Thirteen-year-old Zhu Ying was quite taken aback, and he truly dared not put on airs in front of Zhu Xiong Ying. Although he had been instigated this time and genuinely wanted to show filial piety to the old Zhu, as a member of the royal family, he was also quite shrewd, and he was well aware of the status of the Crown Prince.

So what if he's the Crown Prince's uncle? Their generations are indeed different, but who knows, in the future, this uncle might have to be subservient to his nephew just to survive. Lowering himself to curry favor with the Crown Prince is a bit difficult, but he can't escalate the conflict either.

Zhu Xiong Ying didn't continue to make things difficult for Zhu Ying; he remained quite magnanimous. Most importantly, he couldn't emulate Zhu Yunwen in history, who was ruthless and cruel to his uncles—that wouldn't be a good thing. If the imperial family is so heartless, how can they be role models for the common people? They'd have no right to speak on the matter.

As long as the imperial uncles didn't go too far, Zhu Xiong Ying would still ensure their comfortable lives; Zhu Xiong Ying was quite generous.

Zhu Xiong Ying didn't have much to do. He still needed to handle government affairs and rest, so he sent his chubby son to the Qianqing Palace and let Old Zhu take care of the energetic little Zhu. Only with that noisy boy around could Old Zhu not think about other things.

Even a little kid can be very useful; the throne was earned through his own efforts, starting from childhood!

Xu Miaoqing found it amusing, but also a little resentful. "When ordinary families have children, they naturally pamper and spoil them. But my husband is different. Yin'er is always being sent around by you, disturbing Grandfather's peace."

"Even if Grandpa Emperor complains on the surface, he's actually happy inside!" Zhu Xiong Ying said with a smile, hugging Xu Miao Qing. "Yin'er also loves to tease Grandpa Emperor the most. Let them tease each other, so we can have some peace and quiet."

Xu Miaoqing leaned against Zhu Xiong Ying's chest, but still maintained the demeanor of an empress. "Husband, it's time to go to Zhao Liangyuan's place."

This demonstrates the magnanimity of the Crown Prince's consort, as Zhu Xiong Ying was still the heir apparent and had not yet ascended the throne. Therefore, Zhu Xiong Ying's side could not be considered part of the harem. However, Xu Miao Qing was indeed the Crown Prince's consort and the future empress, holding a high position. Even Zhu Xiong Ying's concubines would theoretically have a lower status in front of Xu Miao Qing.

As a woman married through proper channels, her status was naturally different from others. Xu Miaoqing needed to consider the order of the Eastern Palace. Exclusive favor was certainly desirable, but she also knew that some things couldn't be done that way. She also needed to consider the other concubines and coordinate their affairs. These were the responsibilities of the mistress of the harem.

While Zhu Xiong Ying was enjoying his life, Xu Yun Gong and other nobles aggressively went to cause trouble for the officials of the Six Ministries. Seeing Xu Yun Gong, a descendant of the Prince of Zhongshan and the brother-in-law of the Crown Prince, coming to cause trouble, many civil officials lacked confidence. Throughout history, it has always been the early years of a dynasty where military leaders were powerful, while civil officials were weak.

Reasoning is essential; it can't be a case of a scholar encountering a soldier—reason is useless. However, if some people pretend to be confused and refuse to listen to reason, then it's time to consider putting up a fight.

Xu Yungong, with a serious expression, said, "I have been ordered to establish the Academy for the Children of Martyrs, and all departments should assist in this. Why do you say that the messenger I sent earlier was given the runaround?"

Ren Hengtai's expression turned bitter, and he quickly said, "Duke of Wei, naturally no one would dare to evade this. But this matter is of great importance..."

Guo Ying pushed Ren Hengtai, causing him to stumble. "My brother and I followed His Majesty in conquering the world, experiencing over a hundred battles, large and small, leaving us covered in wounds! I was fortunate enough to survive a hundred battles, but so many of my comrades and brothers turned to dust! His Majesty is benevolent and does not forget the brave warriors who died for the country! If you dare to block the path to advancement for the sons of heroes, I will kill you all!"

Guo Ying was a figure not to be trifled with. This wasn't just because he was the Marquis of Wuding, or because his sister was Consort Guo Ning. This fierce general was a close relative of Zhu Yuanzhang, responsible for the emperor's personal guards; he was one of Zhu Yuanzhang's most trusted confidants.

In truth, Guo Ying was usually cautious and prudent, a trait he had never displayed before, but he knew that the Crown Prince was orchestrating these matters. Moreover, in order to ensure that the sons of his former comrades-in-arms would have a bright future, Guo Ying didn't care about offending these scholars.

Marquis Jingchuan, Cao Zhen, said directly, "Fourth Brother, don't be angry. If these people don't give us an explanation, I'll take our children to their house tomorrow and let them eat and stay there! If they dare to mistreat us, I'll smash their mansion!"

At this moment, Feng Cheng spoke up, "Lord Jingchuan, this humble general is in charge of the military affairs department. Without the allocation of these funds and the completion of the estates, these people's families cannot leave the city!"

If anyone else had said this, they would have been subjected to a barrage of impeachments. But this man was the son of Feng Guoyong and the brother-in-law of the Crown Prince. Although he had not yet inherited the title, everyone knew he would become the Duke of Ying in the future.

The military clique has started acting unreasonably, or rather, forcing these civil officials to submit. Right now, we can only resort to diplomacy first, then force; we're just showing them a lesson to make these civil officials behave and not delay the military clique's affairs, nor can we let His Highness the Crown Prince's important matters be delayed.

Watching Xu Yungong lead his military officers away in a triumphant manner, Ren Hengtai and his men gritted their teeth in anger, and might have secretly cursed him as a crude and vulgar brute.

But what can be done? A memorial impeaching them is certain; these military officials are truly arrogant. However, whether such a memorial will have any effect is hard to say. These nobles are so unbridled now; perhaps someone is secretly instructing them.

It's perfectly normal for civil officials and military officers to have conflicts, and it's also perfectly normal for them to dislike each other; there's no need to take it seriously. As long as they don't fight to the death, that's fine. The clear distinction between civil and military officials is an unspoken rule.

Xu Yungong certainly made a name for himself, but his father, Xu Da, the Prince of Zhongshan, was also a man of great merit, though he was known for his low-key and cautious nature. Influenced by Xu Da, Xu Yungong adopted the same personality.

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