Looking at the expressions of the vassal kings, Chongzhen chuckled.
This is a typical example of giving someone a slap in the face and giving them a jujube. Shouldn't you have the final say on whether you can be crowned king?
Besides, by the time the clan had grown up, he would have defeated the surrounding enemies long ago. Without a war, it would be very difficult to become a duke or king based on merit.
But it does not rule out that someone invented something that transcended the times or made policies that affected and changed the trend of the entire Ming Dynasty. If so, he would really not be stingy with a throne.
"Your Majesty, I think this is not allowed. You cut off the feudal vassal on the front foot, and then make the king on the back foot. Isn't this contradictory?"
"Your Majesty, if there are only three nobles, then there will be too few people in the clan. A big family that has been passed down for more than a hundred years has more than that, which is not conducive to the consolidation of the political power!"
"Your Majesty, the ancestral system established by Taizu is that only the emperor's son can be crowned prince, and no one else can. You are violating the ancestral system!"
…
"Have I violated many of the ancestral rules?"
Chongzhen's indifferent words left the vassal kings speechless and speechless.
Since the emperor ascended the throne, he first abolished the legal privileges of scholars, and then abolished the privileges of scholars not to pay taxes, etc.
"The purpose of the ancestral system established by Taizu was to consolidate the Ming Dynasty's political power, but these ancestral systems have become a burden on the court and seriously hindered the operation of the Ming Dynasty.
I believe that even if Taizu is here, he will make adjustments.
In addition, if anyone feels that I have violated the ancestral system, then he should complain to Taizu, and I can grant his wish! "
If you complain to Taizu in person, wouldn't you have to die?
Feeling the cold murderous intent in the emperor's words, the vassal kings trembled all over and said no more.
"Any further comments?"
The vassal kings were silent, Chongzhen nodded with satisfaction, and continued: "After talking about the title, let's talk about how you will live in the future.
First, the imperial court will send five major agencies, namely Jinyiwei, Inspectorate, Ministry of Punishment, Dongchang, and Dali Temple, to form a joint inspection to thoroughly investigate the major royal palaces and subordinate clans.
Except for the Ten Evils and human life lawsuits, the sentences for other crimes will be reduced by one to three levels as appropriate.
If he commits the crime again in the future, his crime will be increased by one level. Is there any problem with this? "
The vassal kings were silent at first, and then shook their heads. Not fully investigating everything was already an act of mercy outside the law. What else could be demanded?
"Second, seize all the properties of the prince, the county king, and the general who governs the country. The remaining five nobles who are involved in the ten evils and human lives will also be confiscated.
For the rest, as long as they hand over all the fertile land, shops, etc. obtained through illegal means, they will no longer be held accountable! "
The faces of the vassal kings were full of reluctance and heartache, but they did not speak.
This was to be expected. The three palaces of King Qin, King Dai, and King Jin had all been raided, and they were no exception.
From now on, fine clothes, fine food, luxury and enjoyment will be far away from them.
"However, for the three of them, King Fu Zhu Changxun, King Rui Zhu Changhao, and King Hui Zhu Changrun, I can be more liberal and each can keep half of the family property as a reward for the three of them to actively contribute to the family property and give up their titles, excluding the fields! And they can obtain the family property through normal means.
King Qin and King Dai also took the initiative to remove the vassal throne, and each was rewarded with fifty thousand taels of silver! "
What Chongzhen added made all the vassal kings stunned.
The three kings of Fuwang had expressions of disbelief on their faces at first, and then they were overjoyed. Although they were the first generation of their respective feudal lords, they had accumulated a lot of wealth.
Especially King Fu, not to mention other means of acquiring family property, just the 40,000 hectares of fertile land given by Wanli alone earned him at least millions of taels of silver a year.
It has been fifteen years since I went to Luoyang to become a vassal in the 42nd year of Wanli. The wealth I have accumulated is so huge.
Half a percent is at least one million taels of silver.
The King of Rui, Zhu Changhao, and the King of Hui, Zhu Changrun, went to join the vassal state in the seventh year of Tianqi and the first year of Chongzhen. The few were a little less, but even half of them had hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.
The rest of the vassal kings had expressions of regret, heartache, and envy on their faces.
His breathing became a little faster, his body was trembling, and his teeth were clenching.
They are all old lords. Although they are not as noble as King Fu, and they do not have as many fertile lands as King Fu, they definitely have more other things such as calligraphy, painting, gemstones, furs, medicinal materials, shops and estates, etc. than King Fu.
Half of the family property is no less than that of King Fu.
One million taels of silver, let alone a vassal king, even for the imperial court, was a large amount of silver.
Just because of their unwillingness and luck, all this money passed by them in vain. It is impossible not to feel heartbroken.
But they had no reason to object. First, these three people did 'surrender' before the emperor spoke.
Secondly, haven’t you seen that the brother of these three people, King Gui Zhu Changying, has already broken his teeth in regret?
At this moment, King Gui's face changed rapidly, from white to red, then to black, then to green, with a gloomy face.
All three of his brothers have received rewards, but he has not. From now on, he will no longer be in the same echelon in Beijing.
Seeing King Gui's expression, the vassal kings instantly felt much more comfortable.
King Fu looked at his seventh brother and shook his head secretly. He had tried to persuade him several times in the past few days, but King Gui refused to listen and said that he was the emperor's uncle.
Even the punishment would not be too serious, but he underestimated the emperor's courage and murderous intention.
It is simply a cocoon of self-inflicted pain.
"Third, regarding your salary, I give you two choices. One is to draw the permanent quota from Wanli to Tianqi. The same is true for the prince.
The second is that you leave fifty thousand taels of property from your respective princes, whether it is antiques, calligraphy and paintings, shops or manors, you can choose for yourself.
These two choices will be handed over to the Ministry of Household Affairs at noon tomorrow, but no salary will be issued from now on. "
The vassal kings were deep in thought. There were sect and vassal regulations in the past, and eternal quotas were set in the future. The vassal kings were too dead.
In particular, the quota is always fixed. In addition to the eldest son, the prince will give lumi to six county princes. In addition to the eldest son, the prince will give lumi to the fifth son and the general's fourth son.
As for the prince, no matter how many sons you have, as long as you have more than six sons, you will receive the salary of six county princes. The other heirs will only have the status of county princes and no salary.
The prince's salary is 10,000 dan. After the four reforms, the prince's annual salary is 1,500 dan, which is 500 dan higher than that of a first-rank minister.
But compared to the huge prince's palace, this salary is really not that much.
After thinking about it, the vassal kings had a choice in their minds. The salary they received was a steady stream, which was better than being safe. Not to mention rich and powerful, at least they were among the top ones in the Ming Dynasty.
Fifty thousand taels of silver is their salary for thirty years. It's hard to say whether they can live another thirty years. If they survive, they will make a profit. If they don't, they will suffer a big loss.
If you receive 50,000 taels, it is feasible to find a reliable person based on their relationship, open a dozen or so stores, and slowly accumulate business.
Seeing everyone's thinking expressions, Chongzhen coughed lightly, and then said in a deep voice: "Okay, let's talk about one last thing. This matter is related to whether you will live comfortably in the capital in the future."
