However, whether they can gain a firm foothold and truly earn the Crown Prince's trust remains to be seen. Whether they can truly rise to become powerful elites under the Crown Prince's patronage is also uncertain.

There were no ceremonial guards, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Imperial Guard, and the Tiger Guard were already waiting at the Meridian Gate.

Wang Chengen is cautious and has already sent someone to communicate with Chang Mao. The Crown Prince is going to the Longjiang Shipyard today, and preparations need to be made in advance.

Since Chang Mao was the Crown Prince's second maternal uncle, Feng Cheng and Fu Rang could only listen at this moment. Feng Cheng, in particular, had just been reprimanded by the Crown Prince a few days ago and was still nervous. Even though he might inherit the title in the future, he dared not be arrogant or put on airs now.

Zhu Xi was a little unhappy and complained to Zhu Xiong Ying, "Why did you have to go to the shipyard? What's there to see there?!"

"Exactly!" Zhu Yue chimed in, "My sister and I finally managed to leave the palace, and you insisted on going to the shipyard!"

Looking at her two younger sisters, Zhu Xiong Ying gritted her teeth, "I shouldn't have been soft-hearted back then. I shouldn't have stopped you when you were having your feet bound!"

Foot binding has a long history, reportedly dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty and flourishing in the Southern Song Dynasty. It was not prohibited during the Jin and Yuan Dynasties.

Especially during the Yuan Dynasty, while the Mongols did not bind their feet, they did not oppose the practice; on the contrary, they appreciated it. This led to the continued development of foot binding during the Yuan Dynasty, and by the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the concept of being ashamed of not binding one's feet emerged.

Zhu Xi and Zhu Yue were annoyed and a little worried. "But everyone outside says it's bad not to have bound feet. I shouldn't have listened to you. It's just that it hurts..."

"Did the Empress Dowager bind her feet?" Zhu Xiong Ying interrupted immediately, saying with absolute certainty, "Did your two aunts bind their feet? You two remember this well: what the superiors like, the inferiors will follow even more fervently. I can't very well order them to stop now. But if we start by discouraging foot binding, these outdated customs should disappear in the future!"

Some customs cannot be changed overnight, especially with the encouragement of some pedantic literati, which made many people eager to practice foot binding.

Changing customs and traditions is not easy. Sometimes, it's not as simple as issuing a decree to change everyone's views. It takes a long time to gradually change some opinions.

Let's go check out the shipyard first. Although Zhu Yuanzhang has now issued a maritime ban, it doesn't mean that the Ming Dynasty doesn't have shipyards.

Longjiang Shipyard can be traced back to the Southern Song Dynasty, when it was called Longwandu Shipyard. Today, Longjiang Shipyard was the most advanced shipyard in the Ming Dynasty, and the ships it built were of excellent quality.

Zhu Xiong Ying still needs to go and take a look. A maritime ban is definitely out of the question!