Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Zhu Youjian referred to these ministers as "half-rulers" not only to make them accept the questioning day.

Also, because he had to remind these people that they were no longer ordinary officials.

What is a half-king?
It already possesses the characteristics of a monarch.

This requires ministers and officials not to view issues solely from the perspective of subjects, but to consider themselves as rulers and assume corresponding responsibilities.

Otherwise, they would lack a sense of responsibility as masters of the country, and might even betray the interests of the court to satisfy their own selfish desires.

This was unacceptable to Zhu Youjian; he was not comfortable entrusting power to such a person.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian, who planned to implement a semi-presidential system, explicitly referred to them as "semi-emperors" to make them understand their responsibilities.

The future system of the Ming Dynasty can be described as a semi-monarchical, semi-cabinet system, where the monarch and the cabinet share power and responsibility.

In reality, since the emperor cannot be replaced, simply delegating the responsibility to the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet would satisfy most of the subjects.

The cabinet was to take the blame for the emperor; this was Zhu Youjian's purpose in delegating power to them.

Holding the transcript of the conversation between Han Kuang and Cheng Jiming, Zhu Youjian addressed his ministers:

“What Chengqing said in private is quite right. Most emperors are indeed of average appearance. This is something I mentioned to him before.”

"Throughout history, apart from the founding emperors, most monarchs were those who maintained the status quo."

"Those who do a good job can expand territory and establish a peaceful and prosperous era."

“Those who do not do a good job will lose land and even plunge the world into chaos.”

"Generally speaking, there is a middle line, and most monarchs hover around this line."

"His intelligence is only average!"

Admitting the emperor's lack of wisdom, Zhu Youjian, seeing that the ministers dared not speak, continued:
"I call this phenomenon mean regression of intelligence."

"If intelligence can be quantified, there is an intermediate value."

"Most people hover around this middle line."

"Although the emperor is the Son of Heaven, he is still a human being in the human world and is subject to the same laws."

"The emperor's wisdom also lingers around this middle ground."

"Most of you have family genealogies, which record your ancestors for several generations."

“Take a closer look and see if most of our ancestors were of average intelligence, with the occasional exceptionally intelligent and the occasional utterly foolish.”

"Very few families have produced Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) for several consecutive generations, including those with large numbers of members."

"This is not because they are living comfortably and therefore do not study hard, but because their intelligence is regressing to the mean."

This theory draws on the principle of mean regression of genetic intelligence, which was later studied.

The ministers had never heard of such a thing before and fell into deep thought.

Most of them came from scholar-official families and had extensive social connections, so they knew that what the emperor said was indeed reasonable:

It is indeed rare in this dynasty for a family to produce Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) for several consecutive generations, and it is extremely difficult to consistently produce Juren (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations).

Therefore, after the emperor bestowed hereditary official positions upon civil officials and members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the scholar-officials, who initially disdained them, later discovered their appeal and flocked to them.

Because of hereditary official positions, the family had a guarantee. Even if it declined, there was a limit, as someone in the family would eventually become an official.

Chengji's Destiny:

"What the Emperor said is thought-provoking."

"No wonder even families of scholars and poets cannot guarantee the prosperity of their family business."

They accepted the emperor's theory, believing that intelligence does indeed exhibit mean reversion.

Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Personnel, said:

"The civil service examinations of our dynasty are fairer than those of the former Tang dynasty, which did not conceal the names of candidates, and the former Song dynasty, which over-selected candidates."

"The selection of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) mainly depends on their talent and intelligence, so this is the most obvious indicator of their abilities."

Zhu Youjian nodded and said:
"Therefore, I insist on recruiting scholars who are not commoners, and at least half of them must be scholars whose ancestors were commoners for three generations."

"They had no powerful connections in the government or any family connections, yet they were able to reach this level through hard work, which shows that they are all people of exceptional talent and intelligence."

"From now on, the Ministry of Personnel must adhere to this ratio. At least half of the ministers in the court must have ancestors who were commoners for three generations."

"Governing a country requires talent, and we must give these people opportunities."

Seizing the opportunity to teach him, Guo Yunhou hurriedly agreed.

Although the other officials frowned at the policy, they could not object to it.

In particular, the emperor also said:

"Although I have some talent, I consider myself to be at most slightly better than an average person."

"Therefore, we need capable ministers to assist us, such as you gentlemen."

"You must remember that you are not only subjects in the court, but also see yourselves as monarchs."

"Only in this way can we better understand some of the systems and curb the increasing number of feudal lords after the enfeoffment."

"If the court is weak and underestimated by the vassal rulers, it will be a disaster for everyone in the world."

“An Lushan’s brazen rebellion against the Tang Dynasty should serve as a warning to us.”

The An Lushan Rebellion not only caused the decline of the Tang Dynasty, but also led to the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, leaving the Song Dynasty with a very unfavorable situation.

This is also why the Song Dynasty was destroyed under the constant attacks of the Liao, Jin, and Yuan dynasties. After hearing this, the officials could not help but pay even more attention.

Grand Secretary Han Kuang said:

"Therefore, we believe that the one-tenth limit should be strictly enforced to ensure that the vassal states have no power to threaten the Ming Dynasty."

“In particular, the twelve regional governors appointed by the Ming Dynasty should be strictly monitored, and their power should be used to suppress the local lords.”

"The An Lushan Rebellion must not occur within the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Youjian nodded in approval and added to him:
"The same applies to provinces and protectorates. Apart from the directly administered northern and southern provinces, each province and prefecture should not exceed one-tenth of the total population of the Ming Dynasty in terms of population, military strength, finance and taxation, and officials from the same background."

"Otherwise, if the power of a regional governor becomes too great, he might develop disloyal intentions like An Lushan."

“We must pay special attention to the appointment of high-ranking officials in charge of a region, and prevent them from serving in a certain place for a long time or allowing their recommending officials to become local forces.”

"We must make it clear to the governors and viceroys that they are officials sent by the imperial court and will enjoy the treatment of ministers when they return to the capital."

The system of governors and viceroys has been in place for more than two hundred years and has become somewhat localized. Many governors and viceroys regard themselves as local officials, and the imperial court also regards them as high-ranking local officials and regional governors.

However, Zhu Youjian hoped that there should be a distinction between the governors-general and the three local officials, and that they should not be mixed up.

To this end, he also instructed the Ministry of Personnel to formulate regulations to clarify this distinction.

Guo Yunhou, Minister of Personnel, suggested:
“Governors and viceroys are ministers of the imperial court, so they should be treated like ministers.”

"He was granted a residence in the capital, and his family was allowed to live there."

"In this way, the families of governors and viceroys will not have to travel around, and the court will be more at ease."

This meant keeping them in the capital as hostages. Zhu Youjian was somewhat tempted, but felt he couldn't force them to do it.

He wasn't that suspicious, and corrected himself:
“It is acceptable to grant a residence in the capital, but special courtyards must be reserved for demolition and reconstruction in the southern district.”

"However, whether family members live in Beijing is not mandatory."

"Those who are willing to come can enroll in school in the capital and participate in the Shuntian Prefecture imperial examinations."

This was a significant advantage, as Shuntian Prefecture had a larger number of openings, making it relatively easier to secure a place.

The officials nodded their thanks, but then hesitated, wanting to ask the emperor if they would receive the same treatment.

Zhu Youjian, oblivious to their thoughts, continued:
"In terms of real power, high-ranking officials in charge of border regions often surpass many feudal lords." "If they did not hold titles, it would be difficult for them to command feudal lords."

"Even during interactions, there can be some inconveniences."

"I intend to grant noble titles to all governors and viceroys serving in overseas or border regions."

"As long as the mainland strictly implements the imperial court's orders and meets the performance requirements, they will also be granted titles."

"In this way, they would also be nobles, making it easier for them to negotiate with the feudal lords."

This was naturally good news for the regional governors, but it only made the courtiers feel more resentful:

If the regional governors are all nobles, how will they be able to command in the future?

Grand Secretary Han Kuang said:

"Your Majesty, I believe this matter should be handled with caution, and we must not allow powerful regional officials to harbor ambitions."

"Especially if feudal lords have their own troops, what if they use this to establish their own independent regimes?"

"This is a question," Zhu Youjian said.
"The number of troops that feudal lords can transfer to the territory of the Ming Dynasty must be limited. The Privy Council and the Court of Colonial Affairs should discuss this together."

"My greatest hope in bestowing titles upon governors and viceroys is to ensure their loyalty."

"I know that some officials may make mistakes or be framed when they are young, which may leave them vulnerable."

"But as long as they are loyal to the court and the emperor, I can pardon their crimes so that they don't have to worry about it."

"The same applies to you. I do not want you 'half-rulers' to be threatened by others."

"If anyone encounters such a situation, they can report it to me in secret, and I will help you deal with it."

"Even officials who colluded with the eunuch faction can be pardoned by me, so what is there to worry about if you make some minor mistakes?"

This was an insight he gained from later films and television dramas. Often, high-ranking officials would be dragged down into the abyss because of the mistakes they made when they were young.

He didn't know if there were such officials in the Ming Dynasty, but now the problem is being eliminated through institutional reforms.

No matter what they did in the past, as long as they remain loyal to the court after becoming ministers, it's not a big problem. The emperor can help them solve it. If they are loyal, they don't need to worry.

These words seemed somewhat cryptic, leaving Han Kuang and the others somewhat confused.

However, they understood the emperor's intention to pardon the ministers for minor offenses, and were very pleased about it.

Wen Tiren, who had somewhat guessed the emperor's thoughts, said:

"Minor mistakes can be forgiven, but what if one commits an unforgivable crime?"

“These crimes, even according to the Great Ming Code, cannot be subject to the Eight Deliberations.”

This touched on Zhu Youjian's intentions, and he said with a smile:
"Whether to grant pardons or not is an established system, but in reality, it is more a matter of my own whim."

"As long as the ministers do not rebel, and are willing to confess their mistakes to me and come to the capital to pay homage to the emperor."

"Then what other sins are unforgivable?"

“Even without the Eight Deliberations, we can follow the example of how Qian Ruogeng was treated and sentence him to death with reprieve.”

The punishment of "death sentence with reprieve" appears to be a fixed execution, but it is actually a suspended death sentence.

Qian Ruogeng was sentenced to death by imperial decree for cruelly torturing criminals to death. However, through the intervention of ministers, he was imprisoned in the imperial prison.

The final result was that he was imprisoned for thirty-seven years without being executed, and was finally pardoned by imperial decree in the second year of the Tianqi reign.

Zhu Youjian used himself as an example to say that as long as the ministers were loyal to the court and did not rebel, he would not kill them indiscriminately.

This might embolden some officials, but compared to the benefits gained, Zhu Youjian felt it was worthwhile.

After all, there will be more and more feudal lords in the future, and they cannot be executed just because they have committed crimes.

That would surely lead some feudal lords to take the risk of raising troops in rebellion, thus depleting the court's military strength.

Zhu Yujian's case is a typical example. If he hadn't surrendered, the court's situation in Southeast Asia would have been affected.

It might last for months, wasting the winter season when typhoons are scarce.

He had been thinking about this a lot lately and concluded that it was necessary to grant certain privileges to the feudal lords to ensure they would not rebel.

Zhu Yujian's case can serve as a precedent to save this member of the imperial family who committed heinous crimes.

Therefore, he regarded the ministers and high-ranking officials before him as semi-rulers, granting them the same privileges—

As long as you don't rebel against the imperial court, everything is negotiable.

No matter how serious your crimes are, the emperor will not execute you.

The courtiers were all pleased to hear this.

This means their lives are safer, and they don't have to worry about being suddenly executed.

However, considering the precedent of the current emperor killing Yang Hao, Han Kuang cautiously said:
"Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have always practiced benevolence and righteousness."

"But in addition to the officials who were executed for colluding with the rebellious eunuch, Yang Hao was also brought before the soldiers and civilians of Dongjiang and executed."

"He was a high-ranking official in charge of a region, and he surrendered without resistance to the court's punishment. Shouldn't we exonerate him?"

Yang Hao was the first minister Zhu Youjian killed, because he was furious that this man had been defeated and left behind the chaos of the Jurchen invasion.

Furthermore, his head was used to warn Mao Wenlong and others, making them understand the majesty of the imperial court. It was also a warning to the military governors and viceroys not to fight recklessly and treat matters of national importance as child's play.

Now that the Jurchens had been driven out, Zhu Youjian's thoughts had naturally changed. He pondered for a moment and said:

“Yang Hao suffered two defeats in Ulsan and Liaodong. This man has questionable abilities. Killing him is in accordance with the law.”

"However, as you said, he surrendered without resistance when faced with the imperial edict, so he can be considered loyal."

"The King of Joseon also mentioned to me his merit in restoring the vassal state, and that his past achievements should be recognized by bestowing titles upon his descendants."

"Such merits and demerits do not offset each other, which is in line with the conventions of the Ming Dynasty."

"Yang Hao can be granted a posthumous title, and some of his reputations can be rehabilitated."

He overturned his previous practices to show his sincerity in not killing the ministers.

When the courtiers heard the emperor say this, they all knew that it was for real.

It is extremely difficult to get an emperor to change his previous practices.

The fact that the emperor was willing to damage his own reputation to exonerate the high-ranking officials who had surrendered without resistance is enough to demonstrate his determination.

Moreover, Zhu Youjian said afterward:

"The cases of ministers killed during the Tianqi era, as well as Zeng Xian, Xia Yan, and others during the Jiajing era, should all be thoroughly investigated."

"As long as there is no explicit act of rebellion against the court or disloyalty to the emperor, their crimes shall be pardoned, and their descendants shall be granted titles according to their past merits."

"The cabinet may draft an imperial edict based on this, explaining my true intentions."

Such widespread bestowal of favors made the court officials feel the emperor's sincerity even more.

The clause prohibiting the killing of high-ranking officials was thus established and later incorporated into the code of conduct, becoming an ironclad rule of the Ming Dynasty.

Unless a minister disobeys the imperial decree, is disloyal to the emperor, and shows no remorse, he will not actually be killed even if he is sentenced to beheading after committing a crime, as long as he surrenders.

Moreover, their achievements would be rewarded by the imperial court, and according to the custom that merits and demerits should not offset each other, their descendants would be granted noble titles.

The ultimate goal is to weaken their will to resist, including by bribing their children.

This was a much narrower scope than the Song Dynasty's policy of not killing scholar-officials, yet it still satisfied the officials of the Ming Dynasty.

They were all terrified by the cruelty of the Tianqi era, especially since both the Taizu and Shizong emperors had precedents of killing ministers, and they worried that the current emperor would follow suit.

Now that the emperor has established this system, they're more than happy to welcome it! (End of Chapter)