The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 212 Managing a Household
Princess Lin'an's Residence.

There were many people in the front hall, with the women of the mansion standing or sitting.

At the head of the hall, Zhang Wan was drinking tea and playing chess with her mother-in-law, Princess Lin'an. Li Fang and Li Mao's daughters were serving their grandmother. The First Madam and the Second Madam were sitting in chairs at the lower end of the hall, but they were all somewhat absent-minded, glancing outside from time to time.

Li Xianmu was the pillar of the entire Li family. To put it more vividly, it was like Li Xianmu was dragging the whole family along while the others could only cheer from behind, unable to help at all.

In a slightly anxious atmosphere, Li Fang rushed in from the outer room. Before he even arrived, his laughter filled the room. After entering, he bowed and said with a smile, "Mother, good news! My third brother is displaying great power in the palace. He has silenced all the ministers and created quite a stir."

"Good." The tense atmosphere in the room just now dissipated instantly, and everyone laughed and cheered. Princess Lin'an patted Zhang Wan's hand and said repeatedly, "It's good that everyone is alright."

The First Madam covered her mouth and laughed, "Master, what big things has Third Uncle done? Let us hear some good news too."

Li Fang couldn't stop smiling, but she still waved her hand and said, "The only thing I'm sure of is that Father is going to be one of the Ten Sages of the Confucian Temple. As for the rest, let my third brother tell me when he comes back."

The Ten Sages of the Confucian Temple?

Everyone in the room was immediately shocked. Being able to enter the Confucian Temple was already a rare feat in the Ming Dynasty, and now he was going to be included among the Ten Sages?

Princess Lin'an was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, "It should have been done long ago!"

Where's your third brother? Why hasn't he come back yet? You've arrived first.

Li Fang quickly replied, "My third brother and the Duke of Yingguo are traveling together. It seems that something important has happened, so they asked me to come back and report first, so as not to worry my mother and the women in the family."

This time, Princess Lin'an was truly relieved. After calming down, she directed everyone, "Don't stand, sit down and wait for Mu'er to return."

In less than half an incense stick's time, Li Xianmu and Li Mao returned together. The two entered the hall to pay their respects to their mother. Princess Lin'an pulled Li Xianmu to her side, saying, "It's good that everyone is alright."

She truly adored her youngest son.

"Don't worry, Mother."

Li Xianmu knelt before his mother. In this world, many people only care about his achievements and his high status, but to his mother, she only ever cares about whether others are doing well or not.

"Come, tell your mother about your time in the palace."

Li Xianmu sat next to Princess Lin'an. Zhang Wan got up to pour tea for the princess and Li Xianmu, while the rest of the people also settled in the hall, waiting curiously.

"It's a long story. At today's court meeting, the discussion began with the matter of the Duke Yansheng."

Li Xianmu kept it brief, not mentioning the specific confrontations, but simply recounting the topics of several clashes. This was enough to amaze the group of women and children, who felt it was even more exciting than a storybook.

Princess Lin'an gently stroked Li Xianmu and sighed, "My son, you've had a tough time. It wasn't easy for you to survive in a den of wolves."

According to you, the events of this grand court assembly aren't over yet, the selection for the Confucian Temple hasn't been finalized, and there's going to be another round of competition to see who makes the list.

“Mother is truly perceptive. The selection of the Confucian Temple needs to be re-evaluated. This is a major event concerning the fate of the Ming Dynasty, no less significant than the Yuan History Case. There will likely be more arguments. I will discuss this with my friends later.”

A major case in Yuan Dynasty history!

During the Yongle reign, there was no one who did not know about the major case concerning the history of the Yuan Dynasty. This major case ultimately led to the complete rejection of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty and the renaming of the "History of Yuan" to "A History of China for One Hundred Years Since the End of the Song Dynasty." The orthodox tradition established by the Ming Dynasty was built upon this major case.

During the Yongle reign, the only political event comparable to this was the "Jingnan Incident: Questioning the Tyrant's Crimes," which was the legal basis for the transfer of the Ming imperial lineage.

Now Li Xianmu actually said that the matter of the Confucian Temple was no less important than these two matters. How could this not be shocking? Even women living in secluded mansions knew that this matter was of great importance.

"However, Mother need not worry. The debate over the selection of candidates for the Confucian Temple is different from today's; there is no life-or-death conflict involved."

The three rules are set out in the open, and there's a pretty good number of people who can be selected. There's no rush for the next few dozen; my son is only interested in the selection of the Ten Sages.

My father will surely have a place among them, and on that day, the prestige of the Li family will be greatly enhanced.

The Li family should be among the distinguished and upright families.

Everyone in the hall felt honored.

The Song Dynasty had countless shortcomings, but its extreme emphasis on the imperial examination system established a commoner society that lasted for three hundred years.

By the Ming Dynasty, aristocratic society had completely withdrawn from the historical stage.

The era when one could naturally gain political power in society simply by virtue of having a surname is gone forever.

In the Ming Dynasty, people only recognized official ranks. A first-rank official was more prestigious than a second-rank official, and a second-rank official was more powerful than a third-rank official. Even a duke was not respected if he did not hold an official position.

For example, the Duke of Chengguo's mansion and the Duke of Yingguo's mansion. The Duke of Yingguo's mansion is a rising star, but the Duke of Chengguo's mansion is almost impossible to find. They only rely on the grace of the emperor and the virtue of their ancestors to take up positions in the three major camps in an orderly manner.

While the Li family certainly had the immense benefit of being recognized as descendants of a sage, the most important thing was that someone in the family held a high position.

Li Qi was already quite famous during the Hongwu era, but because he did not have much power, his influence was not comparable to that during the Yongle era, and he was far inferior to Li Xianmu today.

Li Xianmu said solemnly, "But this is not the era of powerful clans like Wang, Xie, Cui, and Lu."

What if future generations rely on the family's power to act arrogantly and domineeringly?
The lesson of Duke Yansheng is still fresh in our minds. What if future generations forget how hard their ancestors worked to achieve what they have today?

The former noble family's decline serves as a stark warning.

After these words were spoken, Li Fang, Li Mao, and the others, who had been somewhat unsettled, calmed down.

The lesson of Duke Yansheng is still fresh in our minds; even the descendants of Confucius met such an end, let alone the Li family.

Without experiencing the depths of despair, one cannot understand the pain. Compared to Li Xianmu, who had never suffered, Li Fang and Li Mao understood it most deeply, especially during their childhood and youth.

"I think that if a family is to live in peace and stability for generations, there should be a set of family precepts."

After all, the children of the eldest and second eldest brothers are gradually growing up, and in a few years, they will all be getting married and having children. As the family grows, rules and regulations are essential for its order.

My father established some family precepts back then, and now I want to establish some more, listing them together so that future generations of the family must learn and abide by them.

"I'll also need to trouble my eldest and second sisters-in-law to call my nephews and nieces over."

Li Xianmu finally revealed his true thoughts.

Although he knew that his father in heaven was watching over the family, he still hoped that the family members could exercise self-discipline.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room immediately became solemn, for this was a momentous event for the entire clan.

The two men exchanged a glance, stood up, and said with a smile, "We'll arrange for someone to inform them to return home."

Li Xianmu nodded slightly, and the First Madam and the Second Madam went out together, while the others in the room stood up and followed Li Xianmu to the ancestral hall.

Not long after.

Among the three generations of the Li family, the older members who were already sensible were all brought into the courtyard of the ancestral hall.

Li Xianmu sat in a grand chair, with his eldest brother Li Fang and second brother Li Mao seated on his left and right respectively. Princess Lin'an and other female relatives were seated in the honored seats on his left. When Li Xianmu saw that he had only brought in a few nephews, he frowned and asked, "Sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, where are Feng Ge and the other children?"

The First Madam was taken aback by these words. "Do women also enter the ancestral hall to listen to family precepts? Doesn't that mean they're no longer part of the Li family after they get married?"

Li Xianmu raised an eyebrow.

The First Madam's words are not just a matter of opinion, but also a matter of law.

The household registration system in ancient times and the household registration system in modern times are completely different things!

Why did Li Qi vow to uproot the Marquis's mansion after his sister, Li San Niangzi, died? Because according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, Li San Niangzi was no longer registered in the Li family's household register after she got married, so she didn't have to die.

But the Marquis's mansion divorced her, and she was returned to the Li family's household registration. She was about to be arrested and sent to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution), so Li San Niangzi had no choice but to die.

One important reason why brothers in ancient times were unwilling to separate households was that corvée labor and military service were shared equally among households, so having more brothers naturally meant they had an advantage.

The same principle applies to widows who cannot survive without their clan. Although they have no men, they are still considered a household, and military service and corvée labor must be paid from this household. This is why the Yuan Dynasty practiced levirate marriage.

Because of the Yuan Dynasty's military household system, there was a requirement that the number of households must be sufficient, otherwise there would be no one to serve in the army.

In ancient times, household registration truly had legal effect. Even without blood ties, one could inherit property through household registration, and could also be implicated in cases such as the execution of the entire family.

If someone is not registered in the household registration, even if they are one's own son or daughter, they have no right to inherit the property and will not be subject to criminal penalties.

Li Xianmu had no intention of changing the law. He said seriously, "Sister-in-law, as the saying goes, a virtuous wife brings fewer troubles to her husband."

When my sons and daughters of the Li family marry, they must marry virtuous and kind women.

A married daughter should also be virtuous and kind, so as not to bring misfortune upon my family if her in-laws suffer in the future.

Besides, even if a woman marries, if she commits a crime, her father and mother will always be held accountable. When will a woman's crime be exempt from implicating her entire family? Then they won't have to enter the ancestral hall.

These words resonated with everyone, especially Princess Lin'an, Li Fang, and Li Mao, who seemed to recall some unpleasant past events, their faces turning somewhat grim.

“Mu’er is right. In the future, the women of the Li family should be treated just as strictly as the men. We must never allow any unworthy daughters to emerge.”

Li Xianmu had no choice but to be cautious, as the punishment of exterminating the entire clan was simply too terrible.

If you happen to encounter a mentally challenged in-law who commits the crime of exterminating three generations of their family, although in most judicial practices, only the wife will be killed and not her entire family, who can say for sure?
After all, the Ming Dynasty once had a case of "Gua Man Chao" (瓜蔓抄), where one person's crime could lead to the extermination of all their relatives, and even their friends, neighbors, and villagers, spreading like a melon vine.

This kind of collective punishment is too barbaric, violent, and unfair no matter how you look at it. Even in ancient times, people always said that the clan was one, but how could they really be one?

It's unacceptable to say that the main family and direct descendants enjoy abundant resources while I'm stuck with a menial job, eating scraps, or even nothing at all, and then you rebel and we all die together. Nobody can accept that.

"I'll bring Feng Ge and the others here right away."

The First Madam could no longer sit still and personally went out of the courtyard to find someone.

(End of this chapter)