Little Zhu seems to be in no hurry to return to the palace, suggesting he's enjoying himself to the point of forgetting his homeland. However, for Zhu Yunying, things are not so leisurely; he needs to do his own thing and has his own responsibilities.
Yu Xin became the Minister of Revenue of the Ming Dynasty in the 26th year of the Hongwu reign, and held this position for nearly eight years.
This is absolutely a remarkable achievement. Putting aside the fact that it spanned two emperors, it was quite normal for the Ministers of the Ming Dynasty to change every year, or for the position of Minister to be vacant for three or four consecutive years. This was not something to be surprised about.
Yu Xin was able to hold onto his position not only because of his outstanding abilities, but also because both Lao Zhu and Xiao Zhu respected him, so they basically had no intention of making a move against him.
But things are different now. Since Zhu Yunying has already decided to take action against Yu Xin, he naturally won't delay any longer. Whether it's sending Lian Zining to impeach him or having Zhu Su lead the charge, there are reasons for both.
Lian Zining has been in the position of Minister of Revenue for too long. Now that the situation in the court is stable, it's time to make a change. Furthermore, Yu Xin's self-righteousness has indeed displeased Zhu Yunying, which is also a way to demonstrate imperial power.
In reality, wasn't this Zhu Yunying preparing for a series of major actions to come? After all, the formal preparation for managing the Yellow River was just around the corner. Getting rid of Yu Xin, the moneybag and the opposition, would naturally mean that the decision to manage the Yellow River could be implemented more easily.
It's not fair to say that moving one thing will affect the whole situation, but in any case, it's definitely not a bad thing to deal with the potential threat of Yu Xin in advance.
As for Yu Xin's contributions or hard work, it can only be said that there is often unfairness in this world, especially in a feudal dynasty like this. Desiring so-called fairness is often unrealistic.
Giving Yu Xin a dignified end, preventing him from appearing to meet a tragic fate, is something Emperor Zhu Yunying would likely do. If one day Zhu Yunying were truly required to punish a meritorious minister, he was actually capable of doing so.
Walking casually toward the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yunying saw the old Zhu and immediately said, "Grandfather, I am preparing to replace the Minister of Revenue."
Old Zhu didn't take it seriously and said with a smile, "It's fine to change it then. You can make these decisions yourself."
“Yu Xin has done some things, so we’re going to give him some face,” Zhu Yunying said with a smile to Old Zhu. “But for the new Minister, I’m thinking of Wang Dun.”
Old Zhu paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "He is indeed a capable person, and we think he is suitable for your new policy."
Wang Dun passed the imperial examination in the 26th year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty and was appointed magistrate of Yishi County. In the 10th year of the Hongwu era, he was summoned to Yingtian Prefecture and served as the principal of the Ministry of Rites' Department of Receptions. He was subsequently promoted to the position of Provincial Administration Commissioner of Fujian. During this period, when Si Lunfa, the Pacification Commissioner of Luchuan and Pingmian, rebelled, Wang Dun was sent as an envoy to pacify the rebellion.
During his ten years as Left Provincial Administration Commissioner of Zhejiang, he worked on water conservancy projects, promoted education, reduced corvée labor, punished the corrupt and eliminated abuses, and selected virtuous and capable officials, earning a good reputation for his governance.
Zhu Yunying had previously requested that the ministers of the Six Ministries should have experience as officials close to the people, because he was worried that these important officials only knew how to dabble in literature. The Ming Dynasty in history was not lacking in such officials, who simply waited their time in the Hanlin Academy and then rose through the ranks in an orderly manner. Some of their political ideas and policies were indeed somewhat out of touch with reality.
“This old man is over seventy, not young anymore,” Zhu Yunying said with a smile. “He is capable and cautious in his official duties, so he can do some things for us. In a couple of years, we will have a new Minister of Revenue, and he can retire and return to his hometown.”
When Old Zhu heard Zhu Yunying say this, he couldn't help but laugh. "Then you'd better hurry up. I remember that Xia Yuanji doesn't have a people's official position yet. You have to help him out. Otherwise, when Wang Dun dies of old age, you'll have a headache."
Zhu Yunying had a high opinion of Xia Yuanji, and Zhu himself knew this; in fact, Zhu also held Xia Yuanji in high regard. Ultimately, it was because Xia Yuanji possessed considerable ability and potential, and was worth nurturing.
This could be considered Zhu Yunying's own doing, as Xia Yuanji is still involved in banking affairs. This is indeed a matter of concern for Zhu Yunying; he must ensure the stability of banking policies and the full implementation of the system.
However, this also means that it will be somewhat difficult for Xia Yuanji to become a people-friendly official, as he is currently still a government official in the capital. All of this means that Zhu Yunying has blocked Xia Yuanji's path to advancement, and at this point, it is necessary to consider transferring Xia Yuanji.
Old Zhu was silent for a moment, then said, "Mao Tai, I suppose. Although he doesn't understand economics, he's cautious and diligent. Xia Yuanji has set up the framework for your bank, so Mao Tai can handle the work. It doesn't matter if he doesn't understand economics; just follow the established rules. As long as he doesn't go there and make decisions haphazardly, those kinds of people are unusable."
Zhu Yunying thought for a moment and then said, "This is indeed a good thing. Mao Tai's rank and character are acceptable, so he can take over the bank. Now that the bank's articles of association have been issued, we can proceed step by step."
Old Zhu nodded slightly and said to Zhu Yunying, "Xia Yuanji is a good minister. We just thought that since he has not governed a region, it would be inappropriate to give him a high-ranking official position right away."
Zhu Yunying agreed with this, saying, "We don't plan to directly appoint him as a provincial governor, as he doesn't have the ability to govern a province."
The position of Provincial Administration Commissioner, a second-rank official, was indeed a powerful regional governor, requiring well-rounded abilities. In some of Zhu Yunying's plans, talents like Xia Yuanji were to be "trained" specifically, as he was destined to become the Minister of Revenue.
Zhu Yunying didn't see anything wrong with discussing these matters with Zhu Yunxiang, nor did she feel there was anything to hide from him. Zhu Yunying knew very well that if Zhu Yunxiang were power-hungry, he wouldn't have abdicated in the first place. Furthermore, if Zhu Yunxiang were wary, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to cultivate the eldest and youngest Zhu Yunxiang.
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