The series of family banquets put Zhu Yunying in a good mood. In particular, although he was reviewing memorials during this period, he basically did not attend court, which made things much quieter for him. All of this made him feel more at ease, relaxed, and comfortable.

This feeling was indeed quite wonderful, but Zhu Yunying also understood that such a life was somewhat luxurious for him. This idyllic life would probably only last a few days. If he didn't intend to be a negligent emperor, he shouldn't expect to be too idle; being busy was his primary way of life.

Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, Zhu Yunying did not rest. He went straight to the Qianqing Palace, as he still had many things to do.

Old Zhu lay down with a pot of wine and some soybeans, looking quite content. He wasn't surprised at all that his eldest grandson had come, and he wasn't upset that his great-grandson hadn't come either, considering it perfectly normal.

"Drink less!" Old Zhu said worriedly as he watched Xiao Zhu start pouring wine. "You've been drinking quite a bit these past few days."

Xiao Zhu didn't care and said rather proudly, "No one dares to force me to drink. I know my limits. I'll stop drinking when I've had enough. I may not be a good drinker, but I can still drink this little bit."

Hearing what Xiao Zhu said, Lao Zhu couldn't help but laugh. "As long as you know your limits, we can rest assured. Our grandson has been sensible and worry-free since he was a child. He knows what he should and shouldn't do."

Xiao Zhu couldn't help but laugh. He considered this assessment to be quite accurate and he wholeheartedly agreed with it.

As he drank his wine, Old Zhu asked, "What do you plan to do after you ascend the throne?"

Xiao Zhu answered without hesitation, "Following the established rules, there's nothing else to do for the time being. The relocation of people must continue, and I estimate this will continue for another ten years. The relocation of the capital must also be done well, and we'll move it slowly. We need to restore people's livelihoods, strengthen the nation, and incidentally sow discord among some of the surrounding vassal states."

Old Zhu looked at Little Zhu with a smile and said, "Aren't we going to fight in the north? We're mobilizing troops. The new emperor has ascended the throne. Fighting a big battle will boost our morale and help you control the court."

Well, some time ago, Zhu Yuanzhang himself was planning a northern expedition. It was clearly a preparation for Zhu Yuanzhang's ascension to the throne, to establish his authority over the remnants of the Mongol Yuan dynasty.

Little Zhu laughed and said nonchalantly, "That was planned by my grandfather himself. I still have some shame."

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Old Zhu said to Little Zhu, displeased. "We've given you this entire empire, what's yours and mine! We're willing to give you all of this. After you ascend the throne, make preparations. In the spring, we'll launch a large-scale northern expedition. Fu Youde and Lan Yu will each lead a force, and Jiujiang and your brother-in-law will jointly lead another. Our three armies will march straight to the heart of the enemy."

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Zhu said, "In that case, my cousin can only be a deputy general."

Old Zhu seemed to remember something and asked, "Ying'er, do you seem to dislike your cousin?"

Jiujiang, this is the famous Li Jinglong. He was truly remarkable. Not only was he Li Wenzhong's son, but he was also Zhu Yuanzhang's cousin. His ability to discuss military strategy and tactics on paper left many seasoned generals speechless. He was definitely a theoretical expert.

Xiao Zhu smiled and said, "It's not that I dislike my cousin, but among the younger generation of generals, I think Xu Huizu should lead the army; he's a brilliant commander. As for my cousin Jiujiang, he's even better at training troops. I'll need to use troops in various places in the future, and I don't want the local garrisons to fall into disrepair, so I can only have my cousin Jiujiang travel around more."

Old Zhu felt a pang of heartache and said, "In that case, it will be very difficult for your cousin to achieve any military merits."

“A couple of days ago, my uncle went to plead with Xu Huizu to relinquish his military power, but I stopped him today. However, in a few years, Xu Huizu will indeed be unsuitable to lead troops.” Zhu Yunying said with a smile to Old Zhu, “My uncle has no talent and is indeed not capable of leading troops alone. The same goes for my cousin, unless he is allowed to guard the border.”

Old Zhu was drinking when he suddenly laughed. “People used to say you were like me, and I know you’re just as ruthless as me! Many people outside say we’re cold-hearted, but what else can we do? We’re the emperor of the world, not just the emperor of our old brothers in Huaixi! We should be careful with the maternal relatives. In recent years, many maternal relatives have indeed become very powerful.”

“That makes sense, doesn’t it?” Xiao Zhu immediately laughed and said with a hint of pride, “We’ve only been in this country for a short time, so it’s still okay for the maternal relatives to lead the army. In another ten or twenty years, the maternal relatives should gradually relinquish their military power. Whether it’s my maternal uncle or my cousin from Jiujiang, they’re just bannermen. We can give them honors, but they can’t lead troops.”

Old Zhu was quite satisfied with his grandson's arrangement; it was the right thing to do.

As emperor, one cannot be completely open with everyone; necessary checks and balances are still required. Regardless of whether someone is a brother, cousin, or uncle, the emperor is responsible for the entire nation—in other words, for the Zhu family's empire.

Being a little suspicious isn't necessarily a bad thing for an emperor. However, being overly trusting of others is what Zhu Yuanzhang considered the most undesirable quality.

Old Zhu looked at Little Zhu and continued to ask, "Ying'er, if this battle is won, the remnants of the Mongol Yuan forces, who have only just recovered some strength, will be scattered again. Next, are you planning to take over Goryeo?"

"Goryeo is actually a good thing for us right now," Xiao Zhu laughed, quite pleased with himself. "We already have Busan Port, giving us a base for a two-pronged attack. Besides, Yi Seong-gye's usurpation of the throne has left the people of Goryeo disloyal, and some are even rebelling."

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