Although Nahachu, who once occupied Liaodong, submitted to the Northern Yuan, and Lan Yu destroyed the Northern Yuan's administrative system at Buyur Lake, the Northern Yuan still had some strength.

If the Oirat tribe, represented by Ariq Böke's family, had not officially separated from the Mongol heartland, and if the Mongol heartland and the Oirat tribe had not engaged in internal strife over the control of the Mongolian Plateau, the Northern Yuan would have been slightly stronger.

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and then laughed, "We still can't let Ying'er lead the troops out. That kid will run wild once he's out there. Father, we're thinking of letting Yunwen go to Beiping as well."

“We’re not senile yet. Let Yunwen go back to his hometown first. Our Ying’er said she would allow Yunwen to establish his own government in Yingtian Prefecture, so we agreed.” Old Zhu said with a smile, “No one else can even think about Ying’er’s position.”

Suddenly, Old Zhu chuckled and said, "We won't allow Ying'er to go to war, but we still need to train the troops. When we started our army, we were poor, so when Ying'er trains, we need to prepare some military uniforms and some good armor for him. Our Ying'er is just like us!"

Zhu Biao joked, "It's not good to be unlike yourself. Father Emperor thinks I'm a bit too weak. But when I look at Ying'er, she's too valiant."

Old Zhu laughed heartily. In the Han Dynasty, the phrase "unlike oneself" would have caused much speculation and concern about the crown prince's position. But in the Ming Dynasty, this wouldn't be the case. Old Zhu's intention to establish the eldest son as heir was crystal clear. Moreover, both the crown prince and his grandson had performed exceptionally well and were highly satisfactory.

Although he was about to leave Yingtian Prefecture, Zhu Xiong Ying did not seem to have changed at all.

For Zhu Xiong Ying, it's more important to continue living his life steadily and peacefully. He doesn't need to panic; his current life seems pretty good.

Even if he were to go to Beiping next, it wouldn't be an exile; in fact, Zhu Xiong Ying would be even more looking forward to it. It would mean he would be in charge of a region, and even if he couldn't do everything he wanted, he would have much more autonomy.

In Yingtian Prefecture and the capital, Zhu Xiong Ying was merely the Crown Prince, possessing some power, though he exercised restraint and did not interfere too much. However, things were different once he went to Beiping; there, he became a powerful regional warlord.

Even though there are still some restrictions from the central government, they are much better than in Yingtian Prefecture.

He can now have both military and political power at his disposal—this is no longer a dream; he can now do things on a smaller scale.

These were some of Zhu Xiong Ying's expectations. For him, Beiping was not really an exile. Going to Beiping meant being far from the emperor's reach... no, it meant being free to do as one pleases!

Let's see how it goes. I'll try to gain some power and take some of the people I want with me. Although Old Zhu makes most of the decisions, Zhu Xiong Ying feels he can negotiate a bit and win over some useful people.