Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 104 Aims to die for the country and maintain a reputation for loyalty!
In July of the 40th year of the Jiajing reign, all the nobles of the Ming Dynasty resigned and returned their hereditary certificates.

The cabinet then submitted a letter stating that from today on, the Ming Dynasty would strictly abide by the ancestral system of Emperor Taizu Gao, and would only confer titles based on military merit, and that the title would only be conferred on one person for life, and his descendants would no longer be allowed to inherit the title.

From now on, royal relatives and prince consorts are no longer allowed to request to be conferred titles.

This system was decided by Zhu Houcong, who ordered the Ministry of Rites to worship heaven and pray to ancestors at the Temple of Heaven, and it became a permanent system.

Chun'an County, Zhejiang.

There were two sturdy men standing at each end of the corridor outside the signing room of the county government. A quick identification revealed that they were the personal guards of Hu Zongxian, the Governor-General of Zhejiang and Governor of Zhejiang Province, but they were all dressed in casual clothes at this time.

In the courtyard at the end of the corridor, Hu Zongxian and Hai Rui sat opposite each other.

Hai Rui didn't want anyone to serve him, so his wife had to pour tea and water for the two of them.

Hu Zongxian's face looked even darker, thinner and more haggard, but he smiled at his wife and said, "Thank you for your help."

Hai's wife shook her head, put the teapot on the table in the yard, and went back to the house to rest.

"I heard that Lingzheng is pregnant?" Hu Zongxian asked.

Hai Rui lowered his head slightly and said, "Yes."

After finishing the work of the Qiantang River granary and returning to Chun'an, Hai's wife brought him the good news.

Counting the days, it’s almost been two months.

"Ling Zheng is no longer as beautiful as before. You should pay more attention to yourself during pregnancy. It would be better to ask someone to take care of you," Hu Zongxian reminded.

Hai Rui was born in the eighth year of Zhengde, and is 47 years old this year. Although his wife is younger, she is also over 40.

Being pregnant at this age is both a happy and dangerous thing.

If you are not careful, two lives may be lost. Just like in daily work, you should save money if you can, but if you cannot save money, you should hire someone to do it.

"When I was with my wife, I did everything myself so that she wouldn't have to work too hard," Hai Rui explained.

My mother and An Nan were far away in the capital, being supported by the court.

During the months that the couple had been alone together, Hai Rui gradually realized how difficult it was for his wife and began to help her with everything.

Especially after Hai's wife became pregnant, Hai Rui was responsible for all matters, big and small.

"I have recommended you to the court to be the new prefect of Hangzhou Prefecture. I believe that the documents from the Ministry of Revenue will arrive soon. The affairs of a prefecture are far more complicated than those of a county. By then, with your temperament, you will generally put the people first. You have to do it, and someone should be there to take care of you." Hu Zongxian shook his head slightly and said.

Zhejiang experienced several major purges, with Hangzhou Prefecture at the center of the storm, and Hai Rui was the source of the storm.

Now, Hai Rui was going to Hangzhou Prefecture, to the Ming Dynasty's window to the world, and hard work was inevitable.

Between family and country, Hai Rui put country first and family second, so he had no time to care about his elderly pregnant wife.

Hai Rui was stunned. He never thought that this respected minister would hold him in such high esteem and want to promote him from the seventh-rank county magistrate to the fourth-rank prefectural magistrate.

Moreover, he was not given a chance to refuse and was told only after a memorial of recommendation was sent to the court.

Hai Rui raised his head and looked at Hu Zongxian. Seeing his sincere face, he couldn't help but feel moved. "Don't bother with that. My mother and daughter have been living in the capital for a few months. It's time to invite them back. When the time comes, my mother can take care of me."

"If the old lady really comes back, will it be the old lady who takes care of Ling Zheng, or will Ling Zheng take care of the old lady?" Hu Zongxian said with a smile.

The Hai family's affairs are not a secret.

Hai Rui's sincere filial piety was praised by countless officials and scholars, but this was not a good thing for Hai's wife.

Haimu has a hot temper and attaches great importance to family traditions. If she comes back, it will be a disaster rather than a blessing.

Hai Rui's face turned red. He felt ashamed that his family affairs were being talked about by others. He wanted to explain, but didn't know where to start.

The price of filial piety is years of disappointment to his wife. If it were not for the emperor's grace, inviting my mother to come to the capital, my wife would probably not have been pregnant until now.

Hu Zongxian saw Hai Rui's embarrassment and said slowly and clearly, "What I just said was not my duty to you based on my position, but my advice to you based on my age."

Hai Rui remained silent, "Minister, please speak."

"There is a saying in Mencius: 'There are three types of unfilial behavior, and the worst is to have no descendants.' You don't need me to teach you the truth. Although you have a wife, when your mother is alive, your wife is worse than a maid. As the old saying goes, 'A family with a filial son will not be cut off from its sacrifices.' Although you are very filial, if you die childless and your family's sacrifices are cut off, tell me, are you filial or unfilial?" Hu Zongxian raised the question of the spear and the shield.

Hai Rui sat there, seemingly unable to answer any question correctly, and was feeling awkward.

Hu Zongxian was not in a hurry to urge him, but just looked at him quietly.

After thinking for a long time, Hai Rui felt that he should be frank, and without hesitation, he replied, "My humble duty is to be filial."

His old mother and daughter were in the capital, and they often received letters. The court's support was meticulous. Although his mother was a little uncomfortable with it, overall, she was more devoted than him as a son.

The Emperor specially ordered a Hanlin Academy scholar to teach his daughter. Even though Hai Rui boasted that his knowledge was as good as that of a Jinshi, it would be shameless to compare himself with a Hanlin.

In short, the life of the old mother and daughter staying in Beijing is better than if they were brought back, and the wife will feel more comfortable without her mother around.

Not answering for now.

"During my inspection of Zhejiang this time, I discovered several talented people. Wang Yongji, the magistrate of Jiande County, impressed me the most. If you were the prefect, he could be the assistant magistrate. If you were the governor, he could be the governor."

After talking about his subordinates' family affairs, Hu Zongxian returned to his business. He looked at Hai Rui and said, "If that day really comes, I will let Xu Wei help you and let you serve as an inspector."

These words.

Hai Rui was shocked and puzzled by what he said. He stared at the Governor of Zhejiang who was so close to him. It seemed that there were too many things revealed behind this.

Almost everyone in the world was waiting for Hu Zongxian to wipe out the Japanese pirates, be granted a title of nobility and appointed as prime minister, and become the fourth civil official in the Ming Dynasty to be granted a title of nobility for military merit.

Although Hai Rui had always approved of Hu Zongxian's work as an official, he always had the impression of him as a "strict party" in his mind.

When I heard Hu Zongxian say these words this time, they didn't sound like the crazy words before being granted a title of nobility and appointed as prime minister, but more like his last words before his death.

Xu Wei, a man who had made great contributions in helping Hu Zongxian to defeat the Japanese invaders, seemed to be entrusted by Hu Zongxian to him.

Hai Rui couldn't understand who in this world could stop Hu Zongxian from being granted a title of nobility and appointed as prime minister, and who could take Hu Zongxian's life.

Hu Zongxian became a person that Hai Rui could not see through.

"You are an upright person. May you remain as upright as you are today, and never change in your life."

Hu Zongxian slowly stood up and said a few words. Hai Rui quickly stood up to thank him. Hu Zongxian waved his hand and said, "We have found the nest of the Japanese pirates at sea. I should go to the front line. If the appointment documents from the Ministry of Personnel arrive early, you will know what is going on and you can prepare in advance."

While inspecting Zhejiang, the last stop was Chun'an, which was specially arranged. I said everything I wanted to say and explained everything I wanted to explain. Now that this matter is over, it's time to set out to destroy the Japanese pirates!
(End of this chapter)