The Ming Dynasty had enough gold and silver, which was naturally the biggest reason why Zhu Yunying dared to open up the exchange of silver notes in the capital and in important trading areas like the Maritime Trade Office.
Moreover, over the years, Zhu Yunying has collected and destroyed a considerable number of banknotes, and has been carefully investigating the amount of paper money issued. Therefore, those who want to see the court make a fool of itself are simply being foolish.
Furthermore, banks are currently only conducting pilot programs in certain areas, accumulating experience. It's not like the whole country is open now, so Zhu Yunying naturally has even less to worry about regarding a lack of sufficient funds.
One must eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. Zhu Yunying knew the saying, "Haste makes waste."
For now, it's enough to just keep a brief look at the bank's development; Zhu Yunying doesn't need to constantly monitor these matters. He has other things to attend to.
The economy is of paramount importance, and people's livelihoods cannot be neglected. But what about military preparedness, or governance? Which of these can be overlooked?
As emperor, Zhu Yunying had to pay attention to all aspects of these matters. Especially when some unfavorable signs appeared, Zhu Yunying naturally needed to be even more vigilant; he couldn't afford to be careless.
Before even attending court, Zhu Yunying received the news and felt somewhat emotional.
Minister of Justice Yang Jing ultimately did not survive. This learned and erudite minister, who was well-versed in classics and history and was skilled in literature, passed away from a serious illness in his early forties, despite being in the prime of his life.
“Yang Jing is talented. He was the one who raised the military provisions when the court quelled the rebellion in Longzhou. He was also a guest of the Crown Prince, the Emperor, and was honest and virtuous.” Zhu Yunying shook his head and said with a touch of sadness, “I thought he could have contributed more to the Ming Dynasty. What a pity.”
Yang Jing was not only an honest official, but also a capable minister. He did a lot of good things during his tenure as Minister of Justice, and was known as "Yang the Upright Official".
Zhu Yunying looked at Wang Chengen and said, "Have someone go to the Qianqing Palace in a moment and say that Yang Jing has passed away. Our intention is to have him buried with us in the Eastern Mausoleum. After all, he was a subject left to us by our father."
For a high-ranking official to be buried alongside the emperor was undoubtedly an unparalleled honor. According to the established rites, Yang Jing entered officialdom through the imperial examinations during the reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Hongwu), and was personally selected by him; therefore, he was a subject of Emperor Zhu. If anyone should be buried with the emperor, it should be at the Xiaoling Mausoleum.
Zhu Yunying knew what Zhu was thinking and felt that Yang Jing, after all, had once been a guest of the Crown Prince, so there was no problem with him being buried in the Eastern Mausoleum. However, it was better to inform Zhu in advance, even though Zhu Yunying knew that Zhu would definitely not object.
"It seems that with Chen Di taking office as Minister of Rites, Bao Zhao will officially become Minister of Justice as well." Zhu Yunying shook his head and prepared to go to court. "The funeral arrangements for Yang Jing are also underway; we need to help with his funeral arrangements."
Besides the funeral rites, a high-ranking official like Yang Jing would certainly receive a posthumous title. This might not be what some people care about, but for many civil officials, what they care about is the posthumous title, which is the true official conclusion of their lives.
These posthumous titles were not given arbitrarily; only those of high social status received them. Moreover, they were used to evaluate a person's merits and demerits, which naturally sparked debate in the imperial court.
“He did serve under the Emperor, but unfortunately he never managed to advance further.” Zhu Yunying thought for a moment and then came up with an idea. “Being the Crown Prince’s tutor is unlikely, but posthumously granting him the title of Third Young Master of the Eastern Palace is no problem.”
Forget about the title of "Three Masters of the Eastern Palace." Although it's now just a nominal title, and the Crown Prince isn't actually taught, not everyone is qualified to receive such an honor.
Even though Yang Jing was the Minister of Justice, a first-rank official, he was still some distance from being a master of the Three Arts.
Giving him the title of Junior Tutor should be no problem. Yang Jing is a civil official, so it would be perfectly reasonable to bestow upon him the honor of being the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince.
Lost in thought, Zhu Yunying arrived at the Fengtian Hall. The civil and military officials had already arrived by this time, and seeing the emperor stride confidently up the steps, they knew that the morning court session was about to begin.
After all the civil and military officials paid their respects, Zhu Yunying said directly, "Minister of Justice Zhong Ning has passed away. I imagine you all already know the news."
Zhu Yunying received news even faster, undoubtedly because the death of a high-ranking official like Yang Jing would prompt immediate reports from not only the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but also from the imperial physicians dispatched earlier. Moreover, Yang Jing had likely barely breathed his last before his descendants reported his passing to various government departments.
Ru Chang's expression was grave. As the Minister of Personnel, he had only learned of the news just before the start of the court session. Even though Yang Jing had been seriously ill for a long time, and many knew his condition was not optimistic, they still clung to a sliver of hope that he could pull through.
Of course, some people might be secretly pleased, as Yang Jing's death would create a vacancy in a high-ranking position, and some people might naturally be promoted. There's a fixed quota; if the person in front doesn't vacate the position, some people won't be able to fill it.
However, nowadays, there are still quite a few people who will pretend to be sad, and they will need to put on a show when necessary.
Zhu Yunying then spoke up, “Zhongning upheld the law and reason, and his political achievements were outstanding. During his tenure in the Ministry of Justice, he was fair and impartial in sentencing, saving countless lives. The court has lost a pillar of the nation due to the passing of such a virtuous minister!”
Zhu Yunying's words moved many, despite the tradition of avoiding mentioning the deceased. However, the emperor's praise demonstrates that Yang Jing was indeed a highly capable and accomplished minister, a very high compliment indeed.
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