Jingtai Fengyun: The First Absurd Emperor of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 873: The last child was blessed with a dragon and a phoenix. The King of Han, King Wei, left the capital and became a feudal lord.
Zhu Qiyu discovered more and more that when an emperor's authority was too high, he would involuntarily move closer to Qin Shihuang.

Building straight roads, expanding to the Western Regions, developing books with the same text, and comprehensive Chineseization, what Zhu Qiyu is doing now has a bit of Qin Shihuang's shadow.

Zhu Qiyu felt that the ministers had also discovered it, but no one spoke.

The monarch and his ministers chatted for a long time, and then they all dispersed.

In the next few days, Zhu Qiyu hosted banquets with nobles, military generals, officials from the East Palace, people from Zhongshushe, etc., which lasted until the fourteenth day of the first lunar month.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival, the whole family got together again, and the year was over.

Next, Zhu Qiyu finally lived the peaceful life he had dreamed of. Apart from making babies every day, he also spent time with his five little concubines.

……

……

Time flies, like a white horse passing by, four years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Jingtai fifteen years.

So Zhu Qiyu replied: "I plan to imitate Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and have a sparse burial, and I am even more radical than the Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. I just need to find a mountain by the sea in Shandong and dig a cave. I don't want to be buried with anything, and I will save future generations from worrying about it and having to work hard. Go dig graves and dig graves.”

By the tenth day of the fifth lunar month, all preparations for the vassal affairs were made by the kings of Han and Wei.

"Don't do it. That would put too much pressure on Zhu Wenfang."

Zhu Qiyu was thirty-seven years old and Zhu Wenfang was fourteen years old.

Zhu Qiyu asked curiously: "I'm only over thirty, why should I be in such a hurry to build a mausoleum?"

Just based on the combined value of gold, silver, and copper, each of the two brothers has a net worth equivalent to three million taels of silver.

Together with Su Xi's father Jinwang and Qianxue's father Wu Wang, they finally got three sons and one daughter, successfully completing the fertility mission. From now on, whoever you love will be born, anyway, His Majesty the Emperor is going to lie down.

As for the Tang Dynasty, Zhu Qiyu deliberately skipped it. It was fine in the early Tang Dynasty, but after the Anshi Rebellion, it became a bit too depressed. Chang'an alone was lost so many times, it was worse than the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty lost Beijing only when it finally perished.

Zhu Qiyu shook his head: "There is no immortal dynasty in the world, and the Ming Dynasty will perish sooner or later. It will be good if it can last for more than three hundred years. If you are lucky, it will be four hundred years."

Zhu Qiyu was so happy that he couldn't open his mouth from ear to ear for several days. He immediately named his twin brother the King of Chu and his twin sister as Princess Mingji.

His own mother did not want Emperor Xuan to see her at all, and it was indeed meaningless to be buried together after her death.

"How about I retire and become the Supreme Emperor this year?"

Empress Dowager Wu frowned: "That's not true. Anyway, there are mausoleum guards guarding the tomb. Whoever dares to rob the tomb will kill the nine tribes."

From then on, Zhu Qiyu announced that he would never have any more children. This year he would be vassalized by the kings of Han and Wei. After that, he would keep the rate of two princes vassing each year and send out his sons one after another.

I planned to chat for a while and then go for a walk in Kunming Lake. Unexpectedly, Empress Dowager Wu asked: "My son, when will the construction of your mausoleum start?"

Empress Dowager Wu smiled and said: "You are not in a hurry, I am. If you don't choose a good place, where will I be buried in the future?"

After breakfast, Zhu Qiyu and his two beloved concubines came to Changle Palace to pay their respects to the Queen Mother.

In addition, during the great cleansing in Shanxi, we were left with 10,000 hectares of land. Now give each of the kings of Han and Wei a thousand hectares of land in Shanxi and let them manage their own business.

Just these things can last ten lifetimes, and the husband does not need to worry about them starving or freezing. "

Zhu Qiyu thought for a moment and realized that this was also true. The life experience of my own mother is very similar to that of Queen Mother Bo. Empress Dowager Bo was not buried with Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty. Instead, she was buried next to the tomb of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and stayed with her son.

Zhu Qiyu shook his head helplessly. These officials were really used to it. In recent years, other officials have become more honest, which makes these officials appear to be particularly active. As the emperor and prince who have gained an absolute advantage, they are very tolerant towards the officials. No matter what they say, they don't hit or scold them. It doesn't matter what they do.

Empress Dowager Wu also thought for a moment, and then said with a smile: "Let it be buried lightly, and I will follow you. Which beach do you choose?"

If it could last for four hundred years and be succeeded by another Han regime, then our historical evaluation of the Ming Dynasty would be comparable to that of the Han Dynasty. "

"Queen mother won't go to Jingling?"

This made the whole family very happy. They had been having children in a regular manner for ten years, but they didn't expect that in the end, they unexpectedly gave birth to a boy and a girl.

Empress Dowager Wu shook her head: "If I'm not buried with Emperor Xuan, I'm nothing, so why bother trying to join him? I want to follow Empress Dowager Bo's story and be buried next to your mausoleum."

Zhu Qiyu replied: "Let's dig a hole in the mountain, build two Taoist temples, and we'll be done."

Lin Xiangyu agreed: "Yes, with the king of Han and the king of Wei, they will become a vassal. If there are some changes in the capital, at least there will finally be someone who can serve the king."

There are so many treasures such as jades, calligraphy and paintings, and antiques that they can't be contained.

"Don't worry, our father-in-law will give each of the kings of Han and Wei one million taels of silver, thirty thousand taels of gold, and one million taels of copper coins. Each of the fourteen sisters will give each of the kings of Han and Wei thirty thousand taels of silver.

Lin Xiangyu lay in Zhu Qiyu's arms and comforted her: "Husband, don't be sad. Anyway, we have the final say on everything now. It will be fine if the kings of Han and Wei come back to live in a year or two."

After talking to the Queen Mother, Zhu Qiyu took his concubine out of Changle Palace and went to Kunming Lake to take a boat ride.

In February this year, Zhu Qiyu and Ningxiang Qingqing finally gave birth to a pair of twins after almost three years of hard work.

Lin Xiangyu smiled and said: "Don't worry, he won't want to ascend the throne. As long as your husband is the emperor for a day, you will be the one who is criticized by those messy censors and officials. If Zhu Wenfang ascends the throne, it will be his turn to be criticized."

Zhu Qiyu nodded: "I just think it's cruel to let them go out and start their own business when they are only fourteen years old. Have you prepared all the food and supplies?"

Zhu Qiyu was delighted when he heard this and breathed a long sigh of relief: "Oh, finally there is a vassal king from our Jingtai family sitting outside. It has been not easy for fifteen years. There is a prince inside and close vassals outside, and the imperial power is finally here." It’s complete.”

Zhu Qiyu said with a smile: "I have really rested in the past few years. Now that we will never have children again, it is easier. When Zhu Wenfang wants to ascend the throne, just tell me and we will get over the process quickly."

Queen Mother Wu nodded.

The concubines who are willing to join the feudal clan with their sons can also start preparations.

In the Hehuan Hall, Zhu Qiyu got up early and leaned against the window to look at the scenery. The two sons have to go out to live their own lives, which is a bit mixed.

……

A few days passed, and on May 16th, the sky was clear, the air was clear, and the wind was gentle and gentle.

Today is the day when the two princes enter the feudal clan. In the morning, the entire family gathered together to hold a banquet to see them off.

After dinner, Zhu Qiyu led everyone to send the King of Han and the King of Wei to the gate.

All civil and military officials were waiting here to see the two princes off.

Zhu Qiyu was so emotional that he hugged his two sons and cried. This revelation of true feelings left everyone at a loss.

The king of Han and the king of Wei said goodbye to their families one by one, and then boarded the chariot. The king of Wei went north and the king of Han went south, rushing to the fiefdom.

The king of Han and the king of Wei each had more than a hundred carts loaded with gold, silver and jewelry. The scene was extremely spectacular. Since the three bodyguards of the King of Han were in Xi'an and the three bodyguards of the King of Wei were in Dongsheng, they were not transferred to the capital.

Therefore, Zhu Qiyu transferred 15,000 people from the Yingzhou Guard to escort the King of Han to Xi'an; he also transferred 15,000 people from the Tiance Guard to escort the King of Wei to Dongsheng.

It wasn't until the team completely disappeared from sight that Zhu Qiyu walked back with a look of disappointment.

The ministers originally wanted to take the opportunity to ask the emperor to convene a court meeting, but the emperor's mood was so low that no one dared to speak.

Zhu Wenfang also felt very uncomfortable and told the ministers: "Let's all leave. If anything happens, we'll talk about it later. My father and I are very sad. We have to rest at home for five days, and we will meet again in court in five days."

The emperor, prince, and concubines all went back, and the ministers finally relaxed their spirits. Some left in carriages, and some gathered together to chat for a few words.

He Wenyuan ordered his entourage to take a small bamboo chair from his carriage and sat down at the gate of Prince Qi's Mansion.

Wang Wen, Shen Yi and other cabinet ministers were too embarrassed to leave He Wenyuan alone, so they chatted with him.

He Wenyuan smiled apologetically and said to everyone: "I'm getting old. I can't bear it anymore after standing for a while. I have to sit down and rest for a while before leaving. Next time the court will be held, I have to ask the prince to resign. Why? After so many years as an official, it’s time for me to become an official.”

While everyone was comforting, everyone had their own thoughts. I don’t know what the emperor’s considerations were for allowing He Wenyuan to be in sole control of the staff for so many years.

Now that He Wenyuan is old and has become an official, the power structure in the DPRK will undergo major changes.

He Wenyuan muttered again: "Hey, life is so wonderful. Fifteen years ago, the Holy Emperor was only in his early twenties and did not have a son yet. All the scenes of fighting against Ye Xian and defending the capital are as vivid as yesterday.

In a flash, all the princes of the Holy Emperor went out and became a feudal lord. Time makes people grow old, and it’s okay not to accept it. "

Wang Wen nodded: "With the vassal king, I feel different from before. I have a complete artistic conception. In five or six years at most, I will retire."

The others also nodded, and these old foxes understood Wang Wen's words. Once the Jingtai princes are completed, it is equivalent to the real dust settling. Even if there are changes in the capital in the future, the Jingtai vassal kings can still fight back to the side of the Qing monarch. The hero group in the early Han Dynasty killed the Lu family as a precedent.

The hero group had staged such a big coup and still wanted Emperor Gao's son to take the throne. Emperor Wen would be able to take control of the power soon after he ascended the throne.

This was not because the heroes were so noble in character and so sincere that they were really willing to return their power to Emperor Wen, but because the vassal kings were powerful and the heroes did not dare to make mistakes.

The same principle holds true now. It is a huge shock to have the Jingtai vassal king outside. The vassal kings at the frontier all have three bodyguards. There are more than 20 vassal kings in the Jingtai family, who will take over the vassal one after another. If the ministers dare to rebel in the capital, they will not be able to defeat these vassal kings no matter what.

All cabinet ministers have realized this, and it will be good if everyone works hard in the future.

……

Zhu Qiyu stayed home for five days before he felt relieved.

This morning, after getting up early and holding Ningxiang in his arms, Zhu Qiyu asked, "How much money does our family have, and how many years can it last?"

This is a very conservative question, because no matter how much money you have, you can't afford to spend money like this.

Qianxue smiled and said: "We don't have much money left. The decisive battle with Mongolia cost us a lot of money. If it is normal expenses, it will be fine. In the next two princes, it will be a bit difficult to vassal each year."

"Is there any open source solution?"

Zhu Qiyu didn't ask how to reduce expenditure, but only how to increase revenue.

Qianxue replied: "Japan is fully exploring for minerals, and Zhu Wenfang has already discussed it with the courtiers. In the future, the output of newly discovered mines in the first twenty years will be allocated to internal funds, and they will be taken back to the imperial court after twenty years.

In this way, we will have enough gold, silver, and copper to make a home for the prince. If it doesn't work, the court can still allocate some money.

Moreover, for each prince who became a vassal, the imperial court allocated one million taels for the construction of the palace and the purchase of carriages and horses.

This is what the ministers actively requested. After all, half of the world is conquered by husbands. The annual income of the imperial court has nearly tripled. This is all due to the husband. He does not spend any money on us, and the ministers feel very sorry. "

Zhu Qiyu nodded: "That's okay."

Qianxue added: "We just consumed too much during the decisive battle with Mongolia. At that time, the money and food from the internal funds flowed out like water. Now the court gives us subsidies, which is as it should be.

In fact, we earn a lot of money every year. In terms of farmland, we originally had 120,000 hectares. In the 10th year of Jingtai, an inventory of land across the country found that we added two more hectares from Myanmar, Champa, Siam, Luzon, Taiwan and other places. One hundred thousand hectares of wasteland serve as the imperial estate.

The euphemistic name is: the royal family takes the lead in reclaiming wasteland.

In fact, over the past five years, a large amount of profits have been generated.

Coupled with the shops in the capital and the industries in Shandong, the annual income is actually 7 to 8 million taels.

Tiancewei and Duoyanwei are supported by the Royal Horse Supervisor and settled separately.

The money we make every year is all we need to support the state guards.

From the income of seven to eight million taels, after deducting the military expenditure of more than one million taels for the state guard battalion, there are still more than six million taels left. "

Zhu Qiyu had never cared about family affairs, so he couldn't help but be surprised at how his family's income had become so high.

Qianxue looked at her face and took the initiative to explain: "Don't think six million taels sounds scary, this is a calculation.

In fact, what we hold in our hands every year is mainly lots of grain. Converting these grains into silver looks deceptive, but if we really throw out so much grain, the price of grain will collapse, and we will not be able to exchange for the expected amount of silver.

Our pure income from silver and copper coins is only worth about three million taels a year. "

Zhu Qiyu nodded: "I understand this, but three million taels is a lot."

Qianxue smiled and said, "You don't know that the amount of silver and copper coins in circulation has increased dramatically today. Although the price of food has not increased much, the purchasing power of silver and copper coins has dropped slightly compared to before."

"This is good. This is what we want. Food prices are stable and money is sufficient. In this way, people's harvests can be converted into money, and then they can use the money to buy daily necessities, and the economy will circulate.

It would be too expensive for us to vassal or marry a daughter now. Once this wave is over, I won’t be so nervous anymore. "

Qianxue added: "We said that we would hand over the stewardship to the Crown Princess in the future, but the Crown Princess refused to accept it."

Zhu Qiyu asked curiously: "It's not a mess. Why doesn't she accept such a rich family fortune?"

Qianxue spread her hands helplessly: "She said she wouldn't take over everything before she was thirty. She also said she should enjoy life and concentrate on having children. She would have to give birth to at least three sons and raise them well before she would consider investing her energy in them. Come to the general affairs."

Zhu Qiyu was speechless after hearing this: "I really underestimated our princess in the past. Why is she so shrewd? At a young age, she understood clearly that ordinary affairs are not the foundation, but having more legitimate children is the key. Do it well. , this life is so transparent!”

Zhu Qiyu knew that there was a negative example of this kind of thing, and that was Wang Xifeng. Wang Xifeng is a capable housekeeper and shrewd enough in handling general affairs, but she is shrewd in small things and confused in big things. Being a housekeeper has exhausted the body and delayed childbirth.

No matter how good you are as a housekeeper, but your son has not been born, then who are you running the house for? It is no longer a waste to worry about others.

You are working so hard to take care of the house, while your husband is making arrangements to marry a second wife and have a concubine in order to continue the family line. It is really embarrassing.

Thinking of this, Zhu Qiyu even laughed. This princess in her family is really smart. She should relax her body and mind first, have children happily, and stabilize her status. As for the general affairs, it is to support the mothers and concubines to worry about it. Free coolies, don’t use them in vain.

(End of this chapter)