Old Zhu pointed at Zhu Yunwen, looking utterly disappointed. "Forget it, we're too lazy to talk to you. If you were half as smart as your elder brother, we'd be saved a lot of trouble. You're such a fool, you're only good because your elder brother protects you."

Zhu Yunwen couldn't help but laugh. He didn't think it was anything shameful; on the contrary, it was something he was proud of.

"Father said the court belongs to the court, and we belong to us," Little Zhu said confidently, helping his uncle with his teachings, though it was just Little Zhu relaying some of his own words. "We must care for the orphans, the widows, the elderly, and the young; only then can we have a good reputation!"

Old Zhu, holding Little Zhu's hand, said, "Let's go to your Fifth Prince's residence. Your Second Uncle can definitely make up the difference for you."

There was no need to linger any longer, because Old Zhu felt that his mission at the Wu Prince's Mansion had been accomplished.

Gu Li

This trip wasn't just to visit relatives. Old Zhu was clearly on a special mission, bringing Little Zhu out of the palace with him.

Moreover, it was clear that Zhu Yunwen's plan was not only to visit his grandson, Zhu Yunwen, but also to see his other descendants, so his schedule was relatively tight.

Now that Zhu Yunwen has agreed to provide 15,000 taels, Old Zhu won't delay any longer. He still has to go to the next place, so he doesn't need to worry about not being able to keep the amount Zhu Yunwen promised; that's simply not the case.

Zhu Yunwen, who was used to taking advantage of others, didn't know what to say. He usually swindled and cheated his elder brother to get some benefits. This was one of the reasons why the Wu Prince's Mansion, although somewhat luxurious, never had to worry about being in dire straits.

But now things are really messed up; he needs to come up with a large sum of money. Fifteen thousand li is not a crippling amount for the Wu Prince's Mansion, but it is certainly not a small sum either.

Old Zhu was in a good mood. Zhu Yunwen took out 15,000 taels of silver. This could not be considered to solve the immediate crisis, but it could not be said that this amount of silver was useless.

This sum of money alone could support about a hundred families comfortably for a year. Aside from the new clothes, the elderly and children in the nursing home would likely also be able to enjoy meat.

However, in Lao Zhu's view, this amount is not enough. He still needs to take Xiao Xiao Zhu forward and there are still many things to do.

They also wanted to visit the other descendants, not just to go, but to get more money. The main purpose was to make such a grand display so that the whole world would know about it.

This is undoubtedly a good deed. If an ordinary wealthy family did it, they might gain a good reputation and be grateful. But since it is the Crown Prince who has stepped forward, it naturally carries an unusual significance.

Even though Little Zhu doesn't understand prices right now, Old Zhu doesn't think Little Zhu needs to know these things. Little Zhu only needs to show his kindness and do some good deeds, and that will be enough.

As for how to spread Zhu's fame, or how to gain praise from the court and the public through such an action, you'll need to put in a little effort from Zhu himself.

This is why Zhu Yuanzhang, somewhat unusually, displayed a grand procession; he didn't mind ordinary people watching. In fact, among the onlookers were many from the Eastern Depot or the Embroidered Uniform Guard, whose mission was to let more people know about the Crown Prince's good deeds.

Sometimes it's just like that; doing good deeds doesn't necessarily require being low-key, and doing good deeds in a grand manner isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Thinking about his children and grandchildren, Old Zhu was in a very good mood. As long as Little Zhu visited the various members of the imperial clan in the next few days, that would be enough.

The old man and the young man got to work, and their enthusiasm for the matter was naturally high. The young man might just be curious, or acting on a whim, but the old man, who had weathered many storms, was now playing a long game.

"The Crown Prince is benevolent and compassionate, and he has taken pity on the orphans, widows, the elderly and children who are struggling to make a living, so he has specially sought out members of the imperial clan."

"I heard that the King of Zhou and the King of Wu each contributed 15,000 taels of silver, and the Crown Prince is in charge of this matter. The orphans and widows in the charity home will receive a set of winter clothes and a set of spring clothes, and it is said that there will be meat on New Year's Eve."

"Next year will be the spring imperial examination. The Crown Prince values ​​talent and has specially decreed that poor scholars can go to the examination hall to receive a set of clothes and a set of writing implements."

Some news spreads quite quickly, especially in this day and age, where there is a lack of entertainment, so many people like to follow gossip.

Moreover, this was right under the emperor's nose, so even the slightest movement would spread quickly. And since it concerned the crown prince, many people naturally paid even closer attention to it.

As for the fact that it spreads very quickly and covers a relatively wide area, that's actually quite easy to understand.

The Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have been secretly working to promote the Crown Prince's benevolence, which is one of their important tasks and something they need to do now.

This was not the Crown Prince's decree or the Empress's imperial edict; it was the decree of the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty the Emperor. Naturally, this matter was taken extremely seriously by both intelligence agencies, and they had to do these things properly.

Regardless of whether there's any exaggeration or not, the fact that the Crown Prince brought this up is enough to make many people grateful and think that he is benevolent and that the heir apparent of the Ming Dynasty has the qualities of a virtuous ruler.

Moreover, this wasn't just talk; it was a real matter. The Crown Prince personally intervened, and the imperial clan showed him considerable respect. They couldn't refuse, because the person accompanying the Crown Prince out of the palace was the retired Emperor.

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