Chapter Seventy-Three: Zhu Yuanzhang's Exam Questions

A family meal is not a formal banquet. The family was happy, talking and laughing, and did not say anything big, the real big thing was said after the arrival of the two kings of Qin and Jin.

However, in the past few days, the kings have been traveling in the palace, and in fact, they have all figured out that if it were not a major event, they would not have summoned all the princes back at once.

The kings and princes didn't think it was because Zhu Yuanzhang called them back on his fifty-fifth birthday. First, Zhu Yuanzhang does not like extravagance. Second, they have actually taken on a lot of political affairs outside. Go home all at once, and the major affairs of the court will be more or less affected.

Not to mention anything else, just talking about King Qin, the reason why he was the last to come has little to do with the distance. It is because he is responsible for the entire military affairs in the northwest. He couldn't have given it all at once. It's a little late to explain the matter.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang did not let them stay for long.

I don't know if it's because I'm worried that they're cranky. Or for some other reason. In short, Zhu Yuanzhang summoned them in the Wuying Palace.

The princes who are more than ten years old above the king of Shu have arrived. He Xi was also recruited by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't talk nonsense, and said: "Call all of you over this time." It's a thing, I thought wrong. Also done wrong. But this matter is not only my matter, but also a major event of the imperial court, and a major event of the Zhu family. Sooner or later, the world will be handed over to you. Therefore, this is a matter that you also need to know. ”

"He Xi, you come."

He Xi understood what Zhu Yuanzhang wanted him to say. In the past two days, I have figured out Zhu Yuanzhang's intentions.

What Zhu Yuanzhang asked him to say was naturally an adjustment of the clan's policy. But He Xi also understands that this kind of adjustment is very offensive.

It is true that the policy of the Ming clan is very problematic. It's so generous.

The reason why Zhu Yuanzhang arranged so generously was that on the one hand, he loved his son, had a farmer's heart, and trusted his own people, which was more or less petty. But at the same time, Zhu Yuanzhang felt that the military forces above the court were not enough to trust. Use the clan to check and balance.

But the problem is that it is too generous, and it directly threatens the imperial power.

No matter how you adjust it, you have to cut the meat.

Moreover, according to Zhu Yuanzhang's meaning, after this adjustment, although there are adjustments and arrangements for the relationship between the kings and the center, it is still impossible to change the essence of the kings' power. That is, the power of the kings will still be great in the future.

And today he has sinned against them. For He Xi, it is not a good thing.

But He Xi understands one thing better. This was arranged by Zhu Yuanzhang a long time ago.

Politicians see nothing but stakes.

Zhu Yuanzhang's side is simply cultivating He Xi, almost a hand-in-hand professor, what should He Xi do? How to mix officialdom, how to fight for power? When to go in and when to go back. But at this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang also showed the other side to He Xi.

That is, He Xi is in the center, whatever you want. There can be no collusion between him and the vassal king. Because among the many vassal kings, perhaps the personal relationship can be good. But on the whole, they must be mutually contained.

This made He Xi not know whether to feel happy or sad.

Why?

From the perspective of the original intention of the establishment of the vassal king, it can be said that the original intention of the establishment of the vassal king since ancient times was to defend the royal family. There are two aspects to this arch guard. On the one hand, it is to fight against barbarians, like many feudal states in the Zhou Dynasty, although it is not good to say that the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. It seems that these princes are bullying Zhou Tianzi one by one. But I don't know how many sacrifices the princes surnamed Ji on the banks of the Han River sacrificed to fight against the Chu State during the Western Zhou Dynasty.

On the other hand, the Gongwei royal family is to expel the ministers from the interior.

He Xi understands very well. Zhu Yuanzhang has already arranged this role for He Xi from here.

That's the future minister.

Zhu Yuanzhang's political wisdom is difficult to fathom.

He didn't know whether Zhu Yuanzhang's arrangement was good or bad for him, or even whether Zhu Yuanzhang let him know.

There is only one point, that is, as long as Zhu Yuanzhang wants to change the law, he will not harm He Xi, although he will go according to Zhu Yuanzhang's arrangement, there will be no problem. The only question is whether Zhu Yuanzhang will unload the mill and kill the donkey in the future.

But it's not something that can be imagined overnight.

He Xi coughed twice and said, "Actually, what Your Majesty asked me to explain today is a very simple math problem. It's the rate at which the population is growing. ”

"Your Majesty gave birth to twenty sons, and King Zhao is no longer there. Even if the kings and princes are not as good as Your Majesty, each of them has five sons. May I ask ten generations later, how many princes there are in the Ming Dynasty, how many county kings, and how much money is needed. ”

As soon as these words came out, all the princes frowned.

First of all, they found the topic to be difficult to calculate. Even if you don't count any county kings, just count the princes, Daming wants nineteen plus four times nine princes, nineteen princes, and today Zhu Yuanzhang's son. Four, is the crown prince if he has five sons, one inherits the throne, and four are crowned kings. There are fifty-five princes in all.

This number, the number of princes in the late Ming Dynasty is not much different.

But even so, this is already a financial expenditure of 550,000 stone per year.

Not to mention that the prince's son is the king of the county, and the prince's income is also a large expense, plus the clan's income.

Although, these princes can't count how many there are for a while. But we all know that it must be an astronomical amount.

Secondly, among Zhu Yuanzhang's sons, although there are a few fools. For example, King Lu, but most of them are outstanding people. They are not very good at solving math problems. But it will settle political accounts, almost the moment He Xi said it. King Qin, King Jin, and King Yan exchanged glances. I already have a bottom in my heart.

knew where Zhu Yuanzhang was going to start.

Of course, after the kings, only the king of Shu is the youngest, and his political sensitivity is a little low, and he is burying his head in calculations.

The King of Shu is actually very smart. can be regarded as He Xi's disciple. It didn't take long to figure it out.

He was on and on for a long time.

Zhu Yuanzhang also saw it and said; "King Shu, have you figured it out?"

The King of Shu said, "No? The number is too big, it must be more than 100 million. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang took the draft of the King of Shu, glanced at it, only felt a headache, and said, "Okay, don't forget it." You all know what I mean. ”

King Qin said; "Erchen understood. With the current clan policy, within a few generations, the imperial court will not be able to make ends meet. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Exactly. Since this is a problem, don't wait for future generations to solve it. It is better to let future generations change the ancestral system, and it is better to set the law now. It's good for everyone. ”

The reason why Zhu Yuanzhang wants to solve it at this time is because the sooner this matter is done, the better. Now, even the king of Qin, who has been feudal for the longest time, has not been in Qin for many years, and it is not deep-rooted. It's not unshakable.

Even King Qin himself may not feel that he can't change places.

Except for the older princes. Other feudal feuds are short-lived, such as the king of Chu. In less than a year, if the king of Chu is allowed to return to Beijing, the king of Chu is likely to raise his hands in agreement.

But there is little resistance, but that doesn't mean there isn't.

The prince who has been sealed has an independent organization on the ground, and the local officials cannot govern it, and even the local military power is in the hands of the vassal king, and the vassal king himself has three guards. It is a country within a state. Even if the reality is placed in front of them, these princes may not be comfortable in their hearts.

After all, good money is hard to give.

This meeting, at first glance, is to let these vassal kings cut their flesh.

If they never had it, that's it. They've been in the local area for years, they've had this power, they've tried it, and they've all felt like they can have it forever. At this moment, suddenly, it is necessary to take it back.

Anyone can be comfortable.

It's just that Zhu Yuanzhang has a deep prestige, and these sons don't dare to oppose it. But facing Zhu Yuanzhang's problem. One by one, they stopped talking, and they all wanted to wait for someone else to speak. Think about how to deal with it yourself.

All this was taken into account by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed lightly in his heart and said secretly: "It was my mistake." ”

Zhu Yuanzhang is tough on outsiders and on his own people. For his wife, son and daughter, there is still a warm side. has never regarded his son as a hidden danger, in history, Zhu Yuanzhang actually had some understanding at the last moment of his life, otherwise there are so many people in the Taisun team who advocate cutting the domain. Zhu Yuanzhang will not be unaware.

However, it is impossible to get started.