It is said that during the Ming Dynasty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was omnipresent. They could arrest anyone, including members of the imperial family, and conduct secret interrogations. The infamous Imperial Prison was feared by many.

In fact, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which is responsible for investigation, arrest, and interrogation, is now directly under the emperor's control. Other officials in the court cannot interfere with them, which allows the Embroidered Uniform Guard to handle major cases involving court officials and present them directly to the emperor.

Therefore, most officials in the court feared the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Embroidered Uniform Guard's interrogation methods were limited to officials and scholars; they generally did not interrogate or arrest ordinary people. The common people only knew of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's terror.

Legend has it that some ministers drank some wine and said some things at home, and the next day Emperor Zhu found out.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn't possibly know everything, but their existence certainly served as Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes and ears, allowing them to control a great deal of information and better supervise civil and military officials.

All civil and military officials were consciously monitored by Emperor Zhu, and within the inner palace, it was even easier for him to find out certain things.

After Empress Ma's death, Consort Li took over the management of the inner palace in place of the deceased Empress Xiaoci. She was qualified to do so, as she was the biological mother of Prince Qin, Zhu Shuang, and Prince Jin, Zhu Gang. However, Consort Li also passed away, and now Consort Guo Ning manages the affairs of the inner palace and acts as Empress.

The Crown Prince's concubine could only endure the scolding and had to go to Consort Guo Ning's palace every day to learn the rules.

Zhu Yunwen was reprimanded and made to study at the Great Hall every day. In addition to his daily studies, he also had to spend an hour each day practicing horseback riding and archery with his guards.

It was obvious that Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao knew about some of the things that happened in the Eastern Palace.

In their eyes, it was Zhu Xiong Ying's duty as an older brother to teach his younger siblings. Besides supervising his younger brother's studies, Zhu Xiong Ying also required him to stay physically fit – this was the proper role of an older brother.

However, Zhu Yunwen didn't appreciate it, which was unacceptable. Especially since Zhu Yunwen seemed to have some inappropriate thoughts, and his mother, Lady Lü, also seemed to have some unpleasant ideas, it was necessary to reprimand him sternly.

The Crown Prince returned to Yingtian Prefecture, so Zhu Xiong Ying had nothing to do in the Wuying Hall. He should go to the Wenhua Hall instead.

Li Jinglong and Chang Mao returned to Yingtian Prefecture to report for duty. They were now basically labeled as the Crown Prince's sons, and were considered to be groomed as the core members of the Crown Prince's faction.

Li Jinglong took out a draft of regulations and handed it to Zhu Xiong Ying. “Your Highness, our Ming Navy should train more in archery and crossbows. I believe that small, fast ships are advantageous for attacking, and they can also be used to set up naval camps on shore for protracted warfare.”

Zhu Xiong Ying was taken aback. Li Jinglong was studying the Battle of Poyang Lake, one of the key battles in the Ming Dynasty's conquest of the world. This was also the largest naval battle in the medieval world. In fact, during this battle, Zhu's flagship was hit and almost captured, but fortunately, several ships of the Imperial Guard rushed to the rescue.

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled and then asked, "Oh, the Duke of Shan suggested using fire and catapults to burn down more than twenty of Chen's warships, causing heavy casualties to the puppet Han. I think we should have muskets and cannons. The ocean is rough, so we need large ships that can withstand the wind and waves."

Li Jinglong immediately said, "Your Highness, firearms have a short range, and fighting in the ocean is difficult due to the high winds, waves, and humidity, making them unusable in many situations. The Japanese pirates are also very mobile, making it difficult for large ships to pursue them."

Li Jinglong's statement is not wrong; the Japanese pirates are indeed plundering the coast, basically acting like roving bandits.

Looking at Li Jinglong in front of him, Zhu Xiong Ying really felt that Li Jinglong was a complex person. At present, Li Jinglong can be regarded as one of the best of the younger generation, known for his knowledge of military affairs. Even some veteran generals would not dare to say that they could defeat him in terms of theoretical military strategy.

However, Li Jinglong, though knowledgeable in military strategy, lacks compassion for his soldiers. Moreover, his noble lineage has instilled in him a degree of arrogance and complacency. Perhaps because his father is Prince Qiyang, Li Wenzhong, Li Jinglong is always eager to prove that he is like father, like son.

At this time, training troops is fine, but it seems a bit inflexible. There's also a tendency to appear tough on the outside but lack courage on the inside, being mean and jealous yet unwilling to accept others' opinions.

It's usable, but not essential. If it doesn't improve, it might just end up as an assistant or a training ground for troops.

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled and affirmed Li Jinglong's performance, rewarding him with one hundred taels of gold, five hundred taels of silver, and a yellow battle-axe as a sign of honor.

This yellow axe, which is an axe decorated with gold, was generally reserved for the emperor or bestowed upon important ministers who were in charge of military campaigns.

Li Jinglong was thrilled. Gold and silver meant little to him. A reward like the yellow axe was what truly demonstrated his standing in the Crown Prince's eyes. Most importantly, Li Jinglong understood that even if the Crown Prince was extremely pleased, he couldn't use something like the yellow axe.

This is clearly a reward bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor through the Crown Prince!

After Li Jinglong left, Zhu Xiong Ying asked with a smile, "Uncle, training troops on the coast is quite arduous. Would you be interested in transferring back to Yingtian Prefecture?"

Chang Mao immediately shook his head and said firmly, "Your Highness, I do not feel tired! It is my duty to share Your Highness's burdens!"

Zhu Xiong Ying thought for a moment and then said, "Uncle, please drink less in the army in the future. I know that you are of noble status, but you cannot govern the army and there are no military orders or discipline."

Chang Mao immediately felt a chill run down his spine, because his father was the Prince of Kaiping, and his sister was the Crown Princess, inheriting the title of Duke of Zheng through her father's merits. Chang Mao could definitely be considered to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth; his starting point was a threshold that countless soldiers could never reach in their entire lives.

In fact, Chang Mao was like this when he served under his father-in-law Feng Sheng. He was arrogant and unruly. Because of his noble status, Chang Mao was also unrestrained in the army. Drinking was a minor matter.

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