"Second Uncle and Imperial Aunt are waiting outside." Little Zhu naturally took Old Zhu's arm and said, "We'll have the Embroidered Uniform Guards protect them secretly. Uncle can't come with us today; let him lead the men to protect the safety of Yingtian Prefecture."

Old Zhu was very satisfied and said to Little Zhu, "Yin'er is so thoughtful. There are plenty of guards, both overt and covert. These guards around us can protect us, and if things really get chaotic, your uncle can bring troops to our aid."

“That’s right, we even had our uncle lead a group of people waiting outside the city gate!” Little Zhu boasted even more proudly. “We’ve told Song Zhong where we’re going, and we’ve had the Embroidered Uniform Guard spies and the Eastern Depot’s agents disguise themselves as civilians and mingle in the crowd. Great-grandfather, a wise man doesn’t stand under a dangerous wall; we’re not taking any risks.”

Old Zhu was genuinely happy, not necessarily because Little Zhu's arrangements were so reasonable or perfect, but because Little Zhu knew his special identity and some of Little Zhu's opinions were the most important.

Zhu Yunying lagged two steps behind and said to Xu Miaoqing, "Let's go. We two probably won't be able to talk anymore, so let's just follow. We don't know as much about those places outside as Yin'er does."

Xu Miaoqing lagged half a step behind Zhu Yunying and said with a smile, "Before I entered the palace, I also traveled around Yingtian Prefecture and visited many places. In the early years, when my two younger sisters went out of the palace, I was the one who accompanied them most of the time."

This is true, and Zhu Yunying is not entirely unaware of these things. He left the palace quite often when he was young, but after growing up, especially after becoming emperor, it was not an easy thing to leave the palace. He is now basically trapped in this deep palace.

There was nothing that could be done; Zhu Yunying was the emperor, and there were indeed too many things that required his governance of the country.

Old Zhu glanced back and saw that his grandson and granddaughter-in-law had a good relationship, which naturally pleased him. However, he also felt a pang of jealousy; his grandson, now married, had indeed forgotten his grandfather.

Zhu Ruyi and Zhu Wenjin naturally followed quickly, as did Princess Baoqing and her mother, Consort Zhang. As for others who wanted to leave the palace together, they obviously didn't receive such treatment; their status needed to be clearly distinguished.

Zhu Yue was still very happy, dressed in a bright red silk overcoat. Looking at Zhu Yunwen, Sang Shi, and Zhu Wengeng, a family of three dressed in luxurious attire, Old Zhu shook his head.

Turning back to look at Zhu Yunying, Old Zhu said, "They are your younger siblings after all, and they were raised by you. We originally thought you liked fine clothes and spirited horses, but we wronged you. These are the ones who truly live a life of luxury."

"That's what my father taught me, that's what my father taught me." Zhu Yunying knew how to shut up his father, so he quickly said, "My father is gentle and refined, a true gentleman. But when it comes to us, our inner qualities can't compare, so we rely on our clothes to make a good impression."

Old Zhu chuckled upon hearing this and said, "Even if Biao'er is wearing coarse cloth and short clothes, he's still a gentle and refined young gentleman. You guys, even in fine silks and satins, just look so-so. If we're talking about true elegance, I think only Yin'er is better; the rest of you can't keep up."

That's for sure. The saying that it takes three generations to cultivate a nobleman is sometimes no joke.

Old Zhu goes without saying; he was a complete peasant. The First Zhu (Zhu Yunying) hardly experienced hardship after birth, but his family's resources were somewhat lacking. By the time of Zhu Yunying, although the Ming Dynasty was stable, the country wasn't particularly wealthy.

Little Zhu didn't need to worry anymore; the Ming Dynasty was more stable and prosperous. With Little Zhu doting on him, even when he was on his sickbed, Emperor Zhu still thought about Little Zhu. As for Emperor Taizong, he had taken Little Zhu by his side almost from the time Little Zhu turned one year old.

Little Zhu can be described as incomparably noble, or even domineering, mainly because of his extraordinary background. Sometimes, Zhu Yunying even felt a little envious.

“Grandfather, Yin’er is born into wealth.” Zhu Yue walked up to Old Zhu and tried to help him up. “Last time Yin’er came to our mansion, there was a noblewoman who had never seen Yin’er before. She was trying to curry favor with us and wanted us to arrange a marriage for her.”

Old Zhu waved his hand and said, "His marriage is no small matter. Your elder brother can make the decision. Go and talk to your sister-in-law and brother's wife, and keep an eye on the younger one."

Well, while he appreciates his grandchildren's filial piety, Old Zhu feels truly gratified when his eldest grandson and great-grandson are supporting him. As for others trying to help him, he's not old enough to be bothered!

Zhu Yunying understood and said, "You all have to keep an eye on these few, especially these two who have never left the palace. We're going with Grandfather Zhu. Today, it's Grandfather Zhu taking us to see the lanterns. This is something we never had when we were kids, and we're almost thirty now to be able to do it."

Hearing Zhu Yunying's words, Old Zhu smiled and said, "Back in the old days, I often accompanied you to admire the lanterns in the palace, and you still complained! Alright, I'll take you to admire the lanterns today, so you won't nag me anymore. As your grandfather, I never get any credit!"

Going to see the lanterns was a relatively new experience for Zhu Yunying, who had never actually done so before. Compared to his younger siblings, Zhu Yunying was naturally less experienced in this regard.

Even compared to ordinary people, Zhu Yunying lacked experience in this area. But there's not much to say about that; Zhu Yunying wasn't trying to be better than others in every way. It was just appreciating lanterns, which was actually quite insignificant.

Looking at the bustling streets and the throngs of people, Zhu Yunying was overjoyed. "Grandfather, our Great Ming Dynasty is becoming more and more prosperous. I remember when I was a child, there weren't so many wealthy families. Our Yingtian Prefecture didn't have so many restaurants or so many scholars before."

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