Revealing the secrets of how Zhu Yuanzhang beat Ru Taisu and banned nonsense to improve efficiency

There is a very interesting "joke" that makes people laugh when I read it today.

In 1376, Deputy Minister of Justice Ru made a 17,000-word report to Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang was dazzled and asked his secretary Wang Minnian to read it to him. He read more than 6,300 words, but still didn't know what to say. Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't stand it anymore, so he found someone to beat Minister Ru severely on the spot. The next day, Secretary Wang continued to read. From the 16,500th word to the end, Ru put forward 5 forward-looking and feasible work suggestions, and Zhu Yuanzhang adopted 4 of them.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled bitterly afterwards and said: "It's not easy to be a minister, but is it easy to be an emperor? What I need is down-to-earth opinions and suggestions for solving difficult problems, but I can explain it clearly in 500 words. This old woman is dedicated to her work. A lot of useless things, really a waste of time."

When Zhu Yuanzhang established his capital in Nanjing, the new regime faced many imminent practical problems, and the internal and external situation was very severe. The post-war social and economic depression resulted in uneven land and lack of agricultural infrastructure; people were starving everywhere and the population was declining; industries were sluggish and society could not function normally; conflicts were sharp, and conflicts between the government and the people occurred from time to time. The remnant forces of the Yuan Dynasty that retreated to the north of the Great Wall attempted to make a comeback; the Mongolian Tatars and the Walla tribe became increasingly powerful.

Especially after entering the city, many officials of the Ming regime were greedy for pleasure and unwilling to make progress. Various factions competed for power and profit, and bribery became a common practice. The authority of the central government was low, and government orders could not leave Nanjing. The official style is empty, and the political power is idle in official documents. In short, the Zhu family's foundation is not strong at this time and may perish at any time.

The worried Zhu Yuanzhang carried out a series of major rectifications and reforms in politics, economy, military and many other aspects.

In the year when Ru was beaten, Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the provincial system of the Yuan Dynasty, set up 13 political envoys across the country, established the "three departments" of administration, military and justice, and established the Ming Dynasty administrative and governance structure.

He drew on the experience of the early Han Dynasty, implemented the policy of reducing taxes to stabilize the people, implemented various measures to restore and develop production, and innovated policies to benefit farmers and the people to win the hearts and minds of the people. In the fight against corruption, Zhu Yuanzhang worked harder than any emperor in history, and his cruelty was unprecedented. As a result, the official administration in the early Ming Dynasty became somewhat clearer, and the legitimacy of the regime was quickly recognized by society.

Zhu Yuanzhang made great efforts to rectify the administration of officials, improve writing style, and improve work efficiency. After beating up Ru, he ordered the formulation of administrative document standards, "to be presented at home and abroad, so that those who speak can gain and lose without red tape." He also practiced it himself. Many important instructions given by Zhu Yuanzhang were in simple spoken language, which old ladies in the countryside could understand and remember. This was rare among emperors in the past.

Set an institutional example and gradually change the reckless and irresponsible ways of doing things, making the official documents of the Ming Dynasty more concise and elegant, and the administrative efficiency higher. In the late Ming Dynasty, there were two lazy emperors who did not go to work for twenty or thirty years, but the political power continued as usual. It cannot be said that it has nothing to do with this matter.

Historians believe that Zhu Yuanzhang is one of the most outstanding feudal monarchs in Chinese history. He was diligent in political affairs throughout his life and achieved many achievements. In particular, he created a large number of rules and regulations, which not only laid the foundation for the Ming Dynasty for more than 200 years, but also influenced the Qing Dynasty, the so-called "accepting the Ming Dynasty and controlling the Qin Dynasty"