Little Zhu naturally knew that he had a mission to attend court this time, and the little guy also knew that he had to complete the task assigned by his father, the Emperor. So Little Zhu had prepared well in advance, as his mother had given him a lot of instructions last night.

Obedience is one of Little Zhu's excellent qualities. Don't let his somewhat arrogant demeanor fool you; he can be quite haughty. But in front of certain people, Little Zhu is very well-behaved and obedient.

Although the civil and military officials were surprised by the Crown Prince's attendance at court before the ceremony, and they were also surprised to see him standing at the head of the civil officials' ranks, the Crown Prince had remained silent and seemed to be merely listening, so there was nothing particularly surprising about it.

It didn't seem to be a genuine observation of politics, as the Crown Prince didn't appear to intend to express any political views. This wasn't surprising, given the Crown Prince's young age and lack of prior experience in observing politics; it was quite normal.

But now that His Majesty the Emperor has suddenly inquired about the Crown Prince, this is no small matter.

The saying "You can tell what a person will be like at three years old" applies here; one can discern a prince's character from his words and actions, which is of great importance.

Little Zhu stepped forward and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I believe that what you ministers say is reasonable. Since the Duke of Zhongshan is involved, it is naturally not appropriate for him to preside over the planning of the campaign. I think the Duke of Cao and the Duke of Kaiguo are more suitable."

Upon hearing what Little Zhu said, Emperor Ying Shi, sitting on the dragon throne, nodded slightly. His crown prince had performed quite well.

While there weren't any particularly outstanding achievements, the performance was relatively stable, which is a respectable and commendable result. As for the civil and military officials, the Crown Prince appears to be maintaining a balanced and upright character, which is a good thing.

After all, Emperor Yingshi was extremely protective of his own, a fact known to many and clearly evident. This wasn't a secret; his behavior over the years clearly demonstrated this.

Emperor Ying Shi was deeply entangled with the Chang lineage, which naturally made them close to the emperor. The emperor, in turn, often relied on the meritorious nobles of the Chang lineage, and sometimes indeed showed some favoritism.

Besides the favoritism shown towards the Chang faction in military merit, civil officials like Ru Chang, who also came from the Crown Prince's household, were all given important positions. While Ru Chang and others did indeed possess some ability, the real reason remained unknown to everyone.

Ru Chang and his colleagues certainly possess some ability, but many also know that the imperial court is teeming with talented individuals. Many simply lack opportunities to showcase their abilities, which doesn't mean they are mediocre and incompetent.

At this moment, Little Zhu also said, "Your Majesty, I believe that this campaign should follow the old system."

In fact, military merits nowadays are basically limited to first merits and battle achievements.

The concept of "first merit" is easy to understand; it simply refers to the capture of a head. This practice, which began in the Qin Dynasty, while sometimes appearing barbaric and bloody, and having its drawbacks, is generally considered the most appropriate way to assess military merit and has continued to this day.

In particular, the Ming Dynasty also had a system for recognizing meritorious service. Previously, the highest honors were bestowed upon the Mongols, followed by barbarians, while the lowest honors were actually given to rebels in the interior. The rewards for military merit and wealth varied depending on the region.

Many people understand that the system of rewarding merit first often led to the killing of innocent people to claim credit, a phenomenon that occurred throughout history. It also resulted in competition for credit, which were also common occurrences.

No policy is perfect; as long as the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, it's considered good.

Besides the primary merit, there are also battle merits, such as extraordinary merits, first merits, and second merits. Unlike the primary merit, these are determined by the soldier's performance on the battlefield. In general, as long as you win and fight bravely, there is always a chance to be rewarded.

Merit and military achievements go hand in hand; they are not actually in conflict, but rather complementary.

In fact, the Ming Dynasty at that time also had a hereditary system for military officers, since it was still under the garrison system. So you could say that the strategy of "better to reward heavily than to promote many times" was based on the fact that Emperor Zhu had rewarded meritorious officials in the past.

Too many officials are not good, so promotions must be made cautiously, but rewards can be generous. After all, if a large number of officials are promoted now, they will all have to be paid salaries later. But if rewards are given in silver or land, there is no need to worry about the future burden on the court.

As for rewards such as silver and land, that's fine too; the soldiers won't complain. They fight bravely and will receive ample rewards, enough to live a life of luxury and comfort.

This is all normal, and it's part of the military merit system in the Ming Dynasty. Nobody has much to say about it.

The emperor seemed quite satisfied with the crown prince's words, and said with a smile, "The crown prince is right. We should follow the old system."

Xiao Zhu's views don't seem particularly original or constructive. However, that's not bad; their strength lies in their prudence, which is a commendable quality.

Bold reforms sometimes require great courage and can bring tremendous benefits. However, if reforms are not implemented effectively, they can easily lead to huge upheavals or significant drawbacks.

The Ming Dynasty at present does not need radical reforms in many systems; a steady approach is more appropriate. This is also a quality that the emperor and crown prince should possess. They cannot act on a whim; otherwise, it would not be the emperor having his own opinions, but rather the emperor making reckless decisions.

Zhu Yunying thought for a moment, then slowly nodded and said, "The Crown Prince is still young, but he has been enfeoffed for many years. In this campaign to gather merit, the Duke of Cao and the Duke of Kai should report to the Crown Prince first."

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