It is unclear when exactly, but rumors began to circulate throughout the Ming Dynasty court that Emperor Ying Shi intended to manage the Yellow River.

At first, no one paid much attention. Many people knew how huge a project it was to manage the Yellow River, and they understood that such a manpower- and materially-intensive project might just be thankless work.

The Ming Dynasty is currently engaged in military operations in Goryeo, and Duke Lan Yu of Liang has been training troops in the Northwest for quite some time. Many people can guess the Ming Dynasty's next plan. Moreover, it's not exactly unfounded speculation; many have also heard that Emperor Ying Shi has designs on the Southeast Asian regions.

In addition to the internal governance of the Ming Dynasty, the further development of Jingxiang, the stabilization of Liaodong, and even the relocation of the capital to Beiping, which many people deliberately overlook, each of these was a massive undertaking.

And don't forget that the Ming Dynasty is currently building two imperial mausoleums. Emperor Hongwu did not actually start building the mausoleums as soon as he ascended the throne. Instead, he waited until the fourteenth year of his reign before ordering Li Xin, the Vice Commissioner of the Central Military Commission, to oversee the construction of the mausoleums.

However, as everyone knows, as long as the Hongwu Emperor is alive, the Xiaoling Mausoleum needs to continue its construction. Similarly, while the mausoleum for the Yingshi Emperor may not seem to require immediate attention, it is indeed under construction.

Even the Eastern Mausoleum of the Great Zhu, which has been upgraded to an imperial mausoleum, now needs to meet the standards of an imperial mausoleum, which requires a huge investment of manpower and resources. Naturally, this means a large amount of money is needed.

Actually, whether it's Old Zhu or Little Zhu, they can be stingy, but there are some things that shouldn't be stingy about.

The Xiaoling Mausoleum, which has been under construction for twenty years, is modeled after the imperial tombs of the Tang and Song dynasties, with some additions. It can be described as grand in scale and magnificent in architecture. The mausoleum grounds are filled with interconnected pavilions, and the sacrificial hall is surrounded by swirling smoke, the sound of pine trees, and a thousand longevity deer.

Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor) placed great importance on his mausoleum. During the initial construction of the Xiaoling Mausoleum, he mobilized 100,000 military laborers. Although it's not currently peak construction season, there are still over 30,000 craftsmen working there.

Zhu Yunying did not try to be different; the construction of imperial mausoleums sometimes served to demonstrate the strength of a country.

Historically, it has been said that after Liu Che ascended the throne, he began constructing the Xiaoling Mausoleum. One-third of the tribute from the empire was used to fund the ancestral temple, one to support guests, and one to support the mausoleum.

In other words, Emperor Wu of Han used one-third of the total national tax revenue as funds for building his mausoleum and collecting funerary items.

Zhu Yunying wasn't that extravagant, nor would he dare to do so; in reality, Zhu Yunying wasn't that extravagant. However, the construction cost of the Xiaoling Mausoleum must have exceeded one million taels of silver, and perhaps that one million taels was only a portion of that cost.

Old Zhu had to take this seriously. Xiaoling was his joint tomb with Empress Ma, and his beloved eldest son was buried in the nearby Eastern Mausoleum. Years later, his most cherished eldest grandson would also be laid to rest near Xiaoling, so this could not be taken lightly—it was the tomb of three generations of the family.

The Ming Dynasty had too many expenses, so even though it seemed to be much stronger now, it was undoubtedly a great contributor to the management of the Yellow River.

Some even believe that such a project is no less impressive than the Grand Canal of the Sui Dynasty, which was also a reason for the Sui Dynasty's downfall. A project that benefits future generations may not necessarily be a good thing for the current dynasty or emperor.

When it comes to the Yellow River, countless people have an extremely special feeling towards it.

It has nourished both banks of the Yellow River, and the development of Chinese civilization is inextricably linked to the Yellow River. Many legends and stories have also been passed down, such as the saying "When the Yellow River runs clear, a sage will appear."

However, as many people know, the Yellow River is becoming increasingly uncontrollable, with frequent breaches of its banks, causing enormous damage.

Managing the Yellow River is not something that can be done casually; many people are well aware of the difficulty involved.

So it's just hearsay now, and many people aren't paying much attention. But it's said that the Hanlin Academy has indeed made a lot of preparations, and Emperor Yingshi has even consulted them. Even Emperor Hongwu, who seems to be indifferent to politics, summoned the Hanlin scholars.

In particular, Yan Zhenzhi, the Minister of Works, a confidant of the emperor, seemed to take this matter very seriously and attach great importance to it.

Regardless of what these people were thinking, Zhu Yunying seemed unable to attend to so many things at the moment. He wasn't busy educating his children, but rather receiving news from Goryeo through various channels.

This is a major event that Zhu Yunying must pay attention to, and he must take it seriously. The war in Goryeo must be resolved this year; Zhu Yunying doesn't have much time to waste. This year, he will establish a vassal state for the Ming imperial family there.

As for the Ryukyu Kingdom of Chungsan, there's no need to worry too much; the Ming army only needs to send a few naval warships. Zhu Yunying only needs to wait; the King of Chungsan will soon come to the Ming court to apologize.

A small country like Zhongshan had absolutely no power to resist the Ming Dynasty.

The strength of the Ming Dynasty is undeniable. However, even with its powerful national strength, the Ming Dynasty still had many things to deal with, which required a large amount of resources and sometimes necessitated careful budgeting.

Therefore, many people doubt Emperor Yingzong's determination to manage the Yellow River, after all, it was no small matter. Many people are well aware that once the Yellow River management began, it would involve a massive amount of resources.

Let the emperor and the officials in the court worry about these things; they need to govern the Ming Dynasty well.

Little Zhu doesn't need to worry about these things; sitting on the chair in the Wenhua Hall, Little Zhu looks spirited and full of vigor.

"Second Uncle, is it possible that some of our Imperial Guards Orphans will be going on this trip?" Little Zhu asked Xu Yingxu without any politeness. "We not only need the soldiers of the Beijing Garrison, but we also want the Imperial Guards Orphans to protect the central army."

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