Lian Zining was highly regarded by Zhu Yunying. He was exceptionally talented and upright, with a strong sense of integrity and high moral character. Such an official was exactly the kind of minister the emperor would like, because in every aspect he seemed destined to become a pillar of the court.

Moreover, Lian Zining took it upon himself to recommend virtuous and capable people and had an outstanding reputation for governance. He was definitely a minister who was even more worthy of being given important responsibilities.

However, Zhu Yunying also had to consider some things. Lian Zining was able to rise to prominence so early not only because she served Zhu Yunying, but also because her legitimate daughter was Zhu Yunying's concubine. This brought Lian Zining a lot of glory, but because of this status, there were certain positions that Zhu Yunying would not give to Lian Zining.

For example, Lian Zining was capable enough to fill the position of Minister of the Six Ministries, but he was only suited for positions like the Censorate or the Court of Judicial Review. Zhu Yunying needed him to be a loyal minister, and even when the young Zhu was a little older, Lian Zining would have to retire.

The reason is that a foundation must be laid for the Crown Prince, and the maternal family of the Imperial Noble Consort cannot be allowed to have too much power in the court. Even if Lian Qiongqiong has only given birth to a daughter for Zhu Yunying, it is still the same. In fact, if Lian Qiongqiong gives birth to a prince for Zhu Yunying, Lian Zining will definitely be placed in an even less important position.

This can be considered the mindset of an emperor, and it can also be considered a kind of power struggle; the court needs to maintain a balance.

Zhu Yunying questioned Lian Zining carefully, mainly about the source of the evidence Lian Zining possessed, something he needed to know. Regardless of Ren Hengtai's background, he was, after all, the Minister of Rites of the Ming Dynasty, and these matters could not be handled carelessly.

Such a case must be handled thoroughly and logically, leaving no room for speculation or ambiguity. Indeed, such a high-ranking official should not be wronged.

Therefore, if Lian Zining's accusation is false, the result will obviously be that after Ren Hengtai's innocence is cleared, Lian Zining will have to pay the price for it.

Such a major case required Zhu Yunying's serious attention, and the entire court indeed needed to take it seriously. Even though, based on the current situation, Ren Hengtai had indeed made many mistakes, and the possibility of a false accusation was unlikely, the matter of finalizing the case still needed to be treated with utmost care.

After Lian Zining left, Zhu Yunying immediately sent a messenger with an imperial edict. This time, the messenger was none other than Ru Chang, Zhu Yunying's former study companion. As the Minister of Personnel, Ru Chang was required to step forward at this time to share the burdens of the emperor, Zhu Yunying.

"Give Ru a seat." Zhu Yunying's face was not smiling, but he still said to Wang Chengen, "I remember there is some Wuling tea in the palace, brew a pot of tea for Ru."

Ru Chang immediately expressed her gratitude, for this was truly a great favor. It wasn't just the bestowal of tea; more importantly, the tea bestowed by the emperor was Wuling tea, which, unsurprisingly, came from the seven counties of Wuling. This tea had been a tribute tea since the Tang Dynasty.

Most importantly, His Majesty remembered that Ru Chang was from Huguang, so he specially bestowed tea from Huguang upon him, which was of course a great favor.

Seeing Ru Chang sit down, Zhu Yunying asked, "The Ministry of Justice is a very important position, as your companion knows. Is Bao Zhao, whom you recommended, capable of shouldering this heavy responsibility?"

Ru Chang immediately assumed the role of Minister of Personnel and answered without hesitation, “Your Majesty, Bao Zhao is an upright and principled man, and I believe he is capable of shouldering this important responsibility. However, the position of Minister of Justice is high and powerful, and I hope Your Majesty will make the final decision on the selection of the Minister.”

Zhu Yunying waved his hand and said with a smile, "You are the Minister of Personnel, so recommending talented people is also your duty. You also said that the Ministry of Justice is too important, so naturally we should ask more questions."

Indeed, it's necessary to ask more questions. The Ministry of Justice is the agency in charge of national criminal laws and regulations and the review of criminal cases. Zhu Yunying naturally needs to pay close attention to the head of such an agency, and he certainly cannot be careless in the slightest when selecting the Minister of Justice; he needs to consider everything more thoroughly.

However, Zhu Yunying also suffered from the emperor's 'paranoia,' mainly because the Minister of Justice was too important. Although Bao Zhao was recommended by Ru Chang, it seems that Ru Chang fulfilled the duties of a Minister of Personnel.

However, Zhu Yunying would not be careless. He would still investigate what needed to be investigated and suspect what needed to be suspected. He would absolutely not allow a Minister of Personnel to have complete control over the appointment and removal of officials throughout the court. He would also not allow officials of the ministerial level to form cliques or have excessive contact with each other.

As an emperor, it's perfectly normal for him to do this. Even though Ru Chang was Zhu Yunying's confidante, he would still investigate these matters more thoroughly.

After discussing the matter of Bao Zhao, Zhu Yunying asked, "Ren Hengtai has greatly disappointed me. After this incident, he will find it difficult to maintain his position in the court. Who in the Ministry of Rites should take over the position of companion scholar? Do you have any ideas?"

Ru Chang did not hold back or conceal anything, "Your Majesty, Chen Di, a man from Ningguo Prefecture, is talented and ambitious. He once served as an instructor at the prefectural school and later as a lecturer. He was appointed as the Left Vice Minister of Shandong and, after mourning his parents, became the Right Provincial Administration Commissioner. Previously, the barbarian tribes of Puding, Qujing, Wusa, and Wumeng instigated rebellion, which Di led his soldiers to defeat."

Upon hearing Ru Chang's recommendation, Zhu Yunying couldn't help but laugh, thinking that the recommendation was quite good.

Chen Di was a man of both literary and martial talents, a true scholar recognized by Zhu Yunying. He could lead troops on horseback and bring peace to the people on foot, rather than being a pedantic scholar who only knew how to read books. This was a virtuous and capable man who could bring peace and prosperity to the country.

Moreover, this man's grandfather had distinguished himself in battle and was a hereditary centurion in the defense of Fuzhou. He was of impeccable lineage and came from a very good background. After all, a centurion was just a mid-level military officer, who wouldn't have much of a family background or much ambition.

Seeing Zhu Yunying nod, Ru Chang continued her recommendation, "Huang Guan of Chizhou Prefecture was the top scholar in the provincial examination in the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu's reign, and he also achieved the highest rank in the palace examination. He served as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy and was later promoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. He has been diligent in his studies since childhood, is of noble character, and prides himself on loyalty and filial piety. He is a man of great potential."

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