Chang Mao smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. The Chang family has land in Liaodong and Beiping, and we have also acquired a lot of land in Jingxiang. We have our own estates in all of them, so the old soldiers who followed our family in the early years can also have a place to live."
Hearing Chang Mao say this, Zhu Yunying naturally smiled. As expected, he was one of his own, and this was full support for him.
Needless to say, the land in Liaodong is still largely barren and its infrastructure is indeed very poor. However, the natives captured from Southeast Asia are diligently cultivating the land there. Regardless of how much wealth and value they have created, they have at least left some "vitality" for the Chang family. It's not bad that they ventured into Northeast China ahead of time.
Even if that place doesn't become a major granary in the short term, we can still settle some people there and use various methods to pull some savages out of the forest, so that they don't think that those places belong to them.
There's not much to say about Jing and Xiang; this is something Zhu Yunying has been working hard on all along. The prosperity of Huguang (Hubei and Hunan) and the abundance of people throughout the land are also what Zhu Yunying hopes for, and what he has been striving for.
He was also extremely proud, believing that, given his current direction of effort, such a prosperous era wouldn't have to wait until the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty's grain production base would no longer be limited to the Jiangnan region.
The Chang family has consistently followed Zhu Yunying's lead, steadfastly implementing certain strategies. They seem to have no need to worry about many things; they only need to focus on doing their jobs well, and that's enough for them.
It is also the Chang family's responsibility to continue cultivating some land and properly resettle the old soldiers who followed the Chang family.
“It’s not appropriate for the Chang family to acquire any more land right now. We’re currently implementing the land tax reform, which is no small matter.” Zhu Yunying said with a smile, but then became serious. “These things cannot be taken lightly. If anyone tries to obstruct our implementation of national policies, we will naturally not show any leniency. Many people in the Chang family are also watching these policies closely.”
Chang Mao didn't see this as a warning; at most, it was just a reminder, because the Chang family had always maintained a proper stance on these matters.
Zhu Yunying continued, "Currently, some people in Southern Zhili have their own agendas. My idea is that my eldest uncle, second uncle, and third uncle should also lead troops out for a patrol in the coming days. If anyone dares to obstruct us, we should show no mercy."
Chang Mao then smiled more confidently and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, these are all things we should do."
Zhu Yunying simply smiled and nodded; he knew Chang Mao was telling the truth. Many military officers needed to step forward now, and those commoners, gentry, and powerful clans within the Ming Dynasty should be suppressed where necessary.
Zhu Yunying's stance on these matters has always been clear. He does care about certain things, and the more people of the Ming Dynasty can be served, the better. However, Zhu Yunying is also very clear that he cannot satisfy all the people of the Ming Dynasty with certain policies, and this is beyond doubt.
Once conflicts arise, it naturally means sacrificing the interests of some people, and it seems there's nothing that can't be done.
At this point, some military officers needed to begin their work; they needed to prove their loyalty. Their duties went beyond simply leading troops into battle and, when necessary, donning armor for the front lines—these were indeed the foundations of their livelihoods.
Their enemies were not only external adversaries, but also those groups within the Ming Dynasty who clashed with imperial power and those who contradicted national policies. Naturally, the military officers could not show mercy to these individuals; they had to be ruthless when necessary.
Whether they were local gentry or powerful clans, they didn't seem particularly special. In fact, when facing an emperor who held military power, these people had virtually no chance of resistance.
Having explained some things to Chang Mao, that was enough. Many people naturally knew what needed to be done.
He gave the necessary instructions, whether it was about moving the capital or the land tax reform. That was all. Zhu Yunying didn't have much to worry about; he had no shortage of reliable civil and military officials to carry them out.
Back in Chunhe Palace, Zhu Yunying smiled; the young Zhu seemed to be in good spirits. The passing of Old Zhu had indeed deeply saddened the young Zhu, and even now, thinking about it sometimes still made him melancholy, and he would even secretly shed tears.
However, the impact of these events on Xiao Zhu is gradually diminishing. For a child, some things are indeed like that; given enough time, the sadness will slowly fade away.
"Since you're free and have nothing to do, come over and spar with me." Zhu Yunying was in a good mood and also wanted to tease the child. "You've been practicing battle formation swordsmanship for a long time, so I think you should be able to hold your own against me for a few moves."
Little Zhu couldn't help but laugh and proudly said, "Father, my swordsmanship is extraordinary. Even some veteran generals can't last more than a few moves against me."
Hearing Little Zhu's proud words, Zhu Yunying joked, "You're the only one who took it seriously. Back in the day, even the founding generals couldn't last more than a few rounds against us. They were just flattering us. Do you think we could possibly defeat those battle-hardened veterans?"
Little Zhu wasn't having it and immediately picked up the small wooden knife, his movements quite methodical. Zhu Yunying, on the other hand, didn't need to fumble around; relying on her age and strength, she could easily entertain Little Zhu.
After playing with Little Zhu for a while, Zhu Yunying worked up a sweat and stretched his muscles, feeling quite refreshed.
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