Zhu Yunying was in a good mood as he welcomed the fourth year of Ying Shi. At this time, Zhu Yunying was also twenty-seven years old.

As for Old Zhu, he is already seventy-four years old. Although he often looks rather frail, and old people do get sick occasionally, he seems to be in good health now. This iron man can still often run around with his nine-year-old great-grandson.

This is actually a good thing, a good thing for Zhu Yunying. It doesn't necessarily mean that Zhu Yunying couldn't control the court without Zhu Yunying; it's simply because of family ties. Zhu Yunying and Zhu Yunying had a very deep bond.

Upon arriving at the palace, Zhu Yunwen went straight to the point, "Brother, we really need to choose the right uncle to go to Goryeo this year. We've already received quite a few gifts; if this continues, how will we face our uncles in the future?"

Speechless, Zhu Yunying raised an eyelid and glanced at Zhu Yunhuo. "Since you know you can't get this done, then don't accept the gift! Tell me yourself, is it right to accept a gift and not do anything?"

Zhu Yunwen clearly didn't mind, saying, "We only accept gifts from the imperial clan, not from civil and military officials. We know our limits!"

Zhu Yunying was even more speechless. He looked at Zhu Yunhuo and asked, "Second Prince, should we praise you? Not accepting gifts from officials means you're not interfering in court affairs, which is a good thing. But only accepting gifts from the imperial clan means you're only harming your own family?"

Zhu Yunwen seemed not to understand and said matter-of-factly, "Your Majesty, who doesn't know that our Prince of Wu is special? We refuse to accept gifts from officials, let alone from the common people. Otherwise, if we just say a few words, the winds of a case will change."

Well, Zhu Yunying had to admit that Zhu Yuntong's words made sense. Although Zhu Yuntong was indeed a scoundrel and a wastrel, compared to many other members of the imperial clan, he was relatively easy to manage.

Zhu Yunwen was just a playboy; he was neither cruel nor did he disturb the people, and he had no interest in politics whatsoever.

Given Zhu Yunwen's status, many people would have rushed to curry favor with him simply by saying a few words. The restrictions on members of the imperial family entering officialdom in the Ming Dynasty were much less stringent than in previous years. Even if it was just some seemingly powerless positions, at least some members of the imperial family could now perform some duties.

The imperial family truly needs to thank Zhu Yunying. Without him, the Ming Dynasty's imperial family would have been treated like pigs. With Zhu Yunying setting the precedent, coupled with Zhu Di's guilty conscience after his illegitimate ascension to the throne, it seems the Ming Dynasty's imperial family only knew how to produce offspring.

But things are different now. Members of the Ming Dynasty's imperial family can still find something to do if they want, such as becoming minor officials or engaging in business. Especially the sons of concubines, who have other ways to make a living besides their government salaries.

Zhu Yunying didn't know what to say, so he decided to say nothing. He probably already knew some things in his heart.

"We can't rush things with Goryeo right now. We need to choose a suitable member of the royal family," Zhu Yunying sighed and said. "It's difficult to govern a great country, but it's even more difficult to rule it. You should understand that."

Zhu Yunwen understood, so he said in a nonchalant tone, "That's why I'd rather die than go out. I'll just stay in Yingtian Prefecture. I can't stand working all day. It's better to eat, drink, and have fun. I still prefer to be a wealthy prince."

That's not wrong, probably because everyone has their own ambitions. Some people crave power, like Zhu Yunying. Others, like Zhu Yuntong, prefer a comfortable life, and there's nothing to criticize about that; it's all normal.

Although Goryeo has conquered a considerable amount of territory, it wouldn't be a problem to bestow titles upon them now. After all, the Ming Dynasty has also sent some capable officials to govern some of the conquered prefectures.

However, everyone understands that governing those areas is no easy task. Issues such as local customs and traditions cannot be resolved overnight. While Yi Seong-gye's usurpation certainly caused discontent among many people and officials in Goryeo, he was ultimately a Goryeo person, sharing the same roots.

However, these people from the Ming Dynasty were naturally seen as outsiders by the Goryeo people. Whether it was the Jurchen, Khitan, or Mongol people in the past, or the Ming people now, they were all the same to the Goryeo people—all of them were encroaching on their land.

Confucian culture did indeed dominate in Goryeo, but many people also understand that although Goryeo was defeated by the Central Plains dynasties several times in history, they also resisted them on many occasions, and they were not a vassal state in the true sense.

Many people talk about Goryeo, but if it weren't for Zhu Yunying's meddling, Yi Seong-gye would have accepted investiture from the Ming Dynasty, becoming a vassal state. This wasn't just true during the Ming Dynasty; it was also true during the Qing Dynasty.

Zhu Yunying understood this principle, but he was too lazy to say much. Although vassal states were important, especially Goryeo, which was relatively 'loyal' in history, and which had a history of rebellious monarchs fleeing to Ming territory for refuge and seeking help.

However, no matter what, it's still better to have real control over this place, as it's quite important for the Ming Dynasty.

Governing these lands is no easy task. Especially establishing vassal states, the difficulty is undoubtedly even greater. Therefore, a capable member of the imperial clan is needed, and Zhu Yunying must carefully select one.

Prince Zhou, Zhu Su, seems like a very good choice, but Zhu Su hasn't made up his mind yet. Zhu Yunying still needs to wait. Speaking of which, Prince Zhou, Zhu Su, is Zhu Yunying's closest uncle.

When good things happen, he naturally thinks about those close to him. If his younger brother hadn't been so incompetent, Zhu Yunying might have had other ideas.

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