Daming: The most ruthless tyrant in history

Chapter 400 The Dark Emperor

The clans of the Ming dynasty have multiplied to this day, and their relationship with Zhu Youxiao's branch, or three or four generations further up, is actually very distant. Many of them have already been released to the fifth server. .

Although everyone's surname is Zhu, the relationship has become more and more distant from generation to generation.

Zhu Youxiao didn't have much special affection for the Ming dynasty's clan, and was even just a stranger to most people.

In Zhu Youxiao's eyes, the vassal clan worthy of his attention must be able to take on important roles and shoulder his clear mission.

Just like people like Zhu Youjian and Zhu Yujian, although they are still very young, being young is good. Being young often means great potential and strong plasticity.

If it can be cultivated, whether it is staying in the country or moving overseas, it can help him solve his problems.

Today, the reason for summoning the vassal clan members who have come to Beijing is for no other reason than to resolve one issue, namely the bloated and messy clan system.

Zhu Youxiao flicked his sleeves and sat on the dragon chair, overlooking the various sects and clans gathered in the hall. Some of them were old, some were middle-aged, and some were still very young...

However, Zhu Youxiao mostly saw a lack of vitality in them. How could such a group shoulder the responsibility of protecting the Ming Dynasty?

No matter how good the system is, if it cannot keep pace with the times, it will eventually collapse.

The vassal system established in the early Ming Dynasty allowed the Sai king to guard the borders and the inner king to guard key points. This indeed set the tone for promoting unification and strengthened local stability.

After all, before the founding of the Ming Dynasty, China fell into the hands of the Yuan and Tartar tribes. In order to strengthen their rule, they launched the so-called racial policy. The first class was Mongolians, the second class Semu people, the third class Han people, and the fourth class Southerners. .

This is an extremely terrible system.

If Emperor Taizu Gao had not unified the mountains and rivers, driven out the Tartars, and recovered the long-lost northern Xinjiang, many of the Han people under Yuan Tan's rule would no longer be able to speak Chinese, and would even be in the final stage of Huhua.

The creation of the vassal-vassal system was, firstly, to strengthen the foundation of the Zhu family's rule, and secondly, to counter the scholar-bureaucrat group. Unfortunately, Zhu Yuanzhang failed to calculate one thing, that is, as time went by, the vassal-vassal group multiplied and ruled. There is bound to be an extremely large group.

However, the Ming Dynasty vassal system collapsed so quickly that many people were unexpected.

Zhu Yuanzhang had many heirs, and these heirs were divided into various places. As they were born from generation to generation, these burdens were passed on to the lower class.

This does not include the heirs of subsequent monarchs. Even if some heirs and nobles are eliminated in this process, it cannot be sustained.

"The court is currently facing a very difficult situation."

Zhu Youxiao sat on the dragon chair, looked around at the sects and vassals in front of him, and said calmly: "The national treasury is very empty, and even the money to suppress the rebellion of the Sichuan and Gui chieftains cannot be raised, and once the Sichuan and Gui chieftains' rebellion takes hold, , it will surely sweep across the entire southwest region.”

"If this situation really comes to pass, it is normal for the southwest regions to fall into turmoil. What worries me most is that once the southwest is in chaos, if a chieftain leads his troops to break out of the siege and threaten Huguang and other wealthy places, then It will definitely cause instability in the southeast.”

"I'm only talking about the Sichuan-Gui chieftain rebellion, but I haven't talked about the Jianlu rebellion adjacent to Liaodong, the Mongolian Tatar raids in northern Xinjiang that troubled the imperial court, or even the disasters in Shandong and other places. If the above are not effectively solved, The country of the Ming Dynasty will be on fire everywhere."

"So I summoned you here this time just to talk about the suspension of Zonglu. You people should set an example and temporarily use the suspended Zonglu to suppress the rebellion. When will the suppression of the rebellion end? When Zonglu is reinstated, who of you agrees with my decision? Who opposes it?"

One word stirs up a thousand waves!

The many sects and vassal clans gathered in the main hall of Qianqing Palace all showed expressions of disbelief, mainly because Zhu Youxiao, as the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, said these words that involved too many explosive points.

The court was in a difficult situation.

The treasury was extremely empty.

The Sichuan-Guizhou rebellion was a big one.

Facing many foreign invasions.

The country may be unstable.

The imperial court stopped issuing Zonglu.

Some people who reacted quickly quickly figured out the key point. Because of the national affairs they were facing, the emperor wanted to stop paying them the royal salary they deserved! !

"Your Majesty! Zonglu is an ancestral system. How can we just stop? Are you going to violate the ancestral system?"

"Your Majesty, you can't do this. I live my life relying on the royalties issued by the imperial court. If the royalties are stopped, how will I live?"

"Your Majesty! Since the imperial court is facing such difficulties, why don't you impose more taxes on the world? Why do you stop paying ministers and other officials their royal salaries?"

"His Majesty……"

Under the leadership of some sects, more sects and clans in the palace bowed to Gozensaku with different expressions like their dead fathers.

The emperor brother is indeed right. In the hearts of most sects and clans, the Ming Dynasty has long been gone. They only want to live their own luxurious lives. As for what will happen to the Ming Dynasty, it has little to do with them. After all, they are not Emperor Ming, why do you need to worry about this?

Zhu Youjian, who was standing in front of the emperor, clenched his hands tightly when he saw the scene in front of him, and his eyes changed completely when he looked at the sects and clans in front of him.

On the contrary, Zhu Yujian, who was standing nearby, exclaimed softly at this moment, as if relieved, and sneered in his heart. It is really ridiculous that such a bunch of losers have the nerve to propose ancestral systems to the emperor. "end!!!"

Seeing the sects and clans in the palace shouting incessantly, he saw from the corner of his eye that his emperor was not displeased at all, but Wei Zhongxian, who was serving in front of the emperor, knew that since these sects and clans were shameless, his own emperor would definitely not give them a good face either. Yes, so he stepped forward and shouted in a deep voice.

The hall gradually became quiet.

"It seems that none of you are very willing."

Zhu Youxiao, who was sitting on the dragon chair, looked around the sects and vassals standing in the hall, showed a smile, leaned forward and said: "I just heard someone mentioning the ancestral system, so I will review the ancestral system with you. "The Ancestral Instructions of the Emperor Ming Dynasty" prescribed by Emperor Taizu Gao contains quite a few mentions of clans and vassals, but what about you? Have you followed them one by one?"

"Prince Tang!! Is this a fact that you dote on your concubine and bully your son?! Is this a fact that you dote on your concubine and overwhelm your direct descendant?! Is this a fact that you indulge your subordinates?!"

When Zhu Youxiao pointed the finger at the King of Tang, Zhu Shuoyu, who was standing at the front, changed his face drastically. He never thought that the emperor would reprimand him in front of so many people.

At that time, Zhu Yujian, who was standing in front of the emperor, looked at Zhu Shuoyu with a bit of coldness in his eyes. Although he knew that this was an unfilial act, his previous experience was too miserable! !

"King Lu!! Is it a fact that you are taking over people's land?! Is it a fact that you are occupying official land?! Is it a fact that you are expropriating people's land?!"

"Prince Jin!! Is it a fact that you bully and dominate the market?! Is it a fact that you print money privately?! You..."

However, under this situation, Zhu Youxiao did not stop. Instead, he pointed out what the princes present had done in their respective vassals.

Zhu Youxiao mentioned all the prince's affairs.

Zhu Youxiao did not mention those county kings, generals who controlled the country, generals who supported the country, etc. at all. It was not that they were not clean in private, but that they were not worthy! !

Zhu Youxiao's voice echoed in the hall, but the atmosphere in the hall was extremely depressing.

Every vassal and clan member present, especially the princes who were named, felt uneasy in their hearts. They never thought that the emperor would be so aware of what they had done privately in the vassal territory. .

Could it be that the emperor had spies around them?

The emergence of this terrible idea caused fear in the hearts of many people.

However, these sects and clans never thought that there was no need to put special spies to investigate the things they did. There were too many people who hated them and resented them.

"Every one of you is talking shamelessly, saying that you can only live by the salary you get from the imperial court. In your palace, I am afraid that the gold and silver accumulated in your palace, and the food fields in your name, combined, will be many times richer than my internal funds." Bar!!"

Zhu Youxiao stood up suddenly, flicked his robe sleeves and said, "As for the others, I haven't talked about it, but that doesn't mean there won't be any of you. I'll ask the people in the inner court to read it out one by one in front of you later."

"Zonglu's suspension is only temporary. As long as the court can overcome the current difficulties, I will restore it again. But since you mentioned the ancestral system, it is hard for me not to mention the ancestral system."

"According to the ancestral system, for all the things you have committed, let alone taking away your titles, even if they are all beheaded, the ancestors of Huangming will not criticize me!!!"

Tang Wang Zhu Shuoji and Jin Wang Zhu Qiugui were all dumbfounded.

No one thought things would come to this.

The emperor shouted to be beaten and killed.

"Your Majesty! I am wronged!!"

"Your Majesty! You can't believe slander easily!"

"His Majesty……"

For a time, many people could no longer stand and bowed one after another.

But in Zhu Youxiao's eyes, the scene before him was so ridiculous and ironic.

"Shut up, everyone!!"

Zhu Youxiao pondered for a moment, then shouted in a deep voice: "I still have the ability to tell whether it is true or false. As for you, if you want to avoid being severely punished by the ancestral system, then pay the money according to the crime. It depends on whether you pay more or less. Yourselves, this is the last chance I give you."

The Tatar Qing Dynasty's crime-discussing silver could not be more suitable to be used on the Ming Dynasty vassal clan.

Zhu Youxiao not only wanted to stop paying Zonglu, but also squeezed their money. Only in this way can the central court's finances get a chance to breathe.

With this considerable financial supplement, Zhu Youxiao can solve a lot of messes.

Of course, if this system is really implemented, the heirs of the clans and clans in various places, with the generals of the auxiliary country as the bottom line, all their heirs will go to Beijing.

Zhu Youxiao would not let the tiger go back to the mountain, and let these resentful sects and vassal clans cause troubles in various places. The Ming Dynasty could not withstand this kind of torment...

(End of this chapter)