Zhu Yunying naturally needed to take palm oil seriously, and he was well aware that a good plan was needed. Ultimately, palm oil was a novelty, and its availability was beyond the comprehension of many ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty.
"Grandfather, right now we're just thinking about palm oil, whether it can actually benefit the people," Zhu Yunying said earnestly to Old Zhu. "What we're really thinking about is auspicious omens. Although these things may seem a bit unrealistic, they do have some benefits after all."
Old Zhu also fell silent. He wasn't really interested in so-called auspicious omens, and he knew that Zhu Yunying didn't care about them.
However, they also knew that auspicious omens could be used by emperors to create a false sense of prosperity, or simply to gain fame. Some auspicious omens were even fabricated.
So-called auspicious omens are also considered lucky omens, and this concept was even proposed by Confucianism. Colorful clouds, favorable weather, double ears of grain, sweet springs, and the appearance of strange birds and animals are all auspicious omens, and these auspicious omens even have different levels.
Rare flowers, exotic trees, and fine grains are considered inferior auspicious omens, while white wolves and red hares are superior auspicious omens. The appearance of a horse-shaped map in the Yellow River or a tortoise-shaped book in the Luo River is considered auspicious. These are all used by emperors to demonstrate their effective governance and immeasurable merit, and many people readily accept this assessment.
These things are acceptable if they happen occasionally. But if they are done all the time, or even fabricated to create auspicious omens, then they lose their credibility and eventually become a complete joke.
For example, the Fengshan ceremony originally held a high status; it was a grand ceremony for worshipping heaven and earth.
As a result, when Emperor Zhenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty went to perform the Fengshan ceremony, it immediately lowered the status of the Fengshan ceremony. After all, the so-called "Treaty of Chanyuan" was a real disgrace, not a merit to be proud of, and certainly not worthy of being used for the Fengshan ceremony in the east and the sacrifices in the west.
The Fengshan ceremony, which was originally a very prestigious ritual in history, suddenly lost its sacredness after the Song Dynasty. It was also during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song that the practice of using auspicious omens to embellish a peaceful and prosperous society began, causing the auspicious omens to lose their value and become an absolute joke.
Even though Zhu Yuanzhang established his dynasty, he did not perform the Fengshan ceremony. Zhu Yunying believed that he had done something and did not fabricate auspicious omens.
"Grandfather, I also think that the tree sap can only be used in Yingtian Prefecture right now," Zhu Yunying said with a smile. "Let the people of the two capitals use it for now. We don't expect the whole world to be full of tree sap all at once, and the people won't suddenly be free from worries about food and oil."
Old Zhu nodded slightly. He knew that some things couldn't be rushed, and he also knew that Zhu Yunying was a very patient person. So there was no need to force it; they just needed to implement it step by step and let the people gradually accept it.
In reality, it might not take too long; perhaps just a few years, and Manchuria and Southern Zhili will be using palm oil.
However, Zhu Yunying also knew that even if palm oil was useful, it might not necessarily replace rapeseed oil. Palm oil was merely a supplement to grain oil, just like animal fats such as lard and mutton fat, serving as a supplement to the oil and fat of the people of the Ming Dynasty.
Old Zhu nodded slightly. He didn't need to ask any more questions about this matter; he trusted that Zhu Yunying could handle it.
As for the matter of the ruler of Zhongshan, Zhu Yuanzhang was too lazy to care. He had won too many battles in the south and north, and had driven away or captured many rulers of opposing forces. Although the ruler of Zhongshan was somewhat different from Zhang Shicheng, Ming Sheng, Chen Li, and others, the problem was not too big. After all, he was just a small barbarian state.
Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunying and said with a smile, "We know you're planning to replace the Minister of Revenue, so just use an official from the north. We also need to manage the Yellow River here, so it's time to replace the Minister of Works, whom you've always relied on. With so much work to do, you'll get tired. Taking a nap or getting dizzy in court is a good thing, and you should understand that."
Zhu Yunying chuckled and said, "Grandpa Emperor knows we want to slack off, so let's just work ourselves to death in court."
Old Zhu emphasized, correcting him, "Don't go too far. You are the emperor after all, and many people are watching your health. You have always been in good health, so don't let the officials and the people gossip about you."
Zhu Yunying understood this principle. He could feign dizziness to put the officials on edge. However, he absolutely could not allow anyone to doubt his health. After all, Zhu Yunying was still young, and a sickly emperor might not be a good thing for the officials.
So pretending to be sick isn't really a big deal, but you can't overdo it.
At this point, Old Zhu revealed his true intentions, saying, "You're sick, rest for a few days, and let Yin'er show his face in court. Then have Yin'er submit a memorial, and the cabinet you've been eyeing will be established smoothly."
Zhu Yunying was speechless. He looked at his grandfather and said, "Grandfather, I am your own grandson. Now, please don't worry about Yin'er in every little thing. If that happens, we won't feel good about ourselves."
Old Zhu enjoyed Zhu Yunying's vying for favor and jealousy. He said with a smile, "How old are you? Still competing with Yin'er for attention! Yin'er is your son after all, the current emperor. There are many things he doesn't understand yet, so let's help him with some things."
That's roughly the logic. Little Zhu doesn't understand many things right now, so only Old Zhu and Little Zhu can help. Little Zhu just needs to show up when the time comes, and he'll gain a lot of prestige.
Zhu Yunying also understood that his precious son needed to make an appearance, and it wouldn't be a bad thing for him to show his face in court.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
