The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 10 Zhu Yuanzhang: Son, you are a genius!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao quickly waved his hand, a helpless smile on his face, and said sincerely, "Father, today is a day for our father and son to reunite. It's a rare occasion to have a joyful gathering. Discussing these matters concerning the emperor and the court is such a spoilsport."

"Besides, discussing court affairs is a serious crime. A slight misstep could backfire. We shouldn't talk too much to avoid trouble. Wouldn't it be better to just have a peaceful meal and chat?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang and Liu Bowen's lips twitched simultaneously, their expressions somewhat complicated.

You do know that criticizing the imperial court is a serious crime!

Zhu Yuanzhang knew perfectly well that Zhu Yao was deliberately avoiding the topic. He could tell that the boy must have a good way to strengthen imperial power and weaken the power of the scholar-officials, but he just didn't want to get involved in court affairs anymore. However, his curiosity and thirst for knowledge had already been aroused, and he felt itchy all over, so he couldn't just give up.

He leaned forward, his tone becoming increasingly gentle, even pleading, and took Zhu Yao's hand, saying, "Yao'er, I know you don't want to talk about these things, but I've been traveling around for many years and don't really understand these matters of the court, nor do I have any clue about them."

"After hearing your words today, I realize how superficial my understanding has been. I must learn from you today. You can't just stand by and watch me return to Kyoto and make mistakes and cause trouble because I don't understand these things, can you?"

Zhu Yao's heart softened slightly when he saw the pleading look in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes.

He really didn't want to talk about these court affairs anymore; he just wanted to do business peacefully. But the man in front of him was his biological father whom he had just recognized. Although his true identity was still uncertain, they were ultimately connected by blood.

If, due to his lack of political acumen, he were to offend the current emperor upon returning and end up being killed, he would have to hold a funeral and a banquet. He never wanted to experience the pain of losing a loved one again.

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Yao sighed softly and nodded: "Alright, Father, since you put it that way, I'll share my thoughts with you. But let's just treat this as a casual chat, and absolutely do not divulge it to anyone else."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's face lit up instantly, and he nodded hurriedly, "Good, good, good! I promise you, I will never tell anyone. Tell me quickly!"

Liu Bowen also perked up, his eyes fixed on Zhu Yao, feeling both nervous and curious. He wanted to know what other shocking ideas this young tycoon could come up with.

He leaned forward slightly, as if afraid of missing a single word.

Zhu Yao cleared his throat and began to speak slowly and clearly, explaining from an institutional perspective how to strengthen imperial power and weaken the power of the scholar-officials: "Father, if we want to strengthen imperial power and weaken the power of the scholar-officials, the key is to start with the system and cut off the possibility of the scholar-officials forming cliques to seize power from the root..."

"First, abolish the prime minister system, eliminate the prime minister position, and divide the prime minister's power into the Six Ministries, which will be directly responsible to the emperor. In this way, the prime minister will not monopolize power and undermine the emperor's authority, and the imperial power will naturally be strengthened."

"Secondly, improve the supervisory system and establish a special supervisory agency directly under the emperor's jurisdiction to supervise all officials in the court, whether they are scholar-officials or local officials. If any abnormal behavior or corruption occurs, it should be reported immediately and dealt with severely. This will not only deter officials but also prevent scholar-officials from forming cliques for personal gain."

"Furthermore, by making good use of people from humble backgrounds, we can break the monopoly of the scholar-official class on officialdom. In the past, most officials in the court were from aristocratic families or scholar-official backgrounds. They colluded with each other and formed power groups, which was not conducive to the centralization of imperial power."

"If more talented people from humble backgrounds are selected to enter the court, and they are allowed to check and balance the power of the scholar-officials, the power of the scholar-officials can be weakened, and fresh blood can be injected into the court."

"Furthermore, the implementation of the eight-legged essay system for selecting officials will standardize the imperial examination system, ensuring that the content and format of the examinations are clearly defined. This will ensure that the selected officials are loyal to the emperor and serve the court, while also preventing scholar-officials from cultivating their own power through the imperial examinations."

"Finally, some of the power of local officials was taken back, and the military, political and financial power of the local areas was firmly in the hands of the emperor. Local officials could only obey the orders of the court and could not make decisions on their own. In this way, the power of local gentry could be weakened, the central government could be strengthened, and the imperial power could be consolidated."

After Zhu Yao finished speaking, he took a sip of tea and said in a calm tone, "Father, these are the methods I can think of. They are just my humble opinions and may not be suitable for the court, but you can take them into consideration."

Upon hearing Zhu Yao's words, Liu Bowen, who was standing to the side, was already so shocked that his face turned ashen and his body trembled slightly. The teacup he was holding fell to the table with a "clatter," splashing tea all over the table.

His eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. His lips moved a few times before he muttered to himself, "Abolish the prime minister system... divide the prime minister's power... promote those from humble backgrounds... use the eight-legged essay for the civil service examination..."

Each of these measures directly targets the foundation of the scholar-official class, and each can be described as a subversion of ancestral systems.

If this were to be implemented, the tradition of "joint rule by the emperor and his ministers" that has lasted for thousands of years would be completely broken, the power of the scholar-officials would be weakened to the extreme, and the imperial power would reach an unprecedented height.

He subconsciously looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, his eyes filled with a complex expression, including shock, worry, and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

Overcome with excitement, Liu Bowen coughed violently again, bending over with the cough, his face turning from white to red, and his breathing becoming rapid.

He quickly pulled out a handkerchief to cover his mouth, his heart churning with turmoil:

This young master Zhu is only in his twenties, a common merchant. How could he come up with such an astonishing and incisive method?

This is no shallow opinion; it is clearly a thunderous measure that shakes the foundation of the nation and reshapes the political order!

Zhu Yuanzhang, however, listened with shining eyes, clapping his hands repeatedly in approval. His face was filled with ecstasy, and his tone was full of praise: "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Yao'er, what you said is wonderful! These methods are truly insightful, every word hitting the nail on the head!"

"Abolishing the position of prime minister, dismantling the prime minister's power, improving the oversight system, and promoting officials from humble backgrounds—every single one of these measures was meticulously planned, and each one effectively strengthened imperial power while weakening the power of the scholar-officials. You, my son, are truly a genius! Your father is so proud of you!"

He stood up excitedly and paced back and forth in the room, already planning how to gradually implement these methods after returning home. His appreciation and affection for Zhu Yao were evident in his words.

Liu Bowen watched Zhu Yuanzhang's expression, his heart growing heavier. He had followed the emperor for many years and knew his temperament well; once the emperor made up his mind about something, nothing could sway him.

His Majesty already harbors resentment towards the excessive power of scholar-officials, and now, after hearing what Young Master Zhu said, he will likely take even more drastic measures.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed the words back down.