The fact that Emperor Zhu Yunying was a poet might surprise some people, because many people know that this emperor was not interested in the Four Books and Five Classics, and like Emperor Hongwu, he never lacked the suppression and exclusion of literati.

Looking back now, from the founding of the Ming Dynasty to the present, there have been very few truly talented poets, a significant difference compared to the Tang and Song Dynasties. Very few masterpieces have been passed down through generations. Is it possible that only the emperors of the Ming Dynasty will leave behind a legacy of timeless works?!

Zhu Yunying felt that this phenomenon required vigilance.

His officials and scholars could compose poetry in their spare time, but it certainly wouldn't do if they made it their entire lives. If this were to start, there might become "Prime Ministers of Qingci" (poems written in the style of Qingci), with everyone writing songs, prayers, and pleas for divine intervention.

Getting things done is more important, and this was also Zhu Yunying's requirement for officials. He didn't expect everyone to be diligent or to be a paragon of justice, but he certainly couldn't tolerate officials who held positions without doing their jobs.

The news of Zhu Yunying's poetic talent had just spread when it was suddenly shattered by a series of other reports.

The messenger appeared in Yingtian Prefecture again, this time bringing news that Princess Changlan of Kaiping had passed away.

Zhu Yunying was stunned. Even though he had some bad premonitions beforehand, he still held onto a sliver of hope that his maternal grandmother would be blessed with good fortune and that this was just a false alarm.

But now, the news has arrived, shattering his last shred of hope.

Old Zhu also received the news. With a sigh, Old Zhu found Zhu Yunying and said, "Your maternal grandmother is gone, and that's that. She was so old. Now that her children and grandchildren are all successful, she can rest in peace."

That makes sense. Considering Chang Lan's age, she's not exactly dying young. Her children and grandchildren are all successful, so Chang Lan can indeed rest easy.

Old Zhu continued to persuade her, saying, "Her son is a Duke, her brother is also a Duke, and her grandson is either an emperor or a prince. She hasn't suffered any hardship all these years. How many people in this world can enjoy such glory?"

Zhu Yunying forced a smile and said to his grandfather, "Grandfather, I naturally understand this. However, she is still our maternal grandmother, and I feel somewhat saddened. Besides, we have also failed her somewhat over the years."

"Ying'er, remember this well, you are the emperor!" Old Zhu said sternly to Zhu Yunying, "You are the emperor, you cannot have such thoughts! The world, what we need you to protect is the world, the Zhu family's empire! Not to mention your maternal grandmother, even your imperial grandfather, you must be willing to sacrifice it!"

Being all alone—this is perhaps the inescapable fate of most emperors.

However, Zhu Yunying was somewhat relieved, as he no longer needed to consider these things and was no longer truly alone.

Zhu Yunying nodded and said to Old Zhu, "Over the years, my maternal grandmother has been running around tirelessly. It's true she's of high status, but she's sacrificed a lot for us. In many things, we've used the Chang and Lan families as stepping stones."

Old Zhu nodded in agreement. The Chang family had indeed been repeatedly used as examples over the years, and naturally, they didn't have many complaints. As long as it benefited Zhu Yunying, they would carry it out without hesitation.

"Go and see your grandmother off then; she's had a hard life too," Old Zhu sighed. "To be honest, all these years she's been thinking about you the most."

It's fair to say that Chang Lan's life was miserable; she certainly had a tragic fate.

She lost her father at a young age and struggled to survive with her younger brother. She finally met a good man, but he died young. Her three sons were alright, though they were late in having grandchildren. Her only daughter became the Crown Princess, but she also died young.

Some things are indeed better left unsaid, Zhu Yunying simply sighed, "Grandfather, it's best if you issue her a decree; it's not appropriate for us to do so."

"Of course, you don't need to tell me that," Old Zhu said matter-of-factly. "We still remember her. Putting aside the fact that she's Old Chang's wife, she's your maternal grandmother, the mother of your mother. We cherish her kindness."

This was absolutely what Old Zhu truly felt. He was always very strict with others, but he was always very lenient with his own family. Chang Lanshi was, in a sense, Old Zhu's relative, practically in-laws.

The death of the Emperor's maternal grandmother is a momentous event, especially since she is the elder sister of Princess Kaiping and Duke Liang, Lan Yu. This is clearly not something to be taken lightly.

Emperor Zhu personally wrote the eulogy, which was a great honor for Lady Changlan after her death. The Ministry of Rites also needed to intervene at this time, not only because Lady Changlan was the current emperor's maternal grandmother, but also because she was the Princess Consort of Kaiping, and her funeral naturally needed to be conducted according to certain regulations.

Zhu Yue arrived at the East Palace in tears, grabbed Zhu Yunying's hand, and cried, "Brother, Grandmother is gone!"

"Yes, don't cry. Grandma didn't have any regrets when she passed away." Zhu Yunying said, patting Zhu Yue's head. "You'll come with us later, and we'll go see Grandma off. Speaking of which, we, as her grandsons, have done so much to let her down."

Zhu Yue shook her head and said with certainty, "Grandmother adores my brother, we all know that! She'll be so happy if he can go see her off. But brother, can you go?"

The reason for this question is largely because Zhu Yunying was the emperor, while Changlan was a subject. At this time, people were discussing the titles of emperor and subject, while the generational relationship such as grandfather and grandson was secondary.

"We can go. No one can change our decision," Zhu Yunying said with absolute certainty. "Later, you and your sister-in-law should prepare a brocade quilt for your maternal grandmother."

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!