Zhu Yunying sat high on the dragon throne, seemingly wanting to see the expressions of all the civil and military officials, and perhaps trying to figure out their thoughts.
This shouldn't be considered too difficult, but it's not exactly a simple matter either; it requires the discernment of an emperor.
Zhu Yunying knew very well that the coming period would not be easy, and many things might happen, including resistance from some civil and military officials.
There's not much to say about that; the best way to find out is to check the wrist.
It seems that it wasn't just some civil officials who were reluctant to move the capital; many military officers were also unwilling to do so.
The reason is actually quite simple: the Jiangnan region is relatively more prosperous, while the North is much colder and more harsh. These are undeniable facts, so it's only natural that people don't want to go to cold and harsh places.
Furthermore, as everyone understands, even though there has been some trend in recent years of increasing numbers of northerners holding official positions, there are still significantly more southerners among the officials in the imperial court.
These are all facts; leaving one's home base inevitably makes one feel somewhat uneasy.
To put it more realistically, whether they were civil officials or military generals, most of their family assets were located in the south. If they moved to the north, they would find it difficult to take care of their family assets, which was clearly not a good thing.
Everyone understands the reasoning behind these things. The emperor understands these things, and the civil and military officials understand them even more, since these things also involve their own interests, which means that they are even more concerned about them.
Regardless of their opinions, it seems impossible to change the emperor's mind; such things are unrealistic. The emperor has already made his decision, and the matter is now a fait accompli.
When Ru Chang, the head of the civil officials, arrived at the Wuying Hall, Zhu Yunying solemnly said, "My dear minister, I suppose you know that with the passing of our Imperial Grandfather, all members of the imperial clan and officials are obligated to observe mourning. If anyone were to commit acts of disloyalty to the emperor and father, what punishment would they receive?"
Ru Chang was startled and hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, the court has its own laws and regulations, and all punishments should be severe."
Zhu Yunying nodded in satisfaction, then said, "Daban, show it to Ruqing."
Do you really think the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot are doing nothing? They've been constantly monitoring them lately, and any officials in the capital who drink and make merry are basically recorded in their files.
While it's impossible to say that everyone was caught, most of those who harbored such wishful thinking were eventually caught.
All of this is their own fault. They were not upright, could not control their appetites, and could not resist the temptation of women. Their promising future was ruined in one fell swoop, and they have no one to blame but themselves. This is the result of their own actions.
It's no wonder Zhu Yunying was so strict. Besides his deep affection for Zhu Yunying, the more important reason was that Zhu Yunying needed to emphasize the rule of law and etiquette at this time. If some people didn't take the mourning period for the founding emperor seriously, it showed that some people didn't care about the dignity of the court and the law.
This is not just something the Ming Dynasty emphasized; it was the same in every dynasty. It was absolutely intolerable for civil and military officials to drink and make merry during the emperor's mourning period. This was considered extremely disrespectful, and such behavior was absolutely intolerable.
Ru Chang looked at the list and was startled, but she also breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Well, while it infuriated him that so many people disregarded etiquette, the silver lining was that no high-ranking officials were involved, which was a stroke of luck amidst the misfortune.
It seems that those who are able to hold high positions in the government are all quite sensible and understand how difficult it was to climb to their current positions. They know they should act with restraint at such times and have not caused any major incidents.
This is naturally a good thing. As long as no high-ranking officials are involved, everything is within a controllable range, and there's no need to worry about causing too much of a stir. As for some mid- to low-level officials, whose careers are ruined or who are about to be imprisoned, they really have no one to blame but themselves.
It wasn't that Ru Chang was cold-blooded, but rather that he was also angered by such things. Normal Confucian scholars could not accept such disrespectful and unfilial behavior. At least openly, it was unacceptable and would be severely criticized.
Zhu Yunying looked at Ru Chang and said calmly, "In that case, you should handle these matters first, and then report back to me."
Ru Chang naturally accepted the decree, but he dared not be careless. Although he had served His Majesty for more than ten years and considered himself to understand the current emperor's character very well, he felt more and more that the emperor's mind was unpredictable over the past two years.
When facing the emperor, Ru Chang became increasingly cautious. He now had to be even more careful and prudent in his presence. He needed to handle his duties diligently and avoid making any mistakes, especially those that could have been avoided.
Seeing that Ru Chang seemed about to say something, Zhu Yunying spoke directly, "My dear minister, you may step down now."
Ru Chang, who had a lot to say, could only take his leave at this point. Although he wanted to report some matters to His Majesty, he could not disobey the Emperor's will. Or perhaps His Majesty simply did not give him any chance to speak, but was waiting to discuss some matters in court.
If the emperor truly harbored such thoughts, Ru Chang found it utterly unsurprising; in fact, she felt it was simply the nature of an emperor. Especially at such a juncture, His Majesty's actions were entirely justified.
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