I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 259 Little Drama Queen Prince Lu! Don't eat the court's food and then smash the court's pot.
The reason why Prince Zhu Yiliu of Lu was able to persuade the representatives of the various vassal states was not because of his outstanding eloquence, but because of his special status.

Although the twelve-year-old Prince Lu, Zhu Yiliu, had not yet taken up his fief, as the only half-brother of the young Wanli Emperor, he would become the most prestigious prince of the Ming Dynasty in the future.

From now on, how well the princes and vassals of the empire fared will depend entirely on how much the Prince of Lu wins them over.

They dared to beat up Wang Xijue, but they would never dare to beat up the Prince of Lu.

Prince Lu, representing the young Wanli Emperor, went to communicate with them, and they absolutely dared not speak disrespectfully.

As for what reasons Prince Lu should use to persuade them, the young Wanli Emperor, Shen Nian, and Wang Xijue could all offer their suggestions.

The representatives of the imperial clans wanted to talk to the young Wanli Emperor in person, clearly intending to use ancestral rules and kinship to coerce him into compromising.

However, while the Prince of Lu could not make any promises, he could persuade them as fellow vassal states.

The fact that Prince Lu stepped forward was also a way for the young Wanli Emperor to show the imperial family's favor. If they still didn't know how to appreciate it, they might have to stay in the capital for a while longer, or even for the rest of their lives.

The young Wanli Emperor looked at the eunuch delivering the imperial edict beside him.

"Immediately proceed to the Southern Meeting Hall to convey my imperial edict: today's meeting to revise the 'Regulations on the Imperial Clan' is cancelled, and all imperial clansmen are forbidden from leaving the hall. Furthermore, inform the Court of Imperial Sacrifices that lunch and dinner will be suspended today. Let them go hungry for two meals, and then we'll see if they still have the strength to beat people!"

"Yes!" The young eunuch quickly ran outside.

The young Wanli Emperor then looked at another eunuch and said, "Summon the Prince of Lu to an audience!"

Shen Nian believed that Prince Lu was capable of persuading the representatives of the various vassal states.

On one hand, there was his status as a member of the imperial clan; on the other hand, Shen Nian had recently spoken to Prince Lu about the current state of the imperial clans, which deeply moved Prince Lu.

Although the Prince of Lu was young, he was already beginning to understand things, and thanks to Shen Nian's teachings, he had a strong sense of national responsibility.

A while ago, Shen Nian was telling Prince Lu about land annexation. When she said the line, "Only fragrant grasses remain on the road for princes, not entering the vermilion gates of imperial princes," the latter burst into tears.

Under the tutelage of the young Wanli Emperor, Shen Nian, and Wang Xijue, he quickly learned how to communicate with the representatives of the imperial clan.

……

A moment later, Prince Lu arrived at the Wenhua Hall.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty!" Prince Lu bowed very politely to the young Wanli Emperor.

Shen Nian and Wang Xijue, who were standing to the side, bowed to Prince Lu and said, "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Lu!"

Prince Lu nodded slightly, then returned the greeting with a slight bow, saying, "Greetings, sir! Greetings, Scholar Wang!"

Shen Nian then told the Prince of Lu his idea of ​​persuading the representatives of the various vassal states. As for what to say, the young Wanli Emperor, Shen Nian, and Wang Xijue would teach the Prince of Lu word by word.

The usually leisurely Prince Lu was overjoyed that he would have the opportunity to share the burdens of the court.

"Your Majesty, your younger brother is willing to share the burdens of the court!" Prince Lu said excitedly.

The young Wanli Emperor nodded in satisfaction and said, "Next, I, Minister Shen, Scholar Wang, and I will teach you how to persuade these representatives of the imperial clan tomorrow!"

……

At that moment, the representatives of the various feudal lords received notice that today's meeting was canceled.

Prince Zhou, Zhu Zaiting, Prince Qing, Zhu Nixun, and others were overjoyed, seeing it as a sign that the young Wanli Emperor was making concessions.

Some representatives of the imperial clans felt that beating Wang Xijue had gone too far and wanted to submit a memorial of apology, but were stopped by the five princes, including Prince Qing Zhu Nixun.

They believed that beating officials was indeed wrong, but this mistake should only be acknowledged after they had met with the young Wanli Emperor and determined how the "Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Princes and Feudal Lords" would be implemented.

Admitting their mistakes in advance would make the court think they were weak and easily bullied.

The five princes successfully persuaded the princes who wanted to apologize, but their performance was also relayed to the ears of the young Wanli Emperor by a clerk from the Ministry of Rites.

Soon, the representatives of the vassal states returned to their respective courtyards.

At noon, they learned that the young Wanli Emperor had, in a fit of anger, canceled their lunch and dinner for the day.

Although there were many snacks and dried fruits in their courtyard, this move was tantamount to giving them a warning.

This move made some timid princes uneasy.

……

The next morning.

Representatives of the various vassal states gathered once again in the council chamber of the Southern Meeting Hall.

Prince Zhou, Zhu Zaiting, Prince Qing, Zhu Nixun, and others had prepared their stories of playing the victim and complaining to the young Wanli Emperor.

at this time.

Wang Xijue strode into the council chamber, looking around with a serious expression.

The situation suddenly became awkward.

If he had come here alone today and continued to promote the "Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Princes," a fight might have broken out.

Swish!
Wang Xijue waved his hand.

The officials behind him then distributed copies of the "Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Princes" to the princes.

Upon seeing the document, the hot-tempered Prince Qing, Zhu Nixun, felt an urge to tear it up, but he restrained himself and wanted to hear what Wang Xijue would have to say next.

Once all documents have been distributed.

Wang Xijue paused for a moment before speaking: "My lords, princes, and generals, today's meeting to revise the 'Regulations on the Imperial Clan' is not led by me, but by another prince. His Majesty has specially ordered him to explain the purpose of the 'Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Clan Members.' I hope you can all calm down today."

"Furthermore, after this prince finishes speaking, everyone needs to sign this document, 'Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Princes and Feudal Princes.' If you agree, sign 'Secondary,' and if you disagree, sign 'Oppose.' No reason is required!"

"There's another prince?" The princes were all puzzled.

Prince Zhou, Zhu Zaiting, and Prince Qing, Zhu Nixun, exchanged a sharp glance.

Although they did not know which prince had come to the capital, if he dared to promote the "Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Princes and Disciplinary Officials" and undermine the interests of the imperial princes and tributary officials throughout the country, they would curse him mercilessly.

Just as all the princes and nobles looked on with doubt, Wang Xijue called out loudly, "Please invite His Highness Prince Lu!"

Upon hearing the words "Your Highness Prince Lu," the princes were all dumbfounded.

In terms of seniority, they could all be considered the uncles of the Prince of Lu.

However, since Prince Lu was the younger brother of the young Wanli Emperor, apart from the ten princes who simply nodded to him, the other representatives of the imperial clans had to bow and greet him: "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Lu!"

The representatives of the various vassal states did not know what the purpose of the twelve-year-old Prince of Lu's visit was, and they did not believe that they could not handle a child.

soon.

Prince Lu strode in, dressed in a dragon robe, followed only by two eunuchs.

Prince Lu looked around and then waved to Wang Xijue.

Wang Xijue immediately gave the signal, and led all the civil officials in the council hall to leave, even the two eunuchs beside Prince Lu.

In the blink of an eye, the council hall was filled with members of the Zhu family.

After leaving the council hall, Wang Xijue immediately went into a side room next door, where he could clearly hear the discussions taking place.

At that moment, Shen Nian was inside the house.

Although they had prepared a speech for Prince Lu, he was still young, and if anything unexpected happened, they could easily intervene.

Inside the meeting hall.

With a youthful face and a touch of baby fat, the Lu Dynasty bowed to the representatives of the various vassal states.

"Dear relatives and uncles, matters concerning our Zhu family should be resolved by the Zhu family members. Therefore, His Majesty has sent me to handle this matter!"

Hear this.

Prince Zhu Zaiting of Zhou, Prince Zhu Nixun of Qing, and other princes couldn't help but show their delight. What they hoped for most was that this matter would be treated as a family affair rather than a state affair, because family affairs are based on feelings, while state affairs are the most ruthless.

Prince Xiaolu shook his head slightly.

"His Majesty barely slept a wink last night. He couldn't understand why none of you showed the slightest remorse after assaulting the Hanlin Academy scholar. Not a single one of you wrote a memorial of apology. His Majesty hoped to give everyone dignity, but unexpectedly, not a single one of you gave His Majesty any dignity!"

"Do my fellow clansmen and uncles know why His Majesty chose the Southern Meeting Hall to revise the 'Regulations on the Imperial Clan'?"

"Because if the meeting is held in the Wenhua Hall or the Fengxian Hall, it will become a matter of state rather than a family matter. You will only have the possibility of seconding the motion, but there will be no room for discussion. Your Majesty, deep down, still wants to treat this matter as a royal family matter. The final draft of the 'Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of the Imperial Clan' is Your Majesty's bottom line."

"Do my fellow clansmen and uncles know why His Majesty did not choose to discuss this matter with you personally?"

"Because His Majesty knows you will cause trouble, but if you continue to cause trouble in front of His Majesty, every word of it will be recorded in history, and according to the laws and ancestral rules of the country, His Majesty will have no choice but to punish you!"

"Your Majesty knows that it is difficult for your relatives and uncles, but it is even more difficult for the court, and even more difficult for Your Majesty!"

……

The young Prince Lu spoke in a clear and melodious voice, narrating his story in a gentle and persuasive manner, causing many representatives of the various vassal states to fall into deep thought.

The way Prince Lu spoke, from his tone of voice to his movements and facial expressions, was all meticulously prepared by Shen Nian yesterday afternoon.

"Do my fellow clansmen and uncles know what the most straightforward way for the imperial court to implement the 'Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Clan Members' is?"

"By seizing upon your mistakes and handling them according to the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty,' we can save the court a great deal of money."

"His Majesty knows far more than you all do, and he often uses these examples to warn me that I must never do such things when I take up my fiefdom. For instance, some princes recruit local ruffians and scoundrels as servants, harass merchants and civilians, and secretly engage in forced buying and selling; some princes violate regulations by marrying indiscriminately, privately keeping prostitutes, engaging in group debauchery, and even disregarding human life; some princes live extravagantly, transgressing etiquette in their clothing, carriages, and residences, and even defying local officials..."

Prince Xiao Lu rattled off more than ten negative examples of the imperial clansmen, causing the representatives of those clansmen to turn pale.

These talking techniques were also taught to me by Shen Nian.

The imperial court did not conduct a thorough investigation of the imperial clansmen, because if it did, it would be like stirring up a hornet's nest, potentially leading to the extermination of many members of the imperial clan, which was not feasible given the current situation in the Ming Dynasty.

However, even without investigation, Shen Nian was certain that these situations would occur.

The Prince of Lu's words caused the faces of all the princes to darken.

The fact that the twelve-year-old Prince Lu knew about these scandalous affairs of the imperial clans shows that the young Wanli Emperor was fully aware of their situation, but was unwilling to turn against them due to their status as imperial relatives.

"His Majesty has summoned all of you relatives and uncles to the capital not only to implement the 'Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Clan Members' to ensure the long-term prosperity of the Ming Dynasty, but also to give you the reputation of 'sharing the burdens of the court,' and to grant more freedom to the lower-ranking members of the imperial clan. Unfortunately, you do not want it!"

"Your Majesty, I have been more than kind to you all, yet you still dare to betray me!" Prince Lu said, his eyes reddening.

His words portrayed the young Wanli Emperor as a benevolent and virtuous ruler who valued both the nation and the imperial family. After making a difficult choice and devising a solution that satisfied both, he unexpectedly faced strong opposition from his own people.

After Prince Lu finished speaking, he glanced at the document entitled "Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of the Imperial Clan" in front of the representatives of the various imperial clans.

"Whether you second or oppose it, please give me an answer! His Majesty does not wish to argue with you any further. If His Majesty intervenes, the crimes of some princes will be even more serious. I have tried my best to persuade you!" Prince Lu said in the end.

After saying this, Xiao Luwang bowed deeply to the assembled princes and then left the council hall.

Prince Zhou, Zhu Zaiting, Prince Qing, Zhu Nixun, and other princes were not initially persuaded by Prince Lu's words, but when Prince Lu bowed in the end, they became somewhat flustered.

The expression and actions of the Prince of Lu just now clearly indicated that this was his last attempt to offer kind advice. If anyone still opposed this policy, then it would likely be handled according to the principles of state affairs.

None of the representatives of the imperial clans were clean; either the upper echelons were corrupt, or the lower echelons followed suit.

If the imperial court were to find fault with them according to the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty," most of them would likely become commoners in this generation.

At this moment, the representatives of the various vassal states immediately understood the deeper meaning behind the Prince of Lu's visit to persuade them.

The Prince of Lu persuaded him that this matter could still be discussed as a family affair. If the princes and nobles signed their second opinions, they would surely be rewarded handsomely and return home with great honor.

However, if the young Wanli Emperor were to speak to them directly, he would not be able to say such heartfelt words to them, and if they disobeyed him, it would be a serious crime.

Immediately, a representative of the imperial clan picked up a pen.

They had originally followed Prince Zhou (Zhu Zaiting) and Prince Qing (Zhu Nixun) in their rebellion, but now that they sensed that the young Wanli Emperor might be serious, they immediately lost the courage to resist.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
Soon, more than ten representatives of the imperial clans signed their secondings on the document.

Under their guidance, more and more princes began to sign the "seconding" note.

at this time.

Even the two princes who opposed the proposal the most, Prince Han Zhu Langqi and Prince Zhao Zhu Changqing, backed down and signed the petition.

After signing the document, King Zhu Langqi of Han shouted: "For the Ming Dynasty!"

As soon as these words came out.

This directly shook the will of the three stubborn old men: Prince Zhou, Zhu Zaiting; Prince Qing, Zhu Nixun; and Prince Tang, Zhu Shuohuang.

Before long, the three of them also chose to compromise.

……

About half an hour later, inside the Wenhua Hall.

The "Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Princes and Feudal Princes," signed and endorsed by 56 representatives of the imperial clan, appeared on the desk of the young Wanli Emperor.

Shen Nian, Wang Xijue, and Prince Lu stood below, all with smiles on their faces.

This matter was not handled by the cabinet; in fact, it was almost treated as a royal family affair.

Wang Xijue smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, if this plan succeeds, Prince Lu should be credited with the greatest merit!"

The young Wanli Emperor nodded in approval.

Prince Lu quickly cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, this matter is entirely due to the teachings of you, Scholar Wang, and the teacher. I only used my mouth; I didn't even use my brain!"

"He's even learned to be humble now! Prince Lu has really grown up!" the young Wanli Emperor praised.

Two years ago, Prince Lu was a mischievous child who would often climb on the roof and tear off the tiles, but under Shen Nian's tutelage, he has now developed some of the demeanor and responsibility of a prince of the imperial family.

……

May 7th, early morning.

The imperial court announced the completion of the revision of the "Regulations on Imperial Clan Affairs". The representatives of the various imperial clans cooperated tacitly and put forward many strategies that put forward for the greater good and put aside their own interests. The updated "Regulations on Imperial Clan Affairs" (the "Three Policies on Limiting the Annual Salaries of Imperial Clans" is one of the three important regulations) will be announced to the world in early June.

At the same time, the young Wanli Emperor hosted a luncheon at the Nanhuitong Hall and personally participated in it.

at the banquet.

Emperor Wanli (Emperor Wanli) specifically praised the five princes: Prince Zhou (Zhu Zaiting), Prince Qing (Zhu Nixun), Prince Tang (Zhu Shuohuang), Prince Han (Zhu Langqi), and Prince Zhao (Zhu Changqing), calling them the greatest contributors to the formation of the revised "Regulations on the Imperial Clan".

All five knew that the young Wanli Emperor was being sarcastic.

If they don't cooperate next, they will probably either be placed under house arrest or stripped of their citizenship.

……

On the eighth day of the fifth month, Emperor Wanli ordered the Ministry of Rites to bestow generous rewards upon the princes and vassals and send them home.

Each representative of the imperial clan left the capital with gifts that filled at least three horse-drawn carriages, making quite a grand display.

This is the current attitude of the imperial court towards the imperial princes: sometimes it is appropriate to use kinship, and sometimes it is appropriate to use the law of the land.

Cooperating with the court means fulfilling the bond of kinship; not cooperating means being punished according to the law, without regard to personal feelings.

Although the three Grand Secretaries were not involved in the matter, they were aware of all the details.

They were very satisfied with the outcome.

If they were to do this, the outcome might be the same, but the fate of the representatives of the various princes would likely be quite different.

(End of this chapter)