Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

As for how to ensure the safety of the princes, the ministers were speechless.

Needless to say, Jianwen failed in his attempt to reduce the power of the princes. After Chengzu pacified the rebellion, he mostly suppressed the princes.

Under the constant suppression of emperors of all dynasties, the royal princes have completely lost their power.

Why does the current emperor propose to protect the kings?
Some ministers believed that the emperor was just saying it superficially in order to continue to throw mud at Emperor Jianwen.

There were also some knowledgeable people who thought of the emperor's policy of establishing overseas fiefdoms.

Wen Tiren tried to say:

"Your Majesty's intention is to ask how to protect the vassal states of the kings."

"Ensure that these vassal states will not be abolished at will?"

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly and said:
"exactly!"

"Since I have followed the example of the Zhou dynasty in enfeoffment, I have no intention of reducing the number of vassal states at will."

"But we need to find a way to ensure this."

As he spoke, he also said to the ministers who were conferred titles:
"The same is true for the fiefdoms and territories you have opened up."

"We must find a way to ensure that your descendants can continue to inherit and share weal and woe with the Ming Dynasty."

This statement made the ministers agitated, and many of them had joy on their faces.

Because most of their hereditary positions have been converted into titles of nobility.

How could they not be happy about the emperor's promise to share the country's common interests?

Many officials who originally had no intention of establishing a fiefdom could not help but be tempted to do so.

Overseas life is certainly desolate, and establishing a vassal state requires a lot of hardship.

But as long as these lands have always been their own, they will eventually become mature land after one or two hundred years of management.

Many officials were tempted and planned to set aside a branch for their children and grandchildren to redeem their titles and open up territories overseas.

Therefore, they were more attentive to the emperor's request to protect the inheritance of the vassal state's territory.

Huang Liji, who was about to step down as the Prime Minister and become the head of the Lifanyuan, spoke at this time:
"I think we can follow the example of Taizu and leave ancestral teachings for future generations."

"Your Majesty, please write it down in the ancestral precepts, and share the same joys and sorrows with the vassal states."

This is one way, but the ministers do not believe that future emperors will follow their ancestors' teachings.

The ancestral precepts set by Taizu were so perfect that even the generation name given to Zhu Biao's family read "Yun Wen Zun Zu Xun".

However, Emperor Jianwen quickly began to reduce the power of the feudal lords after Emperor Taizu's death.

None of the ministers believed that ancestral teachings could restrain future emperors.

At this moment, they began to really believe that Emperor Jianwen had committed some immoral acts, at least he did not follow the ancestral teachings left by Emperor Taizu at that time.

Zhu Youjian nodded in approval of this method, but he also didn't care much about it, and asked again:

"Is there any other way?"

"Gentlemen, please speak freely about this matter!"

The ministers began to put forward various opinions, the most important of which was naturally to restrict the emperor.

However, ancestral precepts and other regulations have proven unable to impose effective restrictions on the emperor. After much thought, they found that the etiquette and laws that the emperor had previously expressed his willingness to abide by were most likely to be followed by future emperors.

Liu Zongzhou said:

"I think we can add relevant laws on the inheritance of vassal states to the Ming Dynasty Succession Etiquette, so that the emperor and the people can follow them together."

"We can also formulate the Ming Dynasty Enfeoffment Law to specifically regulate matters concerning vassal states and territories."

This proposal was agreed upon and supported by all the ministers.

Zhu Youjian hesitated for a moment, looked at the expectant faces of his ministers, and finally nodded:

"The etiquette of enfeoffment can be formulated, and I am willing to follow it."

"But this is still a little bit short. I think we can set up a noble council in the Lifanyuan."

"The House of Lords is part of the National Assembly and can elect representatives and hold seats in the National Assembly."

"The princes have fixed seats in the Council of Nobles, and the dukes, earls, and lords elect representatives to participate." "If you want to reduce the fiefdom, move it, or reduce the fiefdom, you need the consent of the Council of Nobles."

This was a method Zhu Youjian came up with to protect the rights and interests of the nobility.

He needed to reassure the nobles about establishing fiefdoms so as to transfer the population pressure of the Ming Dynasty.

This was a matter of life and death for the Ming Dynasty, so he did not hesitate to limit the imperial power and protect the power of the nobles.

When the ministers heard this, they were as surprised as when they heard the emperor agree to establish a parliament:
They never expected that the current emperor would voluntarily give up power.

Thinking back to the emperor's statement about abiding by etiquette and laws, they truly felt that the current emperor was a sage.

Some ministers couldn't help but shed tears, and were delighted that such a sage ruler had appeared in the Ming Dynasty.

Liu Zongzhou bowed again and said:

"Your Majesty has such a holy virtue, and all the people in the world are lucky!"

"I think the House of Lords should be established as part of the National Assembly."

The other ministers no longer wanted to suppress the nobles at this time, and like Liu Zongzhou, they expressed their support.

Especially those ministers who have been granted titles by the emperor and can open up fiefs. At this time, they attach more importance to their titles.

They now know that this is the guarantee of their descendants' wealth and prosperity. They can share the same fate with the Ming Dynasty as the nobles did during the Jingnan Rebellion.

Zhu Youjian had previously rewarded his ministers generously and converted their hereditary positions into titles of nobility. Now he finally achieved the desired effect, making them support the protection of the rights of the nobles and the establishment of overseas fiefdoms.

With his initiative to give up power, matters concerning the Parliament of Nobles progressed very smoothly.

All the ministers agreed that princes should have fixed seats in the Council of Nobles, while dukes, earls and nobles should be required to elect their seats.

However, there is a difference here. As high-ranking nobles, the Marquis has a rotation system, and every certain number of years, a member of parliament will appear.

As lower-class nobles, the chances of being elected as members of parliament are smaller. There are too many of them, and only the outstanding ones can be elected as members of parliament.

The ratio of princes, dukes, earls and male parliamentarians was roughly set at one to one to one.

After these were decided, Zhu Youjian said to them:
"The power of the Council of Nobles lies mainly in the two aspects of reducing the power of the feudal lords and relocating them."

"More than half of the noble councillors must agree to forcibly relocate the fiefdom."

"If you want to reduce the power of a prince, you need a two-thirds majority. If it is a prince, you need a four-fifths majority."

"What do you think of this method?"

This was too good for the princes and nobles, and some of the ministers were worried that the princes and nobles would become too powerful. However, most people felt that the wealth and status of their descendants could be guaranteed, so they agreed to the emperor's proposal.

Liu Zongzhou said worriedly:
"If there are nobles who are lawless and act recklessly in their fiefdoms."

"How should the court deal with them and restrain their behavior?"

Zhu Youjian said:

"You can reprimand, punish, or even demote him to a lower rank."

"For example, first-class people were demoted to second-class people, which lowered their status."

"If the crime is serious, then the person will be stripped of his title and a new person with the right to inherit will be chosen as the monarch of the vassal state."

"For more serious cases, the rank of the title will be lowered and the area of ​​the fiefdom will be reduced. This is the same as moving the fiefdom, and requires the consent of more than half of the noble councilors."

"As for completely depriving the title, it is equivalent to reducing the fiefdom, which requires the consent of two-thirds majority of the Council of Nobles."

Some officials felt that this measure was too lenient, but most officials were very happy about it.

Although the previous Ming emperors rarely stripped titles, some families still had their titles stripped.

For example, the Wuqing Marquis family had their titles stripped after the current emperor ascended the throne. Although there are rumors that the emperor allowed them to regain their titles, they have not yet been able to do so.

Now the emperor has made it clear that if a noble breaks the law, he will just replace the heir and it will not affect the inheritance of the title. This makes them realize that their titles are more valuable and they don't have to worry about being stripped away.

This undoubtedly enhanced the value of the title and made them believe that their descendants would share the same destiny with the Ming Dynasty.

For a time, not to mention the high-level officials with titles, even the middle and low-level officials all had their eyes shining, thinking about how to obtain the titles.

It can be said that this policy finally fully mobilized the enthusiasm of Ming Dynasty officials.

It is no longer as lifeless as before, and most officials follow the routine, like a pool of stagnant water. (End of this chapter)