The Imperial Grandson of the Great Ming

In the seventh year of Hongwu, the legitimate eldest grandson of Zhu Yuanzhang, the great ancestor of the Ming Dynasty, was born.

He who resides as the legitimate heir will surely ascend to t...

Chapter 539 Family Affection and Selfish Motives

After finishing their dinner together, Old Zhu clearly had no intention of letting Young Zhu off the hook. Xu Miaoqing was also well aware that the Retired Emperor's heart was now only with the Emperor and the Crown Prince. After being away for several months, the Hongwu Emperor was probably still thinking about how powerful the Emperor was.

Zhu Yunying was naturally aware of these things, so he decided to stay at the Qianqing Palace, which was better.

"Wang Chengen, hurry up and have someone boil water." Little Zhu was full of vigor. The little guy could not only take care of himself, but also take care of his great-grandfather and father. "Hurry up, we're going to take a bath. After the bath, we'll rest."

Old Zhu laughed and said to Zhu Yunying, "He really is your son. We've never seen anyone more clean than you two."

Zhu Yunying laughed and said, "The student surpasses the master, and our father also loves cleanliness. I remember in the early years, Grandmother always said that taking care of us was easy, and we were always clean and tidy."

Lost in memories of the past, Old Zhu said, "That's true. Your great-uncle was always happy to see you. We went to great lengths to keep you in Kunning Palace back then, because you were fair-skinned and well-behaved."

The eunuchs and maids brought in the bath tub, and little Zhu immediately took off his clothes. The little guy looked a bit chubby, but his body was very sturdy; the flesh on his body wasn't fat, but rather thick and firm. Even though the little guy spent all his time riding horses and practicing swordsmanship, he never gained weight.

Helping Old Master Zhu into the bathtub, Zhu Yunying said with a smile, "Grandpa is back, and we feel at ease. Although Grandpa is in good health, he is still getting on in years. Our Yin'er is reliable in small matters, but he would definitely panic if something big happened."

Old Zhu never shied away from discussing life and death, saying, "That's what I think too. I can't sleep soundly outside. I'm thinking that if I die, my grandson should be there to see me off. No one else will do, not even Yin'er."

Little Zhu snorted and said unhappily, "Great-grandfather, no matter how caring we are, we're not as good as our father, are we?"

Little Zhu was clearly jealous. This naturally prompted Old Zhu to scramble to appease him; both children were equally precious to him.

“You’re too young to handle things right now,” Old Zhu explained. “If we’re gone, you won’t be able to arrange things properly, but your father can. When you’re older, you can help us with that too.”

Little Zhu disagreed, saying, "Our second uncle isn't young either, but he just can't handle it."

Old Zhu thought about it and agreed, saying, "Your second uncle is useless; he's incapable of anything significant. Just thinking about him gives us a headache. He's a father now, and he's still thinking about catching crabs and fish. What kind of behavior is that!"

Zhu Yunying quickly interjected, saying, "Fifth Uncle and the others have made some progress in compiling the grand code. Although it cannot be written down yet, the general outline is now in place. Now that Your Majesty has returned, you can summon Fifth Uncle and have him take a look."

Old Zhu's eyes lit up. The Xiaokang Grand Ceremony was a major event, concerning the great achievements of his beloved eldest son.

It is obvious that the "Xiaokang Grand Ceremony" was not the achievement of Zhu Yunying, nor the old Zhu, but only the achievement of the great Zhu. Although he did not become emperor during his lifetime, the great Zhu after his death must have been an emperor with many legacy.

Emperor Zhu's emphasis on the "Xiaokang Grand Ceremony" stemmed not only from its connection to his political achievements and posthumous reputation, but also from his understanding that it would be a literary golden age, bringing numerous benefits to the Ming Dynasty.

Although it may seem to involve a lot of people and financial investment, this kind of thing is not just about empty fame; it can also bring real benefits to many people.

Even in Zhu Yunying's eyes, such an 'encyclopedia' might not be entirely complete, and might even contain some errors. However, in such an era, such a feat was indeed of great help to many people, and it was certainly not a thankless task.

In a good mood, Old Zhu asked, "Fifth son has become quite successful now and knows how to do things. If you ask us, he's the only one among our sons who can actually do something now."

Remembering something, Zhu Yunying quickly said, "My fourth uncle's son, Gao Chi, is also coming to the capital. Although my fifth uncle is capable, in my opinion, he is still somewhat different from my fourth uncle in terms of ability. When we were granted overseas fiefdoms, it seemed that the court put in some effort, but if it weren't for my fourth uncle's strong abilities, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly."

Old Zhu was even more pleased with himself. He was a hero of his generation, although he had some good-for-nothing children and grandchildren. But when it came to capable children and grandchildren, he had no shortage of them.

After all, he was a descendant of the Hongwu Emperor, so he must be an outstanding person. As long as he was willing to do things, he would definitely be good. Old Zhu was very confident about this. This was not narcissism, but based on some solid evidence.

Rather than his eldest son and grandson, whom he was extremely proud of, even his second and third sons, who seemed somewhat incompetent and often incompetent and cruel, were all quite capable when it came to leading troops in battle.

The fifth son, who used to give him so much trouble, has now become much more mature and has helped the court compile important classics, doing many great things that benefit the country and its people.

"Grandpa, please don't be biased!" Little Zhu, who was taking a bath, remembered something and said, "Fifth Uncle has done great things, but our Uncle Wang is also capable. Don't only focus on our Fifth Uncle."

Old Zhu was even happier. Zhu Su's eldest son, Zhu Youdun, was also a talented man. Although he was somewhat 'unbalanced' in certain subjects, he could still be considered Zhu Su's eldest son.

One is interested in medicine and plants, and the other is interested in opera and art.

In truth, Zhu Youdun was quite capable. In his early years, Zhu Su was demoted and exiled from his fiefdom due to a crime, and Zhu Youdun, who was only about ten years old at the time, managed the Zhou Prince's Mansion. In three years, the Zhou Prince's Mansion was well-organized, which was a remarkable achievement.

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