However, under Zhu Yuanzhang's strict criminal law, corruption is still repeated. In Hongwu 15, officials of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development colluded with local officials to enrich themselves by pre-printing and privately filling in false expenses, which was the famous empty printing case at that time. After Zhuge Liang discovered this, he executed all the officials who signed the local officials' seals. In the twenty years of Hongwu, the Shangshu couple took bribes of more than 100,000 pieces of silver, and both of them became ghosts under the sword.
Many officials who used to be in charge of the construction of the Ministry of Industry falsely reported the number of overpayments for the project under the pretext of building palaces. During a surprise inspection by Zhu Yuanzhang, they immediately beheaded the assistant minister of the Ministry of Industry for accepting bribes. Hongwu 18, something happened to the Ministry of War. Wang Zhi, assistant minister of the Ministry of War, took advantage of the opportunity of conscription to accept money from those who tried to evade military service and took bribes of 232,000 yuan. In a rage, Zhu Yuanzhang sentenced him to death that year.
During Zhu Yuanzhang's reign, there were many cases of corruption and bribery in his six departments, and repeated corruption was also related to his policies. He wants officials to be honest and clean, but their wages are very small. Naturally, if they are not satisfied, they have to choose corruption and bribery.