With the arrival of Zhu Yuanzhang, the entire Eastern Palace was naturally in a flurry of activity, and no one dared to be careless.

As the Crown Prince's consort, Xu Miaoqing naturally had to do nothing more, quickly directing her maids and eunuchs to clear the path. Lian Qiongqiong, who was resting during her pregnancy, also quickly changed into her court attire; pregnant women didn't receive many special treatment at this time.

The only one we don't need to worry about is little Zhu, who's fast asleep and still doesn't understand what's happening outside. He can just keep sleeping soundly. All we hope for about this little guy is that he grows up healthy; that's more important than anything else.

Old Zhu seemed quite satisfied. The environment in the Eastern Palace was pleasant, and the maids and eunuchs were all quite diligent. After looking at the supplies in the Eastern Palace, Old Zhu felt that his grandson was being treated somewhat unfairly, but the Crown Prince disliked extravagance, so this was naturally a good thing.

"I remember when you were about this age, your grandmother was weaving cloth, and we were reviewing memorials on the side." Looking at little Zhu, Old Zhu fell into memories again. "Back then, when your parents came, they always wanted to take you back to the East Palace, but your grandmother and I couldn't bear to part with you."

Zhu Xiong Ying laughed and said, "Grandson does remember some things, but our Grandmother is really shrewd. Many times, she shut down my parents before they could even open their mouths."

“We didn’t want to take you in at first, but your grandmother said you are well-behaved and intelligent, and that your parents have never raised children before, so they were afraid you would be spoiled.” Old Zhu looked at little Zhu with affection. “We thought about it and they were right. They have never raised children before! Our Ying’er is going to rule the country, so we have to teach her ourselves before we can feel at ease!”

Zhu Xiong Ying, unashamed, asked, "Grandfather, do you think your grandson has amounted to anything now?"

"So promising! So promising!" Old Zhu beamed, making no attempt to hide his pride. "Our Ying'er is resourceful, skillful, and righteous! Even if I were to pass away now, I would be at peace with her. Our Ying'er is capable of ruling the world!"

Seeing that Zhu Xiong Ying was about to speak, Old Zhu interrupted, saying, "A few years ago you asked us to abdicate, but we were still reluctant. If we had abdicated two years earlier, your father would have been the emperor! All these years, what Biao'er has done is exactly what an emperor should do! It's just that we couldn't bear to let him not become emperor!"

Zhu Xiong Ying didn't know what to say. Although he was favored, Zhu Xiong Ying knew that in the old Zhu's heart, Empress Ma and Crown Prince Zhu Biao were the closest and most caring people, and their importance was irreplaceable.

One thing Old Zhu regrets now is that his eldest son failed to ascend the throne. There's a huge difference between being posthumously honored as an emperor and actually becoming emperor. Furthermore, there's a reason behind this: if Zhu Biao had ascended the throne, Zhu Xiong Ying's position would have been much more secure, and any discontent from Old Zhu's other sons would have been tantamount to rebellion!

It's entirely possible that Lao Zhu regrets his decision or is worried about potential problems.

But Zhu Xiong Ying didn't care and said with a smile, "Grandfather, my uncles are still reasonable. They understood my thoughts from the moment I was named Crown Prince. There's even less to worry about Yunwen; he can be a good and virtuous prince."

Old Zhu remained noncommittal. Although he didn't pay much attention to his illegitimate grandson, he wasn't entirely unaware of certain things. His illegitimate grandson was easily influenced and lacked his own opinions, and he was actually spending all his time associating with some Confucian scholars.

Old Zhu patted Zhu Xiong Ying on the shoulder and said, "If we haven't kicked the bucket by the time the capital is moved in two years, we'll abdicate."

Zhu Xiong Ying paused for a moment, then comforted him, "Grandpa Emperor, I'm not actually in such a hurry to become emperor!"

"Foolish!" Old Zhu scolded, quite dissatisfied. "If we move the capital, can it be done in a day or two? If we die on the way, who will succeed us? Aren't you afraid that something will go wrong, or someone will have a fake imperial edict? After we abdicate, we can still help you look after the government. As long as everything is stable, that's fine."

Old Zhu's considerations are certainly reasonable, and as long as he's alive, no one dares to cause trouble. But if Old Zhu dies, some people might have designs on him. After all, that position is too special; no one can resist its allure.

Furthermore, once the capital is moved, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yuanzhang certainly won't act together. If something happens along the way, something might actually happen.

The First Emperor serves as a cautionary tale. When he died, he certainly did not expect that the prime minister and the eunuch would be in cahoots, that he would be living with abalone, that his children would be slaughtered, or that the Qin Dynasty would perish after only two generations!

Looking at little Zhu who was still fast asleep, Old Zhu said, "I remember you said before that the Emperor Emeritus would take the Crown Prince on a tour of the world. We would travel and see the sights along the way, and then return to our hometown of Fengyang. Now that your father is gone, and we've become the Emperor Emeritus, we can't take you on that tour anymore. If our Yin'er were still alive when he grew up, we'd take him out for a walk!"

This is probably a case of a hero growing old; the current Zhu Yuanzhang can hardly recapture the domineering and spirited demeanor of his prime. Now, he simply wants to live a few more years and watch his grandson smoothly take over the throne.

Looking at Zhu Xiong Ying, Old Zhu asked with a smile, "Ying'er, do you know what your grandfather has been most satisfied with about you all these years?"

"My grandson looks like his grandmother, and he's quite handsome, unlike his grandfather!" Zhu Xiong Ying interrupted, jokingly adding, "My grandson is also intelligent and sensible, and he's very filial. If you really want to talk about it, my grandson can be considered a remarkable person!"

Old Zhu laughed heartily and said to Zhu Xiong Ying, "Years ago, I joked that if you lived in a chaotic era, you could rival us for the throne! But if you're hoping for a better future for your children and grandchildren, even if you were to seize the world, you and your father could join forces and we could still take care of you!"

Zhu Xiong Ying didn't think Old Zhu was bragging. Old Zhu's rise from a novice monk to emperor was not without its challenges. Whether he initially allied with Guo Zixing or later established his own territory, Old Zhu didn't simply sweep across the land. Many times, he triumphed over the weak against the strong, and on numerous occasions, he faced life and death.

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