The entire court was thrilled. They saw a familiar figure in the young Zhu, and the Ming Dynasty was saved once again.

In his early years, Emperor Hongwu was extremely ruthless. At that time, it was mostly the late Emperor Xiaokang who argued on the grounds, and even in the face of Emperor Hongwu's wrath, he managed to save some important civil and military officials.

This is a major event, an absolutely major event. Many civil and military officials saw hope and saw the benevolent Crown Prince.

It's certainly a good thing that the Crown Prince is so benevolent. Putting aside the matter of the Crown Prince's future ascension to the throne, even if the Crown Prince grows up a few years older and begins to observe politics, he might be able to protect some civil and military officials.

Moreover, Emperor Yingshi is currently unwell, and His Highness the Crown Prince may soon have the opportunity to ascend the throne. At that time, the Ming Dynasty will finally have a benevolent emperor, and the civil and military officials will have a chance to catch their breath.

Old Zhu snorted coldly and said unhappily, "Yu Xin has mistreated his clan, how can he be let off lightly? Dismissing him from his post and sending him back to his hometown is probably what he wanted! He may be spared the death penalty, but he cannot escape punishment. Yu Xin will be sent to Huanghuai to serve as an official!"

Yan Zhenzhi, who was kneeling, suddenly felt that something was not quite right, and he felt that there was a lot of trickery involved.

Yan Zhenzhi actually knew something about why Yu Xin wanted to leave the court. And now, Yan Zhenzhi had truly suffered a double loss; not only had he lost his official position, but he was also forced to manage the Yellow River.

Isn't this obvious? Sending them to the Yellow and Huai Rivers means they're going to manage the Yellow River. The former Minister of Revenue of the Ming Dynasty was intimately familiar with the population and land tax data of the entire country, as well as the geographical advantages and disadvantages.

Moreover, Yu Xin had presided over the China-France Reform in his early years, and was very familiar with the requisition of grain, provisions, and supplies.

Now Yu Xin is going to the Yellow River, which means he'll be in charge of logistics and supplies for Yan Zhenzhi. It seems that on the Yellow River dike, the Ming Dynasty might not only lose one Minister of Works, but also Yu Xin, the former Minister of Revenue, who may also fall on the Yellow River dike.

This aligns with the personalities of the Hongwu and Yingshi Emperors; those they considered valuable were destined to be thoroughly exploited. Leaving the court easily was practically impossible.

Yan Zhenzhi was extremely familiar with this tactic. The Hongwu Emperor had always acted this way, and in fact, the Yingshi Emperor inherited this good habit as well.

Emperor Hongwu was still furious, and since Yu Xin's actions had indeed been used against him, no one dared to continue pleading for Yu Xin.

Many people are now extremely grateful, such as Xia Yuanji. He believes that if it weren't for the Crown Prince withstanding the pressure and protecting Yu Xin, Yu Xin would definitely be in grave danger, since the Hongwu Emperor was truly angry.

Emperor Hongwu appeared very angry, but he still gave the Crown Prince some face. He did not fully adopt the Crown Prince's suggestions, but he did not reject them all either, which could be considered as giving the Crown Prince, who had just entered the court, some face.

Everyone understood that it was only because the Crown Prince was new to the court that he was able to protect Yu Xin in front of the enraged Hongwu Emperor. It must also be said that the rumors circulating outside were true; the Crown Prince received unparalleled favor from the Retired Emperor, and this was not unfounded.

This may require careful consideration. The Crown Prince's position is as secure as that of the late Emperor and the current Emperor. Even though the Crown Prince is still young, he still has a certain influence in the court.

At least the current Crown Prince can definitely influence Emperor Hongwu and Emperor Yingshi at this time, which is obvious to everyone. And in order to maintain the Crown Prince's prestige, Emperor Hongwu and Emperor Yingshi will obviously have to 'compromise'.

At this moment, Old Zhu seemed unwilling to continue arguing with Little Zhu, and directly said, "The Ministry of Revenue is in charge of the court's household registration and finances, and oversees the territory, land, household registration, taxes, salaries and all financial matters. With Yu Xin dismissed from office, the position of Minister of Revenue cannot be vacant."

Zhu's words elicited strange expressions from many people, as it was common for the positions of Minister of the Six Ministries to be vacant during the Hongwu reign.

After glancing at the assembled officials, Zhu Yuanzhang made the final decision. "Wang Dunlian, the Zhejiang Provincial Governor, is known for his integrity and prudence, and has a good reputation as an official. He is hereby promoted to Minister of Revenue."

Wang Dun passed the imperial examination in the 26th year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty and served as a county magistrate. In the Ming Dynasty, he was appointed as a principal of the Ministry of Rites, promoted to vice prefect of Changsha Prefecture, and served as a councilor of Fujian and then as the provincial governor of Zhejiang. Now, in his seventies, he serves as the Minister of Revenue.

Many people were surprised by this choice, because Wang Dun was a former official of the Ming Dynasty, and he had basically served as a local official throughout the Ming Dynasty, with almost no experience as a court official.

Moreover, this person was also from Kaifeng Prefecture, which could be considered a 'northerner,' since Kaifeng was no longer under Han rule after the Jingkang Incident.

It's not surprising now. Many people even think that Wang Dun was able to rise to become the Minister of Revenue because he had a lot of experience as a local official and a people-friendly official.

After all, Emperor Ying Shi intended for the Six Ministers to be aware of the lives of ordinary people, and had already stipulated that the Six Ministers must have experience as local officials, a fact known to many. This, in fact, caused considerable distress among many officials in the capital.

For example, the nobles who have been working hard in the Hanlin Academy, or the officials in the capital who have been working in Yingtian Prefecture, seem to have reached the ceiling in their careers. The lack of experience as a local official limits their promotion.

It may seem that this requirement is only applied to the ministers of the six ministries, but everyone understands that this requirement can actually be extended to include the vice ministers of the six ministries, who should also have experience as local officials.

Furthermore, to become one of the six ministers, one must have experience governing a region. This does not mean that becoming a county magistrate in the early stages of one's career is enough to complete the resume of a local official. Local officials without a certain rank cannot be included in the evaluation.

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