Di Ming

Chapter 446 Reforming the Nobility System and Repelling the Rebels

Prince Zhu Xuanqi of Shu spoke with deep sorrow and resentment towards the plight of the Ming imperial family. Even the immense wealth of the Prince of Shu's residence could not offset his dissatisfaction with the court.

Zhu Yin couldn't help but think more highly of Zhu Xuanqi. Being in the thick of things and able to clearly recognize this showed that he indeed possessed some strategic vision.

Among the Ming imperial family, there were finally some respectable figures.

Zhu Yin himself, of course, had a deeper understanding of the problems within the Ming imperial clan. The deeper his understanding, the more he realized that the imperial clan system needed a comprehensive reform, a major overhaul!
How many members of the imperial family were there during the Wanli era? Later accounts vary, and the figures differ. But it was certainly not the 150,000 or 160,000 registered in the imperial genealogy; the actual number was at least double.

In order to reduce salaries and burdens, the imperial court and local officials tacitly agreed to deliberately under-register salaries.

According to the system, once a member of the imperial clan reaches the lowest rank of Fengguo Zhongwei, all their descendants will hold the rank of Fengguo Zhongwei, and there will be no further demotion.

In other words, according to the ancestral system, all members of the imperial clan had a title, regardless of how many generations they inherited or how distant their bloodline was. The lowest rank was Fengguo Zhongwei, a sixth-rank official. Everyone, regardless of whether they were legitimate or illegitimate, had a title, and their annual salary was 200 shi (a unit of grain), which was much better than that of a county magistrate.

However, in practice, it has now become unrecognizable.

Because of the population explosion within the imperial clan, there were simply too many Fengguo Zhongwei (a high-ranking military officer), so not every descendant of a Fengguo Zhongwei could receive a title. Often, only one or a very few of the Fengguo Zhongwei's sons would inherit the title. The other sons became untitled members of the imperial clan.

As a result, many members of the lower-ranking imperial family did not even have the lowest rank of nobility, and naturally were not registered in the imperial genealogy.

This actually violated the ancestral system, because according to the design of the founding emperor, every male member of the imperial clan should have a title, the lowest being Fengguo Zhongwei.

The imperial court and local officials should minimize the number of officials appointed as Fengguo Zhongwei, not only to reduce the burden of supporting them, but also for the sake of management.

Because members of the imperial clan were simply too difficult to manage. Think about it, even the lowest-ranking official was a sixth-rank official, one rank higher than a county magistrate. How could local officials manage them? Even the county magistrate had to bow before them. If they committed crimes, would they be arrested? Would they be imprisoned? Would they dare to use corporal punishment?
The imperial clan is too numerous; not only can the state not afford to support them, but governing them would also be extremely difficult. Therefore, the registration of as few as possible should be done, and the court should grant as few titles as possible.

This resulted in the actual number of members of the imperial clan being much larger than the population count recorded in the imperial genealogy!

According to Zhu Yin's estimate, the actual number of male members of the imperial clan should be around two to three hundred thousand.

Even if we only consider the 160,000 recorded in the imperial genealogy during the mid-Wanli period, the national fiscal revenue was far from enough to cover the stipends of the imperial clan.

What to do? Of course, the only options are to delay or reduce payments. Even princes are frequently owed their salaries. For example, the Prince of Dai didn't receive his salary for twenty years. Fortunately, princes are all incredibly wealthy and don't rely on salaries for their livelihood.

But the lower and middle-ranking members of the royal family suffered.

The lowest-ranking lieutenant in Fengguo earned an annual salary of two hundred shi (a unit of dry measure), which was originally enough to support dozens of people. But how much could he receive now?
It's pretty good to get 20% out of 100%; that's honest.

Generally, only a few shi (a unit of dry measure) are distributed each year. More often than not, there are no distributions for several years, and when they are distributed, it is only ten or eight shi.

As for those members of the imperial clan who were not registered in the imperial genealogy, they naturally did not even receive this small amount of rice stipend.

Logically speaking, something is better than nothing. Even if the amount given is small and the delay is long, at least some money is still given out, which can be considered a benefit.

However, it's not that simple.

Because members of the imperial clan are not allowed to engage in any of the four professions! Members of the imperial clan are of noble status, descendants of dragons and phoenixes, and are not allowed to engage in any of the four professions: scholar, farmer, artisan, or merchant!

Members of the royal family are forbidden from entering any industry!
You want to farm to support yourself? No way, that would be a disgrace to the royal family. You want to be a craftsman? Of course, no way either. Join the army to defend the country? No way… In short, nothing is allowed!

On the one hand, the stipend was only paid in small amounts and was often delayed; on the other hand, people were not allowed to engage in other businesses to make a living. This was a fatal problem.

Therefore, many members of the lower-ranking royal family were reduced to the lowest of the low, becoming vagrants, beggars, thieves, outlaws, sons-in-law, prostitutes... such cases were commonplace.

This spring, generals and lieutenants in Nanyang, driven by hunger, staged a rebellion, looting government grain supplies. In Kaifeng, over two thousand impoverished members of the imperial clan besieged the grain transport office, intercepting grain shipments. Other members of the clan set up roadblocks to collect tolls and extort money from wealthy households.

The original intention of preventing members of the imperial clan from engaging in the occupations of the four classes was to preserve their dignity. But what was the result? It only made things more undignified and shameful.

When the common people saw generals and lieutenants being treated worse than dogs, their reverence for the court and the imperial family shattered.

Even though the imperial court tried to reduce the number of titles granted to members of the imperial family and delayed or withheld their stipends, it was still overwhelmed by the burden.

For example, in Henan province, 70-80% of the province's tax revenue is used to support the imperial clan. What if that's not enough? They can only divert military funds to fill the gap in the imperial clan's stipends.

The financial burden and marginal losses caused by the problems of the imperial clan amount to at least 20 million taels of silver annually. Among these losses are the losses caused by the violent activities of the imperial clan, such as seizing grain and rioting, which amount to well over a million taels of silver each year.

Zhu Yin's reforms of the imperial clan were essentially aimed at reducing the privileges of the imperial clan, removing restrictions on their occupations, and enabling them to support themselves. The goal was to ensure the livelihoods of the vast majority of lower-ranking members of the imperial clan, rather than simply supporting them for free.

Zhu Yin had an idea in mind and immediately said, "What the Prince of Shu said is right. The Prince can pity his poor relatives and can be called a kind and benevolent elder. I think it is possible to let them support themselves. They can not only support themselves, but also serve the Ming Dynasty."

"I plan to train a special army called the Protectorate Clan Army, composed entirely of members of the Ming Dynasty's imperial family. According to the five elements and generational order of their names, they will be divided into five battalions: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. We will select able-bodied men and temporarily train 5,000 of them, with 1,000 men in each battalion. They will be named the Platinum Battalion, Black Water Battalion, Yellow Earth Battalion, Green Wood Battalion, and Crimson Fire Battalion."

"Once the North and South are unified, the Zong Army will expand to 10,000 men, with 2,000 men in each battalion. These 10,000 Zong Army soldiers will be a sharp sword for our Great Ming Dynasty, used only to expand our territory and deter disobedience. The Zong Army is both the army of the Great Ming Dynasty and the army of the Zhu family. It represents not only the Great Ming Dynasty but also the imperial family."

"Even with the best armor, the best weapons, and the best warhorses, Zong Jun still had to undergo the most rigorous training."

"Zongjun?" The King of Shu was stunned upon hearing this. He never expected that Zhu Yin would have such an unbelievable idea.

Zhu Yin was not joking at all, and continued, "As long as members of the imperial clan are willing to join the clan army, their clan stipends will be canceled in name only. Anyway, the imperial stipends for the clan are in arrears, and the amount actually received is very small, so it's better to cancel them. After canceling the clan stipends, they can receive military pay."

"The soldiers of the Zong Army receive a starting salary of five taels of silver per month, with additional rewards during festivals. The salary increases with seniority, enough to support a family. If they make significant contributions, they have the opportunity to be ennobled as barons or viscounts."

"That's a good idea!" The Prince of Shu finally realized the brilliance of this method. "The starting salary for soldiers is five taels of silver, which is far from the salary of ordinary soldiers; it's the salary of an eighth-rank official. But the titles of baron and viscount are something that our dynasty doesn't have... Do you intend to change the Ming dynasty's nobility system?"

Zhu Yin nodded and said, "That's right. Since ancient times, times have changed, and there are no unchanging laws. We can't be bound by ancestral rules and traditions."

"Take the Ming Dynasty's system of nobility, for example. There's one set for the imperial family and another for commoners, they're incompatible and a complete mess. Below the earl, there are hereditary official positions like Commander of the Guards, Assistant Commander, Vice Commissioner, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard (Thousand-Household Commander, Hundred-Household Commander), and the Female Commander of the Imperial Guard..."

“The systems are different, which not only makes it difficult for people to adapt, but also the fact that military ranks can be inherited is not conducive to motivating soldiers, and military ranks are no longer valued by the world.”

"Therefore, the military merit system of the Tang Dynasty was better. Members of the imperial family, military generals, and civil officials were all given the titles of Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron, which were applied uniformly. This was not only conducive to defining the hierarchy, but also to clarifying the rewards for merit, motivating people, and encouraging advancement."

"The current dynasty is different. It only has dukes, marquises, and earls, abolishing viscounts and barons, but it has created commanders of the guards, vice commanders, commanders of a thousand, and commanders of a hundred to replace them. But since ancient times, everyone has known the value of viscounts and barons. Who cares about hereditary military positions like commanders of a thousand and commanders of a hundred? How many hereditary officers can't shoot arrows or ride horses, and they treat the country's military achievements as child's play? Where does the spirit of martial arts come from?"

“The civil officials are unwilling for the Ming Dynasty to have a martial spirit, but the Taizu Emperor conquered the world on horseback, and our Ming Dynasty drove out the Tartars and restored China through military achievements. In the early years of the dynasty, which prince did not lead troops to guard the country’s gates? Our imperial family should be the least likely to forget our roots and should be the most likely to restore the martial spirit.”

"Today I am the Regent Grand Tutor, and as a new official, I must make some changes to the established rules. After returning to Nanjing, I will restore the titles of Viscount and Baron, and reorganize the national peerage into nine ranks: Prince, Duke, Duke of the State, Duke of the County, Marquis of the Township, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. Those who have rendered meritorious service in both civil and military affairs may be granted titles, and those who have contributed to the country may be granted titles regardless of their background, gender, or profession."

"Regardless of the title, except for the founding title of the Great Ancestor, all other titles are inherited in a downgraded manner unless one has made great contributions to the country and is granted the privilege of hereditary succession. The lowest rank, Baron, can be inherited for another generation. However, if one has made contributions, one can be promoted in rank or inherit the title after a downgraded generation."

"The titles of noblewomen of the royal family remain unchanged. However, they can be promoted based on their merits, so it is not a static system."

Zhu Yin spoke eloquently, leaving Zhu Xuanqi struggling to process what he had to say.

Having annihilated She Chongming's army of over 40,000, Zhu Yin had the courage to begin experimenting with reforms. The reform of the nobility system and the establishment of the Imperial Clan Army marked the beginning of reforms within the imperial clan.

Why? Because this type of reform has not yet touched the core interests of powerful families, and it does not affect the gentry class that monopolizes local areas, so it faces the least resistance.

Although the princes were wealthy and powerful, they had no real authority and were not very influential, making it difficult for them to stop Zhu Yin's reforms of the imperial clan.

Zhu Xuanqi finally digested Zhu Yin's words and asked, "So, all the hereditary titles of the imperial clan below the rank of General of the State, and the hereditary positions of Commander below the rank of Earl, should be abolished?" Zhu Yin nodded without hesitation, "Yes, abolish them! Generals, lieutenants, commanders, commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, etc., should all be military positions, military officers! Those who are not military men and do not understand military affairs should not hold these positions!"

"Those generals who govern the country and assist the country only know how to eat, drink, gamble, and indulge in debauchery. They can't even draw a bow or ride a horse, yet they are appointed as generals. This is a ridiculous military title. Can just anyone be called a general?"

"The imperial court cannot afford to support the imperial clan, so this must be changed. From now on, when the sons of princes inherit their titles, only one son can be demoted one rank to Duke, while the rest of the sons will be demoted seven ranks to Baron."

"The Dukes who have been granted the title of Zhenguo have all been granted the title of Earl. The Generals of the Auxiliary State have been granted the title of Viscount, and the Generals of the Supporting State have been granted the title of Baron. Those below the rank of General of the Supporting State will no longer have titles, but their occupational restrictions will be lifted, and they will be allowed to join the military, take the imperial examinations, engage in commerce, and other professions."

"Hereditary commanders, hereditary vice commanders, and vice prefects will be granted the title of viscount. Hereditary commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard will be granted the title of baron."

Zhu Xuanqi pondered for a moment and said, "The title has been lowered and the hereditary status has been reduced. After a few generations, they will be commoners. Those below the rank of Fengguo General will lose their titles altogether. There will be a lot of dissatisfaction among them."

"There's nothing we can do about it," Zhu Yin said. "The court can't afford to support them anymore. The more members of the imperial clan there are in the future, the heavier the burden will be. It's better to end it now than to suffer a long, drawn-out pain. Besides, even if their titles and ranks remain unchanged, won't the court still delay or deduct their stipends?"

"At least they are free now, able to do whatever they want. Isn't freedom far more valuable than any of those titles like general or lieutenant?"

The King of Shu slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Of course freedom is more important! What's the point of having great wealth and gold if you don't have freedom? I'd rather be a free and easy country gentleman than some damn prince!"

"Child Tiger, if the court can grant me my freedom, I will return my title to the court!"

Zhu Yin smiled and said, "Your titles will be retained, and you will still be free. Uncle Shu, the court can lift the restrictions on the imperial clan, but let me ask you, is the court willing to restore the freedom of the various princes only if they return most of their land and property?"

After pondering for a while, the Prince of Shu said earnestly, "Child Tiger, if the imperial clan continues like this, the Ming Dynasty will be dragged down sooner or later. When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact? If that day really comes, the knife will be in someone else's hand, and life and death will not be in our own hands. Will our land and property still be ours?"

“I saw it long ago: the interests of our imperial clan are tied to the fate of the Ming Dynasty! Only by prioritizing the fate of the nation can the imperial clan prosper.”

"Rather than that, it's better to let go sooner rather than later. Just consider it as doing our best for the Ming Dynasty and our ancestors. It can also bring us hard-won freedom. The poor members of the imperial family can support themselves, the burden on the court will be lighter, and the members of the imperial family can be treated like human beings."

He sighed, “I’ve lived for over forty years and enjoyed all kinds of wealth and luxury. But the only thing I can’t find and yearn for is freedom. Life is short, and we don’t even live to be a hundred. If we only know about fine clothes and delicacies and don’t know about the beauty of the world, then we’ve lived in vain.”

“I don’t know if the other princes are willing. But I am willing. I would rather return most of my land and property and donate most of my gold and silver in exchange for freedom.”

"Good!" Zhu Yin clapped his hands. "Uncle Shu is so generous. Leave this to me. Soon, you will be free. Even if you go to Beijing, I won't stop you. However, right now in Sichuan, I need the Shu Prince's Mansion to do something for me."

As he spoke, he poured a cup of tea for the King of Shu.

The King of Shu said, "Tell me about it."

"Search the household registers!" Zhu Yin said decisively. "By the end of the year at the latest, I will re-count the population in Sichuan and update the Yellow Registers. The imperial court must have a true understanding of the household registrations."

"I hope that the Shu vassal state can take the lead in cooperating. Uncle Wang, if the Ming Dynasty is to last, we must get this household registration statistics sorted out. We can no longer rely on the old almanac. Deceiving the court is deceiving our Zhu family's empire!"

The King of Shu thought for a moment, “The King of Shu’s lineage, including the various princely mansions and general’s mansions, probably has more than 80,000 tenants, hired laborers and slaves in total. Many of these 80,000 people are hereditary servants who have lived in the household for generations. Their household registration is indeed not registered by the government, and they do not pay taxes.”

"I know that this is not good for the court, and it is by no means a blessing for the country. Sooner or later, something terrible will happen. But since all the powerful families in the world are like this, there is nothing we can do but go along with it."

The more he talked with Zhu Yin, the more he admired Zhu Yin's courage and decisiveness.

With Zhu Yin in charge, was the Ming Dynasty truly destined for prosperity?

.........

The two discussed in secret for another half hour before Zhu Yin declined any offers to stay and left the Shu Prince's Mansion. After leaving the mansion, he stayed at the Daci Temple, an ancient temple from the Tang Dynasty.

No sooner had they settled in than Tiger Fang, who had been tracking them, delivered new intelligence.

The combined forces of the An and Song families, numbering 50,000, have already passed Jianwei and should arrive in Chengdu by the afternoon of the day after tomorrow at the latest.

However, the An and Song families were unaware of She Chongming's crushing defeat. If they knew that She Chongming's entire army had been wiped out in Chengdu, they would most likely not return to Chengdu and would instead turn back to Guizhou.

"We can't let them return to Guizhou!" Zhu Yin made a decisive decision. "Issue the order! Tomorrow morning, immediately break camp and head south to proactively engage the rebels! They think they can leave after entering Sichuan? Not so easy!"

Originally, his plan was to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, but now that he realized the rebels might retreat, he had no choice but to head south.

Taking advantage of the victory over She Chongming, we will then annihilate the rebel armies in Shuixi and Shuidong!
At the crack of dawn the next day, the Ming army camp outside the city suddenly broke camp and headed south.

Before the officials in the city had a chance to host a banquet for Zhu Yin that day, they heard that the Regent Grand Tutor had led his troops south to fight against the rebels.

Upon hearing this, countless people in the city burned incense and prayed for Zhu Yin.

Not long after Zhu Yin led his army away from Chengdu, a small cavalry squad of a dozen or so Qiang women, accompanied by a veiled noblewoman, hurriedly left the city and headed south, following the footprints left by the army!
...

Not long after Zhu Yin marched south, in Meizhou, which was about two hundred miles from Chengdu, three hundred cavalrymen were resting in the forest, all of them exhausted.

After galloping two hundred miles a day, both men and horses were at their limit and needed to rest.

With bloodshot eyes and utterly exhausted, She Chongming looked at the cavalrymen staggering around him and couldn't help but sigh, his heart filled with unspeakable fear.

Without his 40,000 elite troops, he was like a toothless tiger.

The once gorgeous and stylish robe was now filthy, looking like a tattered rag draped over his body.

"Your Majesty!" A trusted aide handed over a pot of water. "Have a drink of water. It's still over 600 li to go back."

She Chongming took the water bottle. "Be careful on the way ahead. Don't go back yet, go and meet up with An Bangyan!"

"My disadvantage lies in my lack of understanding of the Ming army. Although the entire army was wiped out, when it comes to understanding the Ming army and Zhu Yin, none of them can compare to me. As long as I help them devise strategies, we can defeat Zhu Yin, avenge our grievances, and resolve the crisis facing the She clan."

She Chongming knew very well that helping the An family defeat Zhu Yin was his only chance. Otherwise, the She family would surely perish!

After resting for an hour, She Chongming hurriedly fled south again, fearing that he would be caught up by the Ming army.

Around noon, they indeed encountered a formidable army of chieftains. Leading them was a spirited man from the Cuan family.

Brother-in-law Kunihiko An!
When She Chongming saw An Bangyan, it was as if he had seen a relative; he felt extremely warm towards him.

"Brother-in-law!" She Chongming shouted, cracking his whip. "It's me! Your brother-in-law!"

"Hmm?" An Bangyan, who was in front of the rebel army, looked up and saw a familiar-looking man covered in mud and dressed in tattered clothes leading a group of cavalry galloping towards them.

Who is this guy?
Isn't this the same arrogant and disdainful Lord of Yongning from before?
How did it get like this?

“Brother-in-law!” An Bangyan waved his hand in greeting. “Didn’t you say we would meet in Chengdu? Why did you head south? Have you already captured Chengdu? What about your tens of thousands of troops?”

Unsure how to answer, She Chongming, feeling anxious, couldn't help but say, "Brother-in-law, you're asking too many questions."

(End of this chapter)