In the first month of the seventeenth year of Hongwu's reign, Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor) began to take some actions with great eagerness.

The Hall of Prudence, one of the three main halls in front of the imperial city, was where the emperor changed into his court robes for court sessions and where he appointed the empress and crown prince. The emperor also received congratulations in this hall. The name of the Hall of Prudence was meant to remind the emperor to strengthen his self-cultivation.

The civil and military officials lined up, watching the young man wearing a crown slowly walk towards them.

This is the Crown Prince, who will soon become the Imperial Crown Prince, theoretically the second in line to the throne of the Ming Dynasty.

This grandson of the crown prince studied Confucianism, but did not associate with Confucian scholars. He was fond of martial arts, and veteran generals often tutored him. He was kind and benevolent, never punishing palace servants for trivial matters. The grandson…

Although few officials and nobles had contact with the Crown Prince, there has been no shortage of attention paid to him in recent years.

Before the late Empress passed away, the Crown Prince was raised by her in the Kunning Palace. The current Emperor dotes on the Crown Prince, and it is said that if the Crown Prince is not served meals, the Emperor loses his appetite. Entering and leaving the Emperor's palace is commonplace for the Crown Prince.

"Your humble servant pays respects to His Majesty the Emperor, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years!"

Old Zhu nodded with satisfaction, then said, "Proclaim the decree."

Minister of Rites Zhao Mao received the imperial edict already prepared by Emperor Zhu and addressed the kneeling officials, saying, "By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

"My eldest grandson, Zhu Xiong Ying, is the son of the Crown Prince and a direct descendant of the imperial clan..."

In the end, it came to this point. Zhu Xiong Ying, who was ten years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning), was officially established as the Crown Prince and was given a gilded book and a silver seal.

Although some ministers might be thinking that, theoretically, the Crown Prince is the second in line to the throne, things could change if the current emperor were to pass away. After all, there would certainly be a head of the six palaces then, and perhaps there would still be a chance…

Zhu Xiong Ying knelt and kowtowed three times and then accepted the imperial decree to express his gratitude, receiving the edict of investiture and the gold book and silver seal.

"Your humble servants pay their respects to His Highness the Crown Prince!"

A deafening roar filled the air as civil and military officials paid their respects with great ceremony.

Zhu Xiong Ying suddenly felt a tingling sensation rush to the top of his head. Could this be the pleasure that power brings?

Old Zhu watched with a smile, and Zhu Biao was also quite pleased. The father and son were both marveling at how much Ying'er had grown up.

Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, Zhu Yunwen, accompanied by Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Xi, and Zhu Yue, greeted His Highness the Crown Prince.

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled and nodded, then said, "Get up, everyone, don't be shy."

Zhu Yunwen dared not be unfamiliar with the situation, though he was actually in a somewhat awkward position. He always felt he had a chance to become the legitimate heir, since his father, the emperor, would likely become empress once his mother ascended the throne. At that time, Zhu Yunwen could also be the legitimate heir.

Zhu Yunwen also knew that ahead of him was his elder brother, who was the true eldest grandson. His elder brother had been favored by his grandparents since childhood and had previously lived in the Kunning Palace. Zhu Yunwen could occasionally see his grandfather, but he dared not go to the Fengtian Hall or the Wuying Hall without an imperial edict, while his elder brother could go whenever he wanted.

The Qianqing Palace was something he wouldn't even dare to dream of; it was the Emperor's grandfather's bedroom. Nowadays, only three people could go there. Even the Crown Prince couldn't stay overnight. Only the current Imperial Grandson was occasionally allowed to stay.

His elder brother, the Emperor, always had companions and renowned scholars by his side, as well as military strategists taught by meritorious nobles. But Zhu Yunwen, like his other uncles and sons of nobles, went to study in the Great Hall.

"Brother!"

"Brother!"

Zhu Xi and Zhu Yue ran over happily, and Zhu Yunwen also rushed over. They had all been raised by their elder brother and were very close to him.

Ms. Lü felt a little sour. Perhaps she should give up some unrealistic fantasies. No, how are they unrealistic?

If she were to become Empress one day, my Yunwen would be the legitimate son. As long as the Crown Prince falls, that position would belong to Yunwen. In the end, he's just the Crown Prince, not the heir apparent!

My Yunwen is only a prince? How can that compare to the dignity of the emperor?!

Moreover, Yunwen is not a biological brother, so even if he is later granted the title of Prince, he won't be enfeoffed in a very good place. The truly good places will definitely be reserved for his biological brother, Zhu Yunwen!

Why, why can't I help Yunwen fight for that position? It's not decided yet!

Lady Lü suddenly revealed a kind smile. She was currently only a concubine. Most importantly, Lady Lü understood that the Emperor only had one true grandson in his eyes. If she truly wanted to plot something, she needed to keep a low profile and avoid attracting attention until the Crown Prince ascended the throne!

Zhu Xiong Ying was made the Crown Prince, but in reality, it didn't seem to have much impact.

The current emperor is in his prime; his vigorous energy makes him seem far from being nearly sixty. He doesn't feel tired handling state affairs, and he hasn't neglected to have more children. Last year, he had his twenty-second son, and his twenty-third is almost here.

"Sigh, I'm already ten years old (by Chinese reckoning), and my royal uncle is still not weaned." Zhu Xiong Ying sighed, somewhat embarrassed. "That's how the generational gap develops. At this rate, maybe when I have a son in the future, he'll have to learn to speak with his great-uncle."

Old Zhu lived to be seventy years old, I think?

Suddenly, Zhu Xiong Ying felt worried. No one would want that position. But over the years, Zhu Xiong Ying had long been reluctant to give up her family ties.

While Zhu Xiong Ying was still playing with her younger siblings, Old Zhu, who was reviewing memorials, asked, "Biao'er, the remnants of the Yuan dynasty are causing trouble on the border. Should we give Song Sheng a chance?"

Zhu Biao was not surprised. Although the world seemed peaceful and the Ming Dynasty was growing stronger, there were still some minor disturbances. The Northern Yuan was still harassing the borders, and there were still some remnants of their forces. As for the southwest and the Western Regions, they were also restless, and there were some Japanese pirates causing trouble along the coast.

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