"Grandmother, Grandfather was a great hero! He restored our Han people's land and restored our Chinese heritage! Your grandson also wants to be like Grandfather and become a great hero who stands tall and upright!"

Hearing Zhu Xiong Ying say this, Empress Ma smiled happily, but still said, "Ying'er, your imperial grandfather is now the emperor, the sovereign and father of the people! Ying'er, you must remember that you must not only be a great hero like your imperial grandfather, but also ensure that your people have enough to eat and warm clothes to wear!"

Seeing Zhu Xiong Ying nod, Empress Ma asked with a smile, "Ying'er, the morning lessons are done. What are you going to do next?"

"Grandson wants to go see his little sister!" Zhu Xiong Ying said matter-of-factly. "I'm the older brother, and I promised to take Xi'er out to play! Yue'er can't, she's too young, and Father and Mother won't allow me to take her out to play!"

Empress Ma found it amusing and then said, "Have your aunt lead you around the imperial city, but don't leave the palace."

Zhu Zhu, who was busy learning needlework, looked at her nephew with some exasperation and said irritably, "You're always causing trouble! Come on, I'll take you to see your sister-in-law!"

“Auntie, I’ll find you a great hero to marry someday!” Holding his auntie’s hand, Zhu Xiong Ying said matter-of-factly, “Auntie, Grandfather promised me!”

Zhu Zhu said irritably, "Marriage is a major event, naturally decided by parents and matchmakers. Father and Mother can make the decision for me! Besides, there's my elder brother, who can also make the decision. It's none of your business!"

Watching her youngest daughter and eldest grandson bickering as they walked away, Empress Ma couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, now she can have some peace and quiet." "Yu'er, go over there and keep an eye on things, make sure no one offends the Crown Prince."

Seeing the emperor's eldest daughter leading a little boy and a little girl, many concubines, princes, and princesses in the harem felt a pang of envy. This was truly the emperor's family!

The emperor has just had his seventeenth son and twelfth daughter, and his offspring are numerous.

But the concubines in the harem had long since given up hope; no matter how favored they were, they could never threaten the Empress's position. And the princes knew even better that even if they were granted the title of Prince, they would only be Princes. In their father's heart, the position of Crown Prince belonged to only one person.

The Empress's one son and two daughters constitute the Emperor's true family. The Crown Princess's one son and two daughters are now favored by the Emperor, who reportedly dotes on this grandson even more than on the former Crown Prince.

A young eunuch approached and whispered, "Your Highness, you have traveled quite a long way today. Please take a sedan chair."

"No need, I am the Emperor's grandson!" Zhu Xiong Ying waved away the little eunuch and asked, "Auntie, the Emperor said he begged for alms and traveled around begging for food. What is that?"

Zhu Zhu's face fell. Although she was the Empress's legitimate daughter and was favored compared to her other sisters, her father, the Emperor, was absolutely sexist, and there were some things she, as the legitimate daughter, dared not say.

Zhu Xiong Ying, the flower thief, picked many flowers with her aunt and younger sister. She happily wove several wreaths, one for her aunt and one for her younger sister. Her younger sister was too small, so she would have to wait.

"Mother, the Imperial Garden is full of beautiful flowers. Since you have difficulty moving around, I picked some fresh flowers for you!" Zhu Xiong Ying presented a flower wreath to Madam Chang and said, "Mother, do you like it?"

Madam Chang nodded happily; her eldest son was so lovable. But precisely because he was so endearing, there was no way to get him back from Kunning Palace!

Zhu Yuanzhang had finished his official duties and returned to Kunning Palace. He said with a smile, "My eldest grandson has made a mess of the Imperial Garden, picking lots of fresh flowers to make wreaths. Just wait, he'll definitely save the biggest and best one for you!"

Empress Ma glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang and knew that the emperor was feeling resentful again!

When alone, Zhu Xiong Ying's eyes reveal a maturity beyond her years.

For the past few years, he has been carefully pretending, relying on his age to act cute, all to win the favor of the emperor and empress. He is an adult at heart, and pretending to be a child who knows nothing is just too difficult.

However, judging from the current situation, Zhu Xiong Ying felt that everything was fine; he was indeed the imperial grandson in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes. Zhu Yunwen, who was already over a year old, was barely noticed by Zhu Yuanzhang. He was merely the son of a concubine of the crown prince, and thus received completely different treatment from the crown prince's eldest legitimate son.

In November of the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign, Crown Princess Chang gave birth to her second son, Zhu Yunwen, which should have been a joyous occasion.

Suddenly, the Crown Princess fell seriously ill and was on the verge of death. Even though she was only twenty-four years old and was the Crown Princess, in this era, many things were beyond her control and many things were beyond her power to change.

Compared to his bewildered younger siblings, Zhu Xiong Ying held Chang Shi's hand. Even if his heart was a stone, it had been warmed over the past few years.

Holding Chang's hand, Zhu Xiong Ying forced a smile, "Mother, please rest assured, I will take good care of my younger siblings and I will take good care of Father."

Zhu Yuanzhang, who was standing to the side, was taken aback. He then looked at the crown prince, who was just wiping away tears, and sighed softly.

Zhu Xiong Ying looked at Chang Shi, who was on the verge of death, with mixed feelings. "Mother, don't be afraid. Your maternal grandfather will definitely come to pick you up. Mother, if one day comes, I still want you to come and pick me up. At that time, I will definitely spend more time by your side."

Unable to speak, Chang tried to nod, but only two lines of tears flowed down her face.

Despite the pain, Zhu Xiong Ying continued, "Mother, thank you for bringing me into this world, thank you for your love over the years. Mother, don't be afraid, my maternal grandfather is a great general, no one dares to bully you! Mother, remember to come back and visit me often, remember to bless my father, and bless my younger brother and sister."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!