But looking at it now, the issue of increasing the salaries of Ming Dynasty officials is not only on the agenda of the current emperor, but also, as many know, during the Hongwu reign a few years ago, the then Crown Prince had many arguments with the Hongwu Emperor about increasing the salaries of civil and military officials.

In addition, the six ministers were promoted to the first rank, elevating the status of the civil service. Now, it is also time to bestow posthumous titles upon civil officials.

If Emperor Yingshi hadn't stripped the Duke of Yansheng of his privileges, if he had been more inclined to befriend and value Confucianism, perhaps his illustrious name would be being sung among scholars today. He was truly the most Confucian sage ruler!

An interesting turn of events then unfolded: the posthumous title bestowed upon Yang Jing seemed to be more than just a final assessment of his life. It also served as evidence of the rising status of the civil service group.

Therefore, it was imperative to bestow a posthumous title upon him. Moreover, the emperor had acknowledged some of Yang Jing's contributions, making this a perfectly legitimate honor.

Now Zhu Yunying felt as if he had nothing to worry about, and the debate over Yang Jing's posthumous title intensified. Or rather, it could be said that when Zhu Yunying finalized Yang Jing's posthumous title, the civil officials were collectively as excited as if they had been injected with stimulants.

This is a very rare opportunity for them, and it is a way for them to further enhance their status.

If the posthumous title system for civil officials in the Ming Dynasty could be established through the matter of bestowing a posthumous title upon Yang Jing, many civil officials would see this not only as a matter of their own interests, but also as a good opportunity for them to leave their mark on history.

It's understandable that the civil officials seemed quite excited at this time. They had been suppressed for too long, and any opportunity that seemed to elevate their status was enough to excite them.

As for whether Zhu Yunying intended to elevate the status of the civil service group again, or was simply trying to establish a balance of power, or had other motives, only Zhu Yunying himself probably knows the answer.