I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 258 Wang Xijue vs. Representative of the Imperial Clan! Family Ties or National Conditions?
On the second day of the fifth month, Emperor Wanli (the young emperor) hosted a banquet for fifty-six representatives of the imperial clan and vassal states at the Nanhui Hall.

The chief host was Wang Xijue, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and an academician of the Hanlin Academy. The Ministry of Rites' Department of Reception and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were responsible for the reception.

According to the etiquette system of the Ming Dynasty, when princes and vassals came to the capital, the emperor did not need to attend except for special occasions or grand banquets such as New Year's Day and Winter Solstice. Instead, officials could attend on their behalf.

At the banquet.

In addition to welcoming the representatives of the various princes on behalf of the young Wanli Emperor, Wang Xijue also informed them of the upcoming arrangements.

First, tomorrow morning, accompanied by Wang Xijue, they will visit the Tianshoushan Mausoleum.

Arrived on the same day, and held a sacrificial ceremony the following day.

Visiting the imperial tombs was an essential part of the journey for princes and nobles when they came to the capital. It served to demonstrate kinship and to express the distinction between ruler and subject.

Afterwards, under the auspices of the Ministry of Rites, a two-day meeting will be held to revise the "Regulations on the Regents and Feudal Lords". After the revised version of the "Regulations on the Regents and Feudal Lords" is passed, the young Wanli Emperor will hold another banquet and finally bestow rewards and send him home.

Whether the reward will be generous or meager depends on the performance of the princes.

……

It was the fourth day of the fifth lunar month, near dusk.

After the visit to the imperial tombs concluded, the representatives of the various vassal states returned to the Southern Meeting Hall.

In the past two days, Wang Xijue has spoken about many of the difficulties faced by the imperial court and the reasons for revising the "Regulations on the Regents".

Although the "Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Clan Members" have not yet been mentioned, the representatives of the imperial clan members all understand that this revision of the "Regulations for Imperial Clan Members" will be another act of reducing their privileges and benefits.

At this moment, Prince Qing, Zhu Nixun (all princes are referred to by their fiefdoms), was in a much better mood than he had been in the previous two days, showing no signs of depression.

In the past two days, although he had not communicated privately with the representatives of the various princes, under the management of Prince Zhou, Zhu Zaiting, he knew that in addition to himself and Zhu Zaiting, the three princes, Prince Tang, Zhu Shuohuang, Prince Han, Zhu Langqi, and Prince Zhao, Zhu Changqing, also shared the same ideas.

They will band together to resist the court's oppression of them.

The five princes, through eye contact, reached a consensus to force the young Wanli Emperor to come out and talk to them personally, and then use familial affection to persuade him.

……

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, in the early morning, in the council chamber of the west wing of the South Meeting Hall.

Fifty-six representatives of the imperial clan gathered together.

Since the government office managing the imperial clans has now transitioned from the Imperial Clan Court to the Ministry of Rites, it is perfectly appropriate for Wang Xijue, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, to preside over this event.

Wang Xijue stood at the very front, looking at the representatives of the various princes and vassals.

"Your Excellencies, Princes of the First Rank, and Generals of the State, I have been instructed by His Majesty to discuss with you the revision of the 'Regulations on the Imperial Clan.' The Ministry of Rites has compiled all the suggestions you have recently made, and His Majesty has agreed to include some of them in the 'Regulations on the Imperial Clan.'"

Wang Xijue had just finished speaking.

Several clerks from the Ministry of Rites then distributed copies of the revised detailed rules to the representatives of the various princes and vassal states.

For example, reducing the time spent by imperial princes in requesting titles and honors for their sons, resolving various conflicts between local imperial princes and local prefectures, and having the imperial court add subjects to imperial academies for local imperial princes.

Some representatives of the vassal states were very pleased to see content that was useful to them.

After Wang Xijue finished speaking, it was as if he had given the princes a sweet treat.

Immediately, Wang Xijue waved his hand.

A line graph showing the population growth of the imperial princes from the first year of the Wanli reign to the sixth year of the Wanli reign, a bar graph showing the annual salary spent by the imperial princes from the first year of the Wanli reign to the sixth year of the Wanli reign, and a pie chart showing the proportion of the annual salary of the imperial princes in the national treasury expenditure from the first year of the Wanli reign to the sixth year of the Wanli reign were presented to the representatives of the imperial princes.

These three diagrams were quite rare items for the representatives of the imperial clan.

With just a careful glance, they could discern the theme of these three pictures within ten breaths.

soon.

These three pictures were then passed around among the representatives of the various vassal states, and those who saw them all became very serious.

All three illustrations convey the same message: In recent years, the number of imperial princes has been increasing, and the imperial court is struggling to support them!
Before long, the council chamber fell silent.

Wang Xijue waited until the representatives of the imperial clans had fully digested the contents of the three maps before speaking again.

“Your Highnesses, Princes of the Second Rank, and Generals of the State, in recent years, the population of local princes and vassals has been rampant, and there are many imposters, which has seriously dragged down the finances of the court. According to the Ministry of Revenue’s calculations, at most in another sixty years, the court will be completely unable to support the princes and vassals of the country.”

"In response, the Cabinet and the Six Ministries discussed many ways to address the problem of the imperial princes dragging down the finances and proposed many solutions."

"Some officials believe that more than 70% of the stipends for princes and nobles should be converted into paper money and distributed accordingly, with a fixed amount set."

"Some officials believe that the practice of princes taking concubines should be strictly limited, and women from non-respectable families, such as entertainers and prostitutes, should not be recognized, and their children should not be granted titles or stipends!"

"Some officials believed that the performance evaluation system should be applied to the management of the imperial clan, so that local officials could manage the affairs of the imperial clan and distribute stipends to them based on their performance evaluations."

"Some officials believe that establishing disciplinary offices in the territories of the princes and vassals in various places would educate and discipline them for their criminal behavior, and link their performance to their stipends."

……

Wang Xijue rattled off more than twenty solutions, including his "Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Princes and Feudal Lords."

This move was taught to him by Shen Nian.

Shen Nian told him: If the room is too dark and you want to open the window, no one may agree, but if you say you want to tear down the roof, those people will agree to open the window.

After Wang Xijue finished speaking, all the representatives of the imperial clansmen had gloomy faces, and some even opened their mouths as if to curse.

At present, the Ming Dynasty paper money is worthless. If the stipends were replaced with Ming Dynasty paper money, they would soon be unable to make ends meet. As for "the performance evaluation system to be applied to the imperial princes" and "the establishment of disciplinary offices to be managed by local officials", these are solutions that the imperial princes would absolutely never agree to.

In their eyes, how could someone with the surname Zhu be bullied by someone with a different surname? Only the current emperor could control them.

Prince Zhou, Zhu Zaiting, and Prince Qing, Zhu Nixun, were both furious that the scholar-officials had come up with so many ways to harm them, and they clenched their fists in anger.

At this time.

A representative of the imperial clan shouted at the top of his lungs, "Minister Wang, we are members of the Ming imperial family, noble descendants of the emperor. Our dynasty has an ancestral rule that all emperors must treat the imperial clan with respect. Can Your Majesty agree to these policies? If the ancestors of the Ming dynasty knew this in the afterlife, they would surely tear apart the mouths of the officials who uttered these rotten schemes!"

"That's right! The lack of money in the imperial court and the national treasury is not the fault of the princes. If we want to save money, why not start with the salaries of the officials, the military expenses, or confiscate the homes of those corrupt officials? Do you think we are powerless and easy to bully? Let me tell you, we represent the face of the Zhu family. These strategies are all slapping the face of the royal Zhu family!"

"Could it be that the imperial court is going to weaken the power of the princes again? Before, it was about reducing their power, but now it's about reducing their lives. If these policies are implemented, I'd rather stay in Beijing or Nanjing to guard the tombs of my ancestors than be some worthless prince who even local officials dare to swagger at me!"

……

Some hot-tempered princes have already begun to complain.

Although these people had no power or influence, they held the title of "imperial nobles" and considered themselves exempt from the Ming Dynasty's laws, and they had never shown any respect for the Ming Dynasty's civil officials.

Even with Zhang Juzheng present, they dared to continue their insults.

After they had finished venting, Wang Xijue looked around and continued, "Gentlemen, His Majesty is benevolent. How could he agree to so many policies that harm the imperial clan, let alone restrict the imperial clan from having children? However, for the healthy development of the imperial clan and for the foundation of the Ming Dynasty, the Cabinet and the Six Ministries have still formulated three policies. I hope that you can understand the court's predicament and agree to these three policies. These three policies are already the greatest concessions to the imperial clans of the world!"

After saying that, Wang Xijue began to talk about his "Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Princes and Feudal Princes".

First, stipends were limited. The total amount of stipends was fixed according to the rank of each local prince, and any excess was adjusted internally within the princely clan. The number of offspring was no longer linked to stipends, thus completely eliminating the phenomenon of "more sons, more stipends" for members of the imperial clan.

Secondly, restrictions were placed on the hereditary succession of titles.

Starting from the year following the promulgation of the new "Regulations for the Imperial Clan", if a Fengguo Lieutenant (the lowest rank of nobility) has a son who is fifteen years old, only the eldest son will be granted the title, and the other sons will be registered as commoners. After the Fengguo Lieutenant, the title will be granted for two generations, but no title or name will be given. They will be allowed to be registered as commoners and engage in four professions.

Third, some members of the imperial clan were allowed to make a living on their own.

The promotion path for high-ranking members of the imperial clan (princes and dukes) was restricted, and no title was conferred without merit. Restrictions on employment were lifted for lower-ranking members of the imperial clan, allowing them to make a living on their own. Members of the imperial clan who were commoners without titles or official positions could participate in the imperial examinations.

……

"Gentlemen, most clans and relatives in the common people disperse after three generations. Many of the current imperial clans are approaching ten generations. It is time for them to share the burdens and difficulties of the court. I earnestly request that you all understand the difficulties of the court and contribute to the reforms of the new policies!" Wang Xijue bowed and cupped his hands to the imperial clansmen.

Just as some princes were absorbing the contents of the "Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Princes," the impatient Prince Qing, Zhu Nixuan, was the first to stand up.

He looked at Wang Xijue.

"Minister Wang, may I ask who devised these three policies, and whether His Majesty has agreed to implement them?"

Wang Xijue replied, "These three policies were proposed by me. Your Majesty has read them, but considering the bond of kinship, you have not yet enforced them. Instead, you have instructed me to discuss them with you all first."

Wang Xijue could not claim that the young Wanli Emperor had agreed to these three policies, otherwise the young Wanli Emperor's reputation for being unkind to his relatives would be passed down to posterity.

What he needed to do was to get the representatives of the imperial clansmen to actively support this policy, then have the young Wanli Emperor praise them, and finally let the whole country know about it, so that the policy could be implemented smoothly.

Although thunder and rain are both forms of imperial favor.

However, under normal circumstances, it is officials who bestow thunder and lightning, while it is the monarch who bestows rain and dew.

Upon hearing this, Prince Qing, Zhu Nixun, straightened his chest and immediately felt more confident.

"The court has its difficulties, and so do we. If Your Majesty told us that these three policies must be implemented for the sake of the court, we would swallow our pride and support Your Majesty no matter how bitter or difficult it may be. However, since Your Majesty has not spoken, we cannot support these three policies. If these three policies are implemented, countless members of the imperial family will become commoners in a few years. Wouldn't this make Your Majesty feel ashamed before your ancestors? I believe that Your Majesty is unwilling to implement these policies. This is all just a trick by you scholar-officials!"

Prince Qing, Zhu Nixun, was an excellent orator.

In the blink of an eye, this strategy was attributed to the fact that scholar-officials were making the emperor disobey them in order to achieve merit.

"I believe Prince Qing is right. We wish to see His Majesty!"

"We want to see His Majesty!"

"We want to see His Majesty!"

……

Swish!Swish!Swish!
In an instant, all five princes sitting at the front stood up and surrounded Wang Xijue.

The moment these five men expressed their opinions, all the representatives of the various vassal states united and looked at Wang Xijue with righteous indignation.

"Wang Xijue, your intention to use these three strategies to sow discord between us and His Majesty is truly malicious!"

“Wang Xijue, this is a family matter of the Zhu family. If His Majesty speaks frankly, we will certainly listen to him. As for you, you have no right to advise us. You are only here to gain merit!”

"Wang Xijue, what right do you, an official who can't even teach his own daughter properly, have to spout such nonsense and criticize the royal family!"

……

The representatives of the imperial clans spoke one after another, and their words all turned into criticisms of Wang Xijue.

After listening for a moment, Wang Xijue raised his voice and said, "Gentlemen, His Majesty did not step forward so that everyone could have enough dignity, for the sake of the court, for the sake of all the people, and for the sake of your descendants so that they would not be left with nothing. Can't you make a sacrifice?"

Wang Xijue's face darkened, and he also lost his temper.

"Damn it, who has nothing better to do?" A curse came from the crowd, and then a document hit Wang Xijue squarely in the face.

Before Wang Xijue could even see who had hit him, a prince who was closest to him suddenly shoved him and then punched him.

"Beat him up!" Prince Qing, Zhu Nixun, shouted.

Immediately, several princes rushed over and began punching and kicking Wang Xijue.

Not far away, King Zhou, Zhu Zaiting, commanded: "Change the person! Change the person! Don't hit the face! Don't hit the face!"

Prince Zhu Zaiting of Zhou understood the principle that the law does not punish the masses. He wanted all the representatives of the imperial clan to punch Wang Xijue. He did not believe that the court would severely punish them all.

Moreover, doing so would demonstrate their tough stance and force the young Wanli Emperor to speak with them personally.

When the young Wanli Emperor arrives, they can then play the victim and focus solely on family ties, ignoring the national situation.

Wang Xijue held his head in his hands.

The royal family dared to hit him, but he absolutely could not fight back, otherwise it would be a serious crime and no one could save him.

At this moment, two quick-witted clerks from the Ministry of Rites swiftly pulled Wang Xijue up, squeezed a path with their heads, and led Wang Xijue out of the council hall.

……

A quarter of an hour later.

Wang Xijue appeared in the Wenhua Hall looking disheveled, with obvious redness and swelling on his face.

At this moment, the young Wanli Emperor was reviewing memorials, while Shen Nian stood by his side, ready to answer his questions at any time.

When the young Wanli Emperor saw Wang Xijue in such a sorry state and heard him recount what had happened, he was filled with rage.

"These people... they really are lawless, daring to attack a Hanlin scholar of the imperial court! Since they want to see me, then I will talk to them personally!" The young Wanli Emperor stood up, ready to support Wang Xijue.

Shen Nian's eyes darted around, and he suddenly said, "Your Majesty, if you speak with them personally, you will fall into their trap. They will talk to you about ancestral rules and kinship. How will you respond? Scholar Wang can forcefully discuss these three policies with them, but if Your Majesty intervenes, your words will become an imperial edict. This will not only make the princes think that Your Majesty has violated ancestral rules, but it will also affect the cooperation of the other princes. This matter is absolutely not suitable for Your Majesty to intervene!"

Emperor Wanli understood this principle: it is the hardest to reason with one's own family. Only if these princes and vassals actively agree to this policy can its implementation proceed smoothly.

"If I don't step forward, who will? Even if the Grand Secretary goes, these imperial princes will still dare to make a move!"

Shen Nian smiled slightly.

"Your Majesty, I suggest that you appoint one of your closest members of the imperial clan to speak on this matter. Although he has not yet taken up his fief, he will be the head of the imperial clan in the future. If he speaks with the princes of the various vassal states, the latter will absolutely not dare to make a move."

"One of my closest members of the imperial clan?" The young Wanli Emperor looked puzzled, wondering who Shen Nian was referring to.

If there truly were such a member of the imperial clan, and someone were to follow his orders to converse with the various princes and vassals, advising them based on his own circumstances and speaking of both kinship and national affairs, he would indeed be more suitable than civil or military officials.

The Zhu family's affairs should be resolved by the Zhu family members.

Shen Nian bowed deeply and said, "Your Highness Prince Lu is capable of shouldering this important responsibility!"

Upon hearing this name, both Emperor Wanli and Wang Xijue smiled.

(End of this chapter)