Old Zhu wasn't going to indulge Little Zhu this time, saying, "That won't do. You and Ruyi are different. What is your father reluctant to give you? This entire country is for you, not to mention material possessions. You have to understand your father; governing the country isn't easy. There are many things you don't need, but he can use them for great purposes."

Although Zhu Yunying bestowed the Zhu Ruyi upon Zhu Wenjin, it was merely a casual remark, and he didn't take it to heart. Out of respect for Zhu Yunying, he also gave Zhu Wenjin a brief test. As for how much Zhu Wenjin had learned, Zhu Yunying was too lazy to care.

It's obvious that Old Zhu's mind is entirely focused on Little Zhu. As for what his other great-grandchildren are like, Old Zhu can be said to genuinely be too lazy to care about those things.

In this seemingly cozy environment, some maids and eunuchs began to serve the meal.

Little Zhu suddenly became smug, even more so than Zhu Yunying, "Great-grandfather, look, everyone in the palace has winter clothes. Although they're a bit bulky, the cotton fabric is really good. If it weren't for our father, the servants wouldn't be able to get through the winter so easily!"

Upon hearing this, Old Zhu laughed and proudly said, "That makes sense. Your father has always been ambitious, just like your great-grandmother, and he cares deeply about the common people. When your father was your age, he was already thinking about how hard it was for the people to endure the winter. He was busy making coal briquettes and coal stoves, and he was also planting cotton and making looms in the north."

"So our father is the best emperor!" Little Zhu said proudly, "When we went out, we asked many old people, and they said that the common people didn't have this much cotton cloth during the Yuan Dynasty."

Old Zhu chuckled and said, "In earlier years, some people didn't understand your father's good intentions. There wasn't enough food to eat, so how could he have the mind to grow cotton? Now things are much better. Every household has cotton cloth and quilts, so winters are much easier. Ordinary firewood and charcoal are expensive, but coal briquettes can help a lot of people."

Zhu Yunying smiled smugly and said, "Yin'er, in a few days, take your younger brother and sister out of the palace for a stroll. They've always been inside the palace and don't have much experience. Take them out and let them know how our Ming Dynasty's wealth and prosperity came about."

Little Zhu's eyes lit up. His younger siblings didn't have many opportunities to leave the palace; they would only occasionally go to the elephant house, which was a big deal. Unlike him, he was familiar with almost every street and alley in Yingtian Prefecture.

As for the various government offices and such, young Zhu visited quite a few. Many people knew that there was an old Master Zhu and young Master Zhu of extremely high status, who loved to travel around Yingtian Prefecture.

The princes and princesses of the Ming Dynasty still needed to broaden their horizons. If conditions allowed, Zhu Yunying hoped that the imperial family members could leave the capital and see the world. This was not only to prevent some of the imperial family members from being too 'unsophisticated', but also because confining them to the capital was obviously not good for their growth.

Zhu Yunying clearly needed to avoid refusing to eat meat porridge, and there were ample precedents to illustrate this point. Many princes and princesses who grew up in the capital were indeed easily fooled by certain individuals.

What needs attention is what needs attention, and Zhu Yunying has clearly made preparations for this. However, it seems that only the young Zhu is receiving better treatment at present, while the other princes and princesses can only look on with envy.

Old Zhu was in a good mood and said to Zhu Yunying, "The Crown Prince should take his younger brothers and sisters out for a stroll. It would put our minds at ease. When Biao'er was alive, he often took your uncles out for a stroll. Even you have gone out to broaden your horizons quite a bit. Only by immersing yourself in the lives of ordinary people can you truly understand their lives."

Zhu Yunying smiled and nodded, basically agreeing with what Old Zhu said; he was not a caged canary.

Little Zhu is still quite young, so it's unrealistic to expect him to be involved in politics. After all, he's still just a child. Even though two generations of emperors have taught him by example, and he's much more mature than his peers, this clearly doesn't mean he has the mind and skills of an adult.

Zhu Yunying understood this principle, and Old Zhu naturally understood it even better. However, this does not mean that Little Zhu is an ordinary child; Little Zhu can now do some things within his capabilities.

Disciplining one's younger siblings is clearly a skill that an excellent crown prince should learn. Extending this further, the imperial family members also require some attention from young Zhu.

Everyone needs to improve, and everyone needs to grow together. Zhu Yunying felt that there was nothing wrong with his approach. As for the possibility that this might increase some risks, in reality, such risks are relatively limited.

When the Crown Prince or any of the princes and princesses leave the palace, they are always accompanied by various guards, both overt and covert. Moreover, these imperial descendants are only staying in Yingtian Prefecture, so the security situation under the emperor's nose is unlikely to be too bad.

Zhu Yunying naturally had to worry about things that were worth worrying about. But he wouldn't fret unnecessarily about things that weren't his concern.

In a good mood, Zhu Yunying enjoyed a family reunion and a pleasant meal, which allowed him to relax and adjust his emotions, achieving a good balance between work and rest.

After resting, it naturally means that Joo Yoon-young needs to continue working, and he can't stay idle even in winter.

It's true that the grain has been stored up, and the war in Goryeo has also temporarily stopped, so there's not much to worry about anymore.

But this was just an illusion; Zhu Yunying still had many things to do and was still very busy. For example, he was currently preparing for the evaluation of officials in the Ministry of Personnel. This seemed to be a matter for the Ministry of Personnel, but it was by no means easy.

Without the emperor's approval, it would obviously be impossible for some important officials to be promoted or demoted.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!