At the tender age of eight, he was hastily dragged out and made emperor!

"Are you exhausted?"

Yu Palace.

Changle Palace.

Sun Li leaned against the soft cushion, looking at Chu Ling with heartache. Watching her grandson sitting on the brocade stool eating, Sun Li's eyes reddened slightly.

This child has had it so tough!!

"My grandson doesn't feel tired."

Sensing his grandmother's emotions, Chu Ling chewed and swallowed what was in his mouth, then smiled faintly and said, "These days, I've been eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating, living a very happy life."

"Haha~"

Hearing Chu Ling say this, Sun Li laughed.

But she knew that this was just to comfort her.

In the midst of such turmoil, involving so many people and so many things, how could we let our guard down until the turmoil subsided?

Especially considering the large number of people arrested in connection with the Kogon leak case, the consequences would be unimaginable if there were even the slightest oversight.

"Is the Kogon case nearing its conclusion?"

Thinking of this, Sun Li looked at Chu Ling and said.

"Yes."

Chu Ling put down his chopsticks and picked up his teacup. "Since Xu Bin was ordered to hand over the list, the officials, led by Xiao Jing, have been intensifying their interrogations."

"Many ministers in the court are still paying attention to this case, but no one dares to plot anything in secret. I reckon that in the next few days, this big case that has caused such a stir will be resolved."

"Xu Bin, what are your plans for settling him down?"

Sun Li thought for a moment and asked Chu Ling, "After all, he has made contributions in this important case. Otherwise, this case would probably have dragged on for a long time."

"My grandson plans to have him take up a post in the Southern Army."

Chu Ling took a sip of tea, put down the teacup in his hand, and got up to walk towards the phoenix bed. "Of course, he is not the only one going to the Southern Army. Sun Ben, Zong Zhi, Chang Feng, Li Bin, Dong Heng and other noble sons will also go to the Southern Army to take up their posts."

"In this major case, many Southern Army soldiers were involved, resulting in numerous vacancies. In addition to them, I intend to transfer a group of officers from the Northern Army to the Southern Army."

"After all, no matter what, the Southern Army is responsible for the stability of the outer city. Even if the Southern Army is affected, we still need to stabilize the Southern Army as soon as possible."

Sun Li showed an approving expression.

The importance of the Southern Army cannot be overstated. It is more important to systematically and deliberately infiltrate the Southern Army and send a group of loyal and reliable people to serve in the Southern Army than to place anyone in a central government position.

The Southern Army was far more complex than the Northern Army.

Therefore, the control methods suitable for the Northern Army may not be suitable for the Southern Army.

Sun Li knew that sending a group of noble sons to the Southern Army was intended to divert attention and allow the officers transferred from the Northern Army to quickly establish themselves in their new positions.

The Northern Army officers who could be transferred there must be loyal to the emperor!

"Aren't you afraid that Xu Bin might do something behind the scenes after he goes to the Southern Army?" Sun Li composed himself and looked at Chu Ling, saying, "After all, they are father and son."

"Grandmother, do you think everything will be fine if Xu Bin isn't transferred to the Southern Army?"

Chu Ling sat down, lifting his robe, and said with a smile to his grandmother, "If he wants to do something, no matter how careful I am, it will be useless."

"Instead of looking back and forth, it's better to go with the flow."

"Furthermore, he wasn't the only one who went to the Southern Army. Li Bin and other sons of noble families also went. For them, the Southern Army was a new training ground."

"If they can be trained and developed, I won't mind giving them important positions. But if they are all showy but useless good-for-nothings, then let them just loaf around and wait to die. After all, there are still many things to do in the Great Yu."

As he spoke, Chu Ling's eyes sharpened.

The decision made today regarding the Southern Army's plans differs somewhat from the previous one. Initially, Chu Ling did not intend to send the sons of noble families into the Southern Army; the ones who wanted to join were the officers and generals led by Duanmu Yu.

After joining the Southern Army, they would bond together tightly because of their past experiences and friendships, thus planting a thorn in the side of the Southern Army.

However, Xu Bin's choice not only implicated him but also dragged Xunwei and Zongwei into the Kegong leak case.

At this time, the situation of the sons of nobles who were transferred to the Southern Army was completely different from that of those who remained in the Imperial Guard.

"The real power is not something that can be obtained by issuing a few edicts or saying a few words and concentrating invisible and intangible power into one's own hands."

Sun Li said with a hint of emotion, "True power comes from people gathering momentum. Once momentum is formed, power is in hand. But how is momentum gathered?"

"It relies on promotion and checks and balances."

"In this respect, you do better than I do. You have enough patience to deal with many things, allowing changes to have a greater impact, and then instructing the relevant authorities to gradually shift the focus to the changes you envisioned in the new situation."

"It may seem slow, but it is actually the fastest."

"Especially given the current situation in Dayu, what we want is not dramatic changes, but subtle and gradual changes. Stability is more important than anything else."

Sun Li was very satisfied with her grandson's performance.

Unbeknownst to them, their grandson had already made considerable progress in consolidating power in the central government. More importantly, he had gained considerable initiative, such as controlling the Northern Army and now infiltrating the Southern Army. This gave him a firm grip on the overall situation in Yudu. Meanwhile, the continued power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Military Command, and the Patrol Battalion had indirectly intimidated the central government.

For an emperor to control the overall situation, he must learn the art of checks and balances.

Only through checks and balances can stability be achieved.

Amidst the turmoil in the central government and Yudu, and with many people caught off guard, the overall situation in Gyeonggi Province is gradually being taken over by his own grandson.

If Sun Li is not mistaken, once the examination scandal is resolved and the delayed examinations begin as scheduled, Xiao Jing's proposed reform of commercial taxes will be implemented in the capital region as planned.

So what if there's a lot of opposition from the central leadership?

As long as the governor of Gyeonggi Province is willing to implement this change.

That's enough!

"Grandmother, there's something I'd like to ask for your opinion on." While Sun Li was pondering, Chu Ling thought for a moment and spoke his mind.

"The candidate for Minister of Rites?"

Sun Li raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Grandma is wise."

Chu Ling smiled slightly.

“Xiong Yan, Minister of Ceremonies”.

Sun Li pondered for a moment, then reached out and said, "This man is very talented and can distinguish right from wrong. The key point is that he comes from a commoner family. Appointing him as Minister of Rites would have symbolic significance for the court."

"What my grandmother said is the same as what I thought."

Chu Ling replied, "If this person is appointed to this position, the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Rites will need to be replaced."

"Change it."

Sun Li calmly said, "Out with the old, in with the new. In the current central structure, anyone who cannot adapt to this change should step down as soon as possible and not occupy a position without doing anything."

"With Grandmother saying that, I understand."

Chu Ling grinned.

“However, you must choose the right person for the position of Minister of State Ceremonies.” Sun Li frowned and said, “When I appointed Xiong Yan to this position, it was because I valued his character that I appointed him.”

"What does Grandmother think of the Prince Consort of Jinshan?"

Chu Ling maintained her smile.

"Yin Yu?"

Sun Li narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Exactly."

Chu Ling nodded.

Yin Yu, the consort of Jinshan, was the most unassuming among the consorts of Emperor Taizu's lineage. He had a deep affection for Princess Jinshan, and neither of them were flamboyant people.

After learning some things, Chu Ling realized that her grandfather had a truly discerning eye; the husband he chose for his daughter was carefully selected.

Princess Wu'an has a fiery temper, but she's all bark and no bite. Liu Chen, on the other hand, values ​​family highly and likes to hide his talents. The two complement each other.

"can."

Sun Li was silent for a moment before speaking: "The Yin family still has a strong foundation in Zongqing Road. Yin Yu is a cheerful person to everyone, but I can tell that he has his own ideas."

“Your grandfather chose a son-in-law to curb the power of the powerful clans and prevent them from getting involved in politics, but the environment you are in is different from that of your grandfather.”

“Imperial relatives should not be suppressed indiscriminately, otherwise the balance of power in the court will be missing a link. This country is yours, so do everything as you wish.”

"Grandson obeys."

Chu Ling stood up and bowed.

"Haha~"

Seeing Chu Ling's reaction, Sun Li couldn't help but laugh.

"Ha ha!"

Seeing Sun Li smile, Chu Ling also smiled.

Chu Ling had his own agenda in promoting Jinshan's son-in-law, Yin Yu, to the position of Minister of Ceremonies. Besides Yin Yu himself, Chu Ling also wanted to use this as a medium to do something to Dongyu.

Zongqingdao is located right next to Dongyu, and the situation there is quite complicated.

The special establishment of the Customs Administration was not as simple as opening borders and collecting customs taxes. That was the public aspect. In the unseen areas, Chu Ling wanted to launch a trade infiltration against various countries, and the country most vulnerable to this was Toungoo, since it was the least powerful among the countries.

In the past, due to various reasons, Dayu was unable to recover Dongyu, but in the Zhengtong era, Chuling must recover this territory!

Forewarned is forearmed, without prejudging the waste.

In Chu Ling's position, no matter what he does or what decision he makes, he must plan ahead. He can't just make a decision on a whim. If it succeeds, that's fine, but if it fails, the impact on Chu Ling will be too great. Chu Ling absolutely does not want that to happen.