Sun Jiao already had a premonition.
He felt something was wrong when the emperor started talking about this topic. After all, Empress Dowager Chiang often called his daughter over on her way to Beijing.
But after arriving in Beijing, the emperor has not seen Ming'er, isn't it?
Zhu Houcong said as expected: "This is not the important point. I just want to change the increasing burden on the family of the country's relatives, so I have to find another way out. If there are people from my empress's family or the imperial concubine's family who have prominent family backgrounds, their favors and honors will be reduced." It also seems natural.”
All eighteen important ministers were shocked.
Yang Tinghe suddenly thought of too much and asked seriously: "Your Majesty, I would like to hear the details. This case also involves the clan..."
Listening to the emperor's wishes is not just about making new rules for the queen's family and the imperial concubine's family, but also for the family of the country's relatives.
In addition to the "five major" families of honorable ministers established at the founding of the People's Republic of China, there are seven types of families: the queen's family, the imperial concubine's family, the crown prince's family, the princess's family, the county princess's family, the consort's family, and the Yibin's family.
The Xunchen family is a title system for Xunchen, and the other seven families are all based on marriage, and all follow Zhu Yuanzhang's regulations: they are selected from ordinary families with average or even poor foundations.
The key question is what the emperor meant. From now on, the family of the princess, the family of the princess, the family of the son-in-law Yibin of the prince's palace and the county prince's palace will all be included in the new regulations?
It would not be an easy matter if their in-laws could also serve as officials or even hold high positions.
Zhu Houcong nodded and said: "When Taizu set down the ancestral precepts, there were only a few relatives in the country. After a hundred years, the burden on the clan has become increasingly heavy. I will set an example first. My empress' family only grants hereditary titles such as marquises and second-generation descendants, while the imperial concubine's family only gives Granted three generations of hereditary earls. However, relatives of the country can then serve as real officials in the court, and the selection will be made in accordance with the established rules."
"Your Majesty, I am worried about the princess's family..." Yang Tinghe said worriedly, "If the old system of conferring titles to the family of the country's relatives is changed, the clan may be uneasy."
The emperor can start to think of ways to burden the clan, and Yang Ting and them are really very welcome.
Although Cui Yuan is also a relative of the state, he has now successfully become a distinguished minister, and this knife cannot cut him.
But if the treatment of relatives of the clan is reduced, it will be understood as a precursor to the reduction of the vassal clan.
Zhu Houcong said calmly: "I am the successor of the vassal king. It is time and necessary to make changes in my dynasty. How to prevent it from causing trouble, you and others have to think about it."
The annual salary of the ancestral prince is 10,000 dan, the prince of the county is 2,000 dan, the general of the state is 1,000 dan, the general of the auxiliary state is 800 dan, the general of the state is 600 dan, the lieutenant of the state is 400 dan, the lieutenant of the auxiliary state is 300 dan. Two hundred stones for a lieutenant.
In addition, the clan family also has a large amount of land granted to them.
After more than a hundred years, although Emperor Hongzhi only had one son and Emperor Zhengde died, the other princes and princes from many years ago are still alive.
Zhu Houcong looked at the current statistics and found that the number of people in the clan receiving salary was close to 8,000, and the annual salary required was as high as nearly 600,000 taels, which if converted into food was nearly 2 million shi.
This is the result of 20 years ago when the true colors of direct lineage families were reduced by half and the color of clan in-law families was reduced by 60%.
Otherwise, this number would have doubled by now.
Of course, it depends on whether they can see the future plans related to the implementation of new laws to attack the scholar-bureaucrats.
In Zhu Houcong's view, there is only a direction that remains unchanged for a century, but no specific policies that remain unchanged for a century.
All can become tools.
Be cautious in short-term matters, and plan boldly in long-term matters!
Yang Tinghe asked tentatively: "Your Majesty, if the salary of the princess's family, the princess's family, and the Yibin's family are reduced, it may not reduce the burden of the clan. If he is allowed to serve as a real official in the court, the hidden danger will be even greater."
"I have my own thoughts on this matter." Zhu Houcong smiled, "Let me promise you new benefits first. The relatives of the clan cannot be ignored. The new rules for the relatives of the country began with me. This matter is also for the clan. If it's beneficial, they will welcome it. As for the Princess's family, the Princess's family, and the Yibin's family, it will take ten years to gain momentum, right? Ten years later, the situation will be completely different."
"The emperor's concubines and concubines can be selected from the important clans, and the clan will still follow the old rules?" Yang Tinghe confirmed.
"Of course, strengthening the weak branches is already a new favor to the vassal kings."
As for whether the in-laws of the vassal king who selected the princess from ordinary families could pursue both civil and military careers, then wouldn't promotion be in the hands of the emperor?
But you, the vassal, can't say that this is not a favor. After all, the restrictions on the country's relatives were very strict before, and the vassal was just raising them like pigs.
Yang Tinghe felt numb: Are you fishing?
But it was more prudent than Emperor Jianwen, at least he didn't directly make it clear that he wanted to reduce the feudal vassal. But today's vassal kings are not as powerful as Taizu's sons.
The current approach seems to be to start with the treatment of relatives, to see if any lord will "train" any relatives to hold important positions in the future, and then plan for any "big things".
Is the emperor looking for reasons to cut down the vassals in the future?
Yang Tinghe couldn't refuse. Everyone knew what the clan burden would be like if it continued to develop. This was a very important area of "spending".
When the emperor did this, emotionally they could only think that the emperor was making room for his future heirs. After all, the lineage had been transferred, and there were still more than thirty vassal kings in the Ming Dynasty.
Otherwise, choosing to start reducing expenditures in this field would be too clear-cut: cutting down the clan.
This is definitely fishing!
In Zhu Houcong's view, if something really happened, it would be good if the current clan did not breed ambition. It would not be able to help him at all, but would only continue to drain the national finances.
As for family love... I can't talk too much about it.
Besides, he has his own ideas for reforming the clan, so he can’t keep raising pigs from now on, right?
"...Although it is not the point from which family your majesty will choose your concubines, does your majesty already have one..." Yang Tinghe still asked.
Seeing that Yang Tinghe didn't continue to ask questions, Zhu Houcong didn't know whether he saw the connection between this matter and the new law in the future.
It shouldn’t be difficult to deduce, right? But if they understand it, they should start to warn themselves now: they have discovered another red line, and they must make decisions based on the situation in the future.
Then Zhu Houcong smiled and said: "You don't know, my father wanted to marry Mr. Sun Ge when he was still alive. When my mother came to Beijing, she was also very happy with the daughter of the Sun family. Sun Ge's family has a long history and is highly respected. Even more so now. I have been recommended by the imperial court to be appointed to the Tai Pavilion. I am not a minister who is lucky enough to be promoted. Mr. Yang Ge is willing to be the official envoy to accept the queen. Is the Marquis of Jingshan willing to be the deputy envoy?"
After the emperor is elected, there must be a matchmaker.
But now this sentence shocked everyone present.
The draft hasn't started yet, is the queen just decided? Are you going to choose the draft next year?
Now there are only some pre-selected ladies from Guangdong and Southeast China.
When Yang Tinghe heard that the emperor wanted him to be the official matchmaker, he immediately looked at the emperor with a complicated expression: You are really playing with balance, the wedding is also full of political overtones.
For the past few emperors, their weddings were just weddings.
Yang Tinghe looked at Sun Jiao and asked meaningfully: "What's the general will of Jiufeng?"
Sun Jiao's expression is wonderful.
At that time, half of them felt that since he had resigned as Minister of Household Affairs, why would he still have a bad reputation by becoming a relative of the emperor? The other half also doesn't want the future of their children and nephews to be affected.
Now that he is a cabinet minister, there are new rules for the appointment of relatives as officials.
Nodding now, he is a very special person among the important officials in the court. Even the original imperial master Yuan Zonggao could not compare with his weight as the head of the state.
Cabinet minister and father-in-law...
If my nephew succeeds in the imperial examination, he will also be able to serve as an official in the future...
He looked at the emperor: Could it be that he agreed to use me and was preparing for today?
Wang Qiong looked at Sun Jiao expectantly: Promise! I recommend you again!
Yuan Zonggao, who used his own future to protect Wang Qiong and others, has passed away. No one knows whether Yang Ting and others in the court will attack Wang Qiong and others again.
One more layer of protection is just one more layer!
"...Your Majesty, I am inexplicably worried." Sun Jiao said in a squeaky tone, "I have already entered the palace. If I am awarded a marquis, I am afraid that the holy grace will be too heavy..."
"Isn't Cui Yuan still here?" Zhu Houcong replied with a smile, "My uncle, the Marquis of Jingshan, is in charge of the Governor's Mansion of the Left Army and participates in national policy meetings. In terms of divine grace, Cui Marquis is the best."
Cui Yuan was very embarrassed: I am indeed too dazzling, so Old Sun, please agree. From now on, I will not be the only one being stared at by many officials and colleagues.
Sun Jiao was unwilling to be the princess's family back then, but now the emperor wants it to be the queen's family, and Sun Jiao's sons and grandsons are all hereditary earls.
"...I...thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty."
Sun Jiao found that there is a limit to being obsessed with reputation, and now His Majesty has given him too much.
He can be an important minister, and his descendants will all have titles.
Cui Yuan grinned: Sure enough, he still became the head of the state, but both of them are important ministers.
The emperor's way of achieving this goal was to use it as a guide for future royal family reforms.
With this vision that all ministers are looking forward to, and the various restrictions imposed by the National Policy Conference and the establishment of the imperial study room, the troubles caused by foreign relatives may not be so easy to appear.
Besides... maybe it will change in the future?
Unless the emperor is short-lived.
But he was incredibly energetic and ran to keep fit.
When Zhu Houcong faced the future father-in-law, he continued: "The queen's position is the most important, so the wishes of the mother and I are decided first. And the prince's national affairs are important, and the emperor's twelve daughters, two concubines and nine concubines are still in charge. Just choose. It’s just for the draft next year, and there is no need to suspend marriages in the world, so as not to miss the marriages of other women. The family of concubines can be officials, and thinking about it, they will not be as fearful as before. "
Every time there is a draft, many people are very afraid because of the secluded life and high mortality rate in the palace. At the same time as the draft, there was also the selection of palace maids and reserve female officials, so some widows were frightened and quickly remarried.
He looked at Sun Jiao. Sun Jiao was obviously unfazed by the fact that his future son-in-law continued to find other women at the same time. Instead, he nodded: "This is good governance."
Zhu Houcong said again: "The ministers and maids serve the royal family loyally, but they have no heirs and most of them are lonely in their later years. I have other plans to have a large number of people who will be needed in the future. We can order the nursing homes in various places to specialize in supporting orphans and widows. Most of the orphaned children can be sent to the capital. In our imperial palace, we have set up a Salesian Hospital under the Supervisor of Ceremonies. In the future, they will be used as adopted sons of many ministers and palace maids who have no power and money, so that they can be supported and enjoy Blood food.”
The little eunuchs and maids who were preparing to serve at the scene all trembled slightly.
In the huge forbidden palace, there are only powerful eunuchs and female officials. They may be able to recognize the adopted son from the original clan or outside, and have hope for the future.
For most of the eunuchs and maids, their only pleasure in the end was probably to have a novice husband, which provided them with some spiritual sustenance and other indescribable comforts.
But now, according to the emperor's wishes, it seems that he wants to set up a large orphanage in the imperial palace, so that the large number of low-level eunuchs and maids in the palace can have hope?
Yang Tinghe was also quite shocked: "Your Majesty, will I be supported by the grain and rice produced in Huangzhuang?"
How many eunuchs are there in the palace? This is enough to support thousands of young children.
The emperor said they were young children, so naturally he could not let these young children work again. Moreover, it is said to be used in the future, and it involves some of the emperor's future plans. Can it be used for ordinary purposes? You have to teach reading, right?
"It won't cost much food to have enough food, clothing, and warmth, and to build some houses." Zhu Houcong nodded, "I will try it out in Huangzhuang first. If it succeeds in the future, orphaned children in this world must find a proper place to raise them." The method of relief. Since my great ambition is to enrich the country and create a prosperous world, how can there be so many orphans who die of hunger and cold in the world? On this occasion of changing the Yuan Dynasty, I just chatted a few more words and took my time to do it."
Yang Tinghe and others immediately left the table and knelt down together: "Your Majesty loves the people like a son, and I am very grateful to you."
"To get to that point, we need the wealth of the country after all, and you have a long way to go." Zhu Houcong smiled and asked them to get up and go back to their seats. "Today we will not talk about state affairs anymore. The friendship between monarch and ministers always requires more contacts besides state affairs. Although I am young, You don't have to worry about it, you and your Majesty. You can talk about old news and anecdotes as much as you want."
Seventeen Arhats and Guo Xun laughed together: Who can think you are young? Dealing with you is no different than dealing with middle-aged people.
But old news and anecdotes, can we really talk about anything?
After all, the restraints are still there, but after all, they no longer talk about state affairs.
In the main hall of Qianqing Palace, the banquet started when it got dark, and the same was true in Qingning Palace.
From the wives of these eighteen people, it was obvious that the Empress Dowager Chiang was more affectionate to Sun Jiao's wife, but she only thought that it was because of the friendship between her fellow villagers.
After arriving at Youshi, I returned to the mansion and heard about the situation. Immediately, many families burst out with roars from the mistress: "Why don't you mention your daughter (granddaughter)?"
"...His Majesty brought it up on his own initiative, how can he still say such things? Is that a national policy meeting or a meeting of national relatives?"
In Sun's mansion, Sun Jiao's wife was stunned: "...can this really be like this?"
"It seems like we are destined to get married..."
At that time, the prince became the emperor, and no one could refuse the temptation of the royal position of mother-in-law and the hereditary earl.
In the Sun Mansion, there is indeed a daughter who has achieved great beauty and beauty. As his name suggests, Sun Ming from the Shangshu family is as elegant and quiet as a tender tea bud.
She had grown up and was summoned by the Empress Dowager Chiang many times. Although she was confused, she also heard stories from her parents about those years.
But at that time, the crown prince was already the emperor, and her father was in the imperial palace. She never thought that she would have such a fate with him again.
Now...queen?
Sun Ming pinched the corner of her mother's clothes uneasily: "Mom... you must follow what dad said... Your Majesty is so scary..."
"What are you afraid of? Don't listen to your father's nonsense! He is uneasy because of state affairs. How can it be the same in the harem?" Sun Wang's face was full of joy, "Your Majesty is smart! Heroic! Extraordinary courage! You are in good health. ! The Queen Mother treats you well. Since it has been decided a long time ago, I will often take you to see her first and familiarize yourself with the etiquette in the palace. The wedding will take a long time!"
"I..." Sun Ming's face was full of uneasiness, "I have to enter the palace before we get married? Then won't His Majesty be unhappy when he sees me?"
If Sun Jiao can be a minister, how can he be a bad tutor? Sun Ming knew that this seemed more like a matter decided out of imperial strife, so she, a person who had broken the ancestral system, might be at the forefront of the storm. How would it be appropriate to frequently enter the palace before getting married?
Thinking of this, she felt more and more uneasy and sad: How much of this destined man really had affection for her? Probably all because of national affairs considerations?
"Why wouldn't you be happy?" Mrs. Sun held her little hand and looked at her with a smile on her face, "My Ming'er is so lovely and well-educated! Your Majesty will definitely be the happiest if he sees her!"
The "supreme son-in-law" she called her was now pulling Zhu Qingping to lie on the dragon couch again.
Today he drank more wine with the important ministers of national policy, and he doesn't think much about national affairs now.
Zhu Qingping's heartbeat was naturally still very fast. It had been like this for the past few nights, and it was even worse tonight.
Zhu Houcong's face was a little hot after drinking, and there was heat under his clothes where he could hear his heartbeat.
His hand naturally touched Zhu Qingping's waist and he began to feel restless again: "Anyway, the surname is given. I will change the Yuan tomorrow and change your surname... Lin, Maosheng!"
Zhu Houcong felt that he had no scruples in doing whatever he wanted, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "If my eldest son wants to be on the safe side, I have to rely on you, so as not to prevent the other concubines from being young and giving birth to children. As for the future, there is no need to worry about the dispute between the legitimate eldest children, I have it all. Calculate.”
After turning his head, he sighed: "The child doesn't seem to be hungry."
Zhu...oh no, how could Lin Qingping still listen to these nasty words from the emperor?
What's lush, what's not hungry... Her mind is starting to feel dizzy now, and her whole body is very tight.
The Queen Mother had arranged a small task for her, but now she felt the little emperor's... techniques... ventriloquism... What did she need to teach?
Although I have been mentally prepared since the first day of "putting myself to sleep", who knew it would be today?
On New Year's Eve, the old is out and the new is in.
Zhu Houcong began to work hard on his own national affairs, starting with his eldest sister.
As for where the eldest son comes from, of course it depends on some providence.
Even if the already familiar Lin Qingping is not the queen, Zhu Houcong is not too worried about the future succession issue.
There are many ways to do it.
In the Qianqing Palace, Huang Jin, who had always remembered his important responsibility of staying up late and keeping vigil at night, finally heard Zhu Qingping's strange voice.
He had a strange look on his face.
Do you want to remember this?
Zhu Qingping spent a long time "putting her to sleep" today, and she didn't come out even after midnight.
Huang Jin looked solemn: Now I really have to remember.
The first big thing after the change of Yuan tomorrow is to kowtow to Empress Qingping.
I recommend a friend's new book, "My Farm Connects to the Ming Dynasty". This is the story of more than 200 modern people, taking a state on the shores of Lake Baikal in Siberia, through the early Ming Dynasty to provide industrial assistance. There are farmers, engineering teams, and overseas students, and there are articles about farming in groups. If you are interested, you can read it.
(End of chapter)
