Let Huai West See the True Vastness of the World! Wouldn't Conquering the World Be Glorious?

"All right, you may all rise." Zhu Ying casually raised a hand.

"Thank you, Prince."

Everyone immediately gave thanks.

Lan Yu and Chang Mao exchanged a glance. Then Lan Yu stepped forward and asked with a smile, "Prince, did something happen in the palace today? The Crown Prince summoned me and ordered Duke Cao Li Jinglong and me to select a group of generals, saying they would be sent to command troops in the feudal states of the princes. Is this for the sake of reducing the princes' power?"

Lan Yu's words were naturally filled with probing intent.

"Reducing the princes' power is merely the first step." Zhu Ying spoke slowly.

But his gaze sharpened as he looked at Lan Yu and the others. "You did not come here for this matter of reducing the princes' power, did you?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince also instructed the Minister of Revenue to thoroughly investigate the land across the realm. This matter... this matter..." Lan Yu asked again, somewhat hesitantly.

Hearing this,

Zhu Ying's lips curled into a cold smile. "It seems you have also used certain methods to seize commoners' land by force and trickery."

"Well, Prince..."

"We do indeed possess quite a bit of land, but it is not only us. Most people in the court are the same." Lan Yu replied uneasily.

At this moment,

the Huai West generals in the hall were all much the same.

"Prince."

"There was really no other way."

"The court's salaries are truly not much. Though we have some land, it simply is not enough to support an entire household and all its people with just that land and salary."

"So... so we..."

Chang Mao also spoke at this moment, his words full of helplessness.

In response,

Zhu Ying showed no expression, but