Back in Yingtian Prefecture, Zhu Xiong Ying didn't have much free time. Although Da Zhu's condition had improved considerably, he was still quite weak and couldn't exert himself.

It's impossible to just watch Old Zhu be so busy that he can't even rest. So, Zhu Xiong Ying naturally had to take on some government duties at this time. While accompanying Old Zhu in reviewing memorials, Zhu Xiong Ying also began to change.

Previously, the Crown Prince would meet with his ministers daily to hear and approve reports from various departments, thus practicing state affairs.

Now that the Crown Prince is ill, the court officials have become accustomed to seeing that heroic young man standing on the imperial steps. The main reason is that Old Zhu must have such thoughts, and ordinary people certainly cannot stop him.

A new day began. Although Zhu Xiong Ying wanted to stay in bed, he knew he couldn't. Served by Wang Chengen and others, Zhu Xiong Ying washed up, drank a bowl of porridge, ate some snacks, and then prepared to go to court.

Zhu Xiong Ying was dressed in official robes, though court robes were only worn on more formal occasions. Furthermore, official robes in the Ming Dynasty at that time did not yet have rank badges, and the term "hypocrite in human clothing" had not yet appeared. However, the black gauze hat had emerged. During this period, officials' ranks were distinguished by the color of their robes, the number of beams on their hats, the ceremonial board they carried, and the ribbons they wore.

Arriving at Jinhua Gate, Zhu Xiong Ying stood calmly at attention. Attending court was a routine matter for him.

The palace gates opened at this time, and civil and military officials entered the imperial city to prepare for the upcoming court session.

The Crown Prince stood with his hands behind his back, and even if the civil and military officials wanted to approach, they had no chance. They just had to stand obediently in their posts; at this time, even a cough or something similar would be recorded by the censors.

As the loud crack of the whip rang out, Zhu Xiong Ying led his civil and military officials toward the Fengtian Hall.

Old Zhu arrived late. After the civil and military officials had taken their positions, Old Zhu strode up the imperial steps, sat on the dragon throne, and after the civil and military officials kowtowed, Old Zhu pointed at Zhu Xiong Ying.

Zhu Xiong Ying slowly walked up the imperial steps, stood beside Old Zhu, and looked down at the civil and military officials.

Being taciturn and inactive was one of Zhu Xiong Ying's characteristics. Seeing the Crown Prince like this, many civil and military officials felt that there was still some difference between him and the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince had ruled for more than ten years and had enough experience and skill, while the Crown Prince was still too young and in the early stages of learning.

However, only a very few people understand that the Crown Prince's taciturn and reserved nature does not mean he is without ambition. Although young, the Crown Prince is not lacking in shrewdness and skill. He is more like His Majesty the Emperor, keeping many things in mind. And once he has remembered them, they have a powerful, lasting impact.

Old Zhu didn't ask Zhu Xiong Ying to express his opinion at this time. He believed it was best to keep things in mind and discuss them privately. However, there were some things that Zhu Xiong Ying would certainly not pretend not to know.

At this moment, Qin Da, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the princes' attire and carriages are comparable to those of the Crown Prince. This is a chaotic mix of legitimate and illegitimate children, and there is no order of rank. How can this govern the realm?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was starting to have a headache. Over the years, many civil and military officials had been bringing up this issue, arguing that he had been too generous to the princes and had bestowed too much honor upon them.

Zhu Xiong Ying continued to watch calmly as one minister after another stepped forward, some supporting Qin Da and others opposing him. A heated debate ensued, with various issues being raised.

Seeing that the argument had almost died down, Zhu Xiong Ying spoke up at this moment, "Your Majesty, I believe that what Minister Qin said is reasonable."

Old Zhu was not surprised at all. Zhuo Jing, one of Zhu Xiong Ying's subordinates, had also submitted a memorial before, saying the same thing.

Zhu Xiong Ying continued, “Your Majesty, the official robes of the civil and military officials of our Ming Dynasty are mostly distinguished by color. However, the official robes of our Ming Dynasty are not uniformly made and distributed by the court, but are made by the officials themselves. High-ranking officials can wear lower-ranking robes, and civil officials are fine, but many nobles wear them haphazardly. Furthermore, some officials below the fifth rank do not even bother to make their own official robes.”

Yes, the Ming Dynasty was indeed that 'domineering'. The treatment that Emperor Zhu gave to his civil and military officials was frightening. To attend court, one had to bring their own official robes!

Old Zhu wasn't embarrassed at all; it was some of the nobles who felt rather awkward. Some earls and viscounts, the bolder ones, even wore first-rank official robes. These people were quite fearless, feeling there was nothing to care about.

At this moment, Zhu Xiong Ying continued, "Your Majesty, the Ming Dynasty has been established for more than 20 years, and its system of rites and ceremonies should be improved."

Old Zhu glanced at Zhu Xiong Ying and said rather irritably, "The Grandson is right. Then you go and handle this matter, with the relevant officials assisting."

Zhu Xiong Ying continued, "There should also be some distinction between civil and military officials. In addition to the different colors of their official robes, each rank of official, whether civil or military, should also have birds and beasts embroidered on their robes to distinguish them, so that people can recognize them at a glance."

Old Zhu thought about it carefully and said, "Then go and discuss it with the Ministry of Rites, and bring it to us to see afterwards."

Qin Da immediately accepted the order with great excitement. The Ming Dynasty currently did not have a Minister of Rites. The reason was precisely because the Ming Dynasty lacked a Minister of Rites, and Qin Da was still eager to search online for one.

If he could assist the Crown Prince in handling these matters well, Qin Da felt that he might have a chance to strive for advancement.

Zhu Xiong Ying felt he should also standardize certain rituals and regulations. The Ming Dynasty was relatively stable now; it wasn't the early days of the dynasty, and many things were still in the exploratory stage. It was time to improve these systems.

Even if Zhu Xiong Ying hadn't brought it up, Zhu would have considered these matters and would have certainly made necessary improvements. However, Zhu was worried that if Zhu Xiong Ying took the lead, the princes' prestige would suffer a significant decline.

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