Zhu Yunying considered himself a diligent and good emperor, so getting up early was a common occurrence for him, and he was not at all uncomfortable with it, as he had long been accustomed to it.
Zhu Yunying, who got up early, arrived at Fengtian Hall and was quite pleased to see that all the civil and military officials were already "at work." It seemed that no one had slacked off, and everyone had recovered from the New Year's holiday mood, which was a good thing.
Previously, Zhu Yunying had some reservations about the old Zhu's 'harsh treatment' of civil and military officials, feeling that the officials had it tough.
Now that he's sitting on the dragon throne, he has to shout that Old Zhu was brilliant. There's really no need for too many holidays; a few days is enough. There's no need for ten days or half a month off—that's far too much.
Xu Huizu stepped forward first and reported, "Your Majesty, the rewards and provisions for the festivals for the various military commands and garrisons have already been allocated."
Zhu Yunying was very satisfied with this answer. "Good! The soldiers of the Great Ming are guarding the borders and protecting the peace of the country. We must not neglect them. Their provisions and rewards must not be embezzled. If anyone dares to steal anything here, I will surely confiscate their property and exterminate their entire clan!"
Many civil officials frowned slightly, feeling that the emperor's words were too murderous and not a good thing.
Huang Zicheng stepped forward, his expression serious, and said, "Your Majesty, Emperor Yang of Sui's tyranny led to the loss of the country..."
"Oh?" Looking at the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, Zhu Yunying asked with a serious expression, "Did Yang Guang's tyranny lead to the downfall of the country? There was once an article called 'On the Faults of Qin,' so let's discuss the Sui Dynasty. It is said that Yang Guang's three expeditions to Goguryeo caused turmoil in the Central Plains, and that Yang Guang's construction of the Grand Canal angered both Heaven and the people. I think there is some truth to that. The Sui Dynasty only lasted for two generations, so Yang Guang naturally deserves to be criticized."
Zhu Yunying was too lazy to defend Yang Guang, and in fact, there was no need to.
Although some people now say that the Grand Canal's benefits extend to later generations, it certainly caused turmoil at the time. It is also said that the three campaigns against Goguryeo demonstrated the power of the Celestial Empire, but it is also true that there were heavy losses in terms of troops and soldiers, which led to the rise of some powerful families.
Zhu Yunying then looked at Huang Zicheng and said, "Tell me about the loss of the Song Dynasty and the hundred-year reign of the Yuan Dynasty. What about that?"
Zhu Yunying glanced at Huang Zicheng, then stood up and looked at the civil and military officials below the imperial steps. "I know that the retired emperor drove out the Tartars and established the Ming Dynasty, but there are still some people who have not yet won his heart. Things have improved in recent years. In previous years, I have heard quite a few great scholars and aristocratic families admire the previous dynasty."
This put some civil officials in an awkward position, as it was simply a repeated dredging up of their dark past.
When Zhu Yuanzhang first rose to power, there weren't many proper scholars. Li Shanchang was one, and with the addition of the Zhejiang literati group represented by Liu Bowen, his civil service was complete. As for the addition of Song Lian and others, that was naturally icing on the cake.
However, it must be admitted that many scholars did look down on Zhu Yuanzhang at the time. They thought he was a peasant with an insignificant family background, or that those scholars were loyal to the Mongol emperor.
"It is said that the Emperor Emeritus treated scholars harshly, or that he acted sternly." Zhu Yunying's expression was very calm, and he simply said in a very plain tone, "In chaotic times, severe punishments are necessary. I believe that you, who are well-read, should understand this principle."
Huang Zicheng, with the integrity of a scholar, said, "Your Majesty, this is not a chaotic time!"
The present is certainly not a chaotic era, so some harsh punishments seem inappropriate. Zhu Yunying was well aware of this, and it's likely that the old Zhu (Zhu Yunying) was also aware of it, which is why the Ming Dynasty has been constantly adjusting and changing its policies over the years.
However, in the eyes of Huang Zicheng and others, these changes were too slow and did not achieve the situation they expected.
The expectation was that high-ranking officials would not be subject to punishment. But the Ming Dynasty was different. Whether they were civil or military officials, aristocratic families or commoners, they were extremely strict when necessary, without any room for argument.
The idea of scholar-officials jointly governing the country was something many intellectuals hoped for. However, the Ming Dynasty had even abolished the position of prime minister, and power was now highly concentrated in the hands of the emperor. These scholars found it difficult to say or do anything substantial.
As for the idea of governing the world with a single Analects or creating a prosperous era by following ancient rites like the Zhou Dynasty's rites, that's just wishful thinking on the part of scholars. The emperors of the Ming Dynasty wouldn't tolerate such behavior.
Some say that the Song Dynasty was the golden age for scholars, who enjoyed extremely high status, and this is true in some respects.
However, in the Ming Dynasty, at least from today's perspective, there was no such trend. Many scholars also had their own thoughts and ideas, wanting to restrain imperial power and govern the country. It's not that only scholars in the Ming Dynasty had this idea; it was a long-standing expectation and dream of scholars, and it could be considered their pursuit.
These things cannot be simply attributed to the "inferiority complex" of scholars; rather, the desire to limit imperial power was also a pursuit of scholars. On the one hand, these people wanted to be loyal to the emperor, and on the other hand, they wanted to restrict imperial power.
Perhaps the ideal situation is for the emperor to sit high on the dragon throne and leave things to them.
Zhu Yunying looked at Huang Zicheng and said slowly, "Since I ascended the throne, many of my ministers have submitted memorials. They feel that I am acting like a tyrant and that I do not care about the people's well-being. Some time ago, someone even said that I am competing with the people for profit."
Some civil and military officials looked calm, while others looked down at their feet with unease, or had an air of righteousness on their faces.
Zhu Yunying laughed and said emphatically, "I know that I am not the benevolent ruler in some people's eyes, nor do I intend to be one! Confucius said: 'To subdue oneself and return to propriety is to be benevolent.' Since I am a benevolent ruler, I must implement benevolent policies, reduce corvée labor and taxes, and allow the people to rest and recuperate. The so-called benevolent policies are to treat the people with kindness and bestow favors!"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
