other things?
This method of dealing with the fourth child is indeed a big trap!
The clan support system must be resolved!
It must be solved!
It can’t be solved!
Who would have thought that after thirteen generations, the clan could develop to this point!
However, what should be done to reasonably solve the clan's problems?
After going around for a long time, things came around again.
Zhu Yuanzhang fell into trouble again...
(End of chapter)
