I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1026 Fickleness is human nature; people are unreliable.
Zhu Yijun would have given them eight thousand local ruffians.

These local ruffians and idlers bully the good and innocent everywhere, and are a source of social instability. The problem is that there aren't that many local ruffians in the government offices of the Ming Dynasty right now; four thousand is really a lot.

It's not entirely fair to blame the Governor-General's Office of Luzon for their unreasonable demands; the Emperor always tried his best to satisfy them, a testament to his boundless imperial favor.

Zhu Yijun soon showed a relieved smile. Yin Zhengmao's last memorial was actually a reminder to the Ming emperor that the development of Southeast Asia was very fast, and that Southeast Asia was important to the emperor. He hoped that the emperor and the court would not give up on Southeast Asia.

In his later years, Yin Zhengmao became a conservative, valuing the meat he could eat more than the gold and silver mountains that were far away.

He believed that as long as the Ming Dynasty managed the Southeast Asia well, it could guarantee prosperity for hundreds of years.

One type of commodity that must be mentioned here is spices.

Southeast Asia is currently the world's largest and only producer of spices. These readily available items in Southeast Asia are highly sought-after worldwide. For example, during the Yongle era, Zhu Di used spices in lieu of salary and this practice gained some acceptance.

In the West, spices were a favorite of the ruling class. They were used to pay for almost all trade, including meals, medicine, land purchases, taxes, and weddings.

If things had proceeded according to the original timeline, the Netherlands would have immediately established the infamous Dutch East India Company in order to obtain spices.

The Netherlands granted the East India Company a 21-year monopoly on colonial activities in Southeast Asia.

The East India Company paid 18% of its profits to the Dutch government annually in exchange for a monopoly. This allowed the East India Company to independently build its army, mint its own coins, establish colonies, and sign various treaties with foreign countries.

After two hundred years of colonial activities, the Dutch East Indies colony was finally established, which later became Indonesia.

The Dutch East India Company was established to obtain spices.

Initially, the social science PhD from the Ming Dynasty Academy of Geography believed that the excessive pursuit of spices by Western nobles and ruling classes was because using large amounts of spices could mask the smell of rotting meat or preserve it.

However, after more than a decade of investigation, the social science PhDs at the Gewu Institute rejected their own views.

As the Ming Dynasty gained a deeper understanding of the West, it discovered that Western nobles were not lacking in fresh meat.

In the second year of the Longqing reign, at the celebration ball for the inauguration of Cardinal Ranouchi of Portugal, a ball with only two hundred people, 1000 geese, 24 swans, 200 pigs, 200 sheep and 30 cattle were used, all of which were slaughtered on the spot.

This single dance party used a whopping 68 jin of pepper, 48 jin of fennel seeds, and 12 jin of cinnamon, and the price of these spices was almost exactly the same as the price of the fresh meat.

When Antonio became King of Portugal and held a celebratory ball, the amount used was almost the same, except that because of his good relations with the Ming Dynasty, his spices were very cheap.

In the West, the nobility and ruling class had an uninterrupted supply of fresh meat all year round. Therefore, spices were not used to mask the smell of rotting meat or for preservation. They were simply a symbol of status and a synonym for luxury.

The more I use it, the more prestigious my status becomes.

Once a commodity becomes a symbol of a certain social status, its use value becomes secondary, while its exchange value and emotional value become its fundamental value.

Many poor people in the West would buy fennel from merchants and add it to bread, soup, and cheese.

Poor people won't buy pepper because it's just too expensive.

An English envoy once presented a bread spread that sparked a major diplomatic conflict. The Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial both believed that the English envoy intended to assassinate the king!
Because that kind of sauce, which is extremely salty, cloying, bitter, and sour, was so bad that even a dog wouldn't eat it, according to the scholars and officials of the Ming Dynasty!
However, after careful investigation, it was discovered that this stuff called Viggie Meatball sauce is really expensive in England because all its ingredients are made by mixing spices together. This stuff is something that money can't buy in England; it's a rare and expensive item.

The French, Portuguese, Spanish, Holy Roman Empire, and Rossese envoys, among others, expressed their views in a very tactful manner. In their view, England was a culinary wasteland, and it was only natural that they would produce such unpalatable sauces.

The French envoy went even further, stating that the English royal family ate French food.

Feng Bao tasted it and found that compared to this sauce, West Lake Vinegar Fish was an unparalleled delicacy. In the end, Feng Bao didn't dare let His Majesty try it, fearing he would lose his head!
In his memorial, Yin Zhengmao reminded His Majesty that the military expansion of hegemony is one path, while exploiting commodity advantages to exploit the world is another.

Both routes are passable when the fishing season opens.

The military expansion of a hegemonic regime is truly exhausting. Even emperors must conduct daily military reviews to prevent violence from spiraling out of control and ultimately leading to the end of excessive militarism.

However, leveraging commodity advantages to absorb silver from around the world is a less strenuous path, but it is also unethical and potentially even more ruthless.

Commercial colonization was equally bloody and violent. Even when the Ming Dynasty opened up the seas, the small and large triangular trade routes were filled with countless deaths. The blood and bones of Japanese and foreign barbarians were buried in the plantation land in exchange for the plantation's bountiful harvest.

At the end of his memorial, Yin Zhengmao very tactfully suggested that if His Majesty had other plans for Luzon, Yin Zongxin should remain in the capital and reside in the Prince Consort's residence. He hoped that His Majesty would consider Yin Zhengmao's arduous service in expanding the country and his death on the frontier and thus grant him some dignity.

"What do you all mean by this?" Zhu Yijun finished reading the memorials and felt a sense of shame and indignation. He looked at Feng Bao and asked with suspicion, "What, in Lord Guoxing's eyes, am I such an unreliable person?"

Yin Zhengmao's final part was very tactful:

Your subject Zongxin is dull-witted and unfit for service. I beg permission to return to the capital and serve Your Majesty in the Imperial Son-in-Law's residence.

With my frail and weakened body, I humbly beg Your Majesty's ears. Since I was commissioned to establish this fiefdom, I have endured twenty years of trials and tribulations, and thanks to Your Majesty's power and virtue, I have been able to achieve some small successes. Now, I am afflicted by disease and fear that my time is drawing near. I dare not harbor any selfish motives, but I fear that my young son will ruin Your Majesty's grand plan for the South Seas.

As I write this memorial, tears stream down my face; the marks on my hands still bear the salty tang of coconut rain. May your spirit forever protect the foundation of my glorious Ming dynasty.

But no matter how Zhu Yijun looked at it, he felt that Yin Zhengmao was cursing him, saying that he, the emperor, was unreliable, and that he was afraid that his child would become the sacrifice in the complex power struggle.

This feeling of shame and indignation quickly turned into anxiety, because Zhang Juzheng felt the same way. It seemed that Zhang Juzheng never thought about the emperor protecting his posthumous reputation; his greatest hope was that his rule would continue even after his death.

Zhang Juzheng held a central position in the imperial court for a long time, while Yin Zhengmao was stationed far away in Luzon. These two men, from opposite ends of the country, surprisingly shared the same ideas.

Not only them, but even Wang Chonggu, on his deathbed, only asked His Majesty to take good care of Wang Qian, without making any further requests.

Zhu Yijun frowned as he reviewed his past twenty years, feeling that his performance should have been quite good.

“Your Majesty, understanding the ways of the world is true learning, and being adept at human relationships is true literature.” Feng Bao looked at the Emperor, who was in the prime of his life. He understood why Zhang Juzheng, Yin Zhengmao, and Wang Chonggu had such thoughts, but the Emperor was still young and could not understand.

After careful consideration, Feng Bao said, "Your Majesty, Lord Guoxing is worldly-wise and worldly-wise. He knows that people cannot be trusted."

"People can find solace in music, books, national affairs and achievements, mountains and rivers, or even a group, but never in people, because human nature is fickle."

"If you rely entirely on something so unstable for your life's work and the things you care about most, and have too high expectations, all you will get is disappointment, and it will inevitably end in failure."

"It could even become the very blade that ultimately kills you."

Although Feng Bao had tried his best to explain, he knew that His Majesty did not understand, because His Majesty was not listless, but full of vigor and high spirits, and His Majesty had also met reliable Mr. Zhang and General Qi.

Around the age of forty, when His Majesty is no longer confused, he will be able to fully understand that fickleness is human nature, and that people cannot be relied upon.

Zhu Yijun had lived for nearly sixty years across his two lifetimes, but he remained in his prime throughout, never accumulating any signs of decline. He genuinely didn't understand Feng Bao's words.

Zhu Yijun interpreted this passage as:

The ministers felt that the practice of "killing a lackey" was the norm. This was not only because King Huiwen of Qin forced Shang Yang to his death and had him torn apart by five horses, but also because Emperor Xuan of Han dealt with Huo Guang's family after Huo Guang's death. Yu Qian, who tried to save the dynasty from collapse, was also beheaded and his head was displayed in public. This had always been the case.

From a utilitarian perspective, it seems that doing so is the right thing to do, but Zhu Yijun could not do it, or rather, as the emperor, he did not have the means to do so.

Yu Qian had already sought glory but ended up with disgrace, and he could still blame it on Emperor Yingzong's incompetence. If Zhang Juzheng were to seek glory but end up with disgrace again, then no scholar-official would be willing to risk his life for the emperor.

The local thugs and ruffians were being extorted by Luzon in droves, and they were already struggling to make ends meet, let alone the loyal and virtuous.

History has also proven that eunuchs cannot deal with civil officials; it is usually the civil officials who deal with them. If no one is willing to serve the emperor, the Ming Dynasty will be doomed. Therefore, he can only establish a monopoly of power and be the only one in charge to preserve Zhang Juzheng's posthumous reputation.

"How can people be unreliable? I am reliable!" Zhu Yijun waved his hand and began to issue imperial edicts.

First, there was the appointment of Yin Zongxin as governor-general. This appointment was personally written by Zhu Yijun, which fully affirmed Yin Zhengmao's achievements and praised the Cebu naval battle. In particular, it verified the necessity of large ships at sea. Zhu Yijun also expressed his expectations for Yin Zongxin, hoping that he would look forward to the South Seas for the Ming Dynasty and continue to promote the Ming Dynasty's rule over the South Seas.

The imperial edict quickly reached the cabinet, and then something unexpected happened: the cabinet rejected the emperor's edict.

Ling Yunyi, Shen Li, Zhang Xueyan, Lu Guangzu, and Shen Shixing, the five cabinet ministers, unanimously agreed to reject the imperial edict, and each of their reasons was very convincing.

Shen Li opposed the established ancestral law that the Imperial Son-in-Law was not allowed to perform his duties. Apart from some military officers who married princesses in the early Ming Dynasty and continued to perform their duties, the Imperial Son-in-Law's inaction was part of the rule that relatives of the empress should not interfere in politics.

Moreover, Shen Li very subtly referenced the old story of Li Yuan usurping the Sui Dynasty. Li Yuan and Emperor Yang of Sui were relatives. At a crucial moment, Li Yuan entered Chang'an and became emperor himself.

Ling Yunyi, on the other hand, considered it from the perspective of loyalty. Yin Zhengmao deserved His Majesty's courtesy, while Yin Zongxin, although he could also win the hearts of the people, had been overseas for a long time and his disloyalty was bound to arise.

The Marquis of Sishui's residence has been stationed in Luzon for a long time, and there is a risk of unrest. This is the best course of action. The fundamental solution is to replace the garrison with a military officer, establish a governor and government offices to govern the region, and implement a policy of imperial rule.

Zhang Xueyan spoke simply and frankly: the Ministry of Revenue had its eye on Luzon's taxes, land taxes, and customs duties. Luzon's annual revenue was doubled, and Western silver flowed into the Ming Dynasty like rivers flowing into the sea.

In his view, the timing of Yin Zhengmao's passing was just right. The emperor, under the pretext of kinship and mourning, kept Yin Zongxin in the capital for a few years. The Ming Dynasty was trying to implement its imperial policies. If that didn't work, Yin Zongxin would be sent to Luzon to guard the city.

Shen Shixing's views were somewhat strange. His proposals revolved around the core principle that "the military garrison should not be relaxed and the taxation of merchant ships should not be abolished." He opposed the current appointments and hoped that the emperor would not make such appointments so quickly, but would wait until the imperial governor and the various government offices in Luzon were established before making appointments.

He's still the same person, always fair and impartial, wanting everyone to be happy, and always striving for perfection in everything he does.

Lu Guangzu said: Everyone is right, he agrees.

Lu Guangzu has always been like this. He joined the cabinet to fight corruption. In other matters, he basically has this attitude: follow the crowd. When the cabinet ministers have a unified attitude, he follows suit, and so do I.

In short, if the Ming Dynasty doesn't take this lucrative prize of Luzon now, it will never be able to take it in the future.

Feng Bao carefully arranged the floating tickets and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Son-in-Law has returned from Luzon and brought his infant third son back to the capital. It seems he plans to stay for a long time."

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs shared the same attitude as the Cabinet, except that Feng Bao expressed it more subtly. It was clearly Yin Zhengmao's dying wish that led Yin Zongxin to bring the child back to the capital.

"Xuanzong has summoned me." After some deliberation, Zhu Yijun directly summoned Yin Zongxin. Yin Zongxin and Princess Yingjia, Zhu Xuanchang, went to Tonghe Palace to meet the emperor. After the audience, Princess Yingjia went to find her mother, while Yin Zongxin gave the emperor a detailed report on the Battle of Cebu.

"Both types of hook guns still need to be deployed. Although firearms are sharp and difficult to block, hook guns are also powerful weapons in naval warfare. What General Qi said is true." Yin Zongxin summarized the gains and losses of this battle.

Old ginger is indeed spicier.

In the debate over whether the navy should be fully armed with firearms and abolish cold weapons, Qi Jiguang overruled the objections and retained a large number of cold weapons in service. This was not a waste, nor was it due to a shortage of gunpowder. It was because cold weapons had their advantages. Military equipment should not only be considered in relation to the Ming Dynasty itself, but also in relation to the military equipment level of the enemy.

If the enemy is a fast sailing ship, artillery is undoubtedly more useful, but if the enemy is a small sampan, grappling hooks are still necessary.

"I intend to appoint you as the Governor-General of Luzon, to continue the rule of Luzon. Are you willing?" Zhu Yijun asked Yin Zongxin with a smile.

“Your subject is naturally willing.” Yin Zongxin said with a somewhat sad expression, “Your subject has been away from serving your father in Chijun Mountain Port for a long time. When I returned to Manila, your father passed away. Before the mourning hall was removed, the barbarian bandits from the Thirty-Six Mountains swarmed in. Your subject wishes to observe three years of mourning for your father in the capital to fulfill your filial duty.”

“Forgetting one’s parents and coveting a position is slander; failing to send off one’s son is rebellion. I beg Your Majesty to grant my request.”

Loyalty and filial piety have always been mutually exclusive, but Yin Zongxin hoped to fulfill his filial duty while remaining loyal to the emperor.

Yin Zongxin's reasons were quite sufficient and seemed very reasonable. Forgetting his father's kindness and coveting power made him a treacherous minister, and failing to see his father off in his old age made him a rebellious minister.

These statements are all correct, but Yin Zongxin's identity is incorrect; Yin Zongxin is not a civil official.

Yin Zhengmao was a civil official who led troops into battle, but when it came to Yin Zongxin, he became a military meritorious official in the Sishui Marquis's mansion. Military meritorious officials were expected to be loyal to the country and fight without hesitation. When faced with war or the needs of the court, they were expected to prioritize the affairs of the country.

As a military officer, Yin Zongxin would not pursue officialdom, so his words were simply a heartfelt and sincere refusal.

"Your father has entrusted the Sishui Marquis's mansion to you," Zhu Yijun reminded Yin Zongxin, suggesting he be more explicit rather than engaging in guesswork.

Yin Zongxin originally wanted to use filial piety to get away with it, but His Majesty was not easily fooled. After thinking it over, he said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I do not want all of my father's efforts to go to waste. Since the court officials do not agree, I may stay in the capital."

Yin Zongxin chose to speak the truth and make his point clear. Normally, when a scholar-official submits a memorial, he would go on and on, making the emperor guess. But Yin Zongxin was a military man, and he made it clear that he knew about the cabinet's rejection of the imperial edict.

"Someone relayed a message to you?" Zhu Yijun raised an eyebrow.

Yin Zongxin nodded, somewhat bewildered, and said, "The ministers are conveying their message for my own good."

"Bullshit!" Zhu Yijun scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "Listen to their nonsense, for your own good? What good is it? So the ministers mean that you can't handle this lucrative prize of Luzon, so you're leaving it to them?"

"What nonsense!"

"Your Majesty..." Yin Zongxin was somewhat frightened when he heard His Majesty using such foul language. After struggling for a while, he finally said, "Your Majesty, it is truly for my own good."

Yin Zongxin explained his reasoning: whether it was better to be the Marquis of Sishui and the Prince Consort in the Ming Dynasty or the King of Luzon, even a fool would know that being the Marquis of Sishui in the Ming Dynasty was better.

Yin Zongxin still preferred to stay in the heart of the Ming Dynasty. The development of Luzon was indeed an extra step, but it was still just one step. It was still part of the vast wilderness and could not be compared with the heart of the Ming Dynasty at all.

Whether it's a desolate, barbaric land or the mighty Ming Dynasty, just look at how Yin Zongxin sent his sons and daughters back to the Ming Dynasty for education.

Secondly, he really couldn't quite grasp the situation.

He was different from Yin Zhengmao. Even when Yin Zhengmao was taking the wrong path in Rouren, some of his policies carried a malice that Yin Zongxin couldn't understand.

For example, Yin Zhengmao encouraged intermarriage between Han and non-Han peoples. At first, Yin Zongxin believed that this was part of benevolent governance. However, as time went on, he saw through the deception and realized that it was not benevolent governance at all. The Han people who went to Luzon were mostly men, and they were down-to-earth and capable, while the non-Han people were extremely lazy.

So, should the Yi women choose to marry Han men or Yi men?

Over the past twenty years, Yi women have preferred to become concubines for Han men rather than marry Yi men. What Yin Zongxin finds most incomprehensible is that those Yi people actually support this kind of thing!

This is what terrifies Yin Zongxin the most. Because of the bad custom of bride price passed down from the Han people, the parents of these Yi women all regard their daughters as commodities. If they cannot find a Han man, they would rather not let their daughters marry Yi men.

"Father always says I am dull-witted. Now that I think about it, I really am quite dull-witted except for my ability to fight." On his way back to the capital, Yin Zongxin thought a lot. If he were to fight, he could wipe out all the Yi people of the Thirty-Six Mountains without missing a single one. But when it comes to governance and the rule of the king, he really has some shortcomings.

Selling someone out and then having that person help count the money—that's not just a matter of experience, it requires some talent.

What a coincidence! The vast majority of scholars in the Ming Dynasty possessed this talent!

"What the Emperor thought and what I thought seemed a little different..." Zhu Yijun was also somewhat taken aback.

With an extremely complicated expression, Yin Zongxin said, "After my father passed away, I took charge of the household. Only now have I begun to understand some things. I never thought of these things before."

For Yin Zongxin, his father was a towering mountain to look up to, a role model, a moral gentleman, and the best of the best.

Even though Rouren took some detours, looking back, Yin Zongxin wasn't even sure if those detours were actually detours or deliberate actions to build consensus.

It seems that Rouren's detours and policies ultimately all resulted in population reduction.

Yin Zongxin said a lot, which was somewhat unfilial.

In fact, until Yin Zhengmao's death, Yin Zongxin never discovered that these seemingly benevolent decrees actually had so many hidden complexities behind them.

"As for the messages from the ministers, I don't think they were malicious," Yin Zongxin concluded.

A person should know their own limitations. If you're not cut out for doing bad things, you'll only make yourself a laughingstock. It's safer to leave bad things to scholars.

"How about this, according to the regulations, observe the mourning period for twenty-seven days. Twenty-seven months is still too long. After twenty days, you will accompany me south to Songjiang Prefecture, and then you and the governor of Luzon will set off back to Luzon together. How about that?" Zhu Yijun considered the opinions of the cabinet ministers and finally chose Shen Shixing's plan.

The military garrison must not be relaxed, and the taxation of merchant ships must not be abandoned.

Drawing on past events in Yunnan, the governor, the three departments, and the prefectural and county governments were established, but the Sishui Marquis's residence remained in Luzon to prevent the barbarians from causing trouble.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Yin Zongxin pondered for a moment, but had no better idea, so he bowed and took his leave.

As Zhu Yijun watched Yin Zongxin's departing figure, he said to Feng Bao with some emotion, "Grand Secretary Shen, this master of balance, is truly remarkable."

“That’s right. After all, he never experienced the hardships of being a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination). He went to the capital to take the imperial examination and became the top scholar. He then became a disciple of the Grand Secretary and made many achievements in Songjiang Prefecture.” Feng Bao said with a smile, “If you want to keep a bowl full of water level, no one else has the ability to do so.”

Shen Shixing, this cabinet minister, is truly not someone who lives off his salary for nothing; he is knowledgeable and capable of expressing it.

Seemingly trying to be thorough in everything is a way of compromising with all parties, but it is really not easy to keep things fair.

Zhu Yijun submitted his new proposed solution to the cabinet for review and approval. After the cabinet rejected it, Zhu Yijun declared that his mind was made up.

Zhu Yijun leaned back in his armchair, picked up a newspaper from the table, and began to read. The "Civilization" series had been updated again, and this time the topic of discussion was summed up in one word: public.

This article quotes extensively from theories of natural selection, human selection, and survival of the fittest, and presents an unexpected viewpoint.

Heaven and earth are the parents of all things, and humankind is the most intelligent of all things.

What sets humans apart from all other things in the world, making them the most intelligent of all beings, is not their physique, endurance, or even fire or the use of weapons, but rather their sense of justice.

This viewpoint is quite novel.

In the view of traditional Confucian scholars, what makes humans special is their unique wisdom and sufficient moral endowment, which enables them to become the masters of all things.

However, the scholars of the Hanlin Academy did not seem to think so. They were no longer the same scholars they once were. Now that the Hanlin Academy was under the management of Gao Qiyu, his goal was to carry on the past and usher in a new era, bringing about new changes to the corrupt Confucianism.

The scholars who wrote the Civilization series believe that the reason why humans are the most intelligent of all beings is because of public spirit, or rather, because closer and better cooperation makes humans more efficient.

Animals also have societies, with wolf kings, monkey kings, and lion kings. However, these societies cannot maximize the use of wolf packs for hunting, obtain more abundant food, and expand the population.

These animals are far too selfish.

According to the observations of the scientists, almost all animals, except for a very few birds that exhibit feeding behavior, do not feed their parents. Old animals die quickly after losing their hunting ability; even the wolf king who leads the pack to hunt will be quickly driven out after getting old or injured.
The Hanlin scholars did not regard selfishness as a derogatory term, but rather as a neutral one.

Selfishness leads to extreme inefficiency. Experiences such as hunting, types of edible food, finding water sources, finding salt, seasonal food distribution, ways to avoid predators and natural disasters, and exchanging hunted surplus cannot be formed into sufficient tribal experience to be passed down from generation to generation due to selfishness.

Inefficiency means losing in the natural selection process.

The Ming Dynasty's progress in public affairs far surpasses that of any other known country. Not to mention official roads and post stations, county and prefectural academies, and patrol offices hunting wild animals and chasing bandits, the Dinghai Education System being implemented is a complete and utter lead.

Not to mention His Majesty's overall goal for the Wanli Reforms: five large tiled houses.

In the eyes of most Confucian scholars, His Majesty the Emperor's goal of building five large tiled houses was nothing but wishful thinking. If it were actually built, what difference would it make from the utopian world?
The reason why the Ming Dynasty was the Celestial Empire was because it was ahead of other countries in the process of "public good". Whether it was the principle of "the people are the foundation of the country" or the specific new policies being implemented, such as the official factories, highways, the Dinghai school system, and the abolition of the status of slaves, they were all part of the process.

Li Yashi agreed with the article. Putting everything else aside, couldn't these foreign barbarians outside of the Ming Dynasty at least figure out how to use public toilets properly?
When Legazpi returned to Spain last time, Lisbon, under Xu Fan's rule, had become a renowned city of flowers, while Madrid remained stinking.

Zhu Yijun read the entire article; the arguments presented by these writers were extremely rigorous.

Starting with the inherent selfishness of human nature, it argues that selfishness leads to the inability to accumulate experience, overall inefficiency, and insufficient utilization of resources, inevitably resulting in defeat in natural selection. Finally, it discusses the public good in contrast to private interests, demonstrating that the Ming Dynasty was indeed a celestial empire.

If these writers had just done their jobs properly, would Zhu Yijun have made things difficult for them?

Of course, it's also possible that they were forced to do something productive because they were being put in a difficult position.

(End of this chapter)