Many people would probably feel intimidated or even annoyed by an emperor who likes to dredge up old grievances. But that's just the emperor's personality; they can't control it.
Most importantly, the Ming Dynasty no longer has a prime minister, and the Six Ministries are directly responsible to the emperor. All of this means that the imperial power is becoming increasingly supreme, and it is naturally becoming more and more difficult for the civil and military officials to resist the imperial power.
Furthermore, there's the responsibility of recognizing that the civil and military officials in the court each have their own stances, making it impossible for them to share a unified voice and opinion. Under such circumstances, challenging the emperor is undoubtedly even more difficult.
Emperor Zhu Yunying was a man of balance; he knew how to win over some, divide others, and strike at others.
This is in the best interest of the Ming emperor. It would be quite interesting for him to sit on his high dragon throne and watch his civil and military officials bickering.
In fact, besides these civil and military officials, the members of the imperial family also had their own stances, thoughts, and ideas.
Zhu Su and the others also entered the palace one after another, and they knew a little about some of the things happening in the court. These members of the imperial family did not seem to have much real power, and in order to avoid suspicion, they often dared not show curiosity about what was happening in the court.
However, these special identities also make it seem impossible for them to remain uninvolved in certain matters. For these people, their royal status is both an honor and, in reality, a kind of shackle.
Seeing his two nephews summoned to the palace, Zhu Su naturally understood some things, but he wasn't surprised. This was the norm; it was something the emperors of the Ming Dynasty often did.
Zhu Su was, after all, the Imperial Clan Court Official, and these kinds of things were commonplace for him. If the emperor distanced himself from him, it would basically mean that the good days for most of the imperial clan were over.
Zhu Yunwen, needless to say, was the emperor's younger brother and had been well protected by the emperor all these years. Although he never had any real influence in the court, his extraordinary position made him 'indispensable'.
Zhu Yunwen was a little frightened at this moment, and he was indeed somewhat uneasy.
The reason is quite simple. In previous years, some people were so arrogant and thought they could seize the throne, which already annoyed the emperor. Furthermore, their recent high-sounding discussions with Fang Xiaoru, Huang Zicheng, and others have thoroughly angered the emperor.
Having just been relieved of his confinement by his elder brother, the Emperor, Zhu Yunwen was now being summoned to the palace. He was certainly uneasy. After all, his birth mother was still praying and chanting sutras at the Eastern Mausoleum, and Zhu Yunwen was genuinely worried that his elder brother would seek revenge later.
With the Emperor's grandfather gone, it means that the Emperor's elder brother is now the true supreme ruler. If Zhu Yunwen is true to his character, once the Emperor's grandfather is gone and he sits on the throne, there's no need to suppress many things. He can exercise absolute power, and many things will be perfectly legitimate.
Whether Zhu Yunwen was overthinking things at this point is hard to say, and not many people care about his speculations and thoughts.
Upon arriving at the Wuying Hall, Zhu Yunying spoke in a more amiable manner, "The reason I invited Fifth Uncle to the palace today is that I thought Fifth Uncle would lead a portion of the imperial clan to Beiping Prefecture after the spring. What does Fifth Uncle think?"
This was a direct and to-the-point statement, but Zhu Yunying's words weren't exactly benevolent; rather, they sent chills down people's spines. Most importantly, the emperor made no attempt to conceal his stance, seemingly unwilling to consult with others, and directly issued an order.
Zhu Yunwen was even more alarmed. Could it be that his elder brother, like him, had only shown affection and closeness because their grandfather was alive? Now that their grandfather was gone, did his elder brother no longer intend to conceal these things?
In fact, some members of the Ming Dynasty's imperial family had previously moved to Beiping, but that was only a very small number. Like some noble families, some military families who had lost their power were also relocated to Beiping.
Even some wealthy families from Jiangnan, whether they liked it or not, were forced to move to Beiping after an imperial edict.
At this moment, Zhu Su straightened his posture and said directly and decisively, "Your subject obeys the decree."
Zhu Yunying was naturally very satisfied with Zhu Su's attitude. If Zhu Su had acted arrogantly as an imperial uncle at this time, or acted foolishly, Zhu Yunying would have been in a rather awkward and difficult position.
After all, Zhu Yunying had just passed away. If he were to immediately become harsh on the imperial clan or find some reason to punish them, some audacious members of the imperial clan might go to the Xiaoling Mausoleum to cry at the temple, or create some gossip, causing the people to say that the emperor was not close to his clan.
These are all very real issues. Although Zhu Yunying was the emperor, he couldn't do things as he pleased, and he did need to weigh some things carefully.
Reputation was still very important. Although Zhu Yunying didn't care about some aspects of his reputation, he did care about others. Or rather, as an emperor, what he needed to care about was the reputation of the Ming Dynasty; he should be a role model for all the people.
Ultimately, this is a matter of 'family rule'. Never underestimate the power of the clan, nor the influence of traditional ideas.
Zhu Yunying could only smile and say, "To be honest, we have no choice. The decision to move the capital was made by my grandfather long ago. But as soon as my grandfather left, some people couldn't hold back and always wanted to stay in this prosperous Jiangnan region."
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