Jingtai Fengyun: The First Absurd Emperor of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 671: The Crown Prince speaks out about the legal cabinet and everyone has different thoughts

Frankly speaking, the Ming Dynasty, starting from Taizu, was not very good to the people, nor was it good to officials and gentry.

The salaries of officials are really pitiful.The most typical case is Hu Zongxian's famous saying: Yesterday, I heard that the sea order was for my mother's birthday, and she bought two kilograms of meat.

Hai Rui celebrated his mother's birthday and bought two pounds of pork, which became big news that alarmed the governor.

Being an upright official in the Ming Dynasty was really difficult.

These are still officials, but the lives of ordinary people are even worse.

Why the Ming Dynasty died so happily, mistreating the people is definitely one of the most important reasons.

Therefore, Zhu Qiyu's reforms always revolve around currency issuance.Ming Taizu's straightforward practice of using waste paper to loot the people's wealth and wealth cannot continue.

Although it is much simpler to directly print treasure banknotes than to mint silver coins and copper coins, printing treasure banknotes is addictive and will inevitably lead to random devaluation.

Can the economy be stable if the common currency depreciates randomly?Can people live well?

Zhu Qiyu and the ministers argued for a long time, and finally reached a consensus on Yi Chu: the prince wanted to be replaced, but not until next year.First, the prince's resignation letter should be made public and allowed to be discussed by the government and the public.

As for the subordinate officials of Zhan Shi Mansion, the establishment will begin now.

As for the prince already having a wife and a civil and military master, the cabinet had no choice but to recognize him.

A compromise was reached between the monarch and his ministers, and everyone was happy.

The cabinet ministers are quite satisfied with this result.Because the power of the Ming Dynasty was extremely powerful at this time, and the emperor had extremely high military achievements and prestige, even if it was forced, the ministers had nothing to do.

After the Xuan Temple was easily abolished, and today the emperor insisted not to establish a queen, this is proof.Regardless of etiquette or etiquette, if the emperor really becomes willful, the ministers will have no way to stop him.

Therefore, Zhu Qiyu was willing to discuss matters with the ministers, which was already a great honor.

After discussing serious matters, the ministers then played some trivial matters to adjust the atmosphere.

I saw Wang Yining bowing and saying: "Your Majesty, King Zhenning passed away a few days ago. His concubine Xin was so sad that she hanged herself to be buried. This is really commendable. The palace of Prince Zhenning please posthumously name her the wife of Prince Zhenning." "

Zhu Qiyu frowned when he heard this and asked, "Didn't I already emphasize that burials are prohibited?"

It was not easy to get angry today, so Zhu Qiyu turned to Zhu Wenfang and asked: "Xiao Zhu, what do you think?"

Zhu Wenfang replied: "I think of a small allusion in "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals"."

Zhu Qiyu nodded: "Okay, okay, teach your father the truth."

Zhu Wenfang first recited: "The law of the Lu State is that the people of the Lu State give concubines to the princes, and those who can redeem them take their gold from the government.

Zigong redeemed the people of Lu from the princes, and gave them to them without taking their gold.

Confucius said: "The people of Lu have not redeemed people from now on.

If you take the gold, you will not harm your deeds; if you do not take the gold, you will no longer be able to redeem people. "

Zhu Qiyu nodded and continued to encourage: "You can speak for your father."

Zhu Wenfang replied: "For people from Lu who have become slaves abroad, if someone can redeem them, they can go to the government to reimburse the ransom.

Zigong redeemed a slave abroad, but after returning home, he refused to be reimbursed by the government for the ransom.

The sage Kong said that Zigong made a mistake because the government reimbursed the ransom, and the people of the country did not have to pay for it themselves. They only needed to raise their hands to redeem the people who had become slaves abroad. Such a policy was in line with human nature, and the people of Lu were willing to implement it. Chinese people suffering abroad can also receive timely assistance.

But Zigong saved people but did not reimburse the ransom. He himself was a noble man, but what did he ask others to do?

If others go to the government to claim reimbursement, it will not look noble enough under the background of Zigong.If we don't reimburse them, who will be willing to redeem the Lu people abroad in the long run?The same is true for King Zhenning's concubine Xin. Her father had long issued an edict prohibiting burial, but she still insisted on hanging herself to sacrifice her husband.

She herself is indeed noble, but what about other wives and concubines?
Burial sacrifice is something that goes against human nature.

The father established a system, listed it in the code, everyone abides by it, and the whole country prohibits it. This is true benevolence and mercy.

The Ministry of Rites awarded him a posthumous award, how is it different from Zigong's refusal to reimburse the ransom?

They all achieved their own nobility, but harmed the country's laws and failed to live up to the monarch's benevolence in legislating the laws and protecting the people. "

Zhu Qiyu nodded approvingly, then looked at Wang Yining: "Wang Shangshu, what do you mean?"

Wang Yining replied: "Your Majesty understands the principles of the saints, and what he said is very appropriate."

Zhu Qiyu smiled and said: "If Mrs. Xin really died for Prince Zhen Ning out of love, I have nothing to say. I respect her personal choice.

But from the court's perspective, there is no need to reward or promote such behavior.

It is the law of the imperial court that those who have been buried must be abolished.

Moreover, the imperial court must take a clear stance and resolutely oppose sacrificial burial. It cannot oppose sacrificial burial on both sides, while at the same time lavishing great gifts on the daughter of sacrificial burial.

The result of Zigong's refusal to reimburse the ransom was that more Lu people could not receive help and became slaves abroad.

As a result of the imperial court conferring martyrdom on female concubines, more concubines continued to choose to die for burial, either because of their family members, because of public opinion, or for the sake of posthumous fame.

Even the sage Confucius did not support this approach, so I do not support or advocate this approach either. "

Everyone didn't care about this little thing in itself, but they were surprised by the prince's intelligence.

The prince was born in the second year of Jingtai and was only six years old. He could recite a section of "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals" casually, and he could also understand the principles and apply them.

On the bright side, there will be a successor to the Ming Dynasty.

If you think about it worst, the monarchy will become stronger and stronger, and you will have to maintain at least two generations of emperors.

The most surprising person here is Wang Ji.I didn't expect that the court situation has undergone huge changes in these years when I haven't been in the capital much.

First of all, the emperor's power and prestige were so great that even such a big move as changing the crown prince was approved by the cabinet without any objection. This meant that the emperor had complete control over the cabinet and the six ministries.

Compared to the 14 years of orthodoxy, almost all of the cabinet’s Grand Scholars and Six Ministers are newcomers.A large number of important ministers such as Hu Hui, Wang Zhi, Wang Ao, Jin Lian, Shi Pu, Yu Qian, Wei Ji, etc. died or retired, and all disappeared from the court.

The emperor and his courtiers are vividly interpreted.

Nowadays, most of these important ministers are close associates of the emperor, and a few are hard-working people who have no clear position.

Secondly, King Yi only had one son left, the prince Zhu Jianshen.Today, the emperor has twelve sons, and they are still being born.

The crown prince Zhu Wenfang is smart enough to see the blind, and the emperor's other sons should not be too bad either.

The crown prince is six years old this year. In another seven or eight years, when the emperor's sons grow up, the throne will be completely unbreakable.

Finally, there is another more important thing. After years of campaigns by the Jingtai Dynasty, the Shangzhiwei and Laojingying who were loyal to Xuanmiao and orthodox have been completely defeated.

If the army is gone, what's the point of restoration?

Wang Ji was distracted when he heard Zhu Qiyu ask: "Duke Jingguo, what do you think about how to rebuild the Nanjing Camp and how the coastal provinces can defend themselves against Japanese pirates and pirates?"

(End of this chapter)