Ming Dynasty: Charge, Emperor Yongle!

Chapter 90: Zhu Di, the Chief Architect of the Ming Dynasty and a Master of Governance!

"Fourth brother."

"You've said so much."

"It's clear you have your own ideas about the governance of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Biao stared intently at Zhu Di.

"Old man, elder brother."

"I want to know whether you want a Ming Dynasty that will be remembered for all time, or an empire that is no less powerful than the Han and Tang dynasties."

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, Zhu Di said in a deep voice.

"Naturally, their fame will last for eternity!"

Zhu Yuanzhang blurted it out without even thinking.

"Alright then."

Zhu Di solemnly said, "I will now share my thoughts."

"Um."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao straightened their posture and listened attentively.

Standing before the large map, Zhu Di declared, "To govern a country, one must first govern its administration. The Yuan Dynasty's provincial system was truly unprecedented and unparalleled."

"Our Great Ming can innovate upon the provincial system and further deepen the local government system."

"For example, Gansu Province changed its circuits and established prefectures/states, which governed Dunhuang Prefecture, Juyan Prefecture, Ningxia Prefecture, Zhangye Prefecture, Jiuquan Prefecture, Wuwei Prefecture, and Xining Prefecture."

"For example, Shaanxi Province governed Yan'an Prefecture, Qingyang Prefecture, Pingliang Prefecture, Tianshui Prefecture, Jingyang Prefecture, Xi'an Prefecture, and Longxi Prefecture."

Longnan Prefecture, Hanzhong Prefecture, and Lanzhou.

"The provincial level is directly under the jurisdiction of the prefecture, and the prefecture governs the counties. This is a three-tiered administrative system."

"The prefectures were directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, and their military and political affairs were both under the control of the imperial court, not under the jurisdiction of local provinces."

"Xining Prefecture is located in the Hehuang Valley, adjacent to the Qiangtang and Xifan areas. It has a large ethnic minority population and faces the threat of external enemies at all times. It is necessary to establish garrisons. Lanzhou is the same. This is the local garrison."

"The territory originally under the jurisdiction of the Central Secretariat of the Yuan Dynasty was divided into Hebei Province, Shandong Province, and Shanxi Province."

"Outside Yanmen Pass, on the eastern foothills of Yinshan Mountain—the section of Daqingshan Mountain—Yunzhong Prefecture was re-established and placed under the jurisdiction of Shanxi Province."

"Shanxi Province administers Yunzhong Prefecture, Datong Prefecture, Shuozhou Prefecture, Taiyuan Prefecture, Xinzhou Prefecture, Lüliang Prefecture, Linfen Prefecture, Hedong Prefecture, and Shangdang Prefecture."

"Hebei Province administers Beiping Prefecture, Luanzhou Prefecture, Baoding Prefecture, Zhengding Prefecture, Jizhou Prefecture, Jizhou Prefecture, Cangzhou Prefecture, and Hejian Prefecture."

Zhangde Prefecture.

"Shandong Province administers Dongchang Prefecture, Jinan Prefecture, Dengzhou Prefecture, Laizhou Prefecture, Qingzhou Prefecture, Dongping Prefecture, Tai'an Prefecture, Gaotang Prefecture, and Yanzhou Prefecture."

"Henan and Jiangbei provinces were split into Henan province and Jianghuai province."

"Henan Province administers Kaifeng Prefecture, Nanyang Prefecture, Luoyang Prefecture, Runan Prefecture, Xuchang Prefecture, Hongnong Prefecture, and Guide Prefecture."

"The Jianghuai Province administers Xuzhou Prefecture, Suzhou Prefecture, Fengyang Prefecture, Huaian Prefecture, Yangzhou Prefecture, Anqing Prefecture, Luzhou Prefecture, Chuzhou Prefecture, and Hezhou Prefecture."

"The Jiangzhe Province was split into the Jiangdong Province and the Fujian Province."

"Jiangdong Province administers Chizhou Prefecture, Suzhou Prefecture, Zhenjiang Prefecture, Changzhou Prefecture, Songjiang Prefecture, Taiping Prefecture, Ningguo Prefecture, Huizhou Prefecture, Huzhou Prefecture, Jiaxing Prefecture, Hangzhou Prefecture, Shaoxing Prefecture, Ningbo Prefecture, Quzhou Prefecture, Jinhua Prefecture, Chuzhou Prefecture, and Wenzhou Prefecture."

"Fujian Province administers Shaowu Prefecture, Jianning Prefecture, Ningde Prefecture, Fuzhou Prefecture, Nanping Prefecture, Tingzhou Prefecture, Zhangzhou Prefecture, Quanzhou Prefecture, and Xinghua Prefecture."

"Jiangxi Province and Huguang Province were reorganized into Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Province, Jiangxi Province, and Guizhou Province."

"Hubei Province administers Yunyang Prefecture, Xiangyang Prefecture, Suizhou Prefecture, Huangzhou Prefecture, Wuchang Prefecture, Enshi Prefecture, Jingzhou Prefecture, and Hanyang Prefecture."

"Hunan Province administers Changde Prefecture, Yueyang Prefecture, Huaihua Prefecture, Changsha Prefecture, Hengyang Prefecture, Chenzhou, Yongzhou, and Xiangxi Prefecture."

"Guangdong Province administers Qiongzhou, Shaoguan Prefecture, Nanxiong Prefecture, Lianzhou, Huizhou Prefecture, Chaozhou, Guangzhou Prefecture, Zhaoqing Prefecture, Gaozhou Prefecture, and Leizhou."

"Guangxi Province administers Lianzhou Prefecture, Qinzhou Prefecture, Nanning Prefecture, Guilin Prefecture, Liuzhou, Wuzhou, Baise Prefecture, Yongzhou, and Yulin Prefecture."

"Jiangxi Province administers Nanchang Prefecture, Jiujiang Prefecture, Nankang Prefecture, Raozhou Prefecture, Fuzhou Prefecture, Yuanzhou Prefecture, Ji'an Prefecture, Ganzhou Prefecture, and Yichun Prefecture."

"Guizhou Province administers Guiyang Prefecture, Zunyi Prefecture, Bijie Prefecture, Duyun Prefecture, Bozhou, Tongren Prefecture, Chishui Prefecture, Anshun Prefecture, Zhenyuan Prefecture, and Sizhou."

"As for Yunnan and Liaodong, provinces and directly governed prefectures will be established after they are recovered."

Sixteen provinces and twenty-five directly governed prefectures.

Zhu Yuanzhang made a rough estimate and had some plans in mind.

"Fourth brother."

Zhu Biao blurted out: "Just by establishing twenty-five directly governed prefectures and 25 garrisons, there are only 14 soldiers. How can we guarantee the stability of so many provinces across the country?"

"Big brother."

Zhu Di rolled his eyes and explained, "These directly governed prefectures were established to defend the borders, for ethnic groups such as the Qiangtang, Xifan, and Shengmiao."

"How many soldiers would you need to recruit to maintain local stability?"

"The Song Dynasty established patrol offices to apprehend smugglers, quell local unrest, maintain local security, train soldiers, and patrol the prefectures and cities. They were under the control of the local county magistrate. We only need to set up patrol offices in towns, cities, and strategic passes to ensure local stability."

"During the Qin and Han dynasties, each prefecture had a Commandant, and each county had a Commandant, who were responsible for commanding the troops of the prefecture/county and dealing with potential threats."

"brush!!!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up, and he said, "You mean that the directly governed prefectures are under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court, where the guards are trained and patrols are set up in key locations, forming a complete military system that controls the local area."

"The old man really knows his stuff."

Zhu Di picked up the thread and said, "The patrol offices are only suitable for setting up in the countryside. The counties and prefectures can recruit some soldiers to serve as the army for maintaining stability."

"Following the example of the Qin and Han dynasties, we established a garrison of 1,000 soldiers, a county garrison of 300 soldiers, and a patrol office with 20 soldiers under its jurisdiction."

""

"The Provincial Secretariat was renamed the Governor's Office, and the Commander's Office of the Capital Garrison was renamed the Assistant Commander's Office."

, 7

"The following offices were added: the Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office, the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office, and the Provincial Education Commissioner's Office."

"9

"The governor is in charge of the province's administration, the vice-general is in charge of the province's military, the provincial judicial commissioner is in charge of the province's criminal cases, the provincial judicial commissioner is in charge of impeaching the province's officials, the provincial administration commissioner is in charge of the province's taxes, and the provincial education commissioner is in charge of the province's education administration."

"The governor, prefect, county magistrate, and county assistant were all appointed by the Ministry of Personnel, while the brigade commander, prefectural commandant, county commandant, and patrol inspector were directly under the Ministry of War."

"The provincial judicial commissioner, assistant commissioner, and clerk are appointed by the Ministry of Justice, while the provincial judicial commissioner, vice prefect, and inspector are appointed by the Censorate."

"The name 'Censorate' doesn't sound quite right. I think it would be better to change it to 'Central Censorate' instead."

"The Provincial Administration Commissioner, Assistant Prefect, and Registrar were appointed by the Ministry of Revenue, while the Provincial Education Commissioner, Academic Director, and Instructor were appointed by the Ministry of Rites."

"The positions of Grand Supervisor, Junior Supervisor, and Chief Supervisor will be arranged by the Ministry of Works."

The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Revenue.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao exchanged a glance, both deeply shocked.

The new system proposed by Zhu Di cleverly combined the official positions of previous dynasties, innovated and perfectly integrated the six ministries of the central government, the Censorate, and local governments, forming a unified ladder-shaped system.

This means that the Secretariat could be completely abolished, and the six ministers and the left and right censors would be directly responsible to the emperor, rendering the prime minister, who had served for over a thousand years, useless.

"The military was divided into the Imperial Guard, the Capital Army, and the Border Army."

"The Imperial Guards are responsible for guarding the palace and are directly under the emperor's command."

"The capital army is an elite force directly under the command of the Grand General's Office, and can be dispatched at any time."

"Border troops are responsible for guarding the frontier, such as the Ten Guards of the Northern Desert, the Ten Guards of the Northern Court, and the Ten Guards of the Southern Desert."

"For example, the governor and the military commander are both of the second rank, the border army's Grand Protector is of the second rank, and the capital army's Grand Commander is of the first rank. Under them are the five military commanders, who are of the second rank. The positions of Assistant Commander-in-Chief, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, and Vice Commander-in-Chief are abolished."

"In the army, five men form a squad, headed by a squad leader; ten men form a platoon, headed by a platoon leader; and fifty men form a battalion, headed by a battalion leader."

"Two hundred and fifty men form a capital, with a capital chief; five hundred men form a district, with a military commander; two thousand five hundred men form a colonel, with a colonel."

"A brigade of five thousand men is headed by a general; a division of twenty-five thousand men is headed by a lieutenant general; and an army of fifty thousand men is headed by a general with a title."

"The squad leader is a ninth-rank official, the platoon leader is a ninth-rank official, the garrison leader is an eighth-rank official, the captain is a seventh-rank official, the military officer is a sixth-rank official, the colonel is a fifth-rank official, the guard general is a fourth-rank official, the lieutenant general is a third-rank official, and the general with the title of general is a second-rank official."

"The size of the Beijing army should be maintained at 500,000."

"In times of war, the governor-general would lead two generals with titles and 100,000 troops into battle, or a general with a title would lead the troops alone."

Zhu Di explained in one go the organizational structure he had prepared for the Ming army, a system completely different from the garrison system.

This created a balanced situation where the Imperial Guards, Border Troops, Capital Troops, and Local Troops were interconnected but not subordinate to each other.

"The soldiers of the patrol and inspection offices were paid for by the local townships, the county soldiers were managed by the county government, and the prefectural soldiers were managed by the prefectural government."

"The imperial court released local military power, which was then uniformly allocated by the Ministry of War."

"The power of the border troops is entirely in the hands of the Grand Protector-General. The imperial court only needs to be responsible for the expenditures of the border troops, the capital troops, and the imperial guards."

Zhu Yuanzhang murmured.

In this way, the imperial court would only need to support 7 to 80 troops.

"call!!!"

Zhu Biao let out a long breath and looked at Zhu Di with a complicated expression.

Only now did he realize the talent of Prince Yan, Zhu Di, who could easily come up with strategies that could shake the world, and who was proficient in both military and political affairs. It was truly unbelievable.

"Old man."

"Nothing else, I'll be going now."

Before Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao could react, Zhu Di's figure had already disappeared outside the palace.

"That little brat."

As Zhu Yuanzhang watched his departing figure, he couldn't help but curse.

"father."

"The fourth brother's suggestion..."

Zhu Biao frowned and asked Zhu Yuanzhang for his opinion.

"That's a good idea."

"However, it can't be used yet."

With a deep gaze, Zhu Yuanzhang said inexplicably, "I still need to have the fourth prince start a fire."

"6

"Father means..."

Zhu Biao guessed Zhu Yuanzhang's plan, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Once the provinces were linked with the Six Ministries, the Secretariat became a mere shell, and the ministers of the Six Ministries became the real power holders.

"First, change the Censorate to the Grand Censorate and establish the Left and Right Grand Censors."

"Then, provincial inspectors were established in local areas to build a system for supervising local officials."

"You should go to Master Liu's residence in person. Without Liu Bowen, this matter probably cannot be accomplished."

"The Left Censor-in-Chief was promoted to the second rank, and the Right Censor-in-Chief to the second rank. Liu Bowen was appointed as the Left Censor-in-Chief."

"Wang Guangyang should find an opportunity to demote him to a governorship, so that Hu Weiyong can have a position made more convenient."

"I want to see if Hu Weiyong, now that he has become the Right Chancellor, can still be of one mind with Mr. Li and continue to advocate for Huaixi."

Zhu Yuanzhang gazed at the sunset outside the palace and said meaningfully.

"Yes, son, I'll take care of it right away."

Zhu Biao left the Qianqing Palace with a heavy heart.

Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to pit the scholars of eastern Zhejiang against the Huaihe River faction once again, and to hand over the Censorate to the scholars of eastern Zhejiang.

Hu Weiyong's rise to power was not a happy event, but a bad one. Zhu Yuanzhang deliberately gave Hu Weiyong the opportunity to allow the Huaixi forces to expand further under his control and no longer be constrained by Li Shanchang's conservatism.

Once the power of Huaixi expands to an uncontrollable level, that will be the time for Zhu Yuanzhang to wield the butcher's knife.

As evening approached, the sky was ablaze with brilliant red clouds.

Zhu Di had not yet established his own government, so he had to return to the main hall. His mind sank into his brain again. He had almost digested the previous counterpart, and this time he had to choose a new counterpart.

"Pop!!!"

When he extended his finger toward one of the isotopes, the isotope turned to ashes and vanished, and a torrent of memories flooded Zhu Di's mind.

"uh-huh?"

Zhu Di let out a muffled groan, his face showing a hint of ferocity.

This counterpart is very special; it is a spy with skills in intelligence gathering and assassination.

"Fourth Brother! Fourth Brother!"

Just then, a childish voice came from outside, and little Zhu Bai appeared in front of Zhu Di, hopping and skipping.

"Why are you here?"

Zhu Di forced a smile onto his face.

"Fourth brother, you can't forget your brother now that you have a wife."

"If I hadn't covered for you last time, how could you have joined the army so smoothly and made such a great contribution in the northern desert?"

"You promised to take me out to play, you can't go back on your word."

Little Zhu Bai pouted, staring at Zhu Di with a resentful expression.

"I can forget anything, but I can never forget you."

Zhu Di affectionately patted little Zhu Bai's head.

Among his many brothers, only Xiao Zhu Bai followed him around since childhood, and he had a special feeling for this younger brother.

Moreover, the thought of Zhu Bai being forced to commit suicide by burning himself filled him with rage, and he vowed never to let Zhu Bai repeat the same mistake in this life.

"Yay!"

"Fourth Brother, let's go play."

Overjoyed, Zhu Bai took Zhu Di's hand and walked outside.

"good.

"

Zhu Di gave him a fond look and then left the bedchamber together.