Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

Xing'an's voice continued to echo in the main hall:

"Commander-in-Chief Shi Heng, guarding Desheng Gate, lured the enemy deep into his territory and annihilated their vanguard."

He then led his army in pursuit, inflicting heavy losses on the Oirat Mongols and achieving remarkable feats.

He was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wuqing, a hereditary title, and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Beijing Garrison, with an annual stipend of 1,500 shi (a unit of grain).

The moment the words "hereditary succession" were uttered, the atmosphere inside the hall changed.

Many of the long-established noble scions couldn't help but slightly raise their eyes and look towards the direction of the Imperial Staircase.

The system of noble titles in the Ming Dynasty was established when Zhu Yuanzhang founded the country.

In the third year of the Hongwu reign, Zhu Yuanzhang bestowed titles upon his meritorious officials, including six dukes, twenty-eight marquises, and two earls.

At that time, meritorious officials who were granted titles had the right to inherit them without fail, meaning that their descendants could inherit the title.

It wasn't until the Yongle era, after Zhu Di's successful pacification campaign, that rewards were bestowed upon the military generals who followed him.

The right to hereditary succession without alteration began to be tightened.

In addition to core generals such as Zhang Yu and Zhu Neng being posthumously granted the title of king and hereditary duke,

Many of the newly noble titles have been changed to hereditary or temporary titles, rather than being hereditary without change.

The difference is that hereditary titles are passed down to descendants without any replacement, and the title is never demoted.

As Shi Heng has obtained today, it means that the title of Marquis of Wuqing will remain with his family forever. As long as the Ming Dynasty does not perish, the Shi family will forever be marquises.

Hereditary means that it can be inherited, but with each generation, the status is downgraded by one level.

A duke is demoted to a marquis, a marquis to an earl, and an earl to a minor noble or even a commoner.

This system was not explicitly implemented in the Ming Dynasty, but most of the new merit titles conferred after the Yongle reign were in this manner.

The title of Liujue, also known as a lifelong title, is granted only to the individual and cannot be inherited; the title is lost upon the death of the person.

Shi Heng, who came from a border general background, was ennobled in one battle and granted the right to "hereditary succession without replacement".

This favor is comparable to that bestowed upon Yuanxun during the founding of the dynasty and the pacification of the rebellion.

Many of the veteran nobles standing in the back row, such as Zhang Yi and Zhu Yi, had their hands quietly clenched in their sleeves.

Their ancestors' titles were earned by following Emperor Taizu in conquering the country and Emperor Taizong in fighting the Jingnan Rebellion.

What gives Shi Heng the right to do this?

Xing'an seemed oblivious to these undercurrents and continued reading:

"Fan Guang, the Vice Commander-in-Chief, was guarding Anding Gate. He launched a night raid on the enemy camp and burned their grain supplies."

He was enfeoffed as the Earl of Jing'an, concurrently serving as the Vice Commander of the Five Armies, with an annual salary of one thousand shi (a unit of grain).

Fan Guang's rise from a mere Vice Commander-in-Chief to a Earl was nothing short of a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.

"Sun Tang, the Vice Commander-in-Chief, defended Xizhimen and died a martyr in battle. His loyalty and bravery are commendable."

He was posthumously granted the title of Marquis of Suian, a hereditary title, and the posthumous name of Zhongwu. His son and grandson, Jizong, inherited the title of Earl of Suian and served as the garrison commander of Xizhimen.

This arrangement was made by Zhu Qiyu after careful consideration.

Logically speaking, Sun Tang should be on the same level as Fan Guang.

However, he played a significant role in the final battle and ultimately sacrificed his life for his country.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Zhu Qiyu posthumously conferred upon him the title of Marquis, but the hereditary title was only Earl.

Most importantly, Zhu Qiyu arranged for his son to hold the real position of guard of Xizhimen.

This is the cornerstone for the Sun family's future advancement.

"Lu Zhong, the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was promoted to Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for his meritorious service in investigating the Wang Zhen and grain trafficking cases."

"Yue Qian, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was sent as an envoy to the Oirat Mongols and successfully completed his mission. He was then promoted to Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites."

"Xing'an, a eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, served by my side with utmost loyalty and dedication. He was put in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial and concurrently served as the supervisor of the Eastern Depot. His nephew was granted the title of a centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Cheng Jing, a eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, was loyal and diligent in his work. He was the chief scribe of the Directorate of Ceremonial and concurrently in charge of the Imperial Horse Administration. He was granted a small flag for the vanguard of the Imperial Guard."

"Men Da and Lu Gao, commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, have made meritorious contributions in investigating the case and are each promoted to assistant commander, and awarded one hundred taels of silver and ten bolts of silk."

"Commander Wang Meng, who killed Bayan Temur in battle, was the bravest in the army. He was promoted to deputy commander and granted a mansion and a hundred acres of land."

……

The bestowal of rewards lasted for half an hour.

Thus began the formation of a new military clique headed by Shi Heng.

With the defense of Beijing, they broke through the barriers of nobility held by the old aristocracy.

Their titles may not be as high as her husband Hou Zunxian's.

But this at least means that their family will officially join the ranks of the Ming Dynasty's nobility.

He could be ranked alongside those who founded the dynasty and brought peace after the rebellion.

Yu Qian's honor of being Junior Guardian elevated him to the highest position among officials.

When Xing'an finished reading the last item of the conferment and closed the edict, the Fengtian Hall was completely silent.

Zhu Qiyu's gaze slowly swept across the area below.

He saw the excitement and ambition in Shi Heng's eyes.

I also saw the complex expressions that the veteran nobles and civil officials could not hide.

His thoughts involuntarily drifted back to a few days earlier.

October 8th, night, East Warm Pavilion of Wenhua Hall.

Zhu Qiyu sat behind a rosewood desk, with a list spread out in front of him.

Yu Qian, Wang Zhi, Hu Ying, Chen Xun and others sat on the brocade stools on both sides, each holding a copy.

Zhu Qiyu said, "All of you have seen it."

This is a list of merits drafted by the Ministry of War in conjunction with the Five Military Commissions.

"I summoned you here to hear your opinions."

Although he said he was asking for opinions, Zhu Qiyu's tone was more like a notification than a consultation.

The group exchanged glances, all seeing a sense of gravity in each other's eyes.

This list is very unusual.

Yu Qian was naturally ranked first, and it was suggested that he be promoted to Junior Guardian.

But following closely behind was Shi Heng, the Vice Commander-in-Chief, who was "proposed to be granted the title of Marquis, which would be hereditary and perpetual."

Wang Zhi slowly put down the list: "Your Majesty, this old minister dares to ask, is this reward... too generous?"

Zhu Qiyu raised his eyes: "Minister Wang, where do you think it's too thick?"

"Shi Heng was defeated in the Battle of Datong and was imprisoned to await punishment."

It was Yu Shangshu who strongly advocated for Fang's reinstatement despite his crimes.

Although this battle yielded minor successes, the strategy of luring the enemy was coordinated by the Ministry of War, not solely his own idea.

To be granted the title of Earl after a single battle was already a great favor; this hereditary marquisate...

This old minister believes we should proceed with caution.

The atmosphere inside the pavilion immediately became tense.

Yu Qian remained seated, his initial report being about the Earl.

This marquisate was added by Zhu Qiyu himself.

He wanted to make his stance clear to everyone: Listen to me, there's a future for you!

According to Zhu Qiyu's ideas before the defense battle began.

His first choice was not Shi Heng, but Fan Guang and Sun Tang, whom he intended to give important positions to.

He intended to use these two men for both rapid support units and post-battle pursuit units.

The two men will be richly rewarded afterward.

Unfortunately, fate played a cruel trick on him, and Fan Guang was so badly injured that he could not get out of bed.

Sun Tang died a heroic death outside Zhangyi Gate.

In this emergency, Shi Heng was the only option.

The other ministers all stroked their beards and pondered as they looked at the list.

Only Hu Ying nodded slightly.

Zhu Qiyu picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and slowly said, "Minister Wang, do you know what I saw with my own eyes on the Deshengmen city tower?"

Before Wang Zhi could answer, Zhu Qiyu continued:

"I saw Shi Heng leading three thousand cavalry out of the city."

The Oirat vanguard consisted of 5,000 elite troops.

He personally covered the rear amidst a hail of arrows, his armor struck by seven arrows.

This is not a "minor achievement," it is a first merit earned at the cost of one's life.

Without this battle, the vanguard of the Oirat Mongols would have been severely damaged, and their morale would have been dampened.

The pressure on Xizhimen and Zhangyimen will increase several times over.

Without this battle, perhaps we would be sitting here discussing not rewards, but a list of those who died for their country.

Wang Zhi was silent for a moment: "Your Majesty, this old minister does not deny Shi Heng's merits."

However, hereditary succession is a major national ceremony.

Since the Yongle era, apart from Zhang Fu, Zhu Yong, and other heroes of the Jingnan Campaign, no other non-royal official has received such favor during their lifetime.