For civil officials, the working environment during the Song Dynasty was the best, and their status and power were what they coveted most. They could treat military generals as lackeys, and could scold and demote them at will, regardless of titles like Pillar of State General. In the eyes of civil officials, military generals had no status whatsoever.

Moreover, during the Song Dynasty, even if the civil service was engaged in fierce infighting, they could often force the emperor to back down and yield.

However, during the Yuan Dynasty, the status of civil officials plummeted. It worsened under the Ming Dynasty, where the current emperor treated them as ordinary clerks, offering them no preferential treatment and frequently suppressing them. Civil officials were constantly at risk of execution or having their property confiscated, which is why many scions of prominent families were unwilling to become officials.

Civil officials had low status and poor working conditions, but that didn't stop many from wanting to climb the ranks of the imperial court. The prevailing ideology of officialdom was there. Of course, it's also possible that some genuinely wanted to accomplish something significant, to leave their mark on history, to cultivate themselves, manage their families, govern the state, and bring peace to the world.

In fact, many civil officials are still struggling, trying to maintain the reputation of the literati or fulfill their own ambitions. They also have a sense of responsibility, after all, the current emperor does not treat Confucian scholars well, and the crown prince has also shown this trend.

Zhu Xiong Ying, who got up early, finished washing up with the help of Lian Qiong Qiong, and then met with Da Zhu to go to court together.

Zhu was in a good mood and said to Zhu Xiong Ying, "Don't speak today. See your grandfather for instructions before you speak. Don't make things awkward with those civil officials right away. Leave them some room to maneuver and make them feel embarrassed."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded obediently, realizing he was being used as a pawn, which was the main reason he went to court.

If those civil officials knew all this, they would surely feel they had lost all hope. The emperor did not favor Confucianism, and the crown prince did not seem particularly close to it either. The crown prince, who initially seemed to have some hope, actually distrusted Confucianism at heart.

It's not that the sky has fallen, but if those scholars knew this was the situation, even if they didn't collapse, they would feel that their future ambitions would be difficult to realize.

Judging from the current situation, the emperor's authority is too strong. Fortunately, the emperor is no longer in his prime, and perhaps a few years later, a new dynasty will be established. But looking at the situation now, perhaps the situation will be similar after the crown prince ascends the throne. The current crown prince's methods are already making many civil officials tremble with fear.

Zhu Da stood at the head of the civil officials' group, looking refined and scholarly. Zhu Xiong Ying glanced at him; he had originally been standing behind Zhu Da, but then moved to the head of the military officers' group.

Zhu Da glared at Zhu Xiong Ying with displeasure, and the censors noted it down. But that was all; the scene they had expected—the Crown Prince reprimanding the Grandson—did not occur, and they couldn't really find fault with the Grandson's somewhat unconventional behavior.

Upon arriving at the Fengtian Hall, Zhu Da naturally began to preside over state affairs. Zhu Xiong Ying often felt that Zhu Da was merely a puppet emperor, merely sitting on the dragon throne. Many things were actually done according to Zhu Da's wishes.

Just then, Ren Hengtai, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward. He was the top scholar in the imperial examination of the twenty-first year of the Hongwu reign. His mother was a Semu (a non-Han ethnic group), and his wife was a Mongol. He was indeed very talented.

"Your Majesty," Ren Hengtai said to Zhu Yuanzhang, "as the Book of Han says, 'Of all the great ways to cultivate scholars, none is greater than the Imperial Academy. The Imperial Academy is the place where virtuous scholars reside, and it is the origin of education.' " He said, "The method of setting examinations for academic officials is rather short-sighted and has lost sight of the true meaning of studying."

Hanlin Academician Liu Sanwu also stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, the examination system is not the way to select talent. Scholars should cultivate their character and temperament. The court should not recruit talented people based on courtroom conversations or essays. This is biased. The Book of Rites says, 'The teachings of rites are subtle, and they prevent evil from taking shape before it takes form.' Now that the examination system is implemented, the prefectures and counties will inevitably only teach scholars who write essays, losing the original meaning."

This seventy-eight-year-old man was very talented, a man of profound learning and virtue, well-versed in current affairs, and a former official and venerable scholar of the Yuan Dynasty. Even Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang often consulted him on the ways to govern the country and ensure the well-being of the people, as well as strategies for selecting virtuous and capable officials, and entrusted him with the important task of revising the laws and regulations and the methods for selecting officials.

At this time, many civil officials in the imperial court also stepped forward, seemingly to debate the issue of the performance evaluation system, feeling that it put too much pressure on the prefectures, counties, and districts and would cause some scholars to lose face.

However, this also serves to advocate for better treatment for these scholars.

Zhu Xiong Ying listened, though he actually disliked the rigid, formulaic examination system. However, the officials' intentions were quite good; they essentially argued against assigning quotas, believing that scholars should not be driven by short-term gains but rather treated with respect, so as to cultivate distinguished scholars and gentlemen.

Zhu Xiong Ying genuinely disliked exam-oriented education. However, he also understood that it was, relatively speaking, the fairest system. The imperial examination system was essentially the same; there was no real fairness to speak of, only relative fairness.

Now these literati are stirring up trouble again, seemingly completely oblivious to the factional strife of the Song Dynasty. It appears they're eager to bring up the Donglin Party and its ilk for some kind of philosophical discussion.

"May I ask Minister Ren, what kind of scholar is truly of great use to the country and its people?" Zhu Xiong Ying asked bluntly. "There are some famous scholars who are good at empty talk but are all talk and no action, unable to even govern a county properly. And then there are some romantic scholars who think they are capable ministers of the country with just a poem or a song?"

Ren Hengtai's expression darkened, and he quickly said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince's words are biased; indeed, some scholars are merely indulging in affectation..."

"Refined taste?" Zhu Xiong Ying scoffed, saying, "I do recall His Majesty repeatedly issuing decrees forbidding officials from visiting prostitutes. Yet, in this Yingtian Prefecture, brothels and entertainment venues are filled with talented men. Talented men and beautiful women are certainly a beautiful story, aren't they?"

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