It looks like this will be a relatively stable and smooth year, and Zhu Xiong Ying feels quite happy and satisfied.

Especially in early September, the Eastern Palace was brightly lit, and the nannies and midwives who had been on high alert were waiting, finally having a chance to prove their worth.

Xu Miaoqing's screams terrified Zhu Xiong Ying, making him restless. Even in the current imperial family, childbirth was extremely difficult for women. Fortunately, Xu Miaoqing was in the correct position and had been exercising, and successfully gave birth to a son for Zhu Xiong Ying.

Old Zhu wasn't putting on airs; he simply wasn't guarding the Eastern Palace. Upon learning that the Crown Princess had given birth to a son, Old Zhu was overjoyed and immediately summoned both his eldest and youngest sons.

The three of them, grandfather, grandson, and son, were all dressed in court robes, as such a joyous occasion required reporting to their ancestors. Zhu Yunwen, the adopted second uncle, also had a task: while his biological uncle, Zhu Yunwen, was not back in Yingtian Prefecture, it was naturally Zhu Yunwen who would return to their ancestral home in Fengyang to report the good news to their ancestors.

The eldest son of the legitimate wife will inevitably become the heir apparent. Although Zhu Wenyin has only just been born, many people can already guess that. As long as he grows up smoothly, that position will basically be his.

Just look at the current position of the Crown Prince, and look at the current status of the Imperial Grandson. In the Ming Dynasty, the imperial throne had to be passed down to the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and even the succession of princes and dukes was based on the eldest son of the legitimate wife.

In truth, Zhu Wenying had just been born, so it was naturally inappropriate to formally establish him as emperor. However, Old Zhu was overjoyed and chattered on and on before Empress Ma's memorial tablet. Of course, he also had to report this joyous occasion to his parents.

"My position seems even more secure now." Zhu Xiong Ying looked at the little guy in the swaddling clothes and said with a smile, "Son, you have done a great service for your father. Now no one dares to have any other thoughts."

Zhu Wenying was very uncooperative and started wailing, which left Zhu Xiong Ying feeling helpless. This son isn't bright; he's not as clever or endearing as she was when she was a child.

This is the future throne! For the sake of the throne, you need to be well-behaved and act cute from time to time!

Forget it, if his own son were also a time traveler, Zhu Xiong Ying would be heartbroken. Having one prodigy like me is enough. The Ming Dynasty doesn't need so many prodigies, at least not our son; otherwise, it feels strange.

Seeing Zhu Xiong Ying approaching cheerfully, Old Zhu asked, "How is Yin'er?"

"He eats well and sleeps well, but he loves to cry." Zhu Xiong Ying said with a mix of pride and complaint, "Grandpa, I wasn't as prone to crying as Yin'er when I was little. Everyone used to say that I was the easiest child to take care of, and also the smartest and most lovable."

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Xiong Ying with affection and said, "Our Ying'er was indeed precocious when she was young. Your grandmother and I have talked about it a lot. But our Yin'er is also good. He is like this, unlike you who are so deep-thinking."

Zhu, who was reviewing memorials, coughed and then said, "Yin'er is a month old. Bring her out for your grandfather to see. He's been looking forward to it all day, so he can't go to his palace."

Old Zhu had initially intended to object, but suddenly acquiesced. He indeed couldn't go to the Crown Prince's palace, but neither could the Crown Prince. This meant that it was difficult for Old Zhu, the great-grandfather, to hold his great-grandson, and even the eldest Zhu, the grandfather, had only seen his beloved grandson twice.

Zhu Xiong Ying naturally understood and hurriedly agreed. These were indeed things he should consider; Old Zhu really wanted to see his great-grandson. Four generations under one roof—that was definitely one of Old Zhu's ultimate dreams.

The birth of Zhu Wenyin has indeed brought joy to many people, and the arrival of this little guy has also put a lot of peace of mind on many people's minds.

Zhu Xiong Ying, needless to say, no longer needs to worry about having an heir, and the thoughts of the civil and military officials are now even clearer. It seems that, no matter what, the position of the Crown Prince is as secure as a mountain, and no factor can interfere.

Xu Miaoqing, needless to say, was the Crown Prince's wife, Zhu Xiong Ying's principal wife. Now, having given birth to Zhu Xiong Ying's eldest son, her position was even more secure. According to the current rules of the Ming Dynasty, as long as her son grew up smoothly and did not rebel, the throne would certainly be his.

As for Lian Qiongqiong's thoughts, they were simple. Before the Crown Prince's wife gave birth to the eldest son, she actually 'dared not' to get pregnant. Now that the Crown Prince has a legitimate son, she can naturally consider the issue of illegitimate sons.

Zhu Xiong Ying having offspring is no small matter, given his special status, which naturally attracted the attention of many people.

But Zhu Xiong Ying didn't need to think about so many things now. He only needed to hold his chubby son and peacefully marry off his little sister. He also thought of his good-for-nothing younger brother, but some things were beyond his control.

Old Zhu chose a wife for Zhu Yunwen, the daughter of Huixian Earl Sang Jing, but Zhu Xiong Ying wasn't particularly fond of the marriage. There was no other reason; his own Yunwen had become too ambitious, and the boy wouldn't give up the whole forest for one tree.

As for Zhu Yunwen, he was also engaged to the daughter of Ma Quan, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

This reveals some underlying issues. In fact, the wives of Zhu Yuanzhang's sons were mostly from noble families. By the time of his grandsons, some of them came from families of civil officials.

Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Yuntong were both grandsons of Emperor Zhu, but there were significant differences between them. One was a legitimate grandson, the other a illegitimate grandson. Furthermore, the influence of Zhu Xiong Ying also needed to be considered, so Zhu Yunwen naturally dared not compare himself to Zhu Yuntong, given the difference in their closeness.

Zhu Xiong Ying knew her own foolish son all too well. He was truly laid-back, only thinking about eating, drinking, and having fun. Don't expect him to do anything; as long as he didn't cause trouble, that was fine. He was a complete and standard template of a spoiled brat.

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