They seem to own a lot of land, and it appears that they have accumulated a lot of capital over several generations, as well as extensive connections and networks.

Therefore, many seemingly prominent local families also have their own businesses behind the scenes. They may run money shops in the area and occasionally engage in lending activities, which is something many people are aware of.

However, now that the Ming Dynasty court is about to undertake these actions, it has clearly made some powerful local clans feel threatened. The court is constantly encroaching on the interests of these clans, and is thoroughly weakening their influence.

Jiang Huan knew what he should do, and Zhu Yunying naturally wouldn't object; this was exactly what he wanted to see.

After Jiang Huan left, Song Zhong immediately appeared. The Eastern Depot was indeed responsible for matters within the Ming Dynasty, but Zhu Yunying was always the kind of person who knew how to maintain checks and balances. Many things couldn't simply be decided by trusting just one person or one organization.

Despite the East Depot's impressive development over the years, it still falls short of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The disciple of the Eastern Depot didn't actually need to worry about his master, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, starving to death.

Looking at Song Zhong, Zhu Yunying said, "These days, thoroughly investigate the local gentry who are causing trouble, and also properly deal with those merchants. You naturally know what to do in these matters, and you should know how to proceed."

Song Zhong naturally understood all this; he had followed Zhu Yunying for ten years and knew the emperor's personality better than anyone.

Zhu Yunying looked at Song Zhong and continued seriously, "Also, keep an eye on the imperial clan. I'm happy to see them make some money. But if they interfere in politics, report it to me immediately."

Song Zhong was even more aware that these matters could not be delayed. Everyone understood that while the Ming Dynasty seemed to be relatively lenient towards its imperial relatives, there were certain things that crossed the emperor's bottom line, and the imperial relatives of the Ming Dynasty should not directly interfere in politics.

These aren't just casual remarks; given the special status of the imperial family, there's a natural need to be wary of them in many matters. It's perfectly fine for members of the imperial family to make money and enjoy wealth. However, it's unacceptable for them to interfere in local politics or wield greater power.

Even if Zhu Yunying was essentially giving official positions to members of the Ming Dynasty's imperial family, allowing them to perform tasks, many people knew that these were merely insignificant, prestigious posts. They were destined to appear noble but would never truly wield real power.

Remembering something, Zhu Yunying asked, "What exactly happened on the King of Wu's side?"

Song Zhong quickly said, "Your Majesty, Prince Wu simply enjoys frequenting brothels. According to my investigation, Prince Wu is not fond of beautiful women; ordinary, vulgar women are not pleasing to his eye."

Zhu Yunying was well aware of these matters, but found it amusing, saying, "This kid does have some ideas and thoughts. His standards are a bit too high."

Song Zhong quickly chimed in, "Your Majesty, there are many rumors circulating outside. It is mostly due to His Highness Prince Wu's leniency that these rumors have spread. If it weren't for His Highness Prince Wu's intention, I would have already ordered a thorough investigation of those malicious individuals spreading these rumors."

“That child, even if he never grows up,” Zhu Yunying laughed and said, “he’s happy to let people spread rumors about him, even if he has nothing going on with those courtesans. It seems that the child still feels a bit glamorous.”

Song Zhong kept his head down. Many people could see through Prince Wu's thoughts. However, they also felt that such things were simply a matter of Prince Wu's personality and hobbies, and that there was indeed no need to stop him.

Since Zhu Yunying knew the truth and didn't have any real relationship with many prostitutes, then Zhu Yunying could rest assured.

It's not a problem if Zhu Yunwen was fond of women, or if many members of the imperial family or even some nobles had such traits.

This wasn't a matter of principle, so Zhu Yunying naturally didn't need to care about such things. These trivial matters were nothing to worry about; as long as they weren't matters of principle, Emperor Zhu Yunying could simply laugh them off.

Zhu Yunying was very generous and didn't care about trivial matters. He was happy for his younger brother to gain a reputation for being a womanizer. If possible, he wouldn't mind giving it a little push.

At this moment, Song Zhong continued, "Your Majesty, there are some matters concerning Prince Heng. He seems to be infatuated with a merchant's daughter."

Zhu Yunying's expression immediately changed. His fourth son, Zhu Yunxuan, was already sixteen and had a marriage arranged. However, things were still complicated, and now this kid had caused trouble at this time, which was not good.

Being fond of women is fine, but one needs to know one's limits. Having a reputation for being a womanizer is acceptable; casual flings or just seeking fleeting pleasure are also fine. However, if it comes to favoring a concubine over one's wife, that is absolutely intolerable.

As Zhu Yunying's younger brother, even if they were half-brothers, Zhu Yunxuan was still a legitimate prince of the Ming Dynasty. Although he didn't need to shoulder too much responsibility, his status as a member of the imperial clan meant he was bound by certain obligations and had to do certain things well. Once he was included in the imperial genealogy, he had to fulfill his duties.

Song Zhongdu's recounting of these events clearly demonstrates that Zhu Yunxuan's infatuation with the merchant's daughter was far more than just ordinary.

The social status of a merchant's daughter was practically nonexistent. Let alone the imperial family of the Ming Dynasty, even high-ranking officials and nobles, even if they coveted a merchant's wealth, would look down on his social standing. A merchant's daughter could only ever be a concubine.

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