My father is Jiajing

Zhou Haoran, the chief secretary of the Prince of Zhou's residence, had secretly arrived at the gate of the residence of Gao Gong, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, for the third time.

Moreover, he was carrying a sandalwood box containing a pair of priceless Hetian jade discs.

When the gatekeeper saw him, his face was full of smiles, but his eyes drifted toward the wooden box.

This treasure is clearly very appealing!

"Chief Secretary Zhou, I am truly sorry, my master went to the palace for a meeting today and has not yet returned."

The servant apologized, but his eyes never left the wooden box.

Zhou Haoran cursed inwardly, but showed no sign of it on his face. He took out a silver ingot from his sleeve and stuffed it into the servant's hand: "Young man, please do us a favor. This little bit is for the brothers to have some tea. If Grand Secretary Gao returns to the mansion, please inform him."

The servant weighed the silver in his hand, his smile becoming more sincere, and said happily, "Chief Clerk Zhou, you're too kind."

Then, he lowered his voice and said sensibly, "These past few days, quite a few people from the princely mansions have come to see my master. People from the Chu Prince's mansion and the Qin Prince's mansion have come, but my master hasn't seen a single one of them."

Zhou Haoran felt a pang of anxiety upon hearing the information he had purchased.

Sure enough, it wasn't just their own prince who was eyeing the matter of establishing overseas fiefdoms.

Other members of the royal family and feudal lords also became restless.

Zhou Haoran quickly clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the servant, "Thank you for the reminder, sir. I will come to visit again another day."

The servant chuckled, "No problem, no problem. It's really been hard on you, Chief Clerk Zhou. I didn't even get to invite you for a cup of tea."

After leaving the Gao residence, Zhou Haoran went to visit Li Chunfang, the former Grand Secretary and current Grand Councilor.

As the most trusted confidant of King Zhou, Zhou Haoran's mission on this trip was to find out the truth about the overseas fiefdoms.

When the news of Prince Jing, Zhu Zaizhen, receiving the Nine Bestowments and being granted a sea voyage reached the Prince Zhou's residence in Kaifeng, Prince Zhou, Zhu Zaiting, was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night, dreaming about whether he would have the opportunity to receive a real title from the court.

"Nine bestowals, a real honor! Since the Yongle era, which vassal king has ever received such an honor?"

Even now, Zhou Haoran still remembers what the King of Zhou said to him in the palace.

Moreover, after this statement, King Zhou said with great emotion, "If King Jing could obtain it, why can't I?"

Clearly, these feudal lords truly saw themselves as a dish to be served, and all wanted to be on the table.

Li Chunfang's residence wasn't that difficult to enter. After Zhou Haoran presented his visiting card, he was led into a side hall to wait.

After all, the Grand Council is now in charge of many matters related to the enfeoffment of overseas vassal states.

Since Zhou Haoran had managed to find this place, he naturally wouldn't turn him away.

Although they were turned away and didn't get to eat, the wait for the food was still quite long.

Two hours later, Li Chunfang finally appeared in the living room.

"Chief Secretary Zhou has been waiting for a long time."

Li Chunfang bowed and apologized, "I've been very busy with departmental affairs lately and really haven't been able to spare the time. Please forgive me, Chief Secretary Zhou."

Zhou Haoran repeatedly said he wouldn't dare, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, he got down to business.

"Lord Li, I have come on the orders of King Zhou to inquire about the matter of enfeoffing vassals overseas."

Li Chunfang's expression turned serious. He looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "This matter is sensitive, and I dare not speak rashly."

"Nothing"

He paused, then turned back to his original point, which filled Zhou Haoran with hope again.

Zhou Haoran said excitedly, "Please, Lord Li, speak frankly!"

Li Chunfang cleared his throat and said in a low voice, "As far as I know, His Majesty does intend to enfeoff members of the imperial clan overseas, but for now it is limited to the fiefdoms of His Majesty's closest relatives."

"Why?"

Zhou Haoran pressed for details, his eyes filled with surprise.

Li Chunfang sighed, "People like Prince Zhou are all vassal kings appointed by previous emperors, and their fiefdoms are hereditary. Although the emperor is the supreme ruler, he cannot easily change the appointments made by the previous emperors."

"What if this causes a misunderstanding, and people think the court wants to weaken the power of the princes again? What would that be like?"

Zhou Haoran immediately said anxiously, "How could anyone think that? Your Majesty is overthinking it. Besides, Prince Jing has already been enfeoffed overseas, so how could there be any reduction in his fiefdom? It must be someone with ulterior motives who maliciously misinterpreted His Majesty's intentions."

Zhou Haoran was extremely anxious.

The lineage of the Zhou King originated from the Hongwu reign, and its blood relation with the current emperor is distant. If this is the case, wouldn't it mean there is no hope of obtaining a real fief overseas?

Zhou Haoran's efforts on behalf of King Zhou were not entirely for the king's sake, but also for his own.

If the King of Zhou were to be granted fiefdoms overseas, he would inevitably rely heavily on trusted ministers like Zhou Haoran.

At that time, as a key minister of the first generation of overseas vassal states, to also obtain a title that would be shared with the vassal state and the nation would be an immense temptation for Zhou Haoran.

You have to understand that if things were to be like this now, no matter how talented Zhou Haoran is, he would be trapped in the identity of the Chief Secretary of the King of Zhou, and would never be able to realize his ambitions.

But if the King of Zhou could also establish fiefdoms overseas, then with his position as Chief Secretary, wouldn't he be the prime minister in those overseas vassal states?
As the saying goes, it's better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox!

Now that we have the opportunity to be the leader of the chickens, if we are unwilling to take the chance, we will truly regret it for the rest of our lives!

"Lord Li, my lord would never think such a thing!"

"My lord is devoted to the Ming Dynasty and His Majesty. If he can defend the Ming Dynasty and be loyal to His Majesty, the Zhou Prince's Mansion is willing to devote all its resources to expanding overseas and opening up new territories for the Ming Dynasty."

Zhou Haoran immediately conveyed Zhou Wang's stance to Li Chunfang.

Li Chunfang was secretly pleased to hear this.

But on the surface, Li Chunfang shook her head with difficulty and said, "It's difficult. People from the Chu Prince's mansion came yesterday, and the Chu Prince was even willing to offer up his fiefdom in Huguang in exchange for a real fiefdom overseas, but the Emperor still didn't agree. It's clear that this matter is really not easy."

Hearing Li Chunfang's words, Zhou Haoran felt heavy-hearted.

He visited all six ministries and received almost identical replies.

Is the emperor's priority in granting fiefdoms overseas, or is it limited to the emperor's closest relatives?

If this news reaches Kaifeng, King Zhou will likely be greatly disappointed.

Meanwhile, Zhou Haoran was busy all over the capital trying to find connections and inquire about overseas fiefdoms.

Zhu Hua Kui, the heir apparent of the King of Chu, has also come to the capital on his father's orders.

Zhu Huakui gently touched the jade pendant at his waist and stood waiting outside the Imperial College. He was sixteen years old this year. He had come to the capital under the pretense of studying abroad on his father's orders, but in reality, he was there to gather information about the overseas fiefdoms of the Prince of Chu.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince has arrived."

The attendant whispered a reminder.

Zhu Huakui straightened his clothes and saw a procession of honor slowly approaching from afar.

Zhu Yi, dressed in an apricot-yellow robe with dragon patterns, walked toward the Imperial Academy surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids.

Beside him followed a little shadow, none other than Zhu Yizhong, the heir apparent of Prince Jing!
"Your subject Zhu Huakui pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince of Chu bowed respectfully.

Zhu Yi's slightly childish voice rang out, "Prince Chu, there's no need for such formalities. My father says that you are exceptionally learned, and has specially granted you permission to enter the Imperial Academy to attend lectures with me."

Zhu Huakui expressed his gratitude, but his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Zhu Yizhong.

This Crown Prince Jing, who remained in the capital, has now become a key figure connecting the royal family with overseas vassal states.

During the break between classes, Zhu Huakui deliberately moved closer to Zhu Yizhong.

"Young Master Jing, I heard that His Highness Prince Jing has arrived in Nanming Continent. Has any letter from home arrived?"

Zhu Hua Kui asked kindly. Zhu Yi Zhong replied cautiously, "I just received a letter from my father the day before yesterday, saying that Nanming Continent is vast and sparsely populated, with a pleasant climate."

"His Highness Prince Jing has been granted the Nine Bestowments by the Emperor, setting a precedent for princes in our Great Ming Dynasty. It is truly enviable."

Zhu Huakui sighed, "I wonder when Prince Jing will be able to travel to Nanming Continent to reunite with His Highness Prince Jing?"

A hint of longing flashed in Zhu Yizhong's eyes: "My imperial uncle said that I can go after I come of age."

Zhu Huakui lowered his voice: "While Prince Jing is in the palace, has he heard that the Emperor will also grant other vassal kings the privilege of going to sea?"

Zhu Yizhong glanced at him warily. "How could I possibly know about such a momentous matter?"

Zhu Huakui didn't take it seriously and took out an exquisite golden nanmu box from his sleeve: "This is ambergris, a specialty of Chu. It has a calming effect. I'm giving it to Prince Jing to play with."

Just as Zhu Yizhong was about to decline, Crown Prince Zhu Yi suddenly walked over and asked, "What are the Crown Prince Chu and Crown Prince Jing talking about that's making such a commotion?"

Zhu Huakui quickly bowed and said, "Your Highness, I was just discussing the scenery and customs of Nanming Continent with Prince Jing."

Zhu Yi's eyes lit up, and he became interested as well.

"Father said there are giant rats that can hop around, and grizzly bears that sleep in the trees!"

Watching the two boys engage in a heated discussion, Zhu Huakui secretly made his own plans.

Getting closer to Prince Jing's heir seems feasible, but it requires more patience.

Meanwhile, in the private residence of Meng Chong, a eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Zhou Haoran was quietly pushing a stack of silver notes across the table.

"Eunuch Meng, this is a small token of His Highness King Zhou's appreciation."

Meng Chong glanced at the face value of the silver note and discreetly slipped it into his sleeve: "Chief Clerk Zhou, please speak frankly."

"May I ask, Your Majesty, what are His Majesty's intentions regarding the enfeoffment of vassal states overseas?"

Zhou Haoran asked directly.

Meng Chong slowly sipped his tea, displaying a rather condescending attitude of doing his job well while being paid.

"His Majesty does intend to enfeoff members of the imperial clan overseas, but the national treasury is empty and unable to provide the necessary funds. Prince Jing will have to cover all expenses for his voyage overseas."

Zhou Haoran's eyes lit up. "If the princes raise the funds themselves, would the Emperor allow it?"

"That's hard to say."

Meng Chong smiled meaningfully, "However, His Majesty has recently been saying to the cabinet, 'If all the princes had the same awareness of sharing the burdens of the court as Prince Jing, why should I begrudge the Nine Bestowments?'"

Zhou Haoran suddenly understood. The key was for the vassal king to demonstrate an attitude of "sharing the burdens of the court" and to raise funds independently!
Inside the Hall of Diligent Governance, Zhu Zaiji was reviewing memorials.

Feng Bao tiptoed in and reported, "Your Majesty, envoys from the Prince of Zhou's residence, the Prince of Chu's residence, and the Prince of Qin's residence are all waiting outside the palace, requesting an audience."

Zhu Zaiji didn't even look up: "Tell them to wait. Has Li Chunfang arrived yet?"

"Mr. Li is already waiting for the imperial decree outside the palace."

"Xuan."

After Li Chunfang entered the hall and paid his respects, Zhu Zaiji asked directly, "How have the princes reacted?"

"Your Majesty, the response from the various princely residences is enthusiastic, especially from several princes in wealthy regions."

Li Chunfang respectfully replied, "However, as Your Majesty instructed, both the Cabinet and the Grand Council have stated that overseas fiefdoms are currently limited to the Emperor's close relatives, which has greatly disappointed the princes."

Zhu Zaiji chuckled: "Disappointment breeds greater longing. What will they do next?"

"The Prince of Zhou bribed Meng Chong of the Directorate of Ceremonial to learn that he needed to raise funds himself; the Prince of Chu sent his heir to the capital to try to gather information through the heirs and crown princes of the Prince of Jing; and the Prince of Qin managed to get through the Ministry of War."

Li Chunfang reported in detail.

"good very good."

Zhu Zaiji nodded in satisfaction, "Let them worry for a few more days. The day after tomorrow, at the Hall of Diligent Governance, I will personally receive these envoys from the vassal kings."

Two days later, the atmosphere inside the Hall of Diligent Governance was somber.

Zhou Haoran, Chu Ziyu, the chief secretary of the Chu Prince's Palace, Qin Dalang, the clerk of the Qin Prince's Palace, and more than ten other envoys of the vassal kings knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.

Emperor Zhu Zaiji sat on the dragon throne, with high-ranking officials such as Gao Gong and Li Chunfang standing beside him. A huge world map hung in the center of the hall, marking the areas controlled by the Ming Dynasty and those yet to be developed.

"What brings you all from so far away?"

Zhu Zaiji asked the question knowing the answer already.

Zhou Haoran mustered his courage and spoke: "Your Majesty, I have come on the orders of Prince Zhou to inquire about the matter of overseas fiefdoms. His Highness Prince Zhou is willing to follow the example of Prince Jing and expand the overseas territories of the Ming Dynasty."

Other envoys echoed this sentiment, indicating that their respective vassal kings shared the same idea.

Zhu Zaiji sighed: "My dear ministers, you may not know this. Prince Jing is my own brother. I have already made a proclamation of the Nine Bestowments upon him, but there has been some dissent in the court. If I were to bestow titles upon other princes, I fear it would be difficult to win over the people."

Chu Ziyu kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Prince of Chu is willing to offer up his fiefdom of Huguang in exchange for a real overseas fiefdom!"

"Oh?"

Zhu Zaiji seemed somewhat surprised, "The King of Chu actually has such intentions?"

Zhou Haoran was not to be outdone: "His Highness Prince Zhou is also willing to hand over the fiefdom of Kaifeng and raise one million taels of silver as development funds!"

Zhu Zaiji looked troubled and asked Gao Gong, "What does Mr. Gao think?"

Gao Gong understood and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, the fiefdoms of the princes appointed by the previous emperors are hereditary. If they are changed lightly, it may violate the ancestral system."

Zhu Zaiji nodded: "Mr. Gao is absolutely right. Unless..."

He deliberately dragged out his tone.

All the messengers held their breath, waiting for what was to come.

"Unless the vassal kings can prove that their overseas expansion is entirely beneficial to the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Zaiji stood up and walked to the world map. "For example, discovering new sea routes, exploring fertile lands, and searching for gold and silver deposits."

The envoys' eyes lit up as they diligently wrote down every word the emperor said.

"This matter is of great importance; please allow me to consider it further."

Zhu Zaiji concluded, “Go back and tell your master that if someone is sincere, I will know.”

After the envoys had left, Li Chunfang whispered, "Your Majesty, the fish has taken the bait, when should we reel it in?"

Zhu Zaiji watched the departing envoy outside the palace and smiled slightly: "No rush, let them compete for a while longer. The fiercer the competition, the greater the benefit to the court."

Zhu Zaiji has now begun to treat the various vassal states as big fish to catch.

Of course, Zhu Zaiji also spent a lot of money on bait to catch these big fish!
Originally, Zhu Zaiji was also hesitant about whether to gradually grant Zhu Zaizhen power in Nanmingzhou.

However, Zhu Zaiji later thought that Nanmingzhou was far from the emperor's reach, and even if Zhu Zaiji was stingy and unwilling to grant these powers, Zhu Zaizhen would have these powers when he arrived in Nanmingzhou.

Therefore, instead of being stingy, it's better to go all out and give the various vassal states a little shock, making them all excited and thrilled.

That makes things much easier later on.

After all, these people are all "family," and even if Zhu Zaiji wanted to do something drastic, he had to consider the impact on the world.

Therefore, it's no wonder Zhu Zaiji is ruthless to lure them into his trap using such methods.

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