Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 527 An Age-Old Problem, A Truth About Officialdom!
Zhu Yunwen fell into deep thought.

Bureaucratic systems have always been this way.

Officials protect each other, shirking responsibility and covering up problems!

To cover up one mistake, one is willing to commit an even bigger one!

It has remained unchanged for thousands of years.

But is there really no solution?
……

As dusk settled, the sky gradually darkened.

Zhu Yunwen's convoy successfully entered the territory of Guide Prefecture in Henan.

Soon, they stopped in front of a post station, intending to rest there for the night.

The post station here was built to be extremely magnificent and imposing.

The area in front of the post station was already densely packed with local officials of all ranks, who had come to pay their respects to the emperor.

As soon as the imperial carriage slowly approached and came to a stop, drums and music immediately resounded beside the post station, creating a grand and impressive atmosphere.

All the officials knelt down in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, clearly rehearsed many times, and shouted:
"Your Majesty, I respectfully welcome your arrival! Long live the Emperor!"

Zhu Yunwen stepped down from the carriage, but his gaze did not fall on the kneeling officials. Instead, he looked directly at the post station behind them.

Night had fallen, and under the tall, magnificent eaves of the post station, countless exquisite lanterns hung high, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day.

The dazzling light further accentuated the grandeur and luxurious style of the post station.

Zhu Yunwen said calmly, "Great, this post station is really well built."

"Such extravagance does not diminish the dignity and grandeur of our Great Ming's official post stations in the slightest!"

His gaze swept over the officials present, his tone carrying an inscrutable meaning: "Come, tell me, how much money was spent to build this post station, and when did construction begin?"

The surroundings fell silent instantly.

The officials kneeling on the ground secretly rolled their eyes, exchanging glances and trying to guess the meaning behind His Majesty's words.

Each of them felt uneasy.

After a long pause, an official mustered his courage and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, the Guide Post Station has been renovated twice."

"The first time it cost three thousand taels of silver, equivalent to three million paper money."

"Upon hearing that His Majesty is about to make a northern tour and will be visiting Guide Post Station, I immediately ordered people to repair the post station, striving to make it as perfect as possible."

"Because His Majesty's schedule is fast and the time required for the project is extremely short, we can only work in shifts day and night, working overtime to catch up on the work."

"This renovation cost a total of over 17 million yuan."

"The combined cost of the two renovations was over 20 million yuan."

After the official finished speaking, he lowered his head even further, fearing that he might offend the emperor.

Zhu Yunwen's face suddenly darkened, and his voice turned icy: "It seems that the officials in Henan Province are all very idle?"

"The Yellow River dikes have collapsed, causing a severe disaster. Instead of focusing on repairing the dikes and providing relief to the victims, you've all come here to engage in large-scale construction, building this ridiculous post station."

These words struck like a thunderbolt, and the officials were immediately terrified, their faces turning deathly pale, their bodies trembling, as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

"We are guilty, Your Majesty, please forgive us!" they kowtowed in unison.

"Forgive me? Forgive me for what?" Zhu Yunwen snorted coldly, ignoring the officials completely, and strode straight into the post station.

Only after he had completely disappeared did the officials scramble to their feet, their faces ashen and their hands and feet trembling.

"His Majesty is truly enraged! What should we do? What should we do?!" An official was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing around in circles, muttering to himself.

“Don’t panic, everyone,” an official said, trying to remain calm. “Although His Majesty is somewhat angry, he hasn’t directly punished us. This means there might still be a chance for things to turn around, and it’s not entirely hopeless.”

"Yes, yes!" The other officials echoed, as if grasping at a lifeline, and spoke in unison.

"His Majesty only reprimanded me a couple of times; it shouldn't be anything serious. We still have a chance to make amends."

……

Just as the officials were discussing the matter and everyone was in a state of panic, a eunuch dressed in official robes walked slowly out of the post station with a solemn expression and loudly announced the imperial decree: "His Majesty has decreed that the Governor of Henan, Zheng Hongjian, and the Inspector, Zhao Qingzhi, be summoned to an audience immediately!"

Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi rushed forward, their movements hurried.

Zheng Hongjian took the initiative, approached the eunuch, lowered his voice, and cautiously asked, "Thank you, sir. Did His Majesty give any instructions while inside?"

As he asked the question, he discreetly pulled a check from the Ming Dynasty Bank from his sleeve and quietly handed it to the eunuch, his movements subtle yet practiced.

The eunuch who delivered the imperial decree was none other than Zhao Rui, who had always been closely following Zhu Yunwen.

Since he "abandoned darkness and embraced light" and completely submitted to Zhu Yunwen, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to serving Zhu Yunwen, working diligently and never making any mistakes.

When Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, his close confidant, who had served the emperor since his time as a prince, naturally rose in status and wealth.

Zhao Rui is now the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Although Zhu Yunwen's sweeping reforms have meant that the current Grand Eunuch no longer possesses the immense power of "approving imperial edicts and stamping seals" that existed in history, he remains, in any case, the chief eunuch of the entire palace, holding a prominent position.

There is an eternal truth in officialdom: the person next to your superior is your superior!
The most trusted attendants in the Prime Minister's residence were treated with the same respect and deference as the Prime Minister when they went outside.

Similarly, the chief eunuch serving the emperor would also behave in the same way when meeting with officials.

When Zhao Rui's gaze inadvertently fell upon the conspicuous number on the check Zheng Hongjian handed him, his heart began to race uncontrollably.

As a trusted eunuch close to the emperor, he naturally had no shortage of sycophants and flatterers.

However, Zhao Rui was well aware of the gravity of the matter and never dared to accept favors from others casually, lest he give them a handle to use against him.

However, the amount Lord Zheng gave this time was far too generous.

Moreover, this place is outside the palace, where the rules are not as strict as inside the palace. I suppose Zheng Hongjian wouldn't dare to gossip and spread this matter.

As long as His Majesty's northern tour concludes smoothly and I return to the palace with him, there will be no further risks.

As he pondered this, he couldn't resist reaching out to take the check.

However, just as he was about to reach out, he abruptly stopped.

Zhao Rui forced a smile and said, "Lord Zheng, you mustn't, you mustn't!"

Seeing this, Zheng Hongjian had no choice but to silently put the check back into his sleeve.

Having navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for many years, he naturally understood the intricacies of the game and knew the principle that "gifts should not be given in a forceful manner."

Otherwise, it wouldn't be giving gifts to curry favor, but rather offending people.

Since Zhao Rui refused to accept his money at the moment, he could only look for a new opportunity.

Just then, Zheng Hongjian heard Zhao Rui speak again: "Today, a woman dared to stop the imperial carriage to file a complaint, which caused a delay. We didn't arrive at this post station until it was completely dark." "Your Majesty's reprimand just now was probably because he was thinking about that woman's complaint, the corruption in officialdom, and witnessing your large entourage to welcome the emperor, which prompted his words."

Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi were overjoyed to hear Zhao Rui's words, and a great weight was lifted from their hearts.

The real reason for His Majesty's anger has finally come to light.

It seems that the repair of the post station was merely a trigger that ignited the emperor's anger.

The real key lies in His Majesty's deep concern and dissatisfaction with the overall atmosphere of officialdom.

This eunuch Zhao does seem to have a rather kind and benevolent nature.

Although he didn't accept any money from me, he still gave me timely advice, and this favor was quite significant.

Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi quickly bowed to Zhao Rui, expressing their deepest gratitude.

Zhao Rui waved his hand, indicating that they didn't need to be so polite.

"No need to thank me!"

"You two are the governor and the imperial inspector of Henan Province, high-ranking officials entrusted with important responsibilities by the imperial court."

Zhao Rui's tone became serious, with a hint of admonition: "Your most important task is to serve the court wholeheartedly, govern Henan well, and ensure that the people can live and work in peace and contentment."

"In this way, His Majesty will naturally be overjoyed and delighted."

"As for flattering, fawning over, and pandering to His Majesty," Zhao Rui smiled contemptuously and said, "these things are not necessarily unacceptable."

Who in this world doesn't like to hear nice things?

"But this is something that you, as high-ranking officials, can do, as can any low-ranking official. Any eunuch or palace maid in the palace can do it, and may even do it more skillfully than you."

"If all you do is engage in such superficial work, how are you any different from those insignificant petty officials, or the eunuchs and maids in the palace?"

Zhao Rui's question struck them like a thunderbolt, hitting them right in the heart: "Why would the court entrust such an important task to the two of you, making you govern Henan and become regional governors?"

"Is it simply because you're good at flattery?"

"No, it's because the two gentlemen are capable of governing Henan and ruling over a region."

"The two of you should carefully consider the priorities and key points of this matter."

Zhao Rui's gaze swept lightly over the two of them, and he left with a meaningful remark: "When you see His Majesty later, I believe you will know how to respond and how to deal with the situation."

After Zhao Rui finished speaking, he said no more and turned to leave.

Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with complex emotions, and then quickly followed after him.

Soon, led by Zhao Rui, the two arrived at Zhu Yunwen's room where he was resting.

At this moment, Zhu Yunwen stood in the center of the room, slightly bent over, intently examining the various handicrafts displayed on the open shelves.

It must be said that the room at this inn was decorated to his liking.

Various calligraphy and paintings hang on the walls, exuding an antique charm and rich cultural flavor.

The shelves are filled with exquisite antiques, elegant cultural artifacts, and the latest craft models.

The items included steamships, models of modern buildings, and even an exquisite globe, among many others, each with profound symbolic meaning.

It seems that the officials in Henan Province really went to great lengths to welcome the emperor's arrival, paying close attention to every detail.

As Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi entered the room, they immediately saw Zhu Yunwen intently examining a model of a warship.

The two dared not disturb the emperor and immediately knelt down respectfully, their movements gentle and without making a sound, for fear of disturbing the emperor.

"You've arrived?" Zhu Yunwen quickly turned around and looked at the two people kneeling on the ground.

Zheng Hongjian and Zhao Qingzhi immediately responded, saying in unison, "Your Majesty, we are Zheng Hongjian, the Governor of Henan, and Zhao Qingzhi, the Inspector of Henan. We pay our respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

Zhu Yunwen stared at the two high-ranking officials kneeling on the ground.

It must be said that, despite being high-ranking officials in their respective regions, Zhu Yunwen's impression of these two men was extremely vague.

The original Ming Dynasty had thirteen provinces in addition to Southern Zhili.

Zhu Yunwen first added Taiwan Province.

After pacifying the grasslands, two more provinces were established.

Conquering the three Jurchen tribes, adding three more provinces.

In addition, the original Yingtian Prefecture and Songjiang Prefecture, where Shanghai is located, were both upgraded to the provincial level.

By this time, the territory of the Ming Dynasty had encompassed two prefectures and nineteen provinces.

If the newly established Western Regions Province is added, the territory expands to a vast area of ​​two prefectures and twenty provinces.

Each of the twenty-two administrative regions had a governor and an inspector.

These forty-four officials were all high-ranking and powerful regional officials, and also local leaders who were directly responsible to the emperor.

Since the positions of governor and inspector were newly established after Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, he personally summoned these people and had private conversations with each of them before they officially took office.

The main purpose was to encourage them to live up to the trust placed in them by the court and to serve the court and the people wholeheartedly after taking office.

That’s all.

Due to time constraints, my understanding is limited.

At first glance, forty-four governors and imperial inspectors do not seem like a large number.

In reality, however, they were merely a part of the vast and complex bureaucratic system of the entire Ming Dynasty.

Within the imperial court, there were also ministers of various departments, and vice ministers on the left and right.

These people held positions and powers no less than, and perhaps even greater than, those of local governors and imperial inspectors, so the emperor naturally interacted with them frequently.

Especially after the implementation of the new policies, the positions of some key company executives who are in charge of the national economy and people's livelihood have become crucial and of paramount importance.

For example, the decisions of the officials in charge of Daming Department Store can affect the lives of millions of people.

Furthermore, the important military leaders need no further explanation.

As an emperor, Zhu Yunwen needed to firmly grasp military power, so he naturally had to cultivate his own confidants and place his trusted men in the army.

The officials in the Political Affairs Department and the Military Affairs Department, who held immense power, were the core officials that the emperor had to deal with every day.

There are also officials in the intelligence system.

All things considered, there were at least two hundred core officials in the Ming Dynasty court who were at the same or higher level as the governors and imperial inspectors.

……

(End of this chapter)