Zhu Yunying said with a smile, "We are planning to punish some military officers. These things should have been done by my uncle, but as you know, if we really let my uncle do these things, I'm afraid it won't be possible."

Xu Miaoqing couldn't bring herself to laugh, but she knew the Emperor's words were perfectly acceptable. Everyone knew the Emperor's maternal uncle's temperament; some things weren't just about status, but also about character.

It's obvious that the emperor's maternal uncle's personality isn't suited for certain tasks, especially those that might offend people, or matters of national importance—he's even less capable of being relied upon. After all, everyone knows that the legitimate son of the Prince of Kaiping is nothing more than a spoiled brat.

Zhu Yunying continued, "Besides preparing to punish some military officials, we should also move the capital this time. These matters will offend even more people. After thinking it over, we think the Duke of Zhongshan is more suitable."

Xu Miaoqing was somewhat puzzled and asked curiously, "Your Majesty, wasn't the relocation of the capital already decided?"

Zhu Yunying then explained, "The matter of moving the capital has indeed been decided long ago. Don't be fooled by the fact that the court seems to be moving the capital over the years. Anyone with eyes can see that this is just a small-scale operation. Moving the capital is not a small matter. Even though I am the emperor, many people are trying to stop me."

This is also true. Despite the Ming Dynasty's continuous efforts to relocate the capital over the years, many people still clung to wishful thinking, or rather, they refused to accept their fate and always tried to salvage the situation at the last minute, hoping to stop the emperor from doing so.

Yingtian Prefecture was a prosperous city, and many families' interests were concentrated there or in the Jiangnan region. If the capital were moved to Beiping, many people's interests would be harmed, so they were naturally the most opposed to the decision to move the capital.

Zhu Yunying continued, "To be honest, there is less resistance from the civil officials, as many of them are from military families. They are either nobles from Huaixi or their rewards and lands are all in Jiangnan. These people are the most difficult to deal with. After thinking it over, we think the Duke of Zhongshan is the most suitable to help us offend people."

Xu Miaoqing seemed somewhat indifferent, or perhaps she was well aware of many things. Her usual non-interference in politics didn't mean she was ignorant. She was aware of many things, but simply unwilling to speak of them.

Looking at Zhu Yunying, Xu Miaoqing said softly, "Your Majesty, my father once said that the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion is prestigious enough, and we all know where its prestige comes from. Now, I think it's reasonable to ask my elder brother to do something that might offend people. The Zhongshan Prince's Mansion is already quite illustrious, and I sometimes feel uneasy about it."

That's pretty much the truth, since the Prince of Zhongshan's mansion is already quite prestigious, and continuing to be prestigious might not be a good thing.

Leaving aside the achievements of Xu Da, the Prince of Zhongshan, we can also disregard some of Xu Huizu's contributions, since these are things that officials should do, and they were rewarded by the court for them.

However, considering Xu Miaoqing's current status and Xiao Zhu's secure position, the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion should make some trade-offs. It can't all be good things; there always has to be some things that offend people so that the emperor will feel at ease. This is probably also the emperor's way of protecting the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion.

Reaching the highest position in the court is certainly the best thing, but having nothing left to reward is not a good thing. That would not only be detrimental to the Prince of Zhongshan's residence, but also to the current Crown Prince, young Zhu.

With a sensible empress, Zhu Yunying could indeed save a lot of trouble and have fewer worries.

In truth, Zhu Yunying now probably understands what the eldest Zhu of yesteryear had like. The young Zhu's background and certain positions were far too secure. Although he wouldn't threaten the emperor's position, such a crown prince would certainly give the emperor a headache.

After all, no one can predict the future, or perhaps the emperor also has his own selfish motives.

Zhu Yunying wielded considerable power, but he knew that if he were to consider deposing the crown prince, the entire court and the country would be thrown into turmoil. Given Zhu's current status, it wouldn't be easy to depose him, and even if Zhu Yunying were to do so, it would inevitably stir up a bloody storm in the court.

If things really came to that, the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion would definitely be completely wiped out; there's no doubt about that.

Chatting about everyday matters with Xu Miaoqing was a pleasant way for Zhu Yunying to relax. He only touched upon matters of state, and even though Xu Miaoqing never showed any desire for power, the emperor still needed to establish proper rules.

The empress and concubines were forbidden from interfering in politics; this was the rule of the Ming Dynasty!

They chatted briefly about everyday matters. Perhaps for the emperor and empress, their everyday conversations were more or less related to important court affairs. But in Zhu Yunying's view, this was just everyday talk, and there was nothing wrong with it.

After such a routine, one naturally needs a good rest and to prepare for the morning court session of the new day.

For the emperor, the upcoming morning court session would be quite busy. Predictably, the civil and military officials would offer suggestions and advice regarding the selection of Grand Secretaries for the Inner Cabinet, though they might also have their own agendas.

This is all quite normal and nothing to be surprised about. It just requires some thought and a bit of balancing, which isn't particularly difficult for Joo Yoon-young, and he's confident he can handle the situation well.

Zhu Yunying believed he was acting with discretion, but some felt the emperor actually lacked any sense of proportion. Even though they also felt there was no way to reverse the situation, as principled subjects, they felt they couldn't give up at this time.

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