Old Zhu seemed to take the matter of the Embroidered Uniform Guard very seriously, as if he only realized at this moment that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had a certain degree of public resentment, or that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was somewhat corrupt and lawless.

Since this matter is being taken seriously, it is necessary to discuss it in detail with the senior officials and listen to the opinions of all the civil and military officials. This is a major event that will affect the country, and no amount of caution is too much. This is only natural.

However, considering the special nature of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zhu De also felt that this matter needed to be handled carefully.

After careful consideration, Emperor Zhu issued an imperial edict. A thorough investigation into the Jinyiwei's misconduct and arrogance was to be conducted, with the Crown Prince Zhu Xiong Ying in charge. The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of War, the Five Military Commissions, and the Imperial Clan Court would assist in the investigation.

This is serious. His Majesty the Emperor is seriously considering a thorough investigation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Perhaps the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which has struck fear into the hearts of everyone for years, will lose the Emperor's favor. The Embroidered Uniform Guard, which has made civil and military officials tremble with fear, may very well decline and even become a thing of the past.

This led many civil officials to proclaim the emperor's wisdom, believing that the emperor had begun to govern with civility and benevolence, and that the emperor had listened to their advice and begun to use gentler methods to govern the country.

Having such misconceptions isn't necessarily a bad thing; it can slightly motivate them and give them a greater sense of accomplishment. This isn't a bad thing at all, since even a workaholic like Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't handle all the government affairs alone and still needed the assistance of his officials.

As for what Lao Zhu's starting point was, it seems unimportant at this point. Many people only need to see the process and the result; otherwise, they are just creating trouble for themselves.

After the court session, Zhu Xiong Ying was summoned directly to the Wu Ying Hall. It seemed that Zhu Xiong Ying was somewhat dissatisfied with what had happened in court, or rather, some of the events in court had given him some doubts. He needed to have a good talk with Zhu Xiong Ying and give the Crown Prince some guidance.

"Ying'er, what do you think of today's events?" Upon seeing Zhu Xiong Ying, Old Zhu went straight to the point, "Don't try to play tricks on us, we want to hear the truth."

Zhu Xiong Ying laughed and said to Old Zhu, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has indeed done a lot over the years, which has naturally brought us more benefits. However, there are indeed some lawless individuals among them who should be dealt with. I think it's time to temper them, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard should lie low for a while."

Old Zhu quite agreed with Zhu Xiong Ying's statement. "We know that many people outside say we are cruel and that our heavy reliance on spies like the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not benevolent. We don't care. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is really a good weapon. It has saved us a lot of trouble and made us much better informed."

"So all these years, I've been tinkering with the Eastern Depot, having people from the palace do it as well," Zhu Xiong Ying said with a smile, not hiding his thoughts. "Most of these people are also my close associates, so they're quite reliable. I gave them their power, and naturally I can take it back."

Old Zhu nodded, but then added with some concern, "Ying'er, we trust you; you have the ability to cure these people. But whether your descendants can subdue the Eastern Depot is another matter. Once these servants have power, they might have their own agendas."

This left Zhu Xiong Ying feeling helpless, but he didn't seem too surprised, mainly because he understood Lao Zhu's personality and way of thinking.

Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor) wished he could resolve all issues himself so his descendants could smoothly inherit the throne. He also considered himself a capable emperor, having endured hardship and suffering, and possessing sufficient insight.

Therefore, whether it's the Imperial Ancestral Instructions or the Great Proclamation, Zhu Yuanzhang's idea was to formulate a plan for all generations. He had everything arranged in advance, and his descendants could simply follow his vision and plan to become capable emperors, govern the country well, and pass on the Zhu family's empire.

Zhu Xiong Ying was also quite helpless and said to Old Zhu, "Grandfather, the affairs of our descendants are for them to handle themselves. We won't be able to see or manage them then. We can only do our best in the present."

Old Zhu slammed his hand on the table, saying with considerable dissatisfaction, "What are you talking about! We're afraid of these things. You may be capable and knowledgeable, so of course you're not afraid, but you can't guarantee that your descendants won't amount to anything! Since we've thought of these things, we should solve them for them!"

Zhu Xiong Ying really didn't know what to say about Lao Zhu's ideas. The stubborn Lao Zhu was indeed difficult to persuade at times, as he had his own way of thinking.

"Grandfather, although we have the Eastern Depot, we should also make use of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the future." Zhu Xiong Ying did not hide anything and said with a smile, "I do not want the Embroidered Uniform Guard to become too powerful, and I will not let it grow too big. I am happy to see them fight each other. I just need to mediate."

Hearing Zhu Xiong Ying say this, Old Zhu couldn't help but laugh. He was naturally very satisfied with Zhu Xiong Ying's answer, which was exactly what he had hoped for.

It's not good for there to be only one voice in the court; Emperor Zhu never wanted all the civil and military officials to have the same opinion. Even among the civil officials, he didn't want them to share a single stance; he was quite happy to see them fighting amongst themselves. Even if they didn't fight, he would find a pretext to make them fight amongst themselves.

Balance was of paranoia to emperors. This wasn't a matter of paranoia; simply, the emperor, being in a position, certainly didn't want a single voice from both the civil and military officials. Even if there was only one voice, it should be a voice conveyed under the emperor's authorization.

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Xiong Ying and said calmly, "Alright then, you handle this matter. The Embroidered Uniform Guard has indeed become somewhat arrogant in recent years, and it's time to put them to the task."

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