Daming: If I find a great-grandson, I will teach an emperor through the ages

Chapter 244 Zhu Yuanzhang was angry and the Ming vassal king was dumbfounded

With a dark face, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an order to expel the guests.

Zhu Xiongying immediately gave Cao Wei a wink, indicating that he should get here first and that the matter could not be rushed and would be discussed later.

In fact, after hearing this, Zhu Xiongying's hands and feet went cold. Cao Wei had just counted the fourth generation of Ming Dynasty princes, and the number had already surged to 3000, with a year's salary as high as million.

And even after Cao Wei went through all kinds of troubles at this time, opening up the sea, looking for new crops, and constantly improving the economy of the Ming Dynasty, the annual tax revenue still did not reach 20 million.

If this continues, the tax revenue of the Ming Dynasty in one year will not be enough to pay the kings' annual salary. Wouldn't this become a joke?
As Cao Wei said, the economic and financial pressure faced by the court will be unprecedentedly huge!
In the past, when Cao Wei proposed public ownership of land and industry, he also said that the kings were not engaged in production, but Zhu Xiongying did not take it to heart at that time.

There were only a few vassal kings in total, so Ming Dynasty couldn't afford to support them?
But the most fearful thing is calculation. Cao Wei made such thorough calculations and found out in advance the huge economic crisis that Ming Dynasty will face in two to three hundred years.

This financial crisis is incomprehensible. It is difficult for the Ming Dynasty to truly survive by relying solely on a policy of public ownership of land!
When Cao Wei saw this, he also knew that he could not eat a fat man in one bite. Moreover, the enfeoffment law was originally formulated by Zhu Yuanzhang. He found a huge hole in the law he formulated, which was no less than refuting Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty. The emperor, the face of Emperor Hongwu.

Zhu Yuanzhang is so old, and Cao Wei stimulates him so much. It would be bad if he gets angry.

Take your time...Cao Wei thought to himself.

Zhu Yuanzhang was furious after reading the remonstrance. He said that Ye Boju was sent to the Ministry of Punishment and died in the name of alienating the Tian family's flesh and blood.

Not to mention the special dynasty of the Song Dynasty, the Qin Dynasty was able to dominate the world through constant reforms. The Han and Tang Dynasties that followed experienced unprecedented prosperity during their heyday. Later, they also followed the rules and blindly governed the world according to the ancestral system, which eventually led to unmanageable chaos. situation.

In fact, Cao Wei was not the first person to point out the problem with the decree to support the royal family.

But judging from the results of later generations, the decline of the Ming Dynasty was directly and fundamentally related to it.

In the ninth year of Hongwu's reign, there was a man from Ninghai, Zhejiang, who was taught as a scholar in Pingyao County at that time. His name was Ye Boju.

Therefore, Cao Wei wants to point out this problem and uncover the scars of trauma that Ming Dynasty has not yet had time to rot.

This is because Zhu Yuanzhang was also young at that time, had a violent temper, and attached great importance to family ties, and regarded his family as extremely important.

However, as time went by, the disadvantages and pain points of enfeoffing the kings were infinitely magnified. It is assumed that Zhu Yuanzhang did not enfeoff in this way, but left other problems. As time unfolds, the situation is probably similar, but the problems are different.

Looking at the history books, every dynasty has such problems. The fundamental reason is that the national conditions change over time, and the system must also change accordingly.

But among the dynasties under the imperial power system, Zhu Yuanzhang was truly the best to the people, and he was also the emperor who hated corrupt officials the most. The Ming Dynasty also had the most stringent laws against official corruption.

It was precisely because of Lao Zhu's experience growing up that he valued family ties too much and formulated this enfeoffment system. Later generations said that the world of Lao Zhu's family in the Ming Dynasty was a real family world, and it was based on one country. He has the power to support everyone in the Zhu family.

Whether it is Zhu Xiongying or Zhu Yuanzhang, they are both contemporary people who have to deal with countless problems at the moment. Only Cao Wei, a modern person who has traveled through time, knows what kind of negative consequences the feudal system will bring to the Ming Dynasty.

The reason why Zhu Yuanzhang left such a big loophole is easy to understand.

I have fought so hard all my life and shed so much blood. Do you think I can’t let my son enjoy happiness? According to Lao Zhu's temper at that time, it was reasonable to kill Ye Boju in a rage.

Zhu Yuanzhang was able to start with a bowl and sit on the emperor's throne. It would be wrong to say that he was short-sighted.

Later, he wrote a letter to Zhu Yuanzhang, saying that the world suffered from three things: first, enfeoffment was too extravagant, second, the punishment was too complicated, and third, seeking treatment was too urgent.

Ye Boju wrote a letter in which he pointed out the issue of enfeoffment, which was very similar to what Cao Wei said at this time. However, Zhu Yuanzhang executed Ye Boju in anger.

Looking at the issue of enfeoffment at this time, it is just that Zhu Yuanzhang wanted his descendants to live a better life.

All this shows that Zhu Yuanzhang pretends to be the people in his heart. At the worst, he also knows that if the people have a hard time, the Zhu family will be unstable, because this is how he came step by step.

He revised the law and formulated regulations. From the Hongwu period to the Yongle period, this law, which was called the "ancestral system" by the later kings of the Ming Dynasty, was still very consistent with the Ming Dynasty at that time. Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty would not have changed more and more during the Hongwu period. Well, in the year of Yongle, all nations will not come to court.

After all, Zhu Yuanzhang was just a person. Even if he achieved the Ninth Five-Year Plan, he still did not become an immortal or a Buddha. In the environment of the early Ming Dynasty, with internal and external troubles, Zhu Yuanzhang had too many things to worry about. He did not think about it. Three to five hundred years later, Zhu Yuanzhang would The descendants of this family will bring down the entire Ming Dynasty.

Just as Cao Wei thought, Zhu Yuanzhang was furious again when faced with this problem, but after all, he did not treat him like Ye Boju. This is hope.

Perhaps, after saying so much today, Zhu Yuanzhang's mind can change?

This is also the hope in Cao Wei's heart. He does not want the Ming Dynasty to repeat the same mistakes again in three to five hundred years.

Cao Wei stood up and bowed respectfully to the two of them to say goodbye.

"Come here, give it to Master Cao," Zhu Xiongying ordered.

Zhu Yuanzhang was still sitting on the chair with a cold face. He didn't even look at Cao Wei who walked out, which showed that he was very angry.

It is unclear whether he was angry with Cao Wei for speaking so openly, or whether he was angry with himself for making the enfeoffment decree in the first place.

After Cao Wei left and before Zhu Xiongying could speak, Zhu Yuanzhang took the palace maid back to the palace.

Zhu Xiongying was so distraught that he sat down at his desk behind the desk, but couldn't see anything. Cao Wei's words kept swirling in his ears.

"The third generation, six hundred people... The fourth generation, three thousand people... The annual salary of the county princes alone is 18.8 million..."

"Ugh……"

Zhu Xiongying put down the book in his hand, worried.

"This question is puzzling. Why did the Ming Dynasty last for five hundred years?"

Cao Wei said that each vassal king would have five offspring, but Zhu Xiongying knew clearly, how could those vassal kings only have five offspring? Only more, not less.

As a result, without the fourth generation of Ming kings and grandchildren, Ming Dynasty will face the consequences of enfeoffment.

When he thought that one day in the future, one of his descendants would sit on the throne of the Ming Dynasty, facing the hands of many vassal kings, he would be unable to survive, and eventually pay high taxes to the people of the world... Zhu Xiongying was filled with fear. .

Could it be that the future of the Ming Dynasty is just to follow the old path of the Yuan Dynasty again?

Zhu Xiongying thought well. In the late Ming Dynasty, the people were in dire straits and in dire straits, which was not much different from the late Yuan Dynasty...

the other side,
When Zhu Yuanzhang returned to the palace, the maid would fetch hot water to soak Zhu Yuanzhang's feet.

This is what Cao Wei said. Soaking your feet in hot water every night will help the body's blood circulation.

"No more!" Zhu Yuanzhang thought of Cao Wei's words just now, and inevitably felt a sense of resistance in his heart.

The palace maid tremblingly replied "Promise", and then served Zhu Yuanzhang to undress and lie down.

But Zhu Yuanzhang tossed and turned, but he was not sleepy at all. He thought of Ye Boju. Zhu Yuanzhang knew that he had killed by mistake, but he had killed countless people by mistake. It's just that what Cao Wei said today was the same as that of Ye Boju, which made Zhu Yuanzhang feel a little different in his heart.

In a trance, Zhu Yuanzhang whispered what he was thinking.

"How could this happen? We just want our children and grandchildren to live a good life..."

Zhu Yuanzhang lived a hard life, so he did not want his descendants to have to live in a hard life. He worked hard all his life and finally sat on the throne. Of course he wanted his descendants to have food and clothing for generations to come. This is everything in the world. There is nothing wrong with the desire to be a parent.

But now it seems that if the enfeoffment system is not changed, the descendants of the Zhu family will one day bring down the entire Ming Dynasty.

"Alas..." It was Zhu Yuanzhang's turn to sigh.

Now that Ming Dynasty has developed to such an extent, we must not let anything or anyone stop Ming Dynasty from moving forward.

Turning sideways again, Zhu Yuanzhang still wasn't sleepy at all.

I don't know how long it took, but suddenly Zhu Yuanzhang's voice sounded.

"Fetch hot water, we want to soak our feet."

The palace maid quickly fetched a basin of warm water, soaked Zhu Yuanzhang's feet, kneaded them, and wiped them dry.

Zhu Yuanzhang lay down again. After a while, his eyelids were too heavy to open. Before closing his eyes, Zhu Yuanzhang gave a helpless smile.

Moreover, after Cao Wei left the palace, he realized belatedly that the cold sweat on his shoulders was caused by nervousness.

Zhu Yuanzhang could not kill him because Zhu Xiongying was there, but if he could not be saved, Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he was dragged to the Ministry of Punishment and slapped with dozens of boards.

Back at Cao Mansion, Zhu Hanming came holding Cao Yin in his arms and asked Cao Wei if he had eaten. Cao Wei nodded.

"What's wrong?" Seeing that Cao Wei's face was not good, Zhu Hanming asked with gentle concern.

Cao Wei was about to speak but stopped.

"If you have anything to say, even I can't say it," Zhu Hanming stared at Cao Wei.

Cao Wei couldn't stand being stared at by her. He felt relieved and told everything in detail.

After Zhu Hanming heard this, he was speechless for a long time.

"This matter is too involved, I can't help you," Zhu Hanming said.

Cao Wei shook his head again, and after telling these things, he actually felt much better.

"But the old man is not the kind of person who is stubborn. Husband, don't worry too much. Give the old man some time to think clearly," Zhu Hanming said as he handed Cao Yin in his arms to Cao Wei.

"I support you in whatever you want to do." She said again.

Cao Yin was already asleep, with a peaceful and lovely face. Cao Wei looked at his daughter, and his thoughts became more and more determined!
After the nest is overthrown, An's eggs are intact, even if it is for Cao Lin, Cao Yin, and their descendants, Zhu Yuanzhang must modify the enfeoffment system!
Silent all night.

The next day,

When a group of vassal kings came to court, they approached Zhu Xiongying and asked for an airport to be built in their fiefdoms.

Zhu Xiongying didn't sleep well all night. Listening to the voices of the uncles, he felt that they were noisy.

The problem of enfeoffment had already exhausted Zhu Xiongying physically and mentally. How could he find the time to get an airport for them?
Seeing that Zhu Xiongying remained silent, the vassal kings thought it was because he was reluctant to fly, so they started spreading money again.

"Your Majesty, I don't want this plane in vain. I donated 500,000 silver to the court. This money is enough to build many more planes." Zhu Fan said.

Others also responded and "donated generously" one after another.

"Your Majesty, I will donate 600,000 yuan."

"Your Majesty, if I offer 800,000 yuan, can I buy two planes?"

……

Zhu Xiongying listened to everyone's bids and sighed again in his heart. It was not Cao Wei who was making a fuss, but these vassal kings. They really didn't care about production and spent money lavishly!
If the number of people is small, it can still be sustained. If the number of people is large, can't it eat up the Ming Dynasty?

While everyone was bidding, Zhu Yuanzhang came with his maids.

Hearing that these sons of his had gone to the Research Institute yesterday, and then came to the emperor's study all at once, Zhu Yuanzhang knew what they were going to do.

"What's the fuss about?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice sounded from behind, and the vassal princes quickly fell silent and then saluted Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not look at them seriously and repeated:
"This is the emperor's study. How unbecoming of you to gather here and make noise!"

A group of vassal kings knew that they were in the wrong, and they repeatedly claimed that they were wrong.

"Father, we are here to bring benefits to His Majesty this time." Zhu Xi felt that this matter was not worth mentioning, and he defended Zhu Yuanzhang with a smile.

"Yes, we only need one or two planes to send a million taels of silver to the court. This is the best of both worlds." Another vassal king also said.

If it were normal times, it would be okay for them to say this. After all, one or two planes are nothing.

But after last night, Cao Wei directly pointed out the key issues of the enfeoffment system. When Zhu Yuanzhang saw these sons spending money lavishly, he felt that it was difficult to vent his anger.

I have fought hard all my life and established the Ming Dynasty, so why are you squandering it like this?

Not only are you squandering, but your descendants are also squandering like you. How can the Ming Dynasty be good?
Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened and he said coldly:

"That's good. You all have money. You have come to give money to His Majesty. Did you earn this money? Isn't it the salary given to you by the imperial court!" After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang almost shouted loudly.

"If you have too much money to spend, you can also say, Xiongying, you can make a decree that the salaries of all princes will be halved in the future!"

All the vassal kings were dumbfounded. They didn't understand what happened to Zhu Yuanzhang to be so angry suddenly.

The annual salary of these princes was originally set by Zhu Yuanzhang himself. How come he is using it to argue now?

(End of this chapter)