Zhu Yunying understood that in Old Zhu's eyes, some cunning schemes were acceptable. However, as an emperor, one also needed to be strong and domineering enough; mere cunning was far from sufficient.

"Grandfather, we are well aware of this matter," Zhu Yunying said with a smile to his father. "I have read some books that say Cao Cao beheaded the grain officer to stabilize the morale of the army. I am actually similar. I know that when an emperor is in power, there are some people who can be spared, but he will still kill them."

Hearing Zhu Yunying's statement, Old Zhu was even more satisfied. This was why he favored young Zhu; this was how an emperor should be.

Sometimes Zhu Yuanzhang understood that some people could be spared, and even knew that some people were completely innocent. But sometimes, he would still be ruthless. He was the emperor, and he didn't need absolute 'fairness and justice'. What he needed was a stable court and peace throughout the land. What he needed was better control over the court.

So sometimes, if someone is wronged, that's that; Old Zhu doesn't need to care about those things at all.

In a good mood, Old Zhu said, "It's alright. We're relieved that you have such insight at your age. What we fear most is that you're young and impetuous, and your methods are either naive or crude. Those old foxes in the court, don't be fooled by their apparent fear of you. But you still need to be careful; those people might want to trick you at any time."

Zhu Yunying agreed with this, saying, "Of course we understand. Fortunately, my grandfather taught me carefully, and I do have some talent. I think it's time to let Yin'er start getting some exposure to things in a few years. When he's twelve or thirteen, we'll start letting him practice."

Being an emperor isn't something you can learn overnight; there are many things you need to learn.

Old Zhu suddenly sighed and said, "Your father was the crown prince for almost thirty years, and he didn't really participate in government affairs in his early years..."

“If we can live to sixty or seventy, our Yin’er will be the crown prince for sixty or seventy years.” Zhu Yunying suddenly chuckled and said proudly, “I think if he really has the skills and experience, he should be around forty years old when he is in his prime. Our Yin’er should also gain experience early, so that when he is in his twenties or thirties, he can help us.”

Old Zhu thought for a moment and said, "Yin'er is a bit different from you. You are precocious and shrewd. That little thing is a little tyrant."

Speaking of this, Zhu Yunying couldn't help but complain, "Our father used to say that Grandfather dotes on him and is reluctant to scold or beat him. But if Grandfather really gets angry, our father is still afraid. We are better off growing up with Grandfather and know that Grandfather dotes on us, so we are not afraid. But Grandfather, Yin'er is too disrespectful in front of you."

This is a euphemism; the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren is vividly demonstrated in Old Zhu's case.

Old Zhu wasn't embarrassed and said, "I used to spoil your father because he was successful. You are our eldest grandson, so of course we spoil you and can't bear to see you suffer. It's just that Yin'er is strange. We're not afraid of your father or you being wronged. If you make a mistake, we'll scold you if we need to. We can't control our temper when you make mistakes. But when we see Yin'er, we just can't get angry. We're afraid that he won't be close to us."

Well, there's no reasoning with them here. Grandparents' affection for their grandchildren is already formidable enough. Grandparents' affection for their grandchildren is even more perplexing. With the grandparents around, the grandchildren naturally feel emboldened.

Old Zhu suddenly said, "Yin'er will inevitably be the crown prince many times in the future, so you should be careful."

Zhu Yunying nodded and said seriously, "We know this. The crown prince of our Great Ming Dynasty is different from the crown prince of the previous dynasty. We have known this since the time our grandfather decided to establish the eldest son of the legitimate wife. In fact, we are not afraid of our grandfather because we are the eldest grandson of the legitimate wife. Otherwise, we would not dare to cause trouble in front of our grandfather."

Old Zhu laughed heartily, pointed at Zhu Yunying and said, "That makes sense. Your early intelligence makes us and your grandmother happy. If you were the second or third son, we would be worried."

After the jokes and casual conversation, Zhu Yunying said, "The reason I asked my grandfather to come this time is because we plan to reform the Shenji Battalion. This is a very important matter, and we're not very knowledgeable about military affairs, so I asked my grandfather to come and take a look!"