As an emperor, Zhu Yunying was quite insightful, and he felt that now was the best time for him to put his ideas to use.

Because of the ravages of foreign tribes on the land of China, much power was eliminated and many ideas were distorted. Most importantly, Zhu Yuanzhang's immense authority reduced the resistance Zhu Yunying faced in pursuing reforms.

The predecessors planted the trees so that the successors could enjoy the shade. Zhu Yunying felt there was nothing wrong with that, and he was also at ease about doing what he wanted to do now.

As for encountering some minor obstacles or being misunderstood by some people during this process, Zhu Yunying didn't think it was anything to worry about.

Many things are not so easy. If everything were really that smooth, there would be less fun and less sense of accomplishment, or it would just feel boring.

Regarding the problems with officialdom, Zhu Yunying indeed felt that drastic measures were needed. This was probably because he wanted to implement some reforms and needed a relatively stable environment; he didn't want anything to hinder his progress.

“Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus once decreed that, in order to protect the lives of the people, any official found guilty of embezzling more than sixty taels of silver should be executed without exception!” Bao Zhao, known for his integrity and frugality, stepped out of the hall and solemnly said, “Corruption was rampant at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, and there were also signs of embezzlement at the beginning of our dynasty. The Emperor Emeritus used severe punishments, and the trend of corruption was curbed.”

This is indeed a fact. Corruption was quite serious in the early Ming Dynasty. Even with Zhu Yuanzhang's severe crackdown on corrupt officials, he still couldn't stop some people from continuing to run rampant.

Bao Zhao continued, “In the past, Zhu Liangzu colluded with the barbarian bandits, bullied the market, and colluded with powerful families. There were also Guo Huan and others who stole and sold official grain, and the case of the blank seal involved many acts of deception and fraud.”

These are all typical cases of how the Ming Dynasty dealt with corrupt officials. Zhu Liangzu, a meritorious official, was executed, and the scale of the Guo Huan and Kong Yin cases certainly served as a very special warning.

Zhu Yunying then slowly spoke, saying, "I know that you ministers all initially had ambitions, wanting to govern the country and bring peace to the people. I imagine those scholars, after ten years of hard study, also hoped to stand out and make a name for themselves in history. It's just that people's hearts are fickle, and some forget their original intentions once they become officials."

Many civil officials listened attentively at this time, as the emperor's words resonated with them to some extent, reflecting the aspirations many scholars initially held.

As for those military meritors, it's hard to say. Not to mention that most of those in the court nowadays are second or third-generation military meritors who have long forgotten their humble origins. These people can be considered 'aristocrats', and they have little empathy for the common people.

Zhu Yunying didn't mind and continued, "Before I ascended the throne, I also traveled around. The Minister of Personnel was my study companion, and I visited his residence, which was quite poor. The court should provide generous and honorable support to scholars, which is why I have proposed raising the salaries of officials several times before."

The words had barely left his lips when they were met with a chorus of praise, a sentiment that resonated deeply with many officials.

Although some of these civil and military officials came from good families, the salaries and benefits from the imperial court back then were so low that they could barely support their families. If there were any official receptions or farewells, it would be a real struggle.

If it weren't for the slight increase in salaries by the imperial court, some officials from impoverished families would probably be living a very difficult life. It can only be said that Emperor Hongwu was extremely harsh on his officials, so stingy that he even made them provide their own official robes at one point.

Zhu Yunying then continued, “The court’s support of scholars is based on respecting the virtuous and selecting the talented. However, I hope that all of you ministers will not forget the words of the sage and will not fail the court’s intentions.”

This can be considered a small warning. Although many people may dismiss such reminders, Zhu Yunying still needs to convey them to his civil and military officials.

Zhu Yunying had no intention of being lenient with corrupt officials. Such people were never satisfied, and there was no point in expecting them to ever have a change of heart.

Even if they suddenly realize their mistakes, they'll only weep bitterly while they're still trapped in a predicament. It's not that they've recognized their errors, but rather that they're struggling in their death throes. Or perhaps, at those times, they're still thinking about how they were negligent in their work, which is why they died.

"During this inspection tour by the Censorate, many instances of corruption remain rampant," Zhu Yunying said with a pained expression. "I am aware that there are many complaints in official circles and among the common people that the Retired Emperor is too harsh. But in my opinion, if it weren't for the Retired Emperor's decisive and swift actions, this corruption would likely be even more rampant!"

Many people might scoff at this, thinking that Zhu Yuanzhang's governance was too harsh.

Just think about it: Zhu De's anti-corruption campaign was unprecedented in its length, strictness, ruthlessness, cruelty, and number of executions—a feat rarely seen in thousands of years of feudal history. Yet, even so, wave after wave of corrupt officials were killed, to the point that Zhu De himself questioned whether he had made a mistake, wondering why so many corrupt officials had been fostered in the first place!

Ultimately, those people were fearless because the previous dynasty had so deeply corrupted them. If it weren't for Zhu Yuanzhang's strong determination to fight corruption, such things would have inevitably expanded infinitely, and the Ming Dynasty might have been plunged into chaos and widespread resentment shortly after its founding due to those corrupt officials!

Zhu Yunying remained calm and looked at Ru Chang, saying, "Ru Aiqing, as the Minister of Personnel, you should govern the bureaucracy. The Ministry of Personnel should handle the matter reported by the Censorate first. If it fails to satisfy me, the Imperial Guards will take over."

This wasn't just a momentary chill for Ru Chang; all the civil and military officials also felt a cold shiver run down their spines.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!