In the adult world, especially on the political stage, situations with more people are actually mostly drama.
Needless to say, the etiquette process, the positions and attitudes of different characters are inherently full of temptations, momentum building, and taking sides.
But for the vassal king who has now entered the capital, he has no choice but to listen carefully.
Zhu Houcong asked: "What is Mr. Ge's advice?"
Yang Tinghe said with emotion: "Today your Majesty has a long life. All the kings and relatives came to the capital to congratulate you. The clans are harmonious, the monarch and his ministers are united, and the old ministers are happy. According to the weekly system, a man will be crowned at twenty. Your Majesty has just reached the age of crowning, and he is very talented. He is an unparalleled sage and has an eye on the world, and no one in the world dares to disobey him."
There was a burst of dragon farts, as if the current rebellion did not exist.
Then comes the serious content: "However, the queen of the vassal king will not enter the capital without an order, and cannot leave the vassal territory without permission. Clan relatives are not allowed to hold office, do business, and other institutions. This is for ten thousand years to avoid the worry of fighting with the same clan. If the kings stay in the capital for a long time, the descendants of the clan will Being an official has a lot of implications. With your majesty's wiseness, Jiajing will be worry-free for the first time, but the old minister is afraid that a new disaster will happen a hundred years later, so we must take precautions!"
Blowing Zhu Houcong is to show that there will be no problem when you are in power, but what about the future?
The vassal king stayed in the capital. It was better for these former vassal kings to be far away from the throne. But what about your own sons?
What kind of person was Zhu Yuanzhang in the past? When the prince Zhu Biao was there, everyone was convinced by his brothers, but when Zhu Biao died and Zhu Yuanzhang passed away, Taizong was in trouble. When Zhu Di was there, there were also Han kings who were eyeing the throne. When Zhu Zhanji succeeded to the throne, there was another Han king rebellion.
This is because the kings are not in the capital.
Imagine that if all the kings were in the capital during the reign of Emperor Zhengde, and given that Zhu Houzhao had no children, the battle for the throne of the Ming Dynasty would have been many times more brutal. If King Ning wanted to rebel, how could it be so difficult?
Even Zhu Houcong himself, if many vassal kings were in the capital, after his determination to implement the new law was determined, he would not be in the current situation: with so many people's interests involved, couldn't they support a monarch nearby who supported the old system?
In the Qianqing Palace, the kings listened to Yang Tinghe's words, and some of the smarter ones figured it out.
Does the emperor want to appease the kings, or does he want to take the opportunity to treat the feudal princes and clans more strictly, as if they are under house arrest in the capital?
Zhu Houcong only said: "The vassal kings were entrusted to local areas. Over the years, vassal kings have caused chaos. Isn't it happening right now?"
All the kings trembled in their hearts: Stop talking, stop talking, we are good.
Yang Tinghe retorted: "If the descendants of the clan can serve as officials, in ten or twenty years, both the civil and military classes of the government and the public will have old ties. If there is a change of power again, I am afraid there will be hidden worries every time. Another example is the emperor's northern expedition, and your majesty will not go south. When the emperor leaves the capital, he must ensure that the capital is safe. I really don’t know any good way to solve this problem, so please let your majesty make it clear."
After explaining all the bad things, he only showed his "you teach me" attitude at this time.
Zhu Houcong looked at the vassal kings, smiled and then said: "For the kings, they are in a fiefdom. Although they cannot leave without permission, they are at ease. If they enter the capital, the kings will be the most uncomfortable. I am always on tenterhooks every day, not to mention that the royal palace is vast and everyone in the fiefdom respects me. But nowadays, there are more and more children in the clan, and clan arrears in salary and food arrears occur from time to time. I am planning for my descendants for ten thousand years, and the kings must also do it for me. It is the plan of the descendants for thousands of years."
"...Your Majesty is Holy Ming."
Just admit it and show your kindness!
Zhu Houcong finished his opening remarks, and then said: "Today all the kings are here, and the advisors and relatives are also in person. I will talk about my thoughts, and you will also help discuss it in detail."
Then, the vassal princes and relatives who had never experienced it in the capital heard with their own ears that the emperor was attending class.
Now it is called a preliminary idea, but in fact it has obviously been discussed many times.
The smarter ones among the kings also had to work hard to understand that this reform of the feudal clan system was far from just a single matter.
The emperor wanted many things.
The first is the land property of the kings of the world - together with the huge imperial estate in the clan, it will be managed by the clan mansion following the example of Huang Ming Ji. Zhu Houcong wants to establish a special Huang Ming grain storage account. While holding tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land, they can also lease official land from various places. The grain tax payable was paid, and in addition to distributing the royal stipends according to their original status, the rest was used to store, transport, adjust grain prices in various places, and meet war needs.
Then there are the royal palaces in various places - as branches of Huangming University, used to cultivate and select talents from all over the world. Nowadays, it is only distributed in a few provinces, but because it is located in the hinterland, it is convenient for students from all provinces to go there.
Finally, there are the children of each vassal - after the chaos is suppressed, when the new law is implemented throughout the country, a large number of talents are needed. Although most of the clan's children were uneducated and unskilled, that was because they had not been given a way out before. There are still two or three years before the implementation of the new law. During this time, the clan members can already start studying for the exams.
"Although I have clan status, I have no intention of directly appointing senior officials. Instead, I want to be like a new member, starting from the eighth or ninth grade." Zhu Houcong said quietly, "We are all descendants of the Zhu family of the Ming Dynasty. If we manage this family business well, our people People have responsibilities. Compared with other people, there is always another salary after the clan. To become an official, you only need to pass my examination. You only need to be able to read the text and sentences, understand the laws and regulations of public affairs, and memorize the examination. It is already better than It is easier for ordinary scholars to become officials."
Zhu Houcong paused before saying: "It's better than after the clan has multiplied and the descendants of the branches have to ask you for salary."
The kings were silent - you took away all the land and the palace, and all we can get is the basic salary and less restrictions for future generations?
But this was not over yet. Zhu Houcong continued: "Nowadays, there are eight levels of titles in the clan. The title cannot be removed without guilt, and the title is based on blood. Since the clan must contribute to the country, merit must be rewarded. In addition to promotion, in the future, In addition to the title of favor, there will also be the title of merit. A lieutenant can be a general, and a general can also be made a county prince or even a prince because of his merit. If there is an increase, there must be a decrease. It is a prince, and the test is done every ten years. If there is still no merit within thirty years When you are in the country, you must be demoted. My children and heirs will also abide by this law."
Cui Yuan silently watched the reactions of the feudal kings, and the relatives naturally listened to it in their hearts - even the clan is like this, can the future relatives still be hereditary and replaceable?
"The living water is endless." Zhu Houcong said calmly, "If we don't seek changes, the Ming Dynasty's pool will become more and more muddy. If there is any disaster, it will probably dry up. I know that the kings are not willing at this moment. . There is no hope for a big position, and I can no longer become a leisurely rich man. But I am trapped in a feudal land, with no ambition to express, and no talent to use. Is it possible that a person can spend his whole life in such a miserable state?"
Feeding this kind of chicken soup is only useful to a few people.
The key issue is the current background of feudal rebellion.
They did not dare to speak out to object, but Yang Tinghe still did not hear how the emperor would prevent the danger of rebellion in the future when the princes in Beijing and the descendants of the sect could serve as officials and become powerful.
After he asked the question again, Zhu Houcong replied: "There is no need to worry about this matter. Mr. Ge also said that I am only in my prime. In ten or twenty years, the Ming Dynasty will definitely not be what it is today. Many old systems will not be able to No matter how suitable it is for future needs. It is fundamental to allow thousands of clan members to have a more hopeful life and serve the Ming Dynasty. As for whether my descendants and the kings in Beijing will fight against each other in the future..."
Zhu Houcong looked at Zhu Zaiyan, who had completed some "etiquette" with encouragement and guidance, and was now listening in a confused way, smiled and said: "I will care about it in the future."
System design is of course important, but there is no need to bring up many things now, and explaining them cannot be explained.
Under the leadership of Zhu Houcong, the Ming Dynasty is bound to experience far more drastic changes than any previous dynasty.
This change will touch people's thoughts and concepts.
Now Zhu Houcong only needs to hold on to one thing: he is still young. If he is still in power, he will not be able to make big waves.
Just like this rebellion.
Then the kings heard from the emperor about another major event: the city of Beijing was going to be expanded.
Since the completion of the construction in the Yongle period, there have been plans to expand the city of Beijing.
Nowadays, a large number of common people and even officials live outside the city walls in the southeast, northwest and northwest.
However, the expansion of Beijing City is really a huge project, and the money, food and manpower required will be a huge burden.
In the old concept, you can only do these things if you have money.
But Zhu Houcong explained the matter to the advisers from another angle: After the new law is implemented nationwide, Guangdong and the southeastern coast will be stimulated by Huang Mingji's foreign sea trade, and money and tax revenue will increase significantly. What about the north where Li is the center?
Beginning with the expansion of Beijing City and the current round of major projects starting with water conservancy cleanup, these infrastructure projects will also have a stimulating effect.
Under the new system, if the required money and grain can be distributed, the money will eventually be spent by craftsmen, laborers, and merchants who undertake projects and supply materials - at least in order to clear the country's land and strictly review land sales in the short term. During this time.
Zhu Houcong does not need to explain the concept of several carriages too clearly.
What the kings are concerned about is that in the new city of Beijing that is currently being planned, the newly built palaces are all in the outer city of Beijing outside Zhengyang Gate - if they want to cause chaos in the future, they need to be able to enter the inner city first and then the imperial city. , Miyagi.
There is a lot of information, and there is a risk of being charged with persecution.
The emperor's Longevity Festival is not like a holiday at all, and such a big event is thrown out suddenly.
They would stay in the capital temporarily until the rebellion was put down, and then be "escorted" back to the vassal area. Under the auspices of the "inspector" sent by the court, the children of the sect and branches would be summoned for tutoring and examinations.
There is no doubt that most of the clans below the prince level will welcome it - the salary and grain can be distributed as they are, and they can serve as officials in the future and no longer need to be trapped in the vassal territory. As for the palace and land, that only concerns the prince. How much can they get?
If the feudal king wants to agree or not, he must consider the consequences of this situation.
After the banquet was over, Zhu Houcong came to the corridor behind the throne.
Here, two people are kneeling: Zhu Jianjun and Zhu Youbin.
It took Zhu Houcong twenty-two days to rush from Anlu to Beijing to ascend the throne. That was because of the large number of people.
Zhu Jianjun was captured on August 27 and was escorted to the capital as quickly as possible, while Zhu Youbin was "escorted" to Beijing by someone arranged by Wang Shouren much earlier.
After having people take them to the Fengxian Hall, Zhu Houcong stood aside and looked at the two people kneeling in front of their ancestors.
"Have you heard the roll call before? Now, in addition to Prince Rui who was kidnapped by Pu Zitong, Prince Rong who was burned to death by Zhan Huabi, and the Chu and Liao vassals who have no one to enter the capital, all the other kings have arrived in the capital." Zhu Houcong Looking at Zhu Jianjun, "After raising the flag, many vassal kings in the world have the idea of rebellion. How can you dare to do such a big thing? Apart from Changsha Guards and Hengzhou Guards, where is the confidence?"
Zhu Jianjun gritted his teeth and said nothing.
As they watched, this boy would ask the vassals to give away their land and palace in the future, but he would only bring his descendants and relatives to the capital. After being forced into this situation, so many people still dare not resist like chickens waiting to be slaughtered?
Zhu Houcong's eyes turned cold: "If you didn't tell me, Fu Rongzhong wouldn't have been able to survive the Jinyiwei's methods. After becoming a member of the clan, you rebelled, and you died. Your relatives and grandchildren were imprisoned in the high wall of Fengyang as common people. In front of the ancestors and clans, You tell me."
"Unkind little boy!" Zhu Jianjun broke the jar, "You have violated the ancestral precepts by inheriting the throne as a vassal king! You have bullied the clan and even seized property and titles. How serious is your suspicion? We don't want to just sit back and wait for death. , Taizong should understand our helpless situation in person!"
Zhu Houcong didn't come here to listen to scolding, and he didn't bother to reason with him.
Bringing him here is just a matter of going through the rituals and rituals of the clan, and the other thing is saying something in front of the ancestors without the presence of the ministers.
The door of Fengxian Palace was opened, and Zhu Jianjun and Zhu Youbin saw that the kings who had been "sent away" after the banquet in Qianqing Palace were now here again.
Zhu Houcong stood at the door and looked at the kings standing in the open space outside.
"No matter how you think I am trying to lure the snake out of its hole, be suspicious of the kings, or take advantage of you, I only want to say three points."
In the night, the shadows in the attic of the Forbidden Palace are thick. The emperor spoke straightforwardly, but the kings felt that the atmosphere was oppressive and heavy.
Zhu Houcong looked over calmly: "First of all, I promise that Paul and others will have full salary and food, and that I will give you glory and wealth, and Kaier and his descendants will be the first to show their talents and ambitions in the future."
Zhu Jianjun had his shoulders held down and his mouth gagged by Lu Song and others. He only shouted in his heart: You didn't say this before you ordered us to enter Beijing!
"The second point is that the people of the Ming Dynasty can no longer survive. The clan invades the fields, the officials and gentry invade the fields, and the guards invade the fields. If I don't make up my mind, after a hundred years, the Ming Dynasty will no longer be able to collect taxes. If the Ming Dynasty dies, you and others will Where is the vassal? Five years after Jiajing, all the vassals began to pay for their land. Who else dares to say something?"
Zhu Houcong nakedly stated that the purpose of his request was to set an example for his clan members. But the first point was said first, and it seemed that the interests of the feudal lords had not been deprived of anything, except for the income from being able to live freely in the vassal territory and secretly having a large amount of salary.
"The third point is that I innovate learning, practice new methods, and rebuild the Ming Dynasty. What I always think about is that the clan can be used, not that the clan needs to be eliminated. Now the king and ministers at the center of the court are united, I am young and strong, and my power is growing. Within thirty to fifty years, How do you behave? Think carefully about it after today. In front of our ancestors, I can learn from my heart every day. This Ming Dynasty was built by the Zhu family. When I rebuild the Ming Dynasty, I will rely on the Zhu family again. I am afraid that the Zhu family has become like that. It’s just what the ignorant children of the Confucius family ridiculed, and it’s just petty.”
"If you only know how to seize the benefits of the people and don't think about safeguarding and renovating the foundation, then what was the intention of Taizu to protect the Ming Dynasty by enfeoffing the kings? Now, in order to avoid fighting with the same clan, the vassal kings have no bodyguards; the shadow of the ancestors is still there, and the clan members are also There is no need to risk life and death or go into battle to kill the enemy. But there are many places where the clan can contribute, and there are many ways to contribute to the country! In the past, Taizu drove away the Tartars and rebuilt China. Now, I, Zhu Houcong, also hope that my Zhu family will have another supreme achievement in China.”
"In this way, even if our Ming Dynasty eventually dies, the people of future generations will remember the Zhu family of the Ming Dynasty, the importance of new learning, the effectiveness of the new method, and the vision of the Ming Dynasty to open up the world. The Zhu family has indeed made great contributions to our Chinese clans! With my ambition, why should I worry about the instability of my position and why should I be suspicious of you? I have worked hard for several years and hope that you will go back and think about it carefully and encourage your descendants to share the same clan!"
It was only then that the kings saw the young emperor with their own eyes and had a clear impression of him in person.
Although the name of the emperor is noble and noble, the conversation, demeanor and temperament of a person are another matter.
The emperor, who has just reached the age of weak, only has a little beard, but when he said these words straightforwardly and later elaborated on his ambitions, what he showed was the aura of looking down on the world and an extremely confident mentality.
When I was far away in the vassal territory, I only felt that the emperor in the court was probably a young and energetic emperor and a group of high-ranking ministers who only wanted fame. It has been pushed step by step to the point where even the vassal kings and gentry can't feel at ease now, and the world is facing huge changes.
In the face of change, people instinctively feel insecure.
Now they discovered that the monarchs and ministers who led this change, for some reason, lacked the fear of walking on thin ice and worrying that the world situation would become uncontrollable.
This confidence does not seem to make sense at all.
But they had to admit that the young emperor in front of them made them feel that Yang Tinghe had really chosen a heroic and heroic leader.
Although he talks about his supreme achievements, at this moment new learning is being questioned, new laws are still being blocked, there is a severe drought in the south, and there is a rebellion.
Judging from the emperor's eyes, he seemed to think that these were not serious matters.
In the Jinyiwei prison, Wang Zuo came to Fu Rongzhong again and asked with a smile: "Fu 'Shang Shu', you still refuse to admit it? With your level of talent, do you dare to plan a major rebellion? Who has promised you that as long as you tell the story A crowd will definitely gather at once. Look at it now. It has been almost two months since the appeal was issued. Where else in the world is there any movement except for the Three Guards of Huguang?"
Fu Rongzhong just looked in one direction, with an incredible look in his eyes.
Because when he was brought here before, he saw Kong Wenshao living in a cell over there.
This emperor is really crazy!
Before the memorandum was sent out, they only knew that Zhang Fujing had been appointed governor of Shandong and that there was a controversy over Confucius' canon.
Since there is already a rebellion in the world, why do you still dare to directly capture Duke Yan and bring him to the capital?
Doesn’t the emperor think that the world is not chaotic enough now that there is a drought?
He laughed crazily for many times, then endured the severe pain and gritted his teeth and said, "You want me to confess? If I confess, have you done everything?"
Wang Zuo said with a smile on his face: "That's the best. If I don't handle major cases, how can I make meritorious deeds?"
At this point, Fu Rongzhong's eyes lit up.
Although he was captured, this was just the beginning. In such a situation, if the emperor still has to handle such a major case that affects countless officials and gentry across the country, the world will definitely be in chaos.
The day when chaos was brought to an end was when he, the "martyr" Fu Rongzhong, was redressed and left his name in history!
"Okay, then you have to prepare pens, ink and paper!" He had the kind of expression that showed that he was just watching the excitement but it was not too big a deal.
Wang Zuo was extremely happy and nodded repeatedly.
As expected, he is a person who is so stupid that he takes the initiative to rebel. His mind is somewhat unclear.
Whether to recruit or not is one thing, but whether to do something is another.
The emperor is the most capable, and the bones of officials and gentry are far softer than many people imagine.
The truly smart ones know what to choose when the emperor stands in front of him with a fist as big as a sandbag.
As for the new law, a lot of benefits will be lost, but compared to losing one's life and exterminating the family, isn't it better to live?
Knowing that Zhu Jianjun, Kong Wenshao, and Fu Rongzhong have all been arrested, the naive ones will be "forced to take desperate risks", while the smart ones will wait and see.
While they were waiting and watching, news came out from the capital.
On the first day of October, after the meeting between Japan and Korea, the emperor made a tour to the south!
Accompanying the emperor on his southern tour were the five thousand troops from the Beijing camp commanded by Cui Yuan and Zhen Guogong.
Those responsible for supplying food and wages were the Governor of Shandong, Zhang Fuking, and the three kings of Shandong, who "understood the righteousness" and donated a lot of money and food.
The taxes in Shandong are so heavy, and this year we have to provide disaster relief food for Southern Zhili. How can we have so much money and food?
Zhu Houcong looked at Zhang Fujing's report in the Hall of Cultivation of the Heart and could only sigh: "Is this the descendant of the Master? Is it fake?"
(End of chapter)
