“Father, although I have been in charge of the government, I have not yet been able to control the court. There are still many state affairs that have not been sorted out. Father cannot abdicate at this time.”

“Biao’er, you’ve been in charge of government for over ten years. We’ve left you with enough civil and military officials, and you have high prestige, so there’s nothing to worry about. Besides, this time we’re just taking some unrelated people with us, so it won’t affect the operation of the court.”

"Father, Ying'er was just joking, please don't take it seriously!"

"Nonsense! You've been the crown prince for twenty years, it's time for you to ascend the throne! We'll take Ying'er and build you a new house!"

Zhu Xiong Ying, who was watching the drama unfold, immediately laughed and said, "Grandpa Emperor is right! My father was conquering the world in Yingtian Prefecture, and Grandpa Emperor is taking me to build a house, a big house!"

Zhu Biao was silent for a moment, then said, "Ying'er should stay in Yingtian Prefecture, and let Yunwen go to Beiping with Father Emperor."

Old Zhu glared at Zhu Biao and said irritably, "We only love our eldest grandson. Without him, we can't eat or sleep well, and we don't even have anyone to confide in! You know what we're thinking when I take Yunwen away!"

"Grandpa Emperor, I know everything!" Zhu Xiong Ying answered quickly, grinning. "Isn't it just that we're worried about something going wrong if Yunwen stays here? If we take him to Beiping, he won't be able to cause any trouble right under our noses."

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and continued, "Then when I ascend the throne, I will appoint Ying'er as the Crown Prince, just as Father Emperor did back then."

Old Zhu laughed heartily and pointed at Zhu Biao, saying, "You said you didn't want to be emperor, but you've already thought it through when it came to ascending the throne!"

Inside the Wuying Hall, these three generations chatted and laughed, seemingly discussing everyday matters, such as the inheritance and distribution of their family's small plot of land. But this symbolized the beginning of a momentous upheaval in the Ming Dynasty.

To be honest, Zhu Xiong Ying was also deeply shaken.

Having tasted the power, no one is willing to give it up. But in Old Zhu's heart, the empire he had built should be smoothly handed over to his son, without the slightest reluctance!

Such parental love is truly touching!

Abdicate, ascend the throne, move the capital!

These three things don't start at the same time, but it's time to start taking immediate action and prepare for the series of major changes to come.

Old Zhu fell ill immediately after the Crown Prince returned to Yingtian Prefecture, but the civil and military officials didn't need to worry too much. Over the years, everyone had long been used to this.

Zhu Biao had issued an edict long ago that memorials should first be sent to the Crown Prince, who would then process them before sending them to Zhu Biao... Zhu Biao had been ruling as regent for nearly fifteen years, and with the Eastern Palace staff he shared with Zhu Biao, the transfer of power was seamless.

It was incredibly smooth, without the slightest bit of pain.

Prince Qin, Zhu Shuang, was imprisoned in the capital for three months before being allowed to return to his fiefdom with the strong support of Zhu Biao. However, the fourth prince, Zhu Di, was immediately summoned back to Yingtian Prefecture and had no intention of letting him return to Beiping for the time being.

In the twenty-first year of the Hongwu reign, General Lan Yu, the Grand General of the Northern Expedition, led his left and right deputy generals, Marquis of Yan'an Tang Shengzong and Marquis of Wuding Guo Ying, with Vice Commander-in-Chief Geng Zhong and Sun Ke as his left and right assistant generals, to lead an army of 150,000 men on the seventh northern expedition against the Northern Yuan.

In March of that year, they discovered that Emperor Tianyuan, Togus Temur, was at Buyur Lake, and decided to march quickly to attack the emperor's location.

On April 12, they arrived at the southern shore of Buyur Lake and discovered that Togus Temur's camp was located more than 80 li northeast of Buyur Lake.

The Ming army descended like a divine force, taking advantage of the darkness and sandstorm to catch the Northern Yuan off guard.

Completely unprepared, Togus Temur fled hastily with his Crown Prince Tianbaonu, the Imperial Censor Nieqielai, the Prime Minister Shiliemen, and several dozen other riders. Lan Yu led the Ming army's elite cavalry in pursuit for over a thousand miles but failed to catch up. However, shortly after Togus Temur's escape, he was strangled by his general Yesudier.

However, this battle caught the Northern Yuan Grand Commandant Manzi, who had remained at the camp, off guard and he was defeated and killed. The remaining Northern Yuan nobles surrendered. They captured Dibaonu, the second son of the Tianyuan Emperor, along with over a hundred concubines, princesses, and others. Later, they also captured Prince Wu, Duerzhi, Prince Dai, Dalima, and three thousand officials below the rank of Pingzhang.

They captured over 77,000 soldiers and men, as well as imperial seals, edicts, gold and silver seals, and over 150,000 horses, camels, cattle, and sheep. They also burned countless pieces of armor and weapons.

The administrative structure of the Northern Yuan was almost completely destroyed, and Lan Yu can be said to have reached the pinnacle of his military career, achieving feats comparable to those of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.

Old Zhu laughed heartily, the formidable military force he left for his son had rendered him a great service. The remnant Yuan administrative structure was now destroyed, and it wouldn't last much longer.

At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang felt that although there were still some minor disturbances and wars around the Ming Dynasty, the overall situation was relatively peaceful, and the national power of the Ming Dynasty was even stronger.

Abdication now seems more appropriate.

The emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, who was said to be unwell, was holed up in his Qianqing Palace. There were many voices outside, as the emperor had not appeared in court for two months, and the crown prince was the one handling the government and overseeing the country.

Even though the Crown Prince had experience overseeing the country before, considering Zhu Yuanzhang's age, his sudden "illness" inevitably led to much speculation. Moreover, at this time, voices in the court were also saying that moving the capital was inevitable.

Old Zhu, holding a list with great interest, said to Zhu Xiong Ying, who was lying on the dragon bed, "Ying'er, come and see the officials of the Eastern Palace that we have arranged for you."

Zhu Xiong Ying rolled over, ignoring him. He really couldn't understand it; Old Zhu seemed tireless, and even triathlon champions underestimated him.

After receiving no response for a while, Old Zhu turned around and saw his lazy eldest grandson. He smiled and leaned over, "Ying'er, still sleeping?"

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