plumnovel Chapter 20 Concerning Marriage; Concerning Salary
Chapter 20 Concerning Marriage; Concerning Salary
Upon hearing this, Zhu Mu's heart stirred slightly.
Liu Bowen.
This name is an extremely special and tragic one among the founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty.
Historically, Liu Bowen suffered a desolate old age under the shadow of the Hu Weiyong case.
Zhu Mu quickly calculated in his mind.
Liu Wanyan, daughter of Liu Bowen, came from a scholarly family with strict upbringing, so she must have been a good person.
In terms of age, being three years younger than myself is just the right age.
More importantly, she is Liu Bowen's daughter.
If this marriage alliance could be formed, I would gain a strong connection with the civil officials in the court.
More importantly, there will inevitably be a power struggle between the future emperor and the meritorious officials. If Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to take action against Liu Bowen, he would most likely leave him a way out for the sake of his daughter-in-law.
Zhu Mu has saved many people since he came to this era.
In the future, we will inevitably have to save even more people.
Liu Bowen is naturally included in this list.
Zhu Mu glanced at Zhu Biao beside him, and seeing the approval in his elder brother's eyes, he nodded and lowered his voice, saying:
"Jing'er, your friend is indeed a good choice. If Father and Mother mention her later, I will agree to try getting to know her. If they don't mention her, I will bring it up myself."
Seeing that her second brother hadn't rejected her suggestion but instead took it so seriously, Zhu Jingjing was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, Sister Wanyan is a very kind person. She is learned and talented, and she will certainly not let you down!"
Zhu Biao patted Zhu Mu on the shoulder and smiled:
"It seems that my second brother's marriage will be settled here in Kunning Palace today."
The three exchanged a knowing smile, their understanding unspoken.
The atmosphere inside the hall was also focused on the important matter of the children's marriage.
Zhu Yuanzhang put down his teacup, looked at Zhu Mu, and smiled meaningfully:
"Mu'er, your mother and I just discussed it. Now that you're fifteen, it's time to arrange a marriage for you."
Have you considered the daughters of meritorious officials, nobles, and even high-ranking court ministers of marriageable age?
Zhu Mu put down his wine glass, his gaze calm and serious, and said:
"Father, I do not have a specific candidate in mind, but I was just chatting with my sister and heard that Mr. Liu Bowen has a daughter named Wanyan. I have heard that she is of upright character and intelligent."
"If Father and Mother allow it, I would like to try to meet her."
Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter and turned to look at Empress Ma:
"You little rascal, Mu'er, you already have a target before anything's even happened?"
When Empress Ma heard that she was Liu Bowen's daughter, her eyes immediately lit up with approval.
She smiled gently:
"Master Bowen was a founding father and a great Confucian scholar. His daughter's upbringing and character must be impeccable. I think Jing'er's suggestion is excellent."
Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his chin, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Liu Bowen, that old fellow, was very learned, but he was too aloof. He always had that scholarly air about him, and sometimes he would look at me as if I were an uncultured peasant.
He chuckled to himself:
You old codger, don't you pride yourself on being a paragon of virtue?
We're going to make sure our son marries your daughter, making you our in-law! Let's see if you dare to put on airs in front of us again!
Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang slapped his thigh, overjoyed:
"Okay! It's settled then! Let's get this done today!"
This decisive and efficient approach caught Zhu Mu somewhat off guard.
The family enjoyed a cozy lunch at Kunning Palace.
In the afternoon, Zhu Yuanzhang, accompanied by Zhu Biao and Zhu Mu, moved to the Wuying Hall, where government affairs were handled.
As soon as he sat down, Zhu Yuanzhang gave the following instructions:
"Go and invite Liu Ji, the Earl of Chengyi, to come here."
While waiting for Liu Bowen, Zhu Yuanzhang was not idle either. He pulled out a memorial on the table concerning the corruption of local officials and threw it on the table with a gloomy face:
"Biao'er, Mu'er, look at this! The soldiers of the Northern Expedition are bleeding and risking their lives on the front lines, while these corrupt officials are preying on the people in the rear. Do they really think our swords aren't sharp enough?!"
Zhu Biao picked up the memorial, his brow furrowed, and said in a deep voice:
"Father, I believe that severe punishment should be used! Promulgate laws, establish censors to inspect all regions, and punish all those who are corrupt by skinning them alive and stuffing their bodies with straw, as a warning to others!"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded; this was exactly what he had in mind.
He looked at Zhu Mu:
"Mu'er, what do you think?"
Zhu Mu pondered for a moment, then bowed and said:
"Father, elder brother, I believe that severe punishments are necessary, but they are ultimately just a stopgap measure. To combat corruption, we should treat it like water; it is better to dredge than to block."
"sparse?"
Zhu Yuanzhang became interested.
"How should we dredge it?"
"Increase the salaries of officials."
Zhu Mu said, word by word,
"Father, the salaries of officials in our Great Ming Dynasty are currently the lowest in history. In many places, officials can hardly support their families on their salaries alone."
"No one is perfect. When family members are seriously ill and there is no money for treatment, and children are starving and destitute, it is hard to expect them to still uphold the bottom line of integrity."
"Under high pressure, while it may deter some people, it will also force others to take risks, become even more greedy, and hide their true intentions even deeper."
"Are you stupid?!"
Zhu Yuanzhang flew into a rage and slammed his fist on the imperial desk.
"What we hate most are corrupt officials! Officials are paid by the emperor and should bear the emperor's burdens; they should be honest and upright! Giving them high positions and generous salaries will only make them more insatiable and greedier!"
Zhu Mu was not intimidated; instead, he bowed again, braving Zhu Yuanzhang's wrath.
"Father, please calm your anger. I am not defending corrupt officials; those who are corrupt must be executed!"
"But we must also look at the root cause. High salaries may not guarantee integrity, but low salaries will inevitably lead to corruption. Nobody wants to risk their life."
"We provide officials with salaries sufficient for a decent life, coupled with strict supervision and punishment, combining kindness and severity. In this way, law-abiding citizens can live in peace, while those who harbor侥幸心理 (a gambler's mentality) will face severe punishment."
"This is the only way to achieve long-term stability and security."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao's eyes lit up, and he immediately offered his support:
"Father, my second brother is right. A combination of blocking and guiding is the best solution. If officials can live with dignity, they will naturally cherish their official hats even more."
Zhu Yuanzhang's face was dark, and his chest heaved violently.
He stared intently at Zhu Mu. This son had put forward something he had never thought of before, something he even instinctively resisted, but upon careful consideration, he had to admit that it made sense.
After a long while, he finally let out a heavy sigh through his nose:
"That seems to be the case."
He pointed at Zhu Mu's nose and said irritably:
"You little brat, don't think you can pontificate just because you won a battle!"
"Since you brought this up, don't go back to your Prince Chu's residence for the next few days. Stay in your brother's Eastern Palace! Come with us and the Crown Prince to figure out the regulations for these salaries! If things don't go well, you won't be able to leave the palace!"
Zhu Mu was taken aback, then smiled wryly; this was a case of being forced to work overtime.
He could only bow and accept the order:
"Your subject obeys the decree."
He also secretly pondered that, apart from the issue of officials' salaries, one of the biggest problems of the Ming Dynasty was the issue of supporting the princes, which emptied the national treasury.
Now that he is the only prince among the feudal lords, this is a good opportunity to take this issue into consideration before the next major conferment of feudal lord titles, and to propose a solution from the root cause.
Although changing the rules for supporting the princes would anger my father, it would be smoother to do it when my eldest brother ascends the throne.
However, if this matter could be resolved during the Hongwu reign and incorporated into ancestral rules, it would be more beneficial for the implementation of the policy.
I can discuss this with my older brother when I have the chance.