Chapter 36: Zhu Yuanzhang’s Temper is as Fickle as a Dog’s

At the Duke of Xin’s estate, Zhu Yuanzhang, Tang He, and Fu Youde sat in the main hall, reminiscing about the past while sipping on fine wine that Tang He had treasured for years.

*Creak.*

Suddenly, the door was pushed open from the outside, and a bald man of about forty, his scalp marked with ritual scars, stepped in.

"Erniu, is there news from the palace?" Zhu Yuanzhang immediately set down his wine cup, looking toward the man with anticipation.

The man, Chen Erniu, was formerly a centurion of the Jinyiwei, but had recently been assigned by Jiang Huan to serve by Zhu Yuanzhang’s side. He was a genuine Shaolin monk, a formidable man who had fought his way through the Eighteen Bronze Men formation while the temple was under lockdown.

Chen Erniu walked over to Zhu Yuanzhang, rubbed his smooth, bald head, and pulled a small scrap of paper from his tunic. Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him before taking the note and focusing intently on its contents. The paper was covered in tiny, dense characters. Tang and Fu leaned in curiously, but they could make nothing of it.

After reading a few lines, the joy on Zhu Yuanzhang’s face vanished, replaced instantly by uncontrollable fury.

*Bang!*

He slammed his hand onto the table, his face dark as he hissed, "Rebellious grandson! What is this unfilial brat trying to do? It took me so much effort to abolish the Central Secretariat, and now, in the blink of an eye, he wants to establish some 'Cabinet'..."

"And five Grand Secretaries? Isn't that just adding five more Chancellors?"

"Is he not afraid of factional strife in the court? Is he not worried about being held hostage by those pedantic fools in the future?"

"Ha! And he dares to tamper with the Five Chief Military Commissions I established..."

"Argh! This is infuriating! I’m going into the palace right now to hang that unfilial brat up and whip him for three days and three nights!"

As his voice trailed off, Zhu Yuanzhang rose in a rage, his feet already moving toward the door. Tang He and Fu Youde, sensing the gravity of the situation, rushed forward to hold him back. Confused and lacking context, they glared at Erniu, signaling him to explain what exactly had happened.

Chen Erniu, perhaps having had his wits rattled while breaking through the Eighteen Bronze Men, rubbed his bald head for a long time before he finally understood their intent.

"Today, His Highness the Third Prince summoned over a dozen high-ranking officials to the Palace of Celestial Purity. According to the Commander, the Prince intends to establish something called a 'Cabinet'..."

"Also, the Third Prince has proposed reforms for the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice, and all the ministers have agreed."

"As for the Ministry of Defense, it is like this..."

After hearing Chen Erniu's account, both Tang He and Fu Youde were shocked by the sheer scale of Zhu Yuntong’s ambitions. Establishing a cabinet, reforming the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate, and even restructuring the military—this was effectively erasing every mark Zhu Yuanzhang had left behind.

However, they perceived something that Zhu Yuanzhang had missed. After a moment of contemplation, Tang He spoke up. "Your Majesty, I actually think what the Third Prince is doing isn't as reckless as you imagine."

Zhu Yuanzhang glared back at him, his eyes filled with profound meaning. Tang He offered a bitter smile but did not stop.

"Your Majesty, don't you find the Cabinet he’s created interesting? Any official above the fifth rank has the right to vote and be voted for, and all officials vote together to select the five members. This might be a new form of balancing power, just more complex than what we used to play."

"Exactly, Your Majesty!" Fu Youde added hurriedly. "I don't know about the rest, but renaming the Five Chief Military Commissions to a Ministry of Defense and dividing the country into five major theaters is clearly a move to centralize military command! And that 'Imperial Power Bureau'—what I heard sounds like a stroke of genius."

"We are all men who have led armies; naturally, we understand the 'faith' the Prince speaks of. Simply put, it ensures the soldiers know what they are fighting for and who they are fighting for. Once that Bureau is promoted throughout the military, I fear that in the future, all soldiers of the Great Ming will recognize only the Imperial House, and generals will remain merely generals. In the long run, there will be no possibility of warlordism or internal strife."

Zhu Yuanzhang froze. This rebellious grandson was planning so far ahead? He wasn't just fooling around?

In truth, Zhu Yuanzhang was not blind to the intentions behind these reforms. Having emerged from the chaos of war to claim the throne, his insight was peerless. It was just that he believed the system he had built over twenty years was a sustainable path for his successors, and that they had no need to change it. That Zhu Yuntong, before even ascending the throne, would launch such drastic reforms against a system meant to last for a thousand generations felt like a denial of his entire life's work. That was why he had ignored the details and reacted with fury.

Now, after hearing their analysis, Zhu Yuanzhang calmed down. As he thought it through, he realized things that even Tang and Fu had not fully grasped.

"Erniu, how did my grandson get those pedantic scholars to agree to his reform plan? Tell me the details."

Zhu Yuanzhang sat back down and happily picked up his wine cup. Tang He and Fu Youde felt a mix of amusement and frustration. *After all these years, the Emperor is still the same—his face changes as fast as a dog’s. One moment it's 'rebellious grandson,' the next it's 'my precious grandson.'*

They dared not voice this, of course; even though Zhu Yuanzhang was technically "dead" to the world, they wouldn't dream of saying such things to his face.

Erniu, oblivious to their thoughts, grinned and recounted the events in the Palace of Celestial Purity. When he reached the most exciting parts, he became quite animated, possessing the flair of a professional storyteller in a tavern.

*Clap!*

"Good, good, good! My grandson is truly worthy of being my grandson! Even I might not have thought of such methods. This calls for a drink!"

Having heard the full story, Zhu Yuanzhang slammed his hand on the table, causing the cups and bowls to rattle, and downed his wine in one gulp.

"Ah," he sighed, savoring the taste, before looking at Tang and Fu with an expression of smug pride. "Dingchen, Weixue! My grandson is impressive, isn't he? In just two days, he’s molded those sour scholars like dough. Which of your sons has his capability?"

It was a display of pure, naked boasting. At that moment, Zhu Yuanzhang was the spitting image of a doting grandfather bragging about his grandson’s achievements to his old friends.

Tang He...

Fu Youde...