Zhu Xiong Ying was well aware of this, so he quickly said, "Grandfather, I never intended to abolish Confucianism outright. I just don't want them to grow too powerful. The beginning of the dynasty is the best time. I thought I should establish some rules to cut off their hopes."

Old Zhu thought about it and felt that what Zhu Xiong Ying said made a lot of sense. Old Zhu was naturally very clear about the thoughts of scholars over the years.

During the Mongol Yuan dynasty, some scholars dared not cause trouble, but after the Ming dynasty was established, these scholars would occasionally start to test the waters. What these people were thinking about was the idea of ​​"ruling the world together with the scholar-officials," and they were thinking about things like "the law does not apply to high-ranking officials."

Over the years, Zhu De did indeed have his share of conflicts with scholars. Even though he was extremely harsh on some scholars, he still couldn't make them give up, or make them obediently do their bidding and accept their fate.

"Actually, I've thought about these things too. These Confucianists are really good at learning, always absorbing things from other schools of thought," Zhu Xiong Ying said to Old Zhu. "If their ideology weren't so beneficial to the imperial power, I would definitely try to trip them up more."

Old Zhu thought carefully, then suddenly said, "If those people from the Kong family fall into our trap, Ying'er, are you planning to teach them a lesson?"

"This is all thanks to Grandfather. Those Confucian scholars were very obedient during the Jurchen and Mongol Yuan periods. Those foreign tribes also needed to win over the minds of scholars," Zhu Xiong Ying began to complain, saying to Old Zhu, "Grandfather's ascension to the throne was legitimate; why would he need those pedantic scholars to legitimize him? Yet Grandfather elevated them far too high!"

The thought that the Duke Yansheng was theoretically the head of the civil officials made Zhu Xiong Ying feel uneasy. He also felt that Zhu had indeed made a terrible move, and it wouldn't be easy for him to take it back now.

Old Zhu was somewhat embarrassed and annoyed. He picked up a memorial and threw it at Zhu Xiong Ying, yelling, "Get out!"

The obedient Zhu Xiong Ying immediately stood up and said, "Then I will go back to the East Palace first. The selection of candidates for me will be held in a couple of days. I need to go back and study it carefully."

This was an extremely important matter for Emperor Zhu, and he truly believed it was a matter of utmost importance. Although he now had a great-grandson, Emperor Zhu still felt that his imperial grandson's lineage was too thin and the harem was not full enough, so he needed to properly select candidates for the imperial harem.

Seeing Zhu Xiong Ying about to leave, Old Zhu said, "We know you like natural feet and dislike bound feet, so we won't say anything to you. But this time, when selecting candidates, choose more daughters of civil officials and aristocratic families. You are the foundation of the nation, so don't just do things according to your own preferences."

Zhu Xiong Ying did not object to what Old Zhu said, "Grandson knows, and this time we really did not intend to select more concubines from the families of nobles."

Ultimately, Zhu Xiong Ying's status was different; his harem and his offspring were clearly not just family matters, but also matters of state. Therefore, he naturally needed to consider things more thoroughly.

The Crown Prince's consort is already of noble birth, and she will be the future empress. That's enough; there can't be too many women from noble families in the harem. We need to give hope to civil officials and gentry, even if it's just as a concubine or a high-ranking consort—they are still the future emperor's consorts.

Zhu Xiong Ying was used to these things; given his family background and status, many things simply couldn't be done as he pleased. Perhaps this was a case of gaining some things and naturally losing others.

Especially now, at the beginning of the founding of the nation, it is even more necessary to establish clear rules and regulations. Old Zhu and his team were just starting out, so Zhu Xiong Ying naturally needed to continuously improve upon them.

Very well, he could enjoy the life of an emperor. He didn't expect to have three thousand concubines in his harem, but the various beauties would really test Zhu Xiong Ying's willpower.

Humming a little tune, Zhu Xiong Ying headed towards the East Palace to consider the series of matters concerning taking a concubine. Old Zhu watched his grandson's back disappear, shook his head with a smile, then dismissed Shuang Quan, took out a small package from a hidden compartment under the bed, and began to ponder and write.