After a simple hot pot meal, Zhu Yunying was in a good mood. He took a short walk and then went to see his beloved daughter. This was something he needed to pay attention to; the little girl was starting to recognize people, and Zhu Yunying didn't want his little darling to be anything but sweet.
Lian Qiongqiong hesitated, not wanting to speak further. She wouldn't pry into what had happened in the court. However, once something escalated, even though she was deep within the palace, she could still hear some of the news.
Zhu Yunying didn't explain further. Even Xu Miaoqing couldn't interfere in court affairs, let alone Lian Qiongqiong, who was only an Imperial Noble Consort.
He played with his daughter for a while, but the little girl soon fell asleep. This is quite normal; babies are naturally sleepy. Even as emperor, Zhu Yunying wasn't so domineering as to forbid his daughter from sleeping, even though the little girl was very cute.
Having had a good rest and relaxed, Joo Yoon-young felt he was in excellent condition. This meant he was already prepared for what might happen next and was full of energy, ready to accept the challenges ahead.
It's obvious that after this incident at the grand banquet, no one thought it would be resolved so easily, even though many were confused and somewhat flustered at the time. But now that they've come to their senses, most are probably preparing memorials to the throne.
Impeaching the Crown Prince of Lu was a great opportunity for many people to make a name for themselves.
It's quite simple: Zhu Zhaohui, the heir apparent of the Prince of Lu, launched a scathing attack on the lineage of the Duke Yansheng, which was tantamount to slapping the faces of scholars and bringing shame upon the descendants of Confucius. Many scholars today share a common indignation at this.
On the other hand, Zhu Zhaohui is a member of the imperial clan and has not yet inherited the title of prince. Given the current situation in the Ming Dynasty, a princely title is merely prestigious, but practically devoid of real power. These princes are, in the eyes of some, merely tools for building prestige.
In the official circles, one can gain a reputation for upholding the honor of Confucius; among ordinary people, one can gain a reputation for being upright and incorruptible.
In some people's eyes, these members of the imperial clan are simply the perfect tools. They appear to hold high positions, but they lack real power, and they are also those whom the current emperor seems to be suppressing. Dealing with these members of the imperial clan requires ruthlessness.
Zhu Yunying got up very early. Being an emperor meant being prepared to get up early; you couldn't expect to stay in bed any longer. Especially for a diligent emperor, getting up early was even more crucial; there couldn't be any delays.
After finishing his breakfast, Zhu Yunying prepared for court. His face appeared expressionless, but his heart was churning with excitement. Mainly, Zhu Yunying foresaw that this morning's court session would not be peaceful; he enjoyed such liveliness. Of course, it was also because he was essentially the director of this grand drama, and the plot was unfolding as he expected.
That's enough. That's the main reason why Zhu Yunying is feeling so excited and active right now.
At this moment, it wasn't just Zhu Yunying whose heart was surging with emotion; many civil and military officials were also quite excited. What exactly happened at yesterday's grand banquet was no secret, and many were eagerly awaiting the next developments, wanting to see how things would unfold.
Even Kong Ne, at this point, was 'naturally' attending court, being a nominal first-rank official and the head of the civil service. Most importantly, although Zhu Zhaohui was the heir apparent of a prince, his title was above the rank of official. But Kong Ne wasn't afraid; he had no way out.
If they back down now, not only will his Yansheng Guild become a laughing stock, but the entire Kong family will become a laughing stock.
After all the civil and military officials lined up and entered the Fengtian Hall, Zhu Yunying appeared unhurriedly. After shouting "Long live the Emperor!" three times, the morning court session officially began.
According to the rules and in the proper order, the Five Military Commissions must report on state affairs first. Especially now that spring has arrived, the Ming army is ready for battle, eager to go to the northern deserts to make their mark.
Even though many civil and military officials were quite anxious at the moment, they really had no choice but to endure it.
The retired emperor had previously stipulated the order of reports during the morning court session, so don't think that only your matter is important. Anything discussed in court is generally no small matter. Moreover, the current discussion concerns military affairs, which is undoubtedly a major issue.
If you can't control yourself at this point and actually think the censors are pushovers, those people are just there to find fault with you, then you'll inevitably be charged with something like disrespecting the emperor or not respecting your superiors—a charge that could be serious or minor.
Zhu Yunying, preoccupied with dealing with the Yansheng Duke's faction, didn't forget other matters. His two uncles-in-law were to lead troops to aid the Yingguo Duke Fu Youde. Even though many knew that the Emperor was giving the two sons-in-law an opportunity to gain military merit, they could only pretend not to understand, and there was no way to argue about these matters.
Helping one's own family is perfectly normal, especially since the Emperor's two uncles-in-law do indeed have experience leading troops. Therefore, tasks such as escorting provisions, managing supplies, and verifying military merits are probably not difficult for them.
They continued to wait anxiously, for after these military matters were discussed, the moment many had been eagerly anticipating would arrive. For many, for the sake of justice, for their own reputation, or to uphold the saint's name, they would stand up without hesitation.
Even if this would enrage the current emperor, they couldn't care less. In fact, there were some people who were secretly thinking of advising the current emperor. After all, at yesterday's grand banquet, the current emperor seemed to be 'brotherly and respectful,' but this was against the emperor's wishes and disrespectful to the retired emperor.
To become a paragon of virtue like Wei Zheng, a loyal and upright official, is the aspiration of many scholars and intellectuals. It's just that often they dare not do so, or they simply don't have the opportunity.
Kong Ne was already prepared. He secretly touched the memorial in his sleeve, a memorial he had painstakingly written all night. He wanted to impeach the Prince of Lu's heir, and he wanted to restore the reputation of the Kong family. The lineage of the Duke of Yansheng didn't care about the Prince of Lu's heir; what they cared about was the reputation of the Kong family and the treatment of the Duke of Yansheng's lineage!
Zhu Yunying maintained a calm and composed attitude, still appearing to be quietly waiting for what would happen next.
Everyone understood that what was about to happen was truly momentous. In some people's eyes, what followed was even more important than the Northern Expedition, as it concerned their beliefs.
Come on, Joo Yoon-young thinks it's better to have some fun!
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