My father is Jiajing

On the sixth day of the third month of the seventh year of the Longqing reign, in Beijing.

The grand funeral of the Jiajing Emperor has finally ended, and his coffin has been buried in Yongling Mausoleum for seven days.

Inside the Forbidden City, the plain white lanterns had not yet been taken down, and the palace servants were still dressed in plain clothes, but a sense of new life was already faintly emerging in the court.

At 3:45 AM, before dawn, Zhu Zaiji had already woken up.

As a time traveler, he had long been accustomed to the daily routine of the Ming Dynasty over the past twenty years.

Zhu Zaiji gently pushed open the carved window lattice, gazing at the cherry blossoms falling outside, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Your Majesty, it's almost Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

Feng Bao, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, whispered a reminder from outside the door.

Feng Bao has now returned from Nanjing and become one of the eunuchs in the Directorate of Ceremonial, as well as a personal eunuch serving Zhu Zaiji.

"come in."

Zhu Zaiji's smile faded, and he turned around with a solemn expression.

Feng Bao led eight eunuchs in single file to help the emperor change his clothes and wash.

Zhu Zaiji spread his arms, allowing them to dress him in a bright yellow dragon robe. The robe was new, having just arrived in the capital from Jiangnan the day before.

According to the rites, after a major funeral, the emperor should change into new clothes to signify the removal of the old and the establishment of the new.

What are the plans for today?

Zhu Zaiji asked, his voice calm yet authoritative.

Feng Bao respectfully handed over a list and whispered, "Your Majesty, the morning court will be held at Chenshi (7-9 AM); the Korean envoy will be received at Sishi (9-11 AM); after lunch, the three vassal kings, the King of Zhou, the King of Chu, and the King of Qin, will request an audience; Shenshi (3-5 PM)..."

"All three feudatories coming at once?"

Zhu Zaiji chuckled, finding it amusing.

When did they arrive in the capital?

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Zhou arrived the day before yesterday and is staying at the Huitong Hall; the Prince of Chu entered the city yesterday evening and is temporarily residing at the Ministry of Rites; the Prince of Qin just arrived this morning and directly submitted a memorial requesting an audience."

Zhu Zaiji understood.

These three princes originally intended to come during the mourning period for the Jiajing Emperor, but Zhu Zaiji refused.

Because there was no precedent in the Ming Dynasty for a prince to attend the emperor's funeral.

Moreover, even Zhu Yuanzhang, when he raised his army during the Jingnan Rebellion, complained that Jianwen Emperor's refusal to allow him to attend Zhu Yuanzhang's funeral was a violation of human ethics.

But when he passed away, the imperial edict still stated that no foreign vassals were allowed to come to the capital to attend his funeral.

It is clear that during the Ming Dynasty, the princes were a generation that was seriously guarded against, and they were absolutely not allowed to be present at the handover of power between the old and new generations.

Otherwise, if these princes, who also have royal blood and high prestige and status, were to cause trouble when the new emperor ascended the throne, wouldn't that disrupt the normal power order?
Therefore, no matter how reasonable some words may seem, they must give way when faced with the realities of politics!

"Tell the kitchen to prepare a lavish lunch. I wish to have lunch with the three distant relatives, the King of Zhou, the King of Chu, and the King of Jin, to renew our imperial family bond."

"This servant obeys the decree."

The midday sun shone through the carved window lattice, casting dappled light and shadow on the floor tiles.

Zhu Zaiji sat on the dragon throne in the Hanyuan Hall of Yingtai in the West Garden, with a long table in front of him filled with delicacies: shad from Jiangnan, abalone from Shandong, and bird's nest from Guangdong.

However, these are all practical tips, nothing new.

After all, these places were far from the capital, and transporting live animals was not only costly, but it was also uncertain whether the animals would still be edible when they arrived in the capital.

Therefore, instead of indulging in a taste of something fresh, it's better to get some solid, reliable ingredients.

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty now had certain food preservation technology (canned food), so canned food could be used as a substitute for some things that people didn't want to eat dry.

However, Zhu Zaiji did not like canned food.

Because in his eyes, I'm already the emperor, and I'm still eating canned food? I can't afford to lose face like that!

Upon arriving at Hanyuan Hall, the three princes immediately paid their respects to Zhu Zaiji with great ceremony.

Zhu Zaiji also carefully observed the three vassal states. Prince Zhou, Zhu Zaiting, was nearly fifty years old, obese, and his small eyes darted around. Prince Chu, Zhu Ying, was in his early forties, with a gloomy face and an arrogant demeanor. Prince Qin, Zhu Huaiyi, was the youngest, just over thirty, but his brows already showed signs of age.

These three princes were all princes established by the Hongwu Emperor, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. According to popular belief, they were all relatives beyond the fifth degree of kinship and were not considered family at all.

However, the imperial family is different. Since the imperial family must uphold the principles of loyalty between ruler and subject, and also ensure that the blessings of the founding emperor can be enjoyed by his good descendants forever.

Therefore, even if Zhu Zaiji felt that these vassal kings were like strangers, he still had to show them a polite smile.

"King Zhou, King Chu, and King Qin, the three of you have come from afar, which greatly pleases me."

Zhu Zaiji chuckled and politely addressed the three princes.

The three kings quickly rose and echoed, "It is an immense honor for us to see Your Majesty!"

Then, Zhu Zaiji waved his hand to start the banquet and began catching up with these old relatives he hadn't seen for hundreds of years.

After several rounds of drinks, Prince Zhou, Zhu Zaiting, spoke first, "Your Majesty, we are deeply saddened by the passing of the late Emperor. The country is now in dire need of capable people, and as Your Majesty's relatives, we are willing to share your burdens and help you overcome difficulties."

Zhu Zaiji put down his wine cup, secretly amused.

This week, the king is usually extremely stingy, and the people in his fiefdom are suffering terribly. Yet today he has volunteered, which must mean he has something in mind.

Zhu Zaiji rubbed his temples, feigning exhaustion, and sighed, "You all have been very kind. I was deeply saddened by the passing of the late emperor. For the past few months, I have been overwhelmed with state affairs, and only now can I finally find some relief."

Chu King Zhu Ying put down his chopsticks, stood up and bowed solemnly, "Your Majesty, we have thought long and hard recently and wish to follow the example of Prince Jing and move our fiefdom overseas to guard the vast sea frontier of the Great Ming!"

With a "clatter," Qin King Zhu Huai'en's chopsticks fell to the ground.

The hall fell silent instantly, even the eunuchs standing there held their breath.

A glint of light flashed in Zhu Zaiji's eyes; this was the opportunity he had been waiting for.

Since successfully relocating Prince Jing, Zhu Zaizhen, to Nanmingzhou (Australia) and bestowing upon him the Nine Bestowments, he has been planning how to get more princes to voluntarily go to sea.

"This"

Zhu Zaiji looked troubled. “The overseas regions are extremely harsh. When Prince Jing was transferred to a new fiefdom, I repeatedly tried to dissuade him. You are all my own flesh and blood. How could I bear to let you suffer in that desolate land? Besides, your fiefdoms were personally granted by Emperor Taizu. How could I dare to act rashly?”

Prince Zhu Huai'en rose from his seat and knelt down, bowing with utmost sincerity and loyalty, saying, "Your Majesty! Our minds are made up! We are willing to offer the land, gold, and silver within our vassal states as payment, without costing the court a single penny, only to open up the seas and defend the territory for the Great Ming!"

Zhu Zaiji chuckled inwardly. These three feudatories had finally gotten the hang of it and were now offering to pay for the problem themselves.

This went even more smoothly than Zhu Zaiji had anticipated, so at this moment Zhu Zaiji was in an excellent mood.

He felt that the food tasted much better than usual today. But on the surface, Zhu Zaiji looked even more worried. "I know your loyalty. But the overseas regions are not like the Central Plains. Once a fief is moved, it will be difficult to return. After Prince Jing was moved, it was almost impossible for him to return in less than a year or two. Now that the Holy Ancestor has passed away, I am deeply worried whenever I think of Prince Jing, my only surviving brother. I regret letting him go so far away."

"Your Majesty is so kind!"

Prince Zhu Zaiting of Zhou also knelt down, saying, "Precisely because of this, we should share Your Majesty's worries. I am willing to offer a thousand acres of fertile land and five hundred thousand taels of silver from my fiefdom to fund the relocation of the princes!"

Seeing this, King Zhu Ying of Chu refused to back down: "Your subject is willing to offer 1,200 hectares of land and 600,000 taels of silver!"

King Zhu Huai'en of Qin gritted his teeth: "Your subject is willing to offer 1,500 hectares of land and 800,000 taels of silver!"

Zhu Zaiji almost burst out laughing when he saw the three princes vying for attention.

Zhu Zaiji suppressed a laugh and sighed, "I am very pleased that you all insist. However, this matter is of great importance, so please allow me to consider it for a few more days. You may all leave now."

After the three princes left the main hall, Zhu Zaiji immediately ordered someone to summon Li Chunfang, a Grand Councilor.

After Li Chunfang rushed to the Hall of Diligent Governance, she respectfully bowed to Zhu Zaiji.

"Your subject, Li Chunfang, Chief Grand Councilor and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Zhu Zaiji waved for Li Chunfang to stand up.

He then said, "Mr. Li, today the three feudatories have come to see me. Can you guess why they have come?"

Li Chunfang smiled, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said, "I presume it is about the matter of relocating the fiefdom overseas."

Zhu Zaiji chuckled: "That's right, they have no other reason to come to the capital to see me except for this matter."

After Zhu Zaiji finished laughing, he continued, "Now they have taken the initiative to emulate Prince Jing and move their fiefs overseas, even promising to pay for it themselves without costing the court a single penny. But I feel that's not enough. After all, these three fiefs were all personally appointed by Emperor Taizu, and they have accumulated wealth for over two hundred years. If it were so easy and simple for them to leave the Ming Dynasty with so much wealth, I cannot accept it!"

Li Chunfang was slightly taken aback. She hadn’t expected that His Majesty the Emperor would still be thinking about the benefits of the vassal kings. This was truly unexpected!

Li Chunfang pondered for a moment, then cautiously asked, "What does Your Majesty mean?"

"Let them go!"

Zhu Zaiji turned around, his eyes gleaming. "But you need to get them to willingly spend more money. Tell them privately that the reason Prince Jing was able to gain a foothold in Australia is because he spent a lot of money subsidizing the immigrants and artisans who accompanied him."

Li Chunfang smiled knowingly and immediately understood. "Your Majesty, I understand. I will make the arrangements immediately."

“Remember,” Zhu Zaiji instructed, “make them feel that this is information they found out themselves, not information you revealed on your own initiative.”

"Your subject will remember this."

In the following days, undercurrents surged in the capital. The three vassal kings each dispatched their men to gather information from all directions.

They all turned their attention to the minor officials and eunuchs in the Grand Council, hoping to find out the emperor's true thoughts.

King Zhu Zaiting of Zhou was the most anxious. He paced back and forth in the meeting hall, his obese body making the floorboards creak.

"Your Highness, we've found out!"

A trusted aide trotted in and whispered, "When Prince Jing moved his fiefdom, he gave each of his followers a settlement allowance of twenty taels of silver, and each of his artisans received fifty taels!"

"so much?"

King Zhou's eyes widened. "No wonder he took away three thousand households and five hundred artisans!"

"Not only that," the confidant continued, "I heard that Prince Jing also promised that once they arrived overseas, each person would receive several hundred acres of land, as well as a number of slaves, livestock, and women, and that they would be exempt from paying taxes for ten years!"

King Zhou hissed and gasped. He hadn't expected King Jing to go to such lengths. It seemed he had really made a fortune in Jiangnan all those years!

King Zhou was extremely envious, but there was nothing he could do.

Who could blame them when Prince Jing was the emperor's own brother?

Zhou Ya thought for a while, gritted his teeth, and decided to go for it.

"Go, get ready to exchange the money! I'm going all in!"

At the same time, Zhu Ying, the Prince of Chu, also received similar news at the Ministry of Rites.

He listened to the report with a gloomy face, then sneered, "Well done, Prince Jing, you know how to win people's hearts. Issue the order: I will provide twenty-five taels for resettlement expenses and fifty-five taels for the artisans!"

The youngest Qin King, Zhu Huai'en, took a different approach.

He went directly to a clerk in the Grand Council, slipped him five hundred taels of silver, and obtained a crucial piece of information: "Lord Li said the other day that what overseas is most lacking is not farmers, but blacksmiths, carpenters, and other skilled craftsmen."

The King of Qin's eyes lit up: "Issue an order to raise the settlement allowance for blacksmiths and carpenters to eighty taels! Also, send people to Shanxi to recruit experienced miners!"

Several days later, the three vassal kings requested an audience again.

This time they brought even more generous terms—not only were they willing to provide all the expenses required for the relocation, but they also promised to provide subsidies to the accompanying people that were 20% higher than those given to Prince Jing.

Inside the Hanyuan Hall of Yingtai in the Western Garden, Zhu Zaiji sat on the dragon throne, watching the three princes vying to raise their prices.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to contribute twenty-five taels for the resettlement expenses and sixty taels for the craftsmen!"

King Zhou was sweating profusely; clearly, this number was causing him considerable distress.

The King of Chu immediately stepped forward, "I will contribute twenty-eight taels of silver, and the craftsmen sixty-five taels! In addition, I am willing to donate three hundred thousand taels of silver to build a giant ship for the immigrants!"

The King of Qin never expected that these two old relatives who had never spoken to each other before would be so ruthless!

But at this point, he couldn't back down.

The King of Qin, not to be outdone, bowed and said, "Your subject will contribute thirty taels, and the craftsmen eighty taels! In addition, I will offer one hundred thousand catties of copper and two hundred thousand catties of iron for overseas construction!"

Zhu Zaiji felt secretly pleased as he watched the three of them arguing heatedly.

This was the result he wanted—to use the wealth of the vassal kings to drive the Ming Dynasty's overseas expansion, while simultaneously solving the historical problem of the growing power of the vassal kings within the country.

"OK OK."

Zhu Zaiji raised his hand to stop their argument. "Since you all insist, then I will grant your request. But there is one thing I must make clear—the accompanying civilians must come voluntarily; they cannot be forcibly conscripted. Otherwise, I will not let them off lightly!"

Zhu Zaiji reluctantly agreed to the Three Feudatories' request.

The three princes were immediately overjoyed, as if they had already seen a new world overseas.

Overwhelmed with excitement, they bowed and said, "Your Majesty, we will obey your decree!"

Seeing the state of the Three Feudatories, Zhu Zaiji said seriously, "Furthermore, overseas fiefdoms are not like the Central Plains. You must be prepared. Prince Jing wrote that although Nanmingzhou has fertile land, wild beasts roam freely, and the natives often harass you. You must have countermeasures in place, otherwise, if you are unprepared when you arrive in your overseas fiefdoms and are attacked by the local native savages, it will be a great loss."

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