Chapter 707: The North Has Poor Nobles, the South Has Rich Gentry

What was laid out in the west warm chamber of Qianqing Palace was the Zhu emperor's family banquet — the whole family set several tables in a hall on the second floor of the west warm chamber and enjoyed a lively, hearty meal together.

Today was the third day of the third month, which in Ming times was a festival called the Shangsi Festival. Before the Song dynasty it had been an important festival for performing the "purification by the waterside" rite — people would go in groups to bathe by the water to cleanse away misfortune. But after the Song dynasty this custom gradually declined — men and women gathering together to bathe by the water and such, it looked far too full of human desire and not at all in keeping with heavenly principle, so of course it was not permitted!

After Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Great Ming, the activities of the Shangsi Festival were changed to "spring outings." And Zhu Cilang, busy with government and military affairs these past two years, had no mind for a day trip outside Nanjing, so he switched to the Chinese people's most plain and honest way of celebrating a festival — a group meal!

A meal in an imperial household was not a matter of setting out a round table with the whole family crowded around it eating without regard for rank; rather, they ate in separate groups. A circle of low tables was arranged, not one small table per person, but with people seated two or three together. Zhu Cilang and Wu Sanmei shared a table; the Retired Emperor Chongzhen and his beloved Consort Hu shared one; Empress Zhou and the elder Empress Zhang shared one. Some of the children sat with their birth mothers, others with their wet nurses. The very youngest children did not come to the table at all — adult food was not suitable for them to eat.

The Retired Emperor's sixth son, Zhu Cixuan, sat with his birth mother Consort Wei at a low table placed right next to the Retired Emperor Chongzhen. The six-year-old little fatty had always been passionate about fine food, and once the banquet began he buried his head and ate without stopping, not picky at all, never missing a single dish as they were brought out one after another. Just as the little fatty was at his happiest, heart-breaking bad news arrived.

"Imperial Father, it is time, is it not?" Zhu Cilang was also a lover of fine food, but he did not dare eat too much — in this day and age, if you got the three highs or the like, there was not even any medicine for it; you could only sit and wait to ascend to heaven! So once he was seventy or eighty percent full, he set down his chopsticks and spoke with the Chongzhen Emperor.

The subject of the conversation was the education of the little fatty Zhu Cixuan — he was going to have to start studying, and could no longer happily eat, drink, and play all day!

"Beginning his schooling?" The Chongzhen Emperor smiled. "Just find a palace attendant to teach him first. Little Chun is an ordinary prince; in the future he will simply sit back and enjoy wealth and rank."

Zhu Cixuan was in fact a son of the Retired Emperor, but Chongzhen held that since he himself had still been emperor when the boy was born, the boy should enjoy the treatment of a prince. Still, he did not think this little fatty would amount to much — he already had Zhu Cijiong and Zhu Cizhao, so he did not pin his hopes on Zhu Cixuan; just letting him muddle through life was fine.

"Indeed, Sixth Brother is no more than a wealthy idler." Wu Sanmei was not speaking in support of Chongzhen, but in support of Zhu Cixuan.

In her view, the little fatty had achieved the highest level of financial freedom from the moment he was born — retirement freedom! He could retire as soon as he was born, so why make any effort? As long as he could recognize a few characters, then just eating and drinking would do.

"What do you mean, a wealthy idler?" Zhu Cilang laughed. "Xiaofu, are you willing to be a good-for-nothing prince who does nothing but eat, drink, and amuse himself all day?"

The little fatty, who was just stuffing a piece of roasted duck skin, crisp and crunchy, into his mouth, heard his eldest brother's question and for a moment did not know how to answer. He quickly looked at his sister-in-law Wu Sanmei — the fatty only looked simple and honest; in fact he was quite sharp, and knew his sister-in-law doted on him.

Wu Sanmei nodded gently — you're already "Little Prince Fu," so if you don't become a good-for-nothing, what else would you be?

The little fatty said cheerfully, "I am willing! This younger brother is willing!"

Quite sharp, isn't he! Zhu Cilang thought to himself: I never would have guessed! You little fatty, hiding your depths — only six years old and already knows how to play dumb. What will you be like when you grow up?

He must be properly educated!

"Imperial Father," Zhu Cilang said with a smile to Chongzhen, "look at him — so young and already lacking ambition. If he is not properly educated, what will he be able to do when he grows up?"

Do what? The Chongzhen Emperor thought to himself: Be a prince, of course! You have to give him a commandery princedom at least, don't you? A princely residence, five thousand mu of land, tens of thousands of taels of silver in rewards — are you going to weasel out of all of that too?

"Even if he is enfeoffed as a Commandery Prince, he cannot just eat without working!" Zhu Cilang said. "The affairs of state are difficult now, and the court's finances are limited. There is no spare capacity to support so many princes and imperial clansmen. Therefore princes and commandery princes are only granted land, with no fixed stipends. If they cannot take up office, they will fall into poverty in the future."

Hearing Zhu Cilang say something about "limited finances," Chongzhen snorted inwardly: You are plainly just stingy, and still you cry poverty! Of all the Ming emperors through the ages, you are the richest, yet you will not even pay out princely stipends — your stinginess is beyond belief!

Zhu Cilang continued, "Fortunately, the law restricting the imperial clan has already been abolished, and imperial sons and grandsons may all take up office and serve as officials. Third Brother and Fourth Brother have both become regional military governors. Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother must also be properly raised and educated; perhaps they too can become pillars of the state."

The Retired Emperor's fifth son, Zhu Cihuan, Commandery Prince of Chongqing, was also in the dining hall of the west warm chamber. He was huddled in a corner, one small table to himself, on which were set several dishes that Empress Zhang and Empress Zhou had left uneaten — Zhu Cihuan was suspected of "rebellion," and moreover no imperial sister-in-law doted on him as a son, and he had also grown sensible enough to know that things were very bad. All day long he was suspicious and fearful, afraid of being poisoned.

So when he came to Zhu Cilang's banquet he did not dare eat and drink freely, and looked pitiful. Therefore Empress Zhou and Empress Zhang gave him their leftovers as a reward.

Now, hearing Emperor Zhu say that he would be properly educated so that he might become a pillar of the state in the future, he hastily set down his chopsticks, cupped his hands, and said, "What the Imperial Elder Brother says is right. This younger brother will certainly study hard and will surely pass the jinshi examination in the future."

Pass the jinshi? Zhu Cilang thought to himself: In the future you'll have to pass the university entrance exam! If you can't pass, you'll just have to go home and be a good-for-nothing prince!

"Good! You have ambition!" Zhu Cilang raised his thumb. "Now that is a fine Commandery Prince of our Great Ming!"

He then said to Chongzhen, "Imperial Father, why don't we take advantage of today's gathering to discuss the schooling of the princes, sons of the Retired Emperor, princely sons, princesses, and commandery princesses!"

"Why are princesses and commandery princesses included?" Wu Sanmei was taken aback.

"Not only princesses and commandery princesses — the children of dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons, as well as the children of officials of the fourth rank and above residing in the capital, must all enter school and strive to improve themselves!" Zhu Cilang said. "This matter bears on the long-term peace and stability of our Great Ming, and must not be neglected or treated perfunctorily."

The Retired Emperor Chongzhen saw the unusually grave expression on his son's face as he spoke, and was somewhat puzzled: "My son, reading and writing are each household's own affair. Surely it is not our place to meddle too much?"

"Imperial Father is mistaken!" Zhu Cilang shook his head repeatedly. "The reason our dynasty suffered the disaster of the Jiashen year, in the final analysis, is that the Founding Emperor neglected the schooling of imperial sons and the children of the nobility!"

The Retired Emperor Chongzhen nodded, thinking to himself: We did not raise you properly either — you have no sense of propriety at all, criticizing the Exalted Founding Emperor at every turn!

Zhu Cilang continued, "For a year's plan, nothing is better than planting grain; for a ten-year plan, nothing is better than planting trees; for a nation's great plan, nothing is better than cultivating people. This dynasty arose from the wilderness, and the Founding Emperor rose from humble origins. With peerless genius he swept the eight directions and established the Great Ming. But imperial sons and grandsons, and the children of the nobility, are born into comfort and lack heaven-sent brilliance. If they are not strictly taught, how can they become capable? If the foundation laid by the Founding Emperor is inherited by men of little ambition and meager talent, how can the Great Ming's golden age be prolonged?"

Chongzhen thought to himself: You unfilial wretch — your words have insulted every emperor and ancestor of the Great Ming! And you still call yourself a filial son! You are simply the most unfilial wretch of all time, past or present!

The Great Filial Son Zhu sighed: "Fortunately Heaven protected the Great Ming, and so produced Us, a peerless talent comparable to the Exalted Founding Emperor, to turn the tide! But the strength of one man, after all, is limited, and We cannot live forever. If We do not take advantage of the present to nurture talent for the Great Ming, how will the dynasty carry on in the future? To whom will the realm be entrusted?"

The Retired Emperor Chongzhen said with a cold face, "My son, how do you intend to nurture talent for the Great Ming?"

"Establish schools!" Zhu Cilang said. "We can follow the example of the ancient sages and establish schools to cultivate talent. And cultivating talent through schools must begin with the young, so first open a primary school, then open a middle school and a university. The children of the nobility must all enroll, and once the schools have grown larger, we will admit the children of commoners as well."

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