However, one thing is certain: Zhu Xiong Ying did not intend to give certain people a chance, nor did he intend to allow people who were clearly not of one mind with him to occupy particularly important positions. That was his decision.

Although a decision had been made, Zhu Xiong Ying knew that such matters needed to be discussed with Old Zhu. After all, this concerned the Minister of Personnel, and such an important matter could not be decided by Zhu Xiong Ying alone.

After finishing his official duties, Zhu Xiong Ying came to the Qianqing Palace and said bluntly, "Grandfather, I am planning to replace the Minister of Personnel. Now that I think about it, Ru Chang is about ready to take over."

“Alright, we actually quite liked that old man.” Old Zhu didn’t object and said directly, “It’s just that he’s been in the Ministry of Personnel for too long these past few years. If you ask me, we should have replaced him long ago. We can’t let the officials below only recognize one official and not know that there’s also the Emperor!”

This is probably one of Zhu Yuanzhang's characteristics; over the years, the ministers of the six ministries have been replaced quite frequently.

Besides purges, siding with the wrong side, or losing the emperor's favor, Zhu De's suspicious nature was also a very important factor. He did not allow any person to occupy a position for too long, especially some very important positions.

Zhu Yuanzhang, who loved consolidating power, even went so far as to leave the court without a Minister of Personnel or a Minister of Rites for several years. These actions were naturally aimed at consolidating power. As for the workload, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't really care at the time; he couldn't stand being idle.

"I'm planning to promote Ru Chang to Minister." Zhu Xiong Ying didn't hide his thoughts and said, "The position of Minister of Personnel is very important, and it will be good for me to promote some officials."

Old Zhu didn't care about those things, he just looked at Zhu Xiong Ying and asked, "Alright, this is up to you, Ru Chang is capable of handling it. But Ying'er, how do you plan to get rid of that old man, how do you plan to deal with him?"

Given Zhu Yuanzhang's temperament, Zhan Hui would certainly not have fared well; he would likely have been killed. At best, his family would have been exiled to the border; at worst, they would have been wiped out in a fight—Zhu Yuanzhang did such things quite often.

Zhu Xiong Ying replied with a smile, "There are too many reasons to find. He's petty, and they say he's involved in power struggles in officialdom. If he were smart, he would know to retire; if he's not, he could even be implicated in the Hu Weiyong case."

"You're planning to send him back?" Old Zhu was initially quite satisfied, but at this point he still advised, "Ying'er, that old man has been an official for many years, and he has quite a few protégés and former subordinates. If you ask me, just kill him and that's the end of it!"

This is definitely in Lao Zhu's character, and Lao Zhu could absolutely do such things easily.

In Zhu's view, it would be best to eradicate Zhan Hui completely. The best way, of course, would be to kill him outright, thus eliminating all potential problems.

Zhu Xiong Ying was embarrassed and quickly said, "Grandson doesn't think it's necessary. Zhan Hui has made some contributions after all, so let him retire. In the early days of our Ming Dynasty, the officialdom was not in good shape. It's good for Grandfather to kill more people to rectify the atmosphere. If grandson ascends the throne, it's time to give these people a breather."

Old Zhu thought for a moment and said to Zhu Xiong Ying, "Alright, but let these people turn the tables too. These scholars are all shameless and arrogant. They should be severely suppressed when necessary. Ying'er, don't be soft-hearted."

"Grandfather, your grandson will not be soft-hearted. When it is time to kill, I will kill." Zhu Xiong Ying was very confident. This was not self-praise. "The matter of Zhan Hui is over. We will make some changes one after another. I used Zhan Hui as an example to warn others. I reckon those people will be smarter afterward."

Old Zhu didn't object to these suggestions, and he was quite satisfied with Zhu Xiong Ying's answer; it aligned with his expectations. While not the best, it wasn't entirely without merit.

At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang became increasingly certain that even if he abdicated, the succession of the Ming Dynasty would not be disrupted, his grandson would be able to secure the throne, and his grandson would certainly be able to manage the affairs of the court in an orderly manner.

After discussing these matters with Old Zhu, Zhu Xiong Ying headed towards the East Palace, as there were still many things to do.