As a civil official, one of the prerequisites for success in the officialdom was to be obedient.
When he was a low-ranking official, he had to listen to the overtones of his superior's words. When he became the emperor's courtier, he had to listen to the emperor's overtones.
If he couldn't do this, he wouldn't be able to be an official and would have been removed long ago.
Liang Menglong naturally understood the emperor's meaning. This wasn't a discussion, but an order for him to carry it out.
This wasn't a big deal. As an official, this was what he had to do.
However, Liang Menglong heard another layer of meaning in Zhu Yijun's words, one that Liang Menglong didn't dare to think too deeply about.
The emperor wanted to promote the status of the craftsmen. Once the craftsmen completed their classification, they would receive different treatment in addition to different salaries. Once they had privileges, there would naturally be a difference in status.
Liang Menglong only thought of this and didn't think deeper. Even so, Liang Menglong was a little hesitant.
Liang Menglong was in favor of opening up the status of the craftsmen, but was it necessary to promote the status of the craftsmen?
As a disciple of the Confucian School and a scholar, he was used to stepping on people of other professions to rise in status.
Ever since the Hundred Schools of Thought were dethroned and Confucianism was revered, the Confucian School had suppressed the other schools. The Hundred Schools of Thought were nowhere to be seen.
After settling the Hundred Schools of Thought, the Confucian School began to suppress the other professions, such as scholars, agriculture, industry, and commerce.
Especially in the Great Song, the saying that good men outside the Dong Hua Gate were the best established that all other professions were inferior, but scholars were the best.
Liang Menglong could see that the current emperor promoted the military and the Honours.
Liang Menglong also felt that there was nothing wrong with this. It was to make the country rich and powerful, but wasn't it a little too much to promote the craftsmen?
Some things needed to be maintained. Once it was broken, many things would be gone.
In fact, Liang Menglong wasn't wrong, but his thinking was shallow. Zhu Yijun wanted to break the saying that all other professions were inferior, but scholars were the best. He wanted to get rid of the saying that good men outside the Dong Hua Gate were the best.
Zhu Yijun was very clear what this saying would bring to the country.
Everyone swarmed to take the imperial examinations, then swarmed to become officials, and then swarmed to become officials and businessmen. If they did not get rid of this argument and the idea that everything else was inferior, they would not be able to change their nature no matter what they did.
The official system could not be changed. Whether it was in this country or other countries, the voices of those with power were louder.
Only by being a Daming Official could you be envied and respected by others, not because you were a scholar. These were two different concepts.
With the civil service system as the foundation, the improvement of craftsmen as the wall, and the elevation of the status of soldiers as the pillar, Daming's new values were forged.
Zhu Yijun's next step was to get rid of Donghua Gate's external registration and completely get rid of the imperial examinations. If you want to be an official, sure. You have to take the civil service exam and work your way up from the bottom.
Daming didn't need officials who studied behind closed doors, didn't need officials who didn't know how to differentiate between the five grains, and didn't need officials who had several advisors around them.
Many ministers were already in their forties when they passed the Jinshi examination. Considering the lifespan of the Daming era, how many years could they last?
What could they do?
Passing the Xiucai examination was enough. Then, taking the civil service exam was the right thing to do.
After the craftsmen passed the examination, Zhu Yijun would give the craftsmen who served in the imperial court the status of a civil servant.
When the time was right, he would link the ranks of the civil and military officials. They could be transferred from military to civilian, or they could be transferred from civilian to civilian.
Completely destroy the arrogance of the civil officials. Although they couldn't shout that everyone was equal, they could still shout that all officials were equal.
How did the Han Dynasty's military merit system work? It was all because of the Han Emperor's efforts to confer titles of nobility.
When there was a happy event in the Emperor's family, he would reward and confer titles. When the Emperor was happy, he would reward and confer titles. The originally rare titles of nobility were directly reduced to dregs. Later on, titles of nobility were directly bought with money.
A large number of rich people began to use money to buy titles of nobility. Then, the titles of nobility were completely overflowing.
The military merit system completely collapsed. The Emperor completely held the appointment of the military generals in his hands. Then, he found reasons to dismiss these people with titles of nobility.
The quality of the gold offered by the sacrificial offerings was not good enough. This reason was used by the Emperor very skillfully.
When forced into a corner, Zhu Yijun even dared to sell his family background, such as conferring a Jinshi title.
This was the Emperor's power. The Emperor's additional bestowal. Let's not talk about whether it was sold publicly or not. Once it was given to the children of Honours or the children of the military merit system, it would be changed from an official position to a Jinshi title.
Zhu Yijun wanted to see the expressions of the civil officials. He would also confer a Jinshi title to a Jinshi title.
Even if someone wanted to stop him, it would be useless. Those who wanted to be conferred a Jinshi title would definitely stand on Zhu Yijun's side.
If you don't allow the Emperor to confer a reward, what do you want to do?
However, this kind of method was too sinister and not generous. Zhu Yijun couldn't do it suddenly. It was the right way to advance slowly.
After the civil service system was spread out, Zhu Yijun could do this. If you wanted to be an official, you could take the civil service exam. There was no chance of passing the imperial examination.
A large number of Jinshi were waiting to be appointed as an official. Just wait and see.
Gradually, the promotion of civil servants would increase and the number of officials with Jinshi titles would decrease.
Zhu Yijun didn't believe that these people wouldn't change sides. Wasn't studying for the sake of becoming an official? Wasn't it for the sake of standing out?
If a Jinshi couldn't become an official, but a Xiucai could, Zhu Yijun didn't believe that people wouldn't flock to him like a flock of ducks.
As for the few defenders, Zhu Yijun didn't care. He gave them three words: Go to hell!
Although Liang Menglong could hear, he didn't know that his Emperor was planning such a sinister thing.
In the Han dynasty, the Emperor had many nobles on the outside that couldn't be shaken off. Internally, he had the elders and nobles on the inside. That was why the Emperor of the Han dynasty did such a shameless thing.
Ever since the Han dynasty, there hadn't been an Emperor who did such a thing. It was too shameless.
However, Liang Menglong didn't know what his Emperor was thinking. He didn't know that his Emperor was also shameless. Especially after he saw that Daming the officials didn't have any bottom line. His bottom line was gone.
What was integrity?
It was long lost and gone. Whoever found it, return it to me.
From the various ways the Kong family surrendered and sucked up to whoever was in power, it could be seen that the Confucian family really didn't have any bottom line.
The officials were even more shameless.
After being in power for a few years, Zhu Yijun had a deep understanding of this point.
Liang Menglong didn't know what his Emperor was thinking. After pondering for a long time, he felt that raising the status of the craftsmen wouldn't have too big of an effect. Could craftsmen become officials?
After pondering for a moment, Liang Menglong made a decision. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise and brilliant. This is a good idea."
Hearing Liang Menglong's words, Zhu Yijun immediately let out a sigh of relief. He laughed and said, "Good, good. Since that's the case, We will let you handle this matter. According to your report, we will start with the military craftsmen.
"As for the military craftsmen, we will start with the military reform. You must do your best."
Liang Menglong hurriedly bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. This subject will definitely do his best and not let Your Majesty down!"
Looking at Liang Menglong's back as he left, Zhu Yijun sighed. It had been 15 years since he had transmigrated to this world.
Ten years of lurking and training people, five years of carefully probing and laying out plans. Today, it was finally time to get serious.
"Whether it succeeds or not depends on this!" Zhu Yijun said with a serious expression.
Recently, the capital could be said to be troubled. Originally, things were fine after the New Year, but ever since the Law and Discipline Department started arresting people, things started to become chaotic.
Corruption of more than 80 strings of cash was sentenced to hanging. The Emperor wanted to strictly enforce the Daming Law, causing the officials to panic.
The cabinet proposed to amend the Daming Law, and things moved in a different direction. At first, there were arguments and petitions, but as the situation reached a stalemate, things started to develop in an unpredictable direction.
Suddenly, a theory appeared in the court and among the people. That was, "Time changes, and there is no law in the world that is suitable for all ages."
It seemed to be a footnote for the amendment of the Daming Law, but this idea spread faster than anyone could imagine.
The people of the School of Heart began to advocate this theory. For a time, the people and the officials were all talking about this.
Everyone knew that the current Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Shen Shixing, was a disciple of the School of Heart. The former Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Zhang Juzheng, was also a disciple of the School of Heart. For a time, the situation became even more chaotic.
At this time, in the capital, a small school of the heart was born.
This school was born out of the Taizhou School of Heart. The founder was Li Zhi. There were not many people, and they did not attract much attention.
However, when the matter of the Law of Daming became chaotic, it was as if they suddenly appeared.
They opposed the suppression of human desires with natural justice. They wantonly attacked Confucianism and advocated sharing desires with the people. Everyone was born with desires, and this was natural justice. For example, if one did not eat, one would be hungry, and if one did not drink, one would be thirsty. These were all human desires.
On the political side, they advocated the unity of knowledge and action, and to practice among the people.
They walked among the fields and did practical things for the people. They opposed the high and mighty formalism, and advocated that the four people should be the foundation, and that there was no distinction between professions.
The height of a person should be determined by their cultivation and behavior, and not by their occupation.
They advocated the glory of labor. Their remuneration should be used to support their parents and wives, and they should be respected.
As for the relatives of Honours, they advocated the glory of nobility. All the relatives of Honours should have the standards of nobility, and should be looked down upon for harming the people.
As for officials, they advocated honesty and self-discipline, and advocated the prosperity of the people and the strengthening of the army.
Officials should not sit in the yamen, but should walk among the fields and work with the people.
As for individuals, they advocated that no one was perfect, and that one should face one's shortcomings squarely. A ruler had its strong points, and an inch had its weak points. One should learn to know people well, be modest and cautious, and learn to ask others for advice.
When three people walk together, there must be a teacher. Even an ordinary craftsman could have a teacher.
The entire school appeared very abruptly, and the ideas it advocated were also very intense. From the four people being the foundation to advocating human desire, from advocating the change of time to the unity of learning and action, from advocating the bright ghost to the will of heaven, this school instantly shocked many people when it appeared.
This was because although this school carried the banner of the study of the mind, there were many aspects that were contrary to the study of the mind.
For example, the bright ghost and the will of heaven were the ideas of the School of Mohism. They advocated that there should be laws to abide by, that the law must be obeyed, that the law must be enforced strictly, and that lawbreakers must be punished. These were the ideas of the School of Legalism. They advocated the doctrine of human desire, which was the ideas of the School of Xunzi.
The entire school mixed the ideas of the School of Confucianism, the School of Mohism, and the School of Legalism, and they chose the ideas of the School of Confucianism, the School of Xunzi. They carried the banner of the great revenge of the School of Confucianism, and carried the banner of the founding of the school of righteousness.
From the beginning of its birth, this school had the attitude of sweeping Neo-Confucianism into the trash heap.
Although the study of the mind and Neo-Confucianism had always been in dispute, and there were even situations where they suppressed each other, in recent years, the study of the mind and Neo-Confucianism could be considered to have coexisted peacefully. Such a situation of raising the banner was really rare!
Of course, when the theory came out, it was naturally condemned by countless people as heresy.
Many people clamored to complain to the yamen, but from top to bottom, everyone in the court was silent on this matter. No one spoke up.
The people outside didn't know, but the main ministers in the court were very clear.
That Li Zhi was a teacher at the School of Civil Servants. What kind of place was the School of Civil Servants?
It was the Emperor's place. It could be said that water couldn't be splashed, and a needle couldn't be inserted. Now that this Li Zhi had jumped out, the Imperial Palace didn't have the slightest reaction. They weren't stupid. They naturally understood that this was the intention of the Imperial Palace.
Could a single Li Zhi cause such a huge ruckus in such a short period of time?
Of course, all of this was caused by Zhu Yijun. This time, Zhu Yijun had mobilized all the public opinion people he had planted in the capital. They wantonly propagated the new ideas, and this school of Neo-Confucianism became famous in the capital.
Within the Imperial Palace, the expression on Zhu Yijun's face was very calm as he surveyed the outside of the palace walls. Zhu Yijun knew that something was brewing there.
In fact, this matter had been brewing for a long time by Zhu Yijun. He had been waiting for this day.
This move was learned from his grandfather, Emperor Jiajing. It should be known that after Emperor Jiajing ascended the throne, the first thing he did was great etiquette.
He wanted to give his father an honorific title. In fact, did he really want to give his father an honorific title?
In Zhu Yijun's view, it wasn't that simple. He just needed to open up a battlefield and then let the ministers take a side.
Those who support me are my people. Those who don't support me are not my people. It's that simple.
Placing the battlefield on etiquette would not involve the political affairs of the court, and the losses would be much smaller.
The main battlefield of the struggle at the end of the Ming Dynasty was Liaodong. What was the result of the struggle?
Liaodong was completely corrupted, which was unacceptable.
Zhu Yijun had learned his lesson and naturally knew what to do.
Placing the battlefield on the battle of ideas. Those who agree with me are good comrades. Those who don't, then go home!
This time, Zhu Yijun made up his mind. No matter who these ministers in the court were, as long as they stood up to criticize Neo-Confucianism and stood on the opposite side of him, they must be dealt with.
There was no room for negotiation. Cleaning up the court was something he should have done a long time ago.
His next reform would be very big. What he needed was a team of officials who would obey him unconditionally.
Even if there were some flaws in their character, it didn't matter. As long as they could do what he had asked them to do, it was enough.
At this moment, Zhu Yijun understood Zhang Juzheng's use of people better.
Some people looked very good, capable, and had ideas, but their ideas were different from his. He didn't have the mood or energy to argue with them, so he might as well get rid of them!