Chapter 409: The Beginning of Cleansing the Bureaucracy

Chapter 409: The Beginning of Cleansing the Bureaucracy

Chapter 409: The Beginning of Cleansing the Bureaucracy
As the sky gradually brightened, thin old men came running quickly to Wuying Palace, and some people with mobility impairments came in carriages.

In a short moment, a group of dark-complexioned but vigorous old men gathered in the Wuying Hall.

These old men usually tend to vegetables in the corners of the Imperial Garden.

Or they might take care of the few acres of farmland in the palace, and they were all experts in farming.

They are also the officials from the Beijing Agricultural Administration.

As soon as he entered the hall and saw the memorial, his eyes instantly widened into the size of copper bells.

Zhu Yuanzhang was extremely happy at this moment and pointed to the ground:
"Look at this. I have ordered someone to draw it according to the memorial."

In an instant, a group of old men huddled together.
Staring at the simulated sweet potato plant drawn on the ground and pointing,
In a short while, the floor of Wuying Hall was covered with messy footprints.

"Since sweet potatoes grow on vines, I think they should be planted at a wider distance.

So that the vines have room to spread out, otherwise they will get tangled with each other and compete for nutrients!"

An old man with white hair and beard, hunched body but a loud voice was the first to speak.
He gestured the size of the distance with his hands, and it seemed as if there were thousands of acres of fertile fields under his feet.

"Humph, don't talk nonsense!"

A lean and capable old man with sunken cheeks next to him said unconvincedly, and also pushed hard with his elbow:
“If the spacing is too wide, won’t the land be wasted?

Sweet potatoes are high-yielding, so plant them closely and apply more fertilizer.
The vines provide shade to each other, and who knows, they may even produce more fruits!"

Everyone was arguing with each other, their faces red and ears flushed, and the hall was filled with a buzzing sound.

Some say that we should dig deep ditches to facilitate drainage and prevent the sweet potatoes from rotting.

Some insist on shallow planting, claiming that the plant has strong adaptability and can take root even in shallow soil layers.

I also worry about when to cut the vines and how to preserve the mother plant.
Each of them insisted on his own opinion and refused to give in to the other.

Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao and Guo Ying stood aside, listening happily.

Although the scene was noisy, my heart was filled with relief.

Zhu Biao would occasionally bend over to pick up the scattered dirt on the ground.

I tilted my head and looked at the arrangement of the sweet potato plants.
Sometimes he nodded, sometimes he frowned in thought.

Farming is the first priority for all the emperors in the palace.

As the crown prince, he naturally took the lead.

"Stop arguing. What are you arguing about?"

Zhu Yuanzhang shouted, and the hall fell silent instantly.

"When the seeds arrive, clear out a few plots of land in the palace.

Each of you can plant crops according to your own method, and then compare them in autumn. You will know whose method is better at a glance!"

Everyone responded with a roar, their eyes sparkling with excitement and eagerness to try.

The Wuying Palace was silent for only a moment.
The old men started to shout loudly again, refusing to give in to each other.

In desperation, Zhu Yuanzhang had to drive them away and ordered people to clean the hall.

He looked at the muddy footprints on the ground, without any dissatisfaction in his heart. Instead, he looked at Zhu Biao and warned:
"There are two most important things in the country: planting good crops and fighting good wars.
These people are all capable people, and they are beneficial to the country.

If one day I am gone, Biaoer must treat them well."

Crown Prince Zhu Biao looked serious:

"Father is in good health, please don't say such unlucky words."

"He's already half buried in the ground, why should he still be so taboo?
I am not afraid of death, but I don’t want to die. I still have too many things to do as a father.”

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were deep, and he gently patted Zhu Biao's shoulder:

"As a father, I want to see Biaoer grow up to be a man who can stand tall and proud, and support the Ming Dynasty.
Don't worry, I can handle it."

"Please rest assured, father. I will do my best!"

"Hahaha."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled, then turned to look at Guo Ying who was standing quietly beside him, and said with a smile:
"Guo Si, how is your son who went to the war? I think his name is Guo Quan?"

Guo Ying, who was wearing armor and looked quite majestic, looked strange and cupped his hands:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, my sixth son's name is indeed Guo Quan.

At this time, he was serving as a deputy musketeer in Lu Yunyi's army, and was in charge of the musketeer affairs together with Xu Zengshou.

A few days ago, he sent a letter home, saying that he had made great contributions on the battlefield.

After reading this, I feel very relieved. "

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression softened a bit:
"Okay, Jiujiang also sent me a letter a few days ago.

He said he had learned a lot of skills and that life in the army was too hard.

None of his colleagues felt tired, but he looked sick and listless day by day.

These guys, born rich, don't know the sufferings of the people.

Everyone in the army is tired, but they are just trying to hold on.
It’s just that he has a way out, at worst he can just be an idle duke, which is particularly obvious.”

Perhaps because he was in a good mood, Guo Ying felt that His Majesty talked more today.

He smiled and nodded repeatedly:
"Your Majesty is right. Guo Quan was not ambitious before.
I told him that he was not allowed to spend a penny of my money from now on, so he obediently joined the army.

Now I see, it is right.

This kid Lu Yunyi has come up with a lot of new things.

Only five thousand soldiers can break through a camp of one hundred thousand men with their muskets.
In the past, I would never have dared to think about it.”

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression became more serious and he nodded as well:

"Firearms are good, but the army is full of old guys.
They don't like to use firearms, thinking that they are troublesome and can't kill many people, and are worse than bows and crossbows.

Now, I want to see what else they have to say."

Zhu Yuanzhang paced back and forth at the top and looked at Crown Prince Zhu Biao:
"Biao'er, in the future, whether in the court or in the army, use more young people.

They are quick to learn new things, more agile, and more intelligent. "

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flashed with cruelty, and he snorted:
"Unlike some people in the court, who rely on their seniority and occupy the toilet without doing anything,
Just like this Governor's Mansion, if Lan Yu didn't come back to manage them,

He is always slow in doing things, how can he be as efficient as young people? "

Zhu Biao's face was solemn. The Ming Dynasty had just been established for twenty years.

Redundant officials and staff have not appeared yet, but the seniority system in the court is very serious.
Some of the elders who were there when the country was founded still held key positions, and the imperial court could not say anything.
But, it is because of them,

The implementation of government policies is extremely slow and seems lifeless.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao's eyes also flashed with ruthlessness. He moved a little closer and lowered his voice:

"Father, Jiujiang and Yunyi were assassinated in Yunnan.

The person behind this must be extremely bold and powerful. The court must not miss this opportunity.

I think the three departments should jointly investigate the case, and the governor's office should cooperate.
Find out the person behind this incident.
Clean up the court and restore the Qingming Dynasty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang paused, his face suddenly darkening.

He snorted coldly, then returned to the imperial desk and sat down.
After a long time, he spoke in a deep voice:
"Just after winning the battle, the commander was assassinated.

He used a heavy crossbow, how daring!
Order the three divisions to jointly investigate this matter. Make sure to find the murderer and give an explanation to all the soldiers before the Beijing troops return."

Zhu Biao bowed slightly, with a sharp look in his eyes.

He knew the reason why his father suddenly agreed to this matter today.
The confirmation of the high yield of sweet potatoes gave the imperial court much more confidence!

"My son, I obey!"

At this time, a slightly hurried voice sounded again outside the Wuying Palace.

The guard soldier rushed in with a document marked as an urgent matter of 800 miles.

Seeing this, Guo Ying hurried forward and took the document.

"General, there is an urgent report from the Yunnan Regional Commander." The soldier lowered his voice.

Guo Ying nodded: "Go down."

Guo Ying then quickly stepped forward, headed towards the imperial desk, and handed over the memorial in his hand:

"Your Majesty, urgent news from Yunnan."

Crown Prince Zhu Biao was shocked. Another urgent news?

Zhu Yuanzhang took the memorial, opened it and read it quickly.

[I, Ning Zheng, the commander of Yunnan, respectfully report:

I respectfully present this memorial to His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty:
I have heard that the law of nature is cyclical and retribution is inevitable.
Recently, an incident occurred in Kunming Prefecture, Yunnan, which was a rare case of divine punishment.
I was shocked to hear this and dared not hide it, so I wrote this memorial to explain the matter and hope that Your Majesty will make a wise decision. In Kunming Prefecture, there is a brothel. Its owner, Miao Hong, is cruel and merciless, and has done many evil things.
Using brothels as bait to lure decent women,

They even used this as a means to collude with local tyrants and plunder.

As a result, people became displaced, their families were broken up, and they complained everywhere, causing wrath from heaven and resentment from the people.

Among the victims was a scholar named Xiong Chengyu, who came from a wealthy family.
I wanted to work hard to become stronger, but I didn't expect to encounter such a disaster.
His father was murdered and his family property was embezzled by Miao Hong in collusion with the powerful.

Xiong Chengyu was filled with grief and indignation. On a rainy night,

Standing on Kunming Square, I looked up to the sky and shouted:

"If you violate the laws of nature and do something rebellious, heaven will punish you!"

"Please, Heaven, distinguish between loyalty and treachery!"

Before he could finish his words, there were suddenly dark clouds, lightning and thunder.
A bolt of lightning cut through the sky like a dragon and struck down.

Suddenly, bricks and stones collapsed, fire and smoke rose.
He actually killed Xiong Chengyu and another villain Miao Hong who was also present.
Blood splattered on the spot, and the civilians and soldiers were all horrified, viewing it as a punishment from heaven.

I believe that although this is a strange phenomenon, it is actually caused by the people's boiling resentment.

The local government has hidden problems, and they allowed this evildoer to run rampant, causing the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people.
If the case is not thoroughly investigated and dealt with severely, it will damage Your Majesty's compassion for the people and undermine the prestige of the court.

We should quickly send honest and capable officials to Kunming to arrest the evil party involved and investigate the connections behind it.

Comfort the people affected by the disaster, investigate the losses of their properties, and provide proper relief and resettlement.

Re-examine local criminal cases and government affairs, rectify the administration of officials,
Let virtuous people govern the area, ensure the people live in peace, and restore peace to Yunnan.
To demonstrate Your Majesty’s wisdom, benevolence and virtue, and to protect the dignity of the national law.

I bow my head and kowtow again, and hereby submit this memorial to the heavens.

I hope that Your Majesty will make a wise decision to demonstrate the power of heaven and reassure the people.]
[April 18, the 22nd year of Hongwu]
At first, Zhu Yuanzhang just frowned more and more tightly, as if he could pinch mosquitoes and flies to death.
When I read about the various heinous crimes committed by the brothel owner,
When countless innocent people were tortured and their families were ruined,

Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the imperial desk with a loud "bang", causing the pen and inkstone on the desk to jump several times.

The dragon's face turned red in an instant, and the veins on his forehead bulged, just like a winding angry dragon.

"Bastard!"

Zhu Yuanzhang roared angrily, his voice like a loud bell, shaking the palace beams so much that dust fell off.

"How dare such a filthy scoundrel act recklessly under my nose and disregard the laws of the country!"

Are all the officials in Kunming blind and deaf?

Let this beast run rampant and harm the people of Ming Dynasty!"

He stood up suddenly, his dragon robe rustling, and walked back and forth quickly.
The bricks and stones under his feet seemed to be crushed, and he turned around and ordered:
"Issue an order to immediately send capable people from the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Dali Temple to Kunming for a joint investigation.
All of his accomplices must be brought to justice for me, and no one should escape!

All officials involved in dereliction of duty and covering up the crime, regardless of their rank, were stripped of their official hats and escorted to the capital.

The three judges will interrogate you and will not let you off easily!
I want to see who gave you the courage.
How dare you to change the situation in the Ming Dynasty and commit such a sin! "

The eunuchs were so frightened that they kept silent and hurriedly followed the order and left.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao and Marquis of Wuding Guo Ying, who were standing by, were confused, not knowing what was going on.

Soon, both of them learned what was written in the memorial.
His face was also serious and tense, with a hint of anger in his eyes.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao looked at the eunuch Jixiang who was silent beside him and waved his hand gently.

Jixiang understood immediately and ran out quickly.
Soon, several young eunuchs in red robes brought up plates of breakfast.

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes widened when he saw this. Just as he was about to scold him, Crown Prince Zhu Biao spoke first:
"Put your things down, and everyone get out."

Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang stopped talking and stood there angrily, breathing rapidly.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao smiled helplessly upon seeing this.
He was already familiar with this kind of situation.

Treat elderly people like you would treat children.

He walked over quickly, took his father's hand, and said softly:
"Father, I heard a saying a few days ago that everything that happens will be good for me.
The punishment from heaven is both a crisis and an opportunity.
No matter what, I couldn't delay my father's meal.

Come soon.
The imperial physician said that a day's plan begins in the morning, and you can skip dinner, but you must eat breakfast."

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression eased a little, and he followed Zhu Biao to the table and sat down.
"I am just a little angry. I have so many officials in the Ming Dynasty.
If everyone performed their duties and fulfilled their responsibilities, how could the world be a bad place?
It's a pity that there are such mediocre people.
They colluded with some businessmen and powerful people to oppress the people.

I am afraid that some people will be like me back then.
If you can't get enough food, just rebel.

Even if there is no storm,
But as the torch is passed on, more and more people will become dissatisfied with the court, and that will be a disaster.”

Zhu Biao spread a Bo cake on the wooden table.

He picked up the chopsticks, picked up some pickles and put them in the pancake, then rolled it up and handed it to his father.

"Father, this has not happened yet, so we can prepare for it.
If you worry all day long, you will inevitably get sick, so don't let your son worry.

Come, take the bread, I will serve you another bowl of porridge."

Zhu Yuanzhang said nothing. He looked at the rolled cake, muttered a few words, and took it.

He took the porridge and spoon handed to him by Zhu Biao.

The Wuying Palace fell silent for a moment.

Zhu Yuanzhang was a little absent-minded, stirring it back and forth with a spoon.

"Biao'er, who do you think did this?"

Zhu Biao, who was wolfing down his porridge, raised his head in bewilderment:
"Father, this is just the victim's revenge. How can it be considered a punishment from heaven?

The matter of the divine thunderbolt is nothing but a coincidence. If you believe it, it exists. If you don’t believe it, it doesn’t exist.”

Zhu Yuanzhang regained his composure and nodded gently:
"This is true, but the people are ignorant and especially believe in this.

By then, we two will have to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple all day long.
Worship the ancestors and worship the gods."

At this point, Zhu Biao showed some fatigue on his face and sighed softly:
"This time, let me perform the sacrifice to the heaven.
My father is old, he has to move around, but he can’t move around too much either.”

"Thank you for your hard work, Biao'er."

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang was very happy.

There are many rules for sacrifices, and you may have to stand for several hours.
In the past, he did everything himself, but now that his son has grown up, he can take on the burden for his old father, which makes him very happy.

Seeing him like this, Zhu Biao smiled and felt that the older his father got, the more he acted like a child:

"Father, it's about the sweet potatoes.
If the Agricultural Administration Institute really succeeds in its research, the Ministry of Rites will certainly organize a grand ceremony, and father won’t be able to hide away then.”

Zhu Yuanzhang took a big bite of the pancake and waved his hand:
"That's fine."

Then he muttered:

"This thief God is useless on weekdays. I have to tell him when I find something interesting. It's really annoying."

Zhu Biao looked helpless: "My father is the emperor, I can't say this outside."

"Son of Heaven, my father is your grandfather, Zhu Wusi.

My father was starving to death, but God didn't help him.
When my father became rich and became the emperor, it suddenly popped out.

If it weren't for the people, Dad would have scolded it."

Zhu Yuanzhang drank his porridge while mumbling.

Zhu Biao was not surprised by this.

If there were outsiders present, my father would still be the majestic Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
Only the father and son were there, and the father was not so reserved.
I just talk about whatever comes to my mind and I'm not that nervous.

Zhu Yuanzhang drank the bowl of porridge in one gulp.
He took the handkerchief and wiped his mouth, then laughed, his eyes regaining their dignity:

"But this time, I have to thank this thief God.

It gave us a starting point, otherwise we wouldn’t know where to start in cleaning up the bureaucracy.”

Zhu Biao's face became serious, his eye sockets were deep, and he nodded gently:

"Father, I will ask the Governor's Office to issue an order today.
Let the Beijing troops rush back quickly. When they return with a great victory, they will also make some people feel apprehensive. "

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded gently:
"The rewards for the Beijing troops must be calculated in advance and distributed as soon as they return.
The purpose of joining the army and fighting is to protect the country and to take care of the family.

The Beijing army suffered heavy losses this time, and we cannot treat them unfairly.

In addition, the four military governors of Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, and Beiping were ordered to select elite soldiers to come to Beijing.
As for how to replenish the Beijing army, the Governor's Office will discuss and let Lu Yunyi take the first choice. "

Zhu Biao's eyes flickered and he nodded gently:
"Father, if Yun Yi is allowed to choose first, I'm afraid some rumors will arise."

"It doesn't matter, he married Wenying's daughter,

After all, you still have to call me grandpa, so let’s do it.”

Speaking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes became deep:
"Biao'er, you need to keep a close eye on the affairs of the Censorate recently.

Zhan Hui is a capable person, but he is not tough, so we need to push him."

"Yes, I understand."

(End of this chapter)