Ren Hengtai hosted Zhuo Jing at his residence. The two actually had some overlap and similarities.

Firstly, they were of similar age and both were learned and talented scholars, renowned for their magnificent poetry. They were actually from the same cohort; in the 21st year of the Hongwu reign, Ren Hengtai achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination, becoming the first scholar in China to have a memorial archway erected in his honor by imperial decree. The runner-up in that cohort was Zhuo Jing.

Ren Hengtai is currently acting as the Minister of Rites, and has the opportunity to strive for the position of Minister of Rites. Although Zhuo Jing is only a fourth-rank Vice Minister, everyone knows that he is an important minister under the Crown Prince and has extraordinary potential for the future.

In fact, both Ren Hengtai and Zhuo Jing had expressed dissatisfaction with the princes' clothing, carriages, and other aspects. They had both submitted memorials to Emperor Zhu, hoping to improve the system, clarify the status of the crown prince, and standardize etiquette.

Zhuo Jing didn't mince words, stating bluntly, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has become increasingly arrogant and abusive in recent years, frequently using their power to create false cases. It would be difficult to remain at ease if we turned a blind eye to this!"

Ren Hengtai also spoke up, saying to Zhuo Jing, "Wei Gong, I will request permission to speak at court tomorrow. However, Wei Gong, this matter is of great importance. We must be cautious these days and not give those people any leverage."

In fact, whether it was the abuse of power or Ren Hengtai, they both understood that the reason why the Embroidered Uniform Guard was previously given important positions was because the emperor needed to strengthen his imperial power, purge meritorious officials, supervise officials, and rectify officialdom.

However, some things cannot be said, because no one knows if there are any members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the mansion, and no one can guarantee that their words will be recorded and submitted to the emperor.

In fact, these people all understood that similar institutions existed in every dynasty. For example, the Song Dynasty, which was known for being most friendly to scholars, also had an institution like the Imperial City Guard. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was simply too infamous and had too much power.

"I will certainly ask some colleagues to sign it!" Zhuo Jing said calmly, not wanting Ren Hengtai to take this advantage. "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has already stirred up public anger and resentment, the atmosphere in the court is gloomy, and all officials are extremely cautious. Where is the vigor of a dynasty that has been established for less than thirty years? The court is so gloomy, it's just too stagnant!"

Ren Hengtai also sighed. The main problem was that many people in the court were afraid of making mistakes because Emperor Zhu had killed too many people. Although there were still corrupt officials who were not afraid of death, most people felt worried and fearful.

Now that the Crown Prince is considering taking action, Zhuo Jing and his colleagues are analyzing Zhu Xiong Ying's motives. Perhaps the Emperor is about to rectify some issues, especially since it seems like a time of peace. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is showing signs of growing in power, potentially becoming a disruptive force in the current political climate.

Moreover, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has gradually become a tool for some to persecute their opponents. Its power is too great, and its methods too ruthless, leading to the deaths and even the extermination of entire families of many officials for fabricated reasons.

Now that the emperor holds absolute power in the Ming Dynasty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard (Jinyiwei) may need to be restrained. After all, they've killed enough people; those who posed a threat to imperial power have basically all their families buried alive.

The two were constantly communicating, trying to unite some colleagues. This matter had to be accomplished decisively, with absolutely no room for change. For them, this was a do-or-die battle.

If this plan fails, they will inevitably face a fierce counterattack from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Even if they believe they are upright and have nothing to hide, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is too adept at fabricating charges and making baseless accusations. Furthermore, even if they consider themselves to have integrity, they dare not say they can endure the tortures in the Imperial Prison.

For Zhuo Jing and Ren Hengtai, what they were about to do was of paramount importance, and they had to do it well. This could greatly enhance their reputation in Shilin and could also advance their careers.

However, it is also possible that if this matter is not handled well, not only will the Crown Prince lose his trust, but he may also be retaliated against by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and may pay an extremely heavy price for it. These are all possibilities.

Zhu Xiong Ying doesn't care about these things now; he has other things to do, such as going to Lian Qiong Qiong's place to rest.

While the scumbag Xiao Zhu can enjoy his freedom, his wife Xu Miaoqing is far from idle. Not only does she have a chubby son to care for, but her brother-in-law is also getting married – these are all major events.

If it were Zhu Yunwen, Xu Miaoqing felt she would only need to go through the motions. There were indeed some things she didn't need to worry about; the Imperial Clan Court was there, and Zhu Yunwen's mother was also present, so naturally, she, as his sister-in-law, didn't need to concern herself with anything.

But Zhu Yunwen is different; he is the emperor's brother-in-law, the apple of the emperor's eye, and his own younger brother.

These matters required her to make more contacts. According to etiquette and rules, Zhu Yunwen's marriage should naturally be conducted according to the rites for a prince. However, if Zhu Yunwen's marriage was indeed handled according to the rites for a prince, many people would probably face repercussions later.

Xu Miaoqing thought for a moment and then asked Wang Chengen, "Does the Imperial Workshop have any skilled craftsmen?"

Seeing Wang Chengen nod, Xu Miaoqing immediately said, "Then send someone to the Prince's residence to make screens, beds, decorations, tables, and cabinets from sandalwood and ebony. Take three thousand taels of silver from the Eastern Palace Treasury to hire some servants for the Prince's residence."

Wang Chengen's expression turned bitter as he said, "Your Highness, the treasury is running low on silver."

“Then go and collect my dowry,” Xu Miaoqing said matter-of-factly. “I remember there were some gold and silver items in the dowry, so I’ll have them melted down. As for the silver workshop, I’ll have His Highness petition the Emperor to bestow some gold and silver items upon him as a princely reward.”

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!