Especially after his younger sister became the Crown Prince's consort, Xu Yungong became even more low-key. He was not only strict with himself, but also with his younger siblings, and extremely strict with everyone in the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion. He was definitely one of the noble families with the best family tradition in the Ming Dynasty.

The brothers Xu Yingxu, the Vice Commander of the Central Army, and Xu Zengshou, the Vice Commander of the Right Army, also learned some things. They knew that their eldest brother had led a group of new and old military officers to cause a ruckus in the Six Ministries.

Upon returning to the Prince of Zhongshan's residence, Xu Yungong said, "Second Prince, Fourth Prince, starting today, you two will take turns leading men to cause trouble at the Six Ministries."

Xu Yingxu hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Brother, won't this put the Crown Princess in a difficult position? What if those scholars say something about the Xu family..."

“It’s not just you two who should cause trouble, you should make it bigger!” Xu Yungong said to his two younger brothers from the main seat, “From this day forward, the Zhongshan Prince’s Mansion shall become more assertive! You two should also be careful when you’re out in public. You can be high-profile in official matters, but be cautious and not arrogant in private matters!”

Xu Yingxu and Xu Zengshou were dumbfounded. They were going to cause trouble at the Six Ministries. Was this official business? Wasn't this arrogant enough?

Xu Zengshou seemed to remember something, and couldn't help but get excited, "Brother, is it His Majesty's health...?"

"Shut up!" Xu Yungong glared at the fourth son. Xu Da had four sons; the second son died young, but that couldn't be ignored. "You all just focus on doing your own things and don't get involved in the affairs of the Crown Prince!"

Xu Yingxu and Xu Zengshou nodded silently. Their eldest brother was the eldest son, and could be considered a father figure to them. After all, their father had led troops in the field, and Xu Yingxu and Xu Zengshou had grown up with their eldest brother. Moreover, the upbringing and education their eldest brother had received over the years were different from theirs.

Xu Yungong did indeed need to be more high-profile, because the Crown Prince wanted to cultivate military merit. The civil service, particularly the scholars, actually possessed a continuous capacity for self-sufficiency, with a constant stream of scholars entering the court through the imperial examinations.

As for the military merits, there seems to be no need to worry right now, as some of the founding generals are still alive, and there are also some outstanding members of the second generation of military merits. However, it is clear that the Crown Prince is still not satisfied, and he wants to cultivate the military merits' ability to generate new talent.

Previously, the system of evaluating military merit and granting titles was one measure. Now, the Crown Prince wants to establish the Imperial Guard Orphan Army and the Academy of Heroic Sons. This is not only to win over the hearts of military men, but also to continuously generate new blood for military merit.

Guo Ying returned to his residence and immediately summoned his eldest son, Guo Zhen. Naturally, he had to give him a thorough lecture. Although Guo Zhen was the Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant, the title of Marquis of Wuding needed to be passed down to the right person.

While Consort Guo Ning, the younger sister, is helping to cultivate relationships and build goodwill within the palace, this doesn't mean the Guo family can't make a move. The Marquis of Wuding's family should steadfastly follow in the Crown Prince's footsteps; they should become his vanguard. Even if they can't replace the Xu and Chang families, they should at least become the Crown Prince's trusted confidants.

Song Zhong eagerly delivered the report, and Zhu Xiong Ying thought Xu Yun Gong had done a good job.

Then he saw that his chubby son had been brought back, and the little guy had clearly had a lot of fun. He had just drunk some milk and was fast asleep, probably because he was tired from playing.

Zhu Xiong Ying was quite pleased to have such a fine son. "Wang Cheng En, go to the Prince of Zhongshan's residence to deliver the imperial decree. Or forget it, just send three cloaks over. Say that the Crown Princess is concerned about them and that in a few days, the Crown Princess's female relatives and younger relatives will be allowed to enter the palace."

Zhu Xiong Ying didn't need to intervene, since no fight broke out anyway. Even when the civil officials submitted memorials, Zhu Xiong Ying would just glance at them and remain noncommittal.

The Xu family is going to be based in Yingtian Prefecture, the secondary capital, so Zhu Xiong Ying naturally needs to support them. During this period, Xu Yun Gong and others should be more assertive, and the Xu family should receive more favor.

While the civil and military officials were still making a fuss, the Embroidered Uniform Guard delivered a secret report by fast horse, leaving Zhu Xiong Ying dumbfounded.

It must be the habitual offender, Fifth Uncle, who instigated Yun-teng!

The King of Zhou once again left his fiefdom without permission. This was not a case of forgetting past mistakes; it was a sign of utter impunity.

I still have to tell Grandfather about this. It's an awkward thing to say. Why did Yunhu have to walk into the trap when Fifth Uncle wanted to run away from home? Now he's an accomplice!