The video takes us to ancient times; Li Er transforms into the Tongtian Emperor of Shu Han.

The Heavenly Family is ruthless.

These four characters are generally used in most cases.

Only with Old Zhu, in his heart, is there still a sense of family affection.

Moreover, family ties hold a very high place in his heart.

Meizi is his wife, and Biao'er is his son.

These two individuals hold unparalleled status.

After these two, there were other offspring.

Although they don't share the same deep affection as these two, it's still difficult for them to be truly heartless.

Faced with Zhu's mutterings, Empress Ma was also in a state of utter confusion.

The emperors on the sky, one after another, had already clearly explained the drawbacks of this arrangement.

Overindulging one's offspring and giving them too much preferential treatment will indeed drag down the dynasty's finances if this continues.

But when it comes to being ruthless and cutting ties, neither she nor Lao Zhu could bring themselves to do it.

"Father, mother..."

Before anyone knew it, Zhu Biao's gaze had hardened.

"It's better for one family to cry than for the whole world to cry."

"Being in this position, besides enjoying excellent conditions, we also bear a great deal of responsibility!"

"If you can't bring yourself to do it, then let your younger siblings hate me!"

In ordinary times, he can be a kind older brother or a soft-hearted prince.

However, even though Zhu Yuanzhang clearly saw the problems with the Ming Dynasty, he couldn't bear to change them.

Zhu Biao felt that as the most legitimate heir of the Ming Dynasty, he should step forward and take on some responsibilities.

"Biao'er, you..."

Old Zhu's expression was complicated.

Zhu Biao's current state is what he has always dreamed of seeing.

But the situation he was facing right now was causing him immense distress.

Perhaps Li Er's assessment was correct; even after sitting on the throne, he still had the mentality of a cowherd.

Looking into Zhu Biao's resolute eyes, after a long while, Old Zhu let out a deep sigh.

"Perhaps we really are getting old, that even such a decision has to be made by you, Biao'er."

"However, you cannot be allowed to have even a trace of the title of villain. We will issue the decree ourselves!"

Zhu Biao was his eldest son, the most perfect heir to the throne.

Since it is perfect, it cannot be stained with even the slightest flaw!

Let him bear the infamy of mistreating future generations!

Quietly wait for Zhu Yuanzhang to arrange everything and properly resolve one of the biggest hidden dangers of the Ming Dynasty.

Li Er's expression was somewhat complicated.

He originally treated the royal family members with the same preferential treatment. If the tradition had been passed down step by step, this problem would have been exposed long ago during the Tang Dynasty.

Can……

It is obvious that the problems of the Tang Dynasty were much more serious.

The throne changed hands repeatedly, the capital fell six times, and the emperor moved nine times.

Each and every one of these incidents felt like a slap in the face to Li Er.

The biggest problem is that after learning all this, he doesn't know how to solve it.

Could he not see the hidden dangers posed by the military governor?

Of course, that's possible, but what if the military governorship is abolished?

Like the Song Dynasty, which emphasized civil administration and suppressed military power, completely contracted its battle lines, and abandoned all external strategies?

This is obviously impossible. Li Er already has a map in mind, and to conquer this map, he needs to make good use of military generals.

Just like the blueprint drawn up by Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty, he ordered the princes to guard the frontier and be responsible for foreign wars.

That's obviously wishful thinking.

Putting aside other matters, the title of a prince alone cannot suppress those military governors.

Not to mention that if the dynasty were to fall into turmoil in the future, the princes under the command of those military governors would become the legitimate envoys to quell the rebellion!

If these problems cannot be solved, then any talk of ensuring the Tang Dynasty's continued prosperity for a thousand years is a joke!

“Old Zhu, what you can see and easily solve is really not a problem these days.”

"More often than not, it's a problem that we know exists, but we don't know how to solve it."

The imperial examination system was merely a temporary solution, not a fundamental one.

Although the most capable individuals were selected from among the lowest-ranking scholars and placed in suitable positions.

However, the emperor could only oversee the provincial examination and the palace examination. There were too many candidates for the lower-level examinations, and no amount of time could be spared in selecting them all.

As long as the selection process at the grassroots level is controlled by those aristocratic families, whether through bribery or by establishing a master-disciple relationship, they can directly stamp their mark on the talents they have their eye on.

It seems that both the provincial examination and the palace examination were personally conducted by the emperor to select the talents he favored.

In reality, by the time these talents were presented to the emperor, most of them had already been divided up by the aristocratic families.

Only those selected by the aristocratic families were qualified to enter the emperor's sights.

Without resolving this issue, even if the imperial examination system is made as fair as possible, it will still remain a tool controlled by the aristocratic class.

The imperial examination system, which was initiated by Yang Jian and later fully perfected during the Tang Dynasty, did indeed improve the selection of talent considerably.

However, to say that the problem has been completely solved is still far from being achieved.

"Deceiving superiors and concealing the truth from subordinates seems to be a problem that no dynasty can escape."

"Is it really that difficult to govern the country well, do what they should do, and take what they should take, such a simple request?"

The answer to Lao Zhu's heartfelt question is yes.

It really is that difficult.

It's only natural that they do what they're supposed to do, but taking what they're supposed to take...

If they only take what they are entitled to, how will their families be able to continue their lineage?

Human lifespan has an end, and what everyone wants is to ensure that their family continues to prosper after they die.

To achieve this, we cannot simply take what they are entitled to!

"It seems that after the establishment of the imperial examination system, the aristocratic families went their separate ways."

"But in reality? Are there really that many differences between the various factions in the imperial court that replace powerful families and the two?"

Zhao Kuangyin posed a profound question.

Before the imperial examination system, powerful families controlled all avenues for advancement. If you wanted to become an official or change your fate, you had to find a way to promise them benefits and get them to agree.

After the establishment of the imperial examination system, the political landscape of the court was redefined.

The main categories are civil officials and military officers, and among the civil officials, there are also various factions.

Having the mark of a certain faction on one's person allows one to rise through the ranks with the recommendation of officials within that faction.

However, if one is too aloof and refuses to compromise one's principles, the end result will be unfulfilled talent and a life of frustration.

There are indeed differences between the two, but that doesn't truly solve the problem.

“The dynasty’s long-lasting prosperity is of no benefit to them, or rather, the benefit is far less than the long-lasting prosperity of their family.”

"As long as their family exists, they will have a place no matter how dynasties change."

Ultimately, that's the biggest problem.

People are always selfish.

Compared to ensuring the dynasty's perpetual prosperity, most people would rather see their own family prosper.

There seems to be an irreconcilable contradiction between the two.