The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Ten Princes' Palace,

Zhu Chenhao walked into his own palace, wondering how Emperor Hongzhi would assess them when he summoned them to Beijing?

According to the analysis of past dynasties, the princes who lived a life of drunkenness and dreams posed no threat to the imperial power.

But Emperor Hongzhi did the opposite, summoning them to Beijing to teach them how to govern the vassal states. After the rebellion, wouldn't they be able to become emperors directly?

However, he firmly believed that Your Majesty had something to rely on. After analyzing various things, he came to a conclusion.

Your Majesty was too confident.

He thought that the military and financial resources of the court were enough to suppress any rebellion of the princes.

But Your Majesty overlooked one point, that the military and financial resources that this prince had stockpiled far exceeded his expectations.

"Prince, Prince Xing wants to see you!" Steward Ji walked in to report.

The so-called Ten Princes' Palace is not ten princes' palaces.

It is a huge mansion with small courtyards separated from it, like a small imperial palace.

It was built with reference to the Ten Princes' Houses of the Tang Dynasty.

Zhu Youluo stood in front of the gate.

Among the ten princes who came to Beijing, only the Prince of Ning had the best fiefdom.

The princes had always been in their own fiefdoms and had never met each other. They might not know each other even if they walked on the street. They had no friendship with the Prince of Ning.

But this time, they were all brothers in distress and should unite.

Zhu Youju walked in and laughed: "The Prince of Ning and I were born in the same year and month. What a fate!"

Although they were born in the same year and month, Zhu Youju and Zhu Chenhao looked very different.

Zhu Youju was somewhat similar to Emperor Hongzhi, while Zhu Chenhao looked like the son of the old prince next door.

Zhu Chenhao was very respectful and did not despise the Prince of Xing because his family wealth was far less than his son.

He laughed heartily and said, "I heard that the Prince of Xing wanted to move to Jiangnan and be my neighbor?"

"Your Majesty will not allow it. I have no choice but to move. Jiangnan is good, and the Prince of Ning's fiefdom is enviable." The Prince of Xing took a sip of tea and glanced at the Prince of Ning.

Zhu Chenhao racked his brains to help him make plans: "The three ministers and six ministries of the cabinet will not interfere with the request.

As far as I know, in addition to these six people, there is also a censor named Yan Chengjin, who may be able to persuade Your Majesty."

Let Prince Xing go and try His Majesty's attitude first.

If Prince Xing is not injured when he meets Yan Chengjin, then it's okay for him to meet Yan Chengjin.

He actually tricked me into meeting an important official of the court. He is not a good person. Zhu Youluo chuckled and said, "I dare not meet him. I'd better wait until the assessment is completed before planning."

I don't know what Your Majesty wants to assess.

If he rashly meets the ministers, he will be rated as low-level...

He wants to be rated as high-level, maybe then it will be easy to ask for a fiefdom.

Ten vassal kings came to Beijing one after another and lived in the Ten Princes' Mansion.

Only Prince Shou has not come yet.

...

In the palace,

the ministers gathered in the hall and summoned the ten vassal kings to Beijing to teach them how to govern the vassal state.

After mutual discussion, a conclusion was reached.

Just like the imperial lecture, the princes were taught and then tested.

Liu Jian said: "The superior ones can return to their fiefdoms, and the inferior ones stay and continue to work hard with the next batch of princes."

The fiefdoms of the princes occupied nearly one-fifth of the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

The chronic diseases of the princes have been extremely serious since ancient times.

When they implemented tyranny in their fiefdoms, the people would flee. In this way, the fields would be uncultivated and the court would need to allocate silver to support them.

In short, the prince system was a financial cancer of the Ming Dynasty.

If you want to implement a prosperous era, you must rectify the princes.

Emperor Hongzhi did not expect them to be as wise and frugal as himself, but only to avoid committing crimes and set an example.

He looked at the cabinet and then at the Censorate: "The vassal king's annual plan should be handled by the cabinet and the Censorate.

Even I am not familiar with the laws of the Ming Dynasty, let alone the vassal king.

The vassal king is far away from the fiefdom, and I can't reach him. He needs to know the rules and regulations of the court and set an example to govern the people.

This time, the Censorate needs to let the vassal king know the laws of the Ming Dynasty."

The three judicial departments are the most familiar with the laws of the Ming Dynasty, and the Censorate is the most suitable to supervise the court and the country.

Wu Kuan bowed slightly to receive the order: "I obey the order!"

He was worried and didn't know where to start teaching, so he reported: "In the entire Censorate, only Yan Chengjin is most familiar with the laws of the Ming Dynasty. Why don't you let Yan Chengjin be the lecturer?"

"I am still a young official of the fourth rank. How dare I give lectures to the vassal king."

The cabinet and the nine ministers are all people with hair on their mouths, and he is still a hairless boy.

If he gives lectures to the vassal king, he may be booed by the vassal king.

"I used to work in the Ministry of Personnel. I have just come to the Censorate and am not as familiar with Ming laws as you."

"But if I were to explain it, I'm afraid it would be difficult to convince the public..."

Emperor Hongzhi looked at Yan Chengjin, knowing that this boy was reading the Ming laws when he was not impeaching: "Let Mr. Yan explain it."

"..."

Yan Chengjin wanted to make the ten princes become refugees and throw them into the refugees' straw huts.

There were two extremely frugal emperors in the Ming Dynasty, one was Zhu Yuanzhang and the other was Zhu Youtang.

Zhu Yuanzhang was born a beggar and knew that tea and food were not easy to come by.

After becoming emperor, he was extremely frugal and set laws. The highest standard for meals was only four dishes and one soup.

Emperor Hongzhi was even more frugal.

It would be better to let them become refugees than to explain the Ming laws to the princes.

Tomorrow is the day to teach the princes.

Before leaving his post, Yan Chengjin was invited by Zhu Houzhao to the East Palace. He was breeding a young mare in the courtyard.

The eunuchs on the side prepared food and fodder.

"Why didn't your highness ask Liu Wentai to come?"

"He will report to my father that the war horses are of excellent breed. If one can give birth to two, and two can give birth to four... I can save a lot of money." Zhu Houzhao calculated very clearly.

Yan Chengjin said: "Your Highness, did you ask me to come here just to see this?"

"No, I want to buy fifty mares, and have the big black horse breed them to give birth to a bunch of war horses.

But my uncle went overseas, and there is no one to take care of it. How about keeping them in your mansion?"

The mansion of Lao Gao has maids who specialize in serving chickens, ducks, sheep and geese.

And he has a new courtyard, where he can keep them, and it is not easy for his father to find out.

Yan Chengjin shook his head: "I will report to your majesty first. If your majesty agrees..."

This is equivalent to rejecting Zhu Houzhao.

Zhu Houzhao dared not let Emperor Hongzhi know, not because he was afraid of being beaten, but because he was afraid that the two war horses would be confiscated.

The next morning,

Yan Chengjin tidied his clothes, put on the imperially bestowed Qilin robe, and came to Wenhua Hall.

The nine princes had taken their seats, and the farthest Shou prince had not come.

Zhu Chenhao looked at the Wensheng on the podium and saw that the man in the red robe was the imperial censor of Hanyuan.

Zhu Youju sat upright, looking like a scholar.

It was the first time that Yan Chengjin saw nine princes. He said, "I will give lectures to you princes. Please introduce them to me so that I can evaluate your grades."

Zhu Chenhao took the lead and said, "Prince Ning!"

"Prince Xing!"

"Prince Ru!"

"Prince Yi!"

"Prince Jing!"

"Prince Rong!"

...

Yan Chengjin's eyes fell on Zhu Chenhao, who sat upright and straight, and looked like a good student.

"I will give the first lecture on the household law in the Ming Dynasty law today, titled "Determined by Registration".

All military, civilian, post station, doctor, divination, worker, musician and other types of people and households are determined by registration. If someone is deceiving others and evading the important and focusing on the trivial..."

Not long after the start, except for Prince Ning and Prince Yi, the rest of the people showed fatigue.

Half an hour later, he simply climbed on the stage and fell asleep, just like Zhu Houzhao.

"Is the lecturer the censor of the Censorate, Yan Chengjin?" Zhu Chenhao asked.

Prince Xing Zhu You's eyes lit up and he said, "Are you Yan Chengjin?"

"Please pay attention to the lecture, Prince Ning and Prince Xing, and don't ask questions that are not related to the class."

Buy skin~

I don't know how good the makeup skills of Daming are, he plans to put on some makeup tomorrow.

Fengtian Hall,

The little eunuch came to report to Emperor Hongzhi: "Your Majesty, except for Prince Ning, Prince Yi, and Prince Xing, the rest of the princes are all asleep."

These useless guys!

They are of low character and are causing chaos in their fiefdoms. I taught them to govern their fiefdoms, but they still don't accept my kindness.

Emperor Hongzhi pondered for a moment and said, "Call Yan Chengjin."