The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 396 You are too bullying

illusion?

Anyone who really thinks he is having an illusion would be underestimating the King of Yan.

He just didn't like studying, didn't like playing so many tricks, and just wanted to fight against the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

In fact, he was well aware of political matters.

It was impossible for him not to tell whether those nobles were cooperating with him or taking the opportunity to go crazy.

It's just that there are some things that he is not comfortable saying directly.

Those nobles were arranged by the emperor to cooperate with him. If he turned around and said that others had other plans, wouldn't that be ungrateful?

The key is that he has no substantial evidence.

I just noticed that those people's behavior was a little abnormal.

So, he took the opportunity of casual chat to hint at something.

He believed that with the intelligence of the people present, they would definitely be able to come up with something.

As expected, Zhu Xiongying, Chen Jingke and Xu Da immediately showed expressions of understanding.

Zhu Gaochi thought about it for a moment and nodded slightly, apparently figuring out the reason.

Zhu Xiongying snorted coldly and said, "His feelings are pitiful, but his actions are punishable."

After all, Xu Da was one of the representatives of the noble group, and he excused everyone:

"Compared with the nobles of previous dynasties, the nobles of the Ming Dynasty are all very dedicated to their duties."

"They are acting this way because they are unsure. I hope the court can give an accurate answer as soon as possible."

After saying that, he looked at Chen Jingke, motioning him to help say a few good words.

In fact, what he said was not wrong. Compared with the nobles in previous dynasties, the nobles in the Ming Dynasty were indeed much more honest.

It’s not that they have a high level of awareness, but they have to do their duty.

Old Zhu cannot tolerate any sand in his eyes, and those who dare to be arrogant and domineering will end up in a bad situation.

Under his high-pressure rule, the nobles did not dare to do anything excessive.

Later, under the influence of Chen Jingke, Zhu's style changed.

But before the nobles could become arrogant and extravagant, Zhu Yuanzhang offered to divide the fiefdoms to lure them.

This is a true prince. Once it comes true, the world will be vast and boundless.

With greater interests ahead to attract them, the nobles once again became more responsible.

Unless they are particularly weird, no one wants to be killed before the enfeoffment.

Therefore, the nobles of the Ming Dynasty not only performed their duties, but also sacrificed their own interests to help the court reform.

However, so many years have passed, and the great enfeoffment has remained only talk.

The emperor wants to go back on his word? Or is he just fooling everyone?
Now that the person sitting on the throne has changed, will the new emperor still recognize his original promise?

Last year, Zhu Biao stated that a small-scale division of fiefdoms would be carried out this year.

But now it is May or June, and half a year has passed without any response from the court.

The nobles are anxious.

Before, they didn’t dare to do anything out of line for fear of being caught as an example.

Now that the emperor has asked me to act with Prince Yan, I can take advantage of this opportunity to make some remarks.

However, they always remained rational and did not dare to go too far.

That's why Zhu Di said what he just said.

Zhu Xiongying was the prince after all, so he was naturally unhappy when he heard about what they had done.

We didn't say we didn't admit it, why are you so anxious?
You dare to take this opportunity to go crazy, are you trying to force the emperor to abdicate?
Really desperate.

But to be honest, it is understandable that the nobles are anxious.

Otherwise Xu Da would not have interceded for them.

Chen Jingke naturally had the same idea, so after receiving Xu Da's hint, he nodded slightly to show that he had received it.

Then he casually said, "You need to change your temper and stop shouting for war and killing at every turn."

"They will be princes in the future, with soldiers and food in their hands. Be careful not to force them into a corner and make them jump over the wall."

Zhu Xiongying said murderously: "Dare, whoever dares not to be honest will be killed..."

Chen Jingke was amused and said, "Have you forgotten the vassal system and the imperial plan?"

"Once the Great Enfeoffment is officially implemented, the situation will be different. You must change your self-centered thinking."

"Many things can no longer be done as one pleases, there must be rules."

"The new rules require the Ming Dynasty to take into account the interests of the vassal states as much as possible while ensuring its own interests."

When Zhu Xiongying heard about the Empire Plan, he immediately stopped talking.

Influenced by Chen Jingke, he was very clear that after the implementation of the imperial plan, the Ming Dynasty must learn to handle diplomatic affairs correctly.

Otherwise, it will inevitably lead to the alienation of vassal states, and eventually the collapse of the vassal system and the failure of the imperial plan.

Zhu Di raised his eyebrows and wanted to refute.

You're already showing off before you've even been given a fief, right? Do you really think you're a big shot?
Even if you are a prince, you are still a subject of the Ming Dynasty.

Then he immediately thought of his own State of Yan and swallowed the words back.

It’s good to follow the rules.

As the suzerain state, the Ming Dynasty must have the bearing of a suzerain state and treat vassal states fairly and justly.

Don't bully the small.

Afraid that others would notice his thoughts, he secretly glanced at everyone's faces.

I realized that the attention was not on me, and I felt relieved immediately.

But Xu Da was a very smart person and he didn't notice his abnormality at first.

But he noticed that Zhu Di was looking at everyone furtively.

Although he didn't know what was going on, as Zhu Di's teacher and father-in-law, he knew the Prince of Yan too well.

I know this guy is up to no good.

But he did not expose it. After all, he was his son-in-law and he had to help cover it up.

But in order to prevent him from saying anything nonsense again, I gave him a meaningful look as a warning.

As expected, when Zhu Di saw his eyes, he shuddered in his heart and immediately became as obedient as a quail.

No one noticed the little action of the father-in-law and son-in-law, and their attention was all on Chen Jingke.

Chen Jingke continued, "To put it more directly, the Ming Dynasty must learn to use rules to manage the vassal states in the future."

"And where do the rules come from? We can't just follow what Daming says."

"The birth of a new rule must be collectively recognized by the vassal states."

"At least it must be recognized by the majority of vassal states, so that the rules will have credibility."

Of course, this is only fair on the surface.

The so-called collective recognition is nothing more than giving the rules a legal cover.

As the suzerain state, it was very easy for the Ming Dynasty to implement any rules.

If you can't even do this, then don't be a suzerain state and just live your life behind closed doors.

Xu Da and others also agreed very much after hearing this.

Even if one excludes one's own interests and considers it entirely from the perspective of doing things, Chen Jingke's words are still mature and prudent.

If the Ming court completely disregards the interests of vassal states, it will most likely be abandoned by them.

Think about how the Shang Dynasty fell.

The Ming Dynasty is indeed powerful now, and its vassal states combined are no match for it.

But what about the future?

Zhu Xiongying couldn't refute it, but still said angrily:
"Based on the moral character of these people, I'm afraid they will destroy their own country without the need for the Ming Dynasty to intervene."

Everyone smiled inwardly, thinking that the prince was convinced in his heart but not in words.

However, they also admired Chen Jingke very much, so he was the only one who dared to say such words.

To put it another way, even if Zhu Xiongying agreed, there would still be a grudge in his heart, and he might make things difficult for others one day.

The shoes of the future emperor will not be so easy to wear.

However, after hearing what Zhu Xiongying said, Chen Jingke agreed very much:
"This is exactly what I'm worried about. There are only a handful of nobles who are truly ready to become the ruler of the country."

"Others simply don't know how to be the head of a country, and many people don't even know what a head of a country is."

"They thought they were the bosses when the country was closed and could do whatever they wanted."

"If we let them go to the fiefdom like this, it will be a disaster."

Zhu Gaochi said thoughtfully: "What the Crown Prince and Chen Bandu said is very true."

"Most of the nobles in the Ming Dynasty were of relatively low birth and had not received any relevant education before."

"After becoming a noble, he mostly commanded the army and ignored the people. He really doesn't know how to govern the country."

"The court must address this issue."

"I suggest that we provide centralized training to the nobles who are about to be enfeoffed, so that they know how to correctly understand their power and how to govern a country well."

I was surprised to see that a complaint I just made casually was being discussed so seriously by them, and they even suggested a solution.

Zhu Xiongying was very proud.

This is what a good brother is.

I can always protect myself and save my face. "I think the method proposed by Gao Chi is very good."

"We will establish a college in Luoyang, and all the heirs of the princes must come here to study."

Encouraged, Zhu Gaochi simply opened up about the matter:
"It would be best if the emperor could serve as the honorary dean, so that they will all be the emperor's disciples in the future."

"If possible, we can let the prince go to school together to cultivate their relationship..."

One of the four great bonds of life is friendship.

When the heirs study together, they will develop personal feelings, and many things will be much easier to handle in the future.

And the school will definitely teach them to support the Ming Dynasty and the vassal system.

It's also a kind of brainwashing.

Having received such education since childhood, unless he is born rebellious, he will be a supporter of the vassal system.

Chen Jingke couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Concentrating on training the heirs of the vassal states was originally part of his plan, but it had not been proposed yet.

It is not surprising that Zhu Gaochi could think of these things.

This is actually a disguised proton system, which has existed since ancient times.

But it was rare that he thought of letting the emperor serve as honorary dean and allowing the prince to study together to cultivate personal feelings.

It can be seen that he has indeed learned something real over the years.

When Zhu Di saw him nod, his heart was immediately filled with joy.

This son really makes me proud.

There was a bit more relief and fondness in the look he gave Zhu Gaochi.

The five fingers are not all the same length, so it is impossible to treat all children equally.

Zhu Di's favorite was Zhu Gaoxu.

Firstly, I have had it with me since I was a child, so naturally the relationship is deeper.

Secondly, Zhu Gaoxu was a martial artist, and in Zhu Di's view, this was "similar to me".

The attribute of "self-like" is extremely important. The more confident a person is, the more he values ​​the attribute of "self-like" when dealing with his children.

These two words can even influence the choice of heirs.

In contrast, Zhu Gaochi values ​​literature, which is not "like me".

In addition, he grew up in Luoyang, so it is inevitable that he lacks family affection.

But that's just how people are.

When the other person can bring honor to oneself, the feelings will naturally be biased.

What's more, that person is his own biological child.

Zhu Gaochi showed his outstanding talents and was recognized by Chen Jingke, the smartest man in the world. That was such an honor.

Zhu Di immediately felt that this son was good.

As the topic was brought up, everyone got involved and actually put forward a lot of constructive suggestions.

For example, we cannot allow the future ruler to become someone like He Bu Shi Meat Porridge.

Let them experience the suffering of the people and accumulate work experience at the grassroots level.

Finally, Chen Jingke concluded: "We don't know when there will be results in Nanyang. It's not a good idea to keep dragging it out like this."

"It would be better to build this school first and gather the nobles to study together in advance."

Zhu Xiongying agreed and said, "It will be a bit late to wait until the Great Division begins to conduct training. It is necessary to open the academy in advance."

"It just so happens that the nobles have been causing a lot of trouble recently, causing public outrage..."

"Never mind whether it's acting or not, to outsiders it looks like the nobles are being dishonest."

"Using the excuse of opening a school to teach nobles etiquette should convince everyone without revealing our true purpose."

"As for what content to teach, we have the final say."

Such a big thing was decided just like that.

The key point is that one is the prince and the other is the prince's companion, which is indeed a bit incongruous.

Even Zhu Di felt that you two were a little confused about your own identities?
Although this suggestion is good, it must at least be approved by the emperor, right?
Xu Da and Zhu Gaochi were used to it, as this was the normal private life in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Xiongying was the prince with real power. He reviewed 70% of the memorials and could stamp the imperial seal at will.

Chen Jingke was the actual creator of the Ming system.

At the decision-making level, everyone agrees on one fact: Crown Prince + Study Companion ≈ Emperor.

As long as the two of them make a decision together, the matter will most likely be settled.

However, they also abided by their duties and would only implement major matters after obtaining Zhu Biao's consent.

This is respect.

They had just finalized a new policy, and on the other side, Zhu Biao had also successfully completed his part.

He successfully guided his ministers to place the Prince of Yan's fiefdom on Ceylon Island (Sri Lanka).

As for the reason, it was naturally to follow the old example of Qin King Zhu Chong.

An island close to the mainland. If the King of Yan is not satisfied with the island, he can go to the mainland to fight for a piece of land as a fiefdom.

Since your Prince Yan's Mansion is so powerful, it should be possible.

No, no?
To be honest, when the decision was made, the ministers were secretly happy.

Let your Prince Yan's Mansion still be so arrogant.

This is not the end, the ministers came up with a new trick.

Ceylon Island is an important supply station on the Ming Dynasty’s maritime trade route and cannot be entirely ceded to the State of Yan.

After discussion, they decided to separate the southwestern corner and make it the direct territory of the Ming Dynasty.

This small corner includes Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka in the past.

When Chen Jingke saw this distribution plan, he couldn't help but admire those people in the civil service group. They were really disgusting.

But at the same time, I am also very relieved.

The fact that they can disgust people in this way shows that they really understand Ceylon.

Being willing to understand the outside world is a huge progress and a good start.

Zhu Di was extremely unwilling to accept this fiefdom.

After all, I am a prince of the Ming Dynasty and have made great military achievements. Is this all you give me?
You know what, there are some people who really sympathize with him.

Not only did you banish the King of Yan to a small island, you also cut off the most prosperous area on the island.

It's really bullying.

However, despite the sympathy, not many people spoke up for him.

There is no way, it’s because Zhu Di’s behavior some time ago was so annoying.

He should be taught a lesson, and it should also serve as a warning to other princes.

Anyway, this is how the Prince of Yan’s fiefdom was finally decided.

Zhu Di saw that the situation was settled and stopped struggling, instead he made another request.

Let my son go over there, I want to stay and fight against the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

You guys have bullied me so much, you can't even fail to satisfy this small request, right?

Perhaps he really sympathized with him, or perhaps he considered that someone was needed to restrain Prince Jin.

Anyway, in the end the ministers agreed to this request.

Zhu Gaochi led the Prince of Yan's Mansion to Ceylon to establish a country, while Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, continued to go to the north to guard the grassland.

At this point, the performance came to a successful conclusion.

Everyone felt that they had won and were very happy.

Just when everyone thought the matter was over, an imperial censor impeached the noble group during the morning court session.

They are arrogant and domineering and must be put under pressure.

When the Cultural Management Group heard this, they immediately became excited. We have to help crack down on the nobles.

So they came out to support and demanded that the crime must be severely punished to serve as a warning to others.

Zhu Biao once again seemed to be in a state of headache and could not find peace.

However, he was indeed dissatisfied with the noble group and criticized them in class.

But criticism alone is not enough, this matter must be properly handled.

Just as everyone was expressing their opinions, the prince's companion Chen Jingke pointed out that the nobles' arrogance was due to their lack of education.

It would be better to establish a college to specifically educate nobles on etiquette, laws and the like.

Although the ministers felt that the punishment was too light, they all thought that the proposal was good.

As I said before, Chinese civilization attaches the most importance to education, and believes deep down that education can change many things.

So the matter was settled.

Zhu Biao made the decision and decided to build the new academy next to Chen Jingke's Luoxia Academy, since there were ready-made school buildings there.

The nobles from each family took turns to study and learn how to be a qualified noble.

The eldest son of a noble family must receive systematic education in this academy, otherwise he will not be able to inherit the title.

Just when the Ming court was busy dealing with internal conflicts, the indigenous forces in Southeast Asia finally could not hold back and raised their knives against the local Ming clans.

(End of this chapter)