The six ministers were no longer able to remain calm, because the matters in the memorials were clearly a huge problem.

What is the Imperial College?

That was the highest institution of learning in the Ming Dynasty. Although there might be some students with connections, everyone knew that the students of the Imperial Academy were the elite of the Ming Dynasty. In other words, it was the reserve base for officials, the continuous source of talent for the civil service.

During the Yuan Dynasty, it was extremely difficult for most Han Chinese to become high-ranking officials, and the Yuan Dynasty's official promotion system certainly had many flaws. The reason Emperor Hongwu built the Imperial Academy was indeed because he needed more officials to manage local affairs, and the Ming Dynasty truly needed their official system.

The imperial examination system was indeed incredibly important; it was the most crucial asset of the civil service system. The Imperial Academy represented the most elite group of students within the imperial examination system.

But now things have gotten out of hand. The Chancellor of the Imperial Academy is making irresponsible remarks about state affairs within the academy, and many students are actually following suit.

The Imperial Academy was supposed to be a place of diligent study. However, in the early years of the Hongwu Emperor's reign, the students there faced immense academic pressure, enduring endless exams and constant assessments. Corporal punishment was commonplace, and some students even committed suicide due to the overwhelming pressure—this was not an isolated incident.

Many officials knew about these things but didn't see anything wrong with them. This is how the Imperial Academy should be; the students here should be oblivious to the outside world, they should be preparing for the next exam, and they should be striving for the possibility of entering officialdom at any time.

But now, things have turned out differently. The Imperial Academy has become a place for learned scholars to engage in lofty discussions. Instead of a place for teaching and nurturing people, it has been flooded with people who just want to talk nonsense.

Everyone welcomes learned scholars to teach at the Imperial Academy, and also welcomes knowledgeable people to exchange ideas and learn from each other.

However, there is a premise here: these people are there to teach and educate, and to engage in academic discussions with students.

If the people who go are some reclusive hermits from the mountains, and if they are just talking big and exaggerating, then they are a huge problem. If it gets even more serious, and they make statements that contradict the ancient edicts of the imperial court, then it could very well be a capital offense, and many people would not be able to live in peace.

But now, things are different. The Chancellor of the Imperial Academy has invited many friends and celebrities. Although there are some learned scholars among them, there are also some monks and Taoists, as well as some so-called talented men and beautiful women, or some romantic celebrities.

This is no longer the Imperial Academy! It's more like a poetry gathering, a complete disgrace to the imperial court.

If it were just boating on Xuanwu Lake, such an activity could be considered elegant. However, if it were at the Imperial Academy, those people would be behaving in a manner extremely inappropriately, and it could be considered dereliction of duty by some officials.

Zhu Yunying said with a cold expression, "Look, our Ming Dynasty really is full of people who care about the country and its people. The court controls the salt and iron, which is competing with the people for profit. The court selects officials through the imperial examination, which is an insult to scholars. That's right, every time they enter the examination hall, these conscientious people of our Ming Dynasty should be subjected to the harassment of the clerks, who will take their clothes and check whether they have brought anything else."

The six ministers all lowered their heads, each one trembling with fear and appearing somewhat lacking in confidence.

This was indeed trouble caused by the Imperial Academy, but what could they do? They were the ministers of the Six Ministries, and they were the role models for civil officials.

Now that this has happened, it's unrealistic to say they bear no responsibility whatsoever. However, there is some good news, such as that they don't bear any direct responsibility.

Of course, the Minister of Rites is an exception; he must be sweating profusely right now. The trouble caused by the Imperial Academy is far greater than imagined. And to be honest, this can be considered a result of the Ministry of Rites' lax oversight, so they can't escape that responsibility either.

Zhu Yunying continued, "In the past, punishing corrupt officials was seen as the Ming Dynasty mistreating scholars. Abolishing the position of Prime Minister would mean that all the emperors of our Ming Dynasty are tyrants. Without co-governing the country with the scholar-officials, our Ming Dynasty has lost the hearts of the people, and its fate is sealed!"

Zhu Yunying laughed in exasperation and said, "Well, I, this cruel and muddle-headed ruler, have failed to give due importance to learned scholars, which has led to the decline of such extraordinary talents. This is truly a regrettable matter for the Ming Dynasty!"

Ru Chang almost cried, not only because the emperor was furious, but also because some people viewed him as a traitor and a usurper. It seemed that some people were indeed very unhappy and genuinely had a very negative view of the current officialdom of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yunying snorted coldly and said, "You may all leave now! Think carefully about how you will report to me at tomorrow's morning court, and carefully consider why this matter started and why it has come to this point!"

What else could Ru Chang and the others say? They were all somewhat at a loss, their minds a complete mess. They should hurry up and think of a solution, or how to keep this matter under control.

Otherwise, even if it wasn't a major case, it would still cast a shadow over the careers of many scholars. Perhaps in the imperial examinations two years later, these students from the Imperial Academy would fail.

Even more serious, of course, would be the decline of the Imperial Academy, the highest institution of learning in the Ming Dynasty, and the civil service system would lose its cradle for cultivating talent.

If such things were to actually happen, it would be unacceptable. It's just a pity that the initiative is not in their hands at all, because some people have done things that have offended the emperor, and some people have indeed crossed the line.

A person who is well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics and can write exquisite articles may be a pillar of the nation, or they may be a pedantic and pedantic person, or even a typical example of a scholar who only knows how to erode the country.

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