The special situation of King Qin is that the imperial line comes from the Qin vassal.
This kind of embarrassment also existed in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty Liu Xiu was a descendant of Changsha King Liu Fa, the son of Emperor Jing of Han Dynasty. Although the last Changsha King was deposed by Wang Mang, his descendants remained.
Liu Xiu had no choice but to pinch his nose and confer Liu Xing the title of King of Changsha, and later deposed him as Marquis of Linxiang.
This has to mention the strategy of dealing with the clans of the Western Han Dynasty in the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty. All the previous vassal kings were demoted from kings to marquises, barely preserving their dignity.
Therefore, the vassal kings of the Eastern Han Dynasty were basically descendants of Liu Xiu.
The Eastern Han Dynasty had no choice but to do this. There were too many vassal kings, and the promotion of favor orders created many vassal states.
But in the Shaowu Dynasty, the situation was reversed.
There are only thirty princes at the top of the clan.
In other words, among the hundreds of princes left behind by the Seventeen Emperors, except for the one who inherited the throne, there were only thirty others who reached adulthood and left heirs.
There are hundreds of county kings and countless generals.
Therefore, retaining the prince and demoting the prince became a matter of course.
The princes were honored with nobility and emoluments but no external titles, and their residences were in the capital, so as not to go out and cause harm to the people.
To go a step further, in the nearly three hundred years of the Qin dynasty's history, the succession to the throne was very difficult, with many sects extinct, and the prince's lineage was transferred as many as six times. This is a unique record among the vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty.
This worried the four members of the cabinet.
You must know that during the Jiajing New Deal, the vassal regulations were greatly changed, and the right of inheritance was greatly reduced. Even so, even Su vassal, which has the smallest clan population, has 5 county princes, and the largest Zhou dynasty king has 46 county princes.
And what about the Qin vassal? There was only one Prince Yongshou. This can be traced back to the fifth son of the first King of Qin.
His bloodline is farther than that of the emperor.
As for the generals and lieutenants who offered incense like Emperor Zhu Yixi, it was just to avoid having no one to offer sacrifices to the prince, and they had no right to inherit the throne at all.
"Depose him!" Lu Daqi always said in shocking words.
"Now it is no better than the previous dynasty. Although the Qin vassal is the number one vassal, the King of Heyang has inherited the incense and cannot stop offering sacrifices."
"It's better to depose this prince."
"I'm afraid it won't cause waves in the clan."
Zhang Shenyan sighed: "You know, the clan has been in a lot of trouble recently about the land change, so we can't stay away from each other."
If you really follow Lu Daqi's words, it will be like adding fuel to the fire.
This is by no means a stable strategy.
"Then, we can only choose from the Yongshou King family." Yan Chongxin said thoughtfully, his tone not so cheerful.
"It depends on what Your Majesty wants."
Zhao Shu was more conservative. He took a sip of tea and said calmly: "As for the clan, the emperor may have his own plans, so let's not give random advice."
"So as not to be thankless."
These words were recognized by several people.
The issue of the vassal king's successor is not profitable at all for the civil servants, but if it is not done well, it will easily lead to disaster.
In fact, the property of today's prince has long been divided up by the rebels. The local vassal fields have been either nationalized or distributed. The real property is only the thousands of hectares of land allocated by the emperor, and now it has been transferred to Liaodong.
Lumi's words can only be equal to the Duke of the country, only five thousand stones.
But his real financial resources are definitely not as good as those of an ordinary duke.
If the previous King of Qin had left hundreds of thousands of acres of land after he was deposed, it would be enough to make a big dent in the finances.
At this time, the emperor was meeting with King Zong Zhengrui and Zhu Changhao in his study.
As the fifth son of Emperor Shenzong, King Rui is now sixty-three years old. He is in good health and can jump.
Compared with other vassal kings, King Rui was not fond of women, liked to eat fast and chant Buddha's name, and his biggest hobby was just the pursuit of money.
It is precisely because of this that he helped Zhu Yixi raise millions of taels of silver when he was in Hanzhong, and he has been trusted ever since.
When he ascended the throne, as the head of the clan, he took the lead in persuading people to advance. Later, he became Zong Zheng of the clan mansion and was in charge of clan affairs.
In other words, the clan had to be managed by its own people. When the civil servants were in charge, it was a common thing to deduct the vassal salary. This money-grubbing King Rui never dared to be greedy for money.
Once scolded by relatives, he cannot hold his head high in front of his ancestors.
Being received by the emperor solemnly, no matter how slow King Rui was, he understood what he meant. It was nothing more than King Qin's business.
"The King of Qin is seriously ill, and the imperial doctor said he will only be alive in the next two days."
Zhu Yixi sighed, showing a trace of sadness: "I went to see him today, and he was so thin that he fell off his bones. He had bad bones a few years ago, and now he looks even more sad."
King Rui comforted him: "Your Majesty, I express my condolences. The fate of heaven is unpredictable. I think that I can help you care about me. King Qin must be very happy in his heart."
"Even if I leave, I will end with a smile."
Zhu Yixi glanced at him and immediately put away her sadness.
They are not dead yet, but you die with a smile on your face.
"The lineage of the King of Qin is the first vassal of Emperor Taizu, and my line also comes from this. It is not unimportant. Now that I am worried about my heir, I am very confused at this time. Can Prince Rui teach me?"
"A good heir should be chosen as soon as possible to take over the name of King Qin so that he can succeed to the throne——"
King Rui raised his head slightly, and when he saw the emperor's calm appearance, he couldn't help but speak.
This is a commonplace matter, and the emperor has no comment.
"The King of Yongshou has three sons, who are relatively healthy..."
"The bloodline is too far away."
Zhu Yixi curled her lips and said, "It's so far away."
"Then choose one from the other sacrificial officials?" King Rui asked tentatively.
"It's not worthy of the name." Zhu Yixi objected again.
I have only heard of a county prince succeeding a prince, but never of a lieutenant succeeding him.
Now, it was the turn of the honest King Rui to sit on the wax.
This is not possible, and that is not possible. With these two options, is it really necessary to abolish Qin Fan?
Thinking of this, King Rui thought it was impossible. The emperor came from the Qin dynasty and watched helplessly as all the Qin kings stopped offering sacrifices? That would be scolded to heaven.
Seeing that the old man was still thinking there in a daze, Zhu Yixi asked tentatively: "Brother Wang, what do you think of Cunming?"
"The eldest prince is extremely intelligent and is praised by everyone at the time. He is worthy of being a descendant of the Tian family."
"Cun Mei is already nine years old. He is gradually becoming sensible and learning and martial arts. Although he has not yet matured, I predict that he must be a wise king."
The emperor was praising here, and King Rui, who was sitting down, was shocked and murmured in his heart:
For three hundred years, the emperor has never heard of adopting a prince to a vassal king.
The emperor is really big-hearted!
However, the position of King Qin is different. After all, it comes from the royal family lineage. It is not a good idea to let others inherit. It is better to give it to your own son.
There is no need to build new land, property, or palaces, not to mention how convenient it is.
"Your Majesty, I am taking the liberty." King Rui was so blessed that his thoughts immediately turned into thoughts: "Why not let the eldest prince succeed King Qin?"
"Brothers end up becoming brothers, isn't that good?" The emperor looked hesitant.
Well, I thought that only the emperor could do this by adopting a son.
King Rui said without changing his expression: "The lineage of the Qin vassal has been changed many times, and the direct lineage has been cut off. Only when the blood of the Tian family is abundant can the fate of the Qin vassal be changed and the Qin vassal be revitalized."
Last year, the eldest son Zhu Cunqu was named King of Wu and promoted to half-step prince. As he grew older, he was eight years old.
Lively, cheerful, and enthusiastic, he really doesn't look like he's suffering from dementia.
Since then, Zhu Yixi has felt relieved.
As long as he continues to cultivate, no matter what happens, he can still become a conservative king and protect his rapidly expanding territory.
As a result, the former eldest prince Zhu Cunming became aware of the matter as he grew older. In order to avoid fratricide, he had to establish the heir apparent as soon as possible.
Once the title of ruler and minister is established, extravagant hopes and ambitions can be cut off.
And the best way is to adopt the eldest son.
If something happens to the eldest son, he can take it back.
"You are the elder of the clan. Since you have said this, it must be in line with public opinion."
Zhu Yixi sighed.
"I really can't think of any better way." King Rui said sincerely, regardless of his conscience.
"I'll leave it to you to help the clan..."
Later, the emperor met with the four cabinet members in the Yangxin Hall.
This kind of imperial meeting is simple and convenient. With only a few people, the monarch and his ministers talk face to face, and the principles and policies can be determined in a short time, avoiding internal friction.
Similarly, the power of the phase has also been divided, and it is difficult for an independent phase to survive.
This is the biggest difference between the Shaowu Dynasty and the previous two hundred years.
The communication between the emperor and cabinet ministers is no longer a cold draft, but face-to-face communication, in a sense, enhances the imperial power.
First, the rewards for Li Dingguo and other military officials were determined.
Gao Yigong's Duke Jing was granted the title by the emperor himself without any discussion, so the Ministry of Rites could only follow suit.
For military officials such as Li Dingguo, the Ministry of Rites approved the military merits, and it took a long time before finally drafting a plan.
Li Dingguo was transferred to the title of Marquis of Shazhou, with a salary of 4,500 shi (Duke 5,000), and was promoted to the post of Qianshi of the Rear Army Governor's Office, General Tiannan, and took charge of Tiannan Xingdusi.
Obviously, he is only a hair away from the Duke.
In the Jin Dynasty, there was one marquis, three uncles, sons, and twenty sons.
"Is the list correct?" the emperor confirmed.
"The Governor's Office and the Ministry of War have repeatedly confirmed that nothing has been omitted."
Zhao Shu cupped his hands and said: "It's just a meritorious land. I suggest that it be transferred to Tiannan. This way we can consolidate the border. After all, the Central Plains and Liaodong are too far away."
"Let them choose!" The emperor waved his hand and said: "Either in Tiannan or in Liaodong. We are tyrannical and let people stay in Tiannan, which will easily arouse the resentment of the soldiers."
"Your Majesty is Holy Ming."
Then I thought about it, wherever the land was conquered, the people were sealed off. Who else wants to fight on the border? It would be too sad for the military.
We discussed a few more important matters.
For example, Yanshenggong Kong Yinzhi died of illness five years ago. According to the rule of alternation between the north and the south mentioned by the previous emperor, the title of Yanshenggong was inherited by Kong Zhenyun of the southern Kongfu.
At the beginning of the month, Kong Zhenyun also died of illness. According to logic, he should be transferred to Qufu and inherited by Kong Yinzhi's son.
Zhu Yixi didn't want to break the rules he had set, so he agreed.
In fact, now, with the passage of time, he has lost the passion and indignation he had when he took the throne.
After all, the butt determines the head.
Confucius is just a mascot, no match for a soldier in troubled times. Although he kneels down many times, he still maintains the inheritance.
In order to survive, chastity is really worthless.
Only at the end did we talk about the death of King Qin.
Just as he wanted to deal with King Rui, the emperor vetoed several proposals one after another, and finally said: "I intend to let the eldest prince Zhu Cunmei inherit the title of King of Qin, and he will be enshrined in the incense."
As soon as these words came out, everyone suddenly became enlightened.
It turned out that this was what the emperor had in mind.
Naturally, the cabinet will not object to this, but strongly supports it.
The biggest threat to King Wu at present is the eldest prince Zhu Cunmei, who occupies the status of the eldest son. Once he succeeds King Qin, he will definitely not be able to become the prince.
The position of King Wu is as secure as gold.
The fourth-term cabinet member immediately showed a happy smile.
The emperor can still be persuaded.
Afterwards, rumors spread among the clan that the eldest prince would succeed King Qin, with both nose and eyes.
But the court chose to remain silent.
Now, the harem became lively.
The queen's place was naturally full of joy, even more lively than the Chinese New Year.
The faces of the palace maids and eunuchs were filled with enthusiasm, and they walked with a breeze, not to mention they were very airy.
"Sister, congratulations." Sun Damiang came over with a smile, her eyes turned into crescent moons, and brought her son and daughter.
"Where does happiness come from?" Sun Xueniang smiled reservedly: "Don't talk nonsense, it's better to keep a low profile."
In the Yongshou Palace, the palace of Zhuang Concubine Zhang Yu, although it is summer outside, the inside of the palace is as cold as winter.
At this time, only my sister Zhang Man came over. When she saw that everyone had dull faces, lowered their heads and did not dare to speak, and did not dare to breathe, she immediately frowned.
Ding ding ding——
Crisp footsteps sounded on the floor, slowly breaking into the bedroom.
Zhang Yu looked up and saw her sister. She immediately looked like she couldn't laugh or cry. I felt pity for her.
"How can you put so many ice basins in there without fearing that your wife will freeze to death?"
Zhang Man scolded, and had most of the ice basin taken away, and then opened the curtains, so that the bedroom became brighter.
Looking at his seriously ill sister, Zhang Man asked everyone to leave, and then sat down on the bed: "Why, are you discouraged?"
"Sister~" Zhang Yu looked very sad.
"Is that a position you can imagine?"
Zhang Man didn't like her, so he bent down and whispered: "If you tell me this, it will make it difficult for both of us in the palace."
"My father is also restless in the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
"But, the eldest brother is the eldest son——" Zhang Yu said unwillingly.
"He is still the eldest son. This is not something we can expect. The queen is married to a matchmaker. She is from a famous family and is not something we can compare with."
"If I didn't wake you up today, I'm afraid you would still be dreaming of a sweet dream. When the time comes, something else happens, and that would be a disaster."
Zhang Man said bitterly: "Don't mess around. If the emperor finds out about this, you will suffer."
Zhang Yu then sighed and cheered up.
"The title of King Qin is not bad. He is the first vassal after all. How many people are looking forward to inheriting it. Now that Brother Jin has won the position, many people in the harem are jealous."
"As far as I know, after Sun Damiang heard about it, she wanted her son to win the title of King of Qin!"
Hearing this, Zhang Yu said sharply: "How dare she? This is my son's."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door: "Mother, your Majesty is here -"