The late king decreed that he should be appointed as the regent and act as king. Dazai, general, and Luo Houzhao led the army back to the capital. At the same time, dozens of princes went to the capital to pay homage to the emperor, held alliances, and at the same time rewarded merits and punished demerits, especially in the Yin Ruins. The old land must be feudalized again.
This was the first time that all the princes gathered in Haojing after the feudalism started in the first year of King Kang. Among them, the etiquette issue made the entire royal court busy.
Normally speaking, Ji Zhao, such a powerful minister, would definitely face speculation when he led his army back to the capital. However, Ji Zhao had already prepared for it. The concubines he selected for the emperor were all powerful princes and noble daughters of their mother clan, except for Queen Qi Jiang. , the three ladies are all from the strong branches of the princes of the opposite sex.
Everyone could see that Luohou was trying his best to maintain the balance of power in the capital, which made the emperor's relatives feel relieved a little. Those princes were really unwilling to confront Ji Zhao unless Taigongwang stood with a clear-cut banner. On their side, otherwise they have no chance of winning.
At the end of October, the Eastern Expedition Army, which set out from Yinxu and traveled for a month, finally arrived outside Haojing.
The Emperor Yun personally led the princes, ministers, and domestic and foreign ministers in Beijing to welcome the triumphant Eastern Expedition army outside the East King's Gate of Haojing City. Ji Zhao, wearing armor and sword, bowed to the Emperor three times in military uniform. Ji Yun quickly supported Ji Zhao and said with a smile: "Uncle Wang has made great contributions to the state of Zhou and the country. "The Way of the King" says that the emperor should treat the saints who can bring great order to the world with respect. Moreover, you have carried me on your back. This is the etiquette between father and son. Now I ask you to salute me. This is It is not in line with the ways of the ancient holy kings.”
Ji Zhao did not insist. He turned around and pointed at the Eastern Expedition army and said: "Your Majesty, I followed your order in the first year of the expedition. Tens of thousands of soldiers were willing to fight in a difficult environment. This is all due to the influence of the late king. I hope to repay you for your kindness. The reason why I am able to achieve great achievements is due to the grace of the late king and your destiny."
Ji Yun pulled Ji Zhao towards his chariot and said as he walked: "The destiny means that the saint will come out, the king's uncle will be well, and the state will have the destiny."
The two entered Haojing surrounded by thousands of people. The three armies returned to the camp under the leadership of the generals. They would be rewarded by the emperor's special envoy later.
Those who were qualified to obtain the title of land were brought to the palace. The authority of the central court of the Eastern Expedition was greatly demonstrated. The people of the Xia who wanted to cause rebellion were completely defeated. After the management of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, Dongyi Their power has also been weakened, but the situation in the world is still quite serious.
The six armies of the Emperor cannot always go out to fight. Soldiers, major events of the country, the place of life and death, the road to survival, no one can guarantee victory all the time.
In real history, the emperor's authority declined, and a large part of the reason was that the emperor's six armies were completely lost, and there was no military guarantee to deter the princes.
Ji Zhao planned to further strengthen the exchange of interests between the emperor and the princes during this time of feudalism. That kind of simple tribute could not enable the emperor of Zhou to obtain sufficient benefits when the princes expanded, and was not conducive to the stability of the Zhou Dynasty.
It was another set of rituals for worshiping the heaven. After all, Ji Yun was still young, and the main procedures were completed by Ji Zhao. The princes were tortured for a day but they did not feel tired. Those who performed meritorious service in this expedition were waiting for rewards, and some had done so. Leave it to fate.
As night falls, the palace is ablaze with lights, the sound of silk and bamboo can be heard endlessly, and the sound of drinking and banquets is everywhere, so happy.
The next day.
The emperor summoned the ministers in the palace. The ministers entered in order according to their titles and official positions. After entering the palace, they all knelt down and looked solemn.
I saw Ji Zhao standing with a sword on the right side of the emperor's throne. This is the regent. Taigongwang is standing two steps down the steps on the left side of the emperor. This is the assistant government.
After a series of visits, Ji Zhao asked: "Do you, the heroes of the clan, know why Gu wanted to establish a state, but it was different from Xia and Shang?"
Ji Zhao's rambling words made everyone in the palace a little confused. Since ancient times, land has been awarded to the clans of meritorious officials. This is a matter of course. Is there some special reason?
"I don't know, so I ask Dazai to clarify my doubts."
An excellent compliment is to answer the question in a timely manner.
Ji Zhao then said what he had thought about for a long time: "Feudal matters have been discussed with the late king as early as when the late king was still alive. This is a major matter involving whether the state and Zhou should follow the destiny of heaven. The late king once said to him that destiny is only the destiny of the king. The world is the land that God gave to the Xia to survive, but a large amount of fertile land is occupied by the Yi and Di. If Xia and Shang are not successful in conquering the Yi and Di, the destiny of heaven will decline. The former kings and Gu are worried that the state and Zhou will follow the example of Xia and Shang. Follow in the footsteps.”
This was the first time for everyone in the palace to hear this statement, but if you think about it carefully, wasn't it because the Yin Shang could not handle the Dongyi tribe properly and consumed a large number of troops that they were replaced by Bang Zhou?
Of course, what they believe most is that Ji Zhao moved the late king out. Everyone recognized that the late king Chengtian was appointed.
"Four years ago, I was alone in the royal palace and carried out feudalism in this palace. I rewarded my relatives, heroes, and descendants of the previous dynasty. The emperor rewarded them with land, population, and wealth, hoping that I could rule the people of Yi and Di as the kings of Xia. , and eventually turn the barbarians into summer, so that the destiny of our country will be extended.
However, they did not want to repay the emperor's kindness and fight for the emperor against the barbarians who did not submit to the king's rule. Instead, they rebelled and made trouble, which weakened the strength of the Xia Dynasty, and finally God punished them.
The killing spree in the east was guided by destiny. If the most severe punishment was not imposed on the rebels, how could the merits of the loyal ministers be highlighted?
The opening chapter of "The Way of the King" is: 'The king's industry is not in harmony, and the Xia and barbarians are not at odds! 'I hope you can keep in mind the identity of the princes of Zhou Dynasty and use Zhou rites to rule the barbarians.
If he cannot do this, the emperor will never let anyone who affects the destiny of the country go. He will demote his title and seize land according to his fault, or even seize his title and eliminate the country. He will even take back his surname, demote him to a commoner, and leave him without a trace after his death. Meet the ancestors in face. "
Take away your surname and demote you to a commoner!
Everyone feels sad. The surname is the source of their bloodline and the surname is the symbol of their nobility. Once these two are deprived, they will become lonely ghosts. In this era of bloodline aristocracy, no official position will fall to them. On their heads, unless the Emperor takes pity on them, no matter how big the world is, there will never be a day of resurrection.
At this time, everyone put the fight against the Yi Di as the first priority of the feudal state, which was exactly what Ji Zhao was happy to see.
From the territorial perspective of later generations, the contribution of the Zhou Dynasty is simply unparalleled. Hundreds of armed colonial groups attacked everywhere, almost annihilating other cultural tribes in the entire Central Plains, and they were all unified under the common leader Zhou Tianzi, forming hundreds of years of cultural identity.
It laid an extremely solid foundation for the subsequent unification of Qin and Han Dynasties.
The enfeoffment system is a system that is very suitable for this era. What Ji Zhao has to do is to greatly strengthen the cultural exchanges between the vassal states on the original basis, so that all the vassals will recognize the identity of the vassals, and let all the vassals who collude with foreigners be The world laughs at you.
"Gu compiled the three books "Zhou Rites", "Kingdom System" and "King Way" to teach the emperor. "Zhou Rites" is the foundation of the state and Zhou Dynasty. All princes must study it carefully in order to serve the emperor with all their heart."
Ji Zhao held up pieces of white silk cloth and signaled to everyone: "The feudalism practiced in the first year only had its form, but not its spirit. That's why the four thieves rebelled against yin and yang, disrespected heaven, harmed the common people, and caused internal damage to the weapons." Scroll, the killings are fierce, today the feudal system is re-established. From now on, the yin and yang of heaven are in order, and all the princes must act according to the system and cannot go beyond it, so that our country can enjoy the destiny of heaven forever, and you can also enjoy wealth and honor forever."
The enfeoffment system adjusted by Ji Zhao was finally introduced. First, in order to show Bang Zhou's grace, the two kings and three ke system was proposed.
Among the descendants of the three previously granted kings, Yao, Shun and Yu, only the descendants of King Yu retained the title of Qi Gong. Then the title of Duke of Song was inherited by King Zhou's concubine brother Zi Can. However, the fiefdoms of the Song Kingdom were greatly reduced, and Ji Zhao took the title of Duke Qi. The old Yin and Shang clan gave him the gift and asked him to appease the remaining Yin and Shang remnants. Zican was very grateful. He didn't care about the size of the land title, but this enfeoffment proved that the Zhou Dynasty would never again target and exterminate the Yin and Shang remnants. .
Later, the descendants of Huangdi, Yao, and Shun were granted the title of marquis in Zhu, Tang, and Chen respectively, ranking second to the two kings.
Of course, although his title was high, his position was not good. Ji Zhao was placed next to the powerful vassal state named Ji.
But of course the princes would not care about this. After all, it was a free benefit, and even the descendants of the Yin Shang could still enjoy a piece of land.
After the virtual seal is completed
"The Marquis of Qi, Marquis of Yan, Marquis of Bao, and Marquis of Hui came forward to listen to the title."
The four unrelated marquises stood up quickly. Among them, only Taigongwang knew what Ji Zhao wanted to do. After all, among the four marquises, only the Marquis of Qi was in power in Wangji, and the other three were all granted titles on the border.
"I'm here!"
Needless to say, the four people named by Ji Zhao, the Marquis of Qi, one of the three princes, is the only person in the Zhou Dynasty who can resist him in the eyes of the princes and ministers. The other three are all the younger brothers of King Wu. They were granted the title because they were concubines. In a remote place, only four years later, the campaign against Yi and Di was quite effective, and they are now the more powerful branches of the Ji clan.
"The heaven and earth have four sides and eight poles. The emperor is in the center and commands the four directions. However, the barbarians from all sides keep coming. This is unforgivable.
Qi, Yan, Bao, and Hui are the strong branches among the Xia kingdoms. The emperor wants to demonstrate his destiny in all directions and spread the etiquette and culture of Zhou Dynasty, so he orders you to conquer Dongyi, Xirong, Beidi, and Nanman.
The emperor gives you his scepter that symbolizes war, and also gives you the power to convene the princes for an alliance every March, and calls the four of you "commissioned by the king."
At the beginning of the letter from the princes of the alliance, it was stated that they were "ordered by the king" and added titles and titles, which were the same as those of the Three Dukes.
Upon receiving this appointment, you must send envoys to meet the Emperor in January of each year and present prisoners and treasures to the Emperor. The Emperor will reward you according to your merits. The Emperor will send historians to the four countries to record your history and information about the alliance between princes.
'By order of the king', the title is moved every five years. If the meritorious service is acceptable, the title can be continued. If the meritorious service is still insufficient after several years, the emperor will take it back and transfer it to other princes. "
At this time, everyone in the palace could not sit still. The four princes gained the power to ally with the princes when they conquered the barbarians, which meant that they were the masters of the four directions.
It is said that the great things of the country are to be sacrificed to the Rong, and it is also said that only names and implements can be used, and no fake people can be allowed.
The emperor suddenly transferred part of the power of conquest and title to the princes, which was really beyond everyone's expectations.
But in Ji Zhao's view, let alone the four-town vassal system that can effectively integrate all armies and attack the barbarians. Moreover, the four-town vassals cannot threaten the Emperor of Zhou within a hundred years. In a hundred years, the vassal states have risen and fallen. , the reputation of the princes of the four towns can also be used as a tool to provoke the princes, and the advantages actually outweigh the disadvantages.
Moreover, the Luo Kingdom was one of the vassal states after all, and it was also the foundation for Ji Zhao to settle down for hundreds of years. It would not be beneficial for the emperor to be too strong.
After the initial shock, the princes below the earl began to think, if they did not go when the alliance was held, would they incur retaliation?
The four princes are also thinking about the impact of this policy. The Yanhou fiefdom is in the far northeast, and the Huihou fiefdom is in the south of the river, which is far away from Haojing City. There are not many surrounding fiefdoms, and most of them are countries with sons of the opposite sex. It's almost like fighting alone. If you can recruit some men to fight with you, it's better than nothing.
The Quan Rong forces in the west are powerful, and the Emperor's six armies have always fought against them. The Emperor has enfeoffed four princely states with the surname Ji in the west of Wangji. However, no one is sure whether they can resist the Quan Rong forces. If the battle is unfavorable, the Emperor will send troops. , will definitely be questioned by the emperor. Among the four princes, the pressure to protect the princes is the greatest. In the future, at least half of the burden of defending Wang Ji will fall on him.
The situation of the princes of Qi is relatively good, and Dongyi has always been the key target. Qi has been fighting since the founding of the country, but the east has the most feudal princes. Almost half of the princes are in the east. If they can be unified, Qi's Influence can expand instantly.
But precisely because of the importance of the east, there are several important princes here, such as the Song Kingdom, the old part of the Yin and Shang Dynasties. If the Duke of Song participated in the alliance and was ordered by the king, although he would be the same as the Three Dukes, the Lord of the Song Kingdom would be the real Three Dukes, and he would be powerful. , plus the status is inherently high and low, can the Marquis of Qi still sit on the throne?
What's more, there is Luo State, one of the powerful countries with the surname Ji today. It is also a big country in the east. It is not even too far away from Qi State. Although Ji Zhao did not leave the country, who can ignore it? The two countries are neighbors, and who is willing to bow their heads? ?
Luoyi is also under construction. Even if Qi can suppress Song and Luo by relying on the king's orders, can it still defeat the emperor?
Although they all have their own ideas, the four marquises will naturally not give up the opportunity given by the emperor to unify the princes. The other marquises are also thinking about getting the title of "according to the king's orders". Not qualified to speak at all.
The four princes nodded in unison, took the scepter symbolizing conquest from the waiter, and returned to the queue.
“During the Gudong Campaign, I saw that the wine vessels and ritual vessels of all the countries were in chaos, ignorance and disorder. When I broke into the Li Kingdom, a mere viscount actually used a nine-cauldron to offer sacrifices to heaven.
In the old years, the former king Yu cast the Nine Tripods to suppress the Nine Provinces. The Nine Tripods bear the mandate of heaven and are the king's ritual vessels. The princes use the Nine Tripods, so what ritual vessels should the king use? The king is the one who is entrusted with destiny, so he offers sacrifices to the heaven. Isn't it just that the princes are peeping at the divine weapon and plotting rebellion? "
Ji Zhao's voice sounded relatively calm. In the era before Zhou Li, this situation was very common, but Ji Zhao couldn't tolerate it.
The disorder of the ruling class will bring instability to the rule, which is the biggest variable for him to clear the game. Only a stable political situation is most beneficial to him.
"In view of this situation, everyone must read the "Zhou Rites" compiled. In it, everything from clothing, palaces, food, utensils, chariots and horses, musical instruments, from birth to death, are all governed by rules and regulations. , when you return to the country, you must inform the people of the country that if there is another person who violates the rules in the future, in an instant, the emperor will give an order, and the whole world will attack him, seize the title, eliminate the country, demote him to a commoner, and divide his body into pieces on five horses!"
Divided into pieces by five horses!
This kind of torture is not suitable for soldiers and above. No wonder they are demoted to common people.
Ji Zhao believed that this was a successful court meeting. Bangzhou's ruling group passed the national policies for the next few decades with extremely high efficiency, and the entire dynasty walked in history in the way he hoped.
The princes returned to their fiefdoms with the population and wealth rewarded by the emperor.
The people in Wangjin left the crowded land and served in the vassal states. The best among them could even become vassals of the vassals. Although they were not the vassals of the vassals, but they got a fief, they could be regarded as entering the stage of being a scholar.
Everyone in Bangzhou has a bright future.
And Ji Zhao was sitting in Wang Ji, and as his luck points slowly increased, he taught Ji Yun how to be a king, and silently watched the news of the princes from all over the world.
