Zhu Yunying wasn't too nervous. He had a good hand, so the current situation naturally wouldn't have much of an impact on him.

The Ming Dynasty's finances were currently quite healthy, with sufficient gold and silver in the national treasury. This naturally meant that Zhu Yunying would face little pressure in allowing the exchange of paper money for silver. Moreover, prior to this, Zhu Yunying had been addressing some of the hidden problems that had arisen during the reign of the late Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Taizong of Tang).

For example, the recall of old banknotes and the counting of issued paper money meant that the paper money of the Ming Dynasty was not currently experiencing any devaluation. Any ambitious individuals who wanted to make trouble at this time would only be inviting humiliation.

Since that's the case, Zhu Yunying naturally has nothing to worry about. In fact, he still wants to see how things go.

If the water weren't murky, you wouldn't be able to tell that some people are jumping around aimlessly.

The saying "too much clarity leaves no room for fish" became increasingly clear to Zhu Yunying. He was no longer so quick to condemn evil; he understood the importance of balance. However, he also knew that some people would try to profit from chaos, thinking they could gain more advantage in a disorderly situation.

Since that's the case, let's take a good look and see who's trying to cause trouble, and who's really going against the emperor. Perhaps, when their own interests are at stake, some people will choose to protect themselves or switch allegiances.

That's all fine. Zhu Yunying is still looking forward to gaining a clearer understanding of the situation at this time. The distribution of power within and outside the court should be more clearly grasped through events like this.

For Zhu Yunying, he truly always hoped to completely control the court and wanted to see things clearly.

Old Zhu remained even calmer at this point. He knew his beloved grandson's abilities all too well. Therefore, he was naturally quite at ease and saw no need to get involved.

For Old Zhu, enjoying family life was more important during this time. Playing with and educating his great-grandchildren was, in his opinion, the highlight of life. Moreover, his sons, who had been enfeoffed in various places, had all returned during this period.

Even though Old Zhu didn't seem to care much about his sons, now that they were all so old and with them around, he called them over to give them his earnest advice.

For Zhu Yuanzhang, this was a truly momentous matter. As for matters of state, he believed they didn't require his involvement at all.

Ru Chang was in a good mood and looked at Zhu Yunying, saying, "Your Majesty, it seems that there are more wealthy households in our Great Ming than I imagined."

“That makes perfect sense,” Yan Zhenzhi chimed in, “I come from a wealthy family, which is why I was favored by the Emperor. I thought the Yan family was one of the wealthiest families in Wucheng, but now I realize how ridiculous we are.”

Zhu Yunying also laughed and pointed at Yan Zhenzhi, saying, "Minister Yan, don't belittle yourself. Your family is wealthy, otherwise the late Emperor wouldn't have appointed you as the grain chief. But being rich doesn't necessarily mean you have the ability to stand in the central government, let alone become a minister."

Yan Zhenzhi also became proud; he could be considered a nobleman. He had only become the grain official because of his wealthy family background, but now he had gained the favor of two emperors, which proved his ability.

Zhu Yunying continued, “Whether you are a wealthy household or a commoner, you are all subjects of the court. The wealthy should not be heartless, and it would be even better if they could help the orphans, widows, and the poor. The poor should not pity themselves; the court will indeed provide assistance, but they should strive to be strong.”

The ministers of the six ministries and others in the Wuying Hall all praised their emperor, saying that he was indeed insightful and visionary.

This became commonplace for Zhu Yunying, since he was now the emperor, so when he spoke of profound truths, they were all considered wise words.

Zhu Yunying didn't even need to be so suspicious; after these ministers left the palace, they might immediately help the emperor spread certain opinions. Some might even take the emperor's previous statements as principles for governing the household, and so on.

One gets used to it; Zhu Yunying was already used to his casual remarks being taken seriously by many. Moreover, many people readily believed his profound truths and inspirational quotes, which became further evidence of his wisdom, prowess, and concern for the world.

Zhu Yunying continued, "We have no other intentions toward wealthy households. It is a good thing to be able to accumulate some wealth. If it weren't for the hard work of our ancestors and the inheritance by our descendants, it would be difficult to accumulate any wealth."

Seeing the civil and military officials looking over, Zhu Yunying continued, "If they become wealthy, that's a good thing. As long as they work diligently and don't do anything illegal or unethical, they can be wealthy. The court will not suppress them; on the contrary, it will encourage them."

Joo Yoon-young's words made some people frown, because his attitude was rather 'unconventional'.

Because in some people's minds, the imperial court should encourage agriculture, and as for things like commerce, let alone encourage them, not even ruthlessly suppressing them would be considered extremely merciful.

However, some people were quite happy at this time, as the emperor's statement allowed them to act more freely. After all, in that era, many people considered business dealings to be nothing more than a 'small fry'.

Now that the emperor has given his approval, even without explicitly encouraging it, the fact that he hasn't tried to suppress it is enough to make some people hopeful. It's not just the military officers who are now thinking about a more prosperous life; some civil officials also have considerable wealth.

Now that the emperor has tacitly agreed, they can finally bring some things to the forefront.

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