The education of young Zhu was of utmost urgency, something Zhu Yunying cared deeply about and valued immensely. In such a feudal era, an emperor's character and abilities could determine the course and rise and fall of a nation.
Little Zhu is still a naive child at his age and doesn't understand much. Unlike Zhu Yunying, who is a time traveler, little Zhu doesn't have much of a mind or understanding. The education and character of this little guy will determine the future of the Ming Dynasty, which Zhu Yunying cannot afford to ignore.
They should continue attending court, but also give Xu Huizu and Fu Youde a warning, mainly because their brothers or sons serve the Crown Prince. The sons of other nobles and high-ranking officials should also be asked to apologize.
The Crown Prince catching a snake is no longer just a matter within the palace; it's a matter for the entire dynasty. Even though the young Zhu rarely attends court, it's highly unlikely that any officials would get too close to the Crown Prince.
It wasn't just the civil officials; even the military officers understood the special status of young Zhu, and everyone took it seriously. Sending their sons to the Crown Prince's side was a way to secure opportunities for the future, but naturally, investing in advance also involved bearing certain risks.
As emperor, Zhu Yunying was obligated to reward merit and punish demerit, even if many of his trusted sons and relatives would be implicated this time. However, a minor punishment was still necessary to serve as a warning, and Zhu Yunying would not be lenient in this regard, after all, he was the emperor.
This is no small matter; in fact, it is a significant one. However, considering that Zhu Yunying is still young and the retired emperor is still alive, while the crown prince's position may be unparalleled, there is no need to believe that he can influence the course of the court for the time being.
For civil officials, the exciting news was their 'elevation of status,' with the six ministers collectively promoted to the first rank. Most of the other civil officials were expected to follow suit with similar promotions.
Many civil officials saw this as a victory for certain groups of officials, but after tasting the sweet fruit, the big stick was about to fall. The court was about to take action against redundant officials. Overstaffing and bloated institutions were a burden on the court, and this phenomenon had to be restrained and could not continue.
There are precedents for this, especially during the Northern Song Dynasty, when the number of redundant officials reached an extreme. This is unacceptable.
After the court session, Zhu Yunying summoned Xu Huizu, Fu Youde, and others to the Wuying Hall. He needed to address the redundant civil officials. Naturally, he also needed to deal with the military officers. Even the redundant soldiers needed to be reorganized.
This was not simply an attempt to save some of the court's expenses; it was also a small modification to the Ming Dynasty's military system, and one of Zhu Yunying's long-term plans.
The Ming Dynasty's garrison system was, in essence, modeled after the military system of the Northern Wei, Sui, and Tang dynasties, and also incorporated some elements of the Yuan Dynasty's military system. It was one of the most important systems in the Ming army.
These systems were indeed well-suited to the Ming Dynasty at that time, which was a fundamental reason why the Ming army was invincible. However, Zhu Yunying was also very clear that there is no such thing as a long-lasting or eternal system.
Some changes to the military system were also necessary, transforming the Grand Military Commission into the Five Military Commissions. This was also Zhu Yuanzhang's attempt to weaken the increasingly powerful army. Zhu Yuanzhang didn't just want to remove the prime minister and seize power directly; emperors in chaotic times value military power even more.
Looking at Xu Huizu, Zhu Yunying asked, "Our Great Ming is now strong and well-equipped. However, in the next few years, the Great Ming will not wage war again. The old soldiers who followed the Emperor in battle and the wounded soldiers who fought in battle can now retire from the army."
Some of these veterans have been fighting for more than thirty years, perhaps even longer. From their teens to now, those who have survived are probably in their forties or fifties, or even older. These are the people we can consider removing from service.
Xu Huizu, holding the memorial, said to Zhu Yunying, “Your Majesty, we have discussed this before. This time, the northern deserts have been newly annexed, Liaodong is stable, and there are Ming troops stationed in places like Busan. The Five Military Commissions, which govern the military commanderies and garrisons, may be struggling.”
Zhu Yunying thought this made the same sense, which was why he had summoned these people.
"I had previously considered abolishing five regional military commands. If the Ming Dynasty had twenty-one military commands, two garrison commands, and five hundred inner and outer guards, it would be just enough. As for the total number of troops, I think that including the military colonies, we need three million!"
The Xingdusi was a local military institution. It was subordinate to the Five Prefectures and reported to the Ministry of War.
There are currently five regional military commands: Shaanxi, Shanxi, Fujian, Beiping, Sichuan, and Huguang. Zhu Yunying felt that these were somewhat overlapping with the existing military commands and the Five Military Commissions, so he decided to abolish them altogether.
Fu Youde cautiously raised his head and asked, "Your Majesty, does the Emperor Emeritus agree?"
That's just how Fu Youde is. You could say he's straightforward, and his loyalty doesn't really require much consideration.
Lan Yu is used to being arrogant and domineering, while Fu Youde has only average political wisdom and is mainly too straightforward.
He was indeed loyal to Zhu Yunying, but this guy was even more loyal to the old Zhu. So at this moment, he actually brought up the retired emperor in front of Zhu Yunying, the meaning of which was clear: without the retired emperor's approval, he did not approve of some of Zhu Yunying's plans.
Zhu Yunying said irritably, "Of course Grandfather knows. You should also go to the Qianqing Palace later. It's perfect to go now, as the Emperor Emeritus is still hoeing the ground. You can lend a hand."
Fu Youde immediately knelt down. He could also tell that Emperor Ying Shi was displeased. He was not entirely without political wisdom.
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