Zhu Xi's eyes were filled with tears, and she was somewhat reluctant to part with him. "Brother, why does it have to be you who goes to Beiping?"

Zhu Yue was also unhappy and very confused. "Brother, Grandfather loves you the most! Why did he send you to that harsh and cold place? Why not Yunwen?"

“Your elder brother is the Crown Prince, and this is my responsibility.” Looking at his two younger sisters, Zhu Xiong Ying said, “If Yunwen goes to Beiping, that’s when you should be worried. Don’t overthink it; this is your grandfather training me.”

Looking at her two younger sisters, Zhu Xiong Ying continued, "As you probably know, the capital will inevitably be moved in the future. I will go first to build the city and repair the imperial city. This is a major event, and my grandfather and father are not at ease with anyone else, so only I can go."

Zhu Xi and Zhu Yue could understand to some extent, after all, they came from the royal family and couldn't possibly be ignorant of these principles.

While I understand, I'm still very reluctant to see my elder brother leave Yingtian Prefecture for Beiping, and I'm quite worried.

Seeing that her two younger sisters were about to cry, Zhu Xiong Ying remembered something, "Once we've repaired the imperial city, you can go to Beiping. Take Yun Tong with you then, and we'll write an imperial edict for you now."

Zhu Xi and Zhu Yue were speechless. Their elder brother pulled out several imperial edicts bearing the emperor's seal, but they were all empty.

As Zhu Xiong Ying wrote, he said, "If you're unhappy in the palace, come to Beiping to find me. I wrote the imperial edict, so even if Father and Grandfather scold me, they'll scold me."

Zhu Xi said sourly, "Grandpa Emperor wouldn't bear to scold you. If we bring out the imperial edict, given his personality, he won't say anything, even if it's just to protect your dignity."

Of course, even Zhu Xi could see that, and others probably could too. After all, they'd already given out blank imperial edicts, and Zhu Xiong Ying had brazenly started drafting them, which showed that Zhu Xiong Ying was fearless.

While some might accuse someone of being clever by deception, this is a legitimate imperial edict, so it's no longer a matter of deception!

In truth, Zhu Xi and Zhu Yue understood perfectly well that their elder brother had issued the imperial decree because he was worried they weren't happy in Yingtian Prefecture, so he was providing them with a way out. After all, once Zhu Xiong Ying left Yingtian Prefecture, their treatment in the palace would decline.

Lady Lü's position is relatively stable. This is not because of Zhu Yunwen's prestige, but because Zhu Biao's harem does not have many concubines, and Lady Lü is relatively favored.

As for Zhu Yuanzhang's personality, his preference for sons over daughters was enough. Even Zhu Yunwen didn't receive much attention from him. In Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, he only had one grandson. Just like with his sons, his only son was Zhu Biao.

More and more news has been circulating about the Crown Prince's upcoming trip to Beiping, and many civil and military nobles have begun to have their own ideas.

To challenge the emperor is not just a death wish, it's a death wish for the entire family. The fact that even a matter like moving the capital was overseen by the crown prince demonstrates the stability of his position.

Zhu Xiong Ying was appointed Supreme General, with Duke Fu Youde of Ying, Duke Chang Mao of Zheng, Duke Li Jinglong of Cao, and Duke Xu Yungong of Wei serving under him. He was assisted by Marquis Zhao Yong of Nanxiong, Marquis Geng Bingwen of Changxing, Marquis Guo Ying of Wuding, Marquis Zhang He of Hanghai, Marquis Zhu Shou of Zhulu, and Marquis Cha Han of Shenyang...

This was a well-equipped and powerful force. Moreover, Zhu Xiong Ying also led the Six Ministries, mainly composed of officials from the Ministry of Works. Even though they were mostly civil officials at the level of Vice Minister and Director, it was still quite a large force.

This was practically a miniature version of the imperial court, which Zhu Xiong Ying took with him to Beiping.

Zhu Xiong Ying not only commanded a large army, but also controlled Beiping, Xi'an, Taiyuan, Datong, Liaodong and other places, thus having control over both military and political affairs.

This was a true case of controlling both military and political affairs. In theory, feudal princes were not allowed to interfere in local government affairs after they were enfeoffed. But Zhu Xiong Ying was different this time. He not only controlled some generals, but also had control over local government affairs.

Being able to manage something and being willing to manage it are two different things.

In truth, Zhu Xiong Ying was well aware that he didn't have much interest in interfering in local government affairs for the time being. Although the emperor was far away, Zhu Yong had indeed nominally granted him the authority to intervene in government matters. However, Zhu Xiong Ying felt that his primary concern was simply to build a good capital.

Not only in local government affairs, but also in military power, Zhu Xiong Ying didn't want to interfere too much. Nominally, that didn't mean Zhu Xiong Ying truly cared about these matters.

It's better to be more conservative. If something unusual happens, Zhu Xiong Ying doesn't mind doing a little bit to implement his governing philosophy and policies on a small scale.

"Ying'er, the first thing you must do when you go to Beiping is to establish a capital and build a city." Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Xiong Ying and said seriously, "This is of paramount importance, so don't delay."

Seeing Zhu Xiong Ying nod, Zhu Biao continued, "You must also pay close attention to Tianjin. Whether it's the expedition to Japan or Korea, the grain transport in Tianjin is of paramount importance. With the relocation of the capital of our Great Ming to Beiping, Tianjin is even more crucial and cannot be neglected."

Looking at Zhu Xiong Ying, Zhu Biao asked again, "The Yan-Yun region has been far from our homeland in the Central Plains for a long time, and it was in great chaos at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. The Central Plains was mainly the area where the Yuan army and the Red Turban Army fought. Shandong and Henan were mostly uninhabited lands, and in Hebei, the fields were abandoned and the population was sparse after the war. Do you know anything about the current state of the imperial examinations in our Great Ming Dynasty?"

Seeing Zhu Xiong Ying nod, Zhu Biao sighed and said, "The literary style in the North is not good. In the past two years, the top three in the imperial examinations were all from the South. In recent years, Southern scholars have accounted for more than 70% of the imperial examinations. This is not good, and Northern scholars are full of resentment."

In fact, the issue of popular support was not completely resolved during the Hongwu era, and even now, many scholars are unwilling to serve in the government. Especially in the north, many scholar-officials are loyal to the Yuan Dynasty and refuse to cooperate with the Ming Dynasty. Many scholars do not wish to serve in the government because they do not want to forget their former country.

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