Although Old Zhu was somewhat reluctant, he still managed to say, "Ying'er, aren't you afraid of a powerful minister emerging?"
Zhu Yunying didn't hide his feelings and said, "I'm afraid. Although it's unlikely that powerful ministers will emerge now, if we establish a cabinet, there might be powerful ministers in the future. However, I'm still quite confident in myself, and Yin'er seems to be a decent person. But my children and grandchildren may not all be wise and virtuous."
Old Zhu sighed as well. He knew, of course, that not all his descendants would be wise and virtuous. Perhaps some incompetent rulers would emerge, potentially ruining the great nation.
After pondering for a long time, the insecure retired emperor Zhu asked, "If we really have such a cabinet, will we have to revise the ancestral precepts again?"
Zhu Yunying immediately objected, saying, "Grandfather, please don't change it. We want this cabinet to be neither legitimate nor proper. If things really come to this, this cabinet will be violating ancestral precepts. We want to see who dares to take on this title."
Upon hearing this, Old Zhu burst into laughter, "You really are our grandson, you've got a black heart!"
Zhu Yunying was not ashamed; in fact, he was quite pleased with himself. "That's what I think too. He's truly ruthless. If my heart isn't ruthless and dirty, I can't be a good emperor. If you ask me for justice, I simply can't give you justice."
If anyone else had said that, Zhu Yuanzhang would definitely have been furious and exploded on the spot. In that situation, he might have immediately displayed the strictness of the Hongwu Emperor, for he could not tolerate corrupt officials.
But when Zhu Yunying said that, Zhu Yuanzhang was only happy. Of course, Zhu Yuanzhang hoped his children and grandchildren would be kind, benevolent, and upright, but having risen from humble beginnings, he also knew too much of the darkness in the world. If an emperor were too benevolent, it wouldn't be a good thing; the emperor would have to be ruthless!
Only in this way can the emperor control the court and make all officials submit. This is the means and authority that an emperor should possess.
At this moment, Zhu Yunying said with a smile, "There are some advantages to not having a proper name and proper authority. With a proper name and proper authority, the cabinet can develop very quickly, given its nature. Without a proper name and proper authority, unless there are some exceptionally talented individuals, the cabinet will always be more easily suppressed."
This is the art of imperial strategy. Although the cabinet is useful in general, the emperor's first thought is not just about shirking his duties, but also about the cabinet's potential constraints on imperial power, how to limit the cabinet, and even possibly abolish the cabinet.
Zhu Yunying continued, "Grandfather, the cabinet must be limited. As we said before, those who are to serve as ministers of the six ministries should govern a region. Those who are to enter the cabinet as grand secretaries should also govern a region."
Zhu Yunying also realized that two years ago, Ren Hengtai, the Minister of Rites, was dismissed from office, and the Minister of Justice died of illness. When choosing a successor, Zhu Yunying did indeed make a requirement that the ministers of the six ministries should have experience as officials close to the people.
This is quite interesting, because Zhu Yunying seems to be very sensitive and concerned, worried that the heads of the Six Ministries, as civil officials, are unaware of the people's suffering or may put forward some unrealistic political ideas.
Zhu Yunying effectively blocked the path to promotion for those who wanted to rise through the ranks by simply working their way up in the prestigious Hanlin Academy or by relying on their poetry and other talents. He eliminated the possibility of easy promotions and required experience as a people-friendly official.
The six ministers are like this, and the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet certainly need to be like this as well. Having experience in governing local areas allows these officials to understand the hardships of the people and prevents them from just talking big or making policies that are impractical and out of touch with reality.
Hearing Zhu Yunying say this, Old Zhu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, "In that case, it does make sense."
At this moment, Zhu Yunying said with a smile, "Grandfather, don't forget that we need to check and balance the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so we created the Eastern Depot. Our Directorate of Ceremonial can also keep them in check a little. Furthermore, there are the Six Ministries. Although the Six Ministries are not required to obey the Grand Secretariat, the Grand Secretariat is closer to the Emperor than the Six Ministries. The Grand Secretariat might try to control the Six Ministries by taking advantage of its high position and power, while the Six Ministries would take advantage of the fact that the Grand Secretariat has no legal status or power."
Old Zhu thought about it again. The cabinet seemed to be the emperor's advisory group, and could have a certain status and power. However, they did not have any real power and were subject to others in every way. Once their power lost the emperor's support, it would be nothing but a mirage.
At this moment, Zhu Yunying continued, "Grandfather, don't forget our military achievements; these people can also restrain the cabinet."
But this is no small matter. Old Zhu said, “We know you have a lot to do. You’ve been busy moving the capital, fighting wars all over the place, repairing the Yellow River, opening up Jingxiang, and reforming taxes. Although there are many things to do, this cabinet still needs to consider this matter carefully.”
Zhu Yunying nodded with a smile, unafraid of being disrespectful, "Grandpa Emperor, we just want to discuss this with you. Otherwise, if we really do this after Grandpa Emperor passes away, who can stop us?!"
Old Zhu chuckled. Although his grandson seemed to be constantly breaking some of the rules he had set, and Old Zhu was sometimes unhappy about it, he also knew that his grandson valued his opinions very much.
The most obvious example is that Zhu Yunying would discuss many things with him. If Zhu Yunying disagreed, Zhu Yunying would not rush to carry them out, but would instead keep analyzing the situation with Zhu Yunying and trying to persuade him.
Just as Zhu Yunying said, if Zhu Yunying were determined, who could stop the powerful Emperor Yingshi after the old Zhu passed away? Now, the young Zhu always consults with the old Zhu, which is a sign of the young Zhu's respect for the old Zhu!
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
