Eighth year of Chongzhen

Chapter 276
After Zhu Gongyun invited him to Beijing for an audience, Zhu Youjian took it seriously, and immediately sent his personal eunuch Li Erxi to Kaifeng to meet him as a show of courtesy to the prince.He thought that he would be able to see this cousin who is quite famous in later generations in a few months at most, but he didn't expect Li Erxi to go for several months.

Because there are countless big and small things entangled every day, Zhu Youjian slowly put this matter to the back of his mind.It wasn't until he received a report from Jin Yiwei a few days ago that King Zhou had arrived in the suburbs of the capital and went to the book again to ask for an audience, that he remembered that there was still such a thing.

After the officials from the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple welcomed King Zhou into the guest house and settled down, Zhu Youjian took time to summon Zhu Gongyun a few days later.

After kneeling and kowtowing, Zhu Youjian Wenyan ordered to show his cousin a seat, and Zhu Gongyun sat down respectfully on the brocade pier after giving way.

"Brother Wang has traveled thousands of miles from Kaifeng to Beijing, and the journey has been really hard. I see that although Brother Wang has passed the age of knowing his destiny, he looks really good. I have been on the throne for more than ten years, and I am busy with state affairs all day long. Although I miss the relatives of the kings Well, but due to the rules of our ancestors, we have never been able to see each other. Today, I can finally meet with Brother Wang, which is a matter of my mind. Since Brother Wang has entered Beijing, he will stay here for a while. Brother Wang But feel free to speak up if you need it; I will have a secretary to accompany you, Brother Wang can take advantage of this end of summer and beginning of autumn to have a good tour of the scenery of the capital!"

Zhu Youjian smiled and said to Zhu Gongyun.

"There is trouble with the Holy Majesty, and my body is not bad, but I am getting old. When I have nothing to do, I always think about it: Since the Holy Majesty took the throne, he has worked hard to rule, clean up the imperial court, wipe out the ugliness, and treat the people kindly. The ancestors of my Zhu family, the ancestors of the Zhu family, know it, so I should smile! I have seen the actions of the Holy One in recent years. I really have a big heart and a great spirit. , I am also very proud and gratified! This time I was able to meet my emperor, and because of my emperor's kindness and abandoning the ancestral customs, I was able to see the world outside the royal city in my lifetime. The novelty, I feel that I have no regrets in this life even under the tears in my heart!"

After Zhu Gongyun finished speaking, he stood up and bowed deeply to Zhu Youjian who was sitting on the throne.

His words were part compliment and part sincerity.No matter how long his Zhu family will maintain in the future, this matter has nothing to do with him.But for a person who was sentenced to life imprisonment and suddenly received amnesty after serving his sentence for many years, he finally came out of the place where he had been trapped for decades. The excitement of being free at last is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. of.

From this point of view, Zhu Gongyun is still very grateful and admires Zhu Youjian.Changing the ancestral system is not something ordinary people dare to do, especially for the emperor who guards against kings like thieves, it really takes a lot of mind and courage to make the decision to allow the prince to leave the domain.

"Brother Wang, please sit down quickly. I have always believed that blood and family ties cannot be separated at will. If there is a chance, it should be added. The rules of the ancestors are also determined according to the time. Don't you know that the world changes with time? Although there are many regulations, but It should also keep pace with the times. If it is all controlled by the ancestors, then how can the people of this world enjoy what the predecessors could not enjoy? Besides, the ancestors of our dynasty once shared tens of thousands of acres of fertile land with the kings, but how much land are the kings now? From this we can see It is imperative to change the good and the bad of the ancestral system, otherwise it will be a disaster for the descendants! I am only thirty years old, and I am still at the stage of doing something. Living and working in peace and contentment for the millions of people in the Ming Dynasty has also enabled our great Ming Dynasty to survive. If the actions of the kings and other kings are beneficial to the court, I will reward them generously! Companion, refill the tea for the king!"

After talking nonsense for a long time, the two sides finally got to the point.

"Since I have invited you to see the Holy One, I know the holy will. Forgive me for speaking bluntly. During this trip to the capital, I passed through dozens of states and counties along the way. I also met many refugees on the way. The situation made me feel miserable. , It also makes the ministers aware of the situation of the people outside the royal city. In recent years, our provinces in the Ming Dynasty have suffered from thieves and turmoil, and there have been occasional celestial phenomena, so some chaos has arisen. I have seen many people living in starvation and begging all day long. Under the order, the minister also had a heart of compassion. Thinking of the usual bells and tripods, he realized that it was not easy to come by, and he knew that the Holy One was thinking about the difficulties of state affairs! After thinking about it, the minister also made up his mind. My emperor, to relieve my emperor's worries about raising all the people, and to fulfill my duty as a minister! I implore the Holy Majesty to accept the wishes of my ministers, so that the ministers can repay the world!"

After Zhu Gongyun finished speaking, he got up and saluted,

His words and deeds are the meaning of the question, otherwise Zhu Youjian would not let him leave the fief. As for how much land Zhu Gongyun can donate, Li Erxi has been making indirect comments all day long.

"Very good! Brother Wang is indeed a courtier who understands righteousness! I am very grateful for this move! If all the kings in the world can understand things and understand the world like Brother Wang, what else can be difficult for me? My Zhu family has a strong blood. It's different, brother Wang's move can be an example for all kings! So how much is brother Wang willing to donate this time? It shouldn't be a small amount! I really expect it! If brother Wang is as I expected Generosity, then I will not be stingy, Brother Wang, if you have something to ask, feel free to say it, as long as it is reasonable, I will not refuse it!"

Before knowing King Zhou's target, Zhu Youjian didn't talk too much, you can't just offer tens of thousands of acres of land, and I will agree to all your conditions, right?

"Before I left for the capital, I asked the eunuch in charge of the palace to take a look at the albums of the farms and shops in the mansion. It has been eleven generations since my ancestors became Kaifeng. During more than two hundred years, I have received a total of land rewards. With more than [-] hectares, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Xiangyang, Nanjing, Jinan and other big cities have more than [-] shops and restaurants; I am willing to give [-]% of the land, [-]% of the shops and the Holy One. I have only one son and died early, so I will go down first There are only two grandsons left, and after a hundred years, the title will be inherited by the elder grandson, but the younger grandson is also very popular with the minister, and I intend to ask for the position of prince for him, and the fiefdom can be remote, I wonder if the Holy Will will allow it?"

After Zhu Gongyun finished speaking, he looked at Zhu Youjian eagerly, expecting the emperor to agree, at this moment, his heart felt as uncomfortable as being cut by a knife.

With the accumulation of more than a dozen generations, I let myself give away nearly half of it with a single mouth, just in exchange for the so-called freedom and the position of the prince of the young grandson, this price is too high.Thinking of this, Zhu Gongyun suddenly feels a little regretful, is it really worth it?

What Zhu Gongyun said was basically consistent with Jin Yiwei's secret investigation.There are indeed nearly 70 mu of land under the name of King Zhou's Mansion, but this guy actually only wants to spend [-]% in exchange for his freedom, and he has to take the seat of a prince. There is really no one in the Zhu family.

Zhu Youjian has no interest in shops at all.The Four Seas Commercial Bank lacks everything, but there is no shortage of shops.Even though you have so many shops in these bustling big cities, if the Four Seas Trading Company uses some indiscriminate means with the cooperation of Jin Yiwei, it will not be easy to squeeze these shops of yours?Can you still report to the police?Even if you report to the official, do you think the local government will favor a prince or the royal family?Not to mention the wolf-like Jin Yiwei standing behind him.

"Brother Wang, is it possible that there are tens of thousands of people in the Zhou Palace who need food? According to the ancestral system, the vassals and servants of the Prince's Mansion cannot exceed a hundred people. I will calculate that there are 200 people in the Prince's Mansion. The annual rations required are no more than five hundred shi. There are other needs, and a thousand stones are enough; but the palace currently has nearly 70 mu of land. If one stone is produced per mu per year, the annual grain output can reach 70 stones. If it is cultivated by tenant farmers, the rent will be [-]%. There are also more than [-] stones, could it be that the king of Zhou still has a huge population that the court does not know to support?"

Speaking of the last few sentences, Zhu Youjian put away his smiling face, his tone became stiff and cold, and Brother Wang changed to King Zhou.

Zhu Gongyun suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

What kind of huge population needs to be supported? Isn't this almost equivalent to saying that you are suspected of raising private soldiers?

If the emperor charged him with such a crime, let alone donating [-]% ​​of the land, he might have directly expelled the noble and ransacked the house.

The emperor seemed gentle, with a friendly and approachable attitude, and a reasonable speech, but all this was an illusion. He was an emperor after all, and the world belonged to his family, not the entire Zhu family.

"There really isn't a single good person with the surname Zhu!" Zhu Gongyun sighed secretly.

"I am wronged! The royal residence of the minister has only a few hundred people, and they are all people who have no power to restrain the chickens; most of the fields under the name of the minister are distributed by the grain store under the name of the minister, and the rest are stored in warehouses for their own use. Among them, there is absolutely no such thing as raising people privately! My emperor, please be careful! I am willing to give [-]% of the land and shops to the Holy Majesty, and I implore my emperor to accept it no matter what!"

Zhu Gongyou suddenly stood up and fell to his knees, the coolness released by the ice basin in the hall seemed to be piercing to the bone, and also chilled his heart, but the sweat on his back and forehead was rolling down.

"Hehehe, please hurry up, Brother Wang. What I just said is just a joke, Brother Wang, don't take it seriously! Since Brother Wang is so sincere, then I will be reluctant! Brother Wang, please be at ease, and treat Brother Wang's young grandson When I become an adult, I will definitely give his prince a title! Big companion, say hello to Chuanshan, I want to have a drink with Brother Wang to continue the relationship of the heavenly family!"

After more than ten days, Zhu Gongyun left the capital under the escort of two hundred Jinyi guards, and went south by boat to Nanjing to pay homage to the Xiaoling Mausoleum. Afterwards, he would travel around the south of the Yangtze River and return to Kaifeng via Fengyang.

According to the agreement reached in advance, everyone in Zhou Palace can travel freely in Daming territory, no different from ordinary people.

Shisun Sansheng, the head of the Zhou Palace, was promoted by the Ministry of Officials to the post of prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture because of his meritorious service.

(End of this chapter)