Zhu Yunying was well aware of many things; he knew what he should do and what he shouldn't do.

The same applies to Zhu Gui's case; Zhu Yunying is currently unable to immediately impose the most severe punishment. However, remaining silent would clearly not be the behavior of a competent emperor.

After having dinner with Zhu Yunying, Zhu Yunying naturally strolled around the palace. It wouldn't hurt to visit his second son, who was, after all, a father. Even though Zhu Yunying himself felt he was biased, he couldn't simply ignore it at this stage.

Lady Wang had clearly learned her lesson; the arrogance she felt after giving birth to the prince seemed to have vanished. She had initially hoped to leverage her son's birth to elevate her status, but now she appeared much more cautious, afraid of saying the wrong thing again.

At that point, not only will she fall out of favor, but her son will also inevitably suffer neglect.

She couldn't become the crown prince, nor dared to aspire to the throne, but the position of a prince was still indispensable. This was an extremely prestigious position, and her son couldn't be deprived of his opportunity because of her; it was, in fact, an honor for the Wang family itself.

Zhu Yunying flicked Zhu Wenjin's cheek and said in a good mood, "She wasn't this chubby and tender a while ago. She's much more fun now."

Wang Shi became a little bolder, but still remained cautious. "Your Majesty, Jin'er eats and sleeps very well. I also heard from the nanny that babies grow very fast these days; they grow quite a bit in just a few days."

“That makes sense, chubby ones are just more fun.” Zhu Yunying was in a good mood and said to Wang Shi, “We remember you have family members on your mother’s side, so let your mother and sister-in-law come over tomorrow. They should see our son, and they should see your offspring too.”

This made Lady Wang excited and happy. In fact, many people were aware of some of the emperor's tricks.

In the palace, especially in the harem, it's easy to tell whether a concubine is favored. Besides whether the Emperor visits her for a meal, the rewards he bestows upon her also reveal her status. Being allowed to bring one's maternal family into the palace, even just for lunch, is considered an immense honor.

Lady Wang is now considered qualified, as she has given birth to the emperor's second son, which is naturally a great honor.

After playing with his second son for a while and getting him fast asleep, Zhu Yunying simply chatted with Lady Wang. Wang Chengen then came over, and although Lady Wang felt somewhat resentful, she dared not say anything more. Even the Empress dared not interfere in court affairs, let alone an ordinary concubine like Lady Wang; at this time, she should be even more obedient.

Back at Chunhe Palace, Zhu Yunying looked around and said, "Let the Consort and the Princess come with us, we'll go together."

Little Zhu rushed over, looking very aggrieved, "Dad, even crying won't get us anywhere if Great-Grandfather doesn't come!"

This is what it means to be spoiled and arrogant – that's little Zhu for you. The child is quite clever now, and he understands some things. For example, he knows his great-grandfather dotes on him, and crying and making a scene in front of his great-grandfather is a powerful tactic, but this time it clearly didn't work.

Patting Little Zhu's bottom, Zhu Yunying said, "If you don't want to go, then don't go. Today we'll take you to see your fifth uncle and your cousin."

Little Zhu tilted his head and said, "I don't remember Fifth Uncle anymore, but I remember Third Uncle."

Zhu Yunying felt embarrassed and quickly corrected him, "Today when I see your third uncle, I should call him second uncle. When I see your second uncle, I should call him third uncle."

Little Zhu certainly didn't understand the intricacies of the situation; his little head was full of big question marks. Xu Miaoqing, on the other hand, chuckled to herself; she knew the ins and outs of the family business. In her husband's eyes, Zhu Yunwen was his younger brother, while Zhu Yuntong was just a younger brother.

Lian Qiongqiong arrived with Zhu Ruyi by the hand, somewhat curious. "Your Majesty, I greet you. Your Majesty, I greet you. Your Majesty the Empress."

"It's the fourth prince's birthday, let's go over." Zhu Yunying laughed and said, "You come along too, after all, she's your sister-in-law. The Empress has arranged a marriage for the fourth prince, you can talk to them about it later."

This was a great honor bestowed upon Lian Qiongqiong; one should know that such matters were generally the Empress's responsibility.

Zhu Ruyi rushed over; she was still very affectionate towards Xiao Zhu. Most of the time, she was still her sweet little darling.

On the Five Dragon Bridge, the emperor's entourage, the empress's entourage, and the crown prince's entourage were already set up. Outside the palace, there were also some Imperial Guards, Han generals, or soldiers of the Beijing Garrison. As for the Five City Garrison, constables, and yamen runners, they could only maintain order on the perimeter.

The massive entourage slowly left the palace. The Crown Prince's entourage was empty, with no one sitting in it. The Crown Prince and the Princess were being led by Zhu Yunying.

Zhu Yunwen was undoubtedly excited at this moment. His fourth son had not yet been formally granted a title and was still living with his mother. This time, his elder brother had come to the Xu Prince's residence specifically to hold a birthday banquet for his fourth son, which was an extraordinary event.

The fourth prince's birthday celebration wasn't supposed to be particularly lively, but it suddenly became a big event after the emperor announced that he would be there in person.

“Your Majesty values ​​rules the most, so you should be mindful of your words and actions.” Zhu Yunwen said sternly, still behaving like an older brother. “You’re not young anymore, and it’s time for you to be granted a title of prince. Your Majesty will certainly not mistreat you, but you must remember to never overstep your bounds.”

As Zhu Yunxuan obediently nodded, Zhu Yunwen looked at his fifth son, Zhu Yunxi, and said, "You mustn't be naughty either. Don't cause trouble when you see the Crown Prince. You are a subject, and you must behave properly in front of the Crown Prince. You should also know the difference between ruler and subject!"

Sitting to the side, Lady Lü felt a pang of bitterness. Her son had long since accepted his status and accepted reality. As for Lady Lü herself, she now only dared to think about it when no one was around. Even when she spoke to herself, she was afraid of being overheard, afraid that her past actions had disgusted the emperor, and afraid that her behavior would cause her sons to suffer.

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