After Ru Chang left, Chang Mao also entered the palace. Zhu Yunying threw a memorial at Chang Mao, saying, "Look at this! This is what the nobles who have received the Emperor's favor for generations are like. During the mourning period for the Emperor's grandfather, they dare to drink and make merry, and dare to speak and act so disrespectfully?!"

Chang Mao felt a pang of panic. He could assure him that the lineage of the Prince of Kaiping was completely innocent and everyone was fulfilling their duties. But it wasn't surprising that some of the other military officers were drinking in private; after all, some of them weren't thinking clearly.

This is not just casual talk. Because of his military background, or perhaps because he himself was rather spoiled, Chang Mao understood better the ways some military officers acted, and he understood even better how unreasonable some military officers could be when they became spoiled.

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Zhu Yunying sighed and said, "I have always longed for a harmonious relationship between ruler and subject, but many people probably don't think so. Their actions put me in a difficult position!"

At this moment, Chang Mao quickly stated his position, "Your Majesty, such heinous acts are truly heinous crimes, and no one else is to blame."

Zhu Yunying looked somewhat sorrowful and said, "That may be true, but many of them are descendants of founding heroes. The merits of our ancestors have been squandered by these unworthy descendants. It is heartbreaking to think about. I cannot bear to punish them severely. If I do not punish them, I cannot explain myself to the court and the law, let alone to my grandfather."

Chang Mao naturally understood that His Majesty definitely wanted to punish him severely, and this matter would not be so easily resolved.

Everyone is aware of many things. His Majesty has been causing trouble for many military officers lately, and there are quite a few who have had their titles stripped.

It may seem like there isn't much bloodshed, but once something like this happens, it will inevitably be anything but easy.

Perhaps it doesn't leave people with the same lingering fear and insecurity as the Hu Weiyong case back then. It's just that nowadays, some mistakes have led to the sudden fall from grace of those who were once highly respected military officers. This is nothing out of the ordinary, and it can be seen as a way to demonstrate to the emperor that he is wise.

The Hongwu Emperor was ruthless in dealing with military officers, and the Ying Shi Emperor was equally decisive. A common trait between these two emperors was that they could be quite harsh when they were dissatisfied with certain individuals.

Being a little harsh isn't necessarily a bad thing; the main reason is that there are indeed too many military officials in the Ming Dynasty now, and they need to be dealt with a bit. The military personnel that Zhu Yunying left behind were quite capable, but even among the founding nobles, there was a mix of good and bad.

This naturally means that Zhu Yunying needs to make some choices, and he does indeed need to make decisions on many things.

Chang Mao naturally knew what he should do, or rather, he was now even clearer that at this time, he had no intention of persuading the emperor to change his mind or pleading for some of the offending military officers. What he had to do was to follow the emperor's lead.

This isn't necessarily because the emperor is his nephew; it's simply that the military officers' actions were disgraceful. Even if one wanted to plead for them, they would all lose face, and what they did was indeed infuriating.

As for the fact that he, as the top military officer, couldn't protect people, Chang Mao wasn't particularly concerned about such matters.

He's just a figurehead now. Everyone knows that the Duke of Kaiping is just a spoiled brat who relies on his status as the emperor's uncle and the son of the Prince of Kaiping. There's nothing more to say about him.

Losing the ability to protect someone isn't a big deal. What the Chang family needs to do over the years is gradually reduce its influence; that's the true way to pass on the family tradition. The Chang family is, after all, of a different status; sometimes, not fighting over certain things is the best approach.

Since Chang Mao was so sensible, Zhu Yunying also smiled slightly. "Uncle, you can't blame us for being harsh, nor can you blame us for not remembering our comrades-in-arms and the bond between our fathers and grandfathers. It's just that those people have probably long since disregarded their emperor and father in their wealthy and powerful lives."

Chang Mao was somewhat embarrassed, and then said, "Your Majesty, I am aware of these things as well. Nowadays, Yingtian Prefecture is mostly filled with spoiled brats, and most of them come from noble families. There are quite a few people of my generation who are capable. We were born and raised before the founding of the country, and most of us had military experience in our early years."

These are indeed true. Basically, most of the second-generation military officers were born before the founding of the People's Republic of China, which can be considered as being born into hardship. They generally all had military experience. While not all of them were outstanding military heroes, they all had some ability and were not just empty shells.

However, it's hard to say about many third-generation military officers. They were all born with a silver spoon in their mouths, and many of them are indeed somewhat content with enjoying life. Quite a few are indeed somewhat spoiled and don't have much talent or ability.

It's no secret that there are some spoiled brats among the military officers; it's a well-known fact.

These are also some of the reasons why Zhu Yunying wanted to purge some of the nobles. He certainly hoped that the military nobility would maintain a certain vitality and have some fresh blood, rather than having the military nobility occupy the Five Armies Commandery or the military nobility group lying on their laurels and complacent. That was something Zhu Yunying absolutely could not tolerate.

Fortunately, the current military merit group also has fresh blood. The Northern Expedition and the war against Goryeo have indeed brought out some fresh blood. These people can also bring some vitality to the military merit group and put some pressure on the founding nobles.

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