The emperor was short of money, or rather, the emperor was preparing to spend money lavishly, so Yu Xin had to prepare in advance.

"Something's gotten into trouble in Korea again, and the court needs to prepare to raise an army." Zhu Yunying said directly to Yu Xin, "The Ministry of Revenue needs to prepare all the provisions and pay in advance. I expect the Five Military Commissions will inform you in a few days."

Yu Xin was stunned. How long had it been since they had enjoyed a period of peace? And now they were going to fight again?

After all these years, the imperial court has only just begun to accumulate some savings, and now it's going to be drained again?

However, Yu Xin remained dutiful and answered crisply, "Your subject obeys."

As for why the imperial court was sending troops, Yu Xin didn't intend to ask. He knew that if he did, he would likely only get a perfunctory answer from the emperor, or a reason why the court had no choice but to send troops.

He also knew very well that once either the Hongwu Emperor or the Ying Shi Emperor made a decision, it was virtually impossible to change it. At this point, the focus shouldn't be on trying to persuade the emperor to change his mind, but rather on doing his job well.

Moreover, in Yu Xin's mind, both the Hongwu Emperor and the Yingshi Emperor were men of great talent and ambition. For such a great ruler to want to raise an army, there must be a reason, and it was definitely not something he could do on a whim.

Yu Xin wasn't particularly familiar with the situation in Korea, but many civil officials harbored resentment over Yi Seong-gye's usurpation. If the court used this as a pretext to launch a military campaign, there would be absolutely no problem with it; in fact, many civil officials would sing his praises.

Since that's the case, the Ministry of Revenue should focus on its core duties; provisions and salaries cannot be lacking. If it weren't for the Five Military Commands, they might very well have beaten up the officials of the Ministry of Revenue first, and then come to the Emperor to complain.

After waving for Yu Xin to leave, Wang Chengen immediately said, "Your Majesty, Duke Cao is waiting outside the palace."

"Announce it," Zhu Yunying said directly.

Li Jinglong was naturally granted a seat as well, and he was now riding high on his success. The Martial Arts Academy had already begun, and not long ago, the Emperor Emeritus and the Crown Prince personally visited the academy, which further solidified its status.

“Cousin Jiujiang, the court is preparing to launch a campaign against Korea,” Zhu Yunying said bluntly. “This time, the Duke of Ying will lead the troops, and we also plan to have the Duke of Zhongshan accompany him. In that case, you will have to take charge of the Beijing Garrison for us.”

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Jinglong immediately agreed, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Zhu Yunying smiled and said, "These next few days, go to the Duke of Zhongshan's place more often and discuss the matter of sending troops with him, and help him with the planning. Also, remember to go to the Prince of Kaiping's residence. Our eldest uncle is reliable in important matters but muddle-headed in small matters. Let him co-lead the Beijing Garrison with you; I reckon he'll still have to rely on you."

Li Jinglong couldn't find any fault with Zhu Yunying's arrangements, feeling that this was how a trusted confidant of the emperor should behave.

As the grandson of Li Zhen, the brother-in-law of the Hongwu Emperor, and the legitimate son of Li Wenzhong, the Prince of Qiyang of the Ming Dynasty, Li Jinglong came from an extraordinary background. He was the royal family's flag bearer in the military, seemingly unassuming. However, he controlled the Martial Arts Academy, commanded a force under the jurisdiction of the Five Military Commissions, and held the power to appoint and dismiss mid- to high-ranking generals.

Furthermore, in times of great battle, Li Jinglong would naturally have to take command of the Beijing Garrison to protect the peace and security of the capital.

As for Chang Mao also wanting to control the Beijing Garrison, that's quite normal. The emperor can't completely trust just one person; some checks and balances are necessary. Moreover, Chang Mao's background is impressive; aside from being the eldest son of Chang Yuchun, the Prince of Kaiping, the main point is that Chang Mao is now the emperor's maternal uncle, making him absolutely reliable.

There are quite a few things to prepare before a major battle begins, and these are all things that Zhu Yunying needs to pay attention to.

The deployment of troops goes without saying; that's the most obvious aspect. "An army marches on its stomach," which is also a matter of course, as warfare ultimately comes down to overall strength and logistics. Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty is currently very powerful; while not invincible, it certainly holds the advantage.

In addition to launching a major war abroad, internal stability also needed to be considered. It was unacceptable for a constant stream of victories to come from outside while internally, Emperor Zhu Yunying's throne was unstable, or for a series of conflicts to begin to surface.

After Li Jinglong left Wuying Hall with a serious expression and brisk steps, Zhu Yunying couldn't help but laugh.

His "strategic planning" as emperor probably only referred to strategic deployments. Many specific matters, even if Zhu Yunying wanted to handle them, were truly beyond his ability to worry about; his civil and military officials could manage them.

Looking at Wang Chengen, Zhu Yunying suddenly said, "My grandfather once commanded thousands of troops. If he hadn't founded the country and established the dynasty, he would have been an invincible marshal."

Wang Chengen immediately flashed a fawning smile and said, "The Emperor Emeritus swept away the stench of war from the Central Plains and restored the orthodox Han dynasty..."

"I don't need your flattery. We know our grandfather's great achievements," Zhu Yunying said irritably. "I am, after all, the emperor's grandson, and I've always loved martial arts since I was young. They say a tiger father has a dog son, so I, as his grandson, can't be any less. Don't you think it would be better if I personally led the expedition?"

Wang Chengen knelt down with a thud, his face contorted with grief, and said, "Your Majesty, please don't frighten this servant! Your Majesty shoulders the weight of the sun and moon, the fate of the nation, how can you take such a risk!"

In fact, Wang Chengen understood to some extent that although the person he was serving seemed to be interested, he certainly wouldn't actually take the risk. It was just a casual remark, a joke made in front of someone close to him.

It is almost certain that His Majesty will not mention these matters in court or in front of the civil and military officials, mainly because His Majesty certainly does not want any turmoil to occur and cause controversy among the people.

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