The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 248: Luzon is called Chu State

The newly appointed Minister of Rites made a false statement: "Your Majesty, I think we can follow the old practice of the Korean Kingdom and confer a prince here."

"The princely vassal state is naturally close to the Ming Dynasty and can maintain the majesty of the Ming Dynasty nearby."

"It can also better educate the local barbarians and make them understand justice and etiquette."

This is actually what everyone thinks, but when it comes from the mouth of the Minister of Rites, it is a bit contrary to the truth.

Shouldn't you maintain the sectarian-vassal relationship? Why do you support the imperial court's annexation of vassal states?

Zhu Yuanzhang was also greatly surprised. It seemed that although he was a Confucian scholar, he was not as pedantic as expected.

However, he did not directly reveal what he was thinking, but asked the ministers:

"What do you think of this method?"

Many ministers echoed: "I second my opinion."

Seeing that the civilian officials were so active, the military generals were not willing to be left behind, so they all stood up to support him.

So the matter passed.

A few are relatively slow to respond, although they feel it is not good to do so.

It can be seen that everyone agreed and did not dare to stand up and object.

The next step is to discuss which prince should be sealed.

It was normal at first. The eighth son of the emperor was named last time, but the ninth son of the emperor died young. This time, the tenth son of the emperor should be named King Lu.

The officials began to praise King Lu for his humility, erudition, and proficiency in all kinds of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

This is not an embarrassment, at least so far, King Lu's performance is fully worthy of such praise.

Zhu Yuanzhang also admired his son very much and was very happy when he heard people praise him so much.

It was actually his idea to seal King Lu Zhutan away.

I thought that the matter would just go away, but I didn't know that someone would say the opposite.

Gong Xiao stood up and said, "Your Majesty, although King Lu is smart and knowledgeable, he is too young and lacks experience in governing the country."

"Moreover, Luzon is a barbaric land. Although its country was destroyed, most of its people hid in the mountains and forests."

"The first thing the newly-established vassal state has to face is these traitors, and conquest may be inevitable."

"The King of Lu was good at literature but not at martial arts. He was good at governing the people but not at war."

"Sealing him to Luzon is not a good thing for the Ming Dynasty or himself."

"I think that we should enthrone a prince who can manage politics and is good at fighting."

Zhu Yuanzhang was not happy at first, but after listening to his analysis, he had to admit that this was indeed the case.

It's not that King Lu didn't understand military affairs at all, but relatively speaking, his literary talent was not as outstanding.

The most important thing is that he is too young and has never personally led troops on the battlefield.

Whether it is a real military knowledge or just talk on paper has not been verified.

Luzon was the starting point for the Ming Dynasty's strategy in the Southeast Asia. This first step must be taken well, otherwise there will be a lot of trouble in the future.

It is safer to entrust a prince with outstanding ability to the past.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang's face became kind: "Gong Jijiu's words are reasonable, but the older princes have all been enfeoffed, so what can be done."

Gong Ruo said confidently: "What's the difficulty? Just change the title of an older prince to him."

"I believe that no matter which prince is transferred to Luzon, he will be very happy."

Wouldn't that be fun?

The vassal kings within the Ming Dynasty were watched by civil servants and generals, feared by the court, and even hated by subsequent emperors.

It would be great if they were separated. The sky is high and the emperor is far away, and I am the boss.

And it was a true kingship system, with complete kingly power.

Who doesn’t want to go?

At this point, the smart minister had already guessed what he meant.

Yes, let's take this opportunity first to get out the older prince who has already sealed the feudal clan.

The prince will talk about it later, at worst, he will get more land.

I heard that there are many overseas islands. Wouldn’t it be enough to seal a few of them that are habitable?

Thinking of this, the Minister of Rites immediately said:

"Gong Jijiu is really a mature and prudent statement, I think it is feasible."

"The elder prince, in terms of ability and talent, is the first choice for the King of Jin. I think that I can change his fiefdom to Luzon."

Many ministers also came forward to support.

King Jin is good, he is both civil and military, he will definitely be able to stabilize Luzon and maintain the majesty of the Ming Dynasty in Nanyang.

The new king of Luzon must be the King of Jin.

Not only civil servants, but also many military generals supported it.

As for the reason, it was naturally that King Sai had too much power and threatened not only the civil officials, but the entire court.

It would be in everyone's best interest to get it out as soon as possible.

Zhu Yuanzhang also reacted now.

Let’s just say that you are uncharacteristically uncharacteristic and do not talk about benevolence, justice and morality, but instead support the annexation of Luzon.

It turns out they are waiting for us here.

Okay, okay, you are really good.

But actually he wasn't angry.

It was decided long ago that the kings should be enfeoffed abroad.

People are like this, it's easy to get caught up in their own emotions and cognitions and be unable to extricate themselves.

He was like this before, ignoring the risks of feudalism and going his own way.

He became angry at anyone who tried to persuade him, and he killed many people for this reason.

Now that he had found a better solution, he began to reflect.

I was indeed too willful in the past and left such great trouble to my descendants.

And he could also see that these people were indeed out of public interest and for the good of Ming Dynasty.

Naturally he won't be angry.

However, Zhu Fan and Zhu Di were his most important right-hand men. The former was managing the Indo-China Peninsula and the latter was based in Peiping.

According to his long-term plan, Zhu Fan will fight in the Western Regions and Zhu Di will fight in the north.

Zhu Biao sat in the center, Zhu Fan and Zhu Di expanded the territory, and the three brothers worked together to build a large enough territory for the Ming Dynasty.

Give all descendants a vassal state.

Of course, there will definitely be a feudal state between Zhu Fan and Zhu Di, and it must be the best kind.

But don't worry about their matters now, Ming Dynasty needs them more.

When Zhu Jixi and Zhu Gaochi grow up, it will not be too late to consider sealing the country.

When the time comes, let these two brats manage the feudal country.

Zhu Yuanzhang had already thought of this plan.

Therefore, although I am not angry with the ministers, I will not seal Zhu Fan out at this time.

"The Northern Yuan Dynasty is looking at it from outside, and there are also strong enemies in the Western Regions. The Ming Dynasty still needs the King of Jin to stabilize the border defense, and it cannot be divided for the time being."

When the officials heard this, they thought he didn't want to seal Zhu Fan out, so they became a little anxious and wanted to stand up and argue.

Gong Jiu, however, had expected it and spoke out first: "Your Majesty is wise, and I also thought that King Sai should not be touched lightly."

"Not only can the King of Jin not be able to seal him, but neither can the King of Yan."

Zhu Yuanzhang is even more satisfied with Gong Xiao. He is indeed the former fourth auxiliary officer and understands our thoughts.

"What Gong Jijiu said is true. The Ming Dynasty cannot do without the two kings of Sai..."

Gong Xun immediately answered: "Therefore, I think the King of Chu is the most suitable candidate."

"First, he is older and has experience in governing politics."

"Second, he has outstanding military capabilities. He has led the army to put down barbarian rebellions many times and has rich experience in fighting barbarians."

It's really not a boast. Zhu Zhen went to the battlefield when he was 18 years old in Hongwu's fourteenth year, and Hongwu fought for the second time in his fifteenth year.

In the eighteenth year of Hongwu's reign, he campaigned in Guizhou and Hunan within one year and put down the local barbarian rebellion.

Now they are encircling and suppressing the remaining forces of the Northern Yuan Dynasty in Yunnan.

Apart from anything else, he has quite a lot of experience in fighting barbarians.

Others also realized that King Jin really couldn't move lightly.

If they were the emperor, they would definitely not banish King Jin at this time.

There are only a few vassal kings who have become vassals now.

The king of Qin, Zhu Xi, was deposed, and the king of Qi, Zhu Zhu, died in a fire.

Zhou Wang Zhu Ju was obsessed with medical research and posed no threat.

King Tan Zhu Zi... No, he is now the King of Joseon, and it does not count that he has already been granted the title of King.

The only ones left are King Zhu Fan of Jin, King Zhu Di of Yan, and King Zhu Zhen of Chu.

The first two kings of Sai could not move, and the king of Zhou had no need to move, so only the king of Chu was left.

Getting him out first is also a problem. So all the ministers expressed their support, saying, King Chu, that land was naturally prepared for King Chu.

Your Majesty, please quickly follow the will of God and the people and seal the King of Chu over.

The corners of Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth kept twitching. These people really worked hard.

However, Zhu Zhen was indeed the candidate in his mind, so he followed the trend and said:
"Since all the ministers think that the King of Chu is suitable, let's seal him in Luzon."

After getting a vassal king out, the officials felt full of accomplishment.

When I shouted "Your Majesty, Holy Ming", my voice was much louder than usual.

At this time, Minister of Rites Zhongxu stood up again and said:

"Your Majesty, Luzon is a barbarian country and should be abolished. Please tell me what the name of the new country should be."

This was what Zhu Yuanzhang meant. He thought about it and said:

"Let's name it after the title given by the King of Chu. This place is the Kingdom of Chu. Those who will grant vassal status in the future will use this as an example."

Naturally, the ministers had no objections, unlike the North Korean side.

North Korea is the name of the motherland, and restoring the country's name is in line with etiquette and law.

What the hell is Luzon? It sounds like a barbarian and must be changed.

It doesn't matter what it is changed to, it doesn't matter what the name is.

It doesn't matter if we call it Chu State, it will save us a lot of trouble.

So, while Zhu Zhen was still fighting in Yunnan, his feudal kingdom was established and even named.

Next, the ministers discussed how to establish the Chu State.

For the monarchs and ministers of the Ming Dynasty, this was the first time.

The Kingdom of Korea is different. It itself is deeply influenced by Chinese culture, and the people are ready-made.

Just suppress the imperial court and establish a new order.

Luzon... Except for one piece of land here in Chu State, it was all barbarians.

There are also very few Ming people living in Nanyang.

And there is a saying that few people who can live in Nanyang are safe and sound.

Relying on this group of people to build a country is really overthinking.

Therefore, Chu State is starting from scratch.

Appointment and training of officials, relocation of people, establishment of resettlement sites...

Farm tools, seeds, cattle, etc. all had to be transported from Daming.

This will be a very large project.

However, these can be figured out later. There are two immediate priorities.

First, sending people over to take over the land of Chu State cannot always be left to the envoys to take care of it.

Second, he quickly summoned the King of Chu back to the court.

After all, this is his feudal country, and his opinions cannot be completely ignored.

After retreating from the court, Chen Jingke followed Zhu Xiongying, and the two of them walked slowly towards Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Xiongying said happily: "Tsk, it's really lively when hundreds of officials are quarreling in the court."

Chen Jingke also smiled and said: "Yes, that is to say, His Majesty's temper has calmed down now. Before... I wouldn't have dared to think about it."

Zhu Xiongying said: "They wouldn't have dared to do this before."

"But I can see that officials will take advantage of their situation."

"In the past, Grandpa Huang had a strict temperament, so they were walking on thin ice with fear, not even daring to breathe."

"Now with just a slight change, they dare to quarrel in court."

"This is just a small etiquette matter. If it involves other matters, it may become serious."

"No wonder that in all dynasties, whenever a 'benevolent monarch' is in power, wealth mergers will intensify."

Chen Jingke said in surprise: "Such a small change can actually give you such a big understanding?"

"Do you know what a genius is?" Zhu Xiongying patted his chest and said proudly:
"This is."

Chen Jingke: "..."

Okay, I know you are thick-skinned.

The two of them talked and laughed all the way, deliberately avoiding the issue of enfeoffing the king of Chu.

Zhu Xiongying really couldn't say anything about this matter.

support?

It may be misinterpreted as not being able to accommodate the feudal king.

Why, are you so happy to have the vassal king sent overseas?
It is easy for others to explain misunderstandings, but Zhu Yuanzhang would feel uncomfortable if he misunderstood.

Oppose?

Don't be kidding, how could he object.

One thing he said was that he was in favor of getting the feudal king out with both hands and feet.

So, the best way is to say nothing.

Anyway, it is a foregone conclusion that the overseas kings will be enfeoffed, so there is no need for him to make such remarks.

When the state of Chu is established and this matter is accepted by everyone and becomes a rule, he can talk about it.

But they didn't talk, but someone wanted to talk to them.

As soon as the two arrived at Qianqing Palace, they were called over by Zhu Yuanzhang.

"You two have watched the show all morning. What do you think?"

Zhu Xiongying is so clever. He directly expressed his feelings about what he said just now and that all the officials would take advantage of the situation.

"Therefore, as a monarch, you must maintain your majesty, so that you can intimidate all officials."

Zhu Yuanzhang was very happy: "Haha... my dear grandson is really smart, like us... you will definitely be a good emperor in the future."

Then he asked Chen Jingke: "What do you think...don't tell us those lies, we are asking about the Chu Kingdom."

Chen Jingke thought to himself, you also know that your precious grandson deliberately changed the topic.

"Your Majesty, you know that I was the one who came up with the strategy of conferring kingdoms for princes in foreign lands."

"The King of Chu has rich experience in dealing with barbarians, so it is most appropriate to seal him away."

"What we should consider now is how to build the Chu Kingdom well."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. Chen Jingke indeed never hides his thoughts.

He just opposed the enfeoffment of various vassals within the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, asking for his opinion is equivalent to not asking.

However, this was not his original intention. To build a country from scratch, Ming Dynasty had no experience.

He hoped that Chen Jingke would help him come up with ideas.

Chen Jingke naturally understood what he meant, but he had no experience in this matter.

After thinking about it, I can only start from other places:
"I suggest sending more officials there."

"First, record all the customs and customs of the Chu Kingdom and preserve them as data."

"In the future, these materials can be used as an important basis for our research in the humanities and social sciences."

"Secondly, record the process of establishing the Chu State in detail, so that there will be examples to follow when establishing other feudal states in the future."

"Thirdly, this is also a process of training officials. When the Chu State is established, these officials will be trained and can be directly appointed to officials."

"Fourth..."

Although he did not mention specific strategies, he also made a lot of suggestions in the general direction.

There are some things that Zhu Yuanzhang can understand, such as recording the entire process of founding the country to accumulate experience, tempering officials, etc.

But recording the local customs and customs was a bit incomprehensible to him.

What’s so good about this thing?
It also serves as an important material for future research in the humanities and social sciences.

Just barbarians, what's there to study?

The thousands of years of Chinese civilization history are not enough for you to study?
But just because he couldn't understand it, he thought this one was more important.

This is also based on experience. The more Chen Jingke's suggestions are that he cannot understand, the more important they will be in the future.

So much so that he had an idea.

It’s not that Chen Jingke’s suggestions are useless, it’s that he looks too far ahead for us to understand.

As long as there's no harm done, just do it.

Isn't it just to record the customs and customs of the native people? Then just remember it.

It's just a matter of sending a few officials, it's not worth anything.

In the afternoon, Xu Miaojin gave Xu Miaojin a lesson as usual, and the day's classes were completed.

When I got home after get off work, before I could even sit down, someone sent me a greeting card.

Originally, he rarely met guests in private, but when he saw the invitation and the name of the visitor, he became interested.

"Cen Xintong and Xu Chailao, what are they doing here to visit me?"

"What I got was Du Tongli's name card. How did they know each other?"

(End of this chapter)