Zhu Yunying was slightly disappointed that his chubby son was sleeping. However, being a legitimate scumbag, he didn't linger.

Because he's the emperor, some things are done openly and honestly, and no one will say much. He doesn't just have an empress, imperial concubine, or consorts like De and Ning, but also concubines and talented women.

It's normal for an emperor to stay with the empress or the imperial concubine, or even stay with a concubine for a while and then not go there much anymore. No one would think that the emperor is a scoundrel; they would just say that the concubines failed to keep the emperor and were out of favor.

Zhu Yunying's day off was quite fulfilling. Although he knew that with his status, he didn't need to deliberately care about the peace of the harem, nor did he need to pay much attention to the feelings of the concubines.

However, if we could achieve greater peace and harmony, that would be the best thing of all.

After a day off, Zhu Yunying had to get back to work. There were still many matters in the court that needed to be handled carefully.

For example, the summer harvest was something Zhu Yunying needed to start paying attention to. As the new grain began to be stored, Zhu Yunying naturally needed to keep a closer eye on it, as food security was of paramount importance to him.

Having grain in hand brings peace of mind; only with food can a country be secure. Sometimes, gold and silver are not necessarily as valuable as a bushel of rice.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Zhu Yunying listened attentively. It wasn't just Zhu Yunying who cared deeply about the summer grain harvest and taxation; all the civil and military officials in the court were also extremely concerned about these matters.

"It seems that the taxation of our Great Ming Dynasty is still somewhat cumbersome," Zhu Yunying suddenly said, looking quite troubled. "It's not just the ministers in the court who are quite distressed; I imagine the officials and common people below are also having some headaches."

We must listen carefully to the underlying meaning, because everyone knows that there were no problems in the reports just now. The fact that the emperor suddenly brought these things up suggests that he is somewhat dissatisfied with the Two-Tax System.

Moreover, everyone had heard some rumors or gleaned some clues from the court's actions.

For example, many people know that the Censorate's inspection tour of the country is also intended to conduct further investigations into household registrations and land surveys. Many are also aware that the Emperor is not entirely satisfied with the Two-Tax System.

There's no need to jump in immediately, since the emperor hasn't made any move yet. So there's no need to rush to express an opinion or take sides; it's necessary to continue observing the political climate to make the right decision in a timely manner.

Zhu Yunying looked at his court officials and slowly said, "I previously ordered the censors of the Censorate to inspect the thirteen circuits of the empire, and I believe you all know the reason. It is a fact that corruption was rampant and the administration was corrupt during the Yuan Dynasty. After years of strong suppression, the atmosphere in our Great Ming Dynasty has improved somewhat. But how long has this improvement lasted, and how many new problems have arisen?"

It seems the main event has arrived: the emperor has expressed some dissatisfaction. However, many people also know that corruption among officials is impossible to eradicate completely, and continuous rectification is indeed necessary in many cases.

Zhu Yunying continued, “In recent years, the court has begun to treat civil and military officials with preferential treatment, and their salaries have been increasing again and again. But now, looking at the situation, there are still many people who have disappointed the court, and all their years of hard study have been in vain.”

Perhaps some people initially aspire to cultivate themselves, manage their families, govern the country, and bring peace to the world, but gradually they forget their original intentions, and those people may also begin to go along with the corrupt practices for various reasons.

Zhu Yunying glanced around before saying, "Once these people gain power, they become fearless and arrogant. Not to mention the high-ranking officials, even the minor officials know how to bully others and act lawlessly. Every year during tax collection, countless families are ruined and countless people abuse their power for personal gain!"

Zhu Yunying's words were rather harsh, making it seem as if the emperor was concerned about the country and its people. However, this could also be a warning, a way of sending a message to warn others.

Perhaps Emperor Ying Shi is about to do something; this emperor seems to like to plan before he acts.