Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 140 Behind every outrageous law lies an outrageous past.
Inside the Hall of Literary Glory, all the civil and military officials were stunned.
The impact of the emperor's words at this moment was even more shocking than when he had recently come up with many new ways to commend and reward those who had completed the assessment.

These were words they had never expected.

As a result, everyone fell silent for a moment.

Startled and lost in thought.

Many people looked at each other, and in each other's eyes they saw intense disbelief.

Is the emperor going to take a year-end holiday?

Are they going to give us an eleven-day break all at once?
This... is fake, right?
How can it be!

They must have misheard.

Given the emperor's temperament, how could he possibly do such a thing?
The emperor truly wished he could use one person as two.

They were already diligent in their duties, but then they introduced an assessment system that rewards those who perform well and punishes those who perform poorly.

This demonstrates from all aspects that the emperor wanted people to work better.

Now, surprisingly, we've heard from the emperor that there will be a New Year's holiday.

They genuinely didn't believe that.

In the past, they thought that even if the sky fell, they would still have to work, and the emperor would not give them a holiday.

Officials during the Hongwu reign had very few holidays.

There are only three days off a year.

These are the Winter Solstice, the Lunar New Year, and the Emperor's birthday.

Besides that, there are no other fakes.

The emperor was extremely diligent in his duties, so he was very disgusted by those who were cunning and deceitful.

And now, they've heard this news from the emperor himself.

This is real?

How can it be so fake?

"You all heard me right."

We're telling the truth.

Starting this year, this policy will be implemented thereafter.

After a busy year, it's time to take a break.

"Work-life balance is important."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his ministers and said with a smile on his face.

He was quite satisfied with the reactions of his ministers, as they met his expectations.

With a buzzing sound, it was as if a pot had suddenly exploded.

The entire Huagai Hall was instantly filled with a buzzing sound, like countless mosquitoes and flies swarming around.

This is caused by the many people speaking in hushed tones here.

Even many people who are usually very polite couldn't help themselves at this moment and kept talking to the people around them.

Really?

It's really true?!

The emperor is actually going to give everyone eleven days off during the Lunar New Year?

While incredulous, some people were on the verge of tears of joy.

God knows how they've managed to get through all these years.

Being an official in the emperor's office is too miserable; it's not a life fit for a human being!

The emperor would only make them work harder in the future, but who would have thought that he would suddenly show mercy and grant them so many days off.

Now we can have a good New Year.

They can also get a good rest.

Whether it's visiting relatives and friends, spending time with family, or visiting your boss, it's all good.

Even Crown Prince Zhu Biao looked at his father, the Emperor, with some surprise.

Clearly, even Zhu Yuanzhang himself hadn't expected this move.

In this matter, the Emperor was truly tight-lipped, not even revealing a single word to himself.

"Haha, Biao'er, how about that? Surprised you?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his eldest son with a smile on his face and said smugly.

"Father, to be honest, I was truly shocked."

I never expected that Father would make such an arrangement in this matter.
"Father, how...how did you suddenly think of this?"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "We've been thinking about this for a long time."

Just like we often tell you.

The way of both civil and military affairs is to alternate between tension and relaxation.

Sometimes, being too tense isn't a good thing.

When it's time to rest, you should rest.

Working like this year-round can indeed make people feel tired.

Many things lose their appeal over time.

Instead of wasting time here, it would be better to take some time off during important holidays.

It allows people to relax and clear their minds.

In this way, it might actually improve efficiency and motivate people to work harder.

In modern times, Zhu Yuanzhang was no longer an emperor, but an ordinary person.

Having lived from the perspective of an ordinary person for so many years, I have gained new insights into many things.

For example, the events during the holidays deeply moved and touched him.

In the past, he wished he could take no more than three days off a year.

All year round, officials are made to work hard.

But after experiencing it firsthand, I realized that my thinking was incorrect.

Working non-stop isn't good; it's important to take breaks when necessary.

A balance between work and rest is essential for going further.

"Father, your idea is absolutely right, that's the best way."

My child discovered while reading some books that officials in many previous dynasties had holidays.

Some even have only one day off every ten days.

They also get holidays during festivals.

Compared to other dynasties, the Ming Dynasty indeed had far fewer holidays.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, indicating that his son Biao was right.

After the initial tremors, the Huagai Hall quieted down considerably.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace. Your Majesty is so considerate of me. I will do my best to repay your kindness."

This painstaking effort.

Prime Minister Hu Weiyong stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Their voices were filled with deep emotion.

After Hu Weiyong spoke, all the officials bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang.

To express the joy and emotion in one's heart.

He also said that he would be even more loyal in his work in the future.

This time, it doesn't matter whether those who were rewarded or punished for their performance in the exam.

When I said these words, it was all willingly and from the bottom of my heart.

Having a holiday is a good thing; how can we not offer our heartfelt congratulations?

What if the emperor changes his mind?

How did the emperor suddenly become so enlightened?

It's truly delightful that they would do something like this.

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand with a smile, telling everyone not to stand on ceremony.

Then he spoke again: "Not only should we have holidays during festivals, but we also think that we should have a day off for Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Double Ninth Festival in the future."

Those who want to see the lanterns should see the lanterns, and those who want to go on spring outings and pay respects to their ancestors should go on spring outings and pay respects to their ancestors.

Make and eat zongzi if you want to, and have a family reunion if you want to.

Go climb a mountain if you want to.

These words once again caused a tremendous buzzing sound to resound within the Hall of Literary Glory.

After their initial shock, everyone became increasingly delighted.

They kept talking to each other.

Every face bore the mark of extreme joy and intense disbelief.

what's the situation?
what's going on?
Was it because I wasn't fully awake today, or did His Majesty suddenly experience some kind of shock?

How could he say so many things in a row? These are definitely not words that should come from the emperor's mouth.

Suddenly they gave us a year-end holiday, and we got eleven days off in a row, not to mention that.

Now they're even giving holidays for festivals like the Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Double Ninth Festival.

Is this... still the emperor?

Could it be that the weather suddenly turned sour today?
Happiness came too suddenly, leaving the entire court of officials stunned and losing their confidence.

This is something no emperor would do.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace. Your kindness will never be forgotten and can never be repaid."

His Majesty truly loves his people like his own children and cares deeply for his subjects.

Hu Weiyong bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang once again.

All the civil and military officials in the Hall of Literary Glory bowed down.

This expresses their joy and excitement about the matter.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled as he looked at everyone's reactions.

If they knew that many people in later generations could have weekends off and other holidays.

Wouldn't they all go crazy?

However, Zhu Yuanzhang would not implement the two-day weekend system.

Holidays should be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The Ming Dynasty today has never met the conditions for a two-day weekend.

They were not entitled to weekends off.

Having holidays and a break during festivals like Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival is already quite good.

We can't ask for too much more.

Moreover, he also knew that human desires are endless.

The reason they are so happy and delighted to be given a break at this time is because I have been putting too much pressure on them before.

They only get three days off a year.

They were naturally happy to suddenly have so many more.

But this joy will fade after a few years, and they will get used to it.

They took it for granted.

Many people also felt that they would be very tired and that they didn't get enough vacation time.

Then, if we could implement a ten-day weekend or a two-day weekend, that would be great.

These people will definitely be very happy.

However, this joy also doesn't last very long.

Before long, they will gradually get used to it and enter a period of fatigue again, wanting more.

Therefore, it's best to take vacations in moderation.

But not too much; it needs to be based on the actual situation.

Besides, even in modern times, not many people actually get to have a two-day weekend.

Even in companies that offer weekends off, many employees still work overtime in various forms during those weekends.

"Work hard, we've already paid you and given you time off."

You guys need to work hard from now on, and don't take our good intentions for granted. Your actions should be worthy of the money we give you and the time off we've given you.

Don't let the money be paid and the holidays be given, only for people to perform worse than before.

Then this plan won't work.

If they dare to do that, don't blame us for being ruthless when the time comes.

Don't cry out when the knife hits you.

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, everyone present nodded in agreement.

This indicates that they would absolutely not dare to do such a thing.

I will definitely be more conscientious and responsible in the future, and live up to the emperor's high regard for me.

"In that case, let's get to work properly from now on."

There are still a few days until the Chinese New Year. In these few days, we should hurry up and get everything done before the New Year.

We must not let our guard down.

The end of the year is a crucial time to get through the New Year.
It's not just those demanding repayment or hiding from their debts who have to pass through this checkpoint; we, the officials of the imperial court, also have to pass through it and get things done.

Let's not let everyone become unruly and less productive after we're on holiday.

If that's really the case, then it's better not to take the leave.

As before, the annual three-day weekend will continue.

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, everyone readily agreed.

This indicates that they will absolutely not slack off and will not disappoint the emperor.

Just kidding, it's not easy to encounter an emperor who takes pity on you and grants you such a long holiday.

If this is canceled in the future due to some circumstances, then this would be truly unacceptable.

It's so frustrating to think about, I just want to give myself a good beating.

"Alright, you guys go ahead and get busy."

We won't waste any more time on nonsense; you'll only annoy you if we do.

See you in the future.

Many things are accomplished not by talking, but by doing.

After hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, the group left.

Many people were acting as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

An unprecedented sense of exhilaration.

This year's Spring Festival was truly memorable.

Although the emperor is becoming increasingly inhuman.

However, he is quite reasonable in many matters.

For example, giving holidays and bonuses to officials is quite good.

For a time, the atmosphere was filled with joy.

As a result, the evaluation of Zhu Yuanzhang improved significantly.

……

Zhu Shan was in a very good mood at the Hanlin Academy.

He didn't win first place this time, but he still gained quite a lot.

He passed the exam and was even rated as excellent.

The total rewards received amounted to as much as 150 strings of cash.

Now we can have a prosperous New Year.

Suppressing his excitement, he took out a memorial that had been sitting there for several days.

Open it and examine it carefully.

He had been writing this memorial for many days, but he had been hesitant about whether to submit it.

After hesitating for a long time, he looked at the contents of the memorial again and again.

Finally, he steeled himself, made up his mind, and prepared to submit the memorial the next day.

He was spurred on by the emperor's recent assessment.

I think the current emperor is a person who likes to get things done.

Since that's the case, then I'll do something practical myself.

The thing I did was quite controversial.

However, if one succeeds, it will leave a very good impression on the emperor.

They might even be able to excel in future exams based on this.

Performance-based rewards are something only those who receive them truly appreciate.

The more you wear it, the better it becomes.

Is it any more impressive to receive the emperor's reward through legitimate means and earn money honestly than to embezzle or accept bribes?
This time, he's going to rely on his talent and fight for it fairly and squarely.

Thinking this, he carefully put the memorial away again, preparing to submit it the next day.

We need to hurry and create another political achievement for ourselves before the Chinese New Year.

……

The following day, Zhu Yuanzhang continued to process memorials in the Wuying Hall.

After a while, the memorial in front of him caught his attention.

He was somewhat familiar with this memorial.

Because I saw it in my past life.

But for a moment, I couldn't remember who it was.

I flipped back and looked, and found it was Zhu Shan.

Suddenly, many memories became clear.

"In common folk, the children of maternal uncles and aunts are not allowed to marry."

Enemies may slander and sue, or the engagement may be broken off, or the marriage may end in divorce, or even if the children are grown, the authorities may force them to give up their children.

According to the old law, marriage between elders and juniors was prohibited.

This refers to the mother's sisters...

Zhu Shan's memorial essentially stated that the current imperial court's requirements regarding marriage laws were somewhat too strict.

Previously enacted laws prohibited marriage between elders and juniors.

For example, a man is not allowed to marry his aunt or maternal aunt.

A woman may not marry her uncle or maternal uncle.

These are all reasonable.

It is indeed inappropriate for people with direct blood ties to marry, as it violates human ethics.

However, the current marriage law stipulates that even cousins ​​are not allowed to marry.

That's a bit too inhumane.

There is no direct blood relationship between cousins.

They are of the same generation, and they can marry each other without violating human ethics and moral principles.

On the contrary, it can strengthen the bond between them.

However, the imperial court now has laws stipulating that cousins ​​are not allowed to marry.

Marriage is illegal.

This has led to a situation in many places where cousins ​​who were already married before the law was enacted can easily be used as leverage by enemies to deliberately file a complaint with the authorities.

This will lead to their punishment.

In Zhu Shan's view, this was unreasonable and needed to be abolished.

The best course of action is still to do things the same way as before.

It is legal for cousins ​​to marry.

All that's needed is to prohibit marriage between elders and younger generations.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the memorial written by Zhu Shan and couldn't help but shake his head.

This is the current state of affairs in the Ming Dynasty.

China has been ruled by non-Han peoples for far too long.

Especially in the north, the period of rule was even longer.

Over the years, many ethical concepts have changed significantly.

When those barbarians entered China, they would inevitably be influenced by Chinese culture, and might even be assimilated.

However, their customs and culture will inevitably impact and influence Chinese culture.

For example, the most obvious example is marriage.

Chinese culture emphasizes ethical principles, and marriage between cousins ​​was previously disapproved of.

It's not that no one got married, but rather that there weren't many.

We do not advocate for it, nor do we support it.

As for marriages between elders, nephews marrying aunts, maternal nephews marrying paternal aunts, uncles marrying nieces, maternal uncles marrying nieces, and so on.

It can be said to be completely banned.

But nowadays, such things are becoming quite common.

It was clearly influenced by the barbaric customs of the North and other regions.

This is why marriage laws prohibit these behaviors.

Behind every seemingly outrageous law, there are some rather outrageous real events.

Later, it was discovered that many cousins ​​also married.

Therefore, a new marriage law was enacted, which included a provision prohibiting marriage between cousins, with penalties for doing so.

In Zhu Yuanzhang's view, these were clearly some very wise regulations.

He did the same thing in his past life.

After living in modern society for more than a decade, he felt more and more that his approach was correct.

Did he approve of the memorial Zhu Shan submitted in his previous life?

I would never agree to this again if I encountered it again in this lifetime.

It is true that cousins ​​cannot marry.

Beyond ethics, an even more important aspect is blood ties.

Zhu Yuanzhang, having lived in modern times, knew very well how harmful consanguineous marriage could be.

Thinking this, he immediately marked it with an "X" and put it aside to look at other memorials.

But after thinking about it, I realized that changing customs and traditions is very important.

If I were to fight back like this, Zhu Shan would definitely not be satisfied.

He was dissatisfied with how I handled things in my past life.

This time, perhaps we shouldn't handle the matter of changing customs and traditions so harshly.

This might be an opportunity.

Thinking this, he had someone summon Zhu Shan.

You need to personally talk to Zhu Shan about this matter and explain it clearly.

Some things not only need to be done, but also need to be said.

He could appeal to the emotions and reason with both the common people and the officials.

It's not enough to just let them know that they should do it; they also need to know why they should do it.

In this way, many things will become less efficient.

……

Zhu Shan was overjoyed to learn that the emperor wanted to see him.

My suspicions were indeed correct.

As expected, such a memorial attracted the emperor's attention.

It is likely that the emperor also greatly appreciated his memorial.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have summoned me so urgently.

With a joyful heart, he strode quickly toward the Wuying Hall.

(End of this chapter)