As emperor, Zhu Yunying was not the kind of puppet emperor; he held real power.
When he held real power, any order he issued was naturally considered a top priority by some people, who dared not delay it, especially those who wanted to redeem themselves through meritorious service.
On the Eastern Depot's side, Jiang Huan was in a bad mood after receiving twenty lashes. But none of his subordinates, big and small, were going to have an easy time either.
If one fails to perform their duties well, they might lose their head, but at the very least, they will lose the trust of the emperor and their superiors. While such a situation wouldn't be worse than death, it would certainly be extremely unpleasant.
Now that these ubiquitous spies had begun their operations, many things were no longer secrets. Emperor Zhu Yunying soon learned of many of these matters as well.
It seems Zhu Yunwen wasn't joking after all; some officials in the Ming Dynasty were indeed showing signs of corruption and decadence. Perhaps it was because they had been living in peace and prosperity for too long, or perhaps it was because Emperor Ying Shi was so kind-hearted, but these people had become somewhat unafraid of fear.
Ru Chang was summoned to the palace again, and Zhu Yunying casually tossed the memorial to her, saying, "My dear minister, take a look and see what kind of people our officials in the capital are behaving!"
Ru Chang's heart tightened, but he dared not be careless. He needed to check the memorial immediately to find out what had happened so that he could have some countermeasures.
As Ru Chang read the words in the memorial, his heart grew colder and colder. He knew why the emperor was angry. He also knew that the emperor was giving him the cold shoulder; this was not some undeserved misfortune. It was clearly a sign that the emperor was neglecting the Ministry of Personnel.
Ru Chang immediately knelt down, and could only beg for forgiveness, "Your subject is guilty!"
Zhu Yunying stared at Ru Chang's back, his voice flat and seemingly devoid of emotion, "Oh? Then tell me, what crime have you committed?"
Ru Chang was not proud of her status as a "study companion" and quickly said, "I am in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, which is responsible for the selection, evaluation, and awarding of titles and honors to civil officials throughout the country. The Director of the Personnel Selection Department has violated the laws of the court by having a drunken encounter with prostitutes."
Ru Chang was quite straightforward, admitting to the crime of 'lax governance'. However, it was clear that Zhu Yunying did not approve of his confession, so Zhu Yunying remained silent and simply made Ru Chang continue kneeling.
The emperor remained silent, which only intensified Ru Chang's inner turmoil. Despite his nervousness, Ru Chang, as the Minister of Personnel, was no fool. He knew that speaking out would displease the emperor, but he couldn't take all the blame.
After a moment of silence, Zhu Yunying continued to review the memorials, ignoring Ru Chang kneeling below, as if she didn't exist in the Wuying Hall at all.
After about half an incense stick's time, Zhu Yunying finally spoke, "Your attendant may leave. The Ministry of Personnel still has many matters to attend to."
Although Ru Chang's legs were numb, he could only quickly express his gratitude. He stood up unsteadily, trying his best to stand up straight and take each step steadily. He needed to get ready and deal with the potential problems in the Ministry of Personnel as soon as possible.
Looking at Ru Chang's retreating figure, Zhu Yunying smiled and shook his head. "Our study companion is, after all, a high-ranking official. Even if she's our confidant, she still has to think about her official position and her prestige in the Ministry of Personnel and the court."
In fact, Ru Chang's thoughts were very clear. He only admitted to the crime of lax governance, which seemed to be a slight oversight.
However, Ru Chang was also well aware that the Selection Office was one of the four offices of the Ministry of Personnel. Although the Director of the Selection Office was only a fifth-rank official, he held a very high position and wielded considerable power. This was because the Selection Office was in charge of the promotion and removal of officials, which, while seemingly aimed at equalizing the selection process, actually controlled a great deal of the promotion of civil officials.
This official in charge of literary selections enjoyed visiting brothels and pleasure boats, not because he was infatuated with any particular courtesan, but simply because he wielded great power and was accustomed to receiving numerous invitations and banquets.
Most importantly, the food and drink were exquisite, and he was accompanied by beautiful women and supported by officials. He really became a little giddy and lost his way.
Given that this physician associates with so many officials and engages in some rather shady dealings, how can the Ministry of Personnel, responsible for managing the ranks and promotions of officials, possibly be expected to be law-abiding and diligent in their duties?
Wang Chengen naturally dared not respond, as he didn't actually understand some of the situation. In his memory, Ru Chang had always been the emperor's confidant, and the emperor had always respected Ru Chang. But now it seemed that His Majesty was somewhat dissatisfied with Ru Chang.
However, these matters were not Wang Chengen's concern. He was merely the chief eunuch by the emperor's side, and he had no desire to get involved in court affairs; that was not something he should be doing.
Although he had some complaints, Zhu Yunying could understand some of Ru Chang's thoughts. There was certainly some dissatisfaction, but it wasn't to the point of being unacceptable, so naturally there was no intention to replace the Minister of Personnel.
Not long after Ru Chang left, Lian Zining also entered the palace by imperial decree. It was clear that Zhu Yunying did not intend to simply punish Ru Chang.
Zhu Yunying still treated Lian Zining with some respect. After all, Lian Zining was Zhu Yunying's father-in-law. Although Lian Zining never dared to claim the title of "father-in-law of the emperor," many people respected him greatly, not only because of his literary reputation or official standing, but also because of his status.
Looking at Lian Zining, Zhu Yunying said, "Grand Master, let Lian Aiqing take a look at that memorial."
Lian Zining's heart tightened. He didn't know when it started, but he had become increasingly nervous about meeting the emperor alone. He always had the same feeling as when he met the Hongwu Emperor.
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