The compilation of the "Huangming Zuxun" was first completed in the second year of the Hongwu reign (1368), and was completed in the sixth year. It was revised in the ninth year and changed again in the eighteenth year. In the twenty-eighth year, it was revised again and officially renamed "Huangming Zuxun" from "Zuxunlu".
Zhu Yuanzhang (the founding emperor) naturally had the confidence to do so, as evidenced by his remarkable achievements in becoming the emperor of this empire. His experiences also demonstrate the capabilities of this legendary founding emperor, and he confidently offered some admonitions to his descendants.
The Hanlin Academy is hereby ordered to compile this book, and the Ministry of Rites to print it for posterity. All my descendants shall respectfully obey my command, and shall not act cleverly or disrupt the established laws; not a single word shall be altered.
Old Zhu sipped his tea, looking at his grandson, who, though occasionally giving him headaches, also filled him with immense pride.
Zhu Yunying, holding the Imperial Ancestral Instructions, said, "Grandfather, I acknowledge the first principle of the ancestral instructions. It forbids the use of certain punishments, forbids the appointment of prime ministers, and forbids local officials from conducting trials among our clan. That's all acceptable. However, I do not recognize the 'Great Proclamation'."
Zhu was not surprised at all. He stipulated that future rulers should only abide by the laws and the Great Proclamation when applying the law.
This was a set of penal codes personally established by Emperor Zhu, because at that time, official corruption, powerful clans annexing land, and evading grain taxes were becoming increasingly serious problems. The "Great Proclamation" was actually promulgated just over ten years ago, but it also reflects Emperor Zhu's idea of using severe punishments to govern a chaotic world.
Moreover, it is obvious that he was too harsh and reflected too much of Zhu's personal characteristics, showing zero tolerance for corrupt officials.
Old Zhu wasn't annoyed and asked, "What are your thoughts?"
"At the beginning of the dynasty, we punished the evils of the Yuan dynasty and used severe punishments to reform the world. Therefore, orders were obeyed and prohibitions were enforced as easily as the wind blowing through the grass." Zhu Yunying said calmly, "I said before that I would be more lenient after ascending the throne. I'm afraid I can't uphold the Great Proclamation. The Great Proclamation was good for the situation in previous years, but it is not suitable for the present, and it may be even less suitable for the situation in the future."
Impatient Old Zhu said irritably, "No wonder you told us the other day that you wanted to learn from your father. Turns out you were just waiting for us to come here! Fine, if you don't want to keep the rules, then don't. In a few days, when we go to court, you can go and change the ancestral precepts!"
Of course, it had to be Zhu Yuanzhang (the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty) who stepped forward, so that Zhu Yunying could use his authority as a pretext. After all, he was the grandson and the successor; if he were to brazenly change ancestral rules, it would definitely cause trouble. But with Zhu Yuanzhang personally stepping forward, Zhu Yunying would have ample reason and justification.
In fact, Zhu Yunying was already quite familiar with changing ancestral rules. He had long ago removed the countries he had previously designated as non-conquest states. Japan was originally a non-conquest state, and it was even said that they had secret dealings with Hu Weiyong. Korea was also once a non-conquest state, but there were always Ming troops stationed in Busan.
Zhu Yunying had been eyeing Annam, Siam, Champa, and other places with great interest; how could he possibly leave them unconquered?
Besides these, Zhu Yunying either personally discussed the treatment, clothing, or ceremonial regalia of some members of the imperial clan with the late Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Zhu), or instructed his subordinates to submit memorials. Therefore, the treatment of princes and dukes was somewhat reduced; otherwise, the clothing and daily necessities of those imperial uncles were often on par with those of Zhu Yunying's father, the crown prince.
Old Zhu was well aware of all this; if he hadn't revised many regulations before, he wouldn't be so 'magnanimous' now. Ultimately, over the years since the ancestral precepts were compiled, Old Zhu had gradually discovered many aspects that were unsuitable. In fact, Old Zhu wasn't particularly opposed to changing the ancestral rules.
As long as it is effective and can consolidate the Ming Dynasty's rule, Zhu Yuanzhang really doesn't mind changing the ancestral precepts.
"Grandfather, many of my uncles are in the capital now," Zhu Yunying said to his father, as if remembering something. "The etiquette should be changed."
According to ancestral rules, princes were not allowed to attend court together each year. Only when one prince arrived and returned to his fiefdom could the other princes be notified, and only then were the remaining princes permitted to attend. There was also an order in which the princes arrived, from eldest to youngest, with the legitimate heirs arriving first; after the legitimate heirs had finished their audience, the princes of other sons would then arrive, also according to their age.
Old Zhu said irritably, "Your uncles are all stuck in the capital, which should be changed. But you also know that having so many princes in the capital is somewhat inappropriate, for fear that they might collude in secret."
“These grandchildren naturally know that their uncles are all good, but there’s no guarantee that there won’t be any unworthy descendants in the future.” Zhu Yunying understood this and said, “In the end, the throne is different. As long as there is even a glimmer of hope, they will still want to fight for it.”
Old Zhu remained noncommittal, saying, "Our rule of establishing the eldest son as heir is in place. If any unworthy descendant in later generations tries to usurp the throne, the other members of the imperial clan must not agree. We still maintain that a prince is noble, but we must also be cautious."
Emperor Zhu did a fairly good job in this regard. For example, he forbade the princes from contacting each other privately and prohibited them from having too much interaction. Moreover, the princes had virtually no say in the court and could not even think about participating in politics.
Even when some vassal kings came to court, they were not invited to the main banquet. If they wished to attend, they would be taken to a side hall where they were served fine tea and food and treated with the courtesy due to family members. During large banquets for all officials, the kings did not sit at the table.
Old Zhu's concerns were reasonable, and Zhu Yunying naturally agreed with these practices. However, what Zhu Yunying worried about was not necessarily that the princes were all in name only, but rather the overall situation of the imperial clan.
"Grandson plans to loosen restrictions on some matters so that members of the imperial clan can participate," Zhu Yunying said to his grandfather. "Grandfather, we have lifted the sea ban, although most of it has been taken over by the Ministry of Revenue. However, there is still some in the imperial treasury. Grandson plans to take out these funds to take care of the imperial clan in the future."
Old Zhu, who had been sitting slumped on the couch, suddenly perked up and asked repeatedly, "Ying'er, are you willing to part with her?"
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