In August of the fifteenth year of the Hongwu reign (1389), Empress Ma passed away at the age of 51. She was buried in the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and given the posthumous title of Empress Xiaoci.

When Zhu Yuanzhang was heartbroken, the princes who had already taken up their fiefs, such as Prince Qin Zhu Shuang, Prince Jin Zhu Gang, and Prince Yan Zhu Di, would inevitably return to pay their respects.

Old Zhu was heartbroken, but Empress Ma and he shared a deep bond, having risen from humble beginnings together.

Zhu Xiong Ying needs to consider moving out of Kunning Palace; it's no longer suitable for him to live there. Moving back to the East Palace is something Zhu Xiong Ying should do now.

There is currently no Crown Princess in the Eastern Palace, and Consort Lü is temporarily managing its affairs. Empress Ma has passed away, and Consort Li is now in charge of the affairs of the six palaces.

Old Zhu was heartbroken and sometimes couldn't process it. Fortunately, there was still the Crown Prince, which gave him some comfort.

While busy reviewing memorials, Emperor Zhu heard the eunuch's report: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has arrived."

Zhu Xiong Ying carried the food box and entered Fengtian Hall, saying, "Grandpa Emperor, it's time to eat."

"Ying'er," Old Zhu said with a slight smile, "I don't have an appetite, you eat."

"Grandpa, I promised Grandma that I would take good care of you." Zhu Xiong Ying said while setting out the dishes, "Grandpa, please don't let me break my promise to Grandma."

A young eunuch, somewhat nervous and hesitant, cautiously approached. But before he could even test the poison, he was kicked away by Old Zhu. Previously, these matters were personally overseen by Empress Ma.

It wasn't a Manchu Han Imperial Feast, just some common, everyday dishes, but Zhu Xiong Ying still paid attention to the balance of meat and vegetables.

While eating, Old Zhu suddenly remembered something and said, "Your grandmother has passed away, and we've been extremely busy these past few days. Why did you return to the Eastern Palace? Is the Crown Prince spreading rumors?"

“Grandfather, Grandmother is no longer here, it’s not appropriate for me to live in Kunning Palace,” Zhu Xiong Ying said with a smile. “Actually, if I hadn’t grown up with Grandmother, it would be against etiquette for me to live there all this time.”

Old Zhu snorted coldly, "What etiquette? It all depends on how he sees it."

“That’s true, you’re all grown up now. If your grandmother were still alive, you could live in Kunning Palace without any problem. It’s better to move back now,” Old Zhu said casually while eating. “It’s just that we miss our grandson…”

Remembering something, Old Zhu put down his chopsticks.

In the past, after finishing his official duties, he could return to Kunning Palace, knowing that his wife and grandson would be waiting for him there. But now everything has changed; his wife has left, and his grandson has moved away.

Sometimes, time is the best healer. However, it's also possible that even with the passage of time, the wounds in one's heart may not truly heal.

Empress Ma's passing has indeed had a significant impact, but some people are now consciously ignoring certain things.

Although some court officials kept suggesting the establishment of a successor for the six empresses, Emperor Zhu would never adopt such a suggestion. In his heart, the empress would always be just one person, and no one else could sit in that position.

No one could replace the Empress, and many court officials and civil and military officials accepted this. However, the Crown Prince's palace had not appointed a new Crown Princess, which was also a problem.

Old Zhu kept a mental notebook, remembering all the ministers and nobles who petitioned for the establishment of a new crown princess, and he would also analyze their motives.

Zhu Xiong Ying, who had moved back to the East Palace, seemed to be busier than ever.

Besides spending an hour and a half reading, half an hour practicing martial arts, and half an hour listening to military strategy lectures every day, he also needed to take care of Old Zhu's three meals a day. The chief eunuch of the Imperial Kitchen was already used to it and would come to report to the Crown Prince every day.

Old Zhu was used to it; he knew the food was prepared by the Imperial Kitchen. However, he was more accustomed to his grandson, the Crown Prince, bringing the food box and dining with him unless there were special circumstances.

Zhu Xiong Ying had no idea how many times he had been cursed by the concubines in the harem, because the current emperor would sometimes finish his business or just chat with the concubines. Most of the time, he wouldn't stay overnight or chat with them, because he was worried about delaying his meal with the crown prince, and he still had to teach the crown prince.

"Your Highness, following your instructions, the craftsmen have made many attempts. They can make charcoal balls by mixing coal powder with water and yellow clay."

“The craftsman hangs up the sieve...sprinkles the water evenly, and lets it dry in the sun. After about five days, it is ready to use once it is completely dry.”

Zhu Xiong Ying listened patiently. The use of coal in China had been around for a long time. Coal mines existed in some places as early as the Yuan Dynasty. Therefore, many people were aware of the 'poisonous' nature of coal.

Zhu Xiong Ying was also very serious and picked up a piece of coal the size of a walnut.

Honeycomb briquettes haven't appeared yet, but Zhu Xiong Ying believes he might be bringing forth an industry that will be phased out in the future but is advanced enough for now.

Making coal briquettes used to be a relatively 'popular' industry, but it was phased out after the advent of honeycomb briquettes. But things are different now. Zhu Xiong Ying instructed the Ministry of Works to study it carefully, and they finally managed to produce coal briquettes to some extent.

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly and then said, "Alright, make a list and submit it to His Highness the Crown Prince."

After saying this, Zhu Xiong Ying said, "You, take some coal briquettes and come with me to the palace."

He was thrilled! This lowly steward of the Ministry of Works now had the opportunity to enter the palace and even see the Emperor. It was all thanks to his hard work; he had worked diligently for the past two years, leading his men to finally produce the things the Crown Prince had mentioned.

Along the way, Zhu Xiong Ying talked about many things, such as costs and the combustion effect of coal briquettes.

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