Seven hundred and fiftieth chapters: clever hunter
Emperor Taizu initially consecrated various princes as kings and considered them as vassals. The most important of them were the Thirteen Sai Kings, who established vassals on the border. Their status and power were different from those of other kings.
But precisely because of this, these Sai kings also bore the brunt when the vassal was later reduced.
The thirteen kings of Sai, according to the order when they were first granted the title, are King Qin, King Jin, King Yan, King Qi, King Dai, King Su, King Liao, King Qing, King Ning, King Gu, King Han, and King Shen.
King An.
But now, there are only a few who are still establishing vassals on the border.
The lineage of the King of Yan entered the capital and became the imperial line. The line of the King of Qi and the line of the King of Gu were expelled from the country due to their conspiracy and rebellion during the Yongle period, and their descendants were deposed as commoners. The lineage of the King of An
The relationship is to eliminate the feudal country because there is no heir.
The remaining ones, King Su, King Liao, King Han, King Shen, and King Ning all moved inland one after another during the Yongle period and lost their status as kings of Sai. Today, those who are still establishing vassals on the border, except for the old kings Qin and Jin
, that is, King Dai and King Qing.
Among the last four Sai kings, King Qin held Xi'an and King Jin held Taiyuan. Although they were kings of Sai, after Taizong moved the capital, these two places were actually considered inland.
There are only King Dai and King Qing, one is in Datong and the other is in Zhencheng, Ningxia. However, one difference is that although King Qing's fiefdom is in Zhencheng, because the town is "humid and humid and the water springs are bad", the Qing King family has always lived in Zhencheng.
In Weizhou, it was not until the third year of Jianwen that he reluctantly entered the town and became a vassal.
So after all calculations, the King of Sai who has really stayed at the border from beginning to end, now only the acting kings are left!
As a descendant of the clan, even though he is studying in Beijing, he will still be involved in government affairs to some extent. For example, there has been a lot of commotion recently... the rectification of military camps!
There is no doubt that this was Zhu Yinqi's intention when he mentioned Datong City at this time.
"Yinqi, do you want to shake off all the private fields owned by Prince Xiang on the border?"
For the first time since entering the mansion, Zhu Chenglian's tone was somewhat hesitant.
You know, this is no small matter!
Although Zhu Chenglian was determined to seek justice for the late Lao Min King, the military camp issue was of great concern and could not be interfered with casually.
It's not that a little private land can do anything to these clan lords, but that there are too many people involved in this matter.
Since the Ming Dynasty, there have been no less than twenty canonized princes, and hundreds of county kings. As for the generals who govern the country, the generals of Fengguo have not only three thousand, but also one thousand. Such a huge number has actually been given to the imperial court.
It brought a heavy burden.
So in fact, starting around the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, many clan members had been unable to receive their salaries in full. Of course, even in the uneven situation, there was still a large amount of money and food, enough to support the clan's luxurious daily needs.
But don't forget, many of today's vassal princes and princes came from the Yongle period. They have seen the pomp and power of their fathers, so naturally they will not be satisfied with a mere salary.
However, under the strict royal regulations of Taizong and Xuanzong, the kings were severely restricted. They could not do business, be appointed officials, or participate in court affairs. If they wanted to make money, they could only put their ideas into the field.
Above.
The acres of land in the interior are limited, and most of them are owned. If too much is occupied, the court will be dissatisfied, and it will also affect the performance of local officials, which can easily cause a lot of trouble. Therefore, the kings soon set their sights on the frontier fortresses.
The army camp.
Especially those privately cultivated fields are not registered in the Ministry of Household Affairs and do not pay taxes. As long as they are in your hands, the annual harvest is yours.
Moreover, the source of these privately cultivated fields was illegal, so what they feared most was inspection by the court. However, with the banners of the kings, local officials did not dare to check these privately cultivated fields at all.
Therefore, the generals on the border used their sergeants to cultivate private fields, and at the same time "give" part of the fields to the kings and farm them for them. These princes only need to send a few people to collect money every year.
Sowing a good thing, why not do it?
Even if he was found out, a crime of this level would be nothing more than a painless rebuke to the kings, without any pressure at all.
Therefore, in the matter of invading military camps, the clans even occupied a larger share than the nobles.
This is exactly what makes Zhu Chenglian hesitate.
Zhu Yinqi's method should be said to be a very good one. During this period of time, although they did not fully understand the efforts made by the imperial court to organize military camps, they had also heard about it.
Especially after the incident involving Yang Hong and Ren Li, everyone in the imperial court felt the emperor's determination to reorganize the army.
The Prince's Palace has been in Datong City for decades, and although it has been stripped of its military and political power, when it comes to controlling the ownership of nearby military camps, it is definitely Men Qing'er.
Therefore, Zhu Chenglian knew very well how big a share Prince Xiang had in it. In fact, as long as the Dai Wangfu was willing, detailed sales records and evidence such as land deeds and guarantors could be obtained clearly.
If you use this matter to control King Xiang, you must hit him with certainty.
It is true that with the status of the son of Renzong and the emperor's uncle, King Xiang could not be punished too severely. However, there was no problem at all in driving him back to his fiefdom in disgrace.
However, the problem is that if you want to get rid of this head together, it will be difficult to get rid of it!
Some things are just about pulling out the carrots and bringing out the mud. If nothing else, if Prince Xiang's foundation is shaken out, then the foundation of Prince Dai's Mansion will certainly not be preserved.
What's more, the invasion and occupation of the military camp involves various princes' palaces. If Prince Dai comes forward like this, if the emperor takes the opportunity to attack other kings, it means Prince Dai's mansion has offended a large group of clans.
Zhu Chenglian is not afraid of offending others, and it doesn't matter what kind of punishment he receives. However, after all, he has a family behind him, and he must be cautious about things like this that will involve the entire family in the turmoil.
However, in Zhu Chenglian's complicated eyes, Zhu Yinxi still nodded and said.
"Brother Chengbo, I know that this matter is difficult to handle, and I also understand that it will involve the entire Dai Wang Palace, but..."
As he spoke, a trace of pain and shame flashed across Zhu Yinqi's face, and he whispered.
"I really have no choice."
"After all, Prince Xiang is the emperor's uncle and has a reputation as a virtuous man. Although his reputation is now tarnished, without enough reasons, even His Majesty will not be able to take action against him."
"Brother Chengcuo, can you help me this time? On behalf of the entire Min Palace, and on behalf of my late grandfather, I will definitely remember Brother Chengcuo's kindness!"
After the words fell, Zhu Yinqi stood up with a solemn expression, bowed deeply and said nothing.
However, even in this situation, Zhu Chenglian was still hesitant, frowning tightly, and neither refused nor agreed.
As a result, the atmosphere in the flower hall suddenly became stagnant. Zhu Fanzhi looked at Zhu Yinxi and then at Zhu Chenglian, and he wanted to give some advice. However, in this situation, he didn't know what to say, so he just He could helplessly lower his head.
Zhu Yinxi just bowed his hands without moving at all, and Zhu Chenglian remained silent. After about half a cup of tea, Zhu Chenglian finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse, and said.
"Yin Xi..."
"Yinxi!"
Two voices sounded almost at the same time, but the latter one was obviously a bit harsh.
So, Zhu Chenglian stopped talking, and Zhu Yinxi also straightened up. The three of them looked at the source of the sound at the same time, but found that at some point, King Zhennan was already standing behind the side screen.
"Father..."
"Uncle Wang..."
"granduncle……"
The three of them opened their mouths to call for help and bowed their hands, but their expressions were different.
Zhu Chenglian lowered his head faintly, seeming a little embarrassed, and the same was true for Zhu Yinxi, but there was a hint of guilt on his face.
King Zhennan did not speak, but walked up to the three of them, then turned to Zhu Chenglian and said.
"I heard your conversation just now. Cheng Kuo, you are a good boy. I understand your thoughts and your difficulties. I also understand this matter. Yin Xi did something wrong and went too far. It’s embarrassing for you!”
"Actually, you and Fan Zhi have done enough for Prince Min's Palace. This kindness will be remembered by me and Yin Xi."
As he spoke, Zhu Huixun actually bowed his hands to Zhu Chenglian and the other two.
Although this was just the most common courtesy, the two young people felt restless, especially Zhu Chenglian, who quickly bowed deeply and said.
"What are you talking about, great-uncle? My great-uncle is like a family member to me. Now in front of his soul, someone dares to make trouble, but I can't seek justice for him. I..."
After saying these words, Zhu Chenglian's expression was full of guilt, but before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Zhu Huixuan.
"Into a match!"
I saw this fat prince gently pressing on Zhu Chenglian's shoulder and speaking earnestly.
"You don't have to bear any burden. We are born in the Heavenly Family, so we naturally have our own responsibilities. If you can really give up and take care of the prince's palace, then I will really be disappointed in you."
As he spoke, Zhu Huixuan took back his hand, glanced at Zhu Yinxi, and said.
"In the final analysis, this is the matter of Prince Min's Palace. You can do this for your father. As the descendants of Prince Min's Palace, if we just let it go, we would be a little sorry for all the care and concern our father had when he was still alive..."
Seeing this situation, Zhu Chenglian was stunned and asked subconsciously.
"Uncle, are you planning to..."
"Bang the Dengwen drum!"
Zhu Huixuan let out a gentle breath and said calmly.
"Later, I will write a complete letter to the King of Qin, the King of Jin, and several other highly respected vassal kings about the events that happened in the capital, asking them to come forward to uphold justice. When they receive their replies, no matter what No matter what the outcome is, I will go to the palace again and have a serious discussion with King Xiang!"
"Okay, Uncle Wang is so proud, that's what you should do!"
This time, before anyone else spoke, Zhu Fanzhi spoke first and said.
"Uncle Wang, don't worry. After I go back, I will also tell my classmates in Zongxue and ask them to write letters home. When the time comes, I will go to the palace. I will go with Uncle Wang! I don't believe it. He is the king of Xiang. It’s so lawless!”
This heroic speech made the heavy atmosphere in the flower hall lighten.
However, Zhu Chenglian's expression was still very complicated, but he did not mention what happened just now. Instead, he hesitated for a moment and asked.
"But uncle, Your Majesty has given you and Yinxi a month to leave the capital. No matter how fast the letters from the kings are, it will still take almost a month. This..."
"Then we won't leave!"
This time, Zhu Huixuan was very calm, as if he was talking about a trivial matter.
As he said that, he glanced at Zhu Yinqi again and said.
"It's nothing more than resisting the decree. When I went to plead guilty outside the palace gate today, I and Yin Xi had already made plans. His Majesty was so furious that he cut off my title and smashed it into the high wall of Fengyang. Such a punishment We are not afraid, let alone others?"
After a brief pause, Zhu Huixuan turned his head, looked at Zhu Chenglian, a smile appeared on his face, and said.
"Speaking of which, I have to thank you for this. I did hesitate a moment ago. After all, Your Majesty gave me and my son two steps to successfully inherit the throne and return to the domain to live a good life, as if nothing had happened. However, time will always smooth everything out, I really thought so for a moment."
"However, seeing that you are willing to do so much for your father, I realized that as my father's son, I am not as good as you..."
Hearing this, Zhu Chenglian was stunned, and suddenly felt something stuck in his throat. He wanted to say something, but couldn't.
However, Zhu Huixuan seemed unaware. He just sighed, looked at Zhu Yinxi, and said.
"It's a pity that Yin Xi has been wronged, but it is his fate to be born in Prince Min's Mansion!"
After hearing this, Zhu Yinqi also took a long breath, bowed and said.
"My father's words are wrong. When my grandfather was alive, he loved Yinchi so much. If the old man suffered such humiliation before his death, Yinchi could turn a blind eye. How could there be any filial piety?"
"How can an unfilial person become a descendant of the Zhu family?"
"Whether it's the capital city or a feudal clan, even within the high walls of Fengyang, as long as you have a clear conscience and are worthy of Taizu's bloodline, what do you have to fear?"
Zhu Yinxi said these words very firmly, which made Zhu Huixuan feel relieved, stroking his hands and smiling.
"Well, you are worthy of being the son of this king, and worthy of being the descendant of the Zhu family! I think your grandfather, who knows me well, will also be proud of you!"
Perhaps because this scene was so touching, Zhu Fanzhi, a tall man on the side, had already begun to wipe his tears with a handkerchief.
On the other side, the complex emotions in Zhu Chenglian's heart became more and more intense. He opened his mouth and shouted.
"Uncle, actually I..."
However, this time, it was still the same. He was interrupted just after half a sentence.
Zhu Huixuan patted his shoulder gently again and said.
"Chengquan, you don't have to say anything. Just do as I say and go back to your clan to study properly. Don't worry about this anymore. It's not easy for you and your father to survive until now. He is still acting on behalf of you. The palace is waiting for you to return from your studies and take charge of the vassal for him, so don’t be willful!"
Under the sleeve robe, Zhu Chenglian's fists were tightly squeezed, but in the end, under Zhu Huixuan's gentle eyes, he nodded slightly...
After leaving the gate of Prince Min's Mansion, Zhu Fanzhi and Zhu Chenglian walked side by side, but it was obvious that neither of them were in a good mood, especially Zhu Fanzhi, who looked listless.
When he reached the entrance of the alley, the carriages from the two mansions were already waiting. Standing in front of the carriage, Zhu Fanzhi suddenly stopped and lowered his head and said in a deep voice.
"Chengquan, do we really want to watch Uncle Wang and Yin Xi go on adventures alone, while we stay in Zongxue and stand by and watch?"
Zhu Chenglian's body stiffened, but he did not speak. He just remained silent. With the help of his servants, he got into the carriage, leaving Zhu Fanzhi standing alone, with a look of disappointment flashing across his face.
The carriage swayed forward, raising a puff of smoke and dust, and passed by Zhu Fanzhi. The bells hanging at the four corners sounded crisply, accompanied by the young man's calm and firm voice.
"I will write to my father. Don't worry, Prince Xiang will definitely pay the price for what he has done!"