King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

Zhu Biao's face changed slightly, and he coughed lightly, trying to smooth things over for Zhu Tan.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yuanzhang was not angry, but burst into laughter.

He pointed at Zhu Tan and scolded him with a smile: "You rebellious son! How dare you make up stories about me in front of your elder brother! It seems that if I don't teach you a lesson today, you will not know your own limitations!"

After saying that, Zhu Yuanzhang grabbed a scroll on the table and pretended to hit Zhu Tan.

Zhu Tan was well prepared. When he saw Zhu Yuanzhang taking action, he quickly hid behind Zhu Biao and said with a playful smile:

"Brother, help me! Father is going to beat me again!"

Zhu Biao protected Zhu Tan behind him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and advised Zhu Yuanzhang:
"Father, please calm down. I just spoke hastily and I mean no harm. Please calm down and don't get yourself hurt by it."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the scene in front of him, and most of the anger in his heart had already dissipated, leaving only a bit of helplessness.

He put away the scroll, glared at Zhu Tan unhappily, and said:

"How dare you pretend to be stupid here? I ask you, how should the royal family's salary be distributed reasonably?"

Zhu Tan knew that his father had dug a hole for him, waiting for him to jump in!
His eyes rolled, a plan came to his mind, and he pretended to be embarrassed and said:
"Father, there are so many children in this royal family, and the situation is complicated. It is not easy to formulate a fair and reasonable salary distribution system!"

"Humph! Stop playing tricks on me!"

Zhu Yuanzhang saw through his thoughts at a glance and snorted coldly, "I'm going to make this clear today. If you can't come up with a good solution, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Zhu Tan cursed in his heart, but his face was full of smiles, and he said:

"Father, please calm down. I do have an idea, but I don't know whether I should tell you or not."

"Say!"

"Father, I think that instead of distributing the royal family's salary based on the number of people, it would be better to..."

Zhu Tan paused deliberately, observing Zhu Yuanzhang's expression, and seeing that he had no intention of stopping him, he continued;

"How about distribution according to work?"

When Zhu Tan said the words "distribution according to work", he deliberately observed Zhu Yuanzhang's expression.

Old Zhu first frowned, then fell into deep thought, obviously he had never heard of this new statement.

Zhu Biao spoke first, and he asked gently:

"Tenth brother, what exactly does this distribution according to work mean? Explain it to father and elder brother."

Zhu Tan cleared his throat, put on a scholarly look, and spoke eloquently:
"The so-called distribution according to work means that the amount of salary is determined according to the merit and contribution of each royal family member."

"Those who contribute more to the court and work for the welfare of the people should naturally receive more salary; those who do nothing all day and only know how to eat, drink and have fun should receive less, or even nothing!"

After listening to this, Zhu Biao frowned slightly and said with a worried look:
"Tenth brother, although your method seems fair, isn't it too harsh? After all, those royal family members are also the blood relatives of our father."

Zhu Tan laughed secretly in his heart, this eldest brother the prince was too merciful, to deal with those parasites, drastic measures should be used!
He said seriously:

"Brother, this is wrong! Father always said that if a prince breaks the law, he is guilty of the same crime as a commoner! Our Ming Dynasty governs the world with filial piety, and we should set an example! If we allow them to reap the fruits of their labor without any effort, in the long run, won't they raise more playboys and ruin our Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Tan's words touched Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.

Old Zhu was born in poverty and what he hated most were people who got something for nothing.

He had always been worried that these royal relatives would abuse their status to abuse their power and ruin the ancestral foundation, which was why he was so troubled by the issue of the royal family's salaries.

Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang's expression had eased a little, Zhu Tan struck while the iron was hot and continued:
"Father, think about it. If we implement distribution according to work, those capable royal family members will naturally work hard to serve the court in order to get more salary."

"And those who don't strive for progress will be touched when they see others living a good life through merit, and they will work hard to improve themselves."

"In this way, wouldn't it be killing two birds with one stone, solving the salary problem and motivating the royal family members?"

In order to enhance his persuasiveness, Zhu Tan cited historical examples:

"Father, do you still remember Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang? In order to consolidate his rule, he conferred titles on many princes of the same surname."

"However, after these vassal states became powerful, they began to raise their own troops and become independent, which eventually led to the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the policy of extending favors was implemented to weaken the power of the vassal states, which enabled the Han Dynasty to continue."

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent.

He knew that what Zhu Tan said made sense, but he was still a little hesitant.

He looked at Zhu Biao and asked:

"Biao'er, what do you think?"

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and said:
"Father, I think what my tenth brother said makes sense. However, how to implement this distribution according to work requires careful consideration and the formulation of a complete system."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, looked at Zhu Tan, and asked:
"Old Ten, since you proposed this idea, do you have any specific rules?"

Zhu Tan had already made up his mind. He stepped forward and spoke eloquently:

"Father, I think we can set up a special agency to assess the achievements of the royal family's children. At the end of each year, we will assess their grades based on their performance, and then distribute salaries according to their grades..."

Zhu Tan talked incessantly for a full half hour, from the organizational structure to the assessment standards.

From salary levels to reward and punishment measures.

Everything, no matter how big or small, is arranged clearly.

His plan not only referred to some advantages of the civil service system in later generations, but also combined the actual situation of the Ming Dynasty.

It can be said that everything is comprehensive and flawless.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao nodded repeatedly after listening to this. The father and son occasionally whispered to each other and discussed in a low voice, with looks of approval on their faces.

"…Father, I believe that the key to this system is fairness, justice, openness and transparency. Only when all the royal family members are convinced can their enthusiasm be truly stimulated to serve the court!"

Zhu Tan concluded, secretly glancing at Zhu Yuanzhang. Seeing that his face was rosy and he was obviously very satisfied, he couldn't help feeling very proud.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhu Yuanzhang clapped his hands and laughed, saying "good" three times in a row, which shows how satisfied he was with Zhu Tan's proposal.

"Old Ten, Old Ten, you are really a worm in my stomach! This system of distribution according to work is tailor-made for our Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang paced back and forth in the hall excitedly, as if he saw a more powerful Ming Dynasty rising.

Zhu Biao also looked at Zhu Tan with satisfaction, his eyes full of admiration.

"Tenth brother, you are truly the emperor's beloved son! You have accomplished a great deed this time!"

Zhu Tan chuckled, scratched his head, and said modestly:

"Thank you for your compliment, bro. I am just trying my best to help you."

After saying that, he turned his eyes and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with a flattering smile on his face.

"Father, look, I have solved a big problem for you this time! Shouldn't you..."

He deliberately dragged out his voice, and while speaking he made a "counting money" gesture with his hands.

The smile on Zhu Yuanzhang's face faded, and a barely perceptible cold light flashed in the depths of his eyes. He said in a deep voice:
"Old Ten, you have made such a great contribution. If you want any reward, just ask. I will agree to it! But..." He paused, stared at Zhu Tan with a sharp gaze, and said word by word:

"Although this is a great achievement, you must know that this country is not your own achievement! You must always remember that you are the prince of the Ming Dynasty, and your roots will always be in this palace!"

Zhu Tan's heart trembled, knowing that Zhu Yuanzhang was warning him, telling him not to think that he didn't know his last name just because he had made a few contributions.

"Father, your Majesty has taught me, and I will keep it in mind! Everything I do is for the stability of the Ming Dynasty and for you, Father, to rest assured! I have no second thoughts!"

His words were so eloquent and moving, and his simple and honest appearance immediately dispelled the last trace of doubt in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.

"Get up," Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, smiling again, "Don't try to play tricks on me, kid! Tell me, what reward do you want?"

Zhu Tan stood up, rolled his eyes, and said with a chuckle:

"Father, you know that I am not interested in gold, silver, jewelry, or silk..."

"Then what do you want? Don't tell me you want the stars in the sky!"

Zhu Yuanzhang blew his beard and glared, this kid has a big appetite.

Zhu Tan's eyes rolled around, and he moved closer to Zhu Yuanzhang, lowering his voice and pretending to be mysterious:

"Father, please don't say that I came up with this system."

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned.

Don’t you want the credit?
This is not this kid's style.

He narrowed his eyes.

"What are you up to, kid? Tell me! I want to see what you have up your sleeve!"

Zhu Tan chuckled, scratched his head, and said in a low voice:
"Father, think about it, once this system of distribution according to work is implemented, won't my brothers and sisters hate me to death?"

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he immediately understood Zhu Tan’s little thoughts and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

This kid is so cunning and is afraid of getting himself into trouble.

"You sly fellow! Don't I know you? You are the only one who has many tricks up your sleeve! Okay, I'll listen to you. Let's not make this public for now and talk about it later."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Zhu Tan smiled happily when he saw that Zhu Yuanzhang agreed to his request.

His eyes rolled and he had a new idea.

"Father, since you have promised not to make it public, I have a request..."

Zhu Tan rubbed his hands, looking fawning.

"Come on, come on, you kid, you never stop talking all day long!"

Zhu Yuanzhang rolled his eyes at him unhappily. This kid was full of evil ideas.

"Father, you know that I am not interested in gold, silver, jewelry, or silk. I just like to tinker with strange things..."

When Zhu Tan said this, he deliberately paused and observed Zhu Yuanzhang's expression.

"What do you want to do now, kid? Just tell me!"

"Father, I want to build a laboratory in Yingtian Prefecture to research new things!"

Zhu Tan finally stated his purpose.

"Laboratory? What is that?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked confused, obviously he had never heard of this word.

"It's...it's..." Zhu Tan was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to explain.

He couldn't say that a laboratory is a place for conducting experiments and studying science? In those days, the word science had not yet been coined!
"Yes, it's just a big house! There are all kinds of tools in it, which can be used to do... do..."

Zhu Tan was so anxious that he scratched his head, but he couldn't find the right words to describe it.

"Carpentry? Blacksmith? Tailor?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was left in tears and amused by his description. Why did this kid speak so incoherently?
"No, no!"

Zhu Tan waved his hands repeatedly, and suddenly an idea came to him, "Father, do you still remember those rare things I presented to you before? The telescope, the telescope, and..."

"You mean, you want to build a place to study those strange and wonderful things?"

Zhu Yuanzhang finally understood what he meant.

"Yes, yes, yes! That's what I mean!" Zhu Tan nodded repeatedly, his face full of anticipation.

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment. Although this kid was not very serious on weekdays, it must be said that the things he made were indeed useful.

For example, the telescope is very convenient for observing the enemy situation.

"Well, I'll do as you say. I'll give you a piece of land and some money so you can build a laboratory. But don't just play around. You have to be able to come up with something useful!"

Zhu Yuanzhang finally agreed to his request.

"Your Majesty is wise! I will definitely live up to your expectations!"

After getting Zhu Yuanzhang's approval, Zhu Tan could no longer sit still. He rushed out of the imperial study and went straight to the Ministry of Revenue.

Along the way, his mind was full of the grand blueprint of the laboratory.

This is a new thing, it must be built in a grand manner!
We need tall buildings! We need spacious rooms! We also need all kinds of strange tools!

It would be better to get a few Western music boxes and play some music when you have nothing to do. This will create the atmosphere for doing research!
The Minister of Revenue, Liu Sanwu, was buried in a pile of account books when he suddenly heard a hurried sound of footsteps approaching from afar, accompanied by the eunuchs' shrill voices of "Good luck to Prince Lu."

He thought to himself, oh no, why is this ancestor here?

"Master Liu! Master Liu! Where is my money? Bring it to me quickly!"

Zhu Tan arrived before he did. He stepped into the lobby of the Ministry of Revenue and almost kicked the threshold off.

Liu Sanwu came forward with a bitter face and bowed, saying:

"I didn't know that the prince had arrived. I'm sorry for not welcoming you. I don't know why the prince came today?"

"Stop talking nonsense! I want to build a laboratory and I need 50,000 taels of silver!"

Zhu Tan sat down on the chair, crossed his legs, and looked like a big boss.

"Five... fifty thousand taels?!"

Liu Sanwu’s eyes almost popped out of his head. What was this prodigal boy up to next?

"Your Highness, this... this fifty thousand taels is not a small sum! Although the treasury is full, it must be used where it matters most! What on earth is this laboratory? How come I have never heard of it before?"

Liu Sanwu wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked carefully. (End of this chapter)