Zhu Yunying had great confidence in the three armies of the imperial court. The Ming Dynasty's military capabilities were still at their peak, boasting a strong and well-equipped army, as well as excellent weaponry. While "armed to the teeth" would certainly be an exaggeration, the Ming's weaponry was far superior to that of the Tatars, who couldn't even manufacture iron pots.
Just as the military affairs were settled, the old topic of the Duke Yansheng came up again, but Zhu Yunying simply brushed it off.
The matter concerning the Duke Yansheng hadn't escalated enough. Zhu Yunying hoped it would escalate further so he could legitimately strip the Duke Yansheng of his first-rank official title and the title of head of the civil service. These honors were to be taken away by Zhu Yunying, and no one else could change that decision.
Yan Zhenzhi stepped forward, holding a memorial, and said, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present."
Zhu Yunying nodded slightly and said to his trusted confidant, "Granted."
Okay, that's about imperial tombs. It's standard practice to start preparing for the construction of a tomb as soon as a new emperor ascends the throne. For Emperor Zhu Yunying, the site for his tomb had already been chosen, and construction was about to begin.
Zhu Yunying listened patiently; the burial site was chosen by the old Zhu. Although the old Zhu had chosen the site, it still required Zhu Yunying's approval, including formally approving the budget, and so on.
This wasn't just the case for the second aunt of the Ming Dynasty; emperors of other dynasties did the same. Once they ascended the throne, they would begin constructing their mausoleums, and construction could not be stopped. Even Zhu Yuanzhang's Xiaoling Mausoleum had been under construction for nearly thirty years, but construction continued until Zhu Yuanzhang moved in.
As for Empress Ma, although she was an empress, she was still unable to formally reside in the Xiaoling Mausoleum at this time. Emperor Zhu was also powerless to do anything about it, because some rules were beyond the emperor's control.
Zhu Yunying had no objection to the commencement of construction on his mausoleum; he thought it was a good thing.
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