The most reckless man in the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 264 Candidates

The ministers began to make suggestions.

They are all the current imperial elite bureaucrats of the Ming Dynasty, and they are the highest officials in charge of various temple supervisors.

Since the issue of vassal ban and the vassal king's salary are on the table, we can simply take this opportunity to resolve them together.

What Wang Jianzhi, the Minister of Punishment, said earlier is undoubtedly the biggest problem before us.

The crime rate in the vassal clan remains high and is getting worse, so the court should naturally find a way to solve it.

But if we want to solve this problem, the root cause still lies in the issue of vassal ban, so no matter how we get around it, the vassal ban policy is a difficulty that cannot be overcome.

The ministers seemed to be having a heated discussion, but in fact they were waiting for His Majesty the Emperor's attitude.

After all, what Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao said was not unreasonable. He would make some changes to the vassal ban measures according to the current conditions, but only if His Majesty the Emperor is willing to accept it.

In the final analysis, the vassal ban policy was still an issue of imperial power or throne. The person most sensitive to this was the Ming Emperor, Zhu Houzhao.

If this is the case, he, Zhu Houzhao, will become a sinner of the Tian family and face his ancestors without words after he goes down!

"Reviving the Ming Dynasty is never an empty talk, let alone a slogan shouted casually. It is about actually implementing the New Deal and being willing to face all difficulties!"

After so many years, it turns out that these vassal ban policies are very effective. At least from the results, it is not difficult to see that the Ming Dynasty clan has indeed been raised to eat and die, and can no longer pose a threat to the throne!
However, this result has brought about many problems and even left great hidden dangers for the country.

"In this way, when Ming Dynasty's life span comes to an end, it will not be the change of ownership of the Tian family, but the change of ownership of the throne!"

The vassal ban measures were the shackles that Emperor Taizongwen put on the vassal princes and their families. They were also the guarantee to prevent the vassal princes from threatening the throne.

"You and I both know that if the vassal policy does not change, the Ming Dynasty's finances will be brought down sooner or later!"

Therefore, it is not a rebellion of the vassal king, but it can really set off a battle of Jingnan, and repeat the miracle of Emperor Taizong Wen again.

Because the two of them were very close to each other and communicated in low voices with tacit understanding, and the ministers were discussing loudly, they did not hear these shocking words.

"If you don't even have such courage and courage, then stop talking about reviving the Ming Dynasty. Your Majesty, why not go to bed as soon as possible? It's better to be a fool!"

"It's just that Emperor Taizu Gao didn't expect that the Jingnan War would break out after his death. However, Emperor Taizong Wen immediately deposed all the kings after he came to power, implemented strict vassal ban measures, and used the court's finances to support the clan kings, deliberately Let them be raised as trash to be eaten and left to die!”

He was talking about "Heavenly Family" rather than "throne". There are still some differences in this.

"Your Majesty, do you think it is better for the Tian family to change its owner, or for the throne to change its owner?"

"In fact, it's not just a financial problem. Many problems have been exposed in the Ming Dynasty. Corrupt officials, unreasonable government orders, local corruption, poverty of the army and the people... How long do you think this kind of court can continue?"

Once a peerless hero appears among the members of the clan in the future, it will be difficult to restrain him after the vassal ban policy is changed. At that time, I am afraid that the imperial family Tianjia will really change hands again!

What if the vassal ban is relaxed and a peerless hero really emerges among the clan lords in the future?

In fact, since Yongle, after decades of time passing, the world has already recognized the current royal family and the legitimacy of this lineage.

Zhu Houzhao took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Tang Hao looked at Zhu Houzhao with a smile, and instead of answering, asked a question.

"You mean, Ming Dynasty will reach that day sooner or later?"

Therefore, this vassal policy really needs to be changed, and it needs to be changed now!
But what if?
Just be afraid of this “what if” in everything!

"At that time, who can come out to take charge of the overall situation and turn the tide? Is it the powerless central court, or the clan children who have been raised as useless?"

Tang Hao sneered and said: "Why did Emperor Taizu Gao divide the kings? It was to protect the vassal royal family, and to make the Ming Dynasty the "family world" of the old Zhu family. Even if others rebelled, the vassal kings from all over the country could rely on their hands. The military power goes to Beijing to serve the king to ensure that the old Zhu family retains the throne!"

Zhu Houzhao is also a human being, and he also has selfish motives, or in other words, he must be worthy of the status of the emperor.

Upon seeing this, Tang Hao moved the brocade stool and sat next to Zhu Houzhao. This scene made Yang Tinghe, Wang Hao and others frown.

The change of ownership of the Tian family was, to put it bluntly, another Jingnan battle. A certain vassal clan of the old Zhu family took over the court and drove away the current Yan vassal lineage.

The ministers sat on the seats and had a heated discussion, while His Majesty the Emperor frowned and closed his eyes in deep thought.

Because of this, Zhu Houzhao remained silent and fell into a difficult choice.

The throne changes hands!

Tang Hao's words successfully touched Zhu Houzhao's back.

One is the issue of clan salaries. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that if sectarian measures are not reformed, sooner or later the imperial government's finances will be dragged down by these clans who only know how to have children!
Another issue is clan crime, which requires money, status, and status, and has no goals in life. Apart from eating, drinking, having fun, and having children, it is harming local people and plundering people's wealth.

Of course, Tang Hao has this qualification, but unfortunately no one would believe him even if he said it.

Tang Hao sighed and said in a deep voice: "If your Majesty wants to revive the Ming Dynasty, you must have enough courage and courage, and you must also take corresponding risks!"

The high crime rate of the clan vassals itself brought great disgrace to the old Zhu family, not to mention that it ran counter to the initial goals of Emperor Taizu Gao. How could Emperor Taizu Gao, who loved his people like his own son, tolerate it? Will my descendants become like this?

But having said that, no one can guarantee this.

And when the throne changes hands, the person who steals the country may not necessarily have the surname Zhu.

As soon as these words came out, Zhu Houzhao suddenly changed his color.

Zhu Houzhao had been meditating all the time, and a battle between heaven and man began in his mind.

"Savage, what do you mean?"

So much so that His Majesty the Emperor turned red with anger. If it weren't for the ministers standing nearby, he would have wanted to point at Tang Hao's nose and yell.

You are so fucking brave!
Who dares to be equal to His Majesty the Emperor?
Zhu Houzhao rolled his eyes at Tang Hao angrily, and did not criticize him harshly. Instead, he whispered: "Savage, can you guarantee that the Tian family will not change hands in the future?"

No one is qualified to guarantee this kind of future.

Tang Hao not only scolded him, but also mocked his own father, Emperor Hongzhi!

"You damn savage!"

"I told you that you are not allowed to criticize the late Emperor again!"

Zhu Houzhao gritted his teeth and shouted.

Tang Hao shrugged indifferently and said with a smile: "I have done too many evil things since I followed your majesty. If your majesty gives up halfway, then I will definitely die without a burial place in the future!"

"So no matter how unpleasant these words are, I still have to say it. The result of the late emperor's hard work in governance is to further expand the power in the hands of civil servants and gentry. If your majesty wants to revive the Ming Dynasty, the first step is to control the court. Just rely on me. It is simply impossible for two people to fight alone.”

Tang Hao said in a deep voice: "The gentry in the court control the government, the generals and nobles cannot grow up in a short time, and the eunuchs and eunuchs cannot come to the stage because of Taizu's ban, so we want to introduce another new force to fight against it. Civil servants and gentry, who else do you think your majesty could be?"

As soon as these words came out, Zhu Houzhao suddenly realized and looked at Tang Hao with a shocked face.

"Do you want to lift the vassal ban and then introduce the power of the clan to fight against the civil servants and gentry?"

"Savage, if you do this, the risk is too great. The throne may change hands at any time..."

Once the clan king takes power, the first person to be uneasy is not the civil servants and gentry, but the royal family!

Tang Hao looked at Zhu Houzhao seriously again and said coldly: "This is the courage and courage I just talked about!" "If your Majesty has the courage and can suppress these two forces by means, then why can't he be introduced into the court? ?”

"In recent years, the civil servants and gentry have controlled the government and implemented the vassal ban policy more and more strictly, which has long aroused the dissatisfaction of the feudal princes and clans. If they were given a chance to take power, the feudal princes and clans would naturally respond immediately and enter the court to suppress civil servants. Jinshen, your majesty can just sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight!"

"And what we want to see is that the court is not just a hall for civil servants and gentry to express their opinions. With the clans and princes sharing the pressure, the generals and nobles will have enough time to grow. By then, the three parties above the court will be balanced and stable. Only then can It’s a reasonable and normal court pattern.”

The current Ming Dynasty is deformed and ridiculous.

The civil servants and gentry controlled the government. In order to check and balance the civil servants and gentry, the emperor had to reuse eunuchs and eunuchs. However, these eunuchs and eunuchs could not come to the stage due to identity issues. In addition, they were physically disabled and mentally ill, so they would only use some cunning tricks and underhanded tactics in secret. Such methods were used, so that the fight between the two wasted the life and vitality of the Ming Dynasty!

Instead of reusing these eunuchs and eunuchs, it is better to lift the vassal ban and introduce the power of the clan into the court!
Zhu Houzhao's eyes flashed and he immediately raised questions.

"How can you guarantee that these clan kings will not secretly collude with civil servants and gentry?"

"If they dare to collude, that would be a good thing. Whoever dares to touch this red line will directly remove their throne and cut off the entire sect, which can also save a lot of financial expenses!"

Tang Hao replied with a sneer, which made Zhu Houzhao's scalp tingle.

It was only at this moment that he finally understood that what this damn savage said before about deliberately letting the feudal king die was not just an empty talk.

"The capital is your majesty's capital. Regardless of the location, can these vassal kings make any big troubles under your majesty's nose?"

"Jin Yiwei and the Second East and West Factory are not just decorations. As long as the lord of the feudal lord comes to the capital and monitors the whole process, it is not difficult for your majesty to know who he met in private and what he did. As long as who dares to touch this red line, If the clan colludes with court officials, it is a capital crime, which is enough to deprive one of their titles!"

"Your Majesty, don't forget that most of these vassal kings have been hereditary for hundreds of years, and they have plundered local people's wealth. The wealth they have accumulated is astonishing. In addition, there are also outstanding disciples like Zhu Dangzhi in the clan. If they are used well, It can also work wonders!"

Tang Hao's series of plans finally revealed the tip of the iceberg.

But Zhu Houzhao still couldn't accept it, or he felt very uneasy.

"Savages, to put it bluntly, even if you and I can suppress these two forces, what will happen after we are all dead?"

"There is no guarantee that some foolish waste will not appear among my descendants. At that time, the clan will directly steal the country by virtue of its power. What should we do?"

This is what Zhu Houzhao is really worried about.

He asked himself that with Tang Hao's support, he could suppress these two forces, but what if he and the savage were both dead?

It is common for some foolish kings to appear in the past dynasties, and the Ming Dynasty is no exception.

By that time, I'm afraid that the Tian family will really change hands.

Tang Hao looked at Zhu Houzhao helplessly, and then had to reveal some plans again.

"They won't have that chance."

"Now we just need to use the power of the clan to fight against the civil servants and gentry who control the government."

"When the military generals and nobles rise up and are strong enough to fight against the civil servants and gentry, it will be time for the clan king to retire."

"Your Majesty, don't forget our overseas development. By moving the clan kings overseas, we can guard these important routes and avoid financial expenses, and the local people no longer need to be persecuted. Isn't this good? ?”

Zhu Houzhao looked at Tang Hao dumbfounded and couldn't help but take a breath of cold air.

First, use the clan kings to fight against the civil servants and gentry. When the military commanders and nobles grow enough to check and balance the civil servants and gentry, then they can be granted vassal status overseas...

This damn savage is so despicable and despicable!
However, his evil plan made Zhu Houzhao's heart beat.

Because in this way, the problem of the excessive power of the vassal king will naturally be solved.

They were kicked overseas. No matter how powerful they are, what's the use?
As long as the vassal kings cannot threaten the throne, then let them toss around overseas. If you have the ability, you can develop your strength overseas and then fight back to the Ming Dynasty. Then you will be considered a true peerless hero. Even if the Tian family changes hands, Zhu Houzhao will still be convinced!

When he thought of this, Zhu Houzhao immediately made up his mind.

"Savage, who do you think should be introduced to the court?"

"I don't know much about these clan lords, and I have never heard of any talented people."

"That boy Zhu Dangqi is indeed brave and good at fighting, but his father Zhu Yangzhu has a lot of misdeeds, and he also caused a scandal of gathering people for adultery. If he is brought into the court, I am afraid that the world will be in chaos!"

Seeing that Zhu Houzhao had made up his mind, Tang Hao finally put his heart back into his stomach.

As for the selection issue, Tang Hao actually had a goal for a long time.

"Xing Wang Zhu Youqi!"

"This is your Majesty's fourth uncle. He has read poetry and books since he was a child. He is very smart and can become your Majesty's confidant."

"In addition, we only need to introduce a vassal king to the dynasty to send a political signal to the vassal kings and clans all over the world. They will naturally spare no effort to support the Xingwang Zhu Youji and support us in implementing various new policies in exchange for lifting the vassal ban policy. "

"All of these vassal princes and clans are extremely wealthy. If King Xing Zhu Youqi is used properly, he will become an important force in our great cause of Zhongxing!"

Xingwang Zhu Youqi...?

Hearing this name, Zhu Houzhao fell into deep thought.

He still had some impressions about this fourth uncle.

Xing Wang Zhu Youqi was the fourth son of Xianzong Zhu Jianshen and his biological mother was Queen Xiaohui Shao.

Because he was the first son of the Shaw family, Shaw paid great attention to Zhu Youqi's enlightenment education. She devoted all her efforts to Zhu Youqi's education. As soon as Zhu Youqi was sensible, Shaw began to teach him to read poems and books. Therefore, Zhu Youqi developed a good habit of loving reading and thinking independently since he was a child.

On July 11, the 23rd year of Chenghua, Zhu Youqi was named Prince Xing. In the fifth year of Hongzhi, Jiang Shiyu, the daughter of a military general, was given to his younger brother Zhu Youqi as the princess, and he presided over his wedding. In September 10th of the seventh year of Hongzhi, On the 8th, Zhu Youqi went to Luzhou, Guang'an, Fanhu.

According to information from Jinyiwei, His Royal Highness Prince Xing has always had a good reputation. He treats the common people and officials well in the fiefdom and does not have any bad habits. He can be regarded as a model for the clan!

And most importantly, when it comes to close relationships, there is no doubt that Xing Wang Zhu Youqi has the closest relationship with the Tian family, so he is indeed the best choice.

Zhu Houzhao nodded and approved this candidate.

"Then according to your words, we will introduce Xing Wang Zhu Youqi to the court, but how to do it specifically?"

"Simple, first build momentum for the Xingwang Zhu Youqi and shape him into a moral benchmark for the clan. Then His Majesty summons him to join the court and grants him a symbolic position where he can go to the court to discuss politics, and then supplement it with the implementation of new measures for the clan. That’s it.”

Tang Hao gave the answer, but felt a little uneasy in his heart.

Xing Wang Zhu Youqi, this choice was not made randomly.

His Royal Highness Prince Xing has an awesome son named Zhu Houcong!

Well, it was the Jiajing Emperor who came to Beijing alone as a member of the royal family and proclaimed himself emperor, and then relied on his personal means and ability to defeat all the civil servants and gentry!

Historically, after Zhu Houzhao died, he naturally had no heir because he had no heirs. When he was dying, Yang Tinghe, the first assistant, anticipated the issue of successors. He quoted the principle of "brothers will eventually succeed to younger brothers" in "Huang Ming Ancestor Instructions": Zhu Houzhao had no heirs, so he should be chosen from among his cousins ​​based on their eldest relatives.

Xiaozong Zhu Youtang was the third son of Xianzong Zhu Jianshen, and Xingwang Zhu Youqi was the fourth son of Xianzong Zhu Jianshen. According to the relationship between elders and children, Zhu Houcong, the only son of Xingwang, was closest to Zhu Houzhao, so five days before Zhu Houzhao's death, he was named the emperor. An edict was issued, ordering Zhu Houcong to shorten the period of mourning for his father and inherit the title of King Xing.

On the day after Zhu Houzhao's death, Yang Tinghe asked the ceremonial supervisor to ask Empress Dowager Zhang to formally declare Zhu Houzhao as the emperor's successor, that is, Emperor Jiajing.

It's just that neither Yang Ting nor himself expected that the heir to the empire he carefully selected was obviously a young man of fifteen or sixteen years old, but after entering the capital, he immediately stirred up the situation and started a "big etiquette dispute", and then brought together all those who controlled the government. The civil servants and gentry, including Yang Tinghe, were all beaten!
Tang Hao really wanted to see if the legendary emperor Zhu Houcong, paired with the boy Zhu Houzhao, could create another miracle and truly revive the Ming Dynasty!
(End of this chapter)