Rebirth of Zhu Di's son

Chapter 192 Farming and Nation-building

Zhu Gaoxu said: "The territory directly managed by the king is equivalent to the area directly under the imperial court."

As soon as he said this, all the princes looked puzzled.

Because the imperial court now has fourteen prefectures directly under its jurisdiction, it has the largest population in the country, and its comprehensive strength can be said to be the strongest provincial administrative region in the world.

"Just imagine, if the king does not have strong power, it will be difficult to control the entire vassal country."

Zhu Gaoxu explained: "So the territory directly under the king's jurisdiction is equivalent to the king's base area. Among the territories directly under the king's jurisdiction, the capital city, where the capital is located, is the top priority of the territory."

Zhu Mengfan said: "According to what the prince brother wants, this capital is equivalent to the capital of the imperial court."

"That's right, that's exactly what it is."

Zhu Gaoxu nodded and said: "Therefore, after immigrating to the vassal state, the land grant must first enrich the territory directly under the king's jurisdiction. Only after the number of people in the territory directly under the king's jurisdiction increases, can we expand to the surrounding areas on a large scale."

"In order to control the population and prevent the emergence of refugees, I suggest that everyone imitate the rules set by the emperor. It is strictly enforced that household registration must be passed down from generation to generation and cannot be changed at will. Common people are not allowed to travel far away at will. If there is no farming and no one who specializes in farming, he will be regarded as an author. If they are homeless, they will be arrested.”

Zhu Gaoxu added: "Of course, this kind of policy will tie farmers to the land and make them farmers for generations. Although it is conducive to reclaiming farmland and promoting agricultural development, it is not conducive to the prosperity of industry and commerce."

"Therefore, it is best to allow children with military or civilian registration to apply for official status after passing the scientific examination and becoming officials. If they marry into the royal family, they can also apply to change their household registration."

"According to the provisions of the "Zong-Fan Regulations", in terms of selecting officials, each vassal state implements the same imperial examination system as the Ming Dynasty. Of course, in addition to this imperial examination system, the imperial examination system can be implemented in parallel, and the court does not restrict it."

"The so-called 'farming war and building a country' means that without people, there will be no farmland. Only with farmland can we support the people and increase the number of people. Only with a large number of people can we have a source of troops, so that the vassal state can have the strength to expand its territory to the surrounding areas. This principle also applies to everyone.”

When he said this, he chose to pause.

Among the princes, the smart ones like Zhu Mengran already understood what Zhu Gaoxu meant.

The fiefs that were entrusted by the king of the vassal state to the prefecture king were fiefdoms for the king, but for the prefecture king himself, they were directly administered territories.

After the prince became a vassal, he needed to bring his subjects to establish prefectures and counties under the direct control of the prince.

If the county king cannot manage his direct territory carefully, then it will become a daydream to have food and clothing and enjoy glory and wealth.

Therefore, the king of the county must also seriously study the way of being a king, master the methods of governing the country, and manage the people under his command well.

Although Zhu Di allowed the vassals to establish the country, he followed the example of the imperial court's five offices, six bureaus, governor's office, general administration department, Dali Temple, Zongren's office and other yamen to set up the prince's governor's office, and the prince directly managed the military affairs of the vassal state (corresponding to the five military governor's office) In addition, there were six bureaus (corresponding to the six ministries), the Inspection Department (corresponding to the Metropolitan Inspectorate), the General Administration Bureau (corresponding to the General Administration Department), Guoli Temple (corresponding to Dali Temple), Zongzheng Bureau (corresponding to the clan government) and other bureaus to manage the vassal state. other matters.

However, according to the provisions of the "Dongs and Vassal Regulations", the vassal status established overseas by each prince is governed by the same province as the imperial court.

Therefore, in the official documents of the imperial court, that is, in writing, each prince concurrently serves as the official envoy, commander of the capital, and inspector of the country.

The former chief of the three guards serves as the capital commander and co-president. The prince of the feudal lord also serves as the governor of the capital where the feudal capital is located, the deputy commander of the capital, the chief envoy, and the inspector.

The rest of the princes and princes were hereditary governors of various prefectures and commanders of various guards based on their titles. The imperial court also conducted written records according to this standard.

As for the actual situation of the various systems in the vassal state, what official positions are set up, and whether there is a military station system or a garrison system, that is a matter for the vassal king, and the court does not interfere or ask.

Although the princes were transferred overseas and their annual salaries were cancelled, they could still receive three official salaries. Moreover, they only had to pay [-]% of the country's taxes to the court, and the remaining [-]% were allocated and used by themselves.

When the imperial court issued new national policies or issued reports, it would also write them to the kings of each vassal state.

In other words, although the overseas vassals were called countries, they were actually provinces with a high degree of autonomy under the Ming Dynasty.

According to the official records of the imperial court, the grades of civil and military officials in the vassal state are the same as those of the imperial court, which are nine grades and eighteen grades.

Therefore, the status of the vassal yamen such as the Prince's Governor's Office, the Sixth Bureau, the Supervision Department, the General Administration Bureau, the Koryori Temple, and the Zongzheng Bureau, which are under the direct control of the vassal king, is half a level lower than that of the second-rank imperial envoy's yamen, that is, Genuine third grade.

Here is an introduction to the rank of the Chief Envoy, because in the "History of the Ming Dynasty: Official Records IV" it is said that the Chief Envoy is the third grade. In fact, this was a custom formed after the Xuande Dynasty in history.

Before the Xuande Dynasty, during the Hongwu Dynasty alone, the number and grade of the chief envoys were adjusted many times.

In the ninth year of Hongwu's reign, a chief envoy was appointed, with the rank of second rank.

In the 13th year of Hongwu's reign, a chief envoy was appointed, with a rank of three.

In the 14th year of Hongwu's reign, the left and right chief envoys were appointed, one each, with the third rank.

In the 22nd year of Hongwu's reign, the left and right chief envoys were appointed, each with one rank.

After Zhu Di succeeded to the throne according to the imperial edict, in the second year of Yongle, the number and grade of the chief envoy were re-stipulated. Only one chief envoy was retained, and the grade of the second grade remained unchanged.

In accordance with the provisions of the "Regulations on the Domain", a ancestral school, a small main hall, was established in the capital of the vassal state to teach the children of the clan of the country the civil and military arts.

A prince's son can be named a county king at the age of ten, and can open a prince's mansion at the age of 15. Each prince has two palaces.

According to the imperial court's system of zonwangfang, each vassal state built a small junwangfang.

It was used by the princes of each county when marrying the princess, and when the queen returned to the feudal capital to meet the king.

As for the other county prince's palace, it is located on the prince's fiefdom.

Lao Zhu stipulates in the final version of his ancestral precepts: "All princes, grandsons, great-grandsons, and great-grandsons of the emperor must enter the main hall to study and learn the art of Confucianism, Legalism, and the ways of governing their subordinates, starting from the age of six. Six years, sometimes nine years, can be the end of schooling."

The emperor's grandson, emperor's great-grandson, and emperor's great-grandson here mainly refer to the prince's son.

Except for the prince, the other princes of the current emperor will be named princes.

The prince's son is the grandson of the emperor. In addition to his eldest son inheriting the title of prince, the remaining sons are all granted the title of county prince.

Then the son of the second-generation prince is the great-grandson of the emperor, and the son of the third-generation prince is the great-grandson of the emperor.

To put it bluntly, according to Zhu Yuanzhang, these children who are eligible to study in the main hall are all the sons of princes.

Because the children of the county prince, except for the eldest son who inherited the title of county prince, the other children gradually became more and more distant from the prince's direct line, and naturally their blood relationship with the current emperor would also be further.In other words, the possibility of the son of the county prince inheriting the throne in the future is very slim, so it is not within the scope of training.

Zhu Di inherited Zhu Yuanzhang's throne and also inherited the rules set by Zhu Yuanzhang in "Ancestor Instructions".

He specially added an article to the "Regulations of the Sect and Domain", which requires all kings and princes of the vassal states to enter the newly established main hall to study.

This is because all sons of vassal kings (princes), without exception, will be named county kings after reaching the age of ten.

And these county kings will all be the supreme rulers of their respective fiefdoms in the future. They must learn how to be kings and master the strategies for governing their counties.

Their children need to go to the religious school located in the capital of the feudal state.

Because for the king of the vassal state, the children of these county kings are relatively close to the direct bloodline of the vassal state.

If the direct lineage of the vassal state changes in the future, it is best to choose a new heir to the throne from the nearest line of county kings, so that the new king can calmly take charge of the power of the vassal state and prevent the power of the royal family from falling by the wayside.

Zhu Gaoxu had no way to explain clearly to the princes in front of him regarding some of the rules and regulations that involved the stability of the throne and the inheritance of the throne.

We can only wait until the princes grow older and experience more things, and slowly understand them.

No matter how much Zhu Gaoxu says now, except for a few smart people, it will be difficult for most people to understand.

So he began to explain to everyone the "war" in "Plowing and Fighting to Build a Country".

"I took you to dig the ground this morning and let you understand that the skills of using a shovel can save effort. Without skills and relying only on brute force, you will get twice the result with half the effort. But if you want to get twice the result with half the effort, you must understand the skills. The same is true for leading troops in war. You must be able to use them. art of war."

Zhu Gaoxu sat behind the lectern, looked down at the princes and said: "The art of war in the past dynasties is mainly based on Sun Tzu's Art of War, and Jiang Taigong's "Six Tao" is also very classic. So, at the beginning of the founding of the vassal state, although it went on foreign campaigns, It’s similar to two armies facing off against each other, but it’s very different. Who knows why?”

"Brother Prince, I know."

Zhu Mengran raised his hands and said.

Zhu Gaoxu nodded and said, "Meng Tan, please tell me."

"Brother Prince, I think overseas lands are mostly barbaric lands without civilization. Although there are many people living in those lands, the natives often have no civilization inheritance and mostly exist as tribes. They are different from the wild forests in the Nurgan region. There’s not much difference between people.”

Zhu Mengquan stood up and said: "Therefore, when dealing with these barbarians, the vassal state should follow the policy of His Majesty the Fourth Uncle Emperor to treat people far away from home, and mainly absorb the Tu people and make them our people. However, Yi and Di are animals, and they are afraid of power and do not care about them. Virtue. We must first use powerful force to frighten the barbarians, and then cooperate with civilized education to turn the barbarians into our people of the Ming Dynasty."

"well said!"

Zhu Gaoxu applauded and said: "Meng Tan has expressed the essence of the emperor's original intention of changing vassals and establishing the country overseas."

When he said this, he stretched out his hand to signal Zhu Mengran to sit down.

After Zhu Mengnan sat down, Zhu Gaoxu continued: "The war against the indigenous people is indeed different from the war between the two countries. It should be based on 'cultural war' and supplemented by military conquest."

Without waiting for the princes to ask questions, Zhu Gaoxu immediately explained: "The so-called 'culture war' is to use the system of the country to change the thinking of the indigenous people, and transform the indigenous savages into Chinese people who speak Chinese, write Chinese characters, and practice Han rituals. "

“Savages, like untouchables without household registration, cannot own land or real estate within the territory of the vassal state, and their children are not qualified to enter schools within the vassal state, nor are they qualified to enter the territory under the jurisdiction of the vassal state to work, do business, or engage in farming. Qualifications to take the scientific examination to become an official or to join the army."

"Only the chiefs of the savage tribes or village chiefs, or the savages designated by them, are qualified to trade with the people of the vassal state, or to visit and study in the towns within the vassal state."

"Although the national and wild system seems simple, it is difficult to implement, so it is best to incorporate the national and wild distinction into the household registration system, using household registration to distinguish the nationals and wild people, and demarcate the status of the two. And in absorbing and In order to transform barbarians into Chinese people, the system of ritual examinations will be implemented."

After everyone heard the word "Li Kao", they started talking.

Zhu Mengfan raised his hand and asked, "May I ask what the 'ritual test' that the prince's brother is talking about?"

"The 'ritual examination system' is actually the Han family's etiquette examination system, with the purpose of 'turning barbarians into summer'."

Zhu Gaoxu gave some answers and said: "The main content of the etiquette test is to speak Chinese, write Chinese characters, and use Chinese etiquette. In addition, the examiner's ancestors are researched. After finding a Chinese ancestor for him, this person will have Qualified to become a citizen of the feudal state."

"The barbarians who pass the rites examination will become citizens of the vassal state, possess all the rights of citizens, and obtain civilian household registration in the Ming Dynasty. If they are selected to join the army, they will be granted military registration."

"Brother Prince, after the barbarians become citizens, do they enjoy the same rights as the people of the Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Mengran asked.

Zhu Gaoxu replied: "That's right. After a savage becomes a Chinese citizen, he can take the scientific examination, become an official, and then further apply to change his status to an official household and become a human superior."

"Learning to speak Chinese is the prerequisite for a savage to become a citizen of the vassal state. As long as he learns to speak simple Chinese and practice some simple Chinese etiquette, he will be qualified to be hired by the people as a domestic servant, or be recruited by the prince's governor's office as an auxiliary soldier .”

“After serving as auxiliary soldiers with savage origins, they can directly apply to take the ceremonial examination. Those who pass the exam will automatically receive the citizenship of the vassal state granted by the king of the vassal state. Their children will also automatically become citizens of the vassal state and obtain Ming household registration. "

Zhu Mengfan pondered: "According to the wishes of the crown prince, ordinary savages should be prohibited from entering the territory of the vassal state, and savages should not be allowed to enjoy the rights that only domestic people have in the territory of the vassal state, such as studying, seeing a doctor, doing business, and working."

"Well said."

Zhu Gaoxu added: "In addition, there are several ways for savages to become citizens of the vassal state. For example, you must allow savages who can speak Chinese to use money and food to purchase or exchange for citizenship. In addition, if the biological father is a citizen of the vassal state, , he is a Chinese by birth."

When the princes heard this, a scene emerged in their minds, that is, many savage women wanted to marry people from the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Gaoxu continued: "The barbarians who have made great contributions to the Ming vassal state, or the chiefs of the barbarian tribes or the village chiefs of the barbarian villages, once they surrender to the Ming Dynasty and accept the rule of the vassal state, they can be exempted from the ceremonial examination, receive the gift of the vassal king, and become A native of the Ming Dynasty."

"Brother Prince is brilliant!"

Zhu Mengfan's eyes lit up and he said happily: "In this way, the heroes among the savages will all become the subjects of the Ming Dynasty."

All the princes in the lecture hall widened their eyes and were extremely shocked!

They found that this modified national and field system was simply the best system tailor-made for exploring overseas and integrating farming and war!
PS: Thanks to Zhongyou 1104181817, Yuehai Liuyun, CtsqzL_, Book Friends 2021030176480537104, zmzlq and other veterans for their recommendations and monthly votes!
The chapter updated last night was blocked because of sensitive words. After the modification, I applied for the release at around [-] noon today.This book will not be updated for no reason. You must have a beginning and an end in everything you do. Don’t worry, brothers!
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(End of this chapter)