As Zhu Yuanzhang's favorite son-in-law, Mei Yin was summoned to the palace, but when he left, his expression was not pleasant. Soon after, Liu Zhi was also summoned to the palace, and left with a similarly troubled expression.

Whether something is easy to store or not is a question that's difficult to answer definitively right now. Currently, many people only discuss it privately, and no one dares to bring such topics up for discussion openly.

Moreover, during this period, some of the policies implemented by the Crown Prince were swiftly and decisively promoted by Zhu Yuanzhang.

The matter of almshouses goes without saying. As an emperor who loved his people dearly, Zhu Yuanzhang would never allow his subjects to be left without support in old age or without care for the young. Almshouses were to be established in every prefecture and county. This matter needed to be steadily promoted, and it would also become a standard for evaluating local officials.

The Central Military Command will be responsible for the management of the Martyrs' Cemetery, which will be built in Fengyang, the central capital. The children of martyrs can enter the cemetery to guard and pay respects at the imperial tombs. They will also undergo training to become members of the Imperial Guard.

The Imperial Academy should not think that it has nothing to do with them. If the sons of meritorious soldiers are unable to join the army, they can enter the Imperial Academy.

Although Zhu Xiong Ying seemed to have control of the court, his grasp of the government was nowhere near that of Emperor Zhu. Under Zhu Xiong Ying, many things might seem to progress smoothly, but they could also encounter perfunctory responses and excuses. But under Emperor Zhu, who would dare not go to great lengths?!

Even some of the things Zhu Xiong Ying did were only done out of respect for him. If Zhu Xiong Ying wanted to completely control the court, he still needed to work harder; what he was doing now was not good enough, not perfect enough.

Zhu Xiong Ying, who continued to stay in the Eastern Palace, seemed to have been deprived of his right to participate in politics. Now he just stayed in the Eastern Palace, spending his days drinking and appreciating flowers with his wives and concubines, or playing with the children, which was indescribably pleasant.

However, Zhu Xiong Ying was not lacking in information channels regarding matters of the court, and he was well aware of many things.

It's best not to comment too much; Zhu Xiong Ying knows it's not the right time for him to step forward. He also understands that this is just an appetizer, and many things are about to happen.

As a relative of the emperor's mother, Mei Yin was generally easier to guard against, and there were many examples of relatives of the emperor interfering in politics throughout history. However, as Zhu Xiong Ying's 'eldest uncle', Mei Yin still had a voice in the Taisun faction, while Liu Zhi, as Zhu Xiong Ying's younger uncle, was even more valued by the Taisun faction.

Everyone understood that the Crown Prince had grown up under the care of his two aunts. His younger aunt, Princess Anqing, in particular, had a very close relationship with him.

It's not so much that a storm is brewing, but many people seem to have already realized something at this point. Perhaps the Crown Prince's confinement to the Eastern Palace isn't as complicated as it seems; it's simply His Majesty's conscious effort to protect him.

The Crown Prince can enjoy such treatment, but others cannot. Even the Emperor's favorite son-in-law does not receive such treatment and may even become a thorn in the side of other members of the imperial clan.

Although Mei Yin felt helpless, he understood that he had no other choice. The only thing he could do was to carry out the tasks assigned by His Majesty the Emperor. That was the only option he could make, and that was the necessity of his existence.

It was another morning court session, and no one expected anything major to happen, mainly because things had been generally calm lately. The only thing that was likely the Crown Prince being confined to the Eastern Palace was that many people were speculating about it privately, but no one was immediately bringing it to the forefront.

The atmosphere in the court has been rather strange lately, so it's best to keep a low profile. You can't become His Majesty's punching bag at this time; that would be a very bad thing.

In the midst of an eerie silence, Mei Yin suddenly stood up and pointed out that the princes were being treated too generously and that it was necessary to further distinguish their ranks and authority in order to avoid confusion between legitimate and illegitimate children and disorder between the superior and inferior.

This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened in the Ming Dynasty, and many things were indeed constantly being improved. For example, in the past, the princes' clothing and carriages were exactly the same as the crown prince's, but now that had changed; the crown prince's ceremonial procession was very different from that of the princes.

Now that these issues are being brought up again, it seems that the princes are being treated too well and their status is too high, so it's time to find a way to restrain them.

Ru Chang, Zhuo Jing, Yan Zhenzhi, and others immediately seconded the motion. These obvious members of the Crown Prince's faction seemed to have known about these matters long ago and followed up immediately, clearly supporting the suggestion without reservation.

The princes are being treated too well, so it's certainly worth considering reducing their allowances a bit. There's nothing wrong with doing so.

This can be considered a "popular" event, and it's estimated that apart from some princes and dukes, everyone else would be happy to see it happen. After all, throughout history, only the princes of the Ming Dynasty enjoyed such good material treatment, and the imperial family members received such generous treatment.

Zhu Xiong Ying, who was closely following the matter, was also quite disappointed. The so-called reduction was actually just a reduction of some of the princes' privileges, such as the kneeling and bowing of civil and military officials.

In reality, it doesn't really affect the actual benefits of those princes; at most, it only slightly impacts their previously seemingly high and mighty status.

Zhu Xiong Ying was slightly disappointed. Now, the details of the ceremonial guards and attire for princes and dukes have been clarified, and the treatment these people will receive at the enfeoffment ceremony has been determined.

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