Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 460 Dragon Scale Pavilion 2
After all, apart from the eldest prince, no other prince has been able to participate in politics! Moreover, the only princes who might have the ability to rival the eldest prince, the second and third princes, are about to be assigned to their fiefdoms!
Now, almost everyone in the Dragon Kingdom's court has come to accept that although His Highness the First Prince is not called the Crown Prince, he already has the real power of one!
This guy is definitely a future emperor!

Therefore, as long as His Highness the Crown Prince's decrees are reasonable and beneficial to the court, who would be foolish enough to oppose the future emperor?
At this moment, Zhu Qiyu was of course unaware of the frantic thoughts racing through the minds of his ministers below the imperial road. He had already reorganized his thoughts and was about to speak again.

"After careful consideration, I believe that the Dragon Scale Pavilion should be divided into two parts: the Inner Pavilion and the Outer Court!"
The cabinet building should emulate the Lingyan Pavilion of the previous dynasty, where portraits and biographies of those who made great contributions to the establishment of our Dragon Kingdom were erected to pass on their legacy to future generations!
Furthermore, portraits and biographies of those who have made significant contributions to the Dragon Kingdom since its founding and throughout subsequent dynasties should also be erected to pass on their legacy to future generations!
"This is the inner cabinet of the Dragon Scale Pavilion!" Zhu Qiyu explained in detail that the Dragon Scale Pavilion was divided into two parts, inner and outer. The inner cabinet was to enshrine the ministers who made great contributions during the founding of the country, as well as the ministers who made great contributions to the country in the later dynasties of the Dragon Kingdom.

Furthermore, it is not only necessary to worship them, but also to erect statues and write biographies of them in the name of the state, so that their legacy can be passed down to future generations!

Upon hearing the words of the eldest prince Zhu Qiyu, it was as if the eyes of all the court officials on the imperial road turned red instantly!

After all, the twenty-four meritorious officials in Lingyan Pavilion were all renowned ministers who followed Emperor Taizong of Tang through thick and thin and established the prosperous Zhenguan era! It can be said that most people in the current imperial court of the Dragon Kingdom cannot reach such a level!
Some officials estimated that in the entire Dragon Kingdom, only close ministers of Emperor Longwu, such as Grand Secretary Xia, Grand Secretary Mu, and General Qian, could receive such treatment!

However, what made many officials envious was that the eldest prince, Zhu Qiyu, actually left some opportunities for the remaining officials to seize in his subsequent words!

After the founding of the Dragon Kingdom, and even in later generations, those who have made significant contributions to the Dragon Kingdom can have their portraits and biographies erected in the Dragon Scale Pavilion!
Doesn't this mean that those who originally had no chance, the remaining officials, could also have a chance to enter the Dragon Scale Pavilion and have their portraits erected and biographies recorded by the court, to be passed down to future generations, as long as they serve the court well?!
Such overwhelming joy could not help but fill the hearts of all the ministers with delight!

After all, which of them, who served as a general or prime minister, didn't want to leave their mark on history?

The Crown Prince's measure can be said to have opened up a bright path for countless court officials!
Of course, some observant ministers also noticed another point of concern raised by the eldest prince, Zhu Qiyu!

That is, the eldest prince said that the Dragon Scale Pavilion is divided into the inner pavilion and the outer courtyard. Since the inner pavilion is for honoring ministers who have made great contributions, what is the outer courtyard for?
Is this meant to record the illegal acts of officials and warn future generations?! Suddenly, many officials became wary!
Immediately afterward, before the many ministers could come up with any ideas, the eldest prince, Zhu Qiyu, began to explain the purpose of establishing the outer courtyard of the Dragon Scale Pavilion!

"The Dragon Scale Pavilion was established specifically for those who have made great contributions to our Dragon Kingdom."

What about the remaining officials who have worked diligently for our Dragon Kingdom, toiling their entire lives in various places, counties, towns, and border regions?
Or rather, what about those ordinary people who hold low positions but have made significant contributions to the Dragon Kingdom? "The Crown Prince Zhu Qiyu asked a question that everyone else had overlooked.

That is, not all the officials in the imperial court are those who have made great contributions!
Among the officials, there are many more ordinary people who have worked diligently for the court for decades! Don't these dedicated officials who have sacrificed for the country deserve to be praised by the people?!
These words resonated deeply with the officials present!
Because mediocrity is the reality most of the time!

Looking at the group of officials who were deeply moved, the eldest prince, Zhu Qiyu, spoke again.

"Therefore, the Dragon Scale Pavilion of my Dragon Kingdom has specially established an outer courtyard!"
The purpose of establishing the outer courtyard of the Dragon Scale Pavilion is to prepare for these ordinary officials who have worked hard and diligently for our Dragon Kingdom!
Therefore, I hereby decree that all civil and military officials of the seventh rank or above in my Dragon Kingdom will have their portraits painted in the outer courtyard of the Dragon Scale Pavilion, and their merits and demerits as officials throughout their lives will be recorded!

Or, to put it another way, ordinary people at the grassroots level, even blacksmiths, farmers, or merchants, as long as they do something significant for our Dragon Kingdom that can influence future generations, the Dragon Scale Pavilion will also paint their portraits in the outer courtyard and write their biographies!

They will receive offerings from my Dragon Kingdom throughout the four seasons!
"We are only responsible for recording. As for the merits and demerits, let future generations look at those records and judge for themselves!" Zhu Qiyu directly explained the main functions of the outer courtyard of the Dragon Scale Pavilion!
Upon hearing the purpose of establishing the outer courtyard of the Dragon Scale Pavilion, all the officials were shocked!

Yes, they weren't surprised, they were shocked! The reason was simple: every official of the seventh rank or above in the imperial court had to have their portrait specially made and their merits and demerits recorded throughout their official career! This was a blatant, overt scheme by the imperial court!
Because all the officials present knew in their hearts that if they performed their duties well, the legacy left by the Dragon Scale Pavilion would be a model for their names to be remembered in history! A model for countless descendants to learn from!
Or, even if one is of average talent but works diligently and without making any mistakes, at most future generations will comment that he was a kind and steady official.
However, if you say it the other way around, it becomes quite terrifying!

After all, if one makes a mistake while in office, such as oppressing the people, engaging in corruption, or other misconduct!

Therefore, what Dragon Scale Pavilion left behind for itself was a record of eternal infamy, for future generations to criticize!

What's more, and what's even more terrifying is that Dragon Scale Pavilion still wants to leave its own portrait!

Think about Qin Hui's fate!

In a short while, countless officials felt their scalps tingle!
Although the eldest prince didn't say what would happen to corrupt officials, no one present was a fool! Although the eldest prince didn't say it, they could all figure it out!

This move by the imperial court is an absolutely unsolvable, overtly calculated scheme!
Moreover, since the imperial court is doing this, no one dares to refuse! No one would dare to refuse!

What do you mean? You disagree? You don't want to leave a good impression on future generations? Or do you have a problem right now? Who can stand such questioning?!

Of course, to prevent anyone from using other excuses to oppose this matter, the eldest prince Zhu Qiyu also thought of another thing.

"I know that recording the political affairs of officials of the seventh rank and above requires a considerable number of Hanlin scholars."

Therefore, I will petition the Emperor to increase the number of compilers in the Hanlin Academy to ensure the smooth progress of this matter!
"I believe that with the strength of my Dragon Kingdom, we are more than capable of accomplishing this!" To prevent any officials from resisting, the First Prince Zhu Qiyu had thought things through very thoroughly.

At this point, even if someone wanted to refuse, they wouldn't have anything to say. After all, there really wasn't a good excuse!

As for excuses like "draining national strength," they are simply unrealistic!
After all, the Minister of Revenue was still standing on the imperial road!
All officials knew that since Emperor Longwu fully promoted the new grain varieties throughout the Dragon Kingdom, the national treasury was overflowing! The establishment of the Dragon Scale Pavilion did not involve excessive depletion of the national treasury!
Therefore, the matter that the eldest prince is bringing up now is basically a done deal!

At this moment, many officials even suspected that what the Crown Prince was talking about must have been planned by the Emperor and the Crown Prince together, just to use this matter to rectify the court!
The officials simply lacked substantial evidence!

But since things had come to this point, the officials had no choice but to accept it reluctantly.

(End of this chapter)