Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

"I want to reform the nobility system."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall perked up.

Just now at the court meeting, Zhu Qiyu overruled the objections of the crowd and gave generous rewards to Shi Heng and others.

Everyone thought that Zhu Qiyu was going to support new elites and suppress the old ones.

Now it seems there's a deeper meaning behind it.

Zhu Qiyu turned around and took out a thick booklet, placing it on the table.

That was a copy of the section on the imperial clan system from the "Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty".

"In the twenty-second year of the Yongle reign, when Emperor Renzong ascended the throne, the imperial family population was only a little over two thousand."

He turned to a page.

"In the eighth year of the Xuande reign, the number increased to 3,700."

Turn another page.

"In the tenth year of the Zhengtong reign, the records of the Imperial Clan Court showed that there were more than eight thousand princes, dukes, generals, lieutenants, dukes, county princesses, and township ladies on the register."

More than 8,000 people, whose annual stipends in rice amounted to more than a million bushels.

I have only been on the throne for a little over a month.

Five memorials from the Ministry of Revenue urging the payment of stipends to members of the imperial clan have already accumulated.

"Minister Shen, tell me, how much is the annual stipend paid to the imperial family?"

Shen Yi said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, it is in accordance with the provisions of the Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty."

The prince's annual stipend is 10,000 shi of rice.

The prince received an annual stipend of two thousand shi (a unit of grain).

The General Who Guards the Nation receives a salary of one thousand bushels of grain.

……

In addition, princes and dukes receive additional allowances for annual gifts, weddings and funerals, construction projects, ceremonial regalia, and retinues, which are not included in this list.

Zhu Qiyu: "How much was allocated last year?"

Shen Yi: "Last year, the Ministry of Revenue actually disbursed rice stipends to members of the imperial clan, amounting to approximately 670,000 taels of silver."

The items, including banknotes, cloth, silk, and brocade, were valued at approximately 210,000 taels of silver.

The total is 880,000 taels.

Eighty-eight hundred thousand taels!

A low gasp was heard inside the hall.

Shen Yi continued, "This is only the annual branch."

Temporary allowances for the fiefdoms of princes, the construction of dukedoms, the marriages of generals, and the dowries of dukes, amounting to an additional three to four hundred thousand taels.

Hu Ying remained silent at this point.

He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the second year of the Jianwen reign.

It spanned the reigns of four emperors: Yongle, Hongxi, Xuande, and Zhengtong.

He is 74 years old this year.

He had witnessed the imposing presence of the princes guarding the borders during the reign of Emperor Taizu.

I have also witnessed the ruthless methods used by Emperor Taizong to reduce the power of the princes and strip them of their titles.

He had also witnessed the appeasement policies adopted by Emperors Renzong and Xuanzong towards the imperial clan.

Zhu Qiyu looked at him and asked, "Minister Hu, you are in charge of the Ministry of Rites and know the ancestral rules best."

When the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" were first established, did Emperor Taizu ever foresee this day?

Hu Ying slowly rose and sighed, "When Emperor Taizu established the stipend system, the country was newly settled."

There are no more than nine princes, and no more than a few dozen dukes.

At the time, it was thought that although 50,000 shi was a generous sum, it was not excessive for the emperor to support his own brothers and sisters.

Later, Emperor Taizu also discovered this drawback, and changed the annual salary of princes to 10,000 shi (a unit of dry measure).

But things are different now.

Silence fell over the hall once again.

Wang Zhi stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the stipend for the imperial clan was established by Emperor Taizu and has been followed for over a hundred years."

If we lightly suggest making changes, I fear it will unsettle all our relatives and clansmen."

As the Minister of Personnel, he had to speak.

This wasn't a matter of personal likes or dislikes, but rather a matter of duty.

The Ministry of Personnel was in charge of selecting, appointing, and evaluating civil officials throughout the country, although it was not directly related to the imperial clan.

However, the Ministry of Personnel must express its opinion on any changes that involve "ancestral rules".

An even more important reason was that he knew Zhu Qiyu dared to take action against the imperial clan today.

Tomorrow they may disrupt the imperial examination system, the official system, and the very foundation upon which civil officials make their living.

Zhu Qiyu said calmly, "Why are you uneasy?"

Wang Zhi was taken aback, not understanding Zhu Qiyu's meaning for a moment.

Zhu Qiyu looked at him and asked again, "What if the imperial clan is uneasy?"

Wang Zhi fell silent.

Seeing that Wang Zhi remained silent, Zhu Qiyu spoke up: "I will speak for you."

If relatives feel uneasy, they will submit memorials to the emperor.

They would request an audience with the Empress Dowager and contact the nobility.

They will create public opinion within the government.

"It will make the world say that I am cruel and ungrateful!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhi immediately bowed his head: "Your Majesty...I fear it will tarnish Your Majesty's reputation for benevolence."

"Ha!" Zhu Qiyu sneered, "I disregard the difficulties of the country and insist on maintaining the same stipends for the imperial clan. This is called benevolence."

"Or is it benevolence that I should reduce the unnecessary expenses of the imperial clan and use the saved money to comfort fallen soldiers and resettle displaced people?"

Zhu Qiyu continued, "The compensation for the soldiers who died in the battles of Tumu Fortress and Beijing."

The resettlement of displaced people, and the annual salaries of you civil officials.

Including the annual stipends for relatives, how much is needed in total?

How much tax revenue does the imperial court collect each year?

Minister Wang, you tell me, how should this debt be settled?

Wang Zhi was speechless; of course he could calculate it.

This calculation is too simple, so simple that it doesn't need to be done, but he can't do it.

Because accounts are one thing, ancestral rules are another.

Yu Qian then spoke up: "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

Zhu Qiyu looked at him: "Please speak, Junior Protector Yu."

"As the Minister of War, I should not be discussing matters concerning the imperial clan."

But I have heard that the state maintains an army and spends money on provisions and pays for it in order to defend against enemies and protect the territory.

The imperial family supported scholars, providing them with annual stipends of rice, all for the purpose of protecting the royal family.

The current imperial clan is unable to defend against enemies, cannot protect the territory, and cannot act as a protective barrier for the royal family.

The state continues to support it as before, and the more it supports it, the more abundant it becomes, and the more abundant it becomes, the less able it is to survive on its own.

This is not the original intention of the ancestral laws.

The atmosphere in the hall changed abruptly upon hearing these words.

Yu Qian's words were more direct than Zhu Qiyu's.

Zhu Qiyu simply asked, "How should the accounts be settled?"

Yu Qian's words were too harsh.

Hu Ying frowned slightly, and Wang Zhi hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

This is tantamount to stating directly that the current clan members are completely useless and should be reduced.

Zhu Qiyu looked at Yu Qian and nodded slightly.

He needs someone to say those words.

This time, Yu Qian did not disappoint him.

Zhu Qiyu looked around at everyone: "What do you all think of what Junior Guardian Yu said?"

silence.

A long silence.

Chen Xun finally spoke: "Your Majesty, the system of stipends for members of the imperial clan is recorded in the Ancestral Instructions and will be passed down for ten thousand generations."

If there is a need for a change, a grand ceremony must be held to discuss the matter in court, gathering all officials to solicit opinions from all sides before a decision can be made.

This matter is of great importance, and I dare not make any comments on it.

The Cabinet shall comply with His Majesty's decree and draft a proposal to return the matter to the Six Ministries.

The officials of the Six Ministries shall discuss the regulations in detail and then submit a report to the emperor.

Zhu Qiyu frowned slightly; he understood the meaning behind Chen Xun's words.

Their cabinet was only responsible for drafting proposals; everything else was determined by the emperor and the Six Ministries.

If any of those relatives want to cause trouble in the future, they should go to the Six Ministries and the Emperor.

Anyway, it's none of my cabinet's business.

Zhu Qiyu had anticipated this reaction.

He nodded: "What Grand Secretary Chen said makes sense. This matter should be discussed by all officials."

My beloved ministers, I have not summoned you here today to ask you to immediately express your opinions.

I am simply telling you that the system of stipends for members of the imperial clan must be changed.

How to change it, to what extent, when to implement it, and how to handle the aftermath.

This is what you need to discuss.

You should think carefully about how to change this in the next few days.

This matter will be discussed in detail in three days.

"You may leave for now."

The group bowed and took their leave.

Yu Qian was walking at the back when Zhu Qiyu called out to him, "Young Master Yu."

Yu Qian stopped and turned around. After everyone else had left, Zhu Qiyu asked, "Tell me, am I harsh and ungrateful?"

Yu Qian immediately replied, "Your Majesty's reduction of the stipends of the imperial clan is not for personal gain, but for the sake of the nation."

The mean-spirited harm others for their own benefit; the ungrateful forget the old and abandon the virtuous.

Your Majesty's actions are all wrong.

Your Majesty, I fear you may be too soft-hearted.

Zhu Qiyu turned his head: "Soft-hearted?"

Yu Qian said calmly, “Your Majesty has only been on the throne for a little over a month, but I have observed that Your Majesty’s actions, though seemingly decisive, are actually quite reluctant.”

Your Majesty fears that when the system for governing the imperial clan is discussed in the future, Your Majesty will again be bound by your benevolence and virtue.

Zhu Qiyu looked at him.

Yu Qian met Zhu Qiyu's gaze and said, "I am not advising Your Majesty to implement harsh policies."

Your Majesty, I simply say that since Your Majesty knows what should be done, then you should do it.

As for the name and the reality, Your Majesty has already chosen the reality.

"Having made the choice, we should accept it."

He then bowed deeply and said, "Your subject takes his leave."

Zhu Qiyu watched Yu Qian's departing figure and laughed heartily: "'Yu Zheng,' you've misjudged me."

This time I'll show you what decisiveness really means!