For the wise and powerful Emperor Ying Shi, the Ming Dynasty as a whole was thriving, and its national strength was growing stronger and stronger.
This is undoubtedly good news, as it gives him the resources to do what he wants and the confidence to build a glorious and prosperous era!
While Zhu Yunying may have contributed to this effort, he was even more aware that it was thanks to the efforts of Zhu Yunying's father and son.
This is not flattery. When Zhu Di first established the Ming Dynasty, the country was in dire need of rebuilding. However, after thirty years of hard work by Zhu Di and Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming Dynasty still had the resources to launch several northern expeditions and voyages to Southeast Asia, even after experiencing internal strife!
Because of Zhu Yunying's existence, there was naturally no internal strife. It was also because of Zhu Yunying's existence that the Ming Dynasty launched military campaigns against Japan and Korea, which cost the Ming Dynasty a great deal of money and resources. Moreover, when Zhu Yunying ascended the throne, the Ming Dynasty immediately dispatched troops to conquer the Tatars, which was no small matter. In fact, it could be said that since Zhu Yunying's ascension to the throne, the Ming Dynasty had been constantly at war.
This is somewhat different from the early days of the Ming Dynasty, when constant military campaigns were primarily used to suppress rebellions and eliminate separatist forces. Now, however, with no internal conflicts within the Ming Dynasty, the focus has shifted to external military campaigns.
Although the expenditure was indeed considerable, the Ming Dynasty had no need to worry about being unable to cope, and Zhu Yunying did not need to worry about being branded as a warmonger for the time being.
Therefore, Zhu Yunying greatly admired his father, Zhu Zhu. Zhu Zhu was not only skilled at conquering the country, but also adept at governing it. If Zhu Zhu hadn't laid a solid foundation, Zhu Yunying wouldn't have had the resources to make any moves now.
However, Joo Yun-young shouldn't underestimate himself regarding some of his performances. He may not be as good as his father, Joo Yoon-young, in many ways, but he believes he has some vision and strategic planning abilities that his father couldn't match.
Jiang Huan came to the Wuying Hall again, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, there are eleven iron cannons in Datong Prefecture that have not been verified."
Zhu Yunying was amused and said, "Fine, now they even dare to take away firearms without explanation. It seems these corrupt officials are truly fearless. Fine, I'll grant their wish!"
Jiang Huan lowered his head further and further, almost prostrating himself before the emperor. He knew the current emperor's character very well. Everyone said that the Hongwu Emperor was harsh on his officials, but Jiang Huan knew that if the Yingshi Emperor became ruthless, he would be no less so than the Hongwu Emperor. Moreover, the Yingshi Emperor not only killed people but also destroyed their spirits, which was even more terrifying.
However, Jiang Huan also felt that some people were indeed not afraid of death. Emperor Hongwu dealt with corrupt officials very severely, but this did not change the fact that many officials were corrupt, accepted bribes, and preyed on the people.
Repeated efforts to improve official conduct have failed to change the fact that some officials, once they have power, become blinded by greed, always harboring illusions or believing they can get away with it undetected.
The governance of officials must never be relaxed; this was true in the past, and it should be even more so now.
Zhu Yunying had already noticed the beginnings of trouble; it could be said that the bureaucracy had become somewhat chaotic since the 25th year of the Hongwu reign. Especially after Zhu Yunying ascended the throne, many officials became even bolder.
Zhu Yuanzhang's iron-fisted and ruthless approach temporarily improved the corruption during the Yuan Dynasty. However, power and desire can never be reconciled, especially since officials were even more unscrupulous. It is not surprising that the practice of embezzlement resurfaced.
At the beginning of the year, Zhu Yunying had considered thoroughly rectifying official corruption, and the court seemed to have slightly increased its attention to this issue.
However, it now seems that Zhu Yunying's work was insufficient. Perhaps in this person's eyes, Emperor Yingshi's actions were merely a rehash of old ideas. Or perhaps some officials felt that all talk and no action was enough, and that a perfunctory effort would suffice.
If all else fails, throwing out a few small fry will suffice, giving the emperor an explanation, and the matter will be over. After all, the one sitting on the dragon throne is Emperor Ying Shi, not the intolerant Hongwu Emperor.
Zhu Yunying must investigate this matter thoroughly.
This is no longer just a simple matter of embezzlement and corruption; it might also involve smuggling or collusion with foreign tribes. This is no small matter, and Zhu Yunying would absolutely not allow it.
Although the eleven missing cannons were just iron cannons, products from earlier years, and were slated for replacement and destruction, firearms are still a very sensitive issue.
Furthermore, the Ming Dynasty had strict regulations on ironware, and the sale of ordinary ironware outside the Ming Dynasty was subject to severe restrictions. Now, however, this isn't just any ordinary sword or knife, nor is it the Ming Dynasty's strategic iron pot; this is ironware!
There are some things that Zhu Yunying can turn a blind eye to, knowing the saying "too much purity leaves no room for fish." But there are some things that Zhu Yunying will absolutely not tolerate, and he will punish them with the most severe measures.
The mysterious disappearance of the firearms suggests that not only ordinary local officials are involved, but this is bound to be a large-scale case involving many officials. It will likely also implicate officials with some influence in the imperial court.
The order to have Jiang Huan thoroughly investigate the case clearly shows that Zhu Yunying also harbors murderous intentions. This matter must be handled ruthlessly and decisively!
Jiang Huan was also very excited. If he, as the emperor's henchman, lost his place in the political arena, it would mean his death was not far off. Being in charge of investigating such a major case naturally meant that the emperor trusted him.
After Jiang Huan left, Zhu Yunying couldn't help but ponder. Could the eleven cannons missing from Datong Prefecture be related to the smuggling case involving nobles that they had been investigating?
If it's really related, then it's astonishing. This military meritorious official dares to transport firearms out of the country. This is not only disregarding the emperor's grace, but also showing no regard for the laws of the court. This is truly lawless!
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