At the morning court session, Ru Chang, the Minister of Personnel, fulfilled his duties.

Zhuo Jing, the Left Provincial Administration Commissioner of Fujian Province, has achieved remarkable political achievements during his tenure. As the highest administrative official of Fujian Province, holding the rank of Second Grade, the imperial court should recognize and commend Zhuo Jing's achievements.

Many people cautiously observed the emperor's expression. Everyone knew exactly who Zhuo Jing was. This second-place scholar in the imperial examination of the twenty-first year of Hongwu had served in the Crown Prince's household and was once the Vice Minister of Revenue. He was considered a top candidate for the position of Minister of the Six Ministries.

Ru Chang became the Minister of Personnel, while Yan Zhenzhi held a prominent position in the Ministry of Works. Zhuo Jing, whose prospects were once quite promising, was removed from the central government after offending Emperor Ying Shi two years ago and is now relegated to a local post.

Zhu Yunying adopted an ambiguous attitude, seemingly not showing much approval of Zhuo Jing.

Emperor Ying Shi seems to be quite vengeful and petty, showing little leniency towards former officials who served in the Crown Prince's court. Zhuo Jing will likely need to work harder and achieve more political success if he wants to return to the central government.

Or he might continue to languish in local areas, destined to remain a regional governor. Zhuo Jing's desire to return to the central government will likely depend on Emperor Ying Shi truly calming down.

It's only been two years; don't expect Zhu Yunying to have so easily calmed down, otherwise the emperor's wrath would seem too cheap. Besides, Zhuo Jing is only in his early fifties, which can be considered the prime of his life, and it wouldn't hurt for him to languish in the provinces for a while.

Moreover, Zhu Yunying believed that Zhuo Jing was quite capable, and there was no harm in him serving as the highest administrative official of a province. This was also to establish a system where those without sufficient local governance experience should not expect to hold the position of Minister of the Six Ministries.

The Ming Dynasty did not have such a system before, but that does not mean that it will not have such a system in the future. Zhuo Jing is going to be the best 'role model'.

It's entirely possible to wait a little longer. When one of the six ministerial positions becomes vacant, Zhuo Jing might have a chance to return to the central government. One thing is certain: if he wants to return to the central government, Zhuo Jing absolutely cannot make any more mistakes.

Even after more than two years, Zhuo Jing was constantly reflecting on his actions. He probably didn't think he was wrong; he upheld the integrity and conscience of a scholar.

However, it is also possible that he realized some of his mistakes. His lord needed to consider the country and the people, and the fact that the Central Plains had been ravaged by foreign tribes for hundreds of years. Emperor Ying Shi needed a tough approach to restore the orthodoxy of China.

Emperor Yingshi's attitude reveals a lot, and perhaps Zhuo Jing can now reflect on this. The other civil and military officials in the court can probably also see Emperor Yingshi's intentions more clearly; going against the emperor obviously brings no benefit.

After the court session, Yu Xin and Xia Yuanji were summoned to the Wuying Hall. These two were definitely important officials in the Ming Dynasty court, wielding considerable power, and were highly regarded by many.

Yu Xin goes without saying. Although he wasn't born into the Crown Prince's family, the fact that he rose to the high position of Minister of Revenue during the Hongwu reign speaks volumes. Moreover, the fact that he still controlled the Ministry of Revenue during the Ying Shi reign is no simple matter.

Xia Yuanji, on the other hand, had some reputation in his early years. Although he was not a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), he was talented and appreciated by Yu Xin. At just over thirty years old, Xia Yuanji's rise was very obvious, and the position of Vice Minister of Revenue was clearly not the end of his career.

Now, Xia Yuanji is already in charge of the bank's development and assisting Yu Xin in improving the Ministry of Revenue's work. He is becoming more and more prominent and is increasingly appreciated by Emperor Ying Shi. Perhaps the position of Minister of Revenue is being prepared for Xia Yuanji.

Xia Yuanji was an undisputed rising star in politics, even though he was already thirty. However, it was not easy to hold such a high position, since he was not born into a noble family and could not have had such a high rank so soon after entering the court.

To put it more realistically, if he hadn't been exceptionally outstanding, it would have been difficult for him to catch the emperor's eye; that's the truth.

Looking at Xia Yuanji, Zhu Yunying said directly, "Wei Zhe, tax payment is about to begin, so keep a close eye on the banks. We can't afford any trouble with the silver notes of our Great Ming Dynasty at this time."

Xia Yuanji nodded immediately and said confidently, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, we will not make any mistakes at this time."

Zhu Yunying had considerable confidence in Xia Yuanji's statement. Generally speaking, Xia Yuanji was quite reliable; he understood the importance of such matters and knew how to prioritize. Making a mistake at this juncture would clearly ruin his future.

With many political ambitions yet to be realized, Xia Yuanji naturally did not want to interrupt his official career. If anyone dared to ruin his career at this time, Xia Yuanji would not hesitate to destroy everything those villains had before that happened.

Yu Xin seemed slightly envious, even though he was the Minister of Revenue and a veteran official of two reigns. However, even for such an important official, His Majesty the Emperor would not easily address him by his courtesy name.

It doesn't necessarily mean respecting veteran officials; it could simply be that in the emperor's eyes, Xia Yuanji was just a subject. Those who could be addressed by the emperor's courtesy name were basically those whom the emperor had noticed and remembered, and could be considered 'confidants'.

Being favored by the emperor naturally means a smoother career path. Such treatment can be seen as the emperor having high hopes for a particular minister, and these ministers are now on the fast track to officialdom.

Zhu Yunying smiled, but continued to instruct, "It's not easy for ordinary people to grow some grain, and they should be careful with their money. Remember, if anyone in the bank dares to make things difficult for the people of our Great Ming, don't blame us for being ruthless."

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