Ru Chang smiled and said, "Your Majesty's kindness is truly her blessing."

Ru Chang's eldest daughter was indeed not betrothed by Zhu Yunying. In fact, there were many nobles and even among Zhu Yunying's uncles, there were suitable women of marriageable age, but Zhu Yunying did not arrange any marriages for them.

A large part of the reason was Ru Chang's special status; many people knew that Ru Chang was a trusted and important minister of Zhu Yunying. There were many who wanted to form a marriage alliance with her, but of course, some people were more worried and hesitant, and dared not become in-laws with Ru Chang.

“Our fourth brother, Yunxuan, is of marriageable age.” Zhu Yunying said with a smile, not hiding anything. “As you know, although we are not particularly close to the children of the Lü family, they are still our imperial brothers. Yunxuan, the Prince of Heng, is quite good. He is honest and well-educated, and is a good match for your daughter.”

Ru Chang immediately cupped her hands and replied, "This matter is entirely up to Your Majesty to decide."

Zhu Yunying laughed and said, "This is a double blessing. Grandfather also bestowed favor upon Ru Jian, allowing him to marry our eleventh uncle. Speaking of Ru Jian, we should mention you. We had the records brought out, and his evaluation is excellent."... Ru Chang's eldest son, Ru Jian, married Zhu's eleventh daughter, Princess Nankang. Now, Ru Chang's second daughter is to marry the emperor's fourth brother—this is quite a favor. Ru Chang is undoubtedly favored by the emperor; his former role as the crown prince's study companion has brought him to the highest ranks of officialdom.

Ru Chang immediately replied, “Your Majesty, I am already a member of the imperial clan and a relative of the Ming Dynasty. It is entirely due to Your Majesty’s trust that I was able to enter the court. I also know that he is of average appearance and acts entirely with humility. I hope Your Majesty will be lenient. If he were to hold a high position, he would surely make a grave mistake. Please do not suddenly promote him to a high position because of me.”

Zhu Yunying chuckled and said to Ru Chang, "Ru Qing, are you saying we're bad at judging people?"

Ru Chang immediately tensed up and knelt down, saying, "Your subject dares not!"

"It's good that you don't dare." Zhu Yunying said with a smile, and said to Ru Chang, "I recruit talents without being bound by convention. Talent and virtue are the principles of employing people. Of course, background is important. Without a good background, it is difficult to catch my eye and it is difficult to climb up the ranks. As for Ru Jian, I think he is reliable and steady in his work. He can be of great use."

Zhu Yunying looked at Ru Chang and continued, "You know the importance of Beiping Prefecture. The relocation of the capital is still ongoing. Ru Jian's status is also suitable. How about transferring him to Beiping Prefecture as the prefect?"

Ru Chang immediately knelt down; it would be a lie to say she wasn't excited.

His eldest son was indeed a prince consort, and his status was quite noble. However, over the years, due to his own circumstances, Ru Chang had not been able to promote his son to a high position. Now, the opportunity to make his son a prefect of the fourth rank was definitely a significant step forward.

Moreover, that's the future governor of the capital. Although it's easy to make mistakes in that position and there's considerable pressure, there are also many opportunities to shine. There might even be a chance to advance further, which isn't an easy opportunity to obtain.

Zhu Yunying continued, “You have been too cautious all these years. You are our Minister of Personnel, and we know you are loyal and humble. But Ru Jian has achieved political success, and he should be promoted if he deserves it. Don’t stop him.”

Zhu Yunying continued, "Regarding your second son, I was thinking of transferring him to the Salt Tax Bureau, so he could gain some experience as a seventh-rank deputy supervisor. Children are getting older and should indeed be doing some work; it's not good for you to always be looking after him. What do you think about leaving your youngest son with you?"

Ru Chang naturally had no objection and quickly said, "It's all up to Your Majesty to decide!"

Zhu Yunying laughed and said to Ru Chang, "Since you say so, then we'll make the decision for you. I remember when I visited your residence before, I said I wanted to see your offspring become talented and pillars of the court. Your offspring should be well-trained so that they can become the Crown Prince. That would be a wonderful story."

Ru Chang didn't know what to say. Indeed, he was sixteen years older than Zhu Yunying, an age difference that was considered double in those days. Ru Chang's eldest son was actually not much older than Zhu Yunying, only two years younger.

Ru Chang believed he could become Zhu Yunying's confidant, but whether his son could become a senior official serving several dynasties was another matter entirely.

The discussion with Ru Chang was actually quite simple, involving some personnel arrangements, and wasn't particularly serious. Or rather, the positions they discussed, while seemingly important, weren't necessarily of paramount importance in the grand scheme of things in the Ming Dynasty. …Once Zhu Yunying had made up his mind about some things, that was about it. However, Zhu Yunying was relatively lenient with Ru Chang. After all, she was his study companion, and now, as the Minister of Personnel and the head of the civil service, she was also quite respectful.

Zhu Yunying felt there was nothing wrong with giving Ru Chang some dignity, and that he should do so.

After Ru Chang left the Wuying Hall, Zhu Yunying summoned several civil and military officials. His purpose wasn't simply to review memorials; many matters genuinely required discussion and deliberation to gain a clearer understanding of the situation.

In a good mood, Zhu Yunying finished his day's official duties and casually asked, "How is things going with the Emperor Emeritus?"

Wang Chengen immediately replied, "Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus is well today. This morning, after His Highness the Crown Prince finished his studies, he went to the training ground with the Emperor Emeritus, and they ran several laps!"

Zhu Yunying couldn't help but laugh, though he was also quite embarrassed. "Our Imperial Grandfather is in such good health; he can still run around at his age. Our Crown Prince is amazing too; children don't know fatigue, so it's good for him to run around a bit."

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