First Minister of Ming Dynasty

First Minister Section 575

In the palace, Mei Jizu, the Marquis of Runan, had been brought before Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhang Ximeng and Xu Da were also there.

Faced with this situation, Mei Jizu prostrated himself on the ground, sweating profusely.

"Superior, criminal minister, the criminal minister is not strict in teaching his children, and unable to manage the family, please punish the superior!"

With a faint smile on Zhu Yuanzhang's face, "Mei Jizu...We have already arrested you, and you are still avoiding the most serious, why are you sophistrying? You think we don't know anything? Your cousin is buying food in a big way. If the imperial court is fighting against each other, why can't you control them?"

Mei Jizu was stunned, and suddenly kowtowed vigorously, "Sir, the cousin of the criminal is indeed a merchant, but since the criminal was ennobled, he has never been in contact with him. The criminal is the leader of the army of His Majesty. , he is a merchant, and his ways are different, so he does not conspire with each other!"

Zhu Yuanzhang really couldn't help laughing out loud, "What's the matter with the five hundred bolts of fine silk? There is no correspondence, and five hundred bolts are given away at once?"

Mei Jizu was taken aback and was stunned. How did His Majesty know this?

Who told him?

At this time, Xu Da finally snorted, "How can you deny it now! From Tang Shengzong, Lu Zhongheng, to Gu Shi, Liao Yongzhong, we have killed many criminals in the Ming Dynasty. You are not the Marquis of Runan The capital of getting rid of the crime. You can never deceive the superior!"

Mei Jizu turned pale with shock, could it be that Xu Da had informed him?

He looked around and finally set his sights on Zhang Ximeng.

"Teacher, help me! I beg you to speak for this official! Xiaguan, you helped to change the name of Xiaguan. I really don't have the heart to fight against the court!"

Zhang Ximeng sighed, "Even a three-year-old child knows what's going on. You also know that I have always regarded the land system and food as the foundation of the country. You want to hold the lifeblood of the court in your own hands. Don't blame the country for being ruthless!"

Speaking of this, Mei Jizu was helpless and hopeless.

Suddenly he gritted his teeth, "I hate you so much! Zhu Yuanzhang, I'm blind, why should I assist you? You are the Ninth Five-Year Supreme, sitting in the world, you can do whatever you want, and you can do whatever you want. Your children are all princes, you Sitting and enjoying the world, thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, all belong to you, you can enjoy it any way you want, I just took a small bite, and you yell and kill, Zhu Yuanzhang, don’t you think you are too ruthless?"

This Marquis of Runan, gnashing his teeth, scolded Lao Zhu severely, his grief and indignation were beyond words.

Zhu Yuanzhang saw it and just sneered slightly.

"It seems that you are no different from those people. You still claim to be a hero and feel that you should have a share in this world! Let me tell you, don't think about it! As long as we are still in this dragon chair, we will not agree!" Old Zhu Xufa All Zhang Zhang, full of anger, "Didn't you say that when we become the emperor, we will sit on the world and everything is ours? I can tell you clearly that we are ruling the world for the people, and doing justice for the people!"

"If you think that dealing with criminals is just doing whatever you want, then we will continue to do it, you are not the only one!"

Mei Jizu was dumbfounded, his face pale.

Lao Zhu waved his hand directly, "Take it down!"

Immediately, a big Han general came up and dragged him down.

After a while, Zhu Yuanzhang finally calmed down, and his face gradually recovered.

Then Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, "We were still wrong after all. We thought at the beginning that relying on the folks, relying on the children and relatives, to form one body, we can do things for us with sincerity and sincerity, and our own people are more at ease. Now it seems that governing the country must pay attention to rules. , especially the in-laws cannot be allowed to run amok."

Zhang Ximeng nodded and said, "Your Majesty, it is true!"

Xu Da also said: "Your Majesty, last time the navy was rectified and a school was established, should we also rectify the cavalry now?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said happily: "This is good, but will it affect the military strength? It will make it impossible to fight and affect the use of troops?"

Xu Da said: "Your Majesty, I think it's just the opposite. Take the soldiers in Yunnan as an example. They have all been equipped with firearms. Zhu Ying has been training soldiers and horses, winning every victory. Burma and Annan are not our opponents. In addition, Feng Guosheng from the Western Regions, Seventy percent of the soldiers and horses in his hands have also been replaced with firearms, and they are invincible in the Western Regions! The minister thought that the time had come to rectify the land and water armies. The old group of princes who could not lead the army should withdraw from the army! "

There is no doubt that the rectification of military affairs touched the core of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhang Ximeng again.

Zhang Ximeng also said: "Your Majesty, some time ago, the entire army purchased new military uniforms, and the effect was very good. I thought that in the future, weapons and military rations would be purchased in large quantities, and the recruitment and training of soldiers would also be under the control of the court. All the soldiers and horses belong to His Majesty, to the imperial court. The foundation of the Ming Dynasty is even more solid!"

Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it again and again, and finally nodded, "Whatever they say! It doesn't matter if they are mean and ungrateful, or they are ruthless! We will go forward for the great Ming Dynasty!"

Zhang Ximeng and Xu Da stood up quickly, "I will follow His Majesty to the death and never return!"

The three monarchs and ministers finally discussed it properly, and it is almost certain that the most critical reform of the Ming Dynasty is about to kick off.

Zhang Ximeng and Xu Da also came out of the palace, and they each concocted specific methods.

Just after the two of them left, Zhang Chengtian ghostly entered the palace and met Zhu Yuanzhang.

Then he handed a list to Lao Zhu.

"This is what I found out today. Marquis Zhao Yong of Nanxiong sold a house, and Marquis Yang Jing of Yingyang sold a batch of curios, including Su Dongpo's relics."

Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback, "Chengtian, how did you find out?"

Zhang Chengtian chuckled, "Your Majesty will not bother you, not only them, but also Minister of the Ministry of Punishment Tu Jie, Minister of Military Affairs Chen Ning... what else does Your Majesty want to know?"

Chapter 798 Zhu Yuanzhang who wants to be the emperor of Zhou

Looking at Zhang Chengtian's smiling round face, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly felt a chill all over his body, his hands and feet trembled, and his whole body trembled.

"Chengtian, are all our civil and military officials like this?"

Zhang Chengtian thought about it seriously, "Not all of them, at least I haven't found Xu Da's crimes, and Tang He, and Liu Bowen didn't have any, and Sun Yan didn't seem to have any since he entered the court not long ago. I can't say anything about the rest... ..."

"do not talk!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked up to the sky and sighed, "If even these people are unreliable, we will not be emperors anymore."

Now that things have happened, Zhu Yuanzhang also feels a strong sense of powerlessness... In terms of hard work, there should be no emperor who can be more diligent than him.

Even after Zhu Biao supervised the country, Lao Zhu still handled more than a hundred government affairs every day, let alone the previous ones.

But generally speaking, the livelihood of ordinary people remains the same.

In peacetime, we can have enough to eat, but in times of famine, we have to rely on relief.

The administration of officials has also improved, but corruption is still rampant. Major cases follow one after another. Zhu Yuanzhang can't kill him anymore. Starting from Tang Lu, wave after wave, Lao Zhu can kill, but he can't just kill.

This is also Zhang Ximeng's change to Lao Zhu. We can't go all the way to the dark, we should find a way to solve the problem fundamentally.Even if it cannot be completely solved, a better way must be explored.

Zhu Yuanzhang thought over and over again, and finally came up with a rough plan, but this plan still needs Zhang Ximeng's help.

"Chengtian, you go home first, we will talk to you later."

Before leaving, Lao Zhu grabbed a bag of candy and handed it to Zhang Chengtian, "The best coconut candy was sent from Lingnan."

Zhang Chengtian took it and thanked Lao Zhu before he left to go home.

Walking on the road, Zhang Chengtian sighed. In fact, the emperor Zhu Yuanzhang is really pitiful. There is really nothing good in the palace.

As for this coconut candy, Zhu Ying had already sent several boxes to the Zhang family and put them in the cellar.

Lao Zhu still needs to be treated as a treasure, or else he should change his mind completely, take care of things less and enjoy life more, isn't that great!

Zhang Chengtian shook his head and returned home.

He sneaked outside Zhang Ximeng's study, poked his head, and looked inside, only to find that his father was also looking at him.

"Get out! When did you become a close minister of the emperor?"

Zhang Chengtian smiled and said: "Father, I told His Majesty the truth today according to what you taught me. I didn't tell the whole thing, but Your Majesty seems very disappointed. What do you think is going on?"

Zhang Ximeng sneered, "Your Majesty will be depressed if you tell me everything." Zhang Ximeng sighed: "In fact, the current Ming Dynasty really needs a thorough reform, and the official system I set up at the beginning also needs to be adjusted. Otherwise, everything depends on Your Majesty." , the various yamen are still in name only. They all depend on His Majesty's wishes. Now that there is an extra prince supervising the country, it is not a change of medicine. Of course, it is not a trivial matter to collect power and delegate power. If you are willing to reform, I will fully support it!"

Zhang Chengtian blinked, "Father, I don't understand these words, can you explain?"

"No!" Zhang Ximeng said bluntly, "You better hurry up and do your homework. If your final grades go backwards, I will melt your gold seal and send you to your elder brother to discipline you!"

"Stop!" Zhang Chengtian cried, just now he was bragging with his elder brother, wanting his elder brother to be his deputy, but in a blink of an eye, if he wants to send him to his elder brother, he might as well kill him.

The little fat man roared and ran away quickly.

Zhang Chengtian didn't leave for a long time before Lao Zhu came. Zhang Ximeng was not surprised at all, because he had expected it a long time ago.

"Sir, we really can't figure it out, but I always feel that we should adjust the official system, maybe it will be much better than it is now?"

Zhang Ximeng laughed, "My lord, you won't be worried that I oppose the reform of the official system, will you?"

Old Zhu was taken aback, "Sir, this official system is your painstaking effort!"

Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "My lord, you underestimate the minister... In fact, the establishment of this official system was also to adapt to the situation of the officials at that time. To put it bluntly, the division under the Zhongshu sect was also for the convenience of the minister and Li Xiang to divide power. , to assist the lord... Now Li Xiang has gone to Korea, and the minister also jumped out of the door, if the lord doesn't mind, I propose to merge the Zhongshu door."

"How to merge?" Old Zhu asked curiously.

"First of all, abolish the left and right prime ministers, and take the chief assistant as the foreman!"

"Chief?"

Zhang Ximeng nodded, "That's right. When I designed my official position, I conceived a cabinet belonging to His Majesty for consultation. Among them, the Chief Assistant Chief is equivalent to the head of His Majesty's close ministers. It's just that it has not been properly functioning for many years. Now the timing is very appropriate, if the lord is able to promote it, I can guarantee that within 30 years, there will be no major problems."

"30 years? Is it too short?"

Zhang Ximeng had no choice but to smile bitterly, "Thousands of generations are indeed not within the scope of my ability!"

Lao Zhu took a deep breath helplessly, "Tell me, what are you going to do?"

"The chief assistant is in charge of the Zhongshu, and all the important ministers of the Shangshu, the foreman, are assigned officials from the lower provinces to assist the first assistant in the matter, and the rest of the ministers assist the Shangshu. The Shangshu is in charge of the government orders, responsible for the execution of the affairs, and then removes the minister. , to reduce the number of officials!"

Zhang Ximeng talked eloquently, and finally brought out the set of things he had been brewing for a long time.

He didn't lie. It was expedient to set up two prime ministers on the left and right, and keep Zhongshu under his door. It can be said that it met the needs of the time.

Li Shanchang and Zhang Ximeng, two people who stand at the top of the civil service, if they insist on letting them work together, it will only cause bad things.

Now that both of them have left the phase, Sun Yan has initially grasped the court situation, and there is no need to train a second Li Shanchang to control the court situation.

All that Zhang Ximeng proposed was to abolish the left and right prime ministers, and use the chief assistant as the leader. In this way, the power of the prime minister will be much smaller and it will be easier to control.

As for Menxia Province, Zhang Ximeng finally came up with his final plan. Menxia Province no longer exists, but the spirit of Menxia Province is still there!

It is to let the officials under the sect become assistant chief assistants and subordinate officials of the Shangshu. They are responsible for daily affairs, including the promotion and evaluation of officials, which are all their responsibilities.

The original Shang Shu was responsible for assisting the prime minister in formulating government orders and implementing them. As for the original minister, he had to be removed.

After all, so many books have been added now, and too many books have been added. If this continues, many bureaucrats will be redundant.

"My lord, even if we are alive, we can still reduce the number of officials. Anyone who wants to do this in the future will be criticized by everyone and will not die well. It is not so easy to streamline the administration!"

Old Zhu couldn't help but sighed softly, "I understand what Mr. means. Let us think about it again."

Zhang Ximeng smiled and said: "Everything is the lord's decision, no matter what I always believe, the lord will definitely choose the best way for the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath, he was being pinched by Zhang Ximeng.

If the country is the most important thing, Lao Zhu has nothing else to say.

What Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Ximeng talked about is naturally top secret, and outsiders have no way of knowing it, but this time the food case alone is shocking.

With the capture of the Mei family, two more marquises were arrested one after another. Zhao Yong and Yang Jing were also invited by Yushitai.

Both of these two were once powerful generals under Xu Da's subordinates, and they made many military exploits. Who knew that after many years, they would face each other again in this way!

Xu Daduan lived in the main hall, and the two of them prostrated themselves on the ground, becoming shameful prisoners.

"In the past few years, you all forgot about the Navy case. You think the law of the country is a joke, and you want to try it yourself! Well, since you have done it, don't be afraid. You deserve it!"

The two people looked at each other, and finally gritted their teeth and sighed, "Wei Guogong, we have committed crimes, and we all admit it. If we die, we will die. It's nothing serious. But we are not convinced!"

"Why don't you accept it?"

"Why? Take the food this time as an example. Zhu Di, the king of Yan, always gave out millions of stones of food! Their old Zhu's family eats hot food, and we can't get anything, so we can only be honest. , as a servant of their old Zhu family? But is there any reason for this? Wei Guogong, you have long been a member of the army, and we all admire you. If you raise your arms, we might not be able to stand up and follow you to do great things! At that time... ..."

"Shut up for me!"

Xu Da's eyes were red, and he scolded angrily: "You crazy people! You are corrupt and break the law, and you dare to shirk and talk nonsense! The imperial court made you hereditary, and you don't have to worry about food and drink. You are not greedy enough! What's the use of talking about anything else? ! You are bound to die!"

The faces of these two people were pale, and they were speechless for a moment.

But at this moment, footsteps sounded, and Zhu Yuanzhang came unexpectedly.

Xu Da hurriedly saluted, and Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, "No need, we know that we have never been able to uphold ourselves and others. How many times have we issued orders against the feudal lords to limit their land to [-] mu, but now think about it , It may not be suitable. How about this, all princesses can choose consorts according to their own wishes. After they get married, they will be removed from the status of royal relatives after three generations. Princes get married and start a business. After five generations, they will be removed from the jade book, and they are not counted as clan emperors. relative."

Xu Da was stunned, and said in shock: "Master, these are all the flesh and blood of the Tian family, don't do that!"

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, "Listen to what we have said. From then on, there will be no feudal towns within the Great Wall. The kings of Qin, Jin, and Yan will all be transferred within three years, and the rest of the princes will stay in the interior. They only have salaries and no fiefs. .After the fifth generation, the jade book will be removed."

Zhu Yuanzhang said to Xu Da: "This is what we have thought about for a long time, and finally decided... our children and grandchildren, after all, we can't ignore it. As for the descendants of princes and princes, we also thought of a way out. If you are willing to go out and open up, we can also give them fiefdoms!"

Xu Da was taken aback, "Boss, this, will this work?"

Old Zhu smiled, "There's nothing wrong with that! You see, the emperor of Zhou enfeoffed so many countries, including principalities, marquis states, and uncle states... Our son is a vassal king, your son is a principal state... We allow everyone Let’s develop outward together, develop together. You can’t just take advantage of our old Zhu family. A few years ago, Huayun went out and did well. From now on, we must vigorously promote and implement it! Prince, Xungui , the honorable children, all of them are listed!"

Xu Da trembled all over, knelt down on both knees, and said meaningfully: "The superior is like this, my Great Ming Dynasty will definitely last forever, far away from the Han and Tang Dynasties!"

Chapter 799 Looking for Brother Jackie Chan

Xu Da was really excited. If Zhu Yuanzhang's previous reforms were still somewhat unsatisfactory, but this time, there is nothing wrong with them.

First of all, in terms of the clan, princesses can choose ordinary people when they marry out. This not only expands the scope, but also avoids the problem of imperial relatives doing evil.