Emperor Wen of Han was known for his frugality and simplicity, and once even halted the construction of a terrace because he was concerned about the wealth of ten families. The emperors of the Ming Dynasty were no less frugal.

According to custom, when an emperor retires, a new palace should be built for him. However, the retired emperors of the Ming Dynasty still lived in their original palaces, and the current emperor has always lived in the 'Eastern Palace'.

They didn't care about the so-called etiquette, nor did they care that the imperial city of Yingtianfu was actually in a low-lying and damp area. They just felt that there was no need for large-scale construction, and that rebuilding the palace would be a waste.

Zhu Yunying continued, "In recent years, most of the assets of the Maritime Trade Office have been allocated to the Ministry of Revenue. Although the properties belong to the imperial family and nobles, they are still one of the sources of revenue for the court. I think it is best if the court does not interfere with the properties of the imperial treasury in the future."

Yu Xin immediately knelt down, and said with a heavy heart, "Your subject deserves to die ten thousand times!"

Looking down at Yu Xin with a puzzled expression, Zhu Yunying asked, "Oh? Why do you say that, my dear minister? Have I mistreated you?"

What defines a master of feigning ignorance? Zhu Yunying certainly qualifies. This is a clear indication of his skill in manipulating Yu Xin.

Zhu Yunying looked at Yu Xin, who was prostrate on the ground, and said, "My dear minister, you were only loyal to the king. What crime have you committed? Do not mention these words of death again. I am not a harsh ruler. The Ming Dynasty is not a barbarian state. My dear ministers do not need to worry. I also know that there are indeed some scholars in the world who say that the retired emperor and I treat scholars harshly."

This made Ru Chang and the others uneasy, genuinely worried that His Majesty would bring up these matters again.

Such concerns were not unfounded, because the Ming Dynasty did not actually allow scholars to freely discuss state affairs. In other words, if some scholars gathered and wanted to offer their opinions on politics, it would be illegal, as the court did not permit it.

Moreover, many people know what kind of people the retired emperor or the current emperor really are.

Zhu Yunying slowly opened his mouth and said, "Those who utter such rebellious words, I think they have no conscience. The Emperor Emeritus's preferential treatment of scholars is rare throughout history. Those people keep saying how good the Song Dynasty was, but our Great Ming Dynasty is no less so! The Emperor Emeritus pardoned scholars from corvée labor and taxes and granted them many rights, and they still have complaints?"

To be honest, Emperor Zhu was indeed very good to scholars; scholars in the Ming Dynasty did have quite a few privileges.

However, some things are just like that—they get what they want and then take it for granted. Naturally, they then expect more privileges and more benefits.

Zhu Yunying's points were valid; after all, the Ming Dynasty did grant scholars many privileges. Even the so-called paradise for scholars during the Song Dynasty might not have been able to provide them with such privileges.

However, Ru Chang and others also felt that what the emperor said was somewhat biased.

The Ming Dynasty seemed to have a large number of scholars, but the emperors didn't seem to care much about the things they were concerned with. In fact, the very things that scholars truly cared about were things that the two Ming emperors scorned.

Zhu Yunying continued, “I will not speak of the affairs of scholars. However, you ministers are also important officials of the court, and you should understand that many scholars in the country are those who talk big but are not truly knowledgeable. You should also know that empty talk can harm the country. In the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the elegant scholars regarded pure conversation as elegance. Empty talk wasted time and superficial writing hindered important matters. This is not the way things are now, and you should also know this.”

"Empty talk wastes time and flowery writings hinder important matters; these are not suitable for the present time," said Wang Xizhi, the Sage of Calligraphy. However, "empty talk harms the country," could be considered Zhu Yunying's "summary."

Although some people wanted to object, considering the power of the retired emperor and the shrewdness of the current emperor, it was better to keep quiet and listen respectfully to the imperial edict.

Zhu Yunying continued, “It is not a good thing to criticize the government and comment on officials. There is no shortage of clever people and eccentric scholars in the world, nor is there a shortage of ignorant people. Those who seek fame and sell their integrity should be especially guarded against.”

The phrase "selling one's reputation for personal gain" surprised Ru Chang and the others for a moment, but they quickly came to understand it.

Zhu Yunying had no idea that he had created another idiom. He had created many idioms and allusions, so there was nothing to worry about.

For the young Emperor Zhu, it was best to continue using this pretext to his advantage. This could be considered a basic skill for an emperor: making a mountain out of a molehill and using a pretext to his advantage are all perfectly normal things to do.

This wasn't just about imperial power and the emperor's authority; it was also about fighting against court officials to prevent them from harboring ill intentions.

"It's not just the scholars; the censors also need to be careful," Zhu Yunying said, revealing his true intentions. "I am aware that some censors are submitting reports based on hearsay. Look at what Emperor Renzong has done!"

"Reporting based on hearsay" literally means that officials who offer advice can impeach ministers based on hearsay without providing concrete evidence or signing their names.

This was the system invented by Emperor Renzong of Song. It seemed that the censors and the ministers in power were at odds, but the emperor was secretly enjoying it.

However, this system also exacerbated factional strife, turning many issues into mere verbal battles. Even if some things could benefit the court and slightly improve official conduct, most people knew that such hearsay was generally inaccurate, wasting the court's resources.

The role of censors sometimes seems to be simply to criticize others. But they should at least have something to say; they can't just criticize for the sake of criticizing, and they certainly shouldn't have any ulterior motives.

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