"Reporting to your Majesty, I think I can appoint the king to guard the border, but I need to restrict it."
"For example, the favor order of the Han Dynasty!"
Liu Bowen finally expressed his opinion, which was also his original thought.
When Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to enfeoff the king to guard the border, Liu Bowen was not particularly supportive. After all, the disadvantages of the enfeoffment system were there.
As long as there is enfeoffment, these problems will inevitably arise.
But Liu Bowen was tired of fighting in the court and was no longer interested in court affairs. He just wanted to retire and return to his hometown in Qingtian as soon as possible.
Planting fields and raising flowers every day to spend his old age is his biggest wish now.
Therefore, Liu Bowen followed the trend and voted in favor of the policy of enfeoffing the king and guarding the border.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Yuanzhang was now aggressive in the court and insisted on telling what was in his heart.
With Zhu Biao's pearls in front of him, he was not afraid of Zhu Yuanzhang's blame, so he simply expressed his original thoughts directly.
However, when Liu Bowen said these words, he attracted the attention of everyone around him.
After all, everyone knows that Zhu Yuanzhang loves his princes very much, otherwise he would not insist on giving them vassal kings.
As a result, Liu Bowen actually offered such a vicious trick to let Zhu Yuanzhang deal with his own son. Isn't this looking for death?
Pushing the order of favor was the first conspiracy throughout the ages, and it was also the most important method used by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to reduce the vassal state. Although the method was slightly milder, killing with a soft knife was the most deadly.
It directly led to a large number of princes and grandsons of the Han Dynasty living among the people and becoming impoverished common people.
Liu Bei is a typical example. After becoming King Jing of Zhongshan, he ended up being a weaver and seller of shoes.
Everyone turned their attention to Zhu Yuanzhang again, wanting to see how Zhu Yuanzhang would deal with Liu Bowen.
Everyone thought that Zhu Yuanzhang was going to be furious. When Liu Bowen was pulled out and chopped into pieces, Zhu Yuanzhang actually burst out laughing:
"Haha, Bowen, Bowen, you finally spoke your mind."
Hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's laughter, the officials looked at Zhu Yuanzhang in astonishment, trying to see if Zhu Yuanzhang was angry.
Shouldn't you just ask someone to pull Liu Bowen out at this time?
Zhu Yuanzhang did not pay attention to the strange looks in the officials' eyes, but said:
"What we want to hear is what is in the heart."
"We are not a foolish king, let alone a tyrant. If you have anything to say, you can feel free to say it."
"If there is nothing, encourage it, and if there is, change it. We only hope that our Ming Dynasty can become more prosperous in the hands of you and my monarchs."
"I am terrified."
Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang say this, Liu Bowen quickly fell to the ground and replied.
"Okay, let's get down."
Zhu Yuanzhang directly asked Liu Bowen to stand up, and then said to Zhu Biao beside him:
"Biao'er, since you have a unique view on sealing the king and guarding the border, then you can tell me whether to seal the king and guard the border or not?"
Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang asking Zhu Biao again, the eyes of the civil and military officials moved to Zhu Biao again.
I always feel that Zhu Biao seems different today, as if he is being taught by an expert. Is he enlightened?
In the confused eyes of everyone, Zhu Biao said:
"Father, I think I should be granted the title!"
"Oh, tell me why?"
"There is a saying that soldiers have no constant momentum, and water has no constant shape."
Zhu Biao started talking again.
In the past, he could only stand next to Zhu Yuanzhang and observe state affairs, and rarely had such an opportunity to express his own opinions.
Now that it was the first time to say so many words, Zhu Biao felt that this feeling was so refreshing.
"The imperial court's policy should take advantage of the situation and implement the most correct policy at the most appropriate time."
“There are no principles that are eternal, and there are no policies that will last a hundred years.”
"It has been less than three years since our Ming Dynasty regained the Northland."
"Before our Ming Dynasty, the Central Plains had lost the Sixteenth State of Yanyun for more than 300 years."
"Even the Central Plains north of the Yangtze River has been out of the control of the imperial court for more than a hundred years."
"Having lost contact with the imperial court for such a long time has resulted in many of these places calling themselves Hu people. They only know the customs of the Hu people but not the culture of our Han people."
"In this case, enfeoffing the king to guard the border can not only resist the invasion of the remnants of the north, but also educate the local people and consolidate our Ming Dynasty. It is really a good strategy."
After saying so many words in one breath, Zhu Biao felt a little thirsty.
When the civil and military officials below heard Zhu Biao's words, they felt as if the clouds had been cleared away.
Especially the sentence about implementing the most correct policy at the right time made the civil servants nod their heads.
"Then according to His Highness, how should this king's border defense be ended?"
Li Shanchang curiously asked the question. After all, as Zhu Biao said just now, if the continuous implementation of sealing the king and guarding the border would be detrimental to the Ming Dynasty, how would it end?
Is it really necessary to use the grace order that Liu Bowen mentioned just now?
"Seal a king without enfeoffing a land; grant a vassal without inheriting a vassal."
Zhu Biao's words were impactful, but they confused the civil and military ministers below.
Grant a king or not a land?
To seal a vassal state but not to succeed it?
What's the meaning?
Only the corner of the blue jade mouth underneath kept twitching. This nephew was really not particular about it and just copied it.
"I wonder what your Highness means by this?"
Li Shanchang continued to ask questions.
Zhu Biao replied:
"The purpose of granting the king the title of Border Guard is to let them guard the border for the imperial court. If this is the case, there is no need to give them vassal land."
"After all, if the vassal king owns the vassal territory, they still need to focus on expanding the vassal territory, which may affect their ability to lead troops to fight."
"The vassal does not succeed the vassal. Their prince is granted a title. Only his eldest son can inherit it, but he can only inherit the lower-level duke."
“And so on until you become a civilian.”
As soon as these words came out, all the officials below looked at Zhu Yuanzhang in shock. Are they really planning to use the grace order on their own sons?
This is really unbelievable for them! After all, Zhu Yuanzhang's character is very protective, and now he is willing to give in. I don't know who persuaded him.
Everyone looked at Zhu Biao again, but they all felt that this person was not Zhu Biao. After all, Zhu Biao's character had always been weak and submissive and would not argue with Zhu Yuanzhang.
Among all the officials, probably only Lan Yu knows the truth.
It's a pity that he can't share this matter with others, otherwise Zhu Yuanzhang will not let him go.
"Not only that, except for my father, future kings of the Ming Dynasty can no longer arbitrarily create vassal kings."
"After all, all the vassal king's salary is provided by the national treasury, so it cannot add too much burden to the Ming Dynasty treasury."
Zhu Biao continued to add:
"In the future, all the children of the royal family will have to support themselves."
Zhu Biao's last words were extremely firm.
After all, Zhu Yuanzhang created the current situation of the Ming Dynasty, and his descendants should also follow suit.
Only when you start from scratch can you become a hero.
