Although there will be many things to do next, they are all unfolding in an orderly manner, and once everything is arranged, Zhu Yunying doesn't need to worry about them too much.

For Zhu Yunying, his task was to make strategic arrangements and plans; he needed to have a strategic vision. The specific execution, of course, did not require his personal involvement, which was probably one of the more relaxed aspects of being an emperor.

However, there were indeed too many complicated and trivial matters, which made Zhu Yunying feel more and more that the cabinet was necessary.

While considering how to reduce the difficulty of her work, Joo Yoon-young felt there were other things she needed to think about.

For example, matters concerning the imperial clan were also things Zhu Yunying needed to consider. Although Zhu Yunying did not approve of enfeoffing princes, he did indeed use certain methods to completely strip those princes of their military power.

However, Zhu Yunying was also very clear that relieving the princes of their military power did not mean everything was fine, nor did it mean that everything was safe and sound. Zhu Yunying understood that many things could not be judged by appearances alone.

For example, regarding the imperial clan, Emperor Zhu did indeed treat them very well. However, there were also restrictions on many members of the imperial clan.

Zhu Yunying has resolved the issue of military power among the princes, and now many princes in Yingtian Prefecture are watching with longing. The placement of these people clearly requires attention, and this is Zhu Yunying's responsibility. After all, he can now be considered the 'head of the family' of the Zhu clan.

The stipends were high, so it seemed that the imperial family members didn't need to worry about food and drink. However, they couldn't be treated like pigs, left to do nothing and simply wait to die.

Consider the examples of some members of the imperial family during the late Qing Dynasty; they serve as cautionary tales. Zhu Yunying could not guarantee that there would be no poor people in the world, nor could he guarantee that every descendant of the Zhu family would be an outstanding individual. However, many things truly needed to be carefully considered.

According to some of Zhu Yuanzhang's practices, Ming Dynasty princes were granted fiefdoms but not land, were given titles but not subject to the people, received stipends but did not manage affairs, and were not allowed to participate in the occupations of the four classes of people. Their titles were hereditary and perpetual.

Previously, some princes still wielded considerable power, and their treatment was quite high. This was not good news for Zhu Yunying, especially since the princely rank would not be downgraded, which was clearly a troublesome matter.

They strolled leisurely to the Qianqing Palace, where Zhu Yunying saw Old Zhu playing with Little Zhu.

"Father!" Little Zhu ran over happily when he saw Zhu Yunying.

Zhu Yunying bent down, picked up the little guy, and gently tossed him into the air. The daring little Zhu wasn't afraid at all; he loved this kind of game. Not only his father did this, but his great-grandfather and uncle also enjoyed teasing him like this.

After tossing it three or four times, Zhu Yunying put Little Zhu down. He estimated it weighed over forty pounds and was probably a little short of a meter tall. This little guy wasn't exactly chubby, just a bit baby-fat.

Holding little Zhu, Zhu Yunying said, "Grandpa, it's time to find something for our uncles to do."

Old Zhu paused for a moment, then immediately became interested. The throne had been passed to his grandson because this grandson was the eldest son of his most beloved legitimate son, Zhu Biao. Of course, Zhu Yunying's outstanding performance also contributed to Old Zhu's satisfaction.

However, this does not mean that Emperor Zhu was completely indifferent to his other sons. This can be seen from the fact that the salaries he gave to the princes were dozens of times higher than those of first-rank officials. This does not even include expenses for marriages or funerals.

"Tell me, how are you planning to play a trick on your royal uncle this time?" Old Zhu asked with interest, his tone somewhat teasing.

Zhu Yunying was speechless and said irritably, "I've treated my uncles very well. I've always contributed money and effort to those who are willing to expand the territory. Besides, I'm thinking about our clan, and it's time for us to consider making a living."

Old Zhu was puzzled and immediately asked, "The salary we give them is not low; it's enough for them to live comfortably."

“But Grandfather, our current imperial clan members are not allowed to do anything,” Zhu Yunying said. “Especially since I have been stripped of my power, many imperial clan members don’t know what they should be doing. They spend their days eating, drinking and having fun, which is not a good thing.”

While Old Zhu remained silent, Zhu Yunying continued, "Grandfather, we don't need to worry about the eldest sons of our uncles, but we do need to worry about their second sons and illegitimate sons. If this continues generation after generation, the salaries of the Fengguo Lieutenant will barely be enough to live on. What will happen if we stop them from doing anything?"

If you're stuck with the status of a member of the royal family but can't do anything, then you're really being treated like a pig.

Old Zhu frowned, then said earnestly, "We've thought about these things, but if members of the imperial clan take power, it's easy for chaos to break out."

Zhu Yunying couldn't agree more with such a viewpoint. Even if the Ming Dynasty established the rule of primogeniture, it was unrealistic to expect all members of the imperial clan to be obedient and law-abiding; that would be far too optimistic.

"I've thought about these things too. To be honest, the status of being a member of the imperial clan is an honor, but it shouldn't always be a shackle," Zhu Yunying said to his father. "If it's a more prestigious title, that's fine; our Ming Dynasty can afford it. But for those with lower-ranking titles, we should also provide the imperial clan members with a way to make a living."

Old Zhu immediately understood that Zhu Yunying had previously mentioned reducing the treatment of some members of the imperial clan, especially stating that the position of Fengguo Zhongwei should not be the lowest rank and should never be demoted.

In fact, a couple of years ago, Emperor Zhu had also reduced the treatment of some members of the imperial clan, decreasing the annual allowances for princes to fund military and national expenses. He also revised the allowances for princes of the first rank to 10,000 shi, princes of the second rank to 2,000 shi, generals of the state to 1,000 shi, generals of the auxiliary state to 800 shi, generals of the supporting state to 600 shi, lieutenant generals of the state to 400 shi, and lieutenant generals of the supporting state to 200 shi.

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