Zhu Xiong Ying didn't seem to need to worry too much about things in Tianjin, which mainly referred to political matters. Li Qi might not necessarily be exceptionally talented, but Li Shanchang was trustworthy.

Even if Li Shanchang harbored resentment, even if he was certainly unhappy, he still had to fight for his children and grandchildren at his advanced age. Facing a seemingly harsh emperor, Li Shanchang had resigned himself to his fate. He had experienced both glory and destitution; now, he wasn't living for himself, but for the sake of his children and grandchildren, to secure some opportunities for them.

Zhu Xiong Ying was organizing the reports. His uncles all seemed quite reliable, each one adept at accumulating merit. Although their intention to claim credit was very obvious, they hadn't let him down, which satisfied Zhu Xiong Ying.

Looking at Li Shanchang, Zhu Xiong Ying said, "Lord Li, we still need to pay more attention to recruiting craftsmen. It's said that the ash-blowing method is useful. We need to recruit a large number of craftsmen; we need a lot of miners right now. We don't just need to mine, we need to smelt ore!"

Li Shanchang accepted the order, but he was also feeling uneasy.

Why the Ming Dynasty decided to launch a naval campaign against Goryeo and Japan was a subject of intense debate in the imperial court. If it weren't for Emperor Zhu's immense prestige and strong suppression of dissent, the ministers would have surely erupted in protest. After all, in their view, naval warfare was uneconomical; it was not only a waste of resources and manpower but also lacked any legitimate justification.

The excuses about powerful ministers usurping the throne in Goryeo or disobeying imperial decrees in Japan were all well-known. Many people were worried that Zhu Yuanzhang would become like Emperor Yang of Sui, or that the Ming Dynasty would become like the Yuan Dynasty. After all, Emperor Yang of Sui suffered a disastrous defeat in his campaign against Goryeo, and the Yuan Dynasty's attempt to conquer Goryeo ended in disaster.

But now Li Shanchang understood that the Ming Dynasty's expedition this time was aimed at the gold and silver mines in those wild and undeveloped lands. Moreover, it seemed that the mineral deposits there were astonishing, which was why the Ming Dynasty needed to recruit a large number of miners to mine in Japan.

Fighting against such an emperor, crown prince, and grandson left Li Shanchang disheartened, mainly because these grandfather and grandsons were all too formidable. This was truly a matter of destiny; not only did a commoner become the founding emperor, but he was also the first in history to unify China from south to north. Furthermore, because of this destiny, even the most remote and uncivilized lands held treasures!

Zhu Xiong Ying continued, "Lord Li once assisted the Emperor in conquering rebellious forces, and the army's logistics and supplies never had any problems. Your uncle will be coming to assist you in a while, Lord Li, please remember to do these things with your uncle. Tianjin must be managed well."

Li Shanchang cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his expression solemn, "This sinful subject receives the decree!"

Mei Yin will be coming to Tianjin to oversee things. As Old Zhu's favorite son-in-law, Mei Yin is quite talented. This also reveals some of Old Zhu's character; he often shows signs of nepotism. Fortunately, Old Zhu's relatives are all reliable.

My nephew Zhu Wenzheng, my maternal nephew Li Wenzhong, and my son-in-law Mei Yin are all talented and capable people, so they should be given more important positions.

In such an era, nepotism was also very important, especially since the Ming Dynasty had only been established for a short time, and Zhu Yuanzhang still needed to constantly reclaim power. Many of the nobles, civil and military officials dispatched to the north this time were also future members of Zhu Xiong Ying's inner circle, and his mini-Six Ministries were now basically taking shape.

Besides civil officials, there was no shortage of military officers. Old Zhu delegated power very decisively, and his intention to train Zhu Xiong Ying was also very clear.

After giving Li Shanchang a warning, Zhu Xiong Ying didn't linger. He needed to return to Beiping to take charge, as there were many things to do there.

In particular, a large number of civil and military officials and nobles will soon arrive in Beiping, including many wealthy merchants and immigrants. This naturally means that Zhu Xiong Ying will be tied up with a lot of local government affairs. He needs to sort these things out. Moving the capital is never a simple matter.

Upon returning to Beiping, Zhu Xiong Ying immediately received a report from Huang Zi Cheng. This director of the Imperial Academy's Department of Foreign Affairs was also an imperial censor; he wasn't just a glib talker, but his primary role was that of a supervisor.

With a stern face, Zhu Xiong Ying threw the memorial on the ground and shouted, "Send Song Zhong to lead men to confiscate their property! Those who admire the former dynasty, the men shall be exiled as slaves and the women shall be sent to the brothels! As for those wealthy gentry and noble families, I will grant them their wish!"

Gritting his teeth, Zhu Xiong Ying said, "Let them go to the grasslands to find their master! Their families will all be classified as lowly, and their descendants will be barred from becoming officials!"

Zhu Xiong Ying was genuinely angry. Perhaps it was because during the Yuan Dynasty, the rulers granted many wealthy gentry and landlords special privileges, and those people naturally longed for the Yuan Dynasty's rule. Moreover, the Yan-Yun region had been separated from Han rule for hundreds of years, and many people there had long been accustomed to the nomadic lifestyle.

So even though Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Xiong Ying were constantly demanding changes in customs and traditions, some people, though outwardly subjects of the Ming Dynasty, still longed for the rule of the Yuan Dynasty and hoped that their masters would once again sweep across the grasslands and unify the world.

Remembering something, Zhu Xiong Ying said, "Send someone to Qufu. I remember Kong Duanyou is still alright; he has always been the Duke Yansheng of the Han Chinese. But Kong Duanyou's nephew, Kong Fan, is the Duke Yansheng of the puppet Qi dynasty, and Kong Fan is even more so the Duke Yansheng of the Jurchens! Kong Yuanyong and his son Kong Zhiquan are both Duke Yansheng of the Mongols!"

Zhu Xiong Ying snorted coldly and said with a hint of sarcasm, "I wonder if Confucius will be angered by these unworthy descendants. These three Dukes of Yansheng are one thing, but two of them serve foreign tribes! Have Kong Ne write up the petition. I want to see the hereditary succession of Confucius's descendants and the legacy of the Dukes of Yansheng!"

Zhu Xiong Ying naturally understood that in this day and age, it was impossible to completely overthrow Confucianism.

In fact, after thousands of years of influence, Confucian culture has long been integrated into the genes of this nation. Even in later generations, many things still bear the shadow of Confucianism.

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