"Dad, what do you mean..." Zhu Biao couldn't help but be happy when he heard this.
"Do you want your son to save the prisoners in prison?"
"Of course we have to distinguish between priorities." Lao Zhu said. "Those who haven't committed any crime yet, and those who have committed minor crimes, naturally you have to show mercy."
"We don't have to be tyrants. Why don't we think that our Ming Dynasty will have fewer rebellious officials and traitors, so that the descendants of our old Zhu family will no longer have to hang on that coal mountain?"
"We have thought carefully about the four major cases we raised among the fifth family members. First, Hu Weiyong and Guo Huan were the corrupt officials and thieves, which really made us angry."
"You know, your grandparents and grandparents were forced to survive by those corrupt officials and tax collectors in the former Yuan Dynasty!"
"If we really meet Ming Dynasty and find corrupt officials, we will definitely not be able to suppress the anger in our hearts!"
"Boss, you must always remember that the people are the foundation of our Ming Dynasty! On weekdays, the people seem to be submissive and submissive. They are far less talkative than those officials who show their eyes in the court and jump in front of us every day. Huh."
"But we, the Zhu family, must be open-minded in our hearts. In fact, the officials don't have to worry about no one to do it. No matter how much we chop, there are people rushing to do it! We set off four major crimes and killed tens of thousands of officials. Didn't the Ming Dynasty also do it? What a turn of events?"
"But if the people's support is completely gone, the world will have Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong!"
"Your vision should not only look at the officials in the court. A truly wise emperor cannot be raised in the palace and in the court!"
"We should go out more to the people and the common people. Only by personally observing the people's sentiments can we not be deceived by those officials."
When Lao Zhu talked about his parents, even though he was now a ninety-five-year-old, he still couldn't hide the look of sadness and indignation in his eyes, which showed that it was a very serious blow to him that year. Zhu Biao also looked solemn. What Lao Zhu said were golden words of wisdom that he had learned from the bottom level all the way. Zhu Biao quickly handed them over to listen.
Zhu Su couldn't help but nod. Lao Zhu's words are similar to the saying "from the masses, to the masses".
Speaking of which, history books also record that Prince Zhu Biao went out to the capital for inspections many times. Even before the princes took over the vassal state, Lao Zhu would order the princes who were about to take over the vassal state to go to Fengyang, the central capital, to practice for a period of time. Thinking about it, this is because Lao Zhu wants to teach his sons this truth.
"Second, the situation at that time really required that." Lao Zhu continued. "According to what Lao Wu described, we estimate that it took a few years before we really made up our minds to eliminate the Zhongshu Sheng and the prime minister system."
"At that time, we didn't have the advice of Lao Wu, and we didn't set up a cabinet to provide the government with the truth. Hu Weiyong was deeply entangled in the government and the opposition. If we didn't vigorously punish each other, how could we root out Hu Weiyong's party and let them completely break up? Do you want to think about it?"
"If you don't do it ruthlessly enough, when you, Biao'er, or even the kings in the future come to power, they will rely on your words and quote scriptures to restore the prime ministerial system!"
Zhu Biao pursed his lips, knowing that his father was right. If he, the founding emperor, is not resolute enough in this matter, and if there is a soft-hearted person in the future, the prime minister system will inevitably be reborn.
After all, the prime minister system has existed in this land for thousands of years. How can it be completely dissipated so easily? Even if Zhu Biao was not persuaded, there would be no guarantee that future generations would not be deceived by those literati and bureaucrats and reinstate the prime minister system.
Even if Lao Zhu went on a killing spree in history, the literati still did not give up their efforts to seize power from the king and let the king "rule the world with his head down". Wasn’t the cabinet in the middle and late Ming Dynasty just the Zhongshu Sheng and the Prime Minister System with a different name?
Even a benevolent person like Zhu Biao had to admit that in that situation, it was indeed necessary for Lao Zhu to resort to ruthless measures to cleanse the officialdom.
"When it comes to the Lan Yu case, Biao'er and your mother are both... gone." Even though he was just talking about it, Lao Zhu's voice still trembled when he mentioned it. "I am impatient, but on weekdays, you two are always there to persuade me."
"If you two were gone, what else would we have to worry about at that time?"
"In order for our grandson to secure his position, is there anyone in the world that we dare not kill?"
Perhaps reflecting the mentality of Zhu Yuanzhang in his later years when he lost his wife and son, Lao Zhu's voice couldn't help but contain some desolation and murderous intent.
"Dad, dad, my son knows your old feelings." Zhu Biao was deeply moved. "My son shouldn't blame you for being cruel in his heart. You have forgiven and explained things clearly to your son. How can your son not know your painstaking efforts?"
"It's good that you know." Lao Zhu patted Zhu Biao's hand. "We are doing all this in the hope that we can safely hand over this burden to you in the future!"
Zhu Biao's face turned red, but he nodded heavily.
"Dad, what are you going to do next?" But it was Zhu Su who spoke up, interrupting the atmosphere of fatherly kindness and filial piety between Lao Zhu and his eldest brother. After killing Zhu Xian, he had already become enemies with Zhu Liangzu, the Marquis of Yongjia. If his father didn't help him and let his eldest brother protect him, wouldn't he have to take a detour when meeting Zhu Liangzu in the future?
After all, a prince with real power is completely worthy of a prince who only has a name for the time being.
"Although I said that before, we are not the ones who run the charity hall." Lao Zhu sneered. "This time I pulled out Hu Weiyong, but it also brought out a lot of rotten stuff. Do we have to hold our noses and let go of these?"
"Lu Zhongheng, Zhu Liangzu and others... huh, they gathered around Hu Weiyong and had many complaints against us. Do you really think that you are good enough to be the Duke of the country and the king?"
"No matter whether you are an official or a distinguished person, you have to kill a group of people in order to let those guys know what it means to be afraid! I think the method of 'peeling the skin and filling it with grass' that Lao Wu said is good. It is said that we came up with it later ourselves? "
"There is indeed a bit of our ruthlessness..."
In the middle of speaking, he suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Zhu Biao: "Biao'er, you have to stay behind closed doors in the mansion for a while. We also have to take advantage of this momentum to defeat the prime minister of Zhongshu Province and put him to death. The cabinet has to push it out."
"Some confused officials opposed the abolition of the prime ministership system, so they all used Hu Weiyong's name and were imprisoned in prison. The provincial government has been making noises in our ears all day long!"
Zhu Su laughed dumbly. Old Zhu wanted to "silence" all objections first! When they came out of prison later, it was clear that the prime minister system had been abolished and the cabinet had been abolished. It was impossible for the court to change orders overnight, so they could only hold their noses and admit it.
Zhu Biao also shook his head, seeming to think that his father's behavior was really child's play. But at this time, he was no longer the stupid young man who always followed the truth. This method was indeed a good way to successfully remove the Prime Minister and preserve those conservative and honest officials, so he nodded and agreed to Lao Zhu.
(End of chapter)
