Zhu Di: My fourth son is a great emperor of all time?

Chapter 65 Zhu Gaoshuo's Reforms: Establishing a Separate Court!
What Zhu Gaoshuo did in the sky was indeed very puzzling.

Even if Zhu Di wanted him to oversee the country, he was now in a difficult position.

The reason is simple: the fourth son offended officials, gentry, and scholars.

To be precise, Zhu Gaoshuo has already offended Zhu Gaoshuo.

Instead, they killed them out of fear.

Just like Huang Chao back then.

But Zhu Gaoshuo was not Huang Chao, but the regent of the Ming Dynasty, and he had to prioritize the Ming Dynasty.

Indeed, at that time, a climate of fear gripped Nanjing, with the Embroidered Uniform Guard infiltrating every nook and cranny, causing widespread panic and fear that Prince Qi would come knocking on everyone's door.

[Zhu Gaoshuo's actions served as a warning to others, instilling fear in scholars throughout the land, and gradually causing them to withdraw from the rebellion against Prince Qi.]

Even the most aloof scholars are still human; they too feel fear, for they have discovered that Zhu Gaoshuo is truly indiscriminate in his killings, and even Zhu Di cannot stop him.

"Are these scholars really afraid?"

Zhu Di laughed out loud, thinking that these people were all fearless of death.

In the end, the so-called integrity of scholars was still shattered.

But soon, Zhu Di began to worry that if he could kill so many scholars, then the fourth prince's hands would probably be stained with just as much blood as his.

With scholars no longer involved, the common people quickly came to believe in the reforms implemented by Zhu Gaoshuo.

Zhu Gaoshuo's only remaining enemy was the officials and gentry, who were also the most troublesome. They would not give up their enormous profits; it could be said that these officials and gentry controlled most of the Ming Dynasty's wealth and resources.

Zhu Gaochi was very confident. He believed that Zhu Gaoshuo would be unable to completely control these officials and gentry, and that the matter would ultimately fizzle out. That would be enough to suppress the prestige of the fourth prince.

Zhu Gaochi truly felt he had had enough. Too many people had died, and he genuinely regretted it. Although he hadn't killed them, they had died because of him. However, due to his son Zhu Zhanji's pleas, he hardened his heart.

"Zhu Zhanji!"

Zhu Di roared, and Zhu Zhanji immediately knelt down, cold sweat pouring down his head.

This was the first time his grandfather had ever lost his temper with him like that.

"What exactly have you done? Is the throne something you have to fight for?"

"Believe it or not, I'll take your head today!"

"Father, spare me!"

Zhu Gaochi hurriedly knelt down and begged. Only after hearing his eldest son's words did Zhu Di come to his senses, after all, the matter had not yet occurred.

It's not time to kill them yet.

Moreover, if he really killed his eldest grandson, he wouldn't be able to explain it to his eldest son.

But Zhu Di's words made Zhu Zhanji feel very wronged.

Zhu Zhanji said in a deep voice, "Grandfather, am I wrong?"

“When I was a child, you told me that I would become the emperor in the future. If that’s the case, why are you still supporting your fourth uncle?”

"Isn't it good for me to be emperor?"

"Didn't I usher in the prosperous era of Renxuan?"

“But you gave birth to a good-for-nothing like Zhu Qizhen!” Zhu Di roared.

The fact that Zhu Qizhen's surname was Zhu was the greatest humiliation for him.

Zhu Zhanji was stunned for a moment, and this time he did not speak.

He wanted both the woman he loved and the throne.

Even the old man couldn't force him to make a choice.

But at this moment, Zhu Di had no time to pay attention to Zhu Zhanji; he was more interested in seeing how Zhu Gaoshuo would complete the reforms.

And what will the Ming Dynasty become after the reforms are completed?

Zhu Gaochi initially thought his fourth brother was beyond help, but gradually, he realized something was wrong.

Zhu Gaoshuo had, at some point, begun to cultivate a group of lower-ranking officials. [Lower-ranking officials?]

Zhu Di was very puzzled. His fourth son had offended the most powerful officials, so why was he now trying to win over lower-level officials?

Zhu Gaochi quickly understood Zhu Gaoshuo's intentions; it was a reckless act—Prince Qi, Zhu Gaoshuo, actually wanted to change the court!

Seeing that his fourth son had a solution, Zhu Di breathed a sigh of relief.

He had indeed worried that the fourth brother was killing people indiscriminately, but now it seems that this is not the case.

Zhu Gaoshuo had planned this all along.

As for the change of the imperial court...

Zhu Di had already guessed the general idea.

The solution should be to replace these dissenting officials.

[In fact, the late Emperor Zhu Gaoshuo meant to replace the existing leadership; in his view, the court was already rotten to the core and needed a complete overhaul.]

Many officials even came from the Hongwu era and had long since become part of the upper class, leading to a solidified class structure.

At the time, the only solution Zhu Gaoshuo could think of was to start everything from scratch.

"Sure enough!"

Zhu Di had some idea of ​​Zhu Gaoshuo's intentions, but he didn't quite understand the reasoning behind them.

"Fourth brother, what does 'class solidification' mean?"

Zhu Gaochi suddenly asked.

This left everyone present dumbfounded.

Why would anyone ask about rivals in factional struggles?

To their surprise, Zhu Gaoshuo patiently explained.

"The general idea is that the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, the gap between the rich and the poor widens, and social status becomes unequal. In layman's terms, it's fixed and no longer changes!"

"It's actually just the law of history; it's unavoidable, and it applies to every dynasty."

In any dynasty, it would be impossible to overthrow the court and start anew with a fresh start.

The Ming Dynasty happened to be a period when military power was highly centralized, which gave Zhu Gaoshuo such an opportunity.

[This is where our ancestor's brilliance lay; he foresaw that if the Ming Dynasty were allowed to continue developing in this way, it would soon rot away from its core and officially enter the end of its reign.]

Everyone should know that every time class barriers are broken down, it signifies a change of dynasty.

Just like the Yuan Dynasty, which collapsed so quickly because of class contradictions, land was annexed, and the lower classes could not survive, so they rebelled.

When the Ming Dynasty was first established, all assets were redistributed. The people had land and worked happily, which naturally created an atmosphere of good governance. However, as time went on, the oppression of the upper class became increasingly severe, and class stratification solidified. When class stratification reached a certain point, the emperor could no longer stop it, and the fall of the country became a natural consequence.

Every dynasty starts off with great enthusiasm and determination, but when it falls, it makes all sorts of messy decisions, robbing Peter to pay Paul, making things worse and worse. This isn't necessarily the emperor's fault; it's something no one can do about it.

History seems to go in circles; it keeps repeating itself.

Tianmu's words were completely ahead of their time, and everyone present felt they had benefited greatly.

They were all ministers who brought peace to the country, and naturally they had all pondered why those dynasties perished, whether it was due to the incompetence of the emperor or the machinations of powerful ministers.

They wondered if avoiding all of this could prevent the country from falling.

Now, through the words of later generations, they understand that the fall of a nation was an inevitable historical event.

It is unstoppable.

Zhu Di was also deeply shocked.

The fourth prince's decision to establish a separate dynasty within the Heavenly Curtain was actually more dangerous, as it could very well lead to the instant collapse of the country. Only the fourth prince, a great emperor throughout history, could accomplish such a feat.

"Fourth Prince, if the Ming Dynasty were in its final days, would it perish?" Zhu Di asked.

"I have a plan that could extend the life of the Ming Dynasty by a hundred years."

(End of this chapter)