Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Zhuang Tingchen conceived this idea because, after several years of busy work, the Court of Colonial Affairs had perfected its understanding of the world and established the system of the capital region of the Ming Dynasty.

According to the "Xia Guan Si Ma" section of the Rites of Zhou, the imperial court was responsible for distinguishing between the royal domain and the nine regional states.

Among them, the most core area, spanning thousands of miles, was the royal domain. In the context of the Ming Dynasty, this would be the Ming Empire, directly under the emperor's control.

Five hundred li outside of it is called Houfu, and five hundred li outside of that is called Dianfu, Nanfu, Caifu, Weifu, Manfu, Yifu, Zhenfu... all the way to the farthest Fanfu.

The Ming Dynasty could not divide the territory in this way, because the emperor's directly controlled territory was not only a thousand li square, but also did not allow for the enfeoffment of fiefdoms within three thousand li of the capital.

This provision cannot be fully implemented in practice due to the unique characteristics of the grasslands north of Beijing.

However, the reasoning is clear: the emperor would not allow powerful vassal states to emerge within three thousand li of the capital.

Even Man Gui, who was ranked among the top meritorious officials in Liaodong, was forced to move the Dongping Marquisate north because of this regulation.

Within a radius of three thousand li from the capital, there are at most earldoms.

In these practices of enfeoffment, the Court of Colonial Affairs gradually completed the division of vassal states. Huang Liji, the head of the Court, stated:

“The Rites of Zhou divided the vassal states into nine categories, while the Discourses of the States divided them into five categories.”

“We have taken into account the system established by the late emperor and divided the vassal states and foreign countries of the Ming Dynasty into nine categories, which is called the Nine-Rank System of Vassal States.”

"Among them, the vassal states established by the nobles of the Ming Dynasty were inner vassal states, which were of the first rank among the vassal states. The Duke of Jiangling and the Earl of Ningyuan were both inner vassal states, as was the Earl of Ryukyu, which was completely subjugated."

"These kinds of countries can be seen as chieftaincies ruled by the Ming aristocracy, which makes it easier to govern the local people. The imperial court sends half of its officials to govern the citizens of the Ming Dynasty and protect their rights."

These are the core vassal states, all established by meritorious officials, relatives of the empress, members of the imperial clan, etc., enfeoffed by the Ming Dynasty.

Following that were the internal and external vassal states, Huang Liji said:
“The inner and outer vassal states are the second-class vassal states, whose monarchs and nobles are enfeoffed by the Ming Dynasty and sign rules and treaties.”

“The vassal states under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty appointed officials as prime ministers, accepted Ming troops stationed there, and paid one-tenth of their taxes as tribute.”

"Korea, as well as the Chahan tribe and other steppe vassal states, are all vassal states under the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Youjian nodded in agreement and emphasized:

"From now on, all within the land of China will be divided into inner vassal states and inner-subordinate outer vassal states."

"We should all learn Chinese culture, adopt Chinese etiquette, and strive to break away from the barbarians and integrate into Chinese society."

“Anyone who does not meet this requirement shall be treated as a barbarian if they use barbarian customs. They shall be resolutely admonished, and if they do not listen, they shall be regarded as barbarians and their seats in the noble council shall be frozen.”

"You can discuss the specifics with the council of nobles and come up with a solution to be written into the feudal rites."

Huang Lijie and the others took notes and continued:
"The third class of vassal states were those that submitted to the outer vassal states."

"Although the monarchs of such countries are granted titles by the Ming Dynasty, they do not hold Ming Dynasty titles and are not members of the noble council."

"The Ming Dynasty has no officials or troops stationed in such countries, making it difficult to interfere in their internal affairs. Although they nominally submit, they may still rebel."

“A typical example is Japan. Although it signed a treaty and was granted the title of King of Japan, it repeatedly paid lip service to the treaty and even invaded Korea and harassed the borders of the Ming Dynasty.”

"Once the naval fleet is built, it will be conquered and made into an internal vassal state."

This was a policy that had been decided long ago. After conquering Annam and other Southeast Asian countries, the next step for the Ming Dynasty was to conquer Japan.

In order to bring all the land within the three borders and three chains under control and ensure the stability of the defense line.

As the northern core of the first and second island chains, Japan needed to be brought under Ming Dynasty control as an internal vassal state before the Ming Dynasty could feel at ease.

Zhu Youjian nodded in approval, and then heard Huang Liji say:
"The fourth category is those who pay tribute to foreign vassals."

“These vassal states nominally paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty, but in reality, they were only there for trade.”

"The Lumi people are like this. Their country has paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty many times, but the Ming Dynasty has been unable to interfere or appoint a ruler."

"His Majesty has designated these countries as foreign countries. After discussion, we believe they can be designated as tributary vassal states."

This was a significant risk they took in modifying the emperor's words.

According to the current emperor, the Ming Dynasty is not the only country in the world; there are also many foreign countries.

In order to facilitate alliances and counter-alliances in this era of great strife, the Ming Dynasty must recognize that some countries have the right to engage with it.

However, when Huang Lijie and others interacted with those countries according to this idea, they found that there were actually very few countries that could be called foreign countries.

Moreover, those countries were willing to pay tribute and trade, and the Ming Dynasty could not refuse their tribute and treat them as foreign countries.

Therefore, among the outer vassal states, they further distinguished the tributary outer vassal states, treating them as vassal states as well.

Zhu Youjian frowned at this, because he knew that doing so would restrict the Ming Dynasty's foreign relations.

For example, the Lumi people, though they once paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty, are now a powerful regional force. Treating them as vassals might cause unnecessary disputes.

Unable to conquer or intervene in the other side, Zhu Youjian did not want to push these countries into hostility for the sake of face.

Therefore, he restricted it as follows:
"Tribute to foreign vassal states is permissible, but a formal treaty must be signed."

"The Ming Dynasty does not require them to accept investiture, but they must sign trade treaties and tributary systems based on the three principles of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and mutual benefit."

"After the treaty is signed, disputes should be resolved as peacefully as possible, and envoys should be sent to each other for regular meetings and consultations."

"At the same time, the rulers, nobles, and ministers of these countries should be treated with appropriate courtesy according to their strength."

"Trade should also be mutually beneficial, with the signing of treaties on tariffs, patents, etc., and the determination of most-favored-nation treatment and national treatment."

“Those who have not signed a treaty shall be designated as foreign countries. Do not regard them as vassal states simply because they pay tribute verbally.”

This left Huang Liji somewhat humiliated, because he wanted to treat more countries as vassals and create an atmosphere of universal tribute.

Unexpectedly, the emperor didn't care about this at all, and only looked at the actual treaty.

As a result, the number of countries that could be designated as tributary states decreased. The emperor, as before, still designated them as foreign countries.

Huang Liji could only say:
"The fifth category is foreign countries. Our initial classification of vassal states and foreign countries was as follows: internal vassal states, internally subordinate external vassal states, vassal states that submit to external vassal states, vassal states that pay tribute to external vassal states, and foreign countries, corresponding to the five grades of mourning."

"Later, Foreign Minister Cao suggested that foreign countries should also be subdivided, so several more grades were added, and finally it was set at nine grades, modeled after the nine grades of Zhou rites."

"The first rank of foreign countries, which is the fifth rank among the nine ranks, is the allied countries."

"Although these countries do not pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, they have signed alliances with the Ming Dynasty and are the targets of the Ming Dynasty's alliances."

“When Lord Sun was sent to the West to investigate various countries, he believed that the Grand Duchy of Tuscany could be an ally of the Ming Dynasty.”

"Although this country is small, it has considerable influence in the West. The Medici family wants to open a bank in the Ming Dynasty and is willing to sign an alliance."

This news came after Sun Yuanhua made contact with the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

He even believed that if it weren't for the Papacy's restrictions, the Grand Duke of Tuscany would be willing to become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty. Now, they could sign an alliance first and see if becoming a vassal state was possible in the future.

Zhu Youjian was somewhat curious about the famous Medici Bank, but he was also very wary of foreigners infiltrating the financial system of the Ming Dynasty.

Taking into account the role of banks in promoting international trade, he said:
"We can sign an agreement with the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, allowing them to trade with the Ming Dynasty and open banks in the free trade zone."

"However, allied nations that sign the treaty need to stand on the same side as the Ming Dynasty and unite against other enemies."

"Whether the Grand Duchy of Tuscany can do it is still questionable, but the country can be considered as a potential ally."

In Zhu Youjian's view, a grand duchy with only two stars of strength was not qualified to sign an alliance with the Ming Dynasty.

However, his preferred ally, the Netherlands, was still an enemy of the Ming Dynasty, and was locked in a fierce confrontation with the Ming in Southeast Asia.

The Ming Dynasty could not sign an alliance with the Netherlands until it had completely subdued and made the country submit.

England and France are no exception; they have the potential to dominate the world or Europe.

Especially France; if it were to unify Europe, a unified Europe could rival the power of the Ming Dynasty.

Even if he had no other choice, he would rather ally with England than with France.

At the very least, England will act as a troublemaker, preventing European unification.

However, England's potential was too great; its abundant shallow coal mines determined that it would inevitably rise during the First Industrial Revolution.

Zhu Youjian did not want to promote England's development through an alliance; he preferred the Netherlands, which faced greater pressure on its land and sea borders and had little future potential.

The Netherlands is currently acting unreasonably, which is putting him in a difficult position.

After consideration, Zhu Youjian thought of Portugal, which was retreating step by step under the coercion of the Netherlands, and said to Cao Sicheng, who had failed to become the acting Right Vice Minister of Justice and returned to the Court of Colonial Affairs to serve as the Minister of Foreign Affairs:
"Pay more attention to Portugal and try to convert all of Portugal's strongholds within the three island chains into free trade zones of the Ming Dynasty."

“After this country is restored, it will definitely need allies. The Ming Dynasty can sign an alliance with Portugal.”

They decided to support Portugal, a colonial empire that had declined and had no potential to continue its dominance.

Its location is also good; as long as it can withstand the pressure from Spain, it has no enemies on land.

The Ming Dynasty could acquire Portugal's maritime heritage at a very low cost.

The only problem is that Portugal is now annexed by Spain and is no longer an independent country.

Zhu Youjian instructed Cao Sicheng to pay close attention and send someone to contact the Portuguese independence movement.

After Cao Sicheng agreed, he continued Huang Liji's narration, introducing other foreign countries. He said:
"The Grand Duchy of Tuscany is too weak to be an ally at present; it is more suitable to be a friend. Let us sign a treaty of friendship in accordance with the Three Principles of Peaceful Coexistence."

“These foreign countries, which have closer relations with the Ming Dynasty, can be classified as the sixth rank among the nine ranks of kinship.”

"The seventh category is the Tongguo, which has trade relations with the Ming Dynasty, but the relationship is not close and they are not enemies. They can be regarded as tributary vassal states that do not pay tribute, but only trade with the Ming Dynasty, and are called Tongshi foreign countries."

“No matter how distant the relationship, a country that does not pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty or trade with foreign countries can be called a distant country, and is the eighth level of the nine degrees of kinship.”

"This name comes from the saying 'If distant peoples do not submit, then cultivate virtue and win them over.' Even if distant countries are not obedient to the Great Ming, as long as they do not become enemies of the Great Ming, the Great Ming will cultivate virtue and develop relations with them."

To put it bluntly, the idea was to let these countries fend for themselves, as long as they didn't cause trouble for the Ming Dynasty. As long as they didn't become enemies of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty would use civil means to "influence" them.

Zhu Youjian never intended for the entire world to submit to the Ming Dynasty, and he knew the need to restrain military force. He nodded and said:
“Distant countries can exist, but they cannot be enemies of the Ming Dynasty.”

"Moreover, countries that are close to the Ming Dynasty, especially those within the Central Plains, must establish relations with the Ming Dynasty and be incorporated into its tributary system."

"Those who do not obey this order are the enemies of the Ming Dynasty."

Cao Sicheng echoed:
"Therefore, the ninth category we have determined is the enemy state."

“Any country that is an enemy of the Ming Dynasty can be included in this category.”

"The Ming Dynasty can use war and other means to form alliances with other countries and defeat hostile nations."

“Any country can be included in this system.”

“There are one inner vassal state, three outer vassal states, and five foreign vassal states, making a total of nine vassal states.”

From internal vassal states to internally subordinate vassal states, to vassal states that submit to external vassal states, to vassal states that pay tribute to external vassal states, and then to allied states, friendly states, states that communicate with each other, distant states, and enemy states, the relationships changed layer by layer, forming a complete system.

This system may have its imperfections, but it provided a framework for the Ming Dynasty's interactions with other countries.

Moreover, with the Ming Dynasty at its center, it developed relations with other countries entirely from the Ming Dynasty's perspective.

Zhu Youjian praised it highly:
"The nine vassal states and foreign countries that you have determined are in accordance with the original intent of the Zhou rites."

“All countries in the world can be included and find their corresponding positions.”

"This is a great contribution to the Ming Dynasty and should be rewarded."

An imperial edict was issued to record the collective merits of the Court of Colonial Affairs, with those who made significant contributions being granted titles and honors.

Huang Lijie and others were very happy because this meant that their proposed system was recognized and might even be written into the feudal rites.

They will not only receive rewards for this, but also have their names recorded in history.

However, a question the emperor then posed left them speechless:
"If foreign countries are not satisfied, the Ming Dynasty can abolish the treaty, reduce relations, or even regard them as enemy countries."

"But what if the vassal states are dissatisfied and want to gain more power, thus breaking through the nine-division system?"

Have you considered this issue?

Huang Lijie and others had not considered this, because at that time, the Ming Dynasty was a beacon of civilization in the world, and it had a strong attraction for other countries.

The vassal states also took pride in being close to the Ming Dynasty, and some even took the initiative to submit to it.

They were unwilling to accept the Ming Dynasty's initiative to break away; they hadn't even considered this issue.

Huang Liji said:

“For a vassal state to establish itself as an independent entity is to degrade itself to the status of a barbarian.”

“If any vassal states think this way, the court can reduce its relations with them.”

This method is feasible for foreign countries because downgrading relations is a form of sanction. For example, if a country is downgraded to a distant country, the trade treaty between the Ming Dynasty and that country will be abolished, and that country's interests will be harmed.

However, this approach doesn't work with vassal states. Lowering relations with them would encourage greater independence. Some monarchs would rather forgo commercial gains than compromise their power.

Zhu Youjian did not believe that all vassal states were willing to obey the orders of the Ming Dynasty, and that some vassal rulers would want to establish their own independent regimes in the future.

If this problem is not resolved properly, the Ming Dynasty's tributary system will disintegrate.

Officials of the Court of Colonial Affairs, having recovered from the emperor's approval of the Nine Degrees of Mourning system, began to ponder this issue. (End of Chapter)