The turmoil in the court did not affect Zhu Yunying much for the time being, because he seemed to be a willful emperor who only needed to make decisions unilaterally.

The advice of loyal ministers and generals, or the flattery of sycophants, seemed to have little effect on Zhu Yunying, and he didn't care about them at all.

“The functions of banks now are certainly not as good as those of banks in the future. They are not yet able to mobilize the national economy,” Zhu Yunying muttered to himself, somewhat self-deprecatingly. “My scaled-down version of a bank should still have some role to play.”

The current Daming Bank, besides exchanging banknotes, mainly focuses on storage and lending, which seem to be its most basic functions.

"It's still best to make things clear to everyone, but even if we do, it won't make much difference," Zhu Yunying analyzed. "The principle of keeping wealth hidden has been passed down for generations. Many people don't want the court to know about their wealth."

That's not true. Some powerful families, wealthy merchants, and the like certainly don't want the court to know their background, fearing that the court might just seize their hard-earned money at any time.

Or if the wealth is too great, the imperial court might find an excuse to confiscate the property and exterminate the entire family, which is also a factor that makes some people worry about revealing their wealth.

Some officials, in particular, became even more worried during these times. If they suddenly found themselves with a large sum of money, it would be difficult to explain. Secretly spending it or sending it back to their hometowns was certainly an option.

But if you deposit it in a bank, that's like exposing your financial situation. You might not only lose your image of being incorruptible, but you could also end up in jail and suffer the fate of being skinned alive.

These are all very likely things to happen, and this is indeed why some people are reluctant to deposit their money in banks.

Wang Chengen tiptoed to the imperial desk and whispered, "Your Majesty, tomorrow is the Emperor Emeritus's birthday. Should Your Majesty go and pay your respects?"

Zhu Yunying smiled and raised his head, saying, "Our imperial grandfather is seventy-two years old, and he looks quite robust. Good, that's excellent!"

After saying this, Zhu Yunying asked, "Have all the vassal kings outside returned to Yingtian Prefecture?"

Wang Chengen immediately replied, "Except for the Prince of Shu, all the other princes have returned."

Zhu Yunying smiled and nodded. The reason why Prince Zhu Chun of Shu couldn't return was because he was too far away. Although Zhu Yunying had previously sent a letter home through Consort Guo Hui, Zhu Chun was in Chengdu, Sichuan, and it wasn't easy for him to return.

"How is the Emperor Emeritus's mood today?" Zhu Yunying asked lazily, flexing his wrists. "Our Crown Prince, he hasn't been causing trouble outside today, has he?"

Wang Chengen quickly smiled and said, "The Emperor Emeritus is in a good mood. Today he summoned the heirs of the Prince of Qin, the Prince of Jin, the Prince of Lu, and the Prince of Jingjiang, and also went to the Qianqing Palace."

Hearing Wang Chengen say this, Zhu Yunying naturally nodded. These were all those who would inherit the title of prince, and they were all Zhu Yunying's younger brothers, who, like Zhu Yunying, had lost their fathers.

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Yunying said, "Go and tell them not to rush out of the palace, but to stay in the palace and have a meal with us."

Zhu Yunying still takes good care of his younger cousins. Although he has not yet granted them the title of prince, it is only a matter of procedure. It is only a matter of time before they inherit the title.

Now that the younger brothers are staying in the palace, it's natural that they'll dine together, subtly expressing their closeness and showing brotherly affection.

Now that these young men have come to Yingtian Prefecture, they can stay here for a while. It's also a good time for them to officially inherit the royal title, which is a great honor.

As for wanting to return to their fiefdoms, forget it. Staying in the wealthy and prosperous Yingtian Prefecture is much better, with their clan and relatives by their side. Most importantly, even their uncle couldn't contend with Zhu Yunying, so there's even less to say about these younger brothers.

It's not really about weakening the power of the vassal kings; it's just that the court took back the fiefdoms it had previously granted. Besides, these vassal kings didn't have the same power as the vassal kings under the feudal system of the Western Han Dynasty, so it's better to avoid having an 'illegitimate' title.

After drinking a cup of tea, Zhu Yunying glanced at the weather outside. Even in his long robe, it was still very hot. But there was nothing he could do; in this era, it wasn't easy to wear short sleeves, especially for an emperor like Zhu Yunying, whose movements were often restricted.

Upon returning to the East Palace, Xu Miaoqing immediately ordered mung bean soup to be served to Zhu Yunying. "Your Majesty, I have taken a look at the schedule for the Imperial Grandfather's birthday banquet today. I hope Your Majesty will review it."

Zhu Yunying took the memorial and said, "These things shouldn't trouble you. You should be taking care of your health now, so don't overwork yourself."

Xu Miaoqing smiled and said with certainty, "After all, I am the granddaughter-in-law of the Emperor. On the Emperor's birthday, I should do my part."

Zhu Yunying couldn't help but laugh, without any need for restraint. "You gave birth to the Crown Prince, giving Grandpa a great-grandson, which made Grandpa happy. Now that you have our offspring, there is no better granddaughter-in-law than you in Grandpa's eyes."

Xu Miaoqing didn't think Zhu Yunying was exaggerating or boasting. She clearly saw how her grandfather treated some of the concubines and how he viewed the emperor's other concubines.

To put it bluntly, in Old Zhu's eyes, his daughter-in-law was always Chang Shi, and his granddaughter-in-law was Xu Miaoqing. As for the others, Old Zhu was too lazy to get to know them. Those concubines only needed to produce offspring for the imperial family, and that was their purpose in existence.

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