Serving such a deep and thoughtful emperor is no easy task.

As Zhu Yunying strode towards the Fengtian Hall, many civil and military officials could no longer remain calm, each knowing that a huge upheaval was about to unfold.

His Majesty's sudden outburst of anger in court yesterday was itself a cause for concern and suspicion. Immediately afterwards, His Majesty summoned the Duke of Founding and the Duke of Zhongshan to the Wuying Hall, followed by the ministers of the Six Ministries being called in for a meeting – clearly, this was a matter of great importance.

Although the news is not certain or clear, some reports seem to indicate that the civil and military officials are getting too close, and even involve some famous scholars and Confucianists, which naturally makes people feel more worried.

At this point, it might not be so easy to remain unscathed.

This has caused considerable anxiety among many, who fear that the current emperor might use this as an excuse to make trouble. It's possible that at this critical juncture, many more will lose their positions, or even their lives.

There is absolutely no need to doubt that it is perfectly normal for the current emperor to do such a thing.

This is truly a turbulent time; there's been no peace and quiet at all, with countless big and small events throughout the year.

Originally, it was thought that the war in Goryeo would end this year, and it has basically ended. Now it's just a matter of cleanup, which isn't a big deal. It seems unlikely that war will break out again. Even though the Ming Dynasty had previously invited the Ryukyu Kingdom of Chuzan to pay homage, it has not shown any intention of launching a military campaign for the time being. Many people feel that things can remain peaceful for now.

Military affairs seem to be of no immediate concern. At most, we need to consider the fact that Duke Lan Yu of Liang is training troops in the northwest, and His Majesty's dissatisfaction with the usurping father and son in Annam. However, based on the current situation, there will be no war this year, and it's uncertain whether there will be any next year either.

After all, if war were to be waged, it would inevitably be a major war, and preparations would certainly need to begin in advance. The Ming Dynasty is not currently in a position to wage war in accordance with the trend.

There's nothing to worry about militarily, but there's a fair share of domestic issues in the Ming Dynasty.

Putting other matters aside, preparations for the relocation of the capital continued. As for banking and land reform, these were expected to be fully implemented in the next two or three years, given that the Ming Dynasty had already been experimenting with these new policies for over two years.

These were no small matters, and many felt that it would be quite an achievement if the imperial court could concentrate its efforts on handling them well. However, it was clear that the emperor was not so easily satisfied.

The Emperor is still busy with the grand plan of inspecting officials in the capital, and everyone can see his determination to rectify official corruption. These are indeed no small matters, as they affect the careers of many people. And such things are certainly necessary, given that official corruption has indeed been less efficient in recent years than in previous years.

The emperor's determination earned the admiration of many officials. Reforming the bureaucracy was an undeniably controversial undertaking, inevitably facing various obstacles. Even the emperor, encountering such resistance, might waver.

Of course, those corrupt officials are now living in fear, busy cleaning up all the mess they've made.

Emperor Ying Shi was not easily fooled, and the current emperor was even more resolute. It was impossible for an ordinary person to get him to sheath his sword.

The court's major affairs clearly extend beyond this. Minister of Works Yan Zhenzhi is currently stationed in Kaifeng Prefecture to prepare for the management of the Yellow and Huai Rivers. This is a significant matter that will inevitably involve a great deal of power within the Ming Dynasty.

It is said that because of this incident, the former Minister of Revenue, Yu Xin, was convicted and exiled to Kaifeng.

Unbeknownst to many, Emperor Yingshi had already replaced all the ministers of the Six Ministries during his four years on the throne. This meant that almost all of Emperor Hongwu's former officials had completely left the central government, and Emperor Yingshi's control over the court had reached its peak.

Even if the Hongwu Emperor wanted to regain control of the court, it wouldn't be an easy task now.

The six ministers were either the emperor's confidants or had been promoted by him. The Five Military Commissions were also basically staffed by the emperor himself.

Many people say that the current emperor is precocious and has shown remarkable abilities from an early age. Looking at it now, the entire Ming Dynasty, from the court to the countryside, has long been firmly under his control, so it's no wonder he has the courage to do such great things.

It's fair to say that the atmosphere at this time was much more oppressive than usual during the morning court sessions. It was as if a storm was brewing, a feeling that was impossible to conceal, and many people could clearly sense it.

However, not everyone is trembling with fear and overly cautious at such times; some people don't care much. It's not necessarily because they have nothing to hide; it could simply be that they don't care about these things.

Zhu Yunwen yawned. He had only been released from confinement a few days ago to pay respects at the Xiaoling Mausoleum. If it weren't for his elder brother's decree, he wouldn't have gotten up so early. Sleeping until noon was much more comfortable than going to the morning court, which was pure torture.

Besides, there's still no resolution regarding our tree sap; they've just been investigating, and two small oil mills have been set up in Yingtian Prefecture. Business is doing fairly well, but we're constantly running out of oilseeds, which is really problematic.

Of course, Zhu Yunwen also complained that some people were making irresponsible remarks about the origin and uses of tree sap.

Although the fame and credit for the tree oil went to the family of the young lady's husband and the emperor's sister-in-law, most of the shares in the oil mill belonged to the Wu Prince's Mansion.

Now we're just hoping that my brother's navy will sail to Southeast Asia soon, bring back more palm oil, and find out the truth about the origins of palm oil. Then those who deserve to be ennobled and appointed generals will be ennobled and appointed generals, and our Wu Prince's Mansion will rake in tons of money.

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