Such things happened frequently during the Hongwu reign. When the national treasury was clearly running a deficit, in addition to regular taxes, there were certainly other ways to subsidize the national treasury, which was not surprising to anyone.

Clearly, Yu Xin didn't want any more turmoil just as he was planning to retire gracefully; he wanted to retire peacefully.

In fact, Yu Xin was well aware that if the national treasury became in deficit, some gentry might suffer. And for him, the Minister of Revenue in charge of the country's finances, to retire smoothly at this time would be even more difficult.

At such a time, the emperor might very well sacrifice the official hat or head of the Minister of Revenue to appease public opinion, or use the head of a high-ranking official to quell public discontent.

This is no longer just a matter of whether I can retire gracefully and peacefully; it can even be said to concern my life and fortune, as well as the lives and wealth of my entire family.

Yu Xin felt he needed to be even more vigilant now. It was true that the court's revenue had increased significantly, but he needed to prepare quickly. He absolutely could not give His Majesty any opportunity to lash out or criticize him; he absolutely could not leave any leverage over the matter at this time.

Yu Xin's inner thoughts were naturally of no concern to the great Emperor Ying Shi, and Zhu Yunying didn't even care what Yu Xin was thinking.

Compared to Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yunying was relatively lenient, but even that leniency was relatively limited.

Driven by his own plans and what he believed to be right, Joo Yun-young didn't really care about fairness or anything like that. That's just how the world is; Joo Yun-young often selectively sacrificed some interests, and even some people.

It is said that a kind heart cannot command an army. If an emperor is single-mindedly focused on absolute fairness, some things simply cannot be accomplished. Zhu Yunying was always aware of this, so it is not an exaggeration to say that he was heartless.

Zhu Yunying wrote the letter and handed it to Wang Chengen, saying, "Send it to the Duke of Kaiping, but don't make too much of a fuss."

Wang Chengen naturally understood that this might be something that would cause some civil officials to rise up in anger if they found out. So it was better to send it to the Prince of Kaiping's residence discreetly. The Emperor Yingshi's maternal uncle had done quite a few shady things for His Majesty over the years.

Wang Chengen knew about this matter, as did many nobles and even a number of civil officials.

But those who know these things choose to pretend they know nothing, or if they want to say something, they remain silent.

Since the task involved harnessing the Yellow River, it naturally required enormous financial and material resources, making it no simple matter. Even conscripting laborers, mobilizing civilians, and even providing new 'jobs' for many labor reform prisoners were necessary.

However, some tasks are quite dangerous, and such a massive project will inevitably result in some deaths and injuries for various reasons.

Even under such circumstances, Zhu Yunying would not show mercy. However, if given a choice, he would assign some arduous and dangerous tasks to foreigners who volunteered to come to the Ming Dynasty to participate in its construction.

If they can perform well, and if they are lucky enough to survive to the end, they might be able to obtain an identity in the Ming Dynasty, settle down there, and become subjects of the Ming Dynasty.

When it comes to foreign workers, Zhu Yunying can be ruthless when necessary. However, she can also show some mercy when appropriate; this is not contradictory.

Some people can come from Southeast Asia. Now that spring has arrived, it won't be too difficult for some of these "savages" from Southeast Asia to live in the Ming Dynasty.

The captured soldiers on the Goryeo side also need to be properly taken care of. Keeping them around, especially since they are young and strong men who have fought in battles, could become a destabilizing factor. Dividing and weakening them is one option, but eliminating them completely is another.

However, Zhu Yunying felt that this wasn't the best option, considering that Goryeo was about to be divided into separate kingdoms and didn't currently possess many resources and wealth. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty needed to receive something in return for its support of the vassal state.

These soldiers are quite good; the able-bodied men can be driven to work on the Yellow River dike. This is not only to atone for their sins over the years, but also to benefit their families. Working in the Ming Dynasty will also allow the Ming Dynasty to send more resources to Goryeo to help Goryeo restore its people's livelihood.

Actually, Japan is also an option to consider, but it's unclear whether Uncle Si and the others would be willing. After all, Japan has been embroiled in war for many years, and many so-called samurai have either become ronin or been subdued.

Ultimately, Japan is also short of people. Compared to Korea, Japan is indeed more remote.

Faced with a severe labor shortage, Zhu Yunying had no choice but to consider other solutions. As for what would be recorded in history books, or whether future generations would condemn him, Zhu Yunying didn't care at all.

Managing the Yellow River was what Zhu Yunying believed would truly benefit future generations, and he was happy to do it. If the Ming Dynasty's population wasn't enough, then they would find ways to recruit laborers from the surrounding areas.

Regardless of how they were recruited, these people can bring a lot of help to the Ming Dynasty, and that is the most important thing.

He gave Wang Chengen a letter and asked Chang Mao to do some dirty work. Zhu Yunying seemed calm and composed, without the slightest ripple in his heart. He continued to calmly review the memorials. It was that simple.

There were simply too many things to do in the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Yunying was never able to find a moment's rest. Even though he still needed to consider matters concerning the Yellow River, it didn't mean that other things could be ignored.

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