How to deal with the Embroidered Uniform Guard was undoubtedly a very important matter, and Zhu Xiong Ying did not intend to act unilaterally. It is true that he had his own ideas, but Zhu Xiong Ying also hoped to have veteran generals in charge to help him make decisions, so as to avoid too much turmoil and prevent some mistakes from happening.

Ultimately, it's because the Embroidered Uniform Guard (Jinyiwei) was such a unique organization. They possessed far too many secrets and infiltrated every aspect of the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was indeed a powerful weapon; if used properly, it could greatly benefit imperial power.

In a good mood, Emperor Zhu hummed a tune, and things were progressing smoothly in the court. His grandson, the Crown Prince, was now ruling as regent and making significant progress, which reassured Emperor Zhu considerably.

If he were given a few more years, the Ming Dynasty could transition smoothly, and his grandson could smoothly take over the reins of power. By then, the situation would be settled, and there would be no need to worry about any unexpected problems arising.

Seeing Zhu Xiong Ying come over, Old Zhu said with a smile, "You're here again? Instead of wasting time, go hug Yin'er. The more you hug him, the closer he'll be to you!"

Looking at the parenting expert, Old Zhu, Zhu Xiong Ying joked with a smile, "Grandpa, that little thing will definitely be close to me in the future. All the Zhu family members are the same; they all love power to the core and understand the importance of maintaining closeness and distance."

These words pleased Zhu Yuanzhang, who actually shared the same sentiment. He believed that the Zhu family bloodline was the best. The previous crown prince was like this, and the current imperial grandson was the same; while craving power, they also showed great care for their own family members.

When this topic came up, Zhu Xiong Ying said, "Grandfather, it's time for the fourth prince to be granted the title of Prince of the Second Rank. I've asked the Imperial Clan Court and the Ministry of Rites to submit memorials, and we should have news in the next couple of days."

Old Zhu fell silent. The "fourth son" that Zhu Xiong Ying mentioned was definitely not Zhu Di, but Zhu Yunxuan, the fourth son of Zhu Biao.

"What are you thinking?" Old Zhu looked at Zhu Xiong Ying and asked quite seriously, "You are the eldest brother after all, and it should be your turn to do these things."

Zhu Xiong Ying said matter-of-factly, "Naturally, I will first grant them the title of Prince of the County according to ancestral rules. When I ascend the throne in the future, these will definitely be promoted to Prince of the First Rank. I am reluctant to let Yun Tong go to other places, so I will find a rich and prosperous place for him to play around in. I will not allow Yun Wen to go out either, because he is surrounded by a bunch of pedantic scholars who have no practical skills."

Old Zhu snorted coldly and said irritably, "That child Yunwen is like a dog trying to draw a tiger but ending up with a dog. He only learned your father's seemingly refined appearance, but he didn't learn anything inside."

“Grandfather, you can’t blame Yunwen for this.” Zhu Xiong Ying laughed, which could be considered an excuse for Zhu Yunwen. “That child’s education from childhood is different from my grandson’s. Everyone just hopes that he will become a wise prince, or at least be mediocre. He is different from my grandson; he doesn’t have to inherit the throne.”

Old Zhu was silent for a moment, then laughed heartily, "That's true, we don't have much hope for that child either. When your grandmother was alive, your uncles were quite capable, but your grandmother and I were biased, and the way we taught your father was different from theirs."

That makes perfect sense. The eldest Zhu and the youngest Zhu were raised to be treated as heirs to the throne, and the youngest Zhu will likely be raised in the same way.

As for the other princes, it wasn't that they weren't dedicated to their upbringing; it's just that everyone had different expectations of them. Becoming a wise and virtuous king was enough; no one expected them to inherit the throne, and no one dared to teach them the 'art of rulership'.

"My father will definitely be the emperor in the future. My father will be Emperor Xiaokang, and my mother will be Empress Xiaokang." Zhu Xiong Ying laughed and said to Old Zhu, "If it's Grandfather, his temple name will definitely be Taizu. But what are your thoughts on his posthumous title?"

It was precisely because Zhu Xiong Ying was indiscriminate in his views on these matters that he dared to mention things like 'posthumous titles,' which clearly meant that these titles were written after his death to evaluate his life and deeds, giving him either praise or criticism.

Old Zhu got excited and said, "During the Song Dynasty, those emperors had very long posthumous titles. But in my opinion, none of them had our achievements! Our posthumous title must be long, and it must reflect our accomplishments!"

Zhu Xiong Ying immediately became excited and said to Old Zhu, "Grandpa Emperor restored the Han lands and rectified the Han bloodline. This can be considered a 'great change'! According to our Han tradition, Grandpa Emperor will definitely be a great emperor in the future."

"Emperor Gao" is naturally one of the posthumous titles of the founding emperor. The founding emperor's temple name was Taizu, and his posthumous title was Emperor Gao.

Old Zhu chuckled and said to Zhu Xiong Ying, "That's fine! We've seen some of it now and think we're both accomplished in both literature and martial arts. If those civil officials try to compete with you in the future, you'd better make sure we get our posthumous title!"

Zhu Xiong Ying patted his chest and said with a smile, "Grandpa, don't worry, those things are what your grandson should do!"

Ultimately, it's because Zhu Yuanzhang is getting old, and he's starting to care a bit about his posthumous reputation. A few years ago, he wouldn't have cared so much about these things; he would have boldly declared, "I was originally a commoner from Huaiyou, what does the world have to do with me!"

The two chatted for a while about posthumous titles, but it was just a brief chat. They were bound to have other things to discuss next, and those were definitely important matters.

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Xiong Ying and asked with a smile, "Ying'er, this time you were put in charge because of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. What are your thoughts on this?"

"Grandfather loves his grandson dearly and hopes that his grandson will have a good reputation, which I naturally know." Zhu Xiong Ying laughed and said to Old Zhu, "Speaking of which, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has indeed been too arrogant in recent years, and it is time to teach them a lesson. I plan to burn the instruments of torture, strip them of their power over internal and external prisons, and return it to the Ministry of Justice."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!