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 567 Think More

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Su and asked seriously, "If you were really sent to Korea, would you be willing?"

Zhu Su hesitated for a moment, looking rather unwilling. "Father, I really don't want to go there. It's better for us to stay in the Ming Dynasty."

"What about Youdun?" Old Zhu said, "If you don't think about yourself, you should think about your children and grandchildren. We know that Youdun is talented and capable. Years ago, when you left your fiefdom without permission, Youdun was only ten years old and managed the Zhou Prince's Mansion very well. In recent years, he has been indulging in various activities. We know that he is keeping a low profile and is afraid that Ying'er will be jealous."

Zhu Su was a little embarrassed and said, "Father, we did say there would be stew, he was overthinking it. It's just that this child is hard to reason with. If Xiong Ying is not good to us, we have plenty of ways to deal with him."

The practice of some members of the imperial family keeping a low profile was actually a way to protect themselves. Common methods included feigning madness, indulging in drinking, gambling, and prostitution, and engaging in literary pursuits.

There are quite a few such people in the Ming Dynasty's imperial family now, but many of them are not hiding their talents and biding their time; they are truly dissolute and licentious.

Old Zhu continued, "You Dun is kind and honest, and he has a heart for the people. If we were to conquer those places in Goryeo, governing them would be a difficult task, and winning back the hearts of the people is no small matter. On the fourth brother's side, there is Gao Chi. Although Meng Wan is not as good as Gao Chi, he is cautious and eager to learn, and can do things steadily."

Zhu Su thought about it carefully and suddenly became a little anxious. "You Dun is already twenty-one and still has no offspring. We're getting anxious too. He has some wives and concubines, but there's no sign of pregnancy. We're a little scared."

Old Zhu glared at him and said irritably, "He's only twenty-one, it's no big deal. We can find him some concubines later, and that should be enough. If you ask me, his crown princess is useless too, she can't even lay eggs but she's occupying our position as the legitimate wife!"

This is very much in line with Lao Zhu's characteristics. If there is a mistake, it must be someone else's fault. There is absolutely no problem with Lao Zhu's family's genes.

Some things can be rushed, but it doesn't necessarily need to be rushed. We can slow down and let things take their natural course.

Little Zhu, who was watching the play, ran over and sat directly on Old Zhu's lap. "Great-grandfather, we still don't like watching these plays. How come so many of the characters in our fifth uncle's plays are prostitutes, musicians, and even immortals and Buddhas? That's not good."

This made Zhu Su somewhat embarrassed. He knew that his son had compiled a lot of miscellaneous writings, some imitating the ancients, some based on books, and some fabricated out of thin air, but there were also many works describing current events.

However, when you really look into it, it's basically all negative and mediocre at its core. Even when it touches on current events, it's mostly just a perfunctory response based on the facts or rumors of the time.

Old Zhu smiled and didn't mind. "That's your fifth uncle's business. His opera troupe is quite impressive; many members of the imperial family like it. You, like your father, just can't sit still. I remember your great-grandmother used to go to the opera with your father, and he would fall asleep."

Little Zhu nodded seriously and said, "We can't watch it anyway, we'd rather read books than watch a play."

Old Zhu stood up and said, "Since you can't watch the show, let's leave. Fifth Brother, think carefully about what we're talking about. These things can't be taken lightly. If you're interested, we can talk to Ying'er about it. If we wait until Ying'er makes a decision, it will be too late to talk to her then."

Zhu Su readily agreed, but he himself was unsure what decision he would make.

Holding Old Zhu's arm, Little Zhu said, "Great-Grandpa, the sun hasn't set yet, let's go to Auntie's. Let's go see her, she was just saying that we haven't visited her in a while."

"Both of your imperial aunts love to nag. They nag about your second uncle, and now they're nagging about you too," Old Zhu said with a chuckle, though with a hint of sarcasm. "They were raised by your father after all, and they're both so fond of worrying. It's just that your second uncle is lucky to have so many worrying older brothers and sisters. He can just relax and enjoy his life."

Little Zhu looked at Old Zhu and asked curiously, "Great-grandfather, you're also the youngest in the family. If you ask us, you must have been spoiled by our great-great-grandfather, great-great-great-grandfather, and great-great ...

Old Zhu laughed and said, "That's true, the youngest in the family does enjoy some good things."

Old Zhu set off with his beloved great-grandson, traveling in a relatively small entourage to the princess's residence of his youngest granddaughter. Although Old Zhu didn't actually care much for these granddaughters, it could be considered a case of loving the house because of the person who owned them.

Little Zhu skipped and hopped ahead. Children his age can be more composed, so no one would say he's mature beyond his years. This is quite normal.

However, it's perfectly fine to act like a child, and no one would find it childish. After all, this is still a child's age, and it's normal to be more tolerant.

Yingtian Prefecture was indeed quite familiar to Xiao Zhu. Even though he couldn't leave the capital whenever he wanted, he wasn't always confined to the inner palace. The outside world wasn't entirely unfamiliar to him, and he knew a general idea about many things happening in the city.

These achievements are undoubtedly due to the efforts of both the old Zhu and the young Zhu. Compared to ordinary crown princes, the young Zhu received much better treatment. This included not only a more secure position, but also the fact that he didn't have to spend all his time studying the Four Books and Five Classics; he could travel around and broaden his horizons.

Zhu Yunying was clearly unaware of these matters, or rather, he only knew that Old Zhu had left the palace with Little Zhu. He didn't really care where Old Zhu and Little Zhu went; he trusted that Old Zhu could take good care of Little Zhu.

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