Lian Zining naturally felt the increasing burden on his shoulders. In his position, besides his own moral character, he couldn't be afraid of offending people. Fortunately, Lian Zining's special status and good character meant he really didn't need to worry about offending anyone.

However, no matter what, we cannot rely solely on the character of officials for such an important matter; a sound system is also necessary. These are all things that Zhu Yunying needs to do now.

After Lian Zining left Fengtian Hall, Ru Chang naturally followed the imperial edict and arrived at Fengtian Hall as well.

"Master, please give the study companion a seat." Zhu Yunying smiled and said to Wang Chengen, "Be smart in the future, don't make the study companion wait."

Wang Chengen naturally apologized again, seemingly because of his utter foolishness. However, Wang Chengen also intended to "repeat his mistakes," meaning that some things had to be done according to his rules and the rules of the royal family, and he couldn't be presumptuous.

Only when the emperor says a seat will it be offered. Otherwise, let alone someone like Ru Chang, who is merely a study companion, even if it were a younger brother like Zhu Yunwen, the emperor wouldn't just offer a seat out of his own cleverness.

Thunder and rain are both expressions of imperial favor; this is beyond doubt. Even a small act like bestowing a seat can demonstrate imperial power and benevolence.

Ru Chang naturally expressed his gratitude, even though he was the emperor's study companion and one of the emperor's closest confidants. However, Ru Chang was also very clear that he was now the Minister of Personnel, and above him sat the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

The distinction between ruler and subject is clear, and it's not something one can easily grasp now. Even when serving Zhu Yunying, Ru Chang always maintained a proper distance. This was why Zhu Yunying trusted Ru Chang—not only was she capable, but she was also loyal and not arrogant.

Zhu Yunying looked at Ru Chang and said with some worry, "It's the end of the year again, and I imagine many people are running around to the Ministry of Personnel at this time."

The reason why the Ministry of Personnel was called the head of the Six Ministries, and why the Minister of Personnel was considered the "Heavenly Official," was that they were in charge of the appointment, evaluation, promotion, demotion, conferment, and transfer of civil officials throughout the country.

Ru Chang naturally knew that some things could not be kept from the emperor, and said, "Indeed, many officials are thinking of making connections."

This is naturally a euphemism; at that time, many officials were indeed quite proactive in lobbying.

Since the Ministry of Personnel held the power to determine the future of many civil officials, some mediocre officials hoped to obtain a satisfactory evaluation through this system, allowing them to remain in office. Meanwhile, some reasonably competent officials naturally hoped for a good evaluation, hoping to climb the ranks.

Even some capable and honest officials had their own ambitions at this time. Ultimately, they all understood the responsibilities of the Ministry of Personnel, and they all hoped for a brighter future or to climb to a higher position.

Even if they had various motives, they did indeed have quite a few ideas at this time.

"We just sent the Left Censor-in-Chief over, as you probably know. This time, all thirteen censors came out together, and they saw quite a few cases of corruption and abuse of power, as well as many instances of moral decay," Zhu Yunying said, sounding quite worried. "When the Emperor Emeritus was in power, he also used high-pressure tactics to suppress corruption, and it was somewhat effective. But now, it has resurfaced."

If this were in the imperial court, a large number of civil and military officials would probably have to kneel down to pay their respects, as they knew this was the emperor's displeasure.

However, Ru Chang clearly understood Zhu Yunying's personality at this moment, knowing that although the emperor was complaining, it was just complaining. If the emperor were truly venting his dissatisfaction, he wouldn't have acted this way.

Zhu Yunying spoke earnestly, saying, "Even within our Three Judicial Offices, there are many instances of corruption. This time, the Ministry of Personnel's evaluation must be strictly enforced. If the Ministry of Personnel slacks off, it will be no small matter."

Ru Chang could naturally sense the emperor's instructions, and he truly understood that he had to be more serious this time.

Although the current officials in the Ministry of Personnel appear 'clean', it's only because they wield great power. Not to mention officials of the same rank, even those one or two ranks higher are now trying to curry favor with them.

At such a time, it naturally meant that they had many power and money transactions to conduct, so they couldn't be careless. Ru Chang was also well aware that at this moment, the Ministry of Personnel was being watched by many people, and many were thinking of seizing power one day, so they would start to consider getting some benefits for themselves.

We still need to be serious when necessary; everyone knows we can't afford to be complacent at a time like this. And many probably also understand that if anything goes wrong, we might face the emperor's ruthless measures.

Those who cling to wishful thinking will undoubtedly still exist. For them, performance reviews are the best opportunity.

The reason for reminding Lian Zining and Ru Chang was naturally because their positions were sensitive and special. They needed to carefully oversee things, which meant that if they couldn't even handle these matters well, Zhu Yunying would retaliate.

Reforming officialdom is not something that can be done overnight, nor is it something that can be done on a whim. Such a task should be relatively long-term and requires sufficient persistence in order to see any results.

Having informed his two most trusted ministers, Zhu Yunying felt much more at ease and could now consider what to do next.

The reorganization of the Ministry of Personnel is under consideration, but in addition to these overt oversight measures, there are still some things to be done behind the scenes. Both the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard are sharp blades in Zhu Yunying's hands, and also his eyes and ears.

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