Zhu Yunying wasn't particularly concerned about whether he was a conservative economist. However, he knew that there were some people in his court who were quite knowledgeable about economics.

Although many of them appear to be 'liberal arts students,' China has a rich history of economists and capable individuals who have managed the nation's finances with great skill. Zhu Yunying's task was simply to grasp the overall direction.

Doing everything personally was not something Zhu Yunying would do, nor was it his style.

Looking at Yu Xin, Zhu Yunying said, "Now that the court's taxes and commercial taxes are increasing, I have decided to separate some matters."

Not to mention Yu Xin, everyone else immediately became tense or excited at this moment; they saw an opportunity.

Zhu Yunying continued, "As you all see now, even something as simple as paper money involves countless complexities and numerous government departments. In my opinion, this is not a good thing. There are officials everywhere, and it seems like anyone can be in charge. But once something goes wrong, I see everyone trying to shirk responsibility."

This is a blunt statement, but it's a common occurrence, and people aren't surprised by these things at all.

When there's credit to be earned, everyone rushes to claim a share. But if anything goes wrong, even if it's clearly their fault, they'll do everything they can to shirk responsibility, and even if they can't escape unscathed, they'll try to minimize the punishment.

Yu Xin opened his mouth, but could only say, "Your Majesty is wise!"

This isn't about whether Zhu Yunying was wise or not; it's simply that there were some things that everyone was actually aware of. It's just that Zhu Yunying was the emperor, so he could speak frankly about some things without needing to consider the feelings of others.

"I have decided to establish a bank," Zhu Yunying said directly. "We will formulate a monetary plan and reforms, take the lead in setting up the framework, and draft relevant monetary regulations. Most importantly, the bank must ensure that the currency of our Great Ming Dynasty is valuable, not worthless, and not become worthless."

Yu Xin immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, do banks specialize in handling money matters?"

"Yes," Zhu Yunying replied. "From now on, the printing, destruction, and other related matters will be handled by the bank. The bank will also be placed under the Ministry of Revenue, with a separate department established to manage it."

Yu Xin was quite excited about Zhu Yunying's words, because it seemed that the Ministry of Revenue's responsibilities had become even greater.

While Yan Zhenzhi and the others were somewhat disappointed, they understood that the bank His Majesty mentioned should indeed be managed by the Ministry of Revenue. Otherwise, disputes would arise, making things difficult to get things done.

Zhu Yunying spoke with Yu Xin at length, but there were no plans to implement the plan immediately. Further discussion and refinement were needed, along with more communication with experts from the Ministry of Revenue to ensure no major oversights.

After finishing his discussions with the six high-ranking officials, Zhu Yunying immediately headed towards the Qianqing Palace, hoping to get a free meal.

"Great-grandfather, let's have some soup first." Before even reaching the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yunying heard the little Zhu's voice, "We won't eat green vegetables, we want to eat meat, lots of meat!"

Old Zhu's patient voice came through, "It's all your father's fault. It would be so much better if our Yin'er only ate meat, he'd be strong. You should just eat some green vegetables, otherwise your father will scold you, and he might even nag us."

Little Zhu doesn't like vegetables; he's basically a meat lover. Eating meat is no problem for him, and he certainly can't afford it. However, what Old Zhu considers a good diet isn't so great in Zhu Yunying's eyes; he insists on a balanced diet of meat and vegetables.

Zhu Yunying strode into the hall and immediately beamed with joy, "I knew we'd come at the perfect time, just in time for our meal."

Little Zhu turned around and ran towards Little Zhu, while Old Zhu, holding the golden rice bowl, straightened up and smiled at Little Zhu.

Yes, Xiao Zhu still needs to be fed. Actually, Xiao Xiao Zhu is quite well-behaved in front of Xiao Zhu and can barely eat by himself. But as long as he's not under Xiao Zhu's watchful eye, Xiao Xiao Zhu needs to be fed. Especially in front of Lao Zhu, Lao Zhu feeds him with relish and enjoys it, and Xiao Xiao Zhu eats happily too.

"Shuangquan, get the emperor a bowl and chopsticks." Old Zhu laughed and said, "Then have someone serve the meal. The emperor has a big appetite and can eat and drink a lot."

Zhu Yunying sat down casually and said, "If it weren't for the golden bowls and chopsticks, we would have thought this was just an ordinary family. Even the landlords and gentry eat better than Grandfather."

Old Zhu glanced at Little Zhu and said irritably, "Are we lacking in food and drink? Our meals are quite plentiful. When we were young, we never dared to dream of such things! Although Yin'er is greedy, he's not a glutton. Our Zhu family is just not destined to enjoy good fortune."

Old Zhu was frugal, and even the eldest Zhu wasn't particularly fond of luxurious food. Zhu Yunying was rather picky about food, but not excessively so. Little Zhu ate a little better, but not in an extravagant way.

Zhu Yunying was just joking, simply because it wasn't a "Manchu Han Imperial Feast" or anything like that. In reality, even if the old Zhu and the young Zhu were very frugal, the emperor's food and drink couldn't be that bad. Their meal was something that countless ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty couldn't even afford during the New Year.

Little Zhu, who was drinking alone, picked up a piece of roast duck, which made Old Zhu feel a little sorry for him. His precious great-grandson had only eaten one duck leg, and the duck leg was originally meant to be saved for the great-grandson.

It was only because the duck leg was eaten by his equally precious grandson that Old Zhu didn't say anything. Everyone who dined with Old Zhu understood that duck legs and chicken legs belonged to Little Zhu as long as Little Zhu was around. If Little Zhu wasn't there, then they belonged to Little Zhu.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!