Rebirth of Zhu Di's son

Chapter 144 Restarting the Fifth Class Lord

a few days later.

early morning.

After Zhu Di discussed several political matters with the ministers, seeing that no one was talking anymore, he said loudly: "Prince?"

"My son is here!" Zhu Gaoxu responded and bowed.

Zhu Di said: "I read your proposal to restore the fifth-class nobility, and I think it would be a good idea to restore the fifth-class nobility of Zongzhou while the vassal changes are being implemented!"

When he said this, his eyes swept across the faces of the military attachés and generals in the hall, and asked loudly: "What do you think, sir?"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

All the military attachés and generals quickly bowed and worshiped.

Generals like Zhang Yu, who were already old but had not yet been awarded military titles, suddenly became excited. They saw the hope of being granted titles, and their breathing became rough.

"Your Majesty, I feel that something is wrong."

Zheng Ci, the Minister of Rites, came out and bowed.

"What does Zheng Qing think is wrong?" Zhu Di asked.

While the emperor was asking questions, the military attachés and generals also cast unfriendly glances at Zheng Ci.

"Your Majesty, in order to reduce the land and other privileges granted to his ministers and prevent them from expanding their power and threatening the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu implemented a two-system system of titles and titles for meritorious officials in the clan. He only awarded titles, food, salary, and no titles. It was stipulated that "any titles are not due to meritorious service." "No one can be granted a title in the country," and "Every prince who is granted a title by a prince will be given an iron bond," and other principles.

Zheng Ci said respectfully: "Your Majesty restored the fifth rank of Zongzhou, but it is inconsistent with the ancestral system!"

In order to maintain his rule, Zhu Yuanzhang not only relied on those heroes who had made great contributions, but also reflected the noble status of the royal family members, so he formulated two sets of nobility systems, which only provided good financial treatment, but no longer granted fiefdoms.

"I only said that I would restore the fifth rank of Zongzhou, and I did not want to overturn Taizu's regulations. How can I violate the ancestral system?"

Zhu Di felt that Zheng Ci, the Minister of Rites, was a bit unreasonable and asked deliberately with an unhappy face.

"Your Majesty, in the third year of Hongwu, Emperor Taizu established the system of nobility, which was divided into three levels: duke, marquis and uncle. No son or male was included."

Zheng Ci replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Now that Your Majesty wants to restore the fifth rank, doesn't it violate the rules set by Taizu back then?"

"Zheng Qing, I ask you, did Emperor Taizu strictly require that future generations of emperors should not have any more sons or second-class male titles?"

Zhu Di thought Zheng Ci was a little pedantic and funny, so he immediately put on a serious expression and asked sharply.

Zheng Ci bowed and said, "That's not true."

Zhu Di said loudly: "If this is the case, then today I have added two titles of son and son under the three titles of duke, marquis and uncle. It cannot be said to violate the ancestral system!"

"I made a mistake, please forgive me!"

Zheng Ci found that Zhu Di was quick in thinking and not easy to fool, so he hurriedly knelt down to admit his mistake, touched his forehead to the ground, and said respectfully.

Zhu Di smiled and said: "As the Minister of Rites, it is your duty to consider whether the regulations I have set violate the ancestral system. I don't blame you, just get up."

He changed the subject, remembered something, and then asked: "Zheng Qing, I heard you mentioned the 'iron coupons' just now. I wonder what the regulations Emperor Taizu set for the 'iron coupons'?"

"His Majesty."

After Zheng Ci stood up, he bowed again and said: "Back then, Emperor Taizu consulted the historical books of the past dynasties and found that the iron coupons of the alchemy books (death-free cards) of all dynasties had drawbacks. In order to avoid the old disadvantages, Emperor Taizu did not follow the old tradition, but changed the iron book of the alchemy book. Coupons should be regarded as tokens of virtue and righteousness, and things that lead the world."

"Emperor Taizu once issued an edict stating that the recipients of the Alchemy Book and Iron Coupons were limited to those who were granted the title of duke, marquis, or earl for their military merits. They would not be forgiven for treason, but could only be forgiven for other capital crimes, and could not be used to save their descendants from death. .”

The characters on the iron coupons were filled in with red sand during the Han Dynasty and were called "Danshu Tieqi", that is, "Iron Coupons and Danshu".

After the Tang Dynasty, iron scrolls were not alchemy books but inlaid with gold. "Zhuo Geng Lu" records that the Tang Dynasty gave the iron scroll to the King of Wu and Yue, which was shaped like a tile. It was more than a foot tall and about three feet wide. The scroll was inlaid with gold, and the oath was sealed. The title, official position and achievements of the conferment are also engraved with the words "Your Majesty will be spared nine deaths, your descendants will die three times, or you will be punished with regular punishment, and there will be no additional punishment."

Historically, the Ming Dynasty's iron coupons for alchemy were cast in imitation of the iron coupons of King Qian Liu of Wuyue.

At this time, Zhu Di listened to what Zheng Ci said, nodded and said: "In this case, the newly added son and second male nobility will no longer be given the iron certificate of the alchemy book, and they will be designated as Liujue (lifelong nobility)."

"Your Majesty, your Majesty!" Zheng Ci answered hurriedly.

All the military attachés and generals cast murderous glances at Zheng Ci.

But Zheng Ci didn't know it at all and returned to the class honestly.

However, at this moment, Yu Xin, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, came out and bowed and said: "Your Majesty, I am in charge of the Ministry of Household Affairs and need to calculate various types of salary."

Zhu Di looked at Yu Xin and roughly guessed what the other party wanted to say.

Yu Xin said: "The system is still the same. There are two types of titles in this dynasty, namely those of the current generation and those of the current generation. The secular and the non-relevant, and the level of the title, are all determined by military achievements, and they are all given certificates and salaries. I don't know about the sons and second-class men that your Majesty has added. Sir, how much is your salary?"

Zhu Di spread out the memorial written by Zhu Gaoxu on the imperial table, lowered his head slightly, glanced at the contents, and then stood up.

He looked down at the ministers in the hall and said loudly: "Before answering Yu Qing's question, I will announce two things."

"The first thing is to divide the dukes, marquises and uncles into three grades. Those who assist Emperor Taizu in ruling the world will be the first-class nobles, and the rest will be the second and third grades. The annual salary of the first-class dukes will be four The annual salary of the second-class male is [-] dan, and thereafter it is reduced by [-] dan, until the annual salary of the third-class uncle is [-] dan."

All the ministers in the court fell into silence after hearing Zhu Di's words.

At the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang's original salary for those with titles was not high. The Duke's salary ranged from [-] to [-] shi, and the main salary for a marquis ranged from [-] to [-] shi. .

Zhu Di further set the annual salary of dukes, marquises and uncles, and further divided each title into three grades. This was always a good thing for the ministers, because their annual salaries generally increased.

However, the increase in the levels of these three high-level titles means that if you want to obtain a higher title, you will need greater military merit.

"The second thing is that from today on, the spylords will no longer be hereditary, and they will all be reduced to the following level. Those who inherit the first-class duke will be reduced to the second-class duke, and those who inherit the second-class duke will be reduced to the third-class duke. According to this By analogy, the succession ends after the fifth generation, and the descendants of subsequent generations will inherit the title of the fifth generation. The marquis and earl will end when they are reduced to the third-level earl, and the descendants of subsequent generations will inherit the third-level earl."

As soon as Zhu Di said these words, there was an uproar in the court.

Originally, those who had nobility and senior generals in the army smelled something unusual from Emperor Yongle's words.

Zhu Di saw the reaction of everyone in the hall and continued without changing his expression: "To be demoted to a higher rank, you still need to pass the examination, otherwise you cannot ascend to the rank. Regardless of whether you are a descendant of the clan or a noble, only those who pass the examination can be Can inherit the title."

At this time, there was a small discussion in the court, especially among the nobles and the prince.

"The content of the assessment is not complicated, it is just the six skills of a gentleman. The Ming Dynasty is a kingdom of heaven. If the clan and the nobles' descendants are not knowledgeable about literature and martial arts, won't they be laughed at by small overseas countries?" Zhu Di added.

When the princes heard what Zhu Di said, they couldn't help but think of the latest version of "Huang Ming's Ancestral Instructions".

Since Zhu Di mentioned it last time, all the kings have applied for the latest version of "Ancestor Instructions" from the General Affairs Department, which is the printed version of "Ancestor Instructions" that was revised for the last time during Zhu Yuanzhang's lifetime.

The latest version of the "Ancestral Instructions" stipulates that the prince is granted the title of prince, awarded a gold book and gold treasures, a salary of ten thousand stones, a government official, a guard of 3000 or more soldiers, a member of the Ministry of War, and a chariot. In the flag residence, the emperor is ranked first, and the princes and ministers bow down to pay homage.

When the prince's eldest son reaches the age of ten, he will be given a gold book and gold treasures, and he will be crowned the king's son. His eldest grandson will be a grandson, and he will be given a rank. When his sons are ten years old, they will be given a gold and silver book and silver treasures, and they will be granted the title of county prince.

Before the revision of the old system, under the county king, there were six ranks of titles: general of Zhenguo, general of auxiliary state, general of Fengguo, lieutenant of Zhenguo, lieutenant of auxiliary state, and lieutenant of Fengguo. All titles were hereditary and were always different from civilians.

After the revision, only the third-class titles of General Zhenguo, Lieutenant Fuguo, and Lieutenant Fengguo remained under the county king.Specifically, the eldest son of the county king is granted the title of eldest son, who can be hereditary king of the county, and the other legitimate sons are granted the title of general of the town; the sons of the concubine are demoted to the second rank and become the auxiliary state captain.

The eldest son of the Zhenguo general was demoted to the first rank and was granted the title of Lieutenant of the Fengguo State. The remaining sons were all demoted to the second rank and were granted the title of Lieutenant of the Fengguo State.

The eldest son of the auxiliary school captain was demoted to the first rank and granted the title of lieutenant of Fengguo. The remaining sons were all removed from the clan and returned to civilian status.

The eldest son of Lieutenant Fengguo inherited the title of Lieutenant Fengguo, and all his remaining sons were expelled from the clan and returned to civilian status.

This point is very important. Returning to civilian status means that one no longer enjoys the royal stipend given by the court and needs to support oneself and make a living on one's own.

In other words, you can take part in the imperial examination, study in literature and martial arts, and do business and agriculture!

Zhu Yuanzhang specially stipulated that these special civilians with royal blood in their bodies were allowed to embroider a vermilion sun and moon pattern with the word "Zhu" on their left or right shoulders to show that they came from the royal blood.

In addition, if a prince succeeds from a side branch, the favor of the side promotion will be cancelled. Except for the eldest son, the other sons of a prince who was originally a county king will still inherit the title of general of Zhenguo and will not be granted the title of county king; if a general of Zhenguo succeeds, the other sons will The son still took the title of auxiliary school captain.

For those who are succeeded by the county king, the case of the original county title being reinstated must also be cancelled.

Zhu Yuanzhang also revised the regulations on punishment of clan members.

For those clans that hold themselves to a superior status, do many unjust things, violate laws and disciplines, and have a bad influence, if they are princes, they will be demoted to county kings, if they are county princes, they will be demoted to generals who govern the country, and if they are generals who govern the country, they will be demoted to auxiliary school captains. , and others will follow the same example until they are demoted to common people.

In other words, if a descendant of the clan commits a crime in the future, the court must, according to the crime, demote him or her, or remove him from the clan and demote him to a commoner.

In the latest version of "Ancestral Instructions", there is no provision that requires assessment for the descendants of the clan to inherit the title.

In other words, the "assessment" Zhu Di just mentioned is his new regulation.

"Your Majesty Shengming!"

Suddenly, a loud shout from Zhou Wang Zhu Ji covered all the murmurs in the court.

King Zhu Song of Han followed closely behind, shouting: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Zhu Di nodded, very satisfied with Zhu Ju and Zhu Song who knew current affairs.

Other princes and ministers also had to take a stand and expressed their support for Zhu Di's decision.

After a while, Zhu Di looked at Yu Xin and continued: "Yu Qing, I can now answer your question."

"The newly created viscounts and barons will no longer be divided into equal ranks, and will be regarded as floating nobility. The annual salary of viscounts is [-] dan, and that of barons is [-] dan."

"I, the Minister of Household Affairs, Yu Xin, will obey the imperial edict!"

Yu Xin knelt down respectfully to accept the order, then stood up and returned to the class.

According to Zhu Gaoxu's vision, restarting the fifth-class nobility has two main benefits.

On the one hand, it was to cooperate with the system of enfeoffing heroes with different surnames to establish the country overseas, and to stimulate the fighting spirit of the Ming Dynasty officers and soldiers to immediately win military glory, honor their ancestors, and bless their descendants.

On the other hand, for middle and low-level officers and soldiers, viscount and baronet are regarded as an honor, and they enjoy some of the privileges of high nobles, such as the right to write to the court and not worship officials.

In this way, it can give the middle and lower-level officers and soldiers an incentive to win low-level titles.

Zhu Di considered that the officials of the Six Departments might think of other things, so he continued: "As for the title of the foreign relative, the old system is still the same, and it is still a flowing title."

A relative is the natal family of the emperor's mother or wife.

In the history of the Ming Dynasty, most of the queens and concubines were selected from the families of common people or lower-ranking officials. Therefore, most of the relatives had low status and did not have any titles. The emperor often raised the status of the relatives by conferring titles to show their status. favor.

As for the level of the title and whether to grant real power to relatives, it all depends on the emperor's decision.

Only in this way can we show that "grace comes from above" and show the emperor's grace.

Zhu Di's eyes fell on Zheng Ci, the Minister of Rites, and Zhang Wei, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and then said: "The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel obey the order."

"I'm here." Zheng Ci and Zhang Yan bowed out of the queue and knelt down to receive the order.

"In the future, the relatives I will grant will first be granted to the third-class earl and end to the first-class marquis. If a foreign relative wants to obtain a real official position, the Ministry of Personnel must assess his political ability, starting from the seventh rank or below, and ending with the third rank. If I made a mistake, you and the Ministry of Rites and Officials must remind you." Zhu Di said loudly.

Zhang and Zheng said in unison: "The minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Zhang Yan (the minister of the Ministry of Hubu, Zheng Ci), has received the decree!"

After receiving the order, the two of them stood up and returned to the class sequence.

"Nobility is a reward for merit. Emperor Gao of the Han Dynasty is not a nobleman without merit. This is the most lawful law. I am not stingy in granting titles now, but if I receive a title without merit, how will I treat those who have made merit for the country?"

Zhu Di said solemnly: "From now on, regardless of the rank of the fifth-level nobles, those who have not made great contributions to the country will not be granted the title even if they have reached the first rank. Those who have made great contributions to the country can still be granted the title even if the official rank is not high-ranking!"

When he said this, he looked at Zhang Yan, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Jin Zhong, the Minister of the Ministry of War, and then said: "The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War listen to the order."

Jin Zhong and Zhang Yan quickly came out of the queue and knelt down respectfully to receive the order.

"Those who have made contributions to China, who have contributed to supporting the country, who have contributed to stabilizing the country, or who have contributed to founding a country and overcoming chaos, will be awarded the title of Spyge, starting with first-class earls and ending with first-class dukes. "

Zhu Di said loudly.

After hearing this, all the military attachés and generals subconsciously nodded in agreement.

The six officials also felt that what Zhu Di said was reasonable and well-founded and there was nothing wrong with it.

Zhu Di continued: "Those who win major battles, such as the battle to open up the outside world, or the battle to defend the territory and consolidate the borders, will be awarded the title of World Knight, starting with the third-class earl and ending with the first-class marquis."

Everyone in the court remained calm enough after hearing this.

Only Zhu Gaoxu knew that next, Zhu Di would issue an order that would drive countless officials crazy.

Listen to Zhu Di speak loudly: "During the Taiping years, no matter whether it is the ministers, military officers or the common people in the country, all those who have made contributions in putting down the rebels and bandits, fighting earthquakes and floods and providing disaster relief, making inventions and creations, and those who have made outstanding achievements in governance can be rewarded based on their merits." A title begins with a baron and ends with a first-class earl."

In other words, from now on, even if there is no war, in times of peace.

Civil servants can also rely on their authority to govern a party and for their outstanding political achievements, they can be awarded a lifetime title, and can be awarded a first-class earl at most.

Of course, it is not impossible for civil servants to obtain a title for their inventions and creations if they have the conditions.

As for the generals, they can resist earthquakes and floods, quell rebellions and bandits, and receive knighthoods!

"Jin Zhong, the Minister of the Ministry of War (Jin Zhong, the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs) (Zhang Wei, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel), has received the order!" Jin and Zhang shouted with excitement, their faces flushed.

After receiving the order, the two of them stood up and returned to the class sequence.

As for the other officials in the hall, they all shouted loudly: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Such compliments came and went incessantly, making Zhu Di feel a little carried away.

(End of this chapter)