In retrospect, it is highly likely that Emperor Hongwu 'disliked' Xu Da for his excessive merits, or that although the Chang family still had Lan Yu who could carry the torch, Chang Yuchun's three sons were all incompetent.

Old Zhu chuckled a few times, then said, "We chose Miaoqing because she's from the Xu family. She's betrothed to our Ying'er, so the Xu family must protect Ying'er from now on!"

Xu Huizu wanted to escape. There were some things he really shouldn't hear, not even his father had the right to hear them. Even if Xu Huizu understood some of these things, the words he spoke were clearly terrifying.

Old Zhu sighed and said slowly, "Our Ying'er is precocious and has her own opinions. When we were around, no one could touch her. But back then, I thought that if I were gone, she and Biao'er would clash sooner or later. I reckon Biao'er won't cripple Ying'er, but I reckon our Ying'er will suffer for many years."

Looking at Xu Huizu, whose head was almost drooping under the table, Old Zhu continued, "Although we have Lan Yu, he's not young anymore. We've chosen you because you're the right age to protect Ying'er. The Xu family and the Chang family are all tied to Ying'er, so no one can touch him."

Old Zhu sighed and said, "We're right, aren't we? Ying'er's background is good. It's just that his mother passed away early, and we're worried about what might happen. A few years ago, Biao'er's concubine was incredibly foolish and had some crazy ideas, but we don't care. We'll find him a good wife. We think that even if Biao'er ascends the throne, he won't be able to touch Ying'er."

"I never expected that Biao'er would leave us so early." Old Zhu suddenly put down his wine cup and said with some sorrow, "Let's not talk about those things. In the future, you can protect Yin'er, and that's the same! After Yin'er, the Crown Princess shouldn't be one of you most powerful military officers."

The Crown Princess and Empress should be chosen from families with military merit, a fact that many people are aware of. However, many also understand that the future Crown Princess and Grandson's Consort may not come from the most prestigious military families; otherwise, they might very well be from foreign companies involved in politics.

Old Zhu looked at Xu Huizu and said seriously, "The reason we called you here today is to make you understand. Now you are the emperor's brother-in-law and the crown prince's uncle. You must protect them; you are their support in the court!"

Xu Huizu immediately stood up and hurriedly knelt down, saying, "Your subject dares not!"

"You dare not?!" Old Zhu said sternly, "If you dare not, we will cripple Xu Miaoqing! You remember this well, if you cannot protect the Emperor or the Crown Prince, then you deserve to die!"

Old Zhu was extremely stern as he stared at Xu Huizu, who was prostrate on the ground, and said, "You don't need to worry about the emperor now; he was born to be an emperor. But you must protect the crown prince. You must discipline your children well, and you must protect the crown prince's ascension to the throne!"

In truth, Xu Huizu understood these principles perfectly well. He, a man of military rank, had witnessed firsthand the actions of the Chang family back then.

The three Chang brothers were indeed of average talent and not particularly outstanding, but Lan Yu had charged into battle many times. Although he seemed to be a confidant of the late Emperor Zhu Biao, everyone knew that Lan Yu was born to be part of the Crown Prince's faction.

Xu Huizu is now essentially a member of the Crown Prince's inner circle. He is meant to be an asset to the Crown Prince in the outer court and must not shake the Crown Prince's position.

Old Zhu was just trying to scare Xu Huizu. He made sure to explain things very clearly to Xu Huizu, which was actually to give Xu Huizu more motivation to go out and risk his life.

When it comes to the art of governing subordinates, Zhu Yuanzhang was more than a master. Countless heroes and valiant men could only pour their hearts and souls into governing him.

Xu Huizu is about to be put to great use, which naturally means that whether it's a warning or encouragement, it's time to have a good talk with him.

This is actually just the beginning, because Xu Huizu has only been called over by Lao Zhu, which is not enough.

A combination of kindness and strictness is best; this is the way Old Zhu believed in managing his subordinates. He would naturally handle the stricter tasks, as he had the authority to do so. As for showing kindness, Old Zhu felt it was better to leave that to his beloved grandson.

What Xu Huizu was really thinking wasn't that important, and Old Zhu genuinely didn't care. He just needed Xu Huizu to work hard and demonstrate sufficient value; that was enough.

As for the rest, Old Zhu really didn't care. He had never paid much attention to what other people thought.