Of course, there is also the possibility that summoning them at this time would be more sensitive.
Wang Chengen kept his head down and remained silent. Having served Zhu Yunying for nearly twenty years, Wang Chengen had frequently experienced intermittent hearing or speech loss. He knew roughly the details of some things and had pondered the emperor's thoughts quite a bit.
But while he may be pondering it, expecting him to make a statement is impossible.
The emperor had just returned to the Wuying Hall when Feng Cheng and Song Zhong immediately requested an audience outside the hall.
"Present a seat to the Imperial Son-in-Law." After they bowed, Zhu Yunying said directly, "Brother-in-law, don't overthink it. We know better than anyone whether that palm oil was useful or not. Your credit is your credit, and no one can take it away from you!"
Feng Cheng immediately replied, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."
Feng Cheng was quite confident about palm oil, as he had done some research. Most importantly, he knew that His Majesty the Emperor trusted him, and with His Majesty's trust, there was no need to worry about anything else.
Zhu Yunying said somewhat irritably, "It's true that our court is full of talented people, but there are also quite a few who are short-sighted and ignorant. If you don't teach them a lesson and show them some real talent, they'll always have some nonsense to spout."
Feng Cheng's attitude was very proper: "Your Majesty, I believe what the ministers have said is true. This matter concerns the livelihood of the people, so we naturally dare not be careless. This tree oil itself is also a novel thing, so it is normal that the ministers are not very familiar with it."
Zhu Yunying nodded slightly, "That makes sense, so we're too lazy to argue with them. The tree sap is right there; whether it's edible or usable will soon be clear. Talking to those people is just a waste of breath."
Let's rely on the facts. That's how confident the emperor was; he didn't think anyone could fool him.
Or rather, regarding palm oil, Zhu Yunying did not believe that there were more people in the court who understood it better than him, and he did not think that he could be easily deceived.
The reason for calling Feng Cheng over this time was simply to offer some comfort. After all, he was her younger sister's husband, and usually quite well-behaved, so she could naturally take extra care of him.
There was no other reason; it was simply to give face to my sister and nephew. It was that simple and straightforward.
It must be said that the emperor's trust reassured Feng Cheng, since some unexpected things had happened, and what was originally thought to be an easy victory had become somewhat uncertain.
This matter cannot be blamed on the emperor; it is only his own fault for not handling it well. He had initially been worried that the emperor would reprimand him for his incompetence. However, it now seems there is no need to worry about such things at all, as the emperor's trust in him remains unwavering.
Having been reassured, Feng Cheng naturally left; he had other things to do. Besides, he had been away for a while, had already completed his mission, and could now return home to spend time with his wife and children.
Based on Feng Cheng's understanding of the emperor, he believed the emperor was also disappointed by his actions.
Feng Cheng had left the Wuying Hall, but Song Zhong was still there. This commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had been standing by his side the whole time, indicating that the emperor had something to instruct him on.
Pointing at Song Zhong, Zhu Yunying said with considerable dissatisfaction, "You scoundrel, are you trying to implicate me as an unfilial son? Whenever the Emperor Emeritus summons you, you should do your utmost to fulfill your duties. How dare you conceal anything from Han Hu?"
Song Zhong immediately knelt down and kowtowed, crying, "Your subject knows his crime, your subject deserves to die ten thousand times!"
Although he claimed to know his guilt and appeared to be apologizing, if the Emperor Emeritus asked him further questions, Song Zhong would certainly have to answer, and would refrain from saying what he shouldn't.
If he were to reveal everything, his tenure as Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard would be pretty much over.
Even though he was being scolded by the emperor, Song Zhong wasn't actually too worried. Even if he couldn't maintain a close relationship with the retired emperor, a subject should still act according to his own principles.
He was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard under Emperor Ying Shi, not Emperor Hongwu.
Considering the duties and sensitivities of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, if they truly lack a clear stance, they are truly doomed.
Zhu Yunying sometimes felt that he was putting on an act, but even though it seemed a bit hypocritical, he still had to put on a show when necessary. He couldn't be too lazy to even do some superficial work.
The insults had been hurled, and the matter was best left unresolved. Zhu Yunying had no real intention of imprisoning his Jinyiwei commander.
Looking at Song Zhong, who was still kneeling on the ground, Zhu Yunying instructed, "Have your men investigate thoroughly. Where did that palm oil come from? Where do those things grow?"
The Embroidered Uniform Guard was not only responsible for supervising officials and gathering intelligence within the Ming Dynasty; in fact, it was active in many places outside the Ming Dynasty.
Even though current technology isn't very advanced, and intelligence gathering is quite difficult, it doesn't matter much. The emperor, after all, can command countless people to risk their lives to carry out his decrees.
Moreover, palm oil is indeed an important substance, and no one can feel at ease without thoroughly investigating these matters.
This is all part of the duties of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, let alone the emperor's orders. Even if the emperor hadn't given any instructions, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would still need to prepare, naturally to avoid being clueless when the emperor inquired. Otherwise, it would be considered incompetence, a grave offense.
After giving the instructions, Zhu Yunying let Song Zhong leave. As for the smuggling case, there was no need to ask any more questions or give any special instructions for the time being. He trusted that Song Zhong wouldn't dare to be careless, and that the investigation was definitely still ongoing.
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