Zhu Xiong Ying knew that everyone would be quite busy recently, and no one could relax during this time.

Zhu Xiong Ying and Xu Miao Qing carefully examined the West Palace, the place where Old Zhu lived in seclusion after court. This couple now bore a heavy responsibility; the upcoming family banquet would be their responsibility, and only they were truly qualified to take charge.

Xu Miaoqing was somewhat worried and said to Zhu Xiong Ying, "There are fourteen rooms in the left and right wings, and twelve courtyards in total. There should be enough room to stay. But how to arrange it properly and how to do our best to accommodate everyone is a problem."

“Those who haven’t left the palace to establish their own residences yet will return to their palaces when the time comes.” Zhu Xiong Ying thought for a moment and then said, “It’s fine as long as the front hall is empty. The rear hall can be built by the Emperor. I reckon the Emperor should also have some of his uncles talk to him.”

Xu Miaoqing nodded naturally, without suggesting anything about expelling the adult imperial uncles from the capital. Zhu Xiong Ying and Xu Miaoqing had no need to worry about letting the adult imperial uncles stay overnight in the palace, or even actively creating opportunities for them to stay with their grandfather.

There's really nothing for them to worry about. They're just grandchildren and granddaughters-in-law now, and all they think about is making their grandfather happy, not the throne or any other ulterior motives.

The Emperor doted on them unconditionally, showering them with love and favor, and Zhu Xiong Ying felt she needed to be more sensible. She believed that more familial affection and warmth were needed now, rather than cold, impersonal status and imperial power, which she felt was unnecessary.

Shuangquan rushed over at this moment, "Your Highness, His Majesty has decreed that we must not be extravagant."

"I know, you can go back now. I know what's going on." Zhu Xiong Ying waved her hand and said to Shuang Quan, "Just send someone to tell me about these things. You still need to stay with your grandfather."

Shuangquan obediently left, and Zhu Xiong Ying naturally continued to discuss the family banquet with Xu Miao Qing. They seemed to be the real managers, and they were qualified to do this well.

Many things needed to be confirmed, and he had to inquire about almost everything, no matter how small. In fact, although Zhu Xiong Ying valued the family banquet, he also knew that such a banquet did not need to be so strict. It was not necessary to ensure that every seating arrangement, every person's words, and every form of address were correct.

Therefore, there is really no need to worry about many things. If there are basically no problems, then that's good enough. There's no need to be overly demanding.

Ultimately, this was a 'family banquet,' although royal family banquets were destined to be filled with intrigue and lacked some familial warmth. However, Zhu Xiong Ying couldn't do anything about it; all he could do was try his best to create a relatively warm family banquet atmosphere, which would make Old Zhu happy.

After leaving the West Palace, Zhu Xiong Ying went straight to the Ministry of Rites' office. He inquired in detail about the Emperor's birthday celebration, the cleaning and arrangement of the Huagai Hall, one of the three main halls of the former dynasty, and the list of officials and palace attendants who paid their respects. All of these were things that Zhu Xiong Ying cared about.

This is what it truly means to ask about every little detail; these are the kinds of things that absolutely cannot go wrong.

Once Zhu Xiong Ying was certain that there were no problems, she felt much more at ease and began to stroll leisurely toward the Qianqing Palace.

Seeing Zhu Xiong Ying pour himself a cup of tea, Old Zhu also advised, "We heard you went to the Ministry of Rites and asked a lot of questions. What's the point? Every year for birthdays, Spring Festival, and Winter Solstice, we follow the same procedure. Everyone below knows how to do it. What could go wrong?"

There's nothing wrong with what Lao Zhu said; it's basically true. The main issue is that many things seem to have a set pattern all along, so Zhu Xiong Ying doesn't need to do much.

Those things don't need much change. Just follow the existing rules and methods, and there won't be much chance of making mistakes. Everyone will be able to handle things smoothly.

"My grandson is also destined to be a busy man; he likes to ask about everything in order to understand things clearly." Zhu Xiong Ying laughed and said to Old Zhu, "I didn't realize it before, but now that I have so much to do, I like to ask about everything. It's the same with the people under me; they ask me about everything."

Old Zhu couldn't help but laugh. He was still self-aware enough to say, "If your subordinates make a decision without asking first, you might not say it, but you'd probably be unhappy about it. Your father is the same way; he always likes to ask questions."

Looking at Old Zhu, Zhu Xiong Ying said with utmost seriousness, "Grandpa Emperor, you are all descendants of the Zhu family, you are all the same!"

Old Zhu was in a good mood, and threw a useless memorial at him irritably, "You disrespectful brat, you need to be taught a lesson!"

Zhu Xiong Ying didn't think he deserved a beating, but his fat son certainly did. "Grandpa, everyone says that a doting mother spoils her son, but I don't think that's necessarily true. Father used to say that you were too indulgent towards your grandchildren and spoiled me. Now look at Yin'er, you've spoiled him way too much."

Old Zhu probably had a good idea about this. "We don't spoil everyone. We used to spoil your father, then you, and now we spoil Yin'er. We're getting older now, and our hearts are getting softer. We can't stand seeing children cry."

This is a basic fact: Zhu Yuanzhang's favoritism was consistent, primarily favoring the eldest son's lineage, specifically Empress Ma's. Therefore, Zhu Xiong Ying could be considered to have a legitimate advantage, essentially being born with an invincible position.

Old Zhu's statement about being soft-hearted is true, but Old Zhu's soft-heartedness is mainly towards his own family. Compared to before, he is much more soft-hearted in many other situations.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!