There aren't that many people who are fiercely opposed to evil or extreme; they just have different interests and stances.

Zhu Xiong Ying slowly opened her mouth and said, "His Majesty has decreed that I will preside over this year's imperial examination. All my ministers, please go back and draft the procedures, and compile a list of past imperial examination questions, the places of origin of the successful candidates, and so on, and submit it to me."

These people naturally had no objection to Zhu Xiong Ying's words, feeling that it was basically in line with the usual pattern. The only difference was that Zhu Xiong Ying asked for the place of origin of some previous Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), which was naturally not a big deal and could be easily counted.

This is a rare opportunity to work with the Crown Prince. Seizing this opportunity might earn him his favor and perhaps even lead to a meteoric rise in rank. After all, most of these people hold prestigious but powerless positions with relatively low salaries.

Since you've already become an official, whether it's for the benefit of the people, the stability of the country, or simply for the sake of becoming a high-ranking official, you have to strive to climb the ranks. Otherwise, why bother struggling in the imperial court?

Not only were the salaries in the Ming Dynasty not high, but being a civil official was also a high-risk profession. You could be beheaded by the emperor at any time, and your whole family might be executed along with you. Without some motivation and expectation, who would be willing to do such a dangerous job?

The imperial examination is still important. Now that the country is at peace, the imperial examination is naturally the most important and reliable way to select officials.

This is not about winning over scholars; it's simply because the Ming Dynasty is currently lacking various grassroots officials, and the officialdom needs a sufficient amount of fresh blood.

Not all those who studied the classics were necessarily talented, but in an era with very low literacy rates, these scholars, with a little training, could still be expected to serve as good local officials. If they had talent and potential, they might even be able to establish themselves in the imperial court.

Zhu Xiong Ying had considered things like setting up schools now, but he also knew that such things were not very realistic at the moment.

Putting aside the fact that it would take a very long time to see any results from establishing 'modern schools,' the basic needs of the people are not even fully met yet. Talking about establishing schools is simply a pipe dream. In the end, these schools would only benefit the gentry.

Given the current stage of productivity, the main method of selecting talent through the imperial examinations still relies on the descendants of sages. Zhu Xiong Ying merely imposed restrictions on Confucianism; he never considered completely overthrowing or abolishing it.

Don't even mention that he was just the crown prince; even the emperor couldn't do all of this.

Zhu Xiong Ying was in a good mood, seemingly having handled the day's affairs of state well. Compared to before, Zhu Xiong Ying now had much more to do, and he increasingly felt the need to consider certain matters.

Zhu Yuanzhang was a workaholic and deeply distrustful of outsiders. After the prime minister was deposed, Zhu Yuanzhang consolidated his power and centralized imperial authority.

This was certainly a good thing for the imperial power, but it would also greatly increase the emperor's workload. Without forming a cabinet or something similar, he would be bogged down in these matters every day, which was clearly not what Zhu Xiong Ying wanted.

Taking a leisurely stroll and stretching her muscles, Zhu Xiong Ying has been committed to physical exercise since childhood. Even though this differs from the ideas of some people today, Zhu Xiong Ying knows that life lies in movement, and necessary exercise is essential.

"Ying'er, let me show you a memorial." Old Zhu handed Zhu Xiong Ying a memorial with great interest. "This is our 'Universal Gateway,' this is our Great Ming Dynasty!"

This was the first draft. Given the vastness of the territory, Emperor Zhu decreed that it was essential to keep records, so he ordered the Hanlin scholars to compile a book based on the distances and routes throughout the land. Therefore, the major transportation routes and border regions of the Ming Dynasty have now been largely documented.

Zhu Xiong Ying watched with great interest. This was a unified dynasty, and Zhu Xiong Ying had reason to believe that the territory of the Ming Dynasty would continue to expand!

"Grandpa Emperor, our Ming Dynasty is not big enough!" Zhu Xiong Ying said to Old Zhu with a beaming smile, "Now the Ming Dynasty is rich and powerful, with abundant grain reserves, weapons, and horses. Our battle-hardened troops are ready for battle. Grandpa Emperor, just watch, your grandson will surely expand our territory and add even more glory to your great achievements!"

Old Zhu beamed with joy; his grandson was indeed ambitious!