Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

The establishment of Taizu's meritorious officials and Chengzu's meritorious officials sparked heated discussions in the capital.

What attracted the most attention was that the emperor included civil officials such as Li Shanchang and the Three Yangs in the list of meritorious officials.

This made the scholars talk about it with great relish, and they praised the current emperor highly.

Compared with the previous situation where there was only Liu Bowen as the only heir, the current emperor was too generous. He added ten civil officials at once so that their descendants could inherit the title of earl.

How could the literati not be excited about this? They felt that the opportunity to be granted a title and become a prime minister was just around the corner.

Then think about it, among the Purple Pavilion meritorious officials, half of them were civil officials, with positions of high and low, including grand secretaries and governors-general.

The desire of all the civil servants to achieve great things was fully aroused, and they wanted to earn a title for their descendants.

Grand Secretary Han Yu was one of them.

He originally had the idea of ​​opening up a fiefdom overseas and sending some of his relatives and friends over there.

Now, seeing that the emperor continued to reward meritorious officials and guide them to establish fiefdoms, he made up his mind to submit a memorial, requesting that the hereditary title granted by the emperor years ago be converted into an overseas title.

When Zhu Youjian saw this, he was extremely happy.

He has always been promoting the establishment of overseas fiefdoms, not only for the purpose of expanding territory, but also to release the impending pressure of the Ming Dynasty overseas.

If this strategy succeeds, the Ming Dynasty will be able to successfully overcome the crisis and continue to survive for a hundred years by relying on the expansion of borders and immigration.

Han Yu took the initiative to respond, letting him know that the university scholar supported his strategy, and he completely put aside his doubts about Han Yu.

Because Han Yu was a member of the Donglin Party, Zhu Youjian had always been hesitant about whether to appoint him as the prime minister.

Even though Han Yu behaved very obediently, he was still worried that this man would rely on his skillful factional tactics to cause turmoil in the court again.

Now Han Yu's statement made him put aside his doubts. He thought that letting Han Yu serve as the Prime Minister might not be a bad thing.

At least this person openly supports his own policies and is quite capable.

Another point is that after two years of changes to the court system, Zhu Youjian planned to stabilize the situation and pay more attention to policy implementation in the next three years.

Han Yu's appointment as Prime Minister can gain the cooperation of local Donglin Party members and enable the court's policies to be implemented more smoothly.

Therefore, at the court meeting on July 15, Zhu Youjian formally promoted Han Yu to the position of regent minister to show his intentions.

In addition to Huang Liji, the prime minister, another regent appeared in the court.

Huang Liji, who had already prepared to step down, immediately requested to retire.

Zhu Youjian retained him as usual and began the process of replacing the prime minister.

He wanted to finalize this matter before August, let Han Yu participate in the official selection in August, and establish the prestige of the new prime minister.

At the same time, at Han Yu's request, he changed his hereditary title of a thousand households to a baron. Since the founding of the country, a minister with a noble status once again appeared in the court.

This made the ministers feel the change again, and many people believed that it would become the norm for nobles to serve as prime ministers.

Among the Grand Secretaries and Nine Ministers in the court, which one does not have a hereditary position nowadays?

In the future they may all become nobles and serve as ministers.

If you don't have aristocratic status, you may be looked down upon by others——

This is completely different from Wang Shouren losing the opportunity to enter the court after being conferred the title.

From now on, the power of court ministers will depend on the rank of their titles.

This was also one of Zhu Youjian's intentions, to use the power to confer titles in his hands to further strengthen his influence over his ministers.

From now on, if these ministers want to obtain titles, they will have to find ways to please me.

As he expected, after Han Yu's hereditary position was converted into a title of nobility, Yang Jingchen, Wen Tiren and others successively submitted petitions requesting that the hereditary position be converted into a title of nobility.

Yuan Keli and other Privy Council ministers collectively requested that the hereditary positions granted by the emperor be converted into overseas titles.

These people had a better understanding of the emperor's policies and were aware of the progress of overseas development.

Knowing that becoming a landed noble is far more profitable than receiving a hereditary title.

Huang Liji, who was about to step down as the Prime Minister and was going to be the head of the Lifanyuan, also made this request.

After all, he had to assist the emperor in managing the vassal state, so how could he not go overseas to establish a vassal state?
So at the end of July, the court began a new round of conferring titles, and dozens of ministers and meritorious officials were successively conferred the titles of viscount, baron, and knight.

For a time, the court was filled with lords, and it seemed that the politics had transformed from civil service to aristocracy.

However, Zhu Youjian knew that this was an illusion. Those who held power in the court were still the civil officials, and the higher-ranking nobles such as dukes, marquises, and earls did not have much power at all.

Now he could only hope that the nobles would recognize the situation as soon as possible, so that they would have the confidence to speak out when they own fiefdoms in the future.
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Another impact of including Li Shanchang and others in the Temple of Meritorious Officials was that it made some people realize that the emperor began to re-determine the events during the Hongwu and Yongle years.

This made some people feel as if they saw a ray of hope, especially the descendants of Jianwen's ministers.

Some ministers who sympathized with them also submitted memorials to express their opinions.

Zhu Youjian was very troubled when he saw these memorials, especially after he saw Liu Zongzhou also submitted a memorial. He felt that the matter of Jianwen must be concluded.

Otherwise, ministers would submit memorials one after another, affecting the court affairs.

So he chose July 18th, sent Zhang Gongwei, the Marquis of Longping, to offer sacrifices to Changling, and then summoned all his ministers and said:
"Since the reign of Emperor Wanli, many people have written memorials to discuss the affairs of Emperor Jianwen and his ministers."

"I think we should get to the bottom of the matter and come to a final conclusion."

"Today is the anniversary of Emperor Chengzu Wen's death. Let's discuss this matter!"

Those among the ministers who were inclined to overturn the verdict on Jianwen's ministers felt something was wrong when they saw that the emperor chose this day to discuss the matter.

As the descendant of Emperor Chengzu, if the emperor denied Emperor Chengzu on the anniversary of his death and reversed the verdict on the relationship between Emperor Jianwen and his ministers, wouldn't that be unfilial?

No matter how bold the officials were, they would not dare to argue with the emperor on this day. They would not dare to force the emperor to overturn the case of Emperor Jianwen and his ministers today. Otherwise, who could afford to be deducted the word "filial"?
This made them say:
"Today is the anniversary of Emperor Chengzu's death. It is not appropriate to discuss this matter."

"I would like to discuss the matter of Jianwen on another day."

Zhu Youjian said impatiently:
"Since the forbidden book Huang Ming Tong Ji was circulated, many people in the world have been talking about Jianwen."

"Even during the Wanli and Tianqi reigns, officials would submit memorials every few years."

"I have been troubled since I ascended the throne, and I must get to the bottom of it."

"From today on, court officials are not allowed to argue about Jianwen anymore, otherwise they will be dismissed and exiled overseas."

Such a harsh attitude made the ministers who wanted to reverse the verdict on Emperor Jianwen feel even worse, and their opposition became louder, asking the emperor to revoke his order.

Zhu Youjian's expression did not change at all in the face of these people's words. He only reiterated after their voices died down a little:

"Speak freely today. I will not blame you no matter what you say."

"But after today, the court's conclusion must prevail and no further objections are allowed."

"If neither of you wants to say it, then just make a conclusion."

This made the ministers even more dissatisfied. Even Liu Zongzhou, who had long been tied to the emperor, stood up and said:
"The mouth of defending the people is better than defending Sichuan."

"If you can't convince the public, who will believe it even if Your Majesty makes a conclusion?"

"I think the matter of Jianwen should be considered in the long term."

Zhu Youjian still respected Liu Zongzhou very much. If he hadn't seen his memorial, he wouldn't even want to pay attention to this matter. When he saw Liu Zongzhou speak, he said seriously:

"Isn't it being discussed now?"

"Let's talk about Fang Xiaoru first. You compiled the Record of Correct Learning for Fang Xiaoru. You think he is very much in high regard, don't you?"

Liu Zongzhou also said seriously:

"Mr. Fang Xunzhi values ​​integrity over life, and I compiled his collection of essays to boost his morale."

Zhu Youjian heard this and said:

"So, sir, do you think that the story of Fang Xiaoru and his entire clan being executed is true or false?"

"Why do there still exist descendants of Fang Xiaoru until now?"

This question made all the ministers concerned. Today's discussion was finally on track.

Liu Zongzhou did not bother about whether to reschedule the meeting, and responded:

"Mr. Fang's youngest son was hidden by loyal and righteous people, so he still has descendants."

Zhu Youjian frowned slightly, but he could not deny this statement, so he could only continue to ask:
"So, sir, do you think it is true that Fang Xiaoru's entire clan was executed?"

Liu Zongzhou hesitated and replied:

"This fact is not recorded in the records, but it is recorded in Lizhai Xianlu:"

"According to the records of the Jinyiwei Zhenfusi in Nanjing, except for the missing and damaged records in the previous compilation, the number of people in the Zhengxue clan who were copied and punished is 847."

"With so many people killed, it's only right that the entire clan be executed."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian asked Zheng Shiyi:
"Is there such a record in the Nanjing Jinyiwei Book?"

Zheng Shiyi quickly replied:

"I am not aware of this matter at the moment. You can summon the Nanjing Jinyiwei to investigate."

Zhu Youjian nodded in approval and told Zheng Shiyi:
"Order the Jinyiwei in Nanjing to bring the relevant books and records. We must investigate thoroughly."

"We must determine how many to confiscate and how many to execute, and give an explanation to the people of the world."

This attitude was recognized by all the ministers. Many people thought that the emperor was fair and did not deliberately deny it.

Zhu Youjian did not defend himself against this recorded event, but said to his ministers:

"How many people are there in the clan?"

"Can more than 800 people confirm that it is the Ten Clans Killing?"

"Can anyone tell me clearly what the ten clans are?"

The ministers had something to say. Chen Xiance, a member of the Military Affairs Department, said:
"Ten clans are nine clans plus friends."

"Mr. Fang refused to disobey the imperial edict, and Emperor Chengzu was furious and exterminated all ten of his clans, including his friends."

Zhu Youjian was too lazy to get angry and asked:
"Where does this come from?"

"What are the records?"

Chen Xiance was speechless for a moment, and stammered in response to the emperor:
"It is recorded in Zhu Zhishan's Wild Notes."

"It is also recorded in 'Literary Doctor Fang Xiaoru'. This article records Mr. Fang's martyrdom."

He actually read it from "Huang Ming Tong Ji", but this book was a banned book, so he naturally could not speak it out openly in the court.

After he said the names of the two articles, Zhu Youjian said:
"Find them all, I want to take a good look."

These two articles were widely circulated. When Zhu Youjian decided to discuss the affairs of Emperor Jianwen and his ministers, he asked people to collect relevant information, and someone presented it to him soon.

Zhu Youjian first read "Literary Doctor Fang Xiaoru", which described Fang Xiaoru as quite tall, and said with a frown:

“Where does the content of this article come from?”

"Especially this '873 members of the clan were executed', which is 26 more than the 847 mentioned in the previous Li Zhai Xian Lu. Can anyone explain the source of this number and who were the extra people?"

No one could answer this question, and no one could explain the origin of the number 873.

Zhu Youjian saw this and judged:
"This is a novel, and the content contains many false rumors. It should not be viewed as history."

"When this article came out, Fang Xiaoru had been dead for more than a hundred years. How could the person who wrote this article know what happened at that time?"

After denying the authenticity of this article, Zhu Youjian said to the several university scholars who were in charge of compiling the history book:
"In the future, when compiling history books, annotations must be added to indicate the source of historical materials."

"Don't let people spread rumors and exaggerate them."

After establishing this principle, Zhu Youjian said to Liu Zongzhou:

"Please compile Fang Xiaoru's chronology and biography, using reliable historical records to clarify his deeds."

"Don't let this kind of novel-like article circulate randomly in the world."

After Liu Zongzhou agreed, Zhu Youjian read Zhu Zhishan's "Wild Notes" again.

After just a few paragraphs, he said to Chen with some suspicion:
"Do you regard the contents of this book as history?"

Chen Xiance's face turned red, and he was too embarrassed to say that he believed what was said.

The name "Ye Ji" indicates that it is unofficial history, not to mention that the contents are mostly stories about gods and monsters.

After all, Chen Xiance was a Jinshi, so of course he was embarrassed to say that he regarded it as history.

Zhu Youjian looked at the contents of "Ye Ji" and the Empress Dowager Zhang's will to restore the Jianwen era name, and frowned even more tightly, saying angrily:

"absurd!"

"It's not like Empress Dowager Zhang's will has not been preserved. The contents are clearly written in it."

"Zhu Zhishan fabricated a will at will, and this book "Wild Records" should be banned!"

He immediately issued an order to list "Ye Ji" as a banned book.

The ministers wanted to persuade him, but they were speechless. Even they thought the incident recorded in Yeji was absurd, and the Huangming Tongji, which had been listed as a banned book, even questioned this statement.

The emperor banned the book on the grounds that it was a fabricated will, leaving them speechless.

After denying the records in these two articles, Zhu Youjian asked his ministers to trace back and find out where Fang Xiaoru's claim of killing ten clans came from.

The earliest discovery was in "Ye Ji", and then it was recorded in books such as "Huang Ming Tong Ji".

This made the ministers blush. They had never expected that what they believed to be true actually came from unofficial history and gossip.

Then we continue to trace the origin and find that the term "Yi people" originally came from Li Xian's "Tianshun Rilu". "Lizhai Xianlu" quoted this term but noted that "this paragraph is not quite true, so we will keep it for now."

Lizhai Xianlu recorded that 847 people in the Fang family were executed, but did not agree with the view that they were barbarians. This shows that people at that time had doubts about whether Fang Xiaoru was executed.

Earlier books such as "Fengtian Jingnan Ji" only recorded that Fang Xiaoru was killed, but did not mention the situation of his clan.

At this point, the origin of "punishing ten clans" has been basically sorted out. It started from Li Xian saying that Fang Xiaoru was exterminated, and then evolved into "punishing ten clans" by Zhu Zhishan, and then it was widely adopted. The more people died later, the more people died, and it evolved from "exterminating the clan" to "punishing ten clans". (End of this chapter)