Xu Yingxu was thrilled. The Crown Prince's benevolence meant he had the potential to be a wise ruler. Such brilliance from the Crown Prince was not only a blessing for the Xu family, but also for the Ming Dynasty.

Many civil and military officials shared similar sentiments; the Crown Prince's current display of benevolence and virtue gave them reason to have higher expectations.

They were also hoping that the Crown Prince wouldn't end up like the Hongwu Emperor and the Ying Shi Emperor. Being under those two emperors was by no means an easy task; for many, it was even torture.

Putting aside the low salaries or overly strenuous work, the main problem was the lack of job security; these two emperors were far too harsh. Furthermore, these two emperors held immense power and acted arbitrarily, preventing many from realizing their ambitions. They were forced to diligently perform the tasks assigned by the emperor, which was frustrating.

At this moment, Xu Yingxu was even more aware of his responsibilities, as he had received some hints from the Crown Prince.

After everyone once again praised the Crown Prince's benevolence, Xu Yingxu said, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards have received much care and support from the court. The Imperial Guards are all managed and trained by the Beijing Garrison. Many of the Imperial Guards are grateful for the court's kindness and have the intention to repay the court."

Li Jinglong felt something was wrong. They were supposed to be students of his martial arts academy going to Goryeo to make contributions, so how did they become orphans of the Imperial Guard?

That won't do. The Imperial Guards are the Crown Prince's faction. Many of the officers and soldiers who are nominally serving in the Imperial Guards are actually nobles, mostly sons of top military officers, as well as the real Crown Prince's faction.

Li Jinglong felt he had to stand up and fight for better treatment and opportunities for the Martial Arts Academy. "Your Majesty," he said, "most of the Imperial Guard orphans are teenagers, and many are even young children. Although they are taught by elite soldiers and trained by the Beijing Garrison, the majority of the Imperial Guard orphans are still teenagers."

At this moment, Bao Zhao, the Minister of Justice, also stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that what the Duke of Cao said is reasonable. Although the orphans of the Imperial Guards are mostly trained as soldiers, they are still young and have never experienced war."

Just then, Little Zhu became unhappy and stepped forward, saying, "I believe that although the orphans of the Imperial Guard are young, their patriotic hearts are as bright as the sun and moon. Young men should also gain more experience. The Imperial Guard Orphan Camp is growing stronger every day, with many orphans joining the camp. The young men who grow up should also serve their country and fight on the battlefield."

This is also true; the young men of the Imperial Guard Orphanage are constantly growing up, and some of them are indeed young men who can officially join the army.

Many orphans are still enrolled in the Imperial Guard Orphans Camp. According to some people's plans, the young boys who grow up in the Imperial Guard Orphans Camp will go to the garrison when they grow up. This is also a way out, and it is also a way to show respect for the Crown Prince's kindness.

But things are a little different now. Are some people thinking of sending the orphans of the Imperial Guard to Goryeo as a whole army? Does anyone really think this is a suitable option?

Little Zhu didn't care about any of that. He looked at Zhu Yunying and said, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards are divided into three camps. The first camp consists of children aged five to eight, who mostly learn military skills and tactics and play around. The middle camp consists of teenagers aged ten to thirteen, who practice combat techniques. All boys over fifteen can join the army."

At this moment, Xiao Zhu also said excitedly, "There are many orphans in the Imperial Guard Orphan Camp, with more than two thousand young men over the age of fifteen, all of whom are passionate young men. The young men have been together since childhood and are familiar with each other in the art of battle. I believe that the Imperial Guard Orphans should not be separated."

Zhu Yunying nodded slightly and said with a smile, "What the Crown Prince said makes sense. Although the orphans of the Imperial Guards have diligently studied the art of killing enemies, they have not yet gained any real experience, which is somewhat inappropriate."

Little Zhu quickly said, "Father, if the orphans of the Imperial Guards are to be assigned to the garrisons, they will likely be mostly soldiers. I think the youth camp should enter the battlefield to earn military merits, and then be broken up and assigned to garrisons in various places."

Li Jinglong's expression changed drastically. At first, he seemed a little slow to react, but if he still didn't react now, he would really be a joke.

The Imperial Guard Orphans, nominally belonging to the Crown Prince, were all his confidants appointed as generals and officers. Judging from the Crown Prince's intentions, he planned to train them into an army to achieve great deeds in Goryeo.

Although Li Jinglong was loyal to the emperor, he absolutely did not want to offend the crown prince. Moreover, the crown prince's interests were also Li Jinglong's interests, since Li Jinglong was an absolute relative of the emperor and a key figure in the Ming Dynasty's control over the military.

At this moment, Xu Yingxu also felt that it was a good idea and said, "Your Majesty, I think His Highness the Crown Prince is right. Most of the orphans of the Imperial Guards have trained together since childhood and are familiar with each other. It would be a pity to separate them."

Li Jinglong quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "I second that. I believe that most of the orphans of the Imperial Guards are the descendants of soldiers who died in service to the emperor. Although they are cared for by the court, they are all registered as soldiers. If they do not have any military achievements, they will only be ordinary soldiers when they are assigned to various garrisons, and they will not be able to demonstrate the court's benevolence."

Although going into battle might result in death or injury, some young men may not even have the chance to meet more people or experience more things.

But this is a characteristic of the Ming Dynasty, and indeed of all dynasties. Soldiers' primary duty is to protect their country, and often they cannot enjoy wealth and comfort like ordinary people.

Zhu Yunying couldn't help but laugh. It seemed that those who could stand firm in the court were all intelligent people who knew how to read the winds.

Zhu Yunying no longer concealed his intentions and stated directly, "Establish a guard for each of the orphans of the Imperial Guards, and send them to the capital camp. Boys aged fifteen and above will join the Imperial Guards to protect the capital. In times of war, they will be deployed to the three major camps."

The status of the Imperial Guards rose dramatically, far surpassing that of the so-called Crown Prince's Three Guards. This garrison, originally composed of elite troops, was designed to create a fighting force for the Crown Prince, allowing him to quickly gain control of the garrison and military power.

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