Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 155 Fight with your life!

Zhu Biao looked at his father, waiting for him to explain his considerations.

The things his father, the emperor, has made his younger brother do are truly hateful.

The businesses in Suzhou and Hangzhou are coveted by countless people.

Despite the fact that the Emperor had already dealt with the Wu brothers, Wu Liang and Wu Zhen, and that Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong had also paid hefty fines, it is still a pity.

At the same time, other people in the court who were involved were also punished.

But these are only superficial.

The profits from maritime trade are so great that those who secretly accept bribes from maritime merchants are certainly not limited to these individuals.

At this time, why take such drastic measures against these maritime merchants?

Furthermore, these maritime merchants will be completely eliminated in the future, and state-owned enterprises will be established.

It's unknown how many people's livelihoods have been secretly cut off.

It's inevitable that you'll be hated.

Since the vassal kings did nothing, they naturally became the target of attacks from many court officials.

The emperor's granting of fiefdoms to his younger brothers was a genuine granting of fiefdoms.

Under such circumstances, it would attract even more attention from court officials.

Now that they've pulled this stunt again, it would be strange if my fourth brother could have an easy time from now on.

Even if they were to become barbarians in the future, far from the capital, they would still not be able to live in peace.

Many officials will try to find fault with the fourth brother through various means.

This is really not a good solution.

Could it be... that Father Emperor is planning to make an example of someone to warn others?

If you catch anyone who attacks your fourth brother and his group, kill them on the spot.

Then, is the crime of sowing discord between the father and son in the imperial family?

With such a method in place, many people will definitely fall silent on this matter and things will quiet down.

The more Zhu Biao thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Such a thing is something only my own father, the Emperor, would do.

"Biao'er, we plan to assign your younger brothers who are willing to go overseas to work overseas in the future."

Only there could they become true feudal lords, free from too many restrictions.

They can also truly showcase their talents and put in a hard-fought battle.

Zhu Yuanzhang's proposed solution surprised Zhu Biao.

This was a method he had never considered before.

So... it was actually shipped overseas?

No, what is my own father thinking?

They're actually going to take it overseas?
This solution was so unexpected!

Father Emperor is so harsh on my fourth brother and his siblings, he even wants to send them overseas!
How is this any different from exile?
"Father, this... I'm afraid this is not quite appropriate."

Fourth brother is your own son, and he is my own brother.

Moreover, the fourth brother's actions were also for the sake of the Ming Dynasty.

He has made many contributions and achieved many accomplishments.

In some matters, my fourth brother was practically risking his life.

It's one thing to not offer a reward, but why send the fourth brother overseas as well?
This is no different from exile…

Zhu Biao immediately became anxious and hurriedly tried to persuade Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Father, from now on, my brothers shall go wherever they are to serve as their own."

At the same time, we should also give our fourth brother more soldiers.

With my fourth brother's abilities, he will surely be able to guard the north and prevent the grasslands from invading southward.

It will become a barrier for my Great Ming Dynasty.

After Uncle Tiande passes away, they'll still have to rely on Fourth Brother!
Father, you don't need to worry about your fourth brother holding onto his military power.

There's no need to worry about the younger brothers fighting for power in the future.

This is impossible.

With Father Emperor around, Fourth Brother will behave himself.

With the children around, these younger brothers won't cause any trouble either.

My fourth brother will become the Great General Who Conquers the North for my Ming Dynasty.

In the future, when Xiong Ying becomes emperor, my fourth brother will also be loyal and devoted to the Ming Dynasty.

The fourth brother dotes on Xiong Ying and would never act recklessly in these matters.

My fourth brother isn't that kind of person.

The other brothers are not like that either.

Zhu Yuanzhang was very satisfied to see his son Biao suddenly become anxious.

His own son, Biao'er, was truly exceptional towards his younger brothers.

They genuinely care about them.

"Biao'er, you're right. We know how you feel, and we also know how deep your brotherhood is."

You're absolutely right. Whether we're here, you're here, or even if Xiong Ying becomes emperor, those bastards would never dare to make any moves.

However, we did not give sufficient consideration to the system of enfeoffing princes before this.

Some aspects are inappropriate.

There are no problems with our generation, two generations, or three generations; we have the bonds of father and son, brothers, and nephews and nieces.

They are related by blood and have a very close emotional bond.

But what happens next?

The emperors and princes who came after them might never have even met once in their lives.

Where is there any feeling left?
It is said that one should not allow others to sleep soundly beside one's bed.

In the future, when other emperors ascend the throne, they will certainly be wary of these powerful vassal kings who hold considerable military power.

The reduction of the power of the feudal lords was inevitable.
At that point, it would be too easy for things to get out of hand.

If we are not careful, it could cause turmoil and chaos in our Great Ming Dynasty.

The people are living in misery!

Or perhaps it will turn into something like the Sima family.

It's not impossible that this would lead to a large influx of non-Han people into the Central Plains, causing chaos and unrest in China.

These have nothing to do with family ties or anything else; they are solely about interests and human nature.

Even some later emperors did not want to reduce the power of the vassal states.

However, there will definitely be many ministers who will jump out and keep instigating it.

In addition, there were precedents such as the Rebellion of the Seven States and the Rebellion of the Eight Princes.

The lesson is profound.

The emperors who followed would definitely not be able to resist and would eventually reduce the power of the vassal states.

The chaos that ensued back then was enormous!
Fratricide plunged the Ming Dynasty into war, something we do not wish to see.

Rather than leaving the trouble to future generations and trusting their wisdom, it's better to solve the problem ourselves.

I am the founding emperor, and also the father of these brats.

The idea of ​​enfeoffing princes was proposed by us, and none of them have actually been established yet.

If we handle it, things will be much easier.

This is the best opportunity.

If I ignore it, it will surely lead to great chaos in the future.

This will make the imperial clan a major hidden danger for our Ming Dynasty.

This is not what we want to see.

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Zhu Biao remained silent.

He still couldn't accept this outcome.

“Then… Father, you can let my fourth brother and the others go to their fiefdoms first.”

Once the child ascends to the throne, the power of the princes will be gradually reduced, and they will not dare to disobey.

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head:
"It's best to do these things from the beginning."

If you were to reduce the power of the princes in the future, it would certainly affect the brotherly relationship between you.

You are a kind-hearted person, so you may not actually be able to bring yourself to take action and reduce the power of the princes.

Moreover, after such a long period of development, the vassal kings have gradually become deeply entrenched.

Further weakening the power of the feudal lords would certainly not be as simple as it is now.

It's better not to give anything at all than to give it away and then take it away.

Your attempt to weaken the power of the feudal lords will also affect the brotherhood between you…

"Father, why don't we compensate them financially in the future?"

Let them become wealthy princes.

Zhu Biao truly did not want his younger brothers to be enfeoffed overseas, as his father had said.

In Zhu Biao's view, this was really no different from exile.

This is the last thing he wanted to see.

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head upon hearing Zhu Biao's words:

"Biao'er, no, we can't afford to raise him."

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Zhu Biao blinked.

How could they not be able to afford to raise them?

My Ming Dynasty is so vast, and my father is now cracking down on maritime merchants. In the future, he will also establish the Maritime Trade Office to make money.

In the future, the Ming Dynasty's tax revenue will definitely get better and better.

How could they possibly not be able to afford to raise them?

Father is so stingy!

She was really too harsh on her younger brothers.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled wryly: "Biao'er, we really can't afford to raise him."

The princes received an annual stipend of 50,000 shi of rice, as well as a large quantity of winter cloth, summer cloth, charcoal, horse feed, salt permits, vinegar, tea, and many other items.

If a mere prince has such a large expense, then our future grandsons, who will be enfeoffed as princes, generals, etc., will also have considerable expenses.

Our great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren... generation after generation, how many people have been supported by the salaries of our Great Ming Dynasty?
Besides them, princesses and other noblewomen also received corresponding stipends.

And that's just considering your current brothers; who knows, we might even give you some more younger brothers and sisters in the future.

In the future, the emperor's brothers will also be granted the title of prince.

The sons of princes are also dukes... generation after generation, there will be even more people receiving stipends from the imperial court.

As members of the royal family, they didn't have to worry about making a living.

The imperial court would raise as many children as they were born. They could also often marry many wives and concubines.

The family had no idea how much rice they would receive from the imperial court.

Some people even went so far as to receive government salaries by having children.

If you were to encounter someone like Liu Sheng, the Prince of Zhongshan, who had over a hundred sons and numerous daughters...

What do you think we should do about this?
How much money does our Great Ming Dynasty have to support them?

This account cannot be calculated in detail. If all of it were supplied truthfully, you would find that the vast majority of the Ming Dynasty's income would end up going to the imperial family.

Even filling in all the blanks wasn't enough.

It will be dragged down in the future.

They have turned my Ming imperial family into a blood-sucking cancer.

"They've dragged my Great Ming Dynasty into an abyss!"

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Zhu Biao was stunned.

The more he thought about it, the uglier his expression became.

The more he calculated, the paler his face became.

To the point that towards the end, beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead.

How could this be?

How could this be?

Currently, if we only consider the treatment of the imperial family members as stipulated by my father, the emperor, the final figure will be an enormous number that is impossible to calculate.

If what he said goes, and he continues to bring up the treatment of members of the royal family,

Then this matter will become even more difficult and terrifying!
No... how did it turn out like this?
It turns out that when the Emperor said he couldn't afford to support these members of the imperial family, he wasn't just making excuses.

It's not that my father is stingy, it's that he really can't afford to raise me.

Zhu Biao also believed that a living person wouldn't die from holding their urine.

Later on, the imperial court will definitely come up with some solutions to this problem.

It's simply a matter of increasing revenue and reducing expenditure.

The most important of these is cost-saving.

This means reducing the welfare benefits of the royal family.

Or not only would they cut back, but they would also delay paying the princes' stipends.

Isn't this completely different from his current idea of ​​making up for his brothers' shortcomings by improving their treatment?

Zhu Biao was stunned, completely bewildered by this unexpected outcome.

How could this be... that his own brothers have become such a huge burden on the Ming Dynasty?
They clearly came to power from their own family.

It possesses the four seas.

As the eldest son, he was to inherit the throne, while his younger brothers had no chance of becoming princes. Zhu Biao felt somewhat indebted to them.

But now, I suddenly realize...

Things have turned out this way, and we can't even offer some compensation.

No matter what you do, you can't have it all.

It's impossible to have the best of both worlds.

Could it be... could it really be as my father said, that I will enfeoff these younger brothers overseas in the future?
But he really didn't want to do that.

I really can't bear it.

"Biao'er, listen to us. From now on, we will enfeoff the princes who are willing to go overseas to overseas regions."

Not all of the overseas world is a wilderness.

There are also vast lands overseas, some of which are very prosperous with fertile soil.

In some places, it's even possible to have three harvests a year.

We have vast tracts of land to the west, south, and north.

Going east, there is the country of Japan, where there is a great deal of gold and silver.

Continuing eastward, across the ocean, there will surely be vast tracts of land.

Further south, in Southeast Asia and the Western Ocean, there is also a lot of land, where people live and there is a rich variety of species.

The outside world is vast and open, enough for them to spread their wings and soar.

Letting them go out to establish their own states will allow them to fully display their talents.

Someone like your fourth brother, so talented.

If in the future, we only let him be a wealthy prince, wouldn't you say that's a cruel thing?

Is this the kind of life your fourth brother really wants?

He definitely wouldn't want to.

After a moment of stunned silence, Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "But... Father, how do you know that my fourth brother and the others are willing to go overseas?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "I know a thing or two about your fourth brother's personality."

Of course, it's inaccurate to say these things at this time.

You can ask your fourth brother and the others what choices they will make in the future.

Besides, we're saying that we're enfeoffing people who are willing to go overseas to work overseas.

Those who are unwilling will not be forced; their opinions will be respected.

At that time, we knew too little about overseas countries.

In the future, with the establishment of the Maritime Trade Office, a large amount of money and other valuables will enter our Great Ming Dynasty.

Our Great Ming Dynasty is gaining more and more knowledge about overseas regions.

I believe many people will gradually change their minds.

We will have new perspectives on overseas matters.

Moreover, even if they are not sent overseas.

It's also impossible for them to become powerful princes.

Their lives would not be so carefree and happy.

Within the territory of our Great Ming Dynasty, as a vassal king, there would certainly be many restrictions.

It's impossible to give them military power, financial power, and personnel appointments and removals.

We will never allow the An Lushan Rebellion and the separatist rule of regional warlords to happen.

Numerous officials will inevitably keep a close eye on them.

Especially later, when the policy of weakening the power of regional princes became the mainstream.

Whether before or after the reduction of the power of the feudal lords.

Their lives will inevitably become even more difficult.

There's no need for the imperial court to issue any special orders; many eyes will be watching them.

As the imperial family grew up over a long period, they inevitably picked up many bad habits.
This caused a lot of trouble.

It will definitely not be as you imagine.

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally knew what the imperial clan would become in the future.

It not only became a bloodsucking tumor on the Ming Dynasty, but also accounted for a large portion of the government's budget.

Another issue is that many members of the royal family are eating too much and eating too well.

When they have free time, they tend to do a lot of random things.

They ran rampant in the area, seized land, illegally minted mines, illegally minted copper coins and weapons, and resold the weapons to barbarians.

They bullied men and women, and ran rampant in the countryside.

Even among members of the imperial family, disorderly conduct regarding generational order was commonplace.

The pursuit of titles and wealth can lead to countless despicable acts.

Thinking about these things only strengthened Zhu Yuanzhang's resolve to bring his sons and the imperial family members of the Ming Dynasty to power.

The belief in expanding the fiefdoms overseas as much as possible.

Rather than letting them wreak havoc on the Ming Dynasty, it would be better to let them go overseas to wreak havoc on barbarians and, incidentally, expand the Chinese civilization sphere.

"The treatment of princes will definitely be tightened in the future."

If you have the ability and ambition, go out and build your own business.

We will provide some assistance at the beginning.

For example, providing them with money, armor, ships, seeds, etc.

Give them start-up capital.

As for those members of the royal family who are unwilling to go overseas, they will not be able to enjoy the current stipends.

He was not allowed to serve in the local tribes; he could only be a truly idle prince.

The world is there, and countless resources are there too.

In the West, things have gradually begun to take off.

The Ming Dynasty itself neither occupies nor does it take advantage of these things.

Then we'll have to hand it over to someone else in the future.

Zhu Yuanzhang, of course, could not allow such a thing to happen.

These all belong to the Ming Dynasty!

Under heaven, all men are subjects of the king; within the borders of the land, all territory belongs to the king!
Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever rivers flow, that is Han territory!

Now I'm starting over, and I've arrived at this point again.

If we can't change these things, we'll have wasted such a great opportunity!
From now on, it will be necessary for our Great Ming to persuade them to open their doors and allow them free trade.

To make Chinese the world's mainstream language.

It has inspired countless foreigners to learn Chinese.

Let the Ming Dynasty become a beacon for the world!
Just thinking about the hardships Zhu Yuanzhang endured in English during his school years made him feel that his idea was feasible.

This is absolutely necessary!

After listening to his father's words, Zhu Biao remained silent for a while and then stopped thinking about the matter.

Let's see how it goes; there's still plenty of time.

Even if these younger brothers were to be enfeoffed overseas, it wouldn't be done at this time.

Some things can be put on hold for now, and we'll see what happens next.

After the father and son talked for a while, someone came to announce that someone had been named.

Upon hearing this name, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately became excited.

He immediately spoke up and ordered someone to bring the person in.

He wants to meet with him in person!

……

In Suzhou, Zhu Di stood up, gripping the sword at his waist.

Now, most of these maritime merchants have been killed.

It's time to take action and thoroughly clean up the officialdom in Jiangnan!

(End of this chapter)