Some things are beyond human control, even for emperors. But some things are within human control.

Zhu Yunying can be described as a person with an extremely strong desire for control. He absolutely could not tolerate matters in the court being beyond his control. He would not allow any person to disrupt the policies he formulated, and in this respect, he could even be described as stubborn.

The relocation of the capital was already part of Zhu Yunying's plan. There was no single, definitive choice for the capital; he could only select some options that seemed reasonably good.

Establishing the capital in Yingtianfu was definitely not an option, because it was a remote and isolated area. Historically, no unified dynasty in the south had ever established its capital in Yingtianfu, which actually explains some things.

Moreover, Zhu Yunying was well aware that the Ming Dynasty had been striving to win over the hearts and minds of the people for over thirty years since its founding. However, this was not enough in the north, where many people still maintained centuries-old traditions and some customs reminiscent of non-Han peoples.

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These were things that Zhu Yunying believed needed to be taken seriously. The Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun had been recovered, but the people could not be allowed to become disloyal.

Moreover, the Nurgan Regional Military Commission also needed to be brought under control. In recent years, the military strength of the Ming Dynasty had grown significantly, and it had expanded its territory to the north. However, the Doyan Three Guards and the Nurgan Regional Military Commission were not necessarily as reliable as they seemed.

Historically, this has been the case. They originally submitted to the Northern Yuan, and after being defeated by the Ming Dynasty, they submitted to the Ming Dynasty again. However, they soon rebelled again and even invaded some areas in Liaodong several times.

The same applies to Nurgan Commandery; these are places considered harsh and desolate by some, and many tribes, such as the Haixi Jurchen, lived in these areas. It's unrealistic to say they had a strong sense of belonging to the Ming Dynasty.

Furthermore, there were some successes in the earlier campaigns against the Tatars. The Han Sea was already under the control of the Ming Dynasty, as was the Khangai Mountains. The Tatars were almost completely routed, which meant that they were now virtually no threat.

This indicates that the current territory of the Ming Dynasty is larger than its historical territory, and therefore, greater emphasis needs to be placed on controlling the northern border. Even though the Tatars and other nomadic groups are not strong now, Zhu Yunying will not underestimate their resilience.

We must make more preparations at this time, and we must ensure that the Ming Dynasty firmly controls the north.

Chang Mao was summoned to the Wuying Hall, and he didn't seem to be in good condition, which worried Zhu Yunying somewhat. However, Chang Mao was still in his prime and not seriously ill, so Zhu Yunying didn't need to worry too much at this time.

"Uncle, you should also take care of yourself," Zhu Yunying said to Chang Mao. "It's been cold these days, you should take good care of yourself."

Chang Mao smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. The imperial physician examined me a while ago, and it was just a slight cold."

Zhu Yunying nodded slightly. There was no need to say anything more at this point. Showing concern was enough. After all, Chang Mao was middle-aged and naturally knew what was going on. There was no need for Zhu Yunying to worry too much at this time.

Looking at Chang Mao, Zhu Yunying said, "My grandfather passed away some time ago, and we didn't have much time to deal with other matters. In recent days, quite a few people have been having their own thoughts in private, probably feeling that they have become bolder now that my grandfather is gone."

Chang Mao didn't know what to say, mainly because he knew some of the things.

Although Zhu Yunying reigned for four years, many people knew that he was still a young emperor. Even though he held great power, in the eyes of some, he was no match for the Hongwu Emperor. Often, people's fear of the Ying Shi Emperor stemmed from their fear of the Hongwu Emperor behind him.

Moreover, to be realistic, the Hongwu Emperor had passed away, so there was no need to be afraid of him at this point.

Some of the policies formulated by Emperor Hongwu, which many people felt were bad or infringed upon their own interests, were obviously worth considering changing. They dared not argue with Emperor Hongwu, but they dared to quarrel with Emperor Yingzong.

Zhu Yunying didn't mind and said with a smile, "Grandfather was the founding emperor after all, and no one dared to offend his imperial dignity. Now that they think we're easy to talk to, let them fight us. That would be quite interesting."

Zhu Yunying was very confident in his control over the court, as the key officials of the Six Ministries were all under his command. He also didn't need to worry about losing control of certain special institutions and departments.

The most important factor was Zhu Yunying's personality; he was neither an idealist nor a truly benevolent ruler.

This means that trying to fool him won't be easy. If you try to deceive him with seemingly righteous opinions, Zhu Yunying will most likely punish those who offer bad advice severely.

It's simply impossible for Zhu Yunying to abolish the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot. These were the emperor's henchmen, his eyes and ears. Although these guards and depots might seem to have some questionable aspects, their existence allowed the emperor to better understand certain matters.

It's true that Zhu Yunying wanted to value scholars, but it's obviously impossible to expect the emperor to only pay attention to the opinions of Confucian scholars, constantly elevate the status of scholars, and grant them more privileges.

While valuing scholars, Zhu Yunying would certainly have placed higher demands on them and would constantly challenge them.

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