The Ming army was gathering in the north, ready for battle. Many people were eager to make a name for themselves, and this was the place for these generals to prove their worth. It could be considered their destiny.

While these people were preparing for battle, many others were also constantly busy.

For example, Tianjin Wei continuously receives supplies and provisions from various places, and these supplies need to be transported to Weihaiwei, Busan, and other places in a timely manner. Once the imperial army conquers the coastal cities of Goryeo, even more supplies will need to be transported there.

It was clear that the Ming Dynasty intended to incorporate Goryeo into its territory; simply conquering it and teaching it a lesson was not enough.

Those places were actually relatively easier to 'govern,' ultimately because they were all influenced by Confucian culture. Even if some places were different, or had been influenced by the Mongol Yuan dynasty for over a century, there was still a certain foundation.

To be honest, places like Goryeo (Korea) were easier to govern than Japan, which also had Confucian cultural roots. After all, in Japan, even though the shogunate was constantly engaged in battles, the emperor's authority had long been undermined, and there were even two or three emperors at one point.

However, since the lineage of the Japanese emperor has never been broken, the people of Japan naturally have a deep-rooted concept of this.

In places like the Central Plains and Goryeo, many people felt that dynastic changes were normal. However, Goryeo placed great importance on lineage, and although there were some rebellions, it was generally considered to be internal struggle within the ruling class.

In the Central Plains, the saying "Are kings and nobles born with special privileges?" is common. It's quite normal for the common people to rise up in rebellion when they can't survive.

There isn't even any real upheaval needed; just some ambitious individuals stirring things up might be enough to create a turmoil.

Too many schemers are not a good thing, especially for an emperor, who certainly doesn't like them. Even seemingly talented schemers can be deeply rejected by the emperor, because being 'talented' isn't necessarily enough.

For example, Yao Guangxiao, while he may have been good at pretending to be a ghost, was also genuinely talented.

But so what? He wanted to prove his dragon-slaying skills, but Zhu Yunying utterly disdained it; he had no need to rebel. And don't talk about burying talent; some talents are simply not needed, so they can only be shelved.

Zhu Yunying could disregard people like Yao Guangxiao, because he didn't need to rebel, nor did he need such people to assist him. What he needed were people who could help govern the country well, and capable ministers who could make the Ming Dynasty stronger and more prosperous.

Xia Yuanji is a good candidate, and Zhu Yunying is very satisfied with this 'bank president' position.

Xia Yuanji entered the palace again and said to Zhu Yunying, "Your Majesty, I believe that the matter of the bank being transferred to the prefectures should be postponed."

Zhu Yunying frowned slightly, somewhat displeased. "Oh? What are your thoughts, my dear minister? You may tell me."

As the most admired rising star by Yu Xin, the Minister of Revenue, Xia Yuanji also knew a characteristic of the emperor. For example, once the emperor referred to himself as "朕" (zhen), it meant that the emperor was serious, or even quite displeased.

Xia Yuanji continued, “Your Majesty, although the banks are now operating in the two capitals and the Maritime Trade Office is progressing smoothly in the three locations, they have also exposed many shortcomings. I believe that they should be rectified before they can be implemented throughout the country. The matter of the banks is too complex to be taken lightly.”

Zhu Yunying acknowledged this point, mainly because the banking system was indeed extremely important. Even if it didn't directly affect the nation's finances, a single misstep could potentially destabilize the Ming Dynasty's treasury, something Zhu Yunying couldn't afford to do.

Therefore, being cautious is not a bad thing, but Zhu Yunying did not want to be too cautious all the time and delay implementation.

“Your Majesty, although banks now offer currency exchange services throughout the country, counterfeiting has also occurred,” Xia Yuanji said with a serious expression. “I believe that banks need to be rectified.”

Counterfeiting was something Zhu Yunying had always worried about. Even now, the Ming Dynasty's paper money and banks were paying attention to anti-counterfeiting measures, but there were just too many "clever people." It wasn't just antique counterfeiting that had existed since ancient times; counterfeiting existed in all walks of life.

Zhu Yunying nodded slightly and said, "Although the Ming Dynasty issues paper money and has anti-counterfeiting measures, is that still not enough?"

Xia Yuanji said earnestly, "Your Majesty, the anti-counterfeiting measures for the banknotes are sufficient now."

Although counterfeit paper money existed, it was not easy to produce, and the cost was relatively high. The people in the Ming Dynasty's banks and Ministry of Revenue had some experience and methods for preventing counterfeiting.

It's just paper money, after all. Recognizing these counterfeit bills is enough. Confiscation, punishment, and crackdown are sufficient.

The main reason for fraud at the bank level is the lack of interconnected systems. Therefore, some people present bank drafts and passbooks that are counterfeit, making these items relatively easy to forge.

Xia Yuanji didn't care whether the emperor was unhappy or not, and continued, "Your Majesty, corruption has also emerged within the bank."

Zhu Yunying sighed. He knew this would happen sooner or later. After all, banks manage money, and internal corruption is common. People die for money; it's a normal thing. Some people in power will only think about extracting more benefits for themselves.

They don't care where these benefits come from, nor do they care about any risks involved. As long as they can obtain sufficient benefits, they are willing to take any risks and disregard many other things.

The corruption within the bank was clearly a matter that needed to be taken seriously, and this served as a wake-up call for Zhu Yunying.

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