The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

"At the end of the Han Dynasty, the Three Dukes held power over the court and had the authority to appoint and dismiss officials. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the regional military governors held military power and controlled the local areas. But what about my Great Ming Dynasty?" Zhu Di's voice rose.

"The cabinet ministers have no troops or land, the six ministries each perform their duties and are all directly responsible to me, the local areas are divided among the three departments, and the border troops are under the control of the Ministry of War and require my personal approval for dispatch."

Such checks and balances have never existed in the Han and Tang dynasties.

If it is said that the inaction of later monarchs will lead to the loss of power, then it must be due to the self-degradation of their descendants, and has nothing to do with the cabinet system.

Under the current system of the Ming Dynasty, the power of decision-making and personnel appointments remains firmly in the hands of the emperor, which is completely different from the power base of the Three Dukes and the regional military governors in the Han and Tang Dynasties.

After Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the position of prime minister, the six ministries were directly responsible to the emperor. Even if the cabinet could define its powers and carry out military affairs, it was unlikely to be able to depose or install the emperor.

Zhu Di looked at Lin Yue and shook his head repeatedly.

"I see you, you are cynical and resentful all day long, you oppose everything, and you often threaten to die for your remonstrance. At first glance, you seem like a cynic who uses honesty to gain fame and buy his own way."

But your memorials have been clear, well-organized, and insightful, clearly not the work of someone without talent.

Zhu Di stared at Lin Yue, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry and scrutiny.

"What exactly do you want? Is it because you think your official rank is too low, or because you are dissatisfied with my treatment?"

"Since my ascension to the throne, though I cannot claim to be universally benevolent, I have wholeheartedly desired to make the Ming Dynasty strong. I have treated you with even greater leniency. Do you think that I and this Ming Dynasty are not worthy of your sincere loyalty, Lin Yue?"

The atmosphere inside the hall suddenly became tense, and Zhu Di's gaze was piercing.

Yao Guangxiao, standing to the side, remained silent with his eyes lowered.

Lin Yue was also somewhat conflicted. If we were to talk about the preferential treatment Zhu Di gave him, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that he was not blind.

But how difficult it is to accomplish anything in the Ming Dynasty! He considered himself an ordinary man and always wanted to die for his country as soon as possible, so that the path to success would be faster.

Lin Yue met Zhu Di's sharp gaze, hesitated for a moment, and finally bowed with hands clasped, his expression sincere and solemn.

"Your Majesty, please understand that I do not dislike your low rank, nor am I dissatisfied with Your Majesty's handling of the matter."

I am only afraid of the suffering of our country being torn apart, and deeply worried about the shame of the Southern Song Dynasty's partial peace.

Now that Your Majesty possesses great talent and ambition, and the foundation of the Ming Dynasty is newly established, all I ask is to serve the Ming Dynasty with utmost loyalty, to spare the people from the suffering of displacement, to ensure that China is no longer humiliated in the past, and to do something truly meaningful for the nation. That would be enough.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di's scrutinizing expression softened slightly, and he waved his hand, remaining noncommittal.

"He is indeed a loyal and virtuous man. Go back and rest. Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), come to Wenyuan Pavilion to be on duty."

Lin Yue remained silent for a moment, feeling that he could not find any reason to refute it, so he could only bow and accept the decree, and silently leave the Qianqing Palace.

.....

When I returned to my small house, the moon was already high in the sky.

Lin Yue sat on the creaking wooden stool, gazing out the window at the stars and moon that looked no different from six hundred years later, lost in thought.

Zhu Di's question was undeniably constructive, at least giving him a new perspective.

Dying for one's country doesn't necessarily mean constantly going around remonstrating and criticizing others.

If he could take on the risks that others wouldn't dare to touch, accomplish great things that others wouldn't even dream of, and burn himself out in a career that benefits the country and its people, he would surely die a more glorious death for the nation.

Because of his urgent need for achievements, Zhu Di was a reformist. However, reformists who go too far and significantly impact the interests of various parties are most likely to be beheaded.

Lin Yue felt that the way a radical reformer should die was most suitable for him.

As long as you don't end up like Shang Yang, facing five female horse racers dressed as cosplayers all by yourself, it's not really a bad thing.

"If we're going to do something, let's do something big."

A fierce fire ignited in Lin Yue's eyes, and he immediately ground ink, laid out paper, and began to write swiftly.

Memorial on Clarifying the Privileges of Scholars

Your Majesty, I, Lin Yue, respectfully report: At the beginning of Your Majesty's reign, you intended to rectify official corruption and replenish the national treasury. However, the old system of tax exemption and corvée exemption for scholars under the Hongwu Emperor has gradually become a major pest eroding the foundation of the Ming Dynasty!

This system does not support scholars, but rather fosters wickedness; it does not promote culture and education, but rather squanders revenue and taxes.

If we do not take immediate action to rectify the situation, the problems will accumulate over time, leading to national poverty, widespread hardship, and chaos throughout the land. The Ming Dynasty will be in imminent danger!

Your Majesty, I dare to defy the world's condemnation and offer this heartfelt petition, humbly requesting your wise judgment!

First, privilege has become a chronic disease of the country; second, fiscal revenue is wasted and the people's strength is exhausted; third, the moral character of the scholars is corrupt and the social order is in chaos; fourth, reform and innovation are needed.

In the past, Emperor Taizu Gao established a system that exempted scholars from corvée labor, originally intended to "encourage learning and cultivate talent." He allowed students to "exempt themselves from corvée labor and grant preferential exemption to two able-bodied men in their households," which was a very good intention.

However, since the system was initially established without boundaries, over the years, today's scholars are not only exempt from corvée labor, but also take advantage of the preferential treatment of land exemption to extensively acquire land. Many wealthy households in Jiangnan falsely register their land under the names of scholars to evade taxes.

During the Hongwu reign, the quota for students was limited, with forty students in prefectural schools and the number decreasing in counties and prefectures. Now, the quota has been increased without restraint. Since the Jianwen reign, the number of students has surged, and the amount of tax-exempt land has increased accordingly. These people enjoy the benefits of the land but do not pay a penny of tax. This is tantamount to cutting off the flesh of the country to fill the pit of private interests.

Even worse, some students, taking advantage of their judicial privileges of not having to kneel before officials and being exempt from torture, monopolized lawsuits, exploited the local people, and caused widespread resentment as they could not seek redress for their grievances.

Looking at his memorial, "A Memorial to Rectify the Privileges of Scholars," Lin Yue smiled with satisfaction.

It seems unlikely that Zhu Di will die if he hurls insults at him, but if he incites public anger, he could easily be killed.

Lin Yue decided to challenge the privileges of Ming Dynasty civil officials!

It is well known that the civil officials of the Ming Dynasty were an even more perverse group than those of the Song Dynasty.

To drag the emperor into a rage and berate him is too childish. A true civil official would have to chase after the emperor and set fires wherever he slept, with the main theme being that the true Son of Heaven of the Ming Dynasty is radiant with the virtue of fire.

As long as the emperor dares to touch military power, he will die young sooner or later.

The only emperor in the late Ming Dynasty who truly held military power was Emperor Chongzhen. Zhu Youjian may have lacked foresight and was quite swift in killing people, but because he disbanded the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern and Western Depots, he was essentially powerless against the officials.

In short, from an institutional perspective, the Ming emperors could renege on their promises, but it was only of minimal use.

......

The following day, a court assembly was held at Fengtian Gate, and the bell rang three times.

Hanlin Academician Xie Jin, holding a jade tablet, stepped forward to present his memorial to the eager Lin Yue.

His voice boomed: "Your Majesty! The founding emperor, Gaozu, enfeoffed various vassal states in the past to defend the borders and secure the ancestral temple. This was truly a wise strategy for all ages!"

"The remnants of the Northern Yuan have not yet been eliminated, and the Jurchens in Liaodong are stirring up trouble. The climate and customs of the north and south are different, and the traditions of the Han and non-Han peoples are distinct. If we do not enfeoff members of the imperial clan, I fear the border regions will be unstable and the people's hearts will be restless."

He looked up and said loudly, "All the princes are virtuous. If we select virtuous ones to be enfeoffed in important places such as Beiping, Datong, and Xuanfu, they can guard the northern frontier on behalf of His Majesty and resist nomadic invasions."

Secondly, having members of the imperial clan stationed in local areas allows them to control public sentiment and harmonize local customs.

Thirdly, the proper order of legitimate and illegitimate children ensures that each member of the imperial family and their respective vassal states is in their proper place, thus stabilizing the court.

Your Majesty should follow the example of Emperor Taizu and enfeoff your sons in various regions!

Xie Jin advocated for enfeoffment, which differed from Lin Yue's views.

He was a staunch supporter of Zhu Gaochi, and his main goal was to grant fiefdoms to Zhu Di's other sons.

If Zhu Di had enfeoffed other sons in border regions, the threat of a succession struggle would have been eliminated, and Zhu Gaochi's position as crown prince would have been a natural outcome.