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

Just as Zhu Yuanzhang was about to announce his retirement, an official in a scarlet robe suddenly stepped out and said loudly:

"Your Highness, I am the Censor Chen Ning, and I have something to report!"

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly, his eyes fell on Chen Ning, and asked in a deep voice:
"What do you want to report, Mr. Chen? Tell me quickly!"

Chen Ning took a deep breath, raised the memorial in his hand, and said loudly:
"I want to impeach Zhu Tan, the Prince of Lu. He is a licentious and immoral man who disregards etiquette and law and actually lets..."

At this point, he paused deliberately, his eyes swept across the people in the hall, and finally landed on Zhu Yuanzhang's face, and said word by word:

"How dare you allow untouchables to enter the laboratory and do something that goes against the will of heaven!"

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the palace.

Civil and military officials were whispering to each other, looking at Chen Ning with shock and confusion in their eyes.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was gloomy. He slapped the armrest of the dragon throne and shouted angrily:
"How dare you! Prince Lu is my son, of noble status, how can you slander me like this?!"

Chen Ning was neither humble nor arrogant. Facing Zhu Yuanzhang's angry gaze, he said loudly:

"Your Majesty, calm down! Everything I said is true, and I dare not say a single word falsely! The King of Lu has disregarded the ancestral laws and rules, and treated the people of the world as worthless. If he is not severely punished, it will shake the foundation of the country and cause endless harm!"

Zhu Yuanzhang ignored Chen Ning's shouting. His battlefield-experienced eyes, as sharp as an eagle's, stared straight at Zhu Tan and asked in a deep voice:
"Old Ten, what do you want to say?"

Zhu Tan looked calm, as if he had not heard the whispers in the hall or Chen Ning's accusations. He simply uttered four words:
"I have nothing to say."

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense, and many officials were worried about Zhu Tan.

The Prince of Lu is well-known for doing whatever he wants and not taking the rules seriously. Today, he dared to be so arrogant in the Golden Palace. Isn't he afraid of angering the emperor?
Seeing Zhu Tan's stubborn look, Chen Ning sneered in his heart, and became more certain that he had something on him.

He stepped forward, held up the memorial, and said loudly:

"Your Majesty, I have evidence! This man is called Lu San. He was originally a beggar outside Jinling City. He was of low status and did not even have a household registration! King Lu disregarded etiquette and allowed such a lowly person to enter the royal laboratory. This is simply absurd!"

"Oh? Evidence? Bring it up!" Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows and signaled the eunuch beside him to present the memorial in Chen Ning's hand.

Chen Ning glanced at Zhu Tan triumphantly, and then ordered someone to bring Lu San up.

Lu San knelt timidly in the center of the Golden Throne Hall. The coarse cloth clothes he was wearing, which were washed so much that they turned white, did not fit in with the magnificent hall.

At this moment, he was like a rabbit being stared at by an eagle, lowering his head in fear and not daring to look around.

Chen Ning pointed at Lu San and accused him with spit flying:
"Your Majesty, please look at this man. He is dressed in rags and has unkempt hair. You can tell at a glance that he is a street rogue! If you let him enter the Royal Laboratory, wouldn't that be a desecration of this sacred place?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, since ancient times, the Royal Laboratory has been a place for training capable officials and skilled craftsmen for our Ming Dynasty. How can we allow such a lowly person to set foot here?"

"Prince Lu's actions are truly against the ancestral system. Your Majesty, please take a closer look!"

For a moment, voices echoing Chen Ning rose one after another, as if Lu San was some kind of monster that everyone wanted to avoid.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face became even gloomier. He came from a poor family and knew the suffering of the people well, so he paid special attention to the lives of the people.

But deep down, he still bears the imprint of that era of strict hierarchy.

Good people are the important people to him.

In his eyes, the lowly class are like weeds on the roadside, which can be treated with rain and dew but cannot enter the house.

Which of these old ministers is not a shrewd man?

They knew Zhu Yuanzhang's thoughts very well, so they insisted on seizing Lu San's identity and elevated a trivial matter to the level of shaking the foundation of the country.

Zhu Tan saw all this and a sneer appeared on his lips.

He had long expected that his every move would be magnified infinitely, let alone something as "heretical" as bringing a beggar into the royal laboratory.

"Father,"

Zhu Tan finally spoke. His voice was calm and powerful, and he did not seem flustered at all by the accusations of the crowd.

"I don't understand. Although Lu San was born in a humble family, he was also born and raised by his parents. Why can't he set foot in the Royal Laboratory?"

"How dare you!" Chen Ning shouted, "What kind of place is the Royal Laboratory? How can such a lowly person set foot there?!"

"Untouchable?"

Zhu Tan sneered, his eyes swept across everyone in the hall, finally falling on Chen Ning.

"Master Chen, you keep saying that Lu San is a pariah. Then may I ask, at the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, how many of those soldiers who fought bloody battles on the battlefield and those who worked hard in the fields were of noble birth?"

"This……"

Chen Ning was speechless for a moment.

Zhu Tan ignored him and continued:

"When my father started his army, there were many peddlers and butchers around him. Were they also low-class people? Without them, would the Ming Dynasty still be able to rule over this vast land?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression eased a little. When he was down and out, he did receive a lot of help from people of humble origins. Without them, he would not have been able to sit on the throne.

"Father."

Zhu Tan strikes while the iron is hot:

"I believe that talent is equal, and birth cannot determine everything. Although Lu San was born in a humble family, he has a great talent and passion for scientific research. I let him enter the Royal Laboratory to give him a chance to use his talents and serve the Ming Dynasty!"

"absurd!"

Chen Ning jumped out again:

"What does a beggar know about scientific research? Your Majesty, please don't be fooled by his sweet words!"

"shut up!"

Zhu Yuanzhang shouted angrily, and Chen Ning was so scared that he quickly shut up.

He looked at Zhu Tan, a complicated look flashed in his eyes:

"Old Ten, do you really believe that a beggar can become a pillar of the country?"

"I believe it."

Zhu Tan said firmly:

"In ancient times, there was Jiang Ziya fishing in Panxi River and Zhang Liang picking up shoes on the bridge. They were all born in ordinary families, but eventually achieved great success. Talents need opportunities and training, not birth and family background!"

Zhu Tan's words were powerful.

The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't speak for a long time, but just stared at Zhu Tan, as if trying to see something from his face.

Among the generals, Tang He was the first to break the silence.

This veteran general was a straightforward person, and he was Zhu Yuanzhang's son-in-law and Zhu Tan's father-in-law.

I always say what I think and never hide anything.

"Your Majesty!" Tang He said in a hoarse voice:

"I think what the Tenth Prince said makes sense! Back then, when we followed His Majesty to conquer the world, who among us was not born in the mud? Who cares about one's family background? As long as he is a man who can kill the enemy and serve the country, he is a good man!"

Chapter 326 Zhu Yuanzhang's Worry

Tang He's words were as loud as a bell, echoing in the hall, shocking many civil servants and making them shrink their necks.

Then, Duke of Wei Xu Da also stood up and said with a folded hand:
"Your Majesty, although I don't know anything about governing a country, I think that what His Majesty is doing is to recruit talents and strengthen the national strength, which will be of great benefit to the country and the people!"

With Tang He and Xu Da taking the lead, other generals also spoke up and expressed their support for Zhu Tan.

For a moment, the voices of the military generals in the hall drowned out the voices of the civil officials, as if they were going to overturn the roof.

The civil servants all looked unhappy.

Most of them are people who have passed the imperial examinations and consider themselves scholars and the best of the best. Now when they hear Zhu Tan talking about recruiting idle talents from all over the world, won't this shake their foundation?

As the head of the civil service, Chen Ning naturally could not sit idly by. He suppressed his anger, stood up again, and bowed deeply to Zhu Yuanzhang:
"Your Majesty, the ancestral system cannot be violated! Since ancient times, there has been a distinction between the noble and the humble. This system of slavery is the cornerstone of maintaining social stability. If it is easily changed, won't the world be in chaos?!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, what Lord Chen said makes sense!"

"Your Majesty, please think twice!"

Other civil servants also echoed the sentiment, speaking earnestly, as if Zhu Tan was an unforgivable sinner.

Zhu Tan looked at these civil servants and sneered in his heart.

These people talk about morality and justice, but they are all selfish.

They kept saying that they were doing it for the Ming Dynasty, but in fact, they were just protecting their own interests.

He took a deep breath and said loudly:
"My Lords, you keep saying that the ancestral system cannot be violated, but when the Ming Dynasty was first established, my father established the imperial examination system and opened the door to the imperial examination so that talented people from all over the world could serve the court."

"Why do you want to close this door and exclude those talented people now?!"

"This……"

The civil servants were speechless and didn't know how to refute.

Zhu Tan struck while the iron was hot and continued:
"What's more, this system of slavery is a bad habit from the previous dynasty. It divides people into different classes, causing countless people to suffer from bullying and never be able to turn their lives around!"

"How can such a system reflect the benevolence and justice of our Ming Dynasty? How can it ensure long-term stability in our Ming Dynasty?!"

"So," Zhu Tan paused, his eyes swept across the people in the hall, and finally landed on Zhu Yuanzhang, and said in a deep voice, "I, your son, beg your father to reform the imperial examination system, set up a new method of selecting talents, and recruit talents from all over the world!"

"At the same time, we will completely abolish the slave system, so that all people can enjoy equal rights and contribute their own strength to our Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Tan's words were so passionate and powerful that even the guards outside the palace felt their blood boiling.

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent. He looked at his high-spirited son in front of him with mixed feelings.

Didn't he know that what Zhu Tan said was the move that would truly benefit the Ming Dynasty?
But it is easier said than done!

He spoke slowly, his voice low but echoing in the hall like a bell:

"We also know that this system of slaves is a relic of the previous dynasty. But since ancient times, there has been a distinction between the noble and the humble. If it is changed rashly, won't the world be in chaos?"

"Speaking of the imperial examination system, Old Ten, you said you wanted to change it. So, tell me, how do you want to change it?"

"We have to come up with a set of rules!"

The old emperor's words seemed to be questioning, but in fact they revealed a hint of relaxation.

Those civil servants who originally had ugly expressions were now even more frightened, and they all glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang, hoping to guess the emperor's thoughts.

However, he found that this emperor, who came from a beggar family, never showed his emotions on his face and it was impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Zhu Tan was secretly delighted, he knew that he had taken the first step.

He took a step forward, cupped his hands and said:

"Father, I think that the current imperial examination system places too much emphasis on eight-part essays. Most of the talents selected can only recite poems and write couplets, but they know nothing about governing the country and maintaining peace."

At first.

The sixth year of Hongwu.

Zhu Yuanzhang issued an order to suspend the imperial examination system on the grounds that "official careers were stagnant."

In fact, the real reason was that the country had just experienced the war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and everything needed to be rebuilt, and the imperial examination system placed too much emphasis on the rhetoric of the articles.

The talents selected were not necessarily suitable for the national conditions at that time.

Zhu Yuanzhang hoped to select more talents who could be useful to the country, so he decided to cancel the imperial examination system.

Therefore, Zhu Tan’s words now really touched Zhu Yuanzhang’s heart.

"Oh?" Zhu Yuanzhang became interested. "Then in your opinion, how can we improve it?"

"I think the imperial examination should be more practical and closer to the lives of the people."

“For example, we can add subjects such as arithmetic, agriculture, water conservancy, and medicine so that those who are truly talented can stand out.”

"At the same time, we can also follow the ancient system and set up a military examination to select people with outstanding martial arts skills to strengthen our Ming army."

As soon as Zhu Tan finished speaking, a buzz of discussion arose in the hall.

The civil servants were naturally displeased if this was really changed as Zhu Tan said.

Wouldn't those of them who can only recite poems and compose couplets be kicked out?

Most of the military generals showed joy on their faces. If this military examination was really held, their status would be greatly improved.

Zhu Yuanzhang ignored the reactions of the crowd and just listened quietly to Zhu Tan's explanation, with an inexplicable light flashing in his eyes.

"Besides that, A..."

Zhu Tan paused and continued:

"I thought that the imperial examination should be open to all people, regardless of their social status."

"When the Ming Dynasty was first established, you, my father, established the imperial examination system and opened the door to the imperial examinations so that talented people from all over the world could serve the court."

"However, this system of slavery has shut out countless people, leaving them with ambitions but nowhere to realize them."

"In this way, wouldn't it be burying talents and hindering the long-term stability of our Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent. He knew very well that every word Zhu Tan said made sense.

In the sixth year of Hongwu, in addition to abolishing the imperial examination system, Zhu Yuanzhang also abolished the "structured official appointment" system that had existed since the Yuan Dynasty on the grounds that "Is this really the way to advancement in officialdom? What was my original intention in setting up the imperial examination to recruit officials?"

The so-called "pattern of appointment" means that the number of admissions and official ranks of candidates from each province are set in advance according to the different provinces. (End of this chapter)