The emperor was only slightly pleased with his arrangement, then he remembered something and asked gravely, "How is the investigation going in Yunnan?"

Old Wei hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, there are many chieftains in Yunnan, and the situation is complicated. I have sent people to investigate many times, and although the investigation is not complete, if we give them some time, we will surely have a complete and complete account."

"Wei Ban, please tell us what you have found." The emperor waved his hand and said, "Even if it's just a rough estimate or not very certain, that's fine."

Old Wei bowed in agreement, organized his thoughts, and began to report.

When talking about Yunnan, one cannot fail to mention the Mu family, whose legacy stretches back fifteen generations, starting with Mu Ying, Marquis of Xiping, and ending with Mu Sheng, who was promoted to the hereditary title of Duke of Qian for his contributions in the conquest of Jiaozhi.

In the second year of the Tianqi reign, An Bangyan rebelled. The court ordered Mu Changzuo, Duke of Qian, and his grandson Mu Qiyuan to go to the battlefield. The two were afraid and made many excuses.

In December of the fourth year of the Tianqi reign, Mu Changzuo died of illness; in March of the fifth year of the Tianqi reign, Mu Qiyuan succeeded his grandfather to the title of Duke of Qian.

Mu Qiyuan was frivolous and lawless, allowing his servants to harm the people. Inspector Yu Yu arrested the offending servants according to the law. However, Mu Qiyuan actually mobilized his troops and fired artillery at the Inspectorate.

The emperor did not lose his temper in response to Mu Qiyuan's arrogance, but instead adopted a patient approach. However, the investigation had already begun, and it was before Mu Qiyuan ascended the throne.

The She'an Rebellion in Guizhou was caused by the fact that the power of the chieftains was not completely suppressed; similarly, the situation in Yunnan was similar to that in Guizhou, where there were not only many chieftains but also considerable power.

The Mu family, having ruled Yunnan for hundreds of years, inevitably fell into extravagance and corruption. The immense wealth and power of the Duke of Qian ignited a dark struggle within the Mu family, filled with intrigue and deception.

"...The Mu family leveraged their power to expand their land holdings in Yunnan. By the 16th year of the Wanli reign, the Mu family's farmland had already seized over 8,000 hectares of private land. Adding the imperial grant, the total could reach 10,000 hectares."

"The Mu family owns 360 acres of farmland and gardens. If they eat one of them daily, they can last a whole year. Their treasury is filled with precious treasures and gold, almost rivaling the treasury of heaven..."

"The Mu family has guarded Yunnan for generations, and the people of Yunnan 'serve their affairs as if they were the imperial court. When a piece of paper is delivered, the local chieftain, with all his dignity, comes out of the city to greet them, washes his hands, and then opens his mouth, saying, 'This is the imperial decree.'"

Old Wei obviously misunderstood the emperor's meaning and focused on the Mu family's land, treasures and money.

Of course, it wasn't entirely a misunderstanding, but at least it underestimated the emperor's intentions.

Firstly, Yunnan was far from developed enough. Coupled with its hot and humid climate, it could have contributed greatly to the Ming Dynasty's survival in the event of a major disaster.

Secondly, Yunnan's military strength was relatively weak. This refers to the Ming army stationed in Yunnan, not the local chieftains. Otherwise, the last Duke of Qian would not have been so distraught by Sha Dingzhou's rebellion.

Finally, the Toungoo Dynasty of Burma was not submissive, but rather overbearing and arrogant. It waged wars with the Ming Dynasty several times and occupied many territories that had originally belonged to the Ming Dynasty's Xuanweishisi.

The Mu family, which has ruled Yunnan for generations, is obviously no longer capable of meeting the emperor's needs for expansion and revenge.

The reason why he did not act in a hurry was that the She'an Rebellion had not been quelled. The emperor did not want to cause unrest in Yunnan and did not want to give the chieftains or foreigners an opportunity to take advantage of it.

The emperor's heavy investment in Liaodong not only accelerated the progress of pacifying Liaodong, but also trained tens of thousands of elite soldiers and generals, making the northern border almost worry-free.

The emperor was not stingy in suppressing the She'an Rebellion. Although the investment was less than that of Liaodong and the replacement of weapons and equipment was slower than that of the Liaodong Ming army, it was still no problem to build an elite army of tens of thousands after suppressing the rebellion.

These tens of thousands of elite troops were the sharp sword that the emperor used to reorganize the southwest, pacify the internal situation, and conquer foreign countries.

After listening to Lao Wei's story, the emperor lowered his eyes and made up his mind.

Like the nobles who have enjoyed peace for a long time, the Mu family has become corrupt, and the Yunnan officialdom is also full of profiteering and self-interest. Behind the seemingly peaceful situation, there are hidden dangers that are not noticed by people.

"Very good. We have found a lot of real materials. We must continue to strengthen our work and not let down our guard." After thinking for a while, the emperor smiled and ordered the palace servants to bring a box of ginseng to give to Lao Wei.

The emperor also explained, "Old mountain ginseng strengthens the body and prolongs life. Wei Ban, please take good care of yourself and work hard for me."

I'm not afraid of working, I'm just afraid of being ignored. The emperor's words revealed his concern and his hope that he would continue to use him, which moved Old Wei deeply.

"I thank the Emperor for his grace." Old Wei knelt on the ground, kowtowed repeatedly with tears streaming down his face, "Even if I die in service to His Majesty, I will still..."

The emperor waved his hand and said, "I don't want to die, I'm satisfied with just fulfilling my duties. But some people read the books of the sages in vain, but are corrupt and greedy. Find these bastards for me, and that will be the best reward."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty." Old Wei didn't even have time to wipe away her tears before she looked up and gritted her teeth, "Which bastard is so ungrateful, eating Your Majesty's salary and doing dirty things? I will never let him go."

The emperor believed that Lao Wei would do this, and Lao Wei also knew that his honor and disgrace depended entirely on the emperor. If the emperor wanted to go east, he would never go west, even if it was wrong, he would resolutely carry out the order.

The emperor needs ministers who can stand on their own and have outstanding abilities, which will save him a lot of trouble and effort; the emperor also needs confidants who are as easy to use as his arms and can do whatever he is told. They don’t need to be too smart, as long as they are absolutely obedient.

The eunuchs, on the other hand, were completely dependent on the emperor, and their loyalty to him was unquestionable. Even though they were denounced as eunuchs and treacherous by the civil officials, they showed much more backbone than most civil officials when the country was about to fall.

Historically, Li Zicheng's entry into Beijing was like a magic mirror, revealing the true nature of those hypocritical hypocrites who usually appeared to be righteous. When the Manchus took control of the Central Plains, more unbearable civil servants and generals appeared, their shameless faces disgusting.

Therefore, the emperor did not discriminate against eunuchs, despite their physical disabilities, but he had very strict requirements for officials and had a subconscious distrust of them.

Of course, no matter if they were officials or eunuchs, anyone who dared to commit corruption or illegal activities would be dealt with severely and without leniency.

Over the past few years, wise people should have known the emperor's temperament. Like Taizu, he hated corrupt officials and cracked down on them without mercy.

But unlike Taizu, the emperor was generous in rewarding meritorious service. He seemed to adhere to a principle: If you do not betray me, I will not betray you. If you have done me a service, I will naturally reward you.

It was not unusual for the emperor to reward his subjects, or to reward their merits. Clear distinctions between rewards and punishments—wasn't this the emperor's way of employing people?

It seems simple, but how many emperors in history have been able to do it well?

As eunuchs and inner servants, Lao Wei, Wang Tigan and others certainly knew the emperor better. Especially what he had done in recent years had made them understand the emperor's character more clearly.

He built retirement homes for eunuchs and provided proper accommodation for dismissed palace maids until they could support themselves. From these two points, they knew the emperor's benevolence.

But benevolence is benevolence, but be sure not to violate the emperor's taboos. The emperor hates corruption the most, and is most annoyed by deception.

As long as you don't make these two mistakes, you can be sure of a good beginning and a good end. A eunuch doesn't have to worry about being miserable and helpless in old age, so what else can he want?

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