Zhu Yunying was in a good mood. There was no harm in bringing his children to the elephant house for a visit, as it could be considered a way to cultivate the bond between father and daughter, and father and son.

Zhu Ruyi was very happy, shouting and yelling while sitting on the elephant's back. Zhu Wenjin was not to be outdone, so he also climbed onto the elephant's back and, led by the mahout, rode the elephant happily in circles.

In fact, during the Yuan Dynasty, in addition to the five-colored carriages and horses (such as blue horses and blue carriages, yellow horses and yellow carriages), the Yuan emperor's ceremonial retinue also included elephant chariots. These elephant chariots, used by the emperor, were also called elephant sedan chairs, to display the imperial grandeur and majesty.

Although Zhu Yunying did not allow elephants to be included in the emperor's ceremonial procession, the elephant stables were not abolished. Many well-trained elephants could still be used occasionally. This doesn't mean elephant soldiers were used; they could still be displayed occasionally for ceremonial purposes.

Lian Qiongqiong looked at her daughter and said softly to Zhu Yunying, "Your Majesty, Ruyi'er is a bit naughty."

"Who says girls have to be gentle and only study and learn needlework?" Zhu Yunying said unhappily, "Our daughters can be innocent and carefree. It's not that our daughters have to be good at needlework. As long as they are knowledgeable and reasonable, we don't need to care about anything else."

Lian Qiongqiong had no choice. According to her understanding, raising a gentle, well-mannered princess was the best thing to do, which probably also conformed to the values ​​of this era.

It was obvious that Lian Qiongqiong's idea could not be implemented, since Zhu Ruyi's biggest backer was the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

This was also what Zhu Yunying truly felt. He genuinely didn't mind his daughter being a little playful; she didn't necessarily need to excel in needlework or be well-versed in the "Admonitions for Women." As long as she was knowledgeable and reasonable, that was enough. There was no need for her to conform to everyone's values.

Sitting on the elephant's back, Zhu Wenjin shouted happily, "Royal sister, we are now great generals! In the future, we will ride elephants to fight and crush the Tartars!"

“Elephants can’t run fast, but Tartars can run fast on horseback.” Zhu Ruyi immediately retorted to Zhu Wenjin, “You are nothing like a great general. Your brother says he is a great general, but you are at most a lowly soldier who can only lead your brother’s horse.”

Zhu Wenjin was displeased and emphasized, "My brother said that we should carry his banner and be his vanguard!"

Zhu Yunying sat to one side with a smile, and Lian Qiongqiong skillfully brewed a pot of tea for him. All they had to do now was watch the children make a fuss.

“Uncle, our father has run away again.” Zhu Wengeng arrived and cried as soon as he saw Zhu Yunying. “Our father goes out to play without taking us with him. He promised to take us with him next time he goes out to play.”

Zhu Yunying paused for a moment, then picked up Zhu Wengeng and asked, "Your father went back to his hometown of Fengyang. He didn't go out to play. Your father is carrying out the imperial mission we gave him, not going out to fool around or sightseeing. Do you understand?"

Zhu Yue followed and said, "Brother, that rascal ran away after the ancestral worship ceremony. I just received a letter from home a couple of days ago saying that he had finished his imperial mission and was going to visit other places. He said he was going to Chaohu to see our Ming Dynasty's navy."

Chaohu Lake is a natural barrier for Luzhou. Luzhou is the "throat of the Huai River region." Chaohu Lake can block the Yangtze River to the south, control Hefei, the "throat of the Huai River region," to the north, form a strategic triangle with the Dabie Mountains to the left, and threaten Nanjing to the right. It is a place of vital importance.

Even at the very beginning of Zhu De's uprising, the Chaohu naval forces led by the Liao brothers, Liao Yong'an and Liao Yongzhong, came to join him, strengthening Zhu De's power. This was also one of the important factions in Zhu De's early ranks.

Zhu Yunying was speechless for a moment, and could only comfort Zhu Wengeng, "When your father comes back, we'll scold him. The next time he goes out, we'll make sure he takes you with him, okay?"

The dramatic Zhu Wengen wiped away his tears, then happily ran off to ride the elephant. His crying had a reason. It wasn't because he loved to cry; it was simply that crying might bring him some benefits from his uncle, the Emperor.

Speechless, Zhu Yunying watched Zhu Wengeng's retreating figure and said, "Like begets like. A rat's son knows how to dig a hole. This is the second son after all, just like his father!"

Zhu Yue said with some resentment, "If it weren't for my elder brother spoiling the second son, would he be like this? We wanted to teach him to read in our younger days, hoping he would improve himself. But now, he's the most dissolute young man in our Ming Dynasty."

"Don't worry about him, he's already this old." Zhu Yunying found it amusing and said, "You're only a year older than him, just take care of yourself. We'll deal with that scoundrel, as long as you all are safe and happy, that's enough. When we see our parents again, we can explain things to them, and I'll have done a good job as their elder brother."

Zhu Yue said with a grin, "When we see Mother again, she will definitely be happy. If it weren't for my brother looking after us, we wouldn't be able to live such a carefree life."

"Just enjoy your life. Our younger siblings can't suffer. Just do what they like." Zhu Yunying said to Zhu Yue with a smile. "That rascal of a second brother can go out and play if he wants. We're too lazy to care about him now."

If it weren't for Zhu Yunying's attitude, Zhu Yunwen wouldn't be so fearless. Even if that kid has set his sights on certain things, such as his elder brother being the emperor and showing him favoritism, it's not a problem for him to be a spoiled brat.

"Brother, you have to take us with you!" Zhu Wenjin shouted anxiously to Zhu Wengeng, "We are also your vanguard, we have to go and crush that sparrow!"

The children's noisy chatter left Zhu Yunying helpless; he could only shake his head, too lazy to bother with them. His own two children were there, along with Zhu Yunwen's little devil. Actually, Zhu Yue's children weren't exactly innocent either.

While Zhu Yunying was taking a short break, a certain unlucky prince by Chaohu Lake, who thought he had escaped to enjoy himself, had lost his high spirits. He could only say that he was just unlucky.

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