Food is the most important thing for people, and even royalty needs to pay attention to their food and drink. However, royalty doesn't need to worry about not having enough to eat; what they need is to eat well.
However, for the people of the Ming Dynasty, especially the ordinary people, being able to eat their fill was the most important thing. Eating well was a luxury, since in those days, many people only ate two meals a day.
Especially during the lean season, when food is scarce, people usually only have thin porridge, and they can only eat something solid when they are working.
This is a very real problem. Although the total amount of grain produced in the Ming Dynasty appears to be increasing, the population and land area are also increasing, while the actual yield per mu (unit of land area) is barely increasing.
Three meals a day—this was definitely a luxury for many ordinary people; without considerable wealth, one couldn't afford to eat like that. To truly eliminate hunger and cold, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty still needed to make much more effort.
Zhu Yunying was in a fairly good mood after sharing a royal meal with his children, especially pleased to see them growing up healthy. Whether his children would amount to anything is another matter; the desire to see their children healthy and happy is perhaps a common aspiration for every parent.
Of course, for Xiao Zhu, it's not just about growing up healthy; he also needs to shoulder more responsibilities so that he can live up to his identity and everyone's expectations of him.
Because he was the crown prince, unlike the other princes, he also had to shoulder the responsibility for the Ming Dynasty's fate.
Little Zhu naturally ran back to the Qianqing Palace, which was also his favorite place. The problem was that if he didn't go back, someone would definitely come and ask him soon, so it was better to take the initiative.
Little Zhu Wenkun immediately smiled upon seeing Zhu Yunying. This boy is quite lively, or rather, not afraid of people at all. Anyone can hold him, as long as someone plays with him. He has a little bit of social talent, but it could also just be that he's a bit of a show-off, just playful and active.
Holding his youngest son, Zhu Yunying said to Xu Miaoqing, "You need to keep an eye on the meals at Wenjin's place. Although things have been a bit cold these past few years, he is still our son."
Xu Miaoqing naturally sensed the emperor's displeasure and immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness, saying, "Your Majesty, I am guilty."
This time, it wasn't just Empress Xu Miaoqing who had to kneel; all the female officials serving her also knelt down to beg for forgiveness. The Emperor's displeasure with the Empress meant that none of them would fare well either.
Zhu Yunying pinched Zhu Wenkun's cheek and said, "That's our son, and he's your son too. We need to discipline him when necessary, and we can't be careless when it comes to taking care of him. Alright, get up!"
This matter seems to have passed, but for some people, it's just the beginning.
Everyone understood that no one dared to disrespect the second prince; at most, they might show some slight disrespect. But now that the emperor knew about this matter, the atmosphere within the palace needed to be thoroughly rectified.
Although the current emperor has always been relatively tolerant, this does not mean he has no temper, nor does it mean he allows people in the palace to act recklessly. The necessary rules must be in place, and these have always been the current emperor's requirements.
This can be described as serving a king as walking on thin ice. It may seem like the emperor is just having a meal, but it could lead to some trouble, and some people might be punished.
Some things only require Zhu Yunying to give instructions; he doesn't need to do them personally. Perhaps he'll just casually ask about them when he remembers them. Maybe he doesn't even need the emperor to give any instructions. His subordinates can guess what the emperor is thinking and will naturally do their best to handle the matter well.
For the emperor, family matters were no small matter either; after all, no matter was insignificant in the imperial family.
However, emperors cannot spend all their time busy with their own family affairs, especially those emperors with great ambitions. They need to focus more of their time and energy on the country and its people.
The selection of Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet should be finalized. Even if the current Grand Secretaries can only help with miscellaneous tasks, it can indeed make the emperor's work a little easier, and the emperor will not need to do many of the sorting or replying to memorials personally.
This wasn't about being lazy; it was simply because Zhu Yunying knew that a person's energy is limited. Even an iron man can't work non-stop, or he definitely wouldn't be able to keep up.
Even though Zhu Yunying felt he was in his prime, in the best of his ability, he occasionally felt his energy waning and his body fatigued. There were simply too many things for him to handle, and he couldn't spend all his time busy with trivial matters or reviewing memorials from local officials.
These matters can be handled by the cabinet scholars, which is their very purpose, and it would make things a little easier for the emperor. Of course, given the current emperor's personality, the cabinet system still has a lot of room for improvement.
Or one could say that the current cabinet is merely an assistant to the emperor, and they have little real power.
When the morning court session resumed, the civil and military officials were still vying for positions as Grand Secretaries in the Cabinet and discussing strategies for governing the Yellow and Huai Rivers—all matters of paramount importance. These issues directly affected their own interests, so naturally they were giving their all and seizing every opportunity.
For matters like this, the emperor only needs to sit on his throne and end the debate at the appropriate time.
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