Rebirth of Zhu Di's son

Chapter 137: The court discussion on the change of feudal vassals

The sixth day of September.

early morning.

"Prince, I ordered you to work with the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel to draw up a list of generals and assistant officers who will go to Annan. Have you drafted it?"

Zhu Di sat on the golden throne and asked loudly.

Zhu Gaoxu quickly took out a memorial from his sleeve pocket, bowed and made a gesture, and said loudly: "Back to my father, the list has been drawn up. Please read it."

Cheng Changsheng, the Supervisor of Ceremonies, had quick eyes and quick hands. He walked quickly to Zhu Gaoxu with his waist bent, took away the memorial, and then presented it to Zhu Di for inspection.

Zhu Di opened the memorial and began to read it carefully.

In the court hall, all the civil and military officials held their breath and were full of expectations.

After all, this expedition to Annan is a great opportunity to gain military glory!

The Ming Dynasty has been established for more than thirty years, and it can be said that peace has lasted for a long time. If you want to be awarded a title based on military merit, you must obtain it in war.

Isn’t the Timur Kingdom known as a Western empire no less than the Ming Dynasty?
Under the attack of Ming cavalry and divine machine soldiers, and under the shock of flintlock guns and black powder explosive packs, they still obediently sent back the detained Ming envoy Fu An!

In the eyes of civil and military officials, how could the small country of Annan be a match for the Great Tomorrow Soldiers?
Zhu Gaoxu was ordered to work with the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel to draw up a list of generals and assistant officers for the expedition to Annan. This was an opportunity to win people's hearts.

He also attached great importance to this opportunity, so after Zhu Di appointed Licheng Hou Shengyong as the general to conquer the barbarians, he held a small meeting with the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel in Chunhe Palace to decide on a batch of candidates for generals and assistant officers.

Zhu Gaoxu recommended Zhang Fu, the commander of the Fujian Capital Division, as the right deputy general for the conquest of Yi, Mu Sheng, the Hou of Xiping, as the left deputy general for the conquest of Yi, Liu Jun, the right minister of the Ministry of War, as counselor of military affairs, Huang Fu, the left minister of Xingbu, and Chen Qia, the young minister of Dali Temple, who provided food and salary.

Zhang Fu has introduced them in the previous article, but here we mainly introduce Mu Sheng, Liu Jun, Huang Fu and Chen Qia.

The title of Xiping Hou Mu Sheng was inherited from his half-brother Mu Chun.

In the 26th year of Hongwu, Mu Ying passed away. Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Mu Ying's eldest son, Mu Chun, to attack and grant the title of Marquis of Xiping, and to control Yunnan on his behalf.

In the 30th year of Hongwu's reign, Dao Qianmeng expelled the Xuanwei envoy from Luchuan and launched a rebellion. Mu Chun used the former general and governor to conquer the Yunnan, Guizhou and Shu armies, greatly defeating his army and shocking the barbarians in the southwest.

After the war, Dao Ganmeng asked to surrender. Zhu Yuanzhang thought that he was capricious and refused, but still ordered Muchun to lead the army to attack.

On September 31, the 36st year of Hongwu's reign, Muchun died of illness due to overwork. He was only [-] years old.

Zhu Di, who had newly ascended the throne at that time, heard the obituary news and gave Muchun a funeral ceremony and the posthumous title "Huixiang".

Mu Chun had no children after his death, so Zhu Di ordered his younger brother, Mu Ying's second son Mu Sheng, to inherit the title of Marquis of Xiping.

Due to the death of Muchun, who was guarding Yunnan, and Dao Qianmeng plotting to cause trouble, Zhu Di, who had just ascended the throne, appointed He Fu as the general to conquer the captives.

He Fu led his troops south, defeated Dao Qianmeng and captured him alive. He recruited 7 troops to surrender and pacified Luchuan.

After Mu Sheng succeeded as Marquis of Xiping, he encountered barbarians fighting endlessly to seize the territory previously occupied by Dao Gan Meng.

In order to quell the disputes, Mu Sheng sent troops to subdue the barbarians, and asked the court to set up three prefectures, two prefectures and five chief officials in the area. He also set up a garrison with thousands of households to the west of the Nujiang River to garrison. Only then did Luchuan area settle down.

In other words, Mu Sheng is a good candidate who is familiar with the mountain combat environment, and Mu Sheng is now in Yunnan, adjacent to Annan, so it is very suitable for him to lead the troops south to attack Annan.

Liu Jun was a meticulous and diligent person. He was a Jinshi in the 18th year of Hongwu's reign. He served successively as the director of the Ministry of War and as a doctor. He was highly valued by Zhu Yuanzhang because of his ability to resolve situations.

Zhu Di moved into the East Palace, and after assuming power, in the 28th year of Hongwu's reign, he petitioned Zhu Yuanzhang to promote Liu Jun to the rank of Right Minister of the Ministry of War.

It is also reasonable for Liu Jun to be the counselor of military affairs.

During the Hongwu period, Huang Fu was appointed as the chief registrar of Xiangcheng County as a Tai student, and later changed to the chief registrar of Qingyuan County. He served in both counties with favorable policies.

During the period when Zhu Gaoxu was controlling military affairs in Peiping, Huang Fu was promoted to Jinwu's avant-garde by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Later, Huang Fu wrote a letter discussing national affairs, which was appreciated by Zhu Di, who moved into the East Palace and began to govern, and asked Zhu Yuanzhang to promote him to the rank of Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Justice.

Therefore, people are very organized and prudent in their actions, so it is more appropriate to let them be responsible for supplying food and grass in the rear.

As for Chen Qia, the young minister of Dali Temple, he was a talented man with a very strong memory.

During the Hongwu period, Chen Qia was recommended to Shizhong for his military skills because he was good at calligraphy.

He was once ordered to conduct a military parade, and he could remember it as soon as it passed before his eyes.Some people are always repelled by him if they come again.Zhu Yuanzhang commended him for his talent and gave him gold weaving clothes.

His father, who was guarding Wukai, died, and Chen Qia went to the funeral.

When the barbarians rebelled and the roads were blocked, Chen Qia took the risk and took a detour, and finally came back carrying his father's remains.

When Zhu Di was staying in the East Palace to govern, Chen Qia was recalled to serve as a doctor in the Wenxuan Department due to the recommendation of Ru Yu, Minister of the Ministry of War.

Not long after Zhu Di succeeded to the throne, Ru Yu, the Minister of the Ministry of War, became ill due to illness. Jin Zhong, the right minister of the Ministry of Industry, was promoted to Minister of the Ministry of War. Jin Zhong appreciated Chen Qia's loyalty and bravery and recommended him as the doctor of the Ministry of War.

Zhu Di believed that Chen Qia had a good memory and could better display his talents as the Shaoqing of Dali Temple, so he promoted Chen Qia to Shaoqing of Dali Temple.

Zhu Gaoxu felt that having this man with super memory work with the prudent Huang Fu in charge of the food and pay for the Southern Expedition army would definitely achieve twice the result with half the effort.

In the original history, when the Annan War began, the imperial court ordered Chen Qia to go to Guangxi and select soldiers for the war with Han Guan.Later, when the army set off, Zhu Di ordered him to be counselor of military affairs and in charge of food and wages.

At this time, Zhu Di raised the memorial, looked around at the civil and military officials in the hall, and said loudly: "The list drawn up by the Crown Prince in conjunction with the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel is very much in line with my wishes."

He put down the memorial, stood with his hands behind his back, and ordered: "I order Licheng Hou Shengyong to be the general to conquer the barbarians, Zhang Fu, the commander of the Fujian Dusi Dusi, to be the right deputy general to conquer the barbarians, and to lead the right army commander Qian Shi Li Bin and other eighteen generals. Together with the left deputy general Zhengyi and Xipinghou Mu Sheng, we went separate ways to attack Annan. Liu Jun, the right minister of the Ministry of War, was the counselor for military affairs, Huang Fu, the left minister of the Xing Ministry, and Chen Qia, the young minister of Dali Temple, provided food and wages."

"My ministers, please abide by the decree!"

All civil and military officials bowed their heads and paid homage.

After the main officials of the Southern Expedition reached an agreement, Zhu Di sat down again and ordered all officials to report.

So officials from the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Household Affairs and other ministries reported their affairs in turn.

Two quarters later.

After Xia Yuanji, the minister of household affairs, who reported the progress of the government bond issuance, stepped down, the court fell into a brief silence.

"Is there anyone else who wants to make trouble?" Zhu Di asked loudly when he saw this.

Seeing that no one said anything in the hall, he stood up again, stood with his hands behind his hands, looked at the sect kings standing at the front of the class on the west side of the hall, and said: "I remember that my seventeenth brother often said that he was not used to living in the capital and felt that Depressed, right?"

Ning Wang Zhu Quan was called upon by Zhu Di and had to step out and bow and said: "Your Majesty, I did say this. I have been living in the capital for a long time but can't ride a horse. I really feel aggrieved!"

"Well, since Gao Sui went south to Fujian to promote the Quanzhou Shipping Department, he has only returned to Beijing once every half a year. Isn't it boring to have no one to play chess with his seventeenth brother?" Zhu Di walked to the lobby with a smile on his face and his hands behind his back. Go up, stare at Ning Wang Zhu Quan, and ask slowly.

When King Ning Zhu Quan heard this, his heartbeat accelerated instantly. He immediately showed a fearful expression, knelt on his knees, touched his head to the ground, and said respectfully: "My brother, I don't dare!"

Zhu Di snorted, then looked at the acting king Zhu Gui and said: "Thirteenth brother, you have a bad temper. Since you entered the capital, you have often taken pleasure in robbing people of their money."

"My brother is guilty." The acting king Zhu Gui immediately came out and knelt down and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, please punish me."

"If I punish you severely, I'm afraid some people will say that I don't care about brotherhood."

Zhu Di looked down at the acting king Zhu Gui and said: "If you are not severely punished, who can those ordinary people who have had their money robbed by you seek justice from?"

When he said this, he changed the topic and said loudly: "Instead of letting you harm my people, why not go overseas and harm those barbarians who don't know etiquette?"

As soon as Zhu Di said these words, the civil and military ministers and all the sect kings in the court noticed something unusual.

"And the sixth brother."

Zhu Di turned to look at Chu King Zhu Zhen, and then said: "There is a saying among the people that people who are too idle will easily get sick. Except for going out to court, the sixth brother spent the rest of the time in the house, staying behind closed doors. If it is because there is nothing to do, , if the sixth brother gets sick, it is my fourth brother’s fault."

The King of Chu, Zhu Zhen, really didn't expect that his doing nothing would arouse Zhu Di's suspicion, and he couldn't help but feel angry.

He believed that he had not made any mistake, so he did not kneel down, but bowed and said respectfully: "My brother, I don't dare."

"Brother Thirteen and Seventeenth, please get up and stop kneeling."

Zhu Di said softly: "There are also sixth brothers. I have already thought of a way to solve your problem of having nothing to do."

When he said this, he shouted out the door: "Here, bring up the Great Nine Continents World Map."

Li Xing and Changsheng had already been prepared. At this time, Zhu Di gave an order, and the two of them personally carried the giant map sewn on the screen from outside the door to the hall.

"Take a closer look. Are the directions on the overseas maps of Xizhou, Dongzhou, and Nanzhou drawn by Zheng He's people after surveying them consistent with the directions marked on the Nine Continents World Map?"

While Zhu Di was saying this, the attendant hurriedly distributed more than 100 copies of the "Surveyed Map of the Five Continents" copied and printed overnight by officials from the General Affairs Department to all the princes and ministers in the court.

Since there were hundreds of officials participating in the morning court, but there were only more than 100 people standing in the hall, and the rest were outside Fengtian Gate, so the General Administration Department followed the principle of economy and printed only enough maps for everyone in the hall.

All the officials in the court looked at the maps in their hands, looking up at the screen from time to time to compare with the maps in their hands.

They were surprised to find that the directions of the five continents marked on this map were basically consistent with the directions of the five continents on the "Yu Gong Da Jiuzhou World Map" drawn three years ago by Prince Zhu Gaoxu with reference to the classics of the "Shan Hai Jing" of the past dynasties!
"In accordance with Taizu's order, I have changed the title of kings overseas. Civil and military officials of the fifth rank and above in Beijing, as well as the king of the clan in Beijing, can submit this memorial to discuss the matter of changing the title."

Zhu Di was sitting on the throne, looking at the map of Jiuzhou in the middle of the court hall and said.

"The ministers obey the order."

All the princes and ministers in the court bowed and paid homage.

While the ministers were looking at the map and talking about it, the kings of Zhou Zhu Ju, Chu Wang Zhu Zhen, Ning Wang Zhu Quan and other princes had already smelled the unusual change of the vassals.

In their view, Zhu Di would definitely not entrust the rich land to the vassals, and let the princes and ministers make suggestions and report. It would probably be just a formality.

"May I ask, Your Majesty, are you really going to implement the feudalism of Zongzhou?" Zhang Yan, the Minister of Personnel, asked respectfully.

Zhu Di nodded and said: "This is the order of Emperor Taizu, I dare not violate it."

"Your Majesty." Zhang Yan bowed and said in salute: "The feudal princes of Zongzhou are a major event that affects the present day. Restarting the feudal feudalism of Zongzhou has many wide implications and is of great importance. I ask your Majesty to think twice."

"I am very pleased that Zhang Qing has matured and is seeking for the country. He is actually the pillar of the country."

Zhu Di said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, according to the old system of Taizu's early years, the kings were granted enfeoffments but not the land, the nobles were not around the people, they were paid but not in charge of affairs, and they were not allowed to participate in the business of the four people, and they could be hereditary. But in the later years of Taizu, he came down again. According to the imperial edict, the kings will be enfeoffed overseas according to Zong Zhou's enfeoffment."

Yu Xin, the Minister of Household Affairs, came out and bowed and said: "I dare to ask your Majesty, if the kings changed their titles to overseas after the founding of the country, they would be granted real titles and enjoy the power of food, clothing, taxes, rent, and recruitment of troops. Although it was a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, , is actually an independent kingdom. Based on this principle, should the annual salary of the kings be cancelled?"

Zhu Di was silent, not knowing how to answer.

Of course he had considered these issues, but he could not make up his mind for a short period of time. After all, the change of seal was an unprecedented and major event.

After hearing what Yu Xin said, all the sect kings in the hall also began to think about all aspects involved in the matter of changing the title.

"The system is still the same, and the kings are hereditary. The prince's eldest son can inherit the prince's title hereditary, and the remaining son is demoted to the county king. The county prince's eldest son inherits the county prince's title, the remaining son is demoted to become the general of the country, his grandson is the general of the auxiliary country, and his great-grandson He is the general of Fengguo, the fourth lieutenant of Sun Zhenguo, the fifth lieutenant of Sun Fuguo, and the sixth and following lieutenants of Fengguo."

Yu Xin continued: "May I ask Your Majesty, after the kings changed their titles, will they follow the old system?"

He is the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, responsible for managing the taxation and expenditure of the Ming Dynasty. The salaries of the kings come from the treasury. He must bravely stand up and ask Zhu Di these questions.

Zhu Di said in a deep voice: "If Yu Qing has any suggestions, you can write a memorial and submit it."

"Your Majesty, the system remains the same. When kings become vassals, they are not allowed to leave their fiefdoms without an imperial edict. They are not allowed to make friends with local officials, and they need to be supervised by local officials."

Jin Zhong, the Minister of War, said: "If kings establish kingdoms overseas, can they appoint officials on their own? Can they conquer other barbarians at will? Will the court still send officials to supervise it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di, like Ning Wang Zhu Quan and other clan kings, immediately set their sights on Jin Zhong.

"Jin Qing, if you have any suggestions, please report them to me."

Zhu Di had to encourage Jin Zhong to actively provide good strategies for governing the vassal king after the title was changed.

Then, he glanced at the princes and ministers in the hall, and said loudly: "Everyone should have heard clearly what I said to the two ministers of the Ministry of Hubu and the Ministry of War."

As soon as Zhu Di opened his mouth, the noise in the court disappeared instantly.

"Because the matter of changing the title is of great importance, it is inevitable that there will be mistakes in the future. I hope that all the ministers will give suggestions on where to change the title to establish a kingdom, and how the court should govern each vassal state after the kings establish a kingdom."

Zhu Di said loudly: "I have decided to enfeoff some of the heroes with different surnames to establish the country overseas in the future. Therefore, all military attachés and generals must also actively submit memorials and provide advice and suggestions for the kings to change their enfeoffments!"

"I will obey your orders!"

All the civil and military officials and all the clan kings bowed their heads and shouted, especially the senior nobles headed by Duke Xu Huizu of Wei State had the loudest voice.

PS: I stayed up late to write this [-]-word chapter today. I sent it out early in the hope that all of you who are following me can provide some ideas on how the kings changed their titles, such as what happened to the vassal state and the Ming Dynasty. relationship, what kind of power the feudal king and his descendants enjoy, etc.

A few days ago, an old man provided some suggestions, such as "Both large and small sects can establish vassal states. The currency of the vassal state and the court must be unified. The vassal state cannot make private currency. The vassal king or the prince must issue a vassal currency every five or ten years." "Return to Beijing to report on work" and so on, I think it makes sense.

(End of this chapter)