Carrying the food box, Zhu Xiong Ying slowly walked towards the Qianqing Palace. Throughout November and December, everyone was so busy that they barely had time to breathe.

As the eldest son, Zhu Xiong Ying naturally had to attend the funeral. The eldest Zhu was buried to the east of the Xiaoling Mausoleum, and was posthumously honored as "Crown Prince Yiwen." This means that although the eldest Zhu had presided over some government affairs, in name and in position, he was only the Crown Prince.

If Zhu Xiong Ying were to ascend the throne one day, he could honor his father Zhu Biao as emperor; it seems that this is the only way.

There's no way to think about the New Year now; there's absolutely no mood or emotion for it. The palace is filled with a somber atmosphere. Even if some people are secretly pleased or indifferent, they should at least pretend to be sad at this moment.

Otherwise, things will get complicated, and it might make the very suspicious Old Zhu think of something, which would be unpleasant.

Seeing Zhu Xiong Ying arrive, Old Zhu looked up and said, "Go back and rest early; you've been working hard these past few days."

"I know, I'll have someone help you wash up later." Zhu Xiong Ying said after setting out the meal, "Grandpa, please have some too, it's all light."

Old Zhu nodded, calmly picked up the large bowl, and took a sip of porridge. "The whole twelfth lunar month was chaotic, and the start of the new year hasn't been smooth either. How's your father doing?"

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, her voice still relatively calm, "My parents are buried together. I also went to see my grandmother yesterday. I was able to see how my grandmother and mother had been living like wives all these years. My father went over to take care of them for now."

Old Zhu ate in silence. He still couldn't accept that his most beloved eldest son, the successor he had carefully groomed, was gone!

The grandfather and grandson ate their meal in silence, neither of them having much of an appetite; they were just looking to fill their stomachs.

After a moment of silence, Old Zhu asked, "Are you aware that there's been a lot of talk in the court lately, saying that we should establish a crown prince?"

"Establish a crown prince?" Zhu Xiong Ying was puzzled and found it strange. "My grandson is of the right age and is the legitimate son of the heir apparent. When a son dies, the grandson succeeds, which is in accordance with the proper rites. If the Emperor wants to establish a crown prince, it can only be my second uncle."

Old Zhu shook his head and said, "It's better not to mess around anymore. Your uncles are all scheming. Being a prince is nothing compared to being the emperor. Ying'er, do you think your uncles will respect you if we're gone one day?"

Previously, Emperor Zhu was genuinely unconcerned about the vassal kings, believing that as long as his crown prince ascended the throne, those vassal kings would remain his good brothers. But now things are different, and Emperor Zhu can't help but feel some anxiety.

The crown prince had barely passed away when some vassal kings were already eager to seize power. Even though they knew the imperial grandson was favored and had a strong support base, they were also well aware of the significant difference between a prince and a crown prince, and the dragon throne was something no one could refuse.

Zhu Xiong Ying was also somewhat fearless and didn't feel there was anything to worry about. "Grandfather, with such great power, what is there to be afraid of? My uncles may not necessarily want to compete with me; they are just unhappy with each other."

The reason for saying this is mainly because in this day and age, it's basically a matter of 'sons inheriting their fathers' positions'. Zhu Xiong Ying's uncles also felt that the throne should be passed on to their sons rather than their grandsons, that's all there was to it.

Old Zhu nodded, then asked, "It's alright if we're alive, but if we kick the bucket, you might start fighting too."

Zhu Xiong Ying wasn't too worried about these things. He said matter-of-factly and confidently, "My uncles aren't stupid. As long as I don't go too far, they wouldn't dare to rebel even if they had some courage. Grandfather, don't overthink it."

Old Zhu glared at Zhu Xiong Ying with annoyance, but he basically agreed with Zhu Xiong Ying's point of view. Although the princes of the Ming Dynasty had some power, it was only a little bit, and there was a huge gap in strength between them and the central court.

The grandfather and grandson only chatted briefly. In fact, Old Zhu had obviously considered Zhu Xiong Ying's position, and he was also aware that some of his sons had their own ideas at this time.

However, he only thought about it briefly. Whether it was for the sake of the eldest Zhu or the youngest Zhu, the old Zhu would not allow anyone else to sit on the dragon throne after his death.

Zhu Xiong Ying did not return to the Eastern Palace after all, but instead rested in the Qianqing Palace. In fact, Zhu Xiong Ying knew very well about the situation of the late Emperor Zhu, even though he was observing mourning during this period.

The iron-willed old Zhu not only tossed and turned at night, but also often mumbled incoherently. Having lost his son in his old age, the old Zhu was actually using the heavy workload of court affairs to numb himself, or he was constantly trapped in a state of grief.

Shuangquan, who was by Zhu's side, reported that His Majesty the Emperor had been sitting there in tears for some time, staring at the direction of Xiaoling Mausoleum for one or two hours at a time.

Zhu Xiong Ying, who had tucked Old Zhu in, also quickly fell asleep, but he felt that he would soon wake up as he had to prepare for court.

After washing up, Zhu Xiong Ying dragged Lao Zhu along for a simple breakfast. It was just a little porridge and a snack to fill their stomachs; naturally, they couldn't expect anything fancy or delicious.

After breakfast, Old Zhu said, "Ying'er, come with us. Don't go outside the palace."

"Grandson, you should go and take over the shifts, so that some people won't start thinking nonsense." Zhu Xiong Ying laughed and patted his chest, saying, "Grandpa, don't worry, I'm in good health, I don't think it'll be a problem."

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