The minds of scholars are indeed difficult to fathom, especially those of the literati; their pursuits are not so easily achieved.

Or perhaps it's true that human desires are constantly expanding. Those scholar-officials weren't just thinking about becoming officials or ruling the world; they might also be dreaming of a utopian world, of achieving the legendary golden age of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

Even if it was just a record in some books, it did not affect the fact that many scholars were full of expectations for such a well-governed world, and many people regarded such a world as their ideal.

"So we also want to give those scholars some dignity and ask them to contribute, but we won't let them overshadow military achievements." Zhu Yunying said with a smile, "Give them a little reward, and in the next few years we won't have the mind to fight wars everywhere, we'll focus on civil administration."

After glancing at Zhu Yunying, Old Zhu couldn't help but laugh. He probably understood what his grandson wanted to do, or perhaps he already knew the answer.

Giving scholars face now is to ensure they serve the court well. We're putting a carrot in front of them, making them keep running forward.

To elevate the 'status' of civil officials, Zhu Yunying planned to first 'promote' them, so that they would feel the emperor's boundless grace, inspire their fighting spirit and motivation, and encourage them to start serving the court properly.

Zhu Yunying then continued, “The military has become too powerful in recent years. We should now support scholars so that we can govern the country through civil administration. I am indeed a military emperor, but I do not intend to suppress the world solely with military might. I should also govern through civil administration. I envision conquering the world on horseback and bringing peace to it on foot.”

Old Zhu immediately mocked, "Our grandson can't even lead an army properly, yet he dares to ride a horse and conquer the world!"

Zhu Yunying immediately gritted his teeth, feeling speechless. "Grandson, you have at least led troops and have some military merits."

Old Zhu just smiled and remained silent. He knew his grandson's capabilities perfectly well. Young Zhu was only good at fooling those who didn't understand; to say he was both scholarly and martial was an exaggeration—he simply didn't possess that level of skill.

Old Zhu nodded slightly and said to Young Zhu, "We think this is a good thing. We have indeed been too harsh these past few years. To be honest, we originally thought that if your father were alive, he would be the one to treat all officials leniently. This was originally agreed that we would be strict and he would be lenient. Now that he is gone, it is your turn to be lenient and kind."

Zhu Yunying agreed with this reasoning and said, "That's what I think too. We can't just suppress them. These scholars are still useful. We can't govern the country and bring peace to the people by simply forcing them all at once."

Zhu Yunying understood this principle, and Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor) understood it even better. He would not oppose Zhu Yunying's ideas. In Zhu Yuanzhang's view, the fact that his grandson could think of these things was actually a reason for him to feel at ease. His grandson should be so thoughtful, so thoughtful and reliable, and that would make him the best emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yunying then continued, "My idea is very simple. This is just a way of saying that we are being lenient towards scholars. As I have said before, taxes in Jiangzhe are too high, so I can take this opportunity to reduce taxes here."

Old Zhu frowned slightly. He did indeed impose heavy taxes on the people of the Jiangnan region, with taxes in Jiangnan being several times higher than in other places. It could be said that the people of Jiangnan had many complaints about Old Zhu, but they were more afraid of him now.

Old Zhu naturally understood this principle and said, "Alright, we had no other choice before, so just let the people of Jiangsu and Zhejiang live a more peaceful life."

This was unavoidable; the heavy taxes imposed on the Jiangnan region weren't necessarily a form of revenge by Zhu Yuanzhang. Ultimately, there weren't many other options. The Ming Dynasty's resources were limited in the past, so the relatively wealthy Jiangnan region had to contribute more.

The new policies should begin to make some changes at this time. The leniency should not only be shown to civil officials, but also to all aspects.

Old Zhu looked expectantly at his beloved grandson, hoping he would continue to share his thoughts on the new policies. With the Ming dynasty in the hands of such a reliable and decisive new emperor, Old Zhu felt at ease.