Yu Xin bowed deeply at this moment, appearing even more respectful.

Yu Xin's situation is clearly not unique to him. Besides their personal talent, the opportunity granted by the emperor is also crucial for those who stand in the imperial court. In a way, it's all thanks to the emperor's grace!

If they were to speak now, each of them would become evidence of 'disloyalty,' which is utterly shameless and unreasonable! And this tactic is indeed sufficient for many civil and military officials.

Zhu Yunying smiled and said to Yu Xin, "My dear minister, let's take stock of this year's taxes and plan for the court's gold and silver expenditures next year."

At this point, Yu Xin naturally knelt down obediently. If he were to say anything more now, he would truly be considered 'disloyal and unfilial,' which would be a betrayal of the Emperor's grace. After all, he had been bestowed a name and promoted exceptionally by the Emperor Emeritus—this was an act of divine favor.

As for his current position in England, he is trusted by the English Emperor, so it would be better to follow the Emperor's lead.

Some ministers were clearly uncomfortable with the emperor's somewhat shameless behavior. The emperor was being unreasonable, directly using his power to intimidate them, and effectively silencing any chance for them to speak up.

Ministers Chen Di and Yu Xin are both kneeling there, and it seems the emperor isn't going to let them get up anytime soon. It's estimated they won't have a chance to stand up until the end of the court session.

Although the emperor dealt with both of these important officials in a decisive and forceful manner, which indeed demonstrated his resolve to many, it was clear that it was impossible for others to remain silent simply because only these two were punished.

At this moment, Bao Zhao bravely stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, investigating the farmland is a major undertaking, and it consumes a great deal of the court's resources..."

Well, this is yet another reason for Yu Xin to shut up and just focus on doing his job well.

As the Minister of Revenue, who controls the imperial treasury, each of them must perform their duties diligently. With the year drawing to a close, many things are of utmost importance. It's not just about summarizing this year's work, but also about planning for next year's.

With so many things to do, just focus on your own work and stop thinking about other things.

The investigation was larger in scale and more intensive during the Hongwu reign. Now, under the British Empire, this investigation is at most just more intensive and more strictly supervised; that seems to be all.

Zhu Yunying could understand why Bao Zhao wanted to object. Despite Bao Zhao's uprightness and fairness, this was only because he was placed in this official position; the position of Minister of Justice was quite suitable for him. However, Bao Zhao's family had been farmers for generations and had accumulated considerable wealth, making him a 'rich second generation'.

It is clear that the large landowners are now the most opposed to the conversion of land tax and poll tax, because this would greatly harm their interests.

"The Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review will supervise this," Zhu Yunying said directly, not giving Bao Zhao a chance to continue speaking. "The court has previously conducted land surveys and household registration checks many times. I don't think these matters will be difficult for you ministers. Just do it again as before, but the three judicial departments must supervise it well."

Bao Zhao's words were cut off, because the emperor was being unreasonable once again, directly interrupting him.

But what could be done? What the emperor said made a lot of sense. During the Hongwu reign, the court conducted several surveys of land and population, a practice common in every dynasty.

He should naturally be considered a follower of the emperor, but if the land tax were to be converted into a poll tax, the interests of Yan Zhenzhi and his family would inevitably be greatly affected, which is obviously not in line with his interests.

Many people were watching Yan Zhenzhi, hoping he would step forward. After all, being talented wasn't enough to stand in the imperial court. It was indeed possible for a scholar from a humble background to appear in the court.

However, most people also understand that those who can stand in the imperial court now are mostly from aristocratic families with a long tradition of scholarship and learning. The saying "poor scholars, rich warriors" is not applicable in the Ming Dynasty now, at least not in the early days of a dynasty.

Yan Zhenzhi is now in a dilemma, because he is a large landowner. He was able to become the grain chief because his family had a lot of grain. But he was promoted from a minor official to a high position by the retired emperor, which was already a great favor.

Moreover, Yan Zhenzhi had been following Emperor Yingshi since his time as a prince, and his seniority was only slightly less than Ru Chang's.

Yan Zhenzhi is now the Minister of Works, entrusted with an important position by the emperor, and is now also a member of the imperial family.

Just look at Zhuo Jing; he, like Yan Zhenzhi, came from the Imperial Grandson's household and was once a rival to Ru Chang. However, because he disobeyed the emperor's wishes, he is now only a provincial governor, sent by the emperor to guard a region. Returning to the central government is simply impossible.

Gaining the emperor's trust is naturally a good thing. It's not impossible to achieve a place in history and bring glory to one's family. However, if a petty emperor holds a grudge, there's basically no chance left; one will almost certainly be dismissed.

Furthermore, many people understand that, given the emperor's current stance, no one can stop him from implementing the "equalization of land tax and poll tax."

Those who fought alongside Zhu Yuanzhang to establish the empire were mostly ordinary people struggling to survive. In such chaotic times, it was clear that without some family wealth, it would have been impossible to afford such a position.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!