Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

Zhu Qiyu finally got a break during the Spring Festival.

He spends his days with Empress Wang, Consort Hang, and their children.

The eldest son, Zhu Jianji, who is now five years old, can recognize many characters.

Every day when she saw Zhu Qiyu, she would pester him with all sorts of questions.

The only thing that troubled Zhu Qiyu slightly was that his children got along very well with Zhu Jianshen.

After the officials bowed and stood up, Zhu Qiyu said, "The Spring Festival is over, and it's time to get down to business. You can all speak now."

As soon as he finished speaking, a man stepped forward and bowed: "Your subject, Zhang Lun, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, has a memorial to present."

"speak."

Zhang Lun raised his head and said loudly, "Your Majesty has been on the throne for more than three months."

Now, the hearts of people across the land are united, all nations pay tribute, and the country is stable.

However, the matter of the mausoleum remains unresolved.

Your Majesty, I request that you dispatch officials to survey the feng shui, select an auspicious site, and choose an auspicious day to commence construction.

The atmosphere in the hall tensed slightly.

Many ministers lowered their heads and remained silent, but their eyes secretly glanced at the throne.

Building a mausoleum was indeed something every emperor had to do.

But the preparations don't need to begin immediately upon ascending the throne.

Rather, it should be at the right time: either when the world is at peace, or when the emperor feels he is getting old.

For example, Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang began construction of the Xiaoling Mausoleum in the fourteenth year of the Hongwu reign, when the country had just been pacified.

Emperor Taizong Zhu Di began selecting an auspicious site for the Changling Mausoleum in the seventh year of the Yongle reign, and construction officially began in the eleventh year, by which time he had moved the capital to Beijing.

Emperor Renzong (Zhu Gaochi) died in the first year of the Hongxi reign, and the Xianling Mausoleum was hastily built after Emperor Xuanzong (Zhu Zhanji) ascended the throne.

After Emperor Xuanzong's death, Jingling was built after Emperor Yingzong ascended the throne.

Zhu Qiyu looked at Zhang Lun kneeling on the ground and remained silent for a moment.

He knew Zhang Lun.

During the reform of the imperial clan system, he dared to defy public opinion and bluntly stated that "the system of the imperial clan should be changed."

So this wasn't Zhang Lun urging him to die; it was Zhang Lun telling him:

Your Majesty, you have secured your throne; now is the time to take care of this matter.

At the same time, it was also telling the world: We accept this emperor.

Zhu Qiyu chuckled lightly: "Minister Zhang, you certainly think long-term for me."

But have you calculated how much it costs to build a mausoleum?

Zhang Lun was taken aback and remained silent.

Zhu Qiyu looked at Jin Lian, the Minister of Revenue: "Minister Jin, please do a divination for Vice Minister Zhang."

Jin Lian stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, according to the old records of the Ministry of Works, the Changling Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong was first built in the seventh year of Yongle."

It was largely completed by the fourteenth year of the Yongle reign.

The exact amount of money and grain spent over the seven years is difficult to determine, but based on the records of rewards and punishments during the Yongle era, it must have been no less than a million.

The Xianling Mausoleum of Emperor Renzong followed the late Emperor Taizu's edict to adhere to the principle of frugality in mausoleum construction.

The construction took only three months and cost approximately 150,000 taels of silver.

The construction of Emperor Xuanzong's Jingling Mausoleum took seven months and was conducted in a simple manner, costing approximately 180,000 taels of silver.

According to the regulations for Changling, it would require at least one million.

Even if the construction were done according to the frugal standards of the Xianling and Jingling mausoleums, it would still require 150,000 to 200,000 taels of silver.

Zhang Lun's expression changed slightly.

Although he proposed building a mausoleum, he did not actually calculate the specific figures.

Zhu Qiyu then looked at Jin Lian: "Minister Jin, how much silver is left in the national treasury?"

Jin Lian replied, "Your Majesty, the Taicang currently holds 420,000 taels of silver."

Zhu Qiyu shrugged: "Minister Zhang, you heard it too, the Ministry of Revenue has no money."

Zhang Lun hurriedly bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, I have failed to consider this matter thoroughly. Please forgive me."

Zhu Qiyu: "You haven't committed any crime."

I know you mean well.

However, I am still young, only twenty-two years old.

I will live for many more years.

It's not too late for us to build a mausoleum several decades later.

When the national treasury is full, I will build myself a magnificent palace.

Let me also give you some suggestions on the specifications.

A low chuckle rang out in the hall.

Zhang Lun's eyes were filled with gratitude, but also with a hint of shame: "Your Majesty's magnanimity is far beyond my reach."

Zhu Qiyu smiled and said, "Alright, stop flattering me."

Go back and think carefully about how to handle the follow-up matters of the imperial clan reform; that's the important thing.

"We'll discuss the mausoleum when I'm no longer able to fight."

Zhang Lun bowed deeply: "Your subject obeys the decree."

Zhu Qiyu looked at the assembled officials: "Is there anyone else who wishes to present their case?"

A moment later, a man stepped forward: "Your subject, Yu Qian, Minister of War, has a memorial to present."

Zhu Qiyu nodded slightly: "Please speak, Junior Protector Yu."

Yu Qian took out a stack of memorials from his sleeve and presented them with both hands: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of War has received memorials from many towns along the nine borders."

The border troops are severely understaffed, and a request has been made to the imperial court to allocate funds to recruit new soldiers.

The Xuanfu garrison reported that the original number of soldiers was over 52,000.

Currently, there are fewer than 32,000 registered soldiers, of whom only 15,000 are capable of fighting.

The Datong garrison reported that the original number of soldiers was over 48,000.

Currently, there are fewer than 28,000 registered soldiers, and fewer than 12,000 capable of fighting.

The situations in Yansui, Ningxia, Gansu, and Jizhou were largely the same.

Cheng Jing took the memorial and forwarded it to Zhu Qiyu.

Zhu Qiyu opened the top book, which contained a memorial written by Yang Hong, the general of Xuanfu.

The memorial detailed the vacancies in Xuanfu Town and requested an allocation of 200,000 taels of silver to recruit 10,000 new soldiers.

Zhu Qiyu closed the memorial, his face darkening.

These people really dare to ask for an exorbitant amount.

Although the Battle of Tumu Fortress resulted in heavy losses, the main losses were to the "elite" troops drawn from the Beijing Garrison and various towns.

The actual losses of the border garrison were not that great.

Moreover, the Ming Dynasty implemented the garrison system in the border towns, with military households inheriting their positions.

The imperial court needed to allocate funds to recruit soldiers from outside, so it's easy to imagine how many military households in the garrisons had deserted.

Zhu Qiyu looked at Yu Qian: "Junior Protector Yu, the border garrisons are short of so many people, this isn't something that's only been going on for the last few months, is it?"

Yu Qian replied, "Your Majesty, although the Oirat have retreated, some of their cavalry still roam outside the Great Wall..."

Zhu Qiyu snorted coldly: "Don't hide it from me, tell me the real reason."

Yu Qian pondered for a moment: "Yes."

The soldiers of the garrison farmed in peacetime and went to war in times of war.

The produce from the military farms should have been used to support the soldiers.

However, many officers of the various garrisons seized the farmland for their own private use.

He forced his soldiers to cultivate the land for him, and pocketed all the harvest.

The soldiers had no land to cultivate and no food to eat, so their only option was to flee.

During the Zhengtong era, tens of thousands of soldiers deserted every year.

There was also the matter of privately employing soldiers.

Officers treated their sergeants as private servants, building mansions for them, cultivating private land, and engaging in business for profit.

Soldiers toiled all day and were not allowed to train.

How can we fight if war breaks out?

The problems of the garrison system have been deeply entrenched for a long time, and if the system is not reformed soon...

Ten years from now, the Ming Dynasty will have no soldiers left to use!

A low murmur of discussion arose in the hall.

Many civil servants looked at each other, having heard these words before.

But no one had ever said it so bluntly in the imperial court.

All eyes were on Zhu Qiyu, who sat on the throne.

Zhu Qiyu nodded in agreement; reorganizing the garrisons was a major task he needed to address.

Although the recruitment system can greatly enhance combat effectiveness.

However, the Ming Dynasty at that time could not support such a large fiscal expenditure.

Therefore, the garrison needs to provide a buffer period of several years.

If those deep-seated problems are not addressed, the military households in the garrisons will still flee.

Zhu Qiyu looked at Yu Qian: "Junior Guardian Yu, how's the situation with the garrisons near the capital that I ordered you to investigate?"