Whether it was the prince who ran away with the duke, or the duke who instigated the prince to leave his fiefdom, is hard to say. But one thing is certain: these two are incredibly audacious, two truly unique individuals among the two generations of the Ming Dynasty's imperial family, absolutely fearless and daring.

Speaking of Zhu Yuanzhang's title of Prince of Wu, it was quite special. It was a title he held before becoming emperor, so it naturally carried a different meaning.

The current Prince of Zhou was formerly known as the Prince of Wu, and Zhu Yunwen has also been reserved for the title of Prince of Wu. These two generations of Princes of Wu are now practically united, even though they don't actually have any contact. They sensed a similar aura in each other, which led to a quick consensus.

They left behind a letter of apology and then scurried away, as they still had many things to do.

Zhu Xiong Ying had no idea that he was about to be tricked by his uncle and brother. Even if he had known, he probably wouldn't have thought much about it, mainly because he was too tired to make any judgments.

Astride his horse, Zhu Su said to Zhu Yunwen, "Good nephew, I've heard that your imperial brother values ​​craftsmen most. The ships and muskets of our Great Ming Dynasty were all made by your imperial brother's Ministry of Works Academy!"

"Of course!" Zhu Yunwen said with great pride and smugness, "Others only call it a strange and ingenious skill, but Your Majesty doesn't think so. If it weren't for Your Majesty, how could our Great Ming have seized the land of Japan, and how could Fourth Uncle have established a country overseas!"

Zhu Su was somewhat lost in thought; Zhu Di was his own elder brother. His brother had been summoned back to Yingtian Prefecture a few years prior, only to be exiled to their ancestral home in Fengyang. Zhu Su had assumed his brother was finished. But who knew things would take such a dramatic turn? His brother was now about to establish a kingdom in Japan, with a foothold for his own power!

"Fifth Uncle, others may not know my elder brother's thoughts, but I do!" Zhu Yunwen said confidently. "My elder brother dislikes those pedantic scholars who only know classical Chinese. He prefers craftsmen and doctors. Those who can improve people's lives and benefit the country and its people are all pleasing to him!"

Zhu Su also smiled and said, "If I didn't know your brother's thoughts, I wouldn't dare to run around with you like this. Tell me yourself, how many times have you run away now?"

Zhu Yunwen was not without precedent for 'escaping'; he had previously committed a crime in Yangzhou and fled to his brother for refuge. Nothing much happened there; he traveled around enjoying the scenery, and when he returned to Yingtian Prefecture, there was no punishment, and it all passed by.

"Let's go to the Ministry of Works Academy first and see if there's anything capable we can take with us," Zhu Yunwen said confidently to Zhu Su. "If Fifth Uncle thinks the Ministry of Works Academy has anything worthwhile, we'll set up an Imperial Medical Academy later to teach doctors and compile medical books!"

Zhu Su's eyes lit up. As a prince, he could naturally summon doctors and other medical professionals from the surrounding areas of Kaifeng. After all, doctors generally did not have a high social status, and were incomparable to princes.

However, if it was the Crown Prince's decree, and if the matter received the court's support, Zhu Su believed that the medical book he compiled would certainly be better, and would definitely alleviate the suffering of the common people. The imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Academy were indeed quite capable.

Zhu Xiong Ying, far away in Yingtian Prefecture, was unaware of these matters. His immediate concern was handling certain affairs. Many civil and military officials were worried, speculating whether the emperor was truly ill, and actively seeking information.

Some princes and grandsons were just going through the motions of sending greetings, but now something seems amiss; their fathers and grandfathers may actually be ill.

The imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital remained tight-lipped, none daring to reveal a single word about His Majesty's health. The Crown Prince appeared composed and calm, continuing to preside over state affairs without any apparent disturbance.

At this time, naturally some people were filled with anxiety, and many people had their own plans.

However, it didn't seem to have much effect. Although the emperor was recuperating, the crown prince firmly controlled the government, and the Ming Dynasty would not fall into chaos. There was no need to worry about the Ming Dynasty falling into chaos at all. Everything was as smooth as ever.

The turmoil inside and outside the court didn't bother Zhu Xiong Ying much; he was already used to it and quite adapted to this lifestyle. The absence of such situations would have been the biggest problem.

After the court session, Xu Yungong went directly to the Wenhua Hall, accompanied by Marquis Geng Bingwen of Changxing, Marquis Cao Zhen of Jingchuan, Marquis Guo Ying of Wuding, and Marquis Chen Huan of Puding. These were among the most outstanding founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty. Or perhaps they were simply long-lived and the backbone of the military elite.

The reason these people came was quite simple. They were basically in charge of some affairs of the Five Military Commands, and they had participated to some extent in some of the things that Zhu Xiong Ying had entrusted to them.

Setting down the memorial in his hand, Zhu Xiong Ying went straight to the point and asked, "Regarding the matter of the sons of meritorious soldiers that we discussed last time, is there any procedure in place now?"

Xu Yungong, with a serious expression, said to Zhu Xiong Ying, "Your Highness, the Ministry of Rites has made many excuses, and the Ministry of War has even more complaints."

Zhu Xiong Ying remained expressionless, though inwardly somewhat annoyed. "Oh? So it's only natural to say things that have nothing to do with the king's affairs?"

Xu Yungong naturally sensed Zhu Xiong Ying's displeasure, but still said, "The Ministry of Rites feels that this move is too preferential to military men. The Ministry of War has always been at odds with the Governor's Office."

The Ministry of War dislikes the Five Military Commissions for a simple reason: it often has no real control over them, and is even suppressed by them. Now that the Five Military Commissions are poised to expand further, it would be strange if the Ministry of War were happy.

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