Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

This silence was longer than before.

No one spoke up easily anymore.

After a long while, a person slowly stepped forward: "Your subject, Chen Yi, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, has a memorial to present."

Zhu Qiyu looked at him and said, "Please speak, Minister Chen."

Chen Yi knelt and said, "Your Majesty has approved Zhang Langzhong's three proposals to strip those below the rank of Fengguo Zhongwei of their titles and reduce them to commoners."

This old minister dares to ask: Is the son of the Commandant of Fengguo the same descendant of Emperor Taizu Gao as Your Majesty?

Your Majesty's fifth ancestor is the same as his fifth ancestor.

Your Majesty and they share the same ancestor and drink from the same source.

Your Majesty now sits in the Fengtian Hall, receiving the congratulations of all officials, and your annual salary is immeasurable.

They were stripped of their titles and became commoners, cultivating the land and paying taxes, just like ordinary people.

Is this the meaning of kinship?

He paused for a moment, then said, "This old minister asks again, Your Majesty has granted permission for members of the imperial clan to voluntarily relinquish their titles and enter officialdom, thus opening the path to the imperial examinations."

They competed with the poor scholars of the world, and those who passed entered officialdom.

However, they were born in royal palaces, grew up in luxury, and were taught by famous teachers and read classic texts.

Poor scholars from all over the world, carrying firewood and hanging books on their horns, spend ten years studying diligently before finally getting a chance to take the exam.

Is it fair to have both of them on the same stage?

Furthermore, His Majesty allows members of the imperial clan to take the imperial examinations and enter officialdom, thus squeezing out the quota for Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

When scholars throughout the land hear of Your Majesty's policies, what will they say of Your Majesty?

The imperial examination system was the foundation upon which the emperor and the scholar-officials jointly governed the country.

To involve members of the imperial clan is to destroy its own foundation.

Your Majesty, I implore you to reconsider!

After saying this, he slowly kowtowed to the ground.

Chen Yi's three questions were all crucial.

Why is it that your ancestor and my ancestor are from the same family, yet you sit on the throne while I till the land?

Why should you, living a life of luxury and receiving renowned teachers, have to compete with scholars from poor families for jobs?

By what right do you think your words can shake the foundation of the imperial examination system, which has stood for over a century?

Zhu Qiyu looked at Chen Yi: "Emperor Taizu started his empire by fighting a hundred battles to win the world."

Emperor Taizong fought a bloody battle to win the empire.

Of the imperial clan today, who once drank from the Yangtze River with Emperor Taizu?

Who fought a bloody battle with Emperor Taizong at Baigou?

They did nothing.

They were just lucky to be born into a good family!

If you cast your vote well, the imperial court will support you for one lifetime, two generations, and three generations.

He was raised to the rank of Lieutenant General of Fengguo, through the fourth, fifth, and sixth generations.

Isn't that enough?!

Zhu Qiyu slowly descended the imperial steps: "Chen Dutang asked me..."

Is it fair that members of the imperial family and commoners take the imperial examinations together?

I'm telling you, this is unfair!

Chen Yi was taken aback; he thought Zhu Qiyu would say it was fair.

Zhu Qiyu: "My relatives were born in the Prince's Mansion, where they were taught by renowned teachers and studied classical texts."

A poor scholar carries firewood, which hangs from the corner of his arm.

It's unfair to put both of them on the same stage.

But has the world ever been fair under Chen's rule?

In the fertile lands of Jiangnan, one mu (unit of land area) yields three shi (unit of dry measure) annually.

The barren soil of the Northwest yields only three bushels of grain per mu per year.

Is it fair?

The wealthy family hired a renowned teacher, and twenty of his sons passed the imperial examinations.

Poor families have no food to last the night, and their children are tenant farmers for life.

Is it fair?

You are the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, a high-ranking official of the second rank.

Your eldest grandson began his education at the age of three, started writing at five, and began reading the Four Books at eight.

The grandson of a migrant worker in the suburbs of Beijing started collecting firewood at five, picking up manure at eight, and working at twelve.

Is it fair that they will participate in the same scientific expedition in the future?

These civil officials may speak eloquently and respectfully, mentioning ancestral rules and fairness.

In reality, very few people actually care about these things.

What they are really concerned about is whether these people will take away their spots.

However, these are not things that can be discussed openly.

Zhu Qiyu continued, "I cannot make the world fair."

I can only make the world less unfair.

Furthermore, all those who participated in the scientific expedition have been stripped of their titles.

They were no different from ordinary people; they were poor scholars to begin with.

How can there be any talk of squeezing out places for poor scholars?!

Zhu Qiyu's words were already quite clear.

After the title was revoked, the relatives of the imperial clan became poor scholars and ordinary people.

They have absolutely no problem participating in scientific expeditions.

Chen Yi knelt on the ground in silence.

He was a smart man; if he continued arguing, he would break ties with the emperor.

After a long silence, he slowly kowtowed: "This old minister... has no more questions."

Zhu Qiyu looked around the hall and asked, "Does anyone else have any objections?"

silence.

No one showed up for class.

None of the six ministries, six departments, or thirteen circuit censors stepped forward.

Zhu Qiyu waited a few moments, then turned and walked back to the throne: "Since no one else is asking, let it be so. The cabinet should quickly draft a proposal and present it to me."

After speaking, Zhu Qiyu gestured to Xing'an.

Xing'an immediately announced, "If there's nothing else, court may adjourn!"

Some ministers seemed to want to speak, but ultimately did not step forward.

Yu Qian was the first to walk out of Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Qiyu's performance today was not at all as "decisive" as he had previously worried.

On the contrary, Zhu Qiyu did a very good job.

Yu Qian suddenly remembered twenty years ago.

At that time, he served as the Supervising Censor of Shanxi Circuit.

He once submitted a memorial impeaching a certain prince for violating regulations.

That memorial was ultimately kept in the palace and not issued.

Zhu Zhanji said to him, "It is difficult to speak about matters concerning the imperial clan in the case of the censor."

From then on, he no longer participated in such matters concerning the emperor's family.

And now, a matter that has lasted for decades is finally about to be resolved.

Yu Qian smiled slightly and strode down the steps.

He gazed at the sky outside the palace; the autumn sun shone brightly.

The sun seems exceptionally bright today.

Sixth Academy Corridor.

Li Kan sat alone in his duty room.

Before the court assembly, he thought his procedural rebuttal was quite ingenious.

This avoided a direct conflict with the emperor and refuted the reforms proposed by members of the imperial clan.

But Zhu Qiyu's words left him speechless.

To be precise, he wasn't speechless; he was ashamed to face anyone.

Li Kan picked up his pen and began drafting his petition of apology.

He wasn't qualified to retire.

He simply pleaded guilty: "Your humble servant, Li Kan, Supervising Secretary of the Six Ministries, humbly begs for forgiveness..."

As your subject, I was in charge of rebuttals and refutations, but I was unable to rectify the situation during the late emperor's northern expedition, nor could I offer advice to stop the army's defeat at Tumu...

"My crimes reach to the heavens..."

The next day, Cheng Jing handed Zhu Qiyu a letter of apology.

Zhu Qiyu smiled slightly after reading it.

He then placed the letter of apology on the table and wrote: "Keep it in the central government."

Cheng Jing was taken aback: "Your Majesty, this memorial from Censor Li..."

Zhu Qiyu: "He is guilty, but his crime does not warrant this."

Knowing mistakes can be corrected, and doing good things is great.

By the way, has the cabinet's draft bill been submitted yet?

Cheng Jing said in a low voice, "Haven't received it yet..."

"Hmph!" Zhu Qiyu snorted coldly. "Tell them to speed things up; the draft must be completed by tomorrow!"

Xing'an bowed and replied, "As you command."

Zhu Qiyu knew the cabinet's plans; they were waiting.

When the princes and dukes find out the news, they will come to Beijing to cause trouble.

They were also waiting for Empress Dowager Sun to learn the news and summon Zhu Qiyu.

After Xing'an left, Zhu Qiyu returned to his desk.

On the table lay a draft of the Military Academy's charter.

This is the next thing he needs to do.

The reform of the nobility system applies not only to members of the imperial family but also to those with meritorious service.

To inherit a military title, one must enter the military academy to learn military affairs.

Those who are unfamiliar with military affairs will not be given their full salary.

No military merit will be awarded, and the title will not be hereditary.

Zhu Qiyu felt that this was not a punishment for Xun Gui.

On the contrary, this is their salvation.

Let them transform from playboys into generals who can truly defend the land and defend against enemies.

So that they can live up to the titles their ancestors earned with their lives.

He believed that most of the emerging elites would support his policies.

Just like those lowest-ranking lieutenants of the Fengguo Army would support him.

His reforms were not about exploiting them, but about liberating them and giving them boundless hope.