However, Zhu Yunying also understood that once the Ming Dynasty's national power declined, some ambitious people might start to stir, perhaps wanting to take advantage of the changing fortunes and seek wealth and power in danger.

The Mu family is actually in a relatively good position in Yunnan. However, Yunnan's basic conditions are quite poor right now. Not only are there not enough resources, but there are also many barbarian tribes that cause trouble from time to time. At this time, a strong person is needed to keep things under control.

The Mu family is relatively reliable, partly because of the emperor's influence; after all, they are a family of relatives personally appointed by Emperor Zhu.

But Chaghan was out of the question, mainly because he was a Mongol. Even though he was a confidant of Zhu Yuanzhang and a general under Lan Yu, considering the situation in Liaodong, it wasn't suitable to keep Chaghan there, and even less could they be given the opportunity to further expand their power.

This is not about breaking promises or abandoning those who have served their purpose; it is an adjustment that must be made to ensure the stability of the country.

Warlordism is absolutely unacceptable. Moreover, everyone understands the principle of "how can one tolerate another sleeping soundly beside one's bed?" It can also be said that those who are not of our race will surely have different intentions; no emperor would allow even one of his generals to control an army.

In reality, the current Marquis of Shenyang, Chahan, can be considered a de facto vassal king. This is naturally even more unacceptable. Previously, it was to appease Nahachu and his tribe, but now that conditions are ripe, some things need to change. We can no longer let things run wild, so adjustments have been made.

After chatting with Chang Mao, Zhu Yunying didn't rest; he had other things to do.

Although Zhu Yunying also felt somewhat troubled, there were some people he still had to meet, and some things he still had to do. This left him with no choice but to accept his fate; it was the emperor's job, his duty.

There are some things that are clearly not just the emperor's business, but also the business of his ministers. For some ministers, these things are their pursuit and ambition, their pursuit of leaving a mark on history.

Yan Zhenzhi hadn't seen the emperor for quite some time, and sometimes he even had a strange feeling. He always felt that the emperor was avoiding him, as if he wanted to temporarily forget about the arrangements for governing the Yellow and Huai Rivers.

Of course, this is just an illusion, or even a case of being blinded by concern. After all, Yan Zhenzhi knows he may not have the time or energy to do anything extraordinary now. So he needs to seize the time to do something truly meritorious for generations to come, which may be his greatest pride.

After Yan Zhenzhi gave a simple bow, Zhu Yunying smiled and joked, "If I don't come looking for you soon, I reckon you'll come looking for me. But thinking about it, with your personality, if you had really prepared everything, you would have reported it to me long ago."

Yan Zhenzhi wasn't embarrassed, because what Emperor Yingshi said was the truth, and Yan Zhenzhi wouldn't try to be clever in these matters. He had ambitions and aspirations, and naturally, he needed to plan carefully for such things, ensuring that nothing went wrong.

It could even be said that even with the current strength and power of the Ming Dynasty, it doesn't mean that certain things can be accomplished effortlessly or easily. Water conservancy projects, of course, are no small matter.

In order to govern the Yellow and Huai Rivers, and to accomplish one last great task during my term of office—a truly remarkable task, one that will be remembered in history—I need to make continuous efforts and absolutely cannot afford any mistakes.

Yan Zhenzhi was very clever; he clearly understood that having the emperor as a backer would make many things easier. However, this also meant that things would become increasingly complex and difficult.

However, Yan Zhenzhi had been preparing for this for a long time.

This wasn't a decision made on a whim; it was something that had been planned and prepared for a long time, and it's been constantly being refined and improved. It's not something that can be accomplished in a day or two; even ten days or half a month might not yield any results. It requires much more time.

Therefore, it is quite obvious that the Minister of Works of the Ming Dynasty, a confidant of Emperor Ying Shi, should have been preparing for the management of the Yellow River long ago. Now, everything is ready except for the final approval, and they are just waiting for the emperor's decree to launch the grand and spectacular project of managing the Yellow and Huai Rivers.

Upon carefully examining Yan Zhenzhi's memorials, Zhu Yunying couldn't help but smile. It seemed Yan Zhenzhi was truly well-prepared and was simply waiting for the imperial decree.

Closing the memorial, Zhu Yunying looked at Yan Zhenzhi and said, "I am very satisfied with the proposal you have drafted, my dear minister. These plans were already in place before. Now it is even better, much more complete, and we are just waiting for it to be approved by the court so that we can begin."

Hearing these replies, Yan Zhenzhi was overwhelmed with emotion. This meant that the emperor recognized his and his colleagues' efforts, and they were about to embark on a great undertaking.

The previous plans only outlined the general direction and established the overall route. Now, however, some things have come to fruition, making them more specific, clearer, and highly feasible.

Yan Zhenzhi was explaining meticulously, outlining the necessary manpower and resources, matters requiring court coordination, and a whole host of other issues. Everything needed to be clearly explained to the emperor so that it could be effectively implemented.

After Yan Zhenzhi finished explaining, Zhu Yunying said seriously, "You'd better think this through. There's no turning back once the arrow is released. Once the imperial edict is issued, this matter will fall on your shoulders. If you don't handle it well, your lifelong integrity will be ruined."

Yan Zhenzhi slowly knelt down and said solemnly, "I am merely a wealthy local official. It is only through the trust and favor of His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty that I have been able to hold such a high position in the imperial court. If I can govern the Yellow and Huai River regions, I will have no regrets even if I die!"

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