Upon arriving at the palace, Zhu Xiong Ying looked at Xu Miao Qing, who had gained a little weight, and asked, "Qing'er, how is your appetite today?"

"I did drink some porridge," Xu Miaoqing said coquettishly as she lay on the couch. "I just rested, and as Your Highness instructed, I walked quite a bit in the courtyard."

Zhu Xiong Ying walked to the edge of the bed and sat down, smiling as she gently pressed her head against Xu Miao Qing's belly. "It's been four months already, and we still haven't heard our baby's heartbeat. Qing'er, tell me, does our baby look like you or me?"

Xu Miaoqing had grown much bolder and gently stroked Zhu Xiong Ying's hair, saying, "Your Majesty, I naturally hope that my child can be like you."

Xu Miaoqing now has more expectations for life, and she naturally knows that in this day and age, childbirth is like going through the gates of hell for a woman. But she has nothing to be afraid of.

If she could bear a child for the Crown Prince, she would feel it was all worthwhile. Moreover, Xu Miaoqing also believed that she was now the most noble woman in the world, and this was no joke.

The Crown Prince's palace had concubines, but they were just concubines and didn't enter the Zhu family's ancestral hall. The emperor's harem had many imperial concubines, consorts, concubines, and noble ladies, but none of them could enter the Zhu family's ancestral hall.

Although those people were all Xu Miaoqing's elders, if they dared to put on airs in front of her, the outcome would be pretty obvious. Over the years, many people have come to realize this.

There was no empress, because the emperor and the late empress were deeply in love. In recent years, many civil officials have wanted to petition the crown prince to establish a new crown princess, but the emperor and the crown prince have almost ignored them. If they make a big fuss, those civil officials are likely to be held accountable and punished later.

The nobles wouldn't say much; the Crown Prince was originally the hope of the Chang faction, representing half of the military. Now that the Crown Prince's wife was from the Xu family, the Crown Prince's position was naturally even more secure.

The nobility and the imperial family, to some extent, complement each other, and their interests are aligned. Any attempt by civil officials to cause trouble would only make them a laughingstock.

If Xu Miaoqing could see these things, then the civil and military officials in the court could naturally see them as well. To put it bluntly, even if Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to depose Zhu Xiong Ying now, it would take some effort, and the entire court would likely suffer significant losses.

While chatting with Xu Miaoqing, Zhu Xiong Ying felt that her current life was quite good and fulfilling.

Although he didn't go to Beiping, Zhu Xiong Ying was now consciously avoiding going to the imperial court as much. However, he certainly didn't slack off in learning or doing what he needed to do.

At nineteen years old, Zhu Xiong Ying began to consciously engage with court affairs, which differed somewhat from his usual review of memorials. His parents, the elder Zhu and the younger Zhu, also consciously explained to him important considerations for handling state affairs, helping him gain a deeper understanding of what an emperor should pay attention to.

Ultimately, what Zhu Xiong Ying is learning now is not just what an official or politician should do, but the art of being an emperor, the emperor's control over the court, and so on. This is a proper course for a successor.

The First Emperor (Zhu Xiong Ying) was born in the same year that Zhu Xiong Ying was born. He attended court sessions daily, listened to and reviewed reports from various departments, and practiced state affairs. At that time, the First Emperor was nineteen years old and began to be involved in important court matters.

Now, a similar scenario has unfolded: nineteen-year-old Zhu Xiong Ying has begun practicing state affairs. However, this time, while Old Zhu is protecting and guiding her, the elder Zhu, who has long been handling state affairs, is also carefully instructing her.

The rightful emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the crown prince who had been doing the emperor's work for the past few years, such a powerful lineup could indeed teach Zhu Xiong Ying a lot and greatly help his growth.

In a good mood, Zhu Xiong Ying felt that everything was progressing smoothly. Now he just needed to wait for things to proceed steadily, and he didn't need to rush.

For example, the development in Beiping, or the arrival of Fourth Uncle with the imperial edict in Korea, indicate that the formal conquest of Japan will soon begin. These things are progressing quite smoothly.

Zhu Xiong Ying's main tasks are to continue learning and growing, and to accompany Xu Miao Qing during her pregnancy. She also occasionally plays special roles and does interesting things.