Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 286: Merit-based advancement, secondary merit-based advancement; no title inherited without military merit; selection of main equipment; alignment of granularity.

During the Jisi Incident, Huang Taiji deployed his troops outside Beijing. In order to encourage the army to fight bravely, Zhu Youjian issued an edict: Whoever captures or kills the slave chieftain Huang Taiji will be granted the title of Duke, which will be hereditary and will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand acres of fertile land!
Ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand acres of fertile land, worth more than two hundred thousand taels of silver, was, to be honest, a bit of a pain, but Zhu Youjian gritted his teeth and delivered on his promise.

Zhao Shuaijiao became rich overnight. He couldn't refuse the reward from the Duke, but he refused all the money. So he sold his land, divided the money into several portions, and distributed them to the generals who had followed him into battle. He kept one hundred taels of gold and fifty acres of land for his family.

His actions immediately drew fierce criticism. Faced with the criticism, Zhao Shuaijiao immediately submitted a letter of confession, saying that he was willing to use his title to atone for his crime. Zhu Youjian immediately summoned him to question him.

The meeting was held in a small venue in the Wenyuan Pavilion, but the scale of the event was quite grand: several top noble families in Beijing, including Shi Laifeng, Li Guoyu, Bi Ziyan, Zhu Xieyuan, Sun Chengzong, and Yuan Keli, as well as the six cabinet ministers, were all present. In addition, special talents in the military field such as Xu Guangqi, Li Banghua, and Sun Yuanhua were also all there.

Zhao Shuaijiao, who was already somewhat apprehensive, was so shocked by the huge scene that his legs went weak. He just wanted to resign his title; he couldn't possibly end up with his death and the extermination of his clan!

"Zhao Shuaijiao, you must have had your head smashed by the Jurchens during the battle, right? Privately supplying troops, are you trying to rebel!" Yuan Keli berated Zhao Shuaijiao as soon as he arrived.

Everyone watched the old man's performance in silence, without saying a word. Even Zhu Youjian observed the scene with great interest. Everyone else treated it as a joke, but Zhao Shuaijiao seemed to take it seriously. He knelt down in front of the emperor with a thud and said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, I am guilty. Please punish me!"

Zhu Youjian rolled his eyes. He couldn't figure out if he was just unlucky or what, since all his ministers were capable of causing trouble! But today, he would focus on important business and not bother Zhao Shuaijiao.

He calmly said, "I don't need to teach you the story of Zigong redeeming the ox, do I? If I were to strip you of your newly conferred title of Duke, what would the people of the world think?"
If you feel unworthy of this, then just fight a few more brilliant battles. You're only in your early sixties, the prime of your life, and I haven't removed you from your military post. Anyway, you've already reached the limit of your titles. If you achieve merit in the future, I'll just reward you with some gold, silver, or silk. Wouldn't that be just as appropriate?
Alright, stop kneeling. Find an empty seat and sit down. By the way, the money you sent out, I had people intercept it. If you think you have too much money, then be a philanthropist like Zhao and give some porridge to the homeless and beggars.

"Don't interfere with the military's rewards; it'll only give others cause for gossip. Those censors need to find something to do, otherwise they'll be fired for not working. If I keep ignoring them, they'll accuse me of being stubborn and willful."

Zhao Shuaijiao was completely bewildered, and sat down next to Duke Zhang Weixian of Yingguo. Zhu Youjian had summoned this large group of important officials without informing them beforehand what the meeting was about.

Zhu Xieyuan, Sun Chengzong, and others probably guessed what was going on, while Zhang Weixian was extremely excited. However, he was clearly wrong. He thought that the emperor had summoned everyone to discuss advancing into Liaodong and preparing to recover lost territory.

He was always busy with various trivial matters and never had the opportunity to personally participate in battles. He thought that this time the emperor had finally come to his senses and decided to let him lead the troops.

Zhu Youjian summoned everyone not to tidy up their appearance.

"We will discuss three things today," Zhu Youjian said, shaking his finger. "The first thing is to discuss and formulate a set of standardized rules for recording merits, which should prioritize actual achievements over primary merits, and all measures should be based on boosting the army's combat effectiveness."

Secondly, the types of firearms in the military today are chaotic, with over 180 types recorded in the "Treatise on Military Preparedness" alone. The design of their projectiles, the amount of powder they contain, and the methods of handling them vary, with no fixed rules.
In this way, it would be difficult for the various armies to coordinate, and the supply of military supplies would become increasingly complicated; firearms would be unusable, and losses would inevitably increase while firepower would decrease; there was also the risk of the barrels exploding, causing unnecessary injuries to the soldiers.

I hereby instruct my ministers to select a dozen or so types of firearms for regular use in the army, and to collect the rest for recasting. If the army has a genuine need for special firearms, a small quantity of such special firearms may be retained. However, these firearms will not be included in the imperial military supply register; their procurement and repair shall be handled entirely by each army unit itself.

"Thirdly!" Zhu Youjian's gaze sharpened, and his tone became serious: "We must strictly adhere to the ironclad rule of 'no title without military merit,' and eliminate those who receive titles without merit. For hereditary titles, the heir must be examined before being allowed to inherit them, based on their literary and martial skills, military achievements, and experience; even when titles are granted to members of the imperial clan, the rule of inheriting titles in a lower rank should be followed, and no one should overstep the bounds."

While everyone was quietly pondering and digesting the emperor's intentions regarding the first two points, the moment the third point was spoken, everyone erupted in uproar!
Zhang Weixian was the first to lose his composure and hurriedly cried out, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

"Does Your Majesty intend to reduce the power of the vassal states? Forgive my bluntness, but the world is not yet at peace. There are displaced people rebelling within and powerful enemies surrounding us without. Your Majesty's actions may lead to great disaster! This is a chaotic decree, and I will not obey!" Grand Secretary Sun Chengzong said with a sigh.

“Your Majesty’s move is indeed ill-considered. It may be a new rule, but applying it to old titles is somewhat unfair. Although our dynasty mainly awards titles based on military merit, there has never been an ironclad rule of ‘no title without military merit.’ Perhaps Your Majesty has misremembered.” Zhu Xieyuan also expressed his opposition.

"I was so stupid, really, to let a bunch of nobles talk to me about restricting the nobles!" Zhu Youjian lowered his gaze, looking at his nose, feeling that the tip of his nose seemed a little red.

Zhu Youjian forced a smile, trying to save face, and said, "As I said, today's discussion is about these three matters, and no final decision has been made. But it's strange, though. What's wrong with this third matter? If the nobles are not restrained and their offspring are allowed to degenerate, it will be detrimental to both themselves and the Ming Dynasty!"

"Duke of Ningguo?!" Zhu Youjian suddenly shouted before the ministers could argue with him.

"Your subject is here!" Wei Liangqing, Wei Zhongxian's grand-nephew, had been trying to make himself less noticeable, but he was still dragged out.

Zhu Youjian sat in his chair, tapped the table, and looked at Wei Liangqing, who was standing awkwardly, with a puzzled expression. "Duke Xuanguo has spent half his life on the battlefield and has accumulated countless merits before being granted the title of Duke. The others are descendants of founding heroes. Your ancestors were commoners for three generations. At such a young age, what merits have you made to be able to hold the position of Duke?!"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." Wei Liangqing's forehead was covered in sweat. Before he came, his uncle Wei Zhongxian had warned him that things were different now. The emperor no longer favored his uncle and told him to be careful with his words at the meeting, preferably not to speak at all, and not to offend anyone, even if the other party's rank was lower than his.

He had accomplished all of these, but since this meeting had invited someone like him, it was clearly a special event for him, and there was no way he could escape. Wei Liangqing gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, I have been granted a title for my meritorious service in rebuilding the three main halls and in defeating the Jurchen chieftain in the Battle of Ningyuan."

"Minister Xu, Minister Xue is absent, and you are acting as Minister of Works. Tell me, is the construction of the three main halls Wei Liangqing's achievement? Minister Zhu, I know nothing about military affairs, but may I ask if Wei Liangqing led the troops to victory in the Battle of Ningyuan?!"

Wei Liangqing looked at the two men with a bewildered expression. Xu Guangqi shook his head and said, "The three main halls were personally supervised by the late emperor and have nothing to do with the Duke of Ningguo."

Zhu Xieyuan didn't even glance at Wei Liangqing, and said succinctly, "In the Battle of Ningyuan, Yuan Chonghuan was the one who made the greatest contribution, and the soldiers also made great contributions in fighting bravely against the enemy."

"Wei Liangqing, do you have anything else to say?!" Zhu Youjian said in a deep voice.

Wei Liangqing frantically turned his head, looking left and right, but couldn't find Wei Zhongxian anywhere. Could his uncle have already been killed by the Emperor? The more Wei Liangqing thought about it, the more frightened he became. His legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground, stammering, "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!"
"I have rendered no service, but I have always been dutiful and have never done anything immoral! Your Majesty, you must not believe the one-sided accounts of those civil officials; they are slandering me! Your Majesty, I and Eunuch Wei are utterly loyal!"

"Imperial decree: Duke Ningguo, Wei Liangqing, has occupied a high position without making any contribution, which is intolerable to Heaven. His title is hereby stripped and he is reduced to commoner status, and his property is confiscated! The titles of Earl of Anping, Wei Pengyi, and Marquis of Dong'an, Wei Liangdong, are also hereby revoked! Wei Liangqing, do you accept this?!"

Wei Liangqing broke out in a cold sweat. How could he dare to complain? Such a prestigious title had suddenly vanished, and his eyes were stinging with tears. But at least he wasn't dead. He might not be very capable, but he wasn't stupid. The fact that the emperor hadn't killed him meant that his backer hadn't fallen.

All titles are meaningless. As long as Wei Zhongxian is alive, he will enjoy wealth and honor; if Wei Zhongxian dies, even if he is made a king, he will die without a burial place!
"This humble subject kowtows to Your Majesty for sparing my life!" Wei Liangqing respectfully kowtowed, then stripped off his ceremonial robes in front of everyone, folded them neatly, placed them on the ground, and removed his headdress, placing it on top of the robes.

"He's a pragmatic guy." Zhu Youjian nodded to himself, thinking that this fellow might not be without value in being cultivated.

“Your Majesty, this Wei Zhongxian…” Sun Chengzong, who was drafting the edict, suddenly spoke up. Before he could finish his sentence, Wei Liangqing, who had not yet left the room, perked up his ears and straightened up.

"I still have a use for Wei Zhongxian!" Zhu Youjian said bluntly. He usually spoke to Wei Zhongxian in similar terms; with such a cunning and treacherous man, there was no genuine affection to speak of, only mutual benefit. Zhu Youjian had informed Wei Zhongxian beforehand about stripping his relatives of their titles, and Wei Zhongxian dared not object.

Zhu Youjian told him very clearly: "Titles are not something your family can covet. You're fine while you're alive, but what if you die? When your nephews and grandnephews are attacked by the censors, do you believe I will protect them to the death, or will your cronies stand up to protect your descendants? You're a smart man; I don't need to break these principles down for you, do I?!"

Wei Zhongxian certainly had a way of courting death. Zhu Youjian (Emperor Zhu Youjian) couldn't understand what he was thinking. Could temporary power really make someone so arrogant? Logically speaking, Wei Zhongxian, who became "Nine Thousand Years Old," wasn't a fool, but what gave him the confidence to guarantee that such wealth and honor would continue in his family?
Even if he rose to the position of a powerful eunuch capable of deposing and installing monarchs during the late Tang Dynasty, the problem is that he's already old. How many more years can he live? What abilities do his relatives have to inherit his power? You know, the succession of power is a global problem!
In the midst of laughter and conversation, a duke was deposed. The nobles fell silent for a moment. They suspected that the emperor was playing a trick to make an example of someone. However, castration was something everyone was happy to see, so no one spoke up to stop it. If it weren't for the emperor's protection, Wei Zhongxian would have been dead long ago!
Zhu Youjian himself did not bestow titles upon his maternal relatives. Among the maternal relatives who are still alive and have been granted titles are: Zhang Guoji, the Earl of Taikang, father of Empress Zhang, the wife of Emperor Xizong; and Li Chengming, the Marquis of Wuqing, nephew of Empress Dowager Li, the mother of Emperor Wanli.

Li Chengming is one thing, but Empress Yi'an is still alive. Does the emperor dare to touch her relatives?!

The titles of maternal relatives are inherently difficult to pass down, otherwise there wouldn't be only two left now, and they would only have the title without real power. People feel that it is rather inhumane for the emperor to eliminate them all.

The emperor's act of putting righteousness before family is indeed commendable, but now that the maternal relatives can be abolished, and they do not object, what if the emperor later says that their offspring have not made enough military achievements to inherit the title? Who can bear that?
The emperor did not specify what kind of merit could be inherited. Even if the rules were set, wouldn't they be changed in the future? In that case, wouldn't the so-called hereditary succession become a joke?

Currently, there are 27 noble families in the Ming Dynasty who possess hereditary titles, including the newly appointed Duke of Xuan, Zhao Shuaijiao, and the Earl of Dongjiang, Mao Wenlong. However, there are 25 princes and 260 dukes, involving 30 vassal states.

No one knows whether this will trigger another Jingnan Rebellion. The best thing to do is not to cause trouble. Anyway, we are still getting by.

In the end, Zhu Youjian's third point had no support; it only excluded the nobles from Wei Zhongxian's faction. Helpless, he could only set aside the controversy and let everyone discuss the first two points first.

Zhu Youjian was unwilling to accept defeat, so he threatened, "Send the eldest sons and grandsons of each of your families to the army for training, or don't blame me for withholding your titles and imperial edicts!"

Everyone respected his authority, and the nobles all said in unison, "We will obey Your Majesty's command and live up to Your Majesty's high expectations!"

Sigh! Zhu Youjian crossed his arms and sulked. Rationally speaking, he couldn't possibly accomplish everything. His ideas might be wrong; or they might be right but not in the interests of certain people, or he might not have enough power to push them forward; or he might force them forward and cause trouble instead.

But he always felt that he did this without any selfish motives, for the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty, not for his own family. He felt that people's lack of support for him meant they didn't understand him, which inevitably made him feel disappointed!

The ministers began to discuss the two propositions raised by the emperor, while secretly glancing at him out of the corner of their eyes. They knew the emperor was unhappy, but they were used to it; that was just how the emperor was, and he would be happy again in a couple of days.

(End of this chapter)