Zhu Yunying's words were full of murderous intent, and some of them might have been inappropriate.

It's just that the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty set a good precedent, and the rules for emperors weren't as strict then. Some of his decrees were written in colloquial language and were straightforward, so people weren't surprised. Furthermore, some people could sense that the current emperor valued the fallen soldiers highly and wouldn't be careless in comforting them.

Looking at Xu Huizu, Zhu Yunying said, "Duke of Zhongshan, I originally intended for your second brother to lead the Imperial Guards Orphans, is that it?"

Xu Huizu immediately knelt down and prostrated himself to beg for forgiveness, "Your subject is guilty!"

The concept of "Orphans of the Imperial Guards" was not invented by Zhu Yunying; it existed as early as the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. The sons and grandsons of those who died in service were raised in the Imperial Guards and trained in the five weapons. This differed slightly from the Imperial Guard itself, which was responsible for protecting the emperor, the palace, and the capital; only the name changed occasionally.

Zhu Yunying also had orphans of the Imperial Guards, which could be considered the Crown Prince's Three Guards. Now they were basically incorporated into the capital army. In fact, the Crown Prince's personal guards and the Crown Prince's personal guards in the Ming Dynasty were just for show. The emperor would just pick them up and use them, and there was no clear distinction between them.

However, the necessary procedures and arrangements still need to be followed, which also serves as a model for future emperors.

Zhu Yunying spoke directly to Xu Huizu, saying, "Remove Xu Yingxu from his position as Commander of the Imperial Guard Orphans, and Chang Sheng shall take up his post immediately. The second son of a duke or marquis, aged between fifteen and ten, shall be appointed to the Imperial Guard Orphans Camp."

In an instant, many military officers became anxious. Their families had no legitimate sons, let alone second legitimate sons. Some were too old, while others were under ten years old, making it impossible for them to join the Imperial Guard Orphans early and become the Crown Prince's personal guard.

Has this opportunity just slipped away?!

Zhu Yunying didn't care what those people were thinking; he needed to set an example, to provide guidance, and to formulate policies. Even if some things didn't seem to have immediate results, his attitude was evident, and many people naturally understood.

The eldest son of the legitimate wife did not serve as an orphan in the Imperial Guard because eldest sons of legitimate wives were usually heirs of dukes and marquises, destined to inherit family businesses and titles. Even if those eldest sons were old enough, they should have served as imperial guards in the palace, serving the emperor.

The reason why eldest and second sons of concubines were not allowed to join the Imperial Guard Orphans was because the Ming Dynasty strictly distinguished between legitimate and illegitimate children. And don't talk about fairness or unfairness; birth often determined one's fate.

Regarding matters of compensating fallen soldiers or awarding merit, Zhu Yunying only needed to exert some pressure and urge relevant departments to implement them quickly. As for the Imperial Guard Orphans, Zhu Yunying simply expressed concern and attention.

For Emperor Zhu Yunying, there were many other things to attend to, and he couldn't just focus on these matters. For example, many people now hoped for another special imperial examination, because the new emperor's ascension to the throne and the dynasty's great victory were certainly reasons to hold such an event.

Or perhaps it's because the Open China Act was abolished, but many people still wanted to try and salvage the situation. With the Open China Act abolished, naturally many methods and policies needed to be considered to follow up, and these were no small matters.

An emperor can't afford to be idle, especially a diligent one, as there are simply too many things to handle.

There were many things to deal with, and Zhu Yunying couldn't be said to be handling them with ease, since some tasks weren't just repetitive mechanical work. Fortunately, it seemed that no unexpected situations arose that would leave Zhu Yunying flustered or throw the officials in the court into disarray.

This is not bad; at least it seems relatively stable and peaceful overall. Everyone should learn to be content and satisfied.

After the court session, Zhu Yunying returned to the Wuying Hall. Some matters could be discussed in the court, but others required Zhu Yunying to review a sufficient number of memorials.

Looking at the towering pile of memorials, Zhu Yunying felt more and more that the cabinet system did have some advantages.

Being an emperor is truly a complex job. On one hand, one wants to hold absolute power and maintain a high degree of centralization. But on the other hand, one also wants to be lazy and delegate some tasks.

This is probably human nature's weakness—wanting to hold onto all the benefits. And these are perhaps the contradictory aspects of human nature.