Zhu Yunying was certain that Fu Youde was not the only military officer with similar thoughts. These men all longed for more wars in the Ming Dynasty, so that they would have more opportunities to make contributions and achieve success.
These military families naturally knew what their livelihood depended on, and it was only natural that they eagerly hoped the emperor would begin preparing for war.
Zhu Yunying understood and even sympathized with the thoughts of these military officers. However, as the emperor, he couldn't simply consider their desires or interests.
Even though Joo Yoon-young seems to be the face of the Moo-hoon Group, and could even be considered to have come from the Moo-hoon Group.
However, times have changed. Zhu Yunying is now the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, so many things need to be considered more carefully.
Zhu Yunying seemed unable to heed Fu Youde's earnest advice for the time being, and indeed, he had no intention of doing so. The Ming Dynasty needed a period of rest, and matters like war needed to be postponed.
Even though Zhu Yunying was inherently eager for land, he knew that there were still many areas around the Ming Dynasty that needed to be pacified. However, everything had to be done within the limits of the Ming Dynasty's capabilities; the Ming Dynasty simply did not have the spare strength to start any large-scale wars at the moment.
Those are not necessary wars, at least not at this stage. Otherwise, it would truly be a case of exhausting the resources for war, which would have a significant impact on the prosperous Ming Dynasty.
Whether it's great talent and ambition, or literary and military achievements, everything must be done within one's capabilities, and Zhu Yunying was well aware of this.
Although he hadn't yet convinced the emperor, Fu Youde didn't give up. Some things can't be accomplished overnight; they require continuous effort. Besides, it was only Duke Yingguo acting alone now; more military officers would submit their memorials soon.
When that time truly comes, the emperor will have to take the demands of the military meritocracy seriously. Even if not everything goes as planned, he will be satisfied as long as some of their demands are met.
Although he was a martial artist through and through, Fu Youde was quite knowledgeable about some things.
It's obvious that the emperor can't satisfy all the military officers, and some of their demands will put him in a difficult position. But that's okay. As long as each side makes a concession and reaches a level that satisfies both sides, that will be fine.
Some things are actually quite simple, not just for military officials, but for civil officials as well. The emperor won't accept all their requests, so they have to keep trying, and it's already good enough if they can reach a level that is acceptable to both sides.
After Fu Youde left, Zhu Yunying said, "Have someone ask him who the Duke of Ying has been associating with most these days."
Or perhaps this was one of Zhu Yunying's paranoia. Emperors are prone to the thought that "there are always treacherous people trying to harm me," especially when things are slightly beyond Zhu Yunying's control. In such cases, some of his inherent paranoia will naturally surface.
For military meritorious officials like Fu Youde, there has never been a relaxation of overt and covert surveillance. Even though Fu Youde is a Duke and his son is a prince consort, these kinds of things still need to continue.
Fu Youde himself was well aware that even within his own residence, some people's backgrounds might not be thoroughly investigated. As long as the emperor didn't interfere too much, everyone would remain oblivious, which could be considered the way of a subject. This wasn't just the case for Duke Ying; other military officials were the same.
These things weren't unique to the Ming Dynasty; they were actually the same in other dynasties as well.
Jiang Huan appeared quickly and, upon seeing Zhu Yunying, said directly, "Your Majesty, since the Duke of Ying returned to the capital, he has almost completely severed ties with his subordinates in the army. He has refused most of the requests from officers and generals to see him."
Zhu Yunying was quite satisfied with this answer. "Oh? Then my Duke of Ying is quite sensible. That's a good thing."
Fu Youde probably knew that his achievements were too great and that he needed to avoid suspicion. Therefore, it was appropriate for him to stop associating with some of his subordinates in the army at this time. Otherwise, it would inevitably make the emperor truly suspicious, after all, Fu Youde's achievements were too great and his influence in the army was indeed too great.
At this moment, Zhu Yunying asked again, "Are there many military families who usually go to the Duke of Ying's mansion to seek an audience?"
Jiang Huan immediately replied, "Your Majesty, there are indeed a few families of military merit who have requested an audience, but most of them do not hold military positions. I had previously inquired and learned that they mostly hope that the Duke of Ying can give them a promotion."
Zhu Yunying couldn't help but laugh, but he also knew that such things were only human nature and not something he was afraid of. Naturally, this meant that he would not punish Fu Youde or those military officers for such reasons.
More than thirty years after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, some once-renowned military families did indeed lose their power. These people may still be wealthy, but they were merely figureheads, having lost all say in the military.
A military rank without command is essentially just an empty shell; perhaps all that's left is to reminisce about the glory of one's ancestors. To restore the family's prestige, one might need to reconnect with old acquaintances; they can't afford to remain in decline forever.
It's normal for some military families to want to move to the Duke of Ying's mansion these days, given Fu Youde's current prestige. In reality, the Zhongshan Prince's mansion and the Kaiping Prince's mansion have always been bustling with visitors; they are the ones who truly hold power among the military families.
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