Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 253 Please appoint a crown prince and increase the salary of the Ming Dynasty!
Hai Rui first sent his wife and children to the imperially granted Hai Mansion.

He knelt down and bowed to his mother, and tearfully recounted his unfilial behavior of not serving her in the past year.

But Mrs. Hai didn't care about her son at all. She carefully took her grandson from Mrs. Hai's arms, her eyes full of the tiny thing.

Although the little guy is only one month old, his every frown and smile almost fills the old man's heart.

People often say: "There are three kinds of unfilial behavior, and the worst is to have no descendants."

Hai's father, that is, Hai Rui's father, died early. She remained faithful to her husband for forty years, but Haimen had no offspring.

When it comes to pressure, she is no less than Hai Rui. If she doesn't see her grandson before she dies, she won't be able to be buried with Hai's father after her death. She will have no face to face Hai's father and the ancestors of Haimen in the underworld.

Fortunately, during the year of separation, Hai's wife gave birth to a son. As a mother (mother-in-law), she had never been happier in the past forty years. She could no longer hear her son's voice or the sounds of the outside world.

Hai Rui waited for his mother for a while, but he was still not in his mother's eyes or heart. After forty or fifty years of mother-son relationship, it was inevitable that there would be some sadness at this moment.

During this year, Hai Rui's wife, who accompanied him, changed her status again and again. She was the wife of a teacher, the wife of a county magistrate, the wife of a prefect, and then the wife of the governor-general of Nanzhili, and now the wife of the Minister of Rites.

With her husband busy with official business and her mother-in-law and daughter far away in the capital, Hai's wife has to take care of the huge back hall of the government office. Today, she is no longer the person who always obeys orders in her home in Nanping, Fujian. She has grown into an independent person and the mistress of the family.

When he saw his mother-in-law again, he was still filial to her, but he had his own ideas when it came to doing things.

Seeing that her mother-in-law cared less about her son and more about her grandson, and her husband was embarrassed beside her, she smiled knowingly and said, "I heard that the princess and the prince are at the mansion. My husband, you should go and pay your respects."

This smile.

She also felt relieved about the grievances she had suffered after marrying into Haimen.

Remind her husband Hai Rui not to forget etiquette.

The princess and the prince are members of the royal family of the Ming Dynasty.

As a subject, whether it was Hai Rui, the Minister of Rites, or Zhang Juzheng, the Chief Minister of the Cabinet, they had to pay their respects when they met them in the designated places.

Paying respects is a type of military etiquette during the Ming Dynasty, known as "bending one knee."

The literati evolved it into daily etiquette, but the literati with honors or official positions simplified some of the etiquette to show their integrity. They only slightly bent the right knee, bowed, and said "Greetings, Princess" or "Greetings, Prince".

Princess Li and Crown Prince Zhu Yijun were placed in the mansion by the emperor. This Hai mansion, although it is said to belong to the Hai family, is not really the Hai family.

At least, Hai Rui could not stay in the imperially bestowed Hai Mansion for long, in order to avoid suspicion.

Madam Hai, his wife, and their two children can all stay here for a long time, except Hai Rui.

Moreover, Hai Rui came to Beijing to take up his post. As one of the nine ministers of the imperial court, he should first go to the palace to meet the emperor and express his gratitude.

It was getting late, so Hai Rui had to pay his respects to Princess Li and the Crown Prince first before going to the Yuxi Palace for an audience.

After being reminded by his wife, Hai Rui finally came to his senses and hurriedly said goodbye to his mother, but his mother only waved her hand impatiently.

Hai Rui left with a wry smile, and went with his wife to pay their respects to the princess and the prince. Even so, Princess Li only received the greetings through a screen.

The one-year-old Crown Prince Zhu Yijun, wearing an apricot-yellow crown and robe, accepted greetings from Hai Rui and his wife in the arms of Hai Rui's daughter Nannan.

Nannan looked at her parents whom she hadn't seen for a long time and felt very close to them, but with the prince in her hands and the rules taught by her grandmother, she couldn't let go and return to her parents' arms.

Suddenly, the prince looked at Hai Rui, stretched out his hands, and said, "Hug me."

This time.

The whole hall was shocked.

Although the prince's words were not clear enough, people could still hear what he said if they were close. But no one expected the prince to speak at this time, and no one expected that the prince would be so close to Hai Rui, a man they had never met before and who was known as the judge in Jiangnan and was feared by everyone.

Nannan almost threw the prince out.

Behind the screen, Princess Li's eyes shone with hope, and she said, "Haibudang, the prince likes you, so just give him a hug."

The prince likes it.

The princess's order.

This made Hai Rui very confused, but when he saw such a big prince looking at him eagerly, he couldn't help but feel warm in his heart. He bowed to the ground and took the prince into his arms.

Nannan threw herself into Hai's wife's arms, and the mother and daughter hugged each other and cried.

"Please ask Haibudang to bring the prince to meet the emperor." Princess Li said hopefully.

Prince Yu Zhu Zaihou rebelled and was deposed, then expelled from the court. There was no news of him since then, leaving them, an orphan and a widow, here. The emperor sent them here and never came to see them again.

Although the court would send her food, clothing, and wealth on time, what she wanted was not those external things.

Besides, the prince cannot just live like this. When he grows up, he needs someone to teach him.

Hai Rui knew what Princess Li was thinking. In the current Ming Dynasty, there were three generations of the emperor, princes, and grandchildren, and only the crown prince Zhu Yijun was the heir.

Prince Zhu Zaihou and Prince Jing Zhu Zaizhen are both abroad.

How can such a big court survive without a crown prince? If Zhu Yijun can be enthroned as the crown prince, Princess Li and the prince will have finally made it.

Even if the emperor gave birth to another heir in the future, Zhu Yijun would be able to participate in the fight for succession to the throne, or even seize the throne.

Just like when Emperor Taizu Gao enthroned Emperor Jianwen.

Hai Rui looked at the prince in his arms and sighed. The father of Emperor Jianwen was Prince Yiwen, and the father of the prince...

Appoint a crown prince.

However, no matter what we say or think, it has been more than a month since the emperor's wedding. It is said that he has visited the empress, imperial concubines, and countless concubines, but there is no news that any of the concubines is pregnant.

Hai Rui didn't know what to say, but nodded, held the prince in his arms, bowed to Princess Li, and went to the Yuxi Palace for an audience.

When Hai Rui and Zhu Yijun arrived at the gate of Yuxi Palace, they saw Huang Jin, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department and the chief eunuch of the Eastern Depot, waiting for them. He said, "The emperor has ordered that the Minister of Rites Hai Rui and the Crown Prince come to see the emperor. Hai Rui, please follow me."

Hai Rui led the prince to the door of the temple. Huang Jin took the prince in. Hai Rui immediately knelt down outside the door and said, "Your Majesty, I, the Minister of Rites Hai Rui, kowtow to you!"

"Come in."

Hai Rui stood up and followed Huang Jin inside.

An embroidered cushion had been placed in the hall. The eunuch Lu Fang, who was in charge of the seal of the Imperial Household Department, moved the cushion with both hands and said, "Your Majesty has granted the Minister of the Seas a seat."

Hai Rui bowed deeply to Zhu Houcong again and sat down next to the embroidered cushion.

Huang Jin held the prince in front of Zhu Houcong. The prince was suddenly timid when he saw Zhu Houcong sitting upright in a crown and dragon robe. He grabbed Huang Jin and refused to let go, and kept looking at Hai Rui.

Zhu Houcong smiled helplessly and waved his hands helplessly: "I, your grandfather, am worse than an outsider. Let Hai Rui come."

Huang Jin walked back again, and the prince stretched out his hands and let Hai Rui hold him.

"It seems that my grandson likes you more."

Zhu Houcong could not say that he was disappointed, but he was indeed helpless. He said, "I tasted the jar of pickles you picked for me, and the taste is still the same. Yes, I also read the memorial you submitted to me, but it is difficult for me to approve you."

"Your Majesty..." Hai Rui was an impatient person and he looked upon His Majesty as his father. "Father and son" were not like mother and son, so he dared to argue with them.

Zhu Houcong interrupted him and continued, "You are not the only one who has proposed to increase the salaries of court officials. The elders of the cabinet and the officials of the six ministries have also tried to sound out my opinion."

Hai Rui held the prince's hand and tightened it subconsciously.

Pay attention to the words your Majesty used. It turns out that the minister was not asking for instructions frequently, but was "testing" your Majesty.

Don't underestimate the difference. The former is sincere submission and respect for the emperor and father, while the latter is sinister and spying on the emperor and father.

This reminded Hai Rui of the death of Chen Hong, the former chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department and the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot. Although the inner court handled the matter very neatly, it could hide it from the world but not from the ministers of the imperial court.

Even if Hai Rui did not go to find out, someone would tell him the truth about Chen Hong's death.

The second-in-command eunuch in the inner court did not die from corruption, nor from the mining disaster and civil unrest caused by his adopted son Gan'er in Zhejiang, but from his surveillance of the emperor.

Even though Chen Hong was accompanying the cabinet elders in implementing national policies, he used his own influence and his adopted sons and godsons to inform the deputy prime minister of the outer court of the emperor's intentions, which almost led to the downfall of the cabinet's chief minister.

Throughout the capital city, everyone is doing things according to their own conscience and based on their own interests.

In other words, in such a huge court, the emperor does not trust his ministers, and the ministers do not trust the emperor either.

The frequent deaths of princes and the betrayal of Yan Song and his son Yan Shifan made the emperor always wary of his subjects.

On the contrary, the emperor's various "reckless actions", his suppression of court officials, his national policies that benefited the people but not the officials, and his arbitrary instigation of large-scale purges and killings, also made the ministers always dissatisfied with the emperor.

The reason why the Ming Dynasty court has not collapsed and is still thriving is very simple. The emperor holds supreme power and this group of ministers are not as bad as Yan Song and his son.

More importantly, the interests of some honest and upright court officials coincide with the interests of the people, the emperor, and the Ming Dynasty.

This is why, from the outside, it seems that all civil and military officials are working for the Ming Dynasty, for the emperor, and for the people.

In fact, in today's world where the Jinyiwei is in power and the imperial guards are everywhere, there are countless rifts between the emperor and his subjects.

Powerful officials such as Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong were bent on strengthening the power of the prime minister and increasing the strength of the civil service group.

The emperor, on the other hand, has been constantly weakening the power of the prime minister and dispersing the civil service group.

If, if, Hai Rui's forehead was covered with sweat, thinking, if, at this time the court appointed a crown prince and the position of crown prince was determined, then naturally, there would be a group of interest groups centered around the crown prince - following the dragon is the first great achievement.

Not to mention that the old emperor will give the crown prince a group of capable teachers and subordinates - the Prince's Grand Tutor, the Prince's Junior Tutor, the Left and Right Chancellors of the Eastern Palace, and there will even be guards directly under the crown prince.

During the famous "Witchcraft Disaster" during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, there was a war in which Crown Prince Liu Ju led his direct guards against the treacherous minister Jiang Chong.

It can be seen that once the crown prince is established, his advantages in the succession to the throne will be sharply magnified. Unless there are unexpected events, it will be difficult for the other princes to compete with him.

After the debate among Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, Confucianism was almost destroyed, but the way of appointing the crown prince that it advocated has been tested by history and cannot be avoided.

There are four ways to appoint a crown prince: the legitimate son, the eldest son, the most virtuous son, and the son of love.

It is easy to understand why the eldest son is the heir. Confucianism emphasizes that the ruler is the ruler, the minister is the minister, the father is the father, and the son is the son. The orthodoxy in etiquette and law ensures that the eldest son must be the first.

The second is to appoint talented people. Appointing talented people either happens when a powerful official takes power, and the powerful official chooses a person from the royal family who is pleasing to the eye and easy to control, such as Cao Cao who "held the emperor hostage to command the princes."

Either it happens that the main line is cut off, and one of the remaining heirs is chosen for adoption, such as Song Renzong passing the throne to Song Shenzong.

Li Ai is relatively rare, and it usually doesn’t end well.

King Wuling of Zhao wanted to pass the throne to Wu Wa's son Zhao He, but his eldest son Zhao Zhang fought hard and killed Zhao He. King Wuling of Zhao was besieged in the palace for three months and was not allowed to leave, and starved to death.

For example, Liu Bang once wanted to make Concubine Qi's son Ruyi the crown prince, but Concubine Qi was cut into pieces and turned into a human pig by Empress Lu.

From this we can see that even a founding emperor like Emperor Gaozu of Han, who wielded a three-foot sword and made unprecedented contributions, could not do whatever he wanted and depose and enthrone the crown prince at will.

The superiority of Confucianism in ruling the world is also reflected here. In terms of grasping people's hearts, Confucianism is one of the best among the hundreds of schools of thought.

Is the current Ming Dynasty suitable for enthroning a crown prince?
Hai Rui was silent.

All the thoughts on the way here vanished at this moment.

The Holy Lord is lonely.

Imperial power is indivisible.

Naturally, a crown prince cannot be appointed.

Zhu Houcong looked at him and continued, "Zhang Juzheng wants to increase the salaries of all officials to consolidate his position and influence, but I cannot agree to it because I don't trust him.

I am waiting, I am waiting for you to submit your memorial."

Hai Rui was stunned.

He realized that the closer one is to the center of power, the more brutal the struggle is.

But he did not expect that the emperor was waiting for him to submit a memorial to the emperor to increase the salaries of officials. No matter who submitted the memorial, as long as the salaries of officials were increased, Zhang Juzheng, as the head of officials in the world and the chief minister of the cabinet, would always get all the credit, and his status and influence would both be enhanced.

He didn't understand why the emperor was waiting for him to submit a memorial.
"As you said in your memorial, it is very difficult for some honest officials and minor officials who are not greedy and serve the people wholeheartedly to support their families. It is especially difficult for officials below the seventh rank in the capital. However, it is easy for officials of the fifth rank and above to make a living. Hai Rui, what kind of officials' salaries do you think I should increase?" Zhu Houcong asked.

How could Hai Rui not understand such a straightforward question? The emperor was willing to increase the salaries of officials, but only for those middle and lower-level officials who were truly in need, and was unwilling to increase the salaries of high-ranking officials.

The ministers of the court are not unaware of this problem, and the emperor has definitely hinted at it, but their thoughts are obvious: if I don't increase my salary, how can I allow the salaries of minor officials to be increased?

As a result, the contents of the memorials from the ministers were very unified, only mentioning salary increases for all officials and nothing else.

As a newly promoted minister, and an "outlier" among the ministers, Hai Rui immediately replied: "I think that the salaries of officials below the seventh rank in our great Ming Dynasty should be increased, and the salaries of officials below the fourth rank and above the seventh rank can be increased appropriately."

"According to the teachings of our great ancestor, I wish to increase the salaries of most officials, but I cannot go against the teachings of my ancestors and increase the overall expenditure of official salaries, thereby increasing the tax burden on the people. What do you think we should do?"

"In reply to your Majesty, I think the salaries of officials of the third rank and above should be cut."

(End of this chapter)