Old Zhu smiled and nodded, then said to Zhu Yunying, "I think we should take care of this!"

Zhu Yunying shook his head and said with a sigh, "Grandfather, I must stand on my own now. I am the emperor now. I have offended quite a few people. These things should not always be done by you."

"What we're thinking about is our reputation!" Old Zhu glared at Zhu Yunying and said, "Let's not talk about anything else. Some aristocratic families and gentry are bound to be furious. But the common people under heaven are the ones who are benefiting! Our Emperor Zhu is still looking out for his people, so we need to earn a good reputation!"

What Lao Zhu said seems to make sense; the idea of ​​"land to the tiller" is a dream for many people.

If the imperial court were to grant land, many people would certainly be overjoyed, no longer subject to exploitation by landlords. However, Zhu Yunying was also well aware that it was quite normal for imperial power to not extend to the countryside these days, and the power of clans was indeed enormous.

So some people and some things will still be exploited, at most they will be exploited a little less when they are idle.

“We should handle this.” After thinking for a moment, Old Zhu made a decisive decision. “We have been thinking about this for a long time. Our people should be governed by us, their sovereign. We have established the foundation of the Ming Dynasty, and we should have the final say on some matters concerning the Ming Dynasty.”

Joo Yun-young still wanted to struggle a bit. He felt that he could handle these matters well, but it seemed that once Joo made a decision, he was incredibly stubborn, and it was difficult for Joo Yun-young to change his mind.

As for the claim that Zhu Yunying wanted a good reputation, Zhu Yunying naturally wouldn't believe it; Zhu Yunying really didn't care much about those empty titles.

Old Zhu's current actions are ultimately aimed at offending people, specifically helping Zhu Yunying suppress dissenting voices. His intervention is likely to be far more effective than Zhu Yunying's direct involvement.

Even though Zhu Yunying believed he had a good grasp of the court and his power was indeed considerable, he wouldn't be so narcissistic as to think he was as invincible as the late Zhu. The respect that the civil and military officials, as well as the powerful clans and gentry had for Zhu Yunying stemmed from respect for his status and the dragon throne beneath him.

Those people not only respected Old Zhu, but also felt a certain fear towards him.

To rise above the chaos of war, drive out the Mongol Yuan dynasty, and eliminate those separatist forces, Zhu Yuanzhang, a man of humble origins, couldn't have done it without considerable skill and ability. Moreover, it's no secret that the Hongwu Emperor was ruthless.

The Hongwu Emperor was ruthless, and the Yingshi Emperor was no pushover either; he was also a ruthless ruler. It's just that compared to the Hongwu Emperor, the young new emperor seemed slightly better, less bloodthirsty.

Some things are now all set, so we can start taking action without any problems.

The nation is strong, and the political situation appears to be stable, which naturally gives everyone a sense of confidence. This seems like the perfect time to do something significant, and there's no time to be polite.

Old Zhu understood this principle; now was the time to act, the perfect opportunity. He should do what needed to be done, and at this opportune moment, he should boldly launch a series of major initiatives.

This is true for Lao Zhu, and it should be true for Xiao Zhu as well.

To make any big moves, a relatively stable internal and external situation is naturally required. After all, this involves affecting the interests of many people, and it's indeed necessary to properly address some issues at this point.

Zhu Yunying walked towards the Eastern Palace looking somewhat dejected. He, as emperor, seemed unchanged from his time as the Crown Prince. Many matters did indeed require his decision-making, but sometimes, the final decision still needed the old Zhu's approval.

When he was the Crown Prince, he performed some of the emperor's duties, but even after becoming emperor, his word wasn't absolute. This blurred the lines, and Zhu Yunying probably got used to it.

There was nothing they could do; the emperors of the Zhu family were simply extraordinary!

You'll get used to it; it's really not a big deal.