After the court gathering dispersed, Zhu Yunxi received Tie Xuan Xie Jin, who had returned from Peiping, in the East Palace.
"I will see you, Your Highness!"
"No need to be polite!" Zhu Yunxi said with a smile, "When people come, give them a seat and serve them tea!"
The two of them spent their whole year on the way back to the capital. They were tired and windy all the way. Tie Xuan was stronger and more energetic, while Xie Jin seemed to be mentally weak.
After sitting down, Zhu Yunxi said again, "How about Beidi?"
Xie Jin smiled and said, "Cold!"
Tie Xuan muttered slightly, "Heroic!"
Zhu Yunxi tapped his fingers lightly on the table, thought for a moment and asked, "How about Uncle Gu?"
"I observe that King Yan is a man of great talent and ambition, and good at governing, but he is also unruly and unruly." Xie Jin said, "If your highness can get it, he will be a good general to stabilize the northern border. If your highness cannot get it, there may be something wrong with him."
Constraints!"
Zhu Yunxi was noncommittal and turned to ask Tie Xuan, "What do you think?"
Tie Xuan looked around, "Your Highness, please stay away!"
Zhu Yunxi waved his hand, and all the palace attendants around him retreated. He was the only one in the palace, including the emperor and his ministers.
"Your Highness will reduce the vassal status in the future?" Tie Xuan asked seriously.
Zhu Yunxi looked at him for a long time and nodded, "Yes!" He said with a smile, "You two are Gu's confidants, and you know a little bit about Gu's thoughts. In the future, Gu will cut off all the vassal kings, military power, political power, and financial power in the Ming Dynasty.
All return to the center!"
As soon as these words came out, Xie Jin's eyes were filled with light.
Tie Xuan, on the other hand, pondered slightly and asked, "Your Highness, why don't you use it?"
"You are also a well-read history book. Since ancient times, there have only been unruly vassal kings who were enemies of the central government. How can there be any vassal kings who are dedicated to serving the country?" Zhu Yunxi said, "The disasters of the Han and Jin Dynasties are still vivid in my mind. Let's talk about the enfeoffment of the Ming Dynasty.
On the nine sides, all the vassal kings have elite soldiers and generals, but they only know the king of Seoul but not the country. And the inner kings are so arrogant and extravagant, which is a disaster for the local area! Moreover, these vassal kings have given birth to vassal kings. Now the number of the royal family is not large, and the country still has
It can be afforded. How will the court support these people in a few decades?"
Regarding the King of Yan Zhu Di, Zhu Yunxi actually respected him more than he was wary. Why didn't he want to conquer this fourth uncle and become the sharp sword of the Ming Dynasty? But the King of Yan was a proud man, full of ambitions, how could he be willing to be subordinate to Zhu Yunxi.
Besides, from a national level, it is wrong to enfeoff vassal kings who have large armies.
The old man’s heart is good and his thoughts are good. What he wants is to fight against his brothers and fight with father and son. In the troubled land in the north, let his sons lead the army to guard it and become a barrier. His legitimate son will sit in the center as the emperor. In the future, even if the world
Although there have been changes, the Zhu family's empire is still as solid as iron.
Even if some of the sons are disobedient and have other thoughts, the vassal kings of one place are simply not enough to compete with the entire Ming Dynasty.
But this kind of mistake is not a military mistake, but a political and financial mistake. The fiscal revenue of the Ministry of Household Affairs of the Ming Dynasty is more than 30 million yuan in silver per year. In addition, there is the Lianghuai Salt Tax specially allocated by the old man.
, more than ten million.
This amount of money is not a small amount, but it is barely even. In addition to spending huge amounts of money on military expenses every year, we also have to support the local vassal kings.
Zhu Yunxi reduced the vassal not because of military and imperial power, but for the future finance of the Ming Dynasty. In addition to real money and silver, the vassal king also had to occupy a large amount of local land, embezzle fields, hide the population, and ruin the people.
There is a saying that although most of the old man's sons are good, they are just pretending in front of the old man. Privately, they are very greedy in the fiefdom. However, the old man is partial to his sons and is unwilling to ask questions.
.
A vassal king can give birth to a lot of princes, and these people need to be supported by the central government's finance. How to support them?
The vassal kings are like blood-sucking insects on the giant dragon of the Ming Dynasty. They are all fat and big-eared and are of no benefit to the country.
Zhu Yunxi wanted to return all the power, wealth and land in the hands of these vassal kings to the central government and return it to the benefit of the people.
Although he wants to reduce the vassal state, he will also divide the territory into feudal states. As long as the vassal kings who are reducing the vassal state are capable, they can bring their descendants and prisoners and sinners to serve as the vanguard of the Ming Dynasty and expand their territory under the wings of the Ming Dynasty.
He is a vassal outsider, not inside!
This is only the first step. Only by cutting off the vassal king can he implement the new policy that he has planned for a long time. He can repopulate the world, inventory the fields, release the labor force, and suppress the unscrupulous officials and gentry.
In this era, at this stage, a large number of self-cultivated farmers who are self-reliant, self-sufficient, and donate grain and pay taxes are the greatest reliance on the country's prosperity and stability.
Then he can set tariffs, commercial taxes, open sea restrictions, promote commerce, and promote agriculture and commerce.
If he wanted to create an unparalleled Ming Dynasty with a strong country, strong army and strong people, he must use thunderous means. The deterrent effect of attacking the vassal king is far greater than empty imperial edicts.
The old man hopes that he will be a wise king and a saintly emperor. But what he wants is not an emperor of peace, but an emperor who will create an era and guide this ancient country to ride the wind and waves.
These things have always been suppressed in his heart, and he can only think about them when no one is around.
Now that I think about it, Zhu Yunxi's face and eyes are full of pride.
"The Yan vassal has strong soldiers and strong horses!" Tie Xuan said sternly, "If Your Highness cuts the vassal, the King of Yan will rebel!" After saying that, Tie Xuan smiled and said, "The King of Yan, if we let him be a rich and idle man, it is better to kill him!"
"Actually, this hidden danger has been laid as early as the day when the old man enfeoffed the throne!" Zhu Yunxi sighed slightly and said, "Everyone has selfish motives, who is willing to hand over the power in his hands? Among the kings, King Yan has the greatest military merit and the most sensitive person.
Self-esteem. Others may just curse in their hearts, but he will definitely take action. He is a person who would rather be broken than destroyed."
There is a kind of person who is born to be stubborn and refuses to bend. Zhu Di is that kind of person. He has no choice but to bow his head when Zhu Biao is alive. But the old man and Zhu Biao are gone, and Zhu Di will never bow to anyone.
Zhu Di is a kind of warrior, the kind of warrior who will die even if there are thousands of people!
"Keystone!" Zhu Yunxi said to Tie Xuan, "After Gu's wedding, how about I transfer you somewhere?"
Tie Xuan's heart moved, "But let me go to Peking?"
"Haha, it's not time to go to Peking yet!" Zhu Yunxi said with a smile, "Xinguo Gong Tang He has already rushed to the coast of Fujian to organize the Jing Navy. How about sending you to the coastal army to improve military affairs?"
"I will live up to my command!" Tie Xuan stood up and kowtowed.
Xie Jin was stunned, "Your Highness, where is your minister?"
"You also want to take a foreign job?" Zhu Yunxi said with a smile.
"I will stay in the capital, beside His Highness!" Xie Jin shook his head like a rattle.
This is the difference between Jie Jin and Tie Xuan. The latter is pragmatic, while the former is good at talking and speaking loudly.
"Your Highness!" At this time, the bastard said outside the palace, "Eunuch Pu has conveyed the emperor's decree and wants to see you!"
Zhu Yunxi asked, "He said he didn't say anything?"
The bastard replied, "The new Hangzhou magistrate Zhang Shan is meeting with your Majesty at the Fengtian Palace. The emperor said that he is your old minister and asked you to meet him too!"
Zhang Shan has arrived!
After the massacre in Hangzhou, there was a need for great governance, and Zhang Shan was ordered by Zhu Yunxi himself through the old man's crooked words. As a land of wealth in Zhejiang, Zhu Yunxi also had to have his own team.