The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

However, the "Imperial Edict" was written by Zhu Yuanzhang himself, and was officially promulgated on the first day of the tenth month (the first day of the month of Yiwei) taking advantage of the anti-corruption campaign following the grain theft case!

On the same day, the order was issued to the Six Ministries, the Censorate, the Five Military Commissions, the Imperial Academy, and other central government departments, instructing all civil and military officials to memorize it.

Even the princes and grandsons of the emperor who studied at the Imperial Academy were not exempt from this custom.

Afterwards, the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Academy were tasked with printing the official version and posting notices to promote and popularize it, first in the Yingtian Prefecture area.

Zhu Xiong Ying paused for a moment.

But then they heard someone continue, "For the past six months or so, officials in the court have embezzled our autumn grain. His Majesty executed tens of thousands of people to avenge us common people!"

"And this 'Great Proclamation' is what His Majesty has given us to back us up; we must all memorize it!"

"It doesn't matter if you can't read. Every day at this time, the village's old teacher will personally teach you..."

After watching for a while, and waiting for the crowd to disperse.

Seeing that her cousin was too fat and had some difficulty walking, Zhu Xiong Ying took the initiative to support his arm, slowed down her pace, and walked back.

On the way, Zhu Gaochi raised his head, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "Elder brother, this 'Great Proclamation,' must be the law that our teacher taught us in the Great Hall these past few days?"

Zhu Xiong Ying's heart stirred, and he nodded, saying, "That's right, just as the gentlemen said. Fourth Brother, you listened too. What do you think of the decree issued by Grandfather?"

Zhu Gaochi remained silent for a moment, then said respectfully and solemnly, "My grandfather's actions have their own profound meaning, and I dare not presume to comment!"

Zhu Xiong Ying turned her head and glanced at it.

His younger brother is truly kind and cautious.

Even when speaking, they are so careful.

In his heart, however, he was actually trying to test his brother's views.

"This isn't the palace; we're just strolling through the fields, casually discussing matters!"

"Besides, my grandfather often said that we should listen to the opinions of the common people, let alone the opinions of our own brothers."

Zhu Gaochi frowned slightly and followed up, saying, "I am young and my knowledge is far less than that of my elder brother, so I will venture to offer a few humble opinions!"

"In my opinion, the core of the Imperial Edict issued by my grandfather lies in two points: first, to punish officials for corruption; and second, to ensure that the people understand the law!"

"When I was in Beiping, I often heard my father talk about how my grandfather hated officials and clerks the most, who deceived their superiors and exploited the people."

"In the city and countryside, many people don't know what the law is. Whatever the officials say goes. If they suffer injustice for no reason, they can't even find a way to file a complaint."

"Now things are much better. The Great Proclamation has been sent down to the countryside, with people going door-to-door to explain it. It clearly outlines and explains all acts of corruption, bribery, and harming the people for personal gain, and what punishments will be imposed. The people have a clear understanding of these punishments!"

"Therefore, what the Emperor did put shackles on officials and protected the common people, which shows his painstaking efforts to bring peace and well-being to the people!"

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded upon hearing this.

No one knew Old Zhu's true intentions better than him.

Tough times require harsh measures.

This is the only way to strengthen public security and stability, but it is by no means an unchanging ancestral method.

"Fourth brother has hit the nail on the head. The Emperor hates nothing more than those below him deceiving him. If the message from above cannot reach the bottom, and the message from below cannot reach the top, then our Great Ming Dynasty will be in trouble!"

Furthermore, the use of case law within the "Great Proclamation" was intended to make it easier for the people to understand and apply in practice.

Zhu Xiong Ying paused, looked at her frowning cousin, and asked, "Fourth brother, do you still feel there's something wrong?"

Zhu Gaochi hesitated and said, "Elder brother, you are wise. Our grandfather's trip was to clean up the bureaucracy and bring peace to the people; this was out of benevolence!"

"However, within the Great Hall, I observed that many of the punishments described by the Master exceeded the provisions of the Great Ming Code."

"I worry that if this goes on for too long, extrajudicial punishment will become the norm, and some unscrupulous officials will use the Emperor's name to arbitrarily inflict torture, ultimately harming the people!"

Severe laws inspire fear in the people, but excessive rigidity can lead to breakage.

In governing the world, one should combine leniency with severity.

In fact, this is also Biao's father's philosophy!

My cousin is so young, yet he has the word "benevolence" etched into his very bones, and he has such a broad vision and insight. He is worthy of the temple name of Emperor Renzong!

My brother truly possesses the qualities of a sage king like Yao and Shun!

They can be my right-hand men in the future!

But in reality, many things are not as simple as they seem.

I need to teach my cousin a lesson so he can be more understanding of Lao Zhu!

Zhu Xiong's tone changed, and he said, "Fourth brother is right!"

"However, in the eighteen years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the accumulated problems of the former Yuan Dynasty have not yet been resolved, and the cases of blank seals and grain theft have occurred one after another. The corrupt thoughts of the court officials are like the weeds under our feet, burning one crop only to have another grow back!"

"Grandfather is afraid that if we don't take drastic measures, we won't be able to suppress those with ulterior motives. After all, our Zhu family has suffered greatly at the hands of officials!"

"The ultimate goal is to ensure that the people know the law, rather than fear it, and that officials abide by the law, rather than use it to cause trouble. But striking the right balance is the most difficult part!"

"But with Grandfather the Emperor around, the people below can't cause any trouble!!"

Zhu Gaochi suddenly realized his mistake and quickly said, "Elder brother's words are absolutely right, I have learned a lot!"

……

in the afternoon.

The Hall of Literary Glory, East Warm Pavilion.

Upon returning to the palace, Zhu Xiong Ying noticed that his cousin Zhu Gao Chi was somewhat tired, so he arranged for palace servants to escort him back to his bedroom to rest.

He didn't rush back to Kunning Palace, but instead went to Zhu's office.

He tiptoed in and saw Old Zhu with a furrowed brow, flipping through a memorial to the throne.

Seeing this, Zhu Xiong Ying did not disturb him. Instead, he took over the eunuch's task, poured a cup of tea for his grandfather, and waited quietly to the side.

A moment later, Zhu Yuanzhang placed the report beside him, rubbed his temples, looked up, and smiled, "Our grandson is back. How's the construction of your university going?"

Zhu Xiong Ying reported them one by one.

He then recounted everything he had seen in the countryside.

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his beard and said, "These people know how to get things done! They haven't disappointed us!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying stood on tiptoe, peeked at the memorials on the imperial desk, and asked curiously, "Grandfather, I see you have something on your mind. Could it be that something has happened in court again?"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at the military reports from his subordinates, his brow gradually relaxing. He said casually, "This is military intelligence from the southwest!"

"A few months ago, that scoundrel Silunfa, the Pacification Commissioner of Pingmian, led the Baiyi tribes to attack and capture Weiyuan Prefecture. The Weiyuan chieftain Daosuandang surrendered to Luchuan..."

"What's happening here is nothing more than infighting among barbarians from beyond the borders! Especially the chieftains of the southwest, who have always been ambitious and fickle, raiding villages one day and seizing territory the next—it's commonplace for them!"

"This Silunfa, for example, surrendered to our Great Ming Dynasty three years ago after your Uncle Mu and your great-uncle pacified Yunnan!"

"They've been quite restless for the past year, turning around and swallowing up a few minor chieftains. Meanwhile, we have plenty of manpower left in the southwest, so these few grasshoppers will never amount to anything! No need to worry about them too much!"

Seeing Old Zhu's confident demeanor.

Zhu Xiong Ying's heart skipped a beat, and she felt that something was seriously wrong.

He had some recollection of the chaos caused by Yu Silun.

It seems that in December of this year, this Pacification Commissioner of Pingmian, who was bestowed the title by the Ming Dynasty, raided Jingdong and other places. The Ming army hastily engaged in battle and suffered heavy losses!