Furthermore, Xu Miaoqing also knew that Fu Youde was the true commander-in-chief in this expedition to Goryeo, so Xu Huizu was not allowed to take the lead in many matters. Xu Huizu was Fu Youde's deputy general, so it was not unreasonable for him to return to the capital in advance.

This kind of thing is actually quite reasonable, there's not much to find fault with, and there's not much to criticize, so Xu Miaoqing naturally doesn't need to object or anything like that.

Moreover, Xu Miaoqing is not ignorant of everything. Sending her elder brother back to Yingtian Prefecture ahead of time must mean that she has something to entrust to Xu Huizu. This can be considered as trusting and giving Xu Huizu an important task.

Since that's the case, there's even less reason to say anything. Now that the emperor has made up his mind, it's natural to let him handle these matters. The empress should simply fulfill her duties, refraining from excessive discussion of court affairs, and even avoiding showing any concern or interest in them.

It's acceptable for young Zhu to occasionally show some minor 'restlessness,' which is harmless and neither the Emperor Emeritus nor the Emperor will mind. However, if the Empress shows any restlessness, it's hard to say whether she will be reprimanded or neglected.

Zhu Yunying didn't seem to have much on the matter. He sighed and said, "If all these nobles were like the Prince of Zhongshan's lineage, we could be at ease. If not, even if they're incompetent, it's fine as long as they don't cause any trouble for us. That way, we can create some beautiful stories of ruler and subject!"

Although Xu Miaoqing didn't know what had happened, she still advised, "Your Majesty, I think everyone has different intentions. Many nobles have disregarded Your Majesty's grace, and they deserve what they have done."

Zhu Yunying naturally understood this principle and said helplessly, "They really have only themselves to blame and brought this upon themselves, but as the emperor, I certainly don't want to punish them!"

These were perhaps Zhu Yunying's true feelings, and he was relatively tolerant of those who had served in the military. However, some people seemed to disapprove of his good intentions, so Zhu Yunying couldn't be blamed for that.

Some people bring this upon themselves, and Zhu Yunying will not show them any sympathy. Since those people disregard the laws of the court, it's no wonder Zhu Yunying is determined to punish them severely. No wonder he's considering stripping them of their titles, or even killing them.

Zhu Yunying, however, did not anticipate that the historical Zhu Yuanzhang would kill his smuggling son-in-law. Because of Zhu Yunying's intervention, these events did not occur, and the Ming Dynasty did not see a son-in-law engaging in smuggling. But such incidents still happened, as the Ming Dynasty's nobles could no longer contain themselves.

Ultimately, it comes down to the lack of reverence among the nobility. Perhaps they felt that their ancestors' achievements were too great, or perhaps their long-standing unbridled behavior had made them increasingly audacious.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that these nobles were not satisfied with the government's salary and so on. The huge profits from smuggling led them astray, and they believed that with their abilities and connections, they could do everything secretly.

Zhu Yunying was not surprised at all by this incident; he naturally understood the principle that people die for wealth and birds die for food.

It could be members of the imperial family, nobles, border generals, or civil officials. For the sake of sufficient profit, it's quite normal for some local gentry to get involved. Ultimately, it all comes down to gold and silver; those things are most likely to tempt people.

For those things, many people are indeed willing to take risks, trample on the law, and disregard the emperor's grace. For those things, many people will truly disregard everything.

Upon returning to Chunhe Hall, Zhu Yunying said to Wang Chengen, "Issue an imperial edict to summon Xu Huizu, the Duke of Zhongshan, to return to the capital."

Wang Chengen naturally accepted the decree. Since the emperor had issued the decree, someone would naturally help draft it. All that was needed next was for His Majesty to review it and affix his seal. Then, someone would quickly deliver the decree on horseback.

There is no doubt that an emperor's decree can be conveyed quickly. It is perfectly normal for an emperor's decree to keep many people busy, or even risk their lives; there is nothing strange about it.

Zhu Yunying did not remain in Chunhe Hall. His face ashen, he continued issuing decrees, "Summon Jiang Huan and Song Zhong." Regarding...

The two top secret agents are about to appear before Zhu Yunying. Although these two men seem to have little presence in the court, no one dares to underestimate these two hidden figures in the shadows. They are the emperor's henchmen and eyes and ears, monitoring all officials and members of the imperial family.

Of course, it wasn't just about monitoring the people; it also involved gathering military intelligence, turning enemy generals against their cause, and, with the emperor's decree, conducting reconnaissance, arrests, and interrogations.

Jiang Huan was originally a high-ranking spy who was to succeed Mao Xiang as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but unfortunately he did not live to see Zhu Yuanzhang ascend the throne. This veteran spy was quite capable. He was the one who once accused Lan Yu of treason, which implicated thirteen marquises and two earls, resulting in the execution of 15,000 people and almost wiped out the founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty.

Although this was done at Zhu's behest, Jiang Huan's abilities cannot be ignored. This guy is very skilled at interrogation, ingratiating himself with others, and implicating others; he is also a competent henchman, capable of carrying out the emperor's orders very well.

Jiang Huan is currently the Director of the Eastern Depot, and his main job is to supervise the subjects within the Ming Dynasty, which is what he excels at.

Song Zhong, a former Jinyiwei agent subordinate to Jiang Huan, was simply lucky to have chosen the right master. This veteran Jinyiwei officer was quite capable, and although the Jinyiwei's power had been significantly reduced by the emperor, it still possessed considerable strength.

Even though the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had very bad reputations, and there had been many voices impeaching them over the years, hoping that the emperor would abolish these two special agencies, Zhu Yunying either ignored such impeachments or reprimanded them.

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