It's hard to say whether Zhu Su was a wise and virtuous king. Calling him a wise and virtuous king would be an exaggeration, and calling him a playboy or a spoiled brat is also inaccurate.

However, Zhu Su genuinely wanted to contribute to the management of the Yellow River. He couldn't go to the Yellow River dike, nor could he offer advice, so he simply donated some money, something he felt he could do.

Zhu Yunying understood that the Ming court was not short of money and could temporarily avoid levying additional taxes. However, managing the Yellow and Huai Rivers was not only a long-term project but would also require a tremendous amount of money and resources.

He certainly couldn't levy taxes on the people, nor could he add any extra burden to them. However, if some members of the imperial family or nobles donated money, Zhu Yunying wouldn't actually refuse, as this money wouldn't be a significant burden for them.

With more money in hand, Zhu Yunying naturally felt more confident and assured. For a project like managing the Yellow River, the more resources one has, the more confident one is—this is self-evident.

Since that's the case, Zhu Yunying didn't bother with formalities; he knew that such things were perfectly normal in this era.

Zhu Su seemed to be quite happy. He couldn't do anything big, but he could do some things within his ability.

He couldn't control what others thought about managing the Yellow River. However, the Zhou royal family should also contribute to these matters, since the Zhou king's fiefdom was once in Kaifeng. Others might not know the threat of the Yellow River floods, but the Zhou royal family couldn't be unaware!

Although Zhu Yunying understood that the management of the Yellow River definitely required the imperial court to be the main force, a fact that had to be acknowledged. Relying on donations and other means would not raise sufficient funds. Moreover, these donations needed to be carefully managed to avoid anything like forced apportionment.

Zhu Yunying was always well aware that managing the Yellow River might be a huge burden, resulting in a situation where the benefits would last for generations but the consequences would be immediate.

At times like these, it naturally means that Zhu Yunying needs to be careful not to disturb the people or give anyone an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

After chatting with Zhu Su for a while, Zhu Yunying let Zhu Su leave the Wuying Hall.

There's no need to discuss the details of the Yellow River management with Zhu Su for now; it's enough to let him know the court's determination. As for the matter of replacing the Minister of Revenue, even though it seems Zhu Su initiated it, there's no need to elaborate on it with him.

Zhu Yunying was aware of all this, and Zhu Su was also quite clear about these matters, but he didn't care too much about them.

Just do your own thing, fulfill your responsibilities, and most importantly, do the things the emperor has entrusted to you. That's enough.

What the civil and military officials are thinking now is actually not something Zhu Yunying needs to care too much about. With the change of the Minister of Revenue, everyone can probably already see a trend: many people will likely need to start exerting their influence over the position of Minister of Revenue.

Zhu Yunying naturally knew what was going on in his mind. He would still respect the opinions of the civil and military officials, and he would not make decisions unilaterally. He would definitely discuss suitable candidates with the officials.

As for who will ultimately be chosen, Joo Yoon-young is now clear about his options, and there are some things he will not be easily swayed by.

Despite Zhu Yunying's outburst of temper in court, it didn't mean he could abandon his duties after his anger subsided. Many memorials still needed to be reviewed, especially when there were no court meetings; in such cases, reviewing memorials became even more crucial.

These things were perfectly normal for Zhu Yunying; they were simply part of his basic job. After all, he was barely ten years old when his father, Zhu Yunying, would hold him and read memorials to him, with his father and son constantly explaining them to him.

Although Zhu Yunying is only twenty-six years old, he has been dealing with memorials for almost twenty years and is very familiar with their intricacies and texts.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has punished several members of the imperial family and noble families in the main hall." Wang Chengen walked up to Zhu Yunying and said in a low voice, "His Highness the Crown Prince tested their knowledge, and many of them failed to satisfy His Highness."

Zhu Yunying raised his head slightly and looked at Wang Chengen, asking, "Oh? Does the Crown Prince have a teaching whip?"

Seeing Wang Chengen shake his head, Zhu Yunying said with a smile, "Go to the Qianqing Palace and ask him yourself. If the Emperor Emeritus is unwilling to bestow the teaching whip, then we will bestow it upon His Highness the Crown Prince. Disciplining the imperial clan members and urging them to make progress is also the Crown Prince's responsibility."

The eldest son of the Zhu family was actually familiar with this tactic.

When Da Zhu was a child, he had a whip given to him by his father, Lao Zhu. When his younger brothers didn't study hard, Da Zhu could wipe away his tears and beat them with a look of disappointment.

As for Zhu Yuanzhang when he was a child, he used a tiger skin as a banner and cut down a bamboo in the Imperial Garden, claiming it was a gift from Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yuanzhang. Not only were his younger brothers beaten for not studying properly, but some of his younger uncles were also beaten.

As for the bamboo, it often changed, but no one ever questioned its authenticity, and no one dared to defy Xiao Zhu.

As the eldest son, it's perfectly normal for him to discipline his younger siblings; there's not much to say about it.

This fine tradition needs to be continued. Little Zhu is now old enough to rightfully wield the whip of ambition and urge her younger siblings to strive for improvement. If they don't live up to expectations, Little Zhu can punish them with tears in her eyes and a sense of disappointment.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!