At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, many military officers were lawless and corrupt. However, Emperor Zhu purged a number of them and suppressed their arrogance.

However, in recent years the imperial court seems to have become much more 'lenient' towards military officers, which has allowed some of them to rekindle their arrogance.

"Brother Guo, please save your foolish brother!" Zhang Lin cried, ignoring the pain in his buttocks and back, and grabbed Guo Zhen's arm, saying, "I really didn't know that the Marquis of Huining was like this. I just thought it was an overstepping of his authority."

"Go to the Prince of Kaiping's residence to apologize later. I reckon the Duke knows you're stupid and won't bother with you. Also, submit a memorial to His Majesty to apologize," Guo Zhen said. "The Marquis of Huining is too clever for his own good, thinking he can get away with seizing farmland by trickery. His Majesty is so wise; acting recklessly at this time is a death sentence!"

Guo Zhen nodded repeatedly. He was now afraid, probably because he really didn't know some of the inside story before.

What do you mean by overstepping one's bounds? Overstepping one's bounds is just a 'minor offense.' Marquis Zhang Wen of Huining's greatest folly was daring to seize farmland at such a critical moment. Under normal circumstances, this matter might have been suppressed.

His actions at this juncture were tantamount to obstructing the emperor's implementation of state policies. Even if this weren't the emperor's proposed land tax reform, or even the Two-Tax System, it would still be a matter of state policy, concerning the court's tax revenue—its very foundation.

Actually, Zhang Wen was just getting senile. He might have been relying on his military achievements, but he also had some old ideas.

The biggest problem with the Two-Tax System is its limitations on land consolidation. Even though the Ming Dynasty seems to be thriving now, it still faces a shortage of land and a large population. However, many intelligent people believe that land is fundamental and would never complain about having too much land.

Moreover, Southern Zhili was a prosperous place with a large population. Land occupied here was obviously more valuable than land in other remote and undeveloped areas.

Moreover, while the livelihood of ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty was gradually recovering, it was still common for ordinary families to suffer loss of life and property in the event of a disaster. At that point, they might have no choice but to sell their land and become tenant farmers to wealthy households.

Zhang Wen relied on his military achievements, and even though he was granted a lot of land and tax exemptions, he was still not satisfied and wanted to greedily obtain more.

That seems too greedy, and it might not be a good thing at all. It could even lead to him going from a high-ranking marquis to a prisoner.

Zhu Yunying was naturally unaware of what had happened at the Marquis of Heqing's residence. However, even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared much about such matters.

Whether Zhang Lin was a reckless fool or had other intentions, Zhu Yunying didn't really care. The main thing was that Zhu Yunying believed he had some things under control, and that was enough for him.

Zhu Yunying understood the principle that "water that is too clear has no fish." Whether civil or military officials, Zhu Yunying allowed them to have their own agendas; this was not a problem for him.

As long as it didn't affect the implementation of national policies, Zhu Yunying was actually quite magnanimous, at least on the surface.

Compared to Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor), Zhu Yunying considered himself to be slightly more lenient. However, this leniency was definitely limited; there were certain things Zhu Yunying could not tolerate, such as the case of Marquis Zhang Wen of Huining.

Such overstepping of authority was something Zhu Yunying naturally could not tolerate. However, if it were merely a matter of overstepping authority, Zhu Yunying might not necessarily take drastic measures. But if it affected the implementation of state affairs, Zhu Yunying would definitely take drastic measures.

This could be considered a warning to others. By bringing out a truly significant figure at this time, many people will probably have to reconsider their own capabilities.

While Zhu Yunying was busy with state affairs and handling court matters, a large procession was slowly making its way along the official road to Fengyang.

On the spacious dragon-drawn carriage, Little Zhu slept soundly, his head resting on Old Zhu's lap. Old Zhu, however, felt no discomfort whatsoever. Iron Hand, who once wielded swords, now gently stroked Little Zhu's back, scratching his itch.

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves approached, and Old Zhu, whose face had been kind and gentle, suddenly sharpened his gaze. His beloved great-grandson was frowning, rubbing his eyes, and sitting up.

My great-grandson is resting peacefully; who would dare to disturb him?!