coming!
What is supposed to come will eventually come.
Although the vassal kings had already guessed it, they still took chances on their way to the capital.
But at this moment, listening to the emperor's words, my heart was filled with desolation.
For a moment, the main hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple was extremely quiet.
"Your Majesty, if I donate 50...80% of the palace's property, will I be able to retain the throne?"
After a while, a voice broke the dull atmosphere.
Everyone looked up and saw that it was King Rui Zhu Changhao.
"Your Majesty, as long as you can give me your property, I don't care whether you want the throne or not. I like Buddha but don't get close to women. I also need to pay homage to Buddha, need tributes, etc."
Two idiots...
This was the unanimous evaluation given by all the vassal kings after listening to the voices of King Rui Zhu Changhao and King Hui Zhu Changrun.
These two idiots didn't even think about it. Without the protection of the throne, would the people they usually offend let them go?
Can their huge family property be saved?
Besides, what kind of tribute requires millions of taels of silver?
Chongzhen was also speechless. This was like a Buddha crossing a Yuan Dynasty.
At the beginning, there were already two feudal kings lying flat, which was a good start.
However, these two people can be considered shrewd and surrendered. Even if they are not on the throne, they are still the emperor's uncles.
Even if the emperor doesn't like them very much, for the sake of the royal family's face, he will still do the best in appearance, and those who want to touch them still have to check whether their necks are hard.
Chongzhen neither agreed nor spoke to the two people's request. He still looked at everyone with a cold face.
"Your Majesty, the vassal king system was established by Taizu and has been passed down for more than 260 years. Are you planning to violate the ancestral system established by Taizu?"
"Your Majesty, the vassal king system has existed since ancient times. Although it has many shortcomings, all dynasties still began to enfeoff vassal kings after the founding of the country. Why?
Because the vassal king can help the monarch stabilize the political power. As the saying goes, brothers fighting tigers, father and son go into battle, brothers work together, their sharpness can cut off gold, I hope your majesty will not cut off your own limbs! "
"Your Majesty, the vassal king is a family. To be disrespectful, if the vassal king was not here and Emperor Tianqi died, what would happen to the Ming Dynasty? How could you ascend to the position of great treasure?"
"Your Majesty, King Lu is right. The Ming Dynasty went through fifteen emperors, and there were not a few who succeeded to the throne as vassals. One hundred and eighty years ago, after the Tumubao Incident, Yingzong was captured, and King Zhu Qiyu proclaimed himself emperor in danger. ;
More than 120 years ago, Wu Zong died suddenly without leaving any heirs. Wu Zong's cousin Zhu Houcong succeeded to the throne;
Sixty years ago, Emperor Shizong passed away, and the crown prince Zhu Zaihen also died of illness. Prince Yu Zhu Zaihe succeeded to the throne;
These were all efforts to turn the tide during the crisis of the Ming Dynasty, further illustrating the importance of the vassal king. "
"King Yi, you are so presumptuous!"
After listening to King Yi's words, before Chongzhen could speak, King Fu immediately stood up and stared at King Yi Zhu Youben coldly.
"Why did the vassal king inherit the throne? Because the emperor has no heir, or something happened to the prince. Are you cursing His Majesty and the princes with what you just said?
Or are you coveting the throne? "
"you you……"
King Yi Zhu Youben's face changed drastically, and he realized that he had said the wrong thing. Although he was talking about the matter, King Fu's logic was also correct.
Seeing that King Lu on the allied front was being criticized, King Zhu Shouhong of Lu immediately defended himself and said: "King Fu, don't be so messy. We are just discussing the matter and the role of the vassal king.
Moreover, His Majesty said that you can speak freely in this hall today, so please don’t criticize me! "
After finishing speaking, he looked at Chongzhen in the center: "Your Majesty, King Yi never meant this, please forgive me!"
Chongzhen remained silent, as if he had not heard the words of Lu King Zhu Shouhong, while cold sweat broke out on King Yi's forehead.
For a moment, the whole hall was extremely embarrassed.
After a while, Chongzhen said calmly: "Have you finished talking? I've finished talking, let me say a few words!"
"Why did Taizu divide the kings into kings? The first was to consolidate the political power and let the Ming Dynasty be ruled by the Zhu family. Even if there was internal fighting, it would ultimately be the Zhu family's world, and the wealth would not fall to outsiders.
Second, guarding the border areas, the Nine Great Sai Kings did this. In fact, they also played a huge role. The vassal kings also made great contributions to the stability of the Ming Dynasty;
Third, use the power of the vassal king to suppress the common people and nobles;
Fourthly, Taizu was born in poverty and experienced countless miseries in the world, and he did not want his descendants to suffer again;
Taizu's intentions were right, and in fact he quickly stabilized the newly established Ming Dynasty. "
"However, Taizu is not a god, and his vision is still limited. He did not expect that his descendants would be so wanton and bastard.
Nor did I expect that future generations would become a burden to Ming Dynasty, become blood-sucking insects on Ming Dynasty, and even make Ming Dynasty almost destroyed! "
The faces of the vassal kings were extremely ugly. The emperor was scolding them.
And comparing them to bugs is unbearable.
"Not convinced, are you?"
Chongzhen looked at the vassal kings who were still unconvinced, and stretched out his hand. Wang Chengen, who had been silent in the corner, stepped forward and presented a piece of paper.
"At the time of Taizu, there were only fifty-eight people in the clan. By the twenty-third year of Wanli, the jade certificate recorded that there were 157,000 people.
By the seventh year of the Apocalypse, there were 220,000 people in the entire clan. The royal family's population growth was ten times that of ordinary people. The growth rate was unprecedented.
Among other things, the third generation Qingcheng King Zhu Zhongyi had 94 children in total. He single-handedly forced the court to modify the clan rules, which was unprecedented in the entire history.
Do you know what the people call the royal family? The world raises pigs, remember, they are stupid pigs' pigs, not Zhu Youjian's Zhu. "
"Why do you have so many children? Because having one child represents a prince and a generous salary. Having children has become a way for you to make money. You only know about money, but you have never considered the burden on the court.
Let me do some calculations for you. In the early years of Wanli, the annual field tax was 23 million shi, and the clan salary required 8 million shi. The food in Shanxi and two provinces was not enough for half of the clan salary. How terrible. "
"Are you trying to say that as a vassal, you cannot have the four professions? Once you succeed as vassal king, you cannot leave the palace without authorization and can only give birth to children at home?
Then why are there so many feudal kings who have no heirs and are expelled from the feudal clan? It’s because they can’t afford to marry more, right? Still don’t want to?
Zhou Wang Zhu Ju compiled "Materia Medica for Famine Relief" and was known as the king of medicine.
King Zheng Zhu Zaiyu completed the "Complete Book of Music", "Jia Liang Suan Jing" and other works, and created the twelve equal temperaments, and was called the Ming Dynasty Rhythm Sage.
Your ancestors could do this, why can't you?
I don’t ask you to reach this level, be a normal person, and abide by etiquette. Have you done that? "
“I’ve given you a salary and good farmland, but you’re still not satisfied.
As long as resources prove to be profitable, such as mines, forests, land, etc., you can either beg the emperor or plunder them and seize them in your own hands.
What is even more shameless is that they even rob tax revenue from various places, cry poverty to the emperor, and ask for various special benefits. "
Speaking of this, Chongzhen looked at the vassal kings coldly.
