Just because they ignore court affairs doesn't mean they are stupid.
Especially the final rebellion, it's not like they haven't thought about it, but that thought was destroyed as soon as it arose.
From the founding of the country by Taizu to the present, a total of five vassal kings have rebelled in more than two hundred years, namely King Zhu Di of Yan, King Zhu Gaoxu of Han, King Zhu Huiyu of Guangtong, King Zhu Jixiu of Anhua, and King Zhu Chenhao of Ning.
Five kings rebelled, but only King Zhu Di of Yan succeeded, that is, Chengzu.
In the final analysis, there is no military power. After the success of Chengzu's rebellion, he began to reduce the vassals. Subsequent emperors have reduced the vassals and imposed restrictions.
So much so that the vassal kings no longer have any military power in their hands, and they can't even interfere in court affairs. They are just a rich man with a distinguished status. What can he use to rebel?
Besides, now the emperor's prestige among the people has reached its peak, and these vassal kings are notorious, and they can't recruit soldiers even if they have money.
Even if the army under the emperor's control took the initiative to march on the grassland, they could kill tens of thousands of cavalry from the three major grassland tribes, let alone the rabble they gathered in a hurry.
"Okay, the matter of the clan title has been settled. You all should go back first. I will host a banquet for you at Huangji Hall in the evening, which can be regarded as a welcome for you to come to the capital.
After all, we are all a family. From now on, we should move around more in the capital. Let’s all break up! "
"By the way, eldest companion, send the imperial doctor to all the clansmen to take a look at the injuries!"
"Your Majesty, please leave!"
Looking at the vassal kings slowly exiting the Ancestral Temple, and then looking at the collegial agreement on voluntary reduction of vassalage and the evidence of guilt on the long case, Chongzhen let out a long sigh.
It seems that all the depression and worries that have been stored for two years have been released.
After nearly two years of preparation, the reduction of vassals was finally completed. From then on, there were no vassal kings in the Ming Dynasty, only princes.
Although the prince is still there, and although hereditary inheritance has not been completely abolished, the number can be controlled within a tolerable range.
According to current estimates, with the three titles of Prince, County King, and Zhenguo Zhongjun, the number of people in the Ming Dynasty clan may ultimately be between 3,000 and 5,000, which is neither too much nor too little compared to previous dynasties.
Although this plan of benefiting in three lifetimes and killing in five lifetimes still has many drawbacks, it is already the best he can think of at the moment.
It can not only reduce the number of clan members and the pressure on the court, but also avoid causing too much backlash.
As for the idea of dividing the vassal kings overseas after conquering overseas, they only flashed through his mind and were rejected.
We can still keep a close eye on the Ming Dynasty, but if we go overseas, with the current traffic conditions, it will take at least a month to deliver the news. God knows what will happen.
It is unknown whether a vassal king who is not satisfied with the status quo and deceives the surveillance people will follow Chengzu's approach.
As for becoming an official, the talent and learning of the current vassal king is not enough. In the future, you can consider it, but it can only be in Beijing.
Even if he adopts this plan, it is estimated that at least thousands of clan members will be beheaded directly, and tens of thousands of people will be imprisoned.
"Let's go back to Dongnuang Pavilion!"
"Your Majesty, the princes are still at the gate of the Imperial Ancestral Temple!"
"Still there? Forget it, good people will do their best to send Buddha to the West. I'll give them a push!"
There was a strange smile on Chongzhen's lips. After looking back at the tablets of his ancestors, he shook his head slightly, stepped out of the hall, and walked outside.
At this moment, outside, the princes looked at each other in the square.
Just because the sedan that came with it was now gone, as if it didn't exist.
Since they entered the Ancestral Temple, they first experienced the emperor's questioning and roaring, and then experienced the death of Tang Wang Zhu Shuoji, and then were frightened and beaten thirty times. At this moment, they were as embarrassed as they wanted.
The clothes on his abdomen were covered with dust, and the clothes on his back were torn by thorns, with faint traces of blood seeping out.
His forehead was covered with beads of sweat, and his hair was soaked with sweat and stuck to his face.
This is definitely the most embarrassing moment since they were born. How can this image be seen by others?
"Let's go, stop looking, there's no way anyone is coming to pick us up!"
"From today on, we are no longer vassal kings, we are just ordinary members of the royal family. Your Majesty is asking us to face reality and adapt in advance!"
"Don't stay here. When His Majesty comes out and sees us, we don't know what ideas he will come up with!"
"If you don't feel pain in your buttocks, then just stay here until dark!"
The one who spoke was King Fu. After speaking, he rushed directly into the scorching sun.
It's okay that King Fu didn't say anything. As soon as he mentioned His Majesty, everyone seemed to hear footsteps coming from the Ancestral Temple.
Without thinking too much, he took a step and rushed out. Because the movement range was too much, it caused the wound on his buttocks, and he gasped in pain.
The two-mile journey from the Ancestral Temple to the Ten Princes' Mansion was a great challenge for the injured people, but thinking that their images had been seen by the people around them, they felt endless strength.
But no matter how fast they ran, they could not escape the people from the major forces who had been waiting for them for a long time. Seeing the embarrassed images of the feudal kings, the people at the intersection were completely confused.
"Oh my god, what's going on? Why are everyone so embarrassed?"
"Hey, the clothes on your back are all torn? This seems to be... the effect of being beaten with thorns, right?"
"That must be King Lu, I seem to have seen something I shouldn't have seen!"
"What on earth did these feudal princes experience in the Ancestral Temple? How could they be flogged? The Ming Law does not apply to feudal princes, right?"
"I don't care about these things. What I care about is whether the feudal clan has been reduced, or to what extent it has been reduced!"
"That's right, it doesn't matter how many thorns you draw. If you can keep your throne and family property, let alone a few thorns, as long as you don't beat him to death, that's fine!"
"More than half an hour ago, it was Prince Tang who was carried away. He was probably beaten to death at such an old age."
"It's gone, it's gone. Let's wait for tomorrow's Daming Daily for details. I can't tell anything at the moment."
…
The people from the major forces at the street entrance immediately started talking when they saw the vassal kings' embarrassed appearance.
When these discussions reached the ears of the feudal kings, they were so ashamed that they almost found a crack to get in.
By the time these vassal kings fled back to the Tenth Prince's Mansion in embarrassment, the imperial doctors who had received the news had already been waiting for a long time.
Perhaps he was instructed to use saline to clean the wound, but instead wiped the wound directly with medical alcohol.
For a moment, a series of miserable howls were heard throughout the Ten Princes' Palace. The sounds were so sad and desperate that the expressions of the maids and eunuchs in the Ten Princes' Palace changed drastically. They all speculated that the vassal kings could not bear the blow and went crazy. .
At the first quarter of the evening, as the sun set, Chongzhen hosted a banquet for the princes in the Huangji Palace. Because the princes' butts were beaten, Chongzhen changed it to a buffet style, which made the princes curious.
PS: The buffet format already existed in ancient times. For example, there are similar records in "Water Margin", "Meng Liang Lu" and other books.
Halfway through the banquet, a prince came forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."
"explain!"
"My lord...please go and die!"
