Emperor Ming Dynasty

Unknowingly, the time has come to July and a half in the 18th year of Shaowu, which is the Hungry Ghost Festival.

To put it bluntly, it is listed as the four major ancestor worship times together with Qingming, Chongyang, and New Year.

No one knows that it is the Zhongyuan Festival of Taoism and the Obon Festival of Buddhism.

This time was also chosen ingeniously. Qingming is planting, Chongyang is just after the autumn harvest, Zhongyuan is not long after the summer harvest, and Chinese New Year is the beginning of the year and the beginning of spring.

To put it bluntly, it is because the folks have more free time, or the common people have some money in their pockets, so they can gather together to exchange feelings.

The clan is an organization that resists exploitation and helps the common people. It is also the smallest and most important center of power in Ming Dynasty.

Clans formed counties one by one, and then patched together to form a country.

For the emperor, the clan is also his arm to rule the world.

Needless to say, the sons, after the establishment of the major feudal states, they are the biggest foreign aid of the imperial power.

At the very least, if there are really powerful ministers usurping the throne in the court, there will always be one on the side of the Qing emperor.

Therefore, in such a season, after offering sacrifices to the Ancestral Temple last month, the emperor brought the clans, large and small, to the imperial mausoleum to worship.

Obviously, this is the team building of the entire Zhu family royal family.

The former court vassals headed by King Rui have been detained in the capital, and it is rare to be able to come out to breathe at this time, so I am very happy.

More than ten years of searching, coupled with the new suzerainty regulations, led to a sharp drop in the number of princes and county kings.

A rough calculation shows that the total of the two is only in their early forties.

And you must know that during the reign of Chongzhen, there were still two hundred county kings in office.

This also means two hundred county palaces, as well as matching attendants, maids, and Zhuangtian.

Today, all of them are confiscated as official land, and are either distributed to ordinary people, or they are used as public land for the welfare of officials.

As for raising these forty princes, Zhu Yixi just distributed a thousand or two hundred hectares of land in Liaodong as farms, and then helped them build a palace in the capital.

As for the annual salary, two thousand shi for the prince (plus 2000 silver dollars), five hundred shi for the county king, and the annual expenditure of the court is only one hundred thousand yuan.

Compared with before, it can be described as a difference between clouds and mud.

For example, Yibin (the husband of the county lord, county lord, county lord, county lord, and township lord) has no salary, but an honorary title.

The generals and school lieutenants at the bottom were inherited from generation to generation, receiving annual salaries ranging from a hundred to ten shi, and were allowed to do business, take imperial examinations, and work in agriculture.

The number of them is extremely large. Even though they suffered wars in the late Ming Dynasty, there are still more than a thousand of them retaining their titles and clan status.

The emperor was naturally generous in treating them. In the early years of the founding of the country, taking advantage of the surplus of land, the per capita rewards ranged from [-] to [-] hectare, which was regarded as compensation for their descending of Spyker.

However, the extent of the land is generally in.Shaanxi, Gansu, Hebei, Liaodong and other border areas are nothing more than that.

Zhu Yixi understood that what is needed in the tens of thousands of miles of frontier is not weak peasants or gentry gentry in the south, but Wubao village tyrants during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties.

As long as the entire Northeast, Chahar, Suiyuan and other places have a large number of Wubao with clan as the core, then the land will really be stable.

And those clans are his eyeliner, his docks, strongholds, which are constantly taking root and consolidating the soil.

After all, these places can't collect taxes in the first place, and a prefecture is not as good as a county in the south, so Zhu Yixi doesn't feel sad at all.

After the grand ceremony was completed, the emperor breathed a sigh of relief, and the princes behind him also panted heavily.

This kind of clan team building, neatly dressed, these summers are really terrible.

As we all know, gowns are good-looking things, and they don't care about comfort at all.

"Everyone is on their own, go rest and change clothes!"

The emperor was also considerate and disbanded directly.

Behind him is Zhu Cunmei, the seventh son of the emperor who has inherited the position of King Fu for three years, who just turned 15 this year.

Considering that the Yan Fan family has dominated the world for more than 200 years, the King of Yan is naturally impossible, so King Fu is the representative of Yan Fan.

Therefore, in the ceremony just now, the young King Fu was ranked second, second only to the emperor.

His elder brothers, such as King Liao, King Wei, King Yue, etc., could only stand on the tail and give up their positions to these senior vassal kings.

Even the title of King of Fortune was replaced by En Zhun's hereditary, becoming the first Iron Hat King in Ming Dynasty.

The little face is round, and the eyes are piercing. It is obvious that he has eaten a lot. He is one of the few fat people among the princes.

For a while, he was out of breath and sweating profusely, but he followed closely behind the emperor, not daring to procrastinate.

"Why, can't bear it anymore?"

After changing his clothes and taking a shower, his hair was wet, and he just simply wiped it with a dry towel, and then let it loose on his shoulders.

Don't take half a quarter of an hour, no matter how long the hair is, it will be steamed dry.

"Father, my son can hold back."

Little Fu Wang wiped the sweat from his face, his cheeks were round like a little bun.

Zhu Yixi frowned: "Look at your body, you eat so much, is it because you will enjoy the blessings in the capital in the future, and you don't have to go overseas to become a feudal vassal, so you will become fatter?"

"It seems that I have to find a feudal kingdom for you!"

"Ah?" King Fu was taken aback, his eyes narrowed, and his fat body trembled: "Father, my son can do whatever you say."

Hearing these tired words, Zhu Yixi immediately became angry.

As expected, the same rice feeds a variety of people, and the dragon has nine sons, each of which is different.

Cooperating with this kid is really the kind of no ambition.

"Humph!"

The emperor snorted coldly, and the temperature in the whole room suddenly dropped several degrees, and the maids and eunuchs couldn't restrain their trembling.

Fu Wang was also trembling, bowed his head and remained silent.

"The day after tomorrow, you will hide your name and go to the Beijing camp to serve as a soldier."

Zhu Yixi said without hesitation: "When will you lose your body fat, and then you will go out to the camp and become a prince."

Fu Wang's face suddenly collapsed, and his eyes grew bigger inexplicably.

Zhu Yixi shook his head and left.

If it is in the role of father, it does not matter whether the son is lying flat or not, as long as he is healthy.

But the emperor is different. The identity of a son is an important tool. Whether it is a marriage or a vassal state, it has a great effect and is one of the structural components of power.

For example, King Fu, as the emperor's own son, became the suzerain of the Yan family. How could those princes and county kings dare to mess around?
"Lying flat already exists, will there be less in the future?"

Zhu Yixi looked up at the sky, the sun was shining brightly, it was extremely dazzling, and there was no cloud in the thousand miles, it was a good weather to bask in the sun.

But his mood was filled with gloom.

Only in his imagination, there are two types of princes, either to go overseas to open up a feudal domain, or to live in the capital and wait to die.

But obviously, a comfortable life is indeed comfortable, and the prosperity of Beijing is too confusing.

With the development of the territory, there will inevitably be fewer and fewer vassal states, and it will become more and more difficult to establish. By then, there will definitely be many princes who will lie flat.

Even if it is surrendered to attack the noble, it is still tempting.

Children and grandchildren reduced to civilians?I don't care about the flood after I die.

Children and grandchildren have their own blessings...

Besides, which later emperor would be willing to give tens of millions to his sons and brothers?
"I still think it's too simple."

Zhu Yixi shook his head.

As far as the matter of Fan is concerned, it is likely that there will only be progress within the first two or three generations, and it is very likely that there will be no, or even 100% no, in the later period.

Because it is thankless for the imperial court, and the financial aspect will not allow it.

Therefore, we must think of an economical and affordable way to set up those places where people eat and die, but they also exercise people.

To put it bluntly, it is between a vassal state and dawdling, the cost is not too high, and it is easy to arrange.

As he walked, he pondered.

As usual, he looked at the world map.

Theoretically speaking, North America is the most suitable for developing a plantation-type vassal state, but it is too far away and difficult to arrange, and future monarchs certainly don't want to do it.

Only he will do it.

Mobei?

No, it's too barren.

The reason why Mobei does not support people is actually because [-]% of the land is desert, and the remaining [-]% is just the Gobi Desert.

Living in the wind and sleeping in the open, it is impossible to build a city, and it is impossible to retain people at all.

northeast?

No, with the establishment of the two major generals' mansions, it is impossible to build a country with flesh and blood, right?
What's more, Heilongjiang and Jilin both produce more than their costs, and can contribute tax revenue every year. The literati know that saliva can spray people to death.

It's not fair to other princes either.

"It is necessary to experience, but also to consolidate the country——"

With a glance, Lake Baikal came into view.

To be more specific, it is the vast land between Lake Baikal and Heilongjiang.

That is, Central Siberia and East Siberia.

"If a city is built within three hundred miles or five hundred miles, it is called a city-state, and it absorbs tens of thousands of people. A city is a country, and the distance is not too far or close."

"The vast Siberia can accommodate many people."

For this area, even Lake Baikal area, Zhu Yixi has no confidence to control it at all.

Firstly, the distance is long, at least two to three thousand miles, and it is not cost-effective to establish a directly subordinate provincial administrative region.

Secondly, it is naturally severe cold weather, which urges people to go south.

Of course, in the final analysis, it is still interests.

In fact, the reason why Russia desperately occupied Siberia was mainly due to financial distress. It had to rely on Siberia's fur trade, which accounted for a quarter of its fiscal revenue.

For Daming, there is enough fur supply in Monan and Northeast China, not to mention that there is no market in Western Europe, and there is no place to miss in Siberia.

With Mobei and Monan, controlling Mongolia is enough to protect Gyeonggi.

Even if it is won, the distance will produce a strong centrifugal force, and the snowflakes of half a year will subdue all the suppressing troops.

Zhu Yixi dared to assert that in three to fifty years, the Lake Baikal region would be out of control, and even as soon as he died in the mausoleum, his descendants wanted to abandon Baikal and Siberia.

"It's better to build a Jimi city-state area. Firstly, it can be divided into vassal kings at low cost, and secondly, it can also occupy Siberia."

"Three times, it can also pour down the Mongolian population."

That's right, it's population flooding.

With strong personal attachment, it is difficult for the Mongols to move.

Moreover, people are longing for warmth, and the Northeast will be empty in later generations. If Russia did not stop it, Siberia would become a no-man's land.

Letting the vassal king take away the excess population in Mongolia to plant land in Siberia will definitely give full play to his subjective initiative.

Population growth promotes land annexation, and those who cannot survive can only rebel, but those who have a stutter will not rebel.

Therefore, if these people move away as much as possible, conflicts can be reduced and disputes between people and land can be eased.

This is the case in Britain, France, Spain, etc. in history. Going to the colonies to survive is the only way out of poverty.

The Han people in the south can go to Nanyang, and if they are not good enough, they can go to the northeast to farm, but the most convenient way for the nomadic Mongolians is to go to Siberia.

The strategy of reducing men is too hurtful, and Zhu Yixi can't do it.

"Master, you have to go back to the capital in two days—"

At this time, Liu Afu stepped forward and explained softly: "The Zong Kao is about to start."

"Oh, so fast." The emperor reacted with a smile.

The Zongkao here is worth the Clan Talent Selection Examination he set up two years ago, referred to as Zongkao for short.

As the name suggests, anyone who is in the Zhu family tree can come to take the exam.

Every two years, 30 people are selected from the imperial clan and awarded various official positions.

At the local level, there are Liufang Shuban, county magistrate, and Zhu Bo, etc., while in the central government, there are also low-level official positions such as principals and pen posts in the eight yamen.

Give them a way to live in officialdom.

At the same time, Sanding Jia awarded Citong the title of Jinshi, which can be regarded as officially entering the scholarly circle and officialdom, and it is also a shortcut to the end.

You know, even if ordinary people are just competing with Jinshi, they are competing with thousands of Juren, how tragic.

This is also impossible.

There are too few ways for the clan to become an official, and Zhu Yixi can't wait any longer, so he can only give a shortcut.

"Let's go back to Beijing—"

The emperor gave an order, and everyone had to obey.

The Zong Kao will be held soon, and it has attracted the attention of a large number of clans.

The provinces are very interested in their promising clans, and they come to the capital full of anticipation to spend their gold and silver at home.

In the past, there were about 500 people from the clan who took the exam, which can be said to have gathered the elite of the clan.

With his head held high and his chest held high, Zhu Sujin strode into the capital.

As the clan under Zhou Fan, after the lineage of King Zhou was bound in the capital, the clan at the bottom naturally beamed with joy.

"Master, although Zongkao is easier, it's not worth it."

The book boy's face was ashen, as if he hadn't recovered from seasickness:

"As long as you take the exam several times, you will definitely pass the provincial exam."

"Difficult!" Zhu Suzhen shook his head: "Scholarship is dozens of times that of Juren, and it is definitely not easy to take the exam."

Saying this, he took big strides and wandered on the streets of the capital, looking left and right.

Perhaps his legs were sore, so he had to hire two carriages and go directly outside Zhou Wang's mansion to seek an audience.

They came with gifts, and there was a long queue outside the palace.

After careful inquiry, it turned out that they were all under Zhou Fan's banner.

Obviously, no matter whether the clans are entering Beijing for business, or for exchanges, or for imperial examinations, they must first meet the suzerain King Zhou.

Although they don't have much power, they can easily control the clan at the bottom, and it's inappropriate not to visit.

That's the rule.

"Brother, look at your gentleness, I'm afraid you are taking part in the Zongkao!" The man in the front line turned his head, showing a row of teeth:
"I'm a talented scholar, I don't know if I can pass the top three exams and be listed as a Jinshi..."