Outside the Meridian Gate, Zhu Yunwen stepped down from the carriage and immediately stood respectfully to one side, saying, "Greetings, Fifth Uncle."

Zhu Su nodded slightly, revealing a fairly amiable smile. "Prince Xu, it's only because of you that you're so polite. Remember to teach your good-for-nothing brother a lesson, and also teach your nephew a lesson."

Zhu Yunwen didn't know what to say, mainly because he genuinely couldn't control his younger brother, Zhu Yunwen.

Although Zhu Yunwen appeared to be raised by Lady Lü after Lady Chang's death, he was always very clear about certain things. He knew that his half-brother Zhu Yunwen was definitely not as good as his biological brothers and sisters.

Even though Zhu Yunwen appeared to be cared for by Lady Lü, he was actually mostly looked after by Zhu Yunying, Zhu Xi, and Zhu Yue. This is why Zhu Yunwen was so fearless; the boy had always been the same from childhood to adulthood—playful and mischievous.

"I reckon His Majesty wants you to come with us to supervise the examination this time," Zhu Su said with a smile, knowing full well. "The talent selection ceremony is a matter of great importance to the country, and we cannot afford to be careless in the slightest."

Zhu Yunwen nodded repeatedly, as he had always been enthusiastic about reading and studying, a habit he had developed since childhood.

His mother came from a civil service background and could be considered a scholar. Moreover, Lady Lü originally didn't have many ambitions, but after Lady Chang passed away, she inevitably developed some thoughts and ideas, and even forced Zhu Yunwen to be "both scholarly and martial," hoping that Zhu Yunwen could be "virtuous and talented."

Although they were princes of the Ming Dynasty, both Zhu Su and Zhu Yunwen needed to have their palace credentials verified before entering the palace.

Zhu Su walked ahead and said to Zhu Yunwen, "By the way, His Majesty just mentioned the 'Xiaokang Grand Ceremony' a few days ago. Our imperial clan should also contribute. Right now, the only imperial clan members who are respectable and have some literary talent are just a few of us."

Zhu Yunwen was naturally excited. In fact, in his earlier years, or rather, in his youth, he had indeed harbored some fantasies about the dragon throne. However, he gradually came to terms with reality and realized that the position was simply unattainable for him.

The two of them naturally followed the eunuch to the Wuying Hall. Normally, these members of the imperial family would not go to the Fengtian Hall to attend court.

"Present seats to Prince Zhou and Prince Xu." Zhu Yunying, who was sitting upright on the dragon throne, raised his head slightly and said, "Fifth Uncle, wait a while. After we've approved these memorials, we'll talk to you again."

You can be more polite to Zhu Su, after all, he's an elder. But Zhu Yunwen doesn't get that treatment, because he's the younger brother.

After reviewing the memorials, Zhu Yunying sighed deeply, "The flood in Kaifeng is likely to get worse, and we're starting to feel uncertain."

Zhu Su immediately became serious. Kaifeng was, after all, his fiefdom, and he had even managed his affairs there for over a decade. Even though he was now only nominally in charge of the fiefdom, Kaifeng was still a very special place for Zhu Su.

“Your Majesty, we don’t understand these things either.” Zhu Su became serious and said, “Your Majesty has probably never been to Kaifeng. The river is suspended above Kaifeng.”

Zhu Yunwen genuinely didn't understand these things, but Zhu Yunying grasped the underlying principles. Ultimately, it was because the Yellow River carried an excessive amount of sediment, causing the riverbed to rise continuously, and in some sections, it had indeed exceeded the height of the city walls.

"When the idea of ​​moving the capital was first proposed, my grandfather and father did indeed prefer Chang'an or Kaifeng. However, Guanzhong is not as prosperous as it used to be, and there are also the Yellow River floods, which we have to take into consideration." Zhu Yunying sighed and said, "But none of those places are suitable as a capital either."

Zhu Su didn't know what to say, and Zhu Yunwen was completely calm at this moment, so there was absolutely no way he would do anything messy.

Although there are rumors outside, the matter of moving the capital of the Ming Dynasty has been discussed for more than ten years, and now the initial preparations for the relocation have begun.

Even though many people say that moving the capital to Beiping was the current emperor's suggestion, some people still think it's unrealistic. Because Beiping was established as the capital more than ten years ago, and how old was the current emperor back then?

Looking back now, although Zhu Yunying was young at the time, he not only knew about these important national affairs, but also participated in them.

What was Zhu Yunwen doing at that time? He was diligently studying in the Grand Hall. Not only was he not allowed to comment on national affairs, but he also rarely saw ordinary memorials.

At this moment, Zhu Yunwen also said, "Your Majesty, if the Yellow River floods, the court should also pay attention to water management."

Water conservancy is something that must be taken seriously. It's not just the Ming Dynasty that needs to pay attention to it; every dynasty throughout history has done so. Especially since it concerns the Yellow River, it deserves even greater attention.

After all, if the Yellow River were to flood or breach its banks, it could easily cause unrest throughout the country and might even shake the regime.

Zhu Yunying only briefly discussed the matter with Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Su, since these two princes were not allowed to participate in court affairs.

Valley

It wasn't that Zhu Yunying was petty; it was simply that his status as a prince was special. Although the Ming Dynasty currently seemed to have no need to worry about succession struggles or a rebellion of the Seven Princes.

It's best for the princes to remain wealthy and powerful; allowing them to participate too much in court affairs is really inappropriate. Especially since most of the princes are currently based in Yingtian Prefecture or Beiping, both centers of power.

What needs to be feared should still be feared, and what needs to be guarded against should be guarded against. Zhu Yunying felt that it was still necessary to pay attention to the balance.

Looking at Zhu Su, Zhu Yunying said, "Fifth Uncle, you two will still have to come with us to grade the papers for the imperial examinations. When the palace examination comes later, you two will each give us a question."

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