Di Ming

Chapter 451 "The Fate of Qingyang Terrace"!
The Ming soldiers at the camp gate couldn't help but have all sorts of wild thoughts when they saw that this girl, who was called a princess, actually claimed to be the cousin of the Grand Tutor.

Although the princess was not particularly attractive, how could they dare to be negligent? They immediately sent someone to the commander's tent to report to Zhu Yin.

"Reporting to the Grand Tutor, the Princess of Shu has arrived outside the gate, claiming to be the Grand Tutor's cousin..."

"Shu Ning is here?" Zhu Yin put down "The Chronicles of Summer" and chuckled. "I'll go pick her up myself!"

He has already conquered Sichuan, destroyed She and An, and his power is known throughout the world. There is no need for him to hide anything anymore.

The generals Qin Liangyu, Xiong Tingbi, and others in the tent were taken aback at first, but then they all suddenly realized what was going on.

So the Grand Tutor is a member of the Ming imperial family? Or a nephew of the Prince of Shu? That makes him the current emperor's uncle! The emperor's cousin!

They were not high-ranking officials in the imperial court and did not know the secrets of the Wu family in Nanyang, but when they thought of the words "Jingnan" and Zhu Yin's actions, they suddenly thought of the descendants of Jianwen.

It's like a thin sheet of paper; once you break through it, everything becomes clear.

That's it!

When Zhu Yin got up to greet the princess, Qin Liangyu and the others followed suit.

According to the rules, a princess should definitely not come to the military camp; that's a major taboo. But with the Grand Tutor, there aren't so many rules; they're all used to it.

Outside the army camp gate, Princess Shuning, dressed in hunting attire, addressed a dozen robust Qiang women, each carrying a sword and bow:
“My cousin will definitely see me! Other members of the royal family can’t come to the royal army camp, but I can!”

A Qiang female guard with a fierce face said, "Your Highness, this is a military camp. Your Highness is not only a member of the imperial family, but also a woman. Why would the Grand Tutor want to see you?"

Princess Shuning, with one hand on her hip and the other wielding a riding crop, smiled radiantly across her wheat-colored face. "You don't understand. I'm different. My cousin likes me very much and will definitely see me."

She was a quick-witted person. When she met her cousin at Cunxin Hall, she sensed that he liked her and would not refuse her request to see him.

At this point, Princess Shuning suddenly revealed a proud smile and continued, "My cousin carries the destiny of the eldest branch of the family. He is a great hero, not an ordinary person."

"My cousin, during the Nanjing Rebellion, seized power in the Southern Dynasty, decisively defeated a million rebel troops, saved the people of Shu from dire straits, and his power shook the world."

She pointed to the mound of heads not far away, "Didn't you see that mountain of human heads? They're all the heads of the rebels!"

Suddenly a voice laughed: "You're just bragging for me, what do you mean by crushing a million rebels? You just throw zeros in your mouth."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Yin appeared at the gate.

"Brother Wang!" Shuning was surprised that Zhu Yin had come to pick her up in person, and her smile immediately brightened. "Brother Wang, what does 'add zero' mean?"

She didn't understand that sentence.

Zhu Yin chuckled and said, "So you're just spouting nonsense, making things up as soon as you open your mouth. The rebel army combined doesn't even number 100,000 at most, how can you claim to be a million strong?"

Qin Liangyu and the others bowed together and said, "Your subjects greet Your Highness, the Princess!"

Shuning quickly said, "No need for formalities! You are my brother's generals, there's no need for you to bow to me!"

As he spoke, he looked at Qin Liangyu, who was dressed in armor, with envy in his eyes.

Qin Liangyu and the others thought to themselves: "We heard that this princess was born to a Qiang woman. She really is wild."

"Shuning, what are you doing here? Does your father know?" Zhu Yin suddenly asked with a dark expression. "If something happens to you on the way and you are kidnapped by bandits, I will not be responsible."

Princess Shuning chuckled and said, "Those mountain bandits dare to rob me? Even if they had the guts, they wouldn't have the ability!"

“My father knew I was coming. I came to see my brother, the king, to watch him fight and kill the enemy. But I never expected that my brother would use his troops so swiftly and destroy An Bangyan so quickly. I missed the excitement.”

As she followed Zhu Yin into the camp, she looked around in amazement, clicking her tongue in wonder, "Brother Wang is truly skilled in military affairs! Although I don't understand much, I can tell he's no ordinary man. Hmm, Brother Wang, aren't you going to establish a clan army? Do you think I'm up to the task?"

"Who?" Zhu Yin turned his head, looking at the lively girl who was eager to try. "You?"

"Me!" Princess Shuning pointed to herself, "Brother, do you think I'm suitable?"

“I don’t recruit female soldiers!” Zhu Yin shook his head. “The Zong Army was formed by the sons of the Zong family, not the daughters.”

"Brother!" Princess Shuning stamped her foot and pointed at Qin Liangyu, "Why is she allowed to?"

Zhu Yin glared at him, "General Qin is a heroine, a great general of the nation. What makes you think you can compare to her? Besides having unbound feet, how can you compare to her? Nonsense!"

"If that's your request, then hurry back. I'm not going to keep you here!"

Princess Shuning immediately put on a pitiful look.

Zhu Yin didn't believe her at all. Knowing that this woman was a drama queen, he thought for a moment and smiled, "However, although you can't join the army, you can follow your sister-in-law. Following her, you will have some use for your skills."

“I’ll go back to Nanjing in a while, and you can come with me. See how your sister-in-law arranges things for you.”

Although he liked this "cousin sister" quite a bit, he couldn't agree to her joining the clan army.

Princess Shuning immediately cheered up again, "Thank you, Your Highness. You must keep your word."

From behind the crowd, a little girl's head popped out; it was Ning Qingchen.

Seeing Princess Shuning, who was only a few years older than her, she thought to herself, "This little tiger is a cunning man who never does anything meaningless. Who is he trying to win over with the princess? He used Wu You to win over the Duke of Wei, but what about Princess Shuning?"

Thinking of this, I suddenly trembled and realized I was thinking of myself.

"Is that little tiger trying to use me as a tool to win someone over through marriage? Humph, if he dares to think that way, I'll never speak to him again! I'll never see him again in this lifetime!"

As she was bitterly imagining things, Zhu Yin suddenly called out, "Qingchen! Qingchen!"

Ning Qingchen answered, her tone somewhat cold, "What's wrong?"

Zhu Yin pointed at Princess Shuning and said, "You keep her company and take her to the military medical camp to broaden her horizons. I don't have time to take care of her right now."

Princess Shuning's eyes lit up again when she saw Ning Qingchen, who was dressed in fine white. "This must be the Immortal Physician Qingchen. I'm so glad to finally meet you today. There's even a temple dedicated to you in Chengdu."

A mysterious smile appeared on Ning Qingchen's innocent face as she said in a pretentious tone:
"Human affairs are numerous and complex, and the love stories of the North Sea span several lifetimes. Princess, you are also a person of destiny. Please come with me."

……

On the ninth day of the tenth month, Zhu Yin led his army, escorting the prisoners, back to Chengdu in a grand procession.

Chengdu was once again abuzz with excitement upon receiving news of the great victory.

In such a short time, the Grand Tutor defeated two rebel armies in succession, and She An was escorted to the capital in prison!

Mr. Zhihu, you are truly a master strategist!

The Prince of Shu, the governor, and others knew that after these two great victories, not only would the chieftains in the southwest dare not rebel again, but Zhu Yin would also become even more powerful and influential, and firmly grasp power.

The Southern Dynasty's rule was as stable as a mountain. The Northern Dynasty, however, was facing an increasingly precarious situation!
The news spread like wildfire, and Zhu Yin's reputation would become even more formidable in the Bashan and Shu regions.

Zhu Yin entered the city amidst cheers from the people of Chengdu and checked into the Qingyang Palace, which was built during the Tang Dynasty. He then stayed at the Ziyang Hall, where he was warmly welcomed by the abbot.

Qingyang Palace is dedicated to Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao). It was a royal Taoist temple during the Tang Dynasty, and Emperor Xuanzong once stayed there as a temporary palace. Wang Jian and Meng Chang also resided at Qingyang Palace.

Therefore, Qingyang Palace was the building with the highest ceremonial standards in Chengdu, even higher than the Shu King's Mansion, making it very suitable as a temporary residence for the regent.

Once Zhu Yin moved into Qingyang Palace, the place became the power center of Sichuan and even the entire Southern Dynasty.

All the civil and military officials of Sichuan, as well as princes, generals and other members of the royal family of Shu, came to Qingyang Palace to pay their respects and perform the grand ceremony of paying homage to the regent in accordance with the etiquette promulgated by Emperor Taichang.

For a time, Qingyang Palace resembled an imperial court.

Zhu Yin could not stay in Chengdu any longer; he needed to return to Beijing as soon as possible, and naturally, he needed to handle the Sichuan government affairs promptly. Sichuan was the pilot area for his new policies, and he had to make sure everything was arranged properly before leaving.

The King of Shu indeed cooperated fully, and in the main hall in front of the Sichuan civil and military officials, he said to Zhu Yin:

"Grand Tutor, although Sichuan was quelled by the She-An Rebellion with ease, the population loss is estimated to be considerable. Some prefectures and counties in southern Sichuan have been ravaged by the rebels, leaving nine out of ten households empty."

"Therefore, this government believes that the population should be recounted and the Yellow Register should be revised."

"This prefecture is willing to set an example. The entire population of our Shu province is willing to be registered, ensuring that not a single person is missed..."

This was, of course, something he had discussed with Zhu Yin beforehand.

The first step in Zhu Yin's reform policy was to collect and count the population: to conduct accurate statistics on various figures and understand the national situation.

This is the basis.

Sichuan was a place where the power of aristocratic families and gentry was relatively weak, and with a large number of Yi people, the resistance to reform was minimal.

If even Sichuan struggles to obtain accurate population data, then it must be even more difficult for places like Jiangnan.

Sichuan is a soft persimmon, so let's start with Sichuan and squeeze it hard!
Zhu Yin nodded and said, "What the Prince of Shu says makes sense. Then I will issue a regency decree to recalculate the population in Sichuan and revise the Yellow Register. This time, the officials of the prefectures and counties must not use the old registers, but must conduct a new census." When the Sichuan officials heard the words "the Prince of Shu," they looked at each other in astonishment, as if they had remembered something.

The Regent Grand Tutor is a member of the imperial family?!

Could it be from... the eldest son's family?
Upon realizing this, the officials suddenly understood everything, and a profoundly eerie feeling arose within them. Was this a cycle of cause and effect? ​​Was the Ming throne about to return to the eldest son's lineage?

Forget it, it's Zhu family's business anyway, what does it have to do with them? Who cares which branch is in charge, isn't it all still the Ming Dynasty?

The King of Shu said, "It is time to re-count the population. These days, the population statistics in Sichuan have been greatly distorted, with too many people being hidden. However, to complete the re-counting and ensure accuracy, it will take at least a year."

“Then we’ll complete the statistics within two years,” Zhu Yin nodded. “As long as the numbers are reliable, spending a year to compile the household registration is totally worth it.”

He was satisfied with this timeframe. Under the conditions of ancient times, accurately counting the population indeed required a great deal of time.

He wants authenticity, not speed.

The King of Shu then said, "In order to investigate the population and search for hidden households, I request that the Grand Tutor order troops to be stationed in various prefectures and counties, following the old methods of Emperor Taizu, to help and supervise local officials in compiling the Yellow Register."

At the beginning of the dynasty, Emperor Taizu used the garrison soldiers to count the population of the entire country. What the King of Shu said was just an old method.

However, this was not his idea, but Zhu Yin's, who was simply using him to express it.

Upon hearing the King of Shu's words, all the officials couldn't help but turn their heads.

If they weren't in awe of the Regent, some of them would surely have refuted the Shu King's "nonsense."

A population census? And they're going to send troops to various prefectures and counties? This…

Governor Wang Jiguang, Imperial Censor Li Shihua, Left Provincial Administration Commissioner Zhou Sijing, Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Zhang Wenyao, and others looked at each other with slightly furrowed brows.

Isn't this just making trouble? Does the Grand Tutor intend to follow Zhang Juzheng's example and expropriate the population hidden by powerful clans?
Zhu Yin clapped his hands and said, "Excellent! The words of the Prince of Shu are reasonable, truly a wise and experienced strategy for governing the country. It seems that members of the imperial family and relatives should also participate in politics."

"How about we entrust this matter to Uncle Wang? Uncle Wang's virtuous reputation is known throughout the land. As the King of Shu, no one in Bashu can compare to him. With Uncle Wang personally taking charge, this matter will surely be accomplished."

"I intend to appoint Wang Shu as Imperial Commissioner for the Investigation of Sichuan's Household Registration, with full authority to oversee the collection and registration of the population of all ethnic groups in Sichuan Province."

Wang Jiguang and the others' brows furrowed, thinking to themselves, "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

The Grand Tutor is truly brilliant.

This is an attempt to loosen the restrictions on the royal family in order to gain their support!

The fact that the Grand Tutor was not afraid of the imperial clan's ambitions and rebellion after the restrictions were lifted is remarkable.

In the early years of the dynasty, the princes all had imperial envoys with official seals, who could command troops on horseback and govern the people on foot, wielding the power of governors-general and provincial governors. However, after Hongwu, successive emperors strictly guarded against the princes and their families, confining the princes within cities and subjecting them to strict supervision by local officials. They were not allowed to leave the city without an imperial edict.

The princes possessed mountains of gold and seas of silver, and held the highest titles, yet they held no official positions and, moreover, no freedom. How much they longed for office, how much they yearned for freedom!
Can be imagined.

Take the King of Shu for example. Once he was appointed as an imperial commissioner and given full authority to oversee the population census in the province, he obtained a management position that no vassal king had ever held in two hundred years. How could he not be happy to do his job well?
The Shu King's mansion was incredibly wealthy, possessing mountains of gold and seas of silver. Corruption and embezzlement held no appeal for him. What attracted him most was honestly performing his duties and continuing to hold his official position.

The King of Shu was the most powerful local tyrant in Sichuan, and his faction controlled the largest number of hidden households in the province. He himself had even handed over the hidden population; how could he possibly tolerate other powerful families hiding their own?

Moreover, as a prince, once the Prince of Shu regained his freedom and took charge of affairs, which official in Sichuan would dare to oppose him? Which prefecture or county would dare to go against him?
No one in the world is more suitable for this job than the King of Shu!
It is evident that the Grand Tutor's skill in employing people was so refined that it was truly remarkable.

Wang Jiguang and others immediately guessed that the Grand Tutor and the Prince of Shu must have reached a cooperation agreement. The Grand Tutor used the restoration of the Prince of Shu's freedom as a bargaining chip in exchange for the Prince of Shu conducting a population census in Sichuan.

As civil officials, they were very averse to the freedom of the imperial clan and did not want them to take charge of affairs and participate in politics, thus encroaching on their power as civil officials.

They hoped that the imperial court would forever confine members of the imperial clan and forbid them from participating in politics.

However, Wang Jiguang and the others dared not object. At this point, non-cooperation was clearly not an option.

Hopefully, the Regent Grand Tutor won't get involved in anything else besides checking household registrations.

Upon hearing the title "Imperial Envoy, Minister in Charge of Sichuan Household Registration Investigation," the King of Shu was overjoyed and quickly expressed his agreement with a smile:

"Since the Grand Tutor trusts me, I will do something for the court. I am not old yet, and I can still serve the court for another twenty years."

Zhu Yin, understanding the situation implicitly, said, "Uncle Wang is young and vigorous, highly respected, and a close relative of the Ming Dynasty. Of course, he should share the Emperor's burdens and serve the court. After this matter is completed, we will still have much to rely on Uncle Wang."

This is essentially a promise: as long as you work hard, you will be given important responsibilities in the future.

The King of Shu was so excited that he almost laughed out loud. He quickly said, "Grand Tutor, please rest assured. I will work diligently and conscientiously to live up to your trust and the expectations of the court."

He knew very well that whether he could participate in national affairs in the future depended on whether the population census satisfied Zhu Yin.

Zhu Yin continued, “I plan to restore the household registration system of Emperor Taizu in Sichuan. Therefore, all people who are re-registered, regardless of whether they are Han or non-Han, will be issued household registration certificates by the government.”

"Any official, wealthy household, temple, rich merchant, or chieftain who conceals the population or obstructs the investigation of household registration and the issuance of household registration certificates shall be treated as treasonous and a member of the traitorous party, and their property shall be confiscated without exception!"

Upon hearing this, all the officials felt their hearts race.

Treason, traitors!
This charge is far too harsh!

Zhu Yin's voice became firm, and his gaze turned colder. "All people under heaven are subjects of the emperor. They are the emperor's subjects, citizens of the Ming Dynasty, and descendants of the Chinese nation. How can they be hidden away to become slaves, servants, or beasts of burden?"

"What are those powerful and influential people up to, who are secretly seizing so many people, just like the retainers and vassals of the Southern Dynasty? Isn't this plotting a rebellion? Are they hiding so many young men to train troops and start a rebellion?"

Zhu Yin's words were, of course, a deliberate overcorrection, an attempt to seize upon the issue and label the powerful clans that had encroached upon the population with a serious accusation, even going so far as to use the charge of treason to characterize them.

You say it's baseless? Yes, it's baseless!

Magic will defeat magic. You devour the nation's population, but I can imprison you with just three words! Even if it's a wrongful imprisonment!

When the officials in Sichuan heard Zhu Yin’s words, they all knew that Zhu Yin, the regent, was about to unleash his three wraths on Sichuan.

The Regent is picking on the weak. I fear things are about to get complicated in Sichuan's officialdom.

Zhu Yin took in each person's expression, and his tone softened somewhat:
"The powerful and the officials must cooperate, and the common people must also cooperate. Of course, things must be done fairly."

"Three years later, those people in Sichuan who still do not have a household registration book or refuse to register and receive a household registration book will no longer be citizens of the Ming Dynasty and will be regarded as unregistered people who have deliberately renounced their status. For unregistered people, theft will not be tolerated, harm will not be investigated, contracts will not be recognized, disaster relief will not be provided, they will not be allowed to attend school, and they will not be allowed to pass through customs."

Zhu Yin's method, of course, became the identity system of later generations.

How can a government that can't even properly register its citizens' household registration and identity control the grassroots level?

This system existed for more than a decade during the Ming Dynasty, but was later abolished.

Three years later, if there are still people in Sichuan without household registration certificates, then they have deliberately concealed their identities.

What? Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

What a ruthless method of plundering!

At that time, anyone without a household registration certificate, regardless of their status, whether Han or Yi, will be subject to "no punishment for theft, no questioning for harm, no recognition of contracts, no disaster relief, no access to education, and no passage through customs!"
What do you mean?
If property is stolen, the government will not intervene. If someone is injured, the government will not investigate. Property deeds such as land deeds and house deeds will not be recognized by the government. After a disaster, one will not be eligible for relief. One will not be allowed to participate in the imperial examinations. One will not be allowed to pass through checkpoints.

The goal is to make it impossible for those who evade registration and renounce their citizenship to move an inch and live a precarious life!
Zhu Yin took a sip of tea, letting everyone digest his words, before speaking again:
"Protecting the people and ensuring peace and order in the land is the imperial court's duty and an inescapable responsibility. What is this called? It is an inescapable duty, which in Southeast Asia is simply called an obligation!"

"It is the duty of the people to pay taxes, serve in the military, and be loyal to the country in accordance with the law. This is the obligation of the people."

"Both the court and the people must fulfill their respective obligations for the world to be at peace and for long-term stability to be achieved. Only then can the court have the right to pay taxes and govern the people, and the people have the right to enjoy the court's protection and support. This is the relationship between rights and obligations, like yin and yang, neither of which can be separated..."

"What is orthodoxy? What is the way of the king? The way of the king and orthodoxy is the greatest covenant!"

“If one party fails to fulfill its obligations, it is breaking faith with Heaven and disrespecting morality, and therefore has no right to claim its rights.”

When the crowd heard these words, they initially found them strange and absurd, but the more they thought about them, the more they realized that they made perfect sense.

Zhu Yin said to Feng Menglong, his advisor who had come to Sichuan with him, "Youlong, write down what I just said, publish it, and spread it far and wide. Let more and more scholars and common people know about the rights and obligations of the court and the people."

Feng Menglong, who was sitting at his desk under the pillar, picked up his pen and said with a smile, "My lord's words are already on paper."

Zhu Yin nodded approvingly and continued, "No matter who it is, anyone who obstructs the investigation and registration of the population, or who engages in fraud, malpractice, or abuse of power for personal gain, will be arrested and punished."

"The Sichuan Military Commander Gao Zhezhi and Sichuan General Liu Chengsi were ordered to select 10,000 garrison soldiers to be stationed in various prefectures and counties, with 100 soldiers in each prefecture and county, to serve as inspection teams to assist in population statistics and household registration."

Gao Zhezhi and Liu Chengsi quickly stood up, clasped their hands in greeting, and said, "We respectfully obey the Grand Tutor's orders!"

...

Soon, the Regent's order spread from Qingyang Palace and throughout the Land of Abundance.

Thus, the household registration inspection, led by the King of Shu, was launched in Sichuan with great fanfare and swift action.

This is the influential "Qingyangtai Fate"!
(End of this chapter)