As for the noble class, they definitely need to be dealt with. We can't let some people occupy positions without doing their jobs. We need to keep the military class of the Ming Dynasty active and maintain a balance between civil and military officials.

Moreover, some military officers were indeed outrageous. If it were simply a matter of getting too close to civil officials, it would only displease the emperor and be considered slightly taboo. The emperor might just turn a blind eye.

However, there's no need to be overly polite to those who are corrupt, lawless, or arrogant and domineering nobles.

After all, many nobles nowadays are just relying on the merits of their ancestors, so they will naturally be even less lenient in dealing with these people.

After discussing some matters with Zhu Yunying, Zhu Yunying had a better understanding of the situation. It was time to rectify some people and certain issues; an emperor couldn't simply be a pushover.

Now is the right time to deal with some military merits, because the Ming Dynasty is unlikely to launch large-scale military campaigns in the near future. Given this situation, there is no need to worry about any trouble or a lack of generals in the court.

Zhongshan Duke Xu Huizu knew he would have to do something again. Although he was only the deputy commander, he had still won a battle in Goryeo. Under normal circumstances, he would return to the capital with the main force, enjoying endless glory and being rewarded for his merits.

But who could blame him when he was the emperor's brother-in-law, and the eldest son of Xu Da, the Prince of Zhongshan? The emperor's urgent summons of him back to the capital must have been for some important matter, and naturally, there was no time to delay.

As for glory and such, those are not important; the emperor's trust is the most important thing.

The news of Xu Huizu's return to the capital was widely known among civil and military officials, naturally fueling speculation. After all, various rumors had been circulating in the court and among the people; now that the foremost military leader had returned to the capital, it would be hard to believe that nothing significant had happened.

What others were thinking didn't concern Xu Huizu much. Although he was only middle-aged, Xu Huizu was already used to certain things. After all, he was the eldest son of the Prince of Zhongshan, and had been the focus of attention since childhood, which made him even more cautious, not wanting to tarnish his father's reputation.

There are also those who don't care much about the reputation of a "tiger father, dog son" (a Chinese idiom meaning someone who is not a good father but a bad son), such as Chang Mao with his full beard, who seems to be a typical negative example.

Chang Mao patted Xu Huizu on the shoulder and grinned, "My nephew is back! It's been a year since we last met. He looks much thinner; I guess he suffered a lot in Korea."

Xu Huizu had a lot of grievances to share. He had known Chang Mao since their time together. They were clearly of the same generation before, but after his sister married the then Crown Prince, Xu Huizu's seniority seemed to have dropped, especially in front of his uncle Chang Mao, he couldn't say much.

Suppressing his displeasure, Xu Huizu said, "Duke of the Founding State, we are about to go to court, so please refrain from joking around."

Chang Mao didn't care. He glanced at the censor and said, "Fine! You're too dull. It's no fun joking with you. Never mind, I won't joke with you anymore."

What else could we do? Naturally, we could only pretend nothing had happened, since the person in front of us was just too special.

Putting aside the fact that he was the eldest son of the founding duke, the fact that he was the emperor's maternal uncle was enough to warrant caution. Moreover, this person was very close to the emperor, unlike Emperor Wu of Han and his maternal uncle.

This guy is really someone you can't mess with. Let's just pretend he didn't do anything right. Anyway, we're used to his reckless behavior. Nobody cares about his jokes; his frivolity is just normal for him.

Of course, as an imperial censor, he had to record what needed to be recorded. Although the emperor had never punished Chang Mao for these matters, the imperial censor knew his duty.

It's normal for Chang Mao to be unreliable, and the emperor won't blame him. However, if the censor fails to perform his duties, the emperor and his guests will be unhappy, and then it's unlikely anyone will speak up for him.

The distinction between close and distant relatives was even more evident in the case of Emperor Ying Shi, and many people were aware of this.

Chang Mao stopped joking and lowered his voice, saying, "His Majesty is preparing to rectify official corruption and start the capital inspection. Right now, well-meaning people are all in a state of turmoil. You've just returned to the capital, so don't let anyone take advantage of you."

Xu Huizu immediately expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Duke Kaiguo. I will naturally be more careful in my words and actions."

Chang Mao understood that even if he reminded him, it wouldn't make a difference. Given Xu Huizu's personality, he would definitely ask about some things as soon as he returned to the capital. Although he had been away from the capital for over a year, the Prince of Zhongshan's residence was not without people.

And that was indeed the case. Although he had only just returned to Yingtian Prefecture, Xu Huizu had indeed asked his second and third brothers. Given his status, his words carried considerable weight in the court. If he didn't understand the situation, he might very well be tricked or unintentionally disrupt the emperor's plans.

Even knowing some of the facts, it's still necessary to express gratitude now that the time has come. After all, given his character, he is indeed respectful and humble; not everyone is a reckless spoiled brat.

Chang Mao continued, "Although there are rumors that it's just a crackdown on civil officials, we're also telling some people not to get too involved with those civil officials. But we've heard that some nobles have become wealthy, and they're acting rather outrageously."

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