Chapter 252: The Imperial Clan

Zhu Dangqi was beaten.

And Tang Hao clearly hit him hard.

So much so that the King of Guishan was talking with his teeth chattering.

Zhu Yangzhu looked at Tang Hao with a little resentment. After all, he was his own son, so why did he hit him so hard?

"Marquis Tang, I heard that Qufu was also surrounded. You..."

After all, Qufu is the holy land of Confucianism and the hometown of the Great Sage. There are holy places such as the Confucius Temple and the Confucius Forest there.

Could it be that the Marquis of Zhongshan in front of him really dared to watch the Kong family being slaughtered by the rebels and the holy land being harmed by the rebels?

Hiss... He really dared!

Tang Hao threw away the big leg of lamb in his hand and looked at Zhu Yangzhu with a smile.

"What?"

"Does Prince Lu want to rescue the Kong family?"

"You can go. Anyway, you have a lot of guards as the King of Lu. It's more than enough to defeat those rebels."

Zhu Yangzhu was stunned when he heard this, and then shook his head subconsciously.

"Lord Tang is joking."

"My guards are only a hundred or so, how dare we provoke these rebels."

"As long as the rebels don't attack Yanzhou City, it's none of my business. It's just that the Kong family sent people to ask for help..."

It's normal for the Kong family to send people to Yanzhou for help. After all, Yanzhou is the prefecture, the nominal prefecture.

This Qufu City is a Confucian holy land, which has always been controlled by the Kong family. Not to mention Qufu City, there is not even a decent garrison around it. They are surrounded by the rebels at this moment, so they will naturally frantically ask for help from all sides, and the guards of the Prince of Lu under Zhu Yangzhu are the only hope.

It's just a pity that Tang Hao came to Yanzhou Prefecture, which means that if nothing unexpected happens, no one dares to rescue.

"Lord Lu, speaking of which, Qufu is quite famous."

"The land belongs to either the Lu Palace or the Confucius Palace. Anyway, it's impossible for the court to collect taxes, right?"

When these words came out, Zhu Yangzhu and Zhu Dangqi's faces changed drastically.

Even a fool could hear the hidden meaning of the Zhongshan Marquis's words.

The annexation of land is something that all the powerful people in the world are doing, and the Lu Palace is no exception.

In addition, Zhu Yangzhu's salary was cut by two-thirds by the court because of gathering people for promiscuity. If he doesn't find a way to annex more land, where will the money and food support the expenses of the palace!

After all, we are also a noble family. We can't lose the face of the prince and eat bran every meal, right?

So, Zhu Yangzhu never thought there was anything wrong with the annexation of land.

But now that the Zhongshan Marquis mentioned this matter with a hint of meaning, the problem here is huge.

"Please forgive me, Lord Tang. I did not annex the land, but the people offered it to me on their own initiative. That is why my Lu Palace..."

Well, it was not my initiative, but theirs.

The reason why the common people offered their land to Lu Palace was naturally to avoid the increasing taxes and levies of the court year by year.

In the final analysis, the root of the problem lies with the court itself.

If the local government did not levy taxes, if the local government strictly followed the 30% tax set by Emperor Taizu Gao, the people would be crazy and stupid to offer their land to the rich and powerful, and would rather be tenants of the rich and powerful and depend on others for their livelihood!

"In this case, Lu Palace did a great good deed!"

Tang Hao sneered, then took out a booklet and threw it over.

"This is what the Jinyiwei collected. Sixty percent of the land in Yanzhou Prefecture belongs to the Prince of Lu's Mansion, twenty percent belongs to the Kong Mansion, and the remaining one and a half percent is official land and military settlements. In other words, less than half of the land truly belongs to the common people."

"Prince of Lu, it is really not easy for your Prince of Lu's Mansion to be passed down to this day. I wonder how many means you used to annex these lands, and how many civilians' families have been destroyed?!"

Tang Hao's tone was extremely harsh in the last sentence, and Zhu Yangzhu and his son trembled in their hearts.

This Zhongshan Marquis really came with bad intentions, first courtesy and then force!

Zhu Yangzhu opened the booklet and took a look, and instantly felt his scalp tingling.

Everything on it clearly and clearly recorded which gentry and gentry had accepted the land donated by the Prince of Lu's Mansion over the years, and how many civilians' lands had been forcibly seized.

The gentry and the nobles were registered under the name of the Prince of Lu's Mansion, so it was naturally impossible for them to pay taxes to the court, and they basically did not have to pay taxes to the Prince of Lu's Mansion. It was like everyone was just in a cooperative relationship, and everyone was good, but that was all. However, those tenants who took the initiative to donate their land must pay taxes.

You have become a tenant, helping the palace to cultivate the land, which is equivalent to free labor. After working hard for a year, when the harvest comes, someone from the palace will naturally go to collect rent.

As for how much rent is, it all depends on the Prince of Lu's Mansion. The servants below will also plunder at all levels, leaving at most one or two bites of food for these tenants to ensure that they will not starve to death. After all, these tenants will continue to cultivate next year!

In the final analysis, being a tenant for the powerful can only guarantee that you will not starve to death.

But continuing to be a self-cultivating farmer and paying taxes to the court is not as simple as starving to death. You may even be forced to sell your land and children by those heavy taxes!

"Marquis Zhongshan, this..."

"No more nonsense!" Tang Hao waved his hand impatiently, "For the sake of the royal family, we can ignore other matters, but the 60% of the land in the Prince of Lu's Mansion must be divided into 30%, and the court will send an imperial censor to take it over!"

"30% of the land is at least thousands of acres, enough for you to continue to eat, drink, play, and have fun, and have no worries about food and clothing. Do you understand?"

As soon as the Marquis of Zhongshan opens his mouth, he will take away half of the fields of Prince Lu's Mansion!

However, Zhu Yangzhu, the fourth generation Lu king, did not dare to object or refuse, but nodded with great pain.

What can he do if he doesn't agree?

Now Tang Hao was looking for the face of this meal, so he took the initiative to let him cooperate in handing over the land.

If Zhu Yangzhu is not wise, then the damn Marquis of Zhongshan can simply raid their homes and seize them. Not to mention the remaining 30% of the land, Prince Lu's palace will even decline because of this, and he will not be able to save even half of his family wealth!

After all, the person in front of me is His Majesty the Emperor’s number one official, the Marquis of Zhongshan in the Ming Dynasty!

"good!"

"Three makes three percent!"

Zhu Yangzhu gritted his teeth and nodded very clearly.

This saves Tang Hao from being such a villain again.

"Prince Lu is indeed very wise!"

"In this case, I won't stay any longer."

Tang Hao smiled and then looked at Zhu Dangqie.

"Zhu Dangqi, you are a pretty good boy. Are you interested in joining me on the battlefield?"

Hearing this, Zhu Dangqi's face was full of joy, and he almost subconsciously accepted the invitation of Marquis Zhongshan.

However, Zhu Yangzhu's expression changed drastically. He glared at the traitor fiercely, and then looked at Tang Hao with a solemn expression.

"Marquis Zhongshan, this is inappropriate!"

"It belongs to the clan and was ordered by Taizu. The clan is not allowed to participate in the cause of the four people, let alone... command the army!"

Zhu Yangzhu had already said this with great restraint.

Emperor Taizu Gao set strict control measures on the Tian family, the most stringent of which was not to compete with the people for profit!

In the Ming dynasty, the officials of the Ming dynasty distributed feudal lands but not the land, gave titles to the nobles but did not visit the people, took salary but did not manage affairs, and could not participate in the four people's industries (that is, scholars, farmers, industry and commerce), and could be hereditary.

After all, Emperor Taizu Gao, who loved his people like a son, was thinking about the people.

After all, Lao Zhu's family has gained the country, and if they get involved in the business of the four people, how can they live?

However, no one expected that after Emperor Taizu Gao, there would be a civil war. King Zhu Di of Yan suddenly conquered the world with one place, overthrew Zhu Yunwen's Jianwen court, and then ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor Yongle. emperor.

Compared to the stupid young Jianwen who violently cut down the vassal state as soon as he came to power, Emperor Yongle's methods of cutting down the vassal status were much more clever. He deposed each of the vassal kings and moved them inland, and there were large armies suppressing them around him. Make any waves.

Since Yongle, the vassal kings have completely become pigs imprisoned in their fiefdoms, living a useless life of eating and waiting to die. Even if they have any ambitions, they dare not show them at all.

Yes, this is in the Ming Dynasty. Even if you, a member of the clan, are extremely talented, even if you, a member of the clan, are a genius, you must never show it or show any ambition. Just stay peacefully and be a good-for-nothing. Okay, this is what the court wants to see!

Therefore, when Tang Hao extended an invitation to Zhu Dangqi, Zhu Yangzhu immediately refused.

Not for anything else, because of fear!

Zhu Yangzhu didn't want to cause the entire Lu Fan clan to be jealous and suspicious of the imperial court, to be tolerated by His Majesty the Emperor, and ultimately to be completely destroyed because of a son!

Zhu Dangqi also understood that his status meant that he could never touch the military power, so he smiled miserably and said to Tang Hao unhappily: "Tang Hou, you have also seen that I can only be a soldier in this life. It’s useless, it’s impossible to be a general…”

I wonder what passionate man doesn’t want to gallop on the battlefield and win glory for the country?

However, the vassal measures formulated by Emperor Taizu Gao and Emperor Taizong Wen abruptly destroyed the dreams of all the descendants of the old Zhu family, forcing them to become dandy wastes and wait for death. , I dare not have any other thoughts!

"As long as you want, that's fine!" Tang Hao said solemnly.

"I am well aware of the Zongfan issue. After this rebellion is suppressed, I will discuss the matter with His Majesty when I return to Beijing and try to lift your ban!"

To be honest, Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang initially formulated such stringent measures based on the premise that the clan kings had military power. Therefore, the kings during the Hongwu period were really powerful kings, especially those with military power. The eight kings of the Great Wall, who were heavily armed, were even more powerful!

But Zhu Yuanzhang would not have thought that after he left, the fourth son Zhu Di would be able to overthrow the Jianwen court and become Emperor Yongle.

Emperor Taizong was much better at cutting down vassals. He boiled frogs in warm water and killed people with soft knives. He deposed the vassal kings one by one, then took the opportunity to cut down their military guards, and then moved all of them to the interior to join the vassals. In this way As soon as the feudal king came, he completely lost power.

If they cannot do scientific research, do business, farm, or work, then what else can these Ming clan clans do?

The powerful people amassed money crazily, the rich people drank and played with women, and the poor people lived on the meager salary from the court. Even in the end, because the court was about to die, it began to default on the salary of these blood-sucking insects, and the Ming Dynasty clan starved to death. Tragedy on the streets.

This is probably something that Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang never thought of!

The reason why Tang Hao came to Prince Lu's Mansion was to understand the actual situation of these Ming Dynasty clans, and then use the incident of Prince Lu's Mansion to start the vassal restructuring and get rid of these blood-sucking insects who only know how to suck the blood and marrow of the people of Ming Dynasty. !

"Tang Hou is serious about what he said?" Zhu Dangqi looked at Tang Hao with hope, "Can the ban on us really be lifted?"

Although Zhu Yangzhu did not speak, his eyes were shining with an inexplicable light.

If given a choice, who would want to be a useless pig waiting to die?

This Daming is the Daming of the old Zhu family!

This Jiangshan Sheji is the Jiangshan Sheji of their old Zhu family!

No clan member is willing to watch the Ming Dynasty decline like this, but they can do nothing, nothing!

Tang Hao nodded again.

"Of course, I never act without aim."

"It would be best if you, Zhu Dangqi, can make a contribution in countering the rebellion. Then I will have a reason to confront those civil servants and gentry."

"How about it? Do you dare?"

Young people are high-spirited and high-spirited, and they can't stand the excitement the most.

So Zhu Dangqi stood up suddenly and laughed and said, "Why don't you dare?"

"Father, my son wants to try it!"

Zhu Dangqie looked at Zhu Yangzhu with hope and begged: "My son doesn't want to live in a daze like this all his life, and he can see everything at a glance!"

"Even if Marquis Tang cannot do it in the end, the father can just expel his son from the clan, and his son will never be implicated in the palace!"

Zhu Yangzhu naturally understood his son's determination after he said the words of starting a clan and expelling his family members.

He was once young and arrogant, and he also wanted to start a career for the Ming Dynasty. However, the constraints and shackles of his clan status made Prince Lu's blood immediately cool down before it started boiling. In the end, he could only put it down All the energy that I couldn't muster was vented on the woman...

Zhu Yangzhu looked at the son he didn't like very much, and for the first time he felt proud of this son from the bottom of his heart.

"Go!"

"If something happens, my father will protect you even if he gives up the throne!"

"You are my biological son, Zhu Yangzhu, and you are the seventh generation grandson of Emperor Taizu Gao. No one can touch you!"

At this moment, the pride in Zhu Yangzhu's bones was undoubtedly evident.

Even if those civil servants and gentry wanted to use this as an excuse to criticize the father and son, they would still have to face the wrath of the clans and clans of the world!

Do you really think that the feudal clan was expelled from the center of power so willingly, without any thoughts at all?

If the vassal princes and clans could enter the court, how could the Ming Dynasty let these damn civil servants and gentry control the government?

Zhu Yangzhu stood up and bowed solemnly to Tang Hao.

"Tang Hou, I will leave this traitor to you!"

"Whether it succeeds or not, you are the benefactor of Prince Lu's Mansion!"

Tang Hao accepted the gift with a smile, then got up and left with Zhu Dangqi.

After they left, Zhu Dangpai, the crown prince of King Lu, walked out worriedly.

"Father, you are confused!"

"How could you agree to let me go..."

"So what if I go? What if I don't go?"

Zhu Yangzhu looked at the eldest son who had followed the rules all his life, and sneered: "Do you also want your descendants to be like your father, who have been living around and waiting to die for a lifetime, and still have to fawn over those civil servants and gentry?"

Zhu Dangyao was startled when he heard this, with a sad look on his face.

Hasn't this been the way he's lived his entire life?

"But Father, once Your Majesty becomes jealous and suspicious of us, then..."

"No!" Zhu Yangzhu's eyes were sharp and he changed from his usual slutty look.

"Since His Majesty the Emperor allowed the Marquis of Zhongshan to massacre the gentry, it means that His Majesty has long been dissatisfied with the civil servants and gentry controlling the government, and he is fighting with these civil servants and gentry!"

"This is the opportunity for our clan lords. If the ban can be lifted, if we can enter the court, even if we are allowed to fight with those civil servants and gentry, it will at least be more interesting than being a fucking pig now! "

Zhu Yangzhu gritted his teeth and roared: "The Ming Dynasty is the Ming Dynasty of my old Zhu family, not the Ming Dynasty of those gentry and gentry!"

"I've had enough of this wasteful life, let alone tolerate these civil servants and gentry pooping and peeing on my head!"

Zhu Dangyao looked at his father blankly, finally sighed and stopped trying to persuade him.

The worst thing is that Prince Lu's Mansion will be dealt with by the court again.

Anyway, it is impossible for the emperor to directly abolish the Lu Fan lineage!

"Father, my little brother is over there..."

"Don't worry about it, just die. He is asking for mercy and getting mercy!"

Zhu Yangzhu's eyes were cold and his tone was cold.

"But if he succeeds, my clan will have a chance to re-enter the court!"

"Immediately send an order to all the vassal kings to push forward this matter. This is our only chance in so many years!"

At the same time, outside Qufu City.

Qi Yanming and other rebels waited for a day and saw no movement in the city. They knew that the Kong family would not surrender on their own initiative, so they immediately ordered an attack on the city.

During this day, the rebels were not idle, and were constantly building siege equipment.

After all, Qufu is just a county town in the final analysis, with no high-walled city.

Seeing Qi Yanming ordering an attack on the city, Fan Wencheng couldn't sit still.

The reason why he proposed to wait for one day was to allow the imperial officers and soldiers to catch up.

As a result, he never expected that these damn officers and soldiers didn't catch up!

Now how to do?

Do we have to watch these rebels attack Qufu Holy Land and then harm the Kong family?

Fan Wencheng couldn't help but shudder when he thought of the terrible consequences.

If the rebel really did this, then he, Fan Wencheng, would be a sinner of the famous religion for all eternity!

Fan Wencheng immediately found Qi Yanming and tried to prevent the rebels from attacking the city.

He used every excuse, but Qi Yanming was not stupid. If they didn't seize the time to capture Qufu, they would not know how they died.

So Qi Yanming pushed Fan Wen away and directly ordered to attack the city.

At this time, an unexpected discovery was made.

The gate of Qufu was wide open, and the magistrate of Qufu actually opened the city to surrender!

Seeing this scene, Qi Yanming and other rebels were ecstatic and immediately led their troops into the city.

But Fan Wencheng looked at the magistrate of the Kong family in a trance, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

He just felt that something in his mind seemed to be broken!

That was...his...belief!