Even those with military merit have their own aspirations; some are wealthy and idle, while others hold high positions of power. Many military titles are not hereditary and are subject to continuous demotions, as they also hope to achieve merit and gain favor with the emperor.

Making a good impression on young Zhu was the goal of many military families. Especially now, since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the second generation of meritorious officials had fully risen to power, and many third-generation officials were beginning to show their talents. Some fourth-generation officials were already starting to exert their influence.

Those who appeared before Xiao Zhu this time were mostly third- or fourth-generation nobles. They all felt that if they were favored by the Crown Prince, their opportunities would increase.

After all, no one is a fool. Over the years, everyone knows that the Crown Prince has a special status. Emperor Yingshi did not follow the old Zhu family's naming rules in his early years. The current Crown Prince was appointed immediately after Emperor Yingshi ascended the throne, which is completely contrary to the 'ancestral instruction' that he should be appointed at the age of ten.

Emperor Ying Shi and his son were essentially there to make Zhu Yuanzhang break the rules he himself had set, and this was not an isolated incident.

Some were happy, some were sad, because the Crown Prince seemed to have no intention of hiding his opinions. Most importantly, the Crown Prince's decrees and imperial edicts were frequently heard from within the palace, making it easy to see whether his behavior was good or bad.

Everyone is well aware that although there are still occasional wars in the Ming Dynasty, many military officers have indeed lost their fighting spirit, and some military families have lost their means of livelihood.

If others perform well, you can only be envious. But if your own children and grandchildren are disappointing, then you can only think of other ways, or continue to live a life of leisure and comfort, without having any other ambitions.

This is normal; it's all their own choice, so they can't blame anyone else!

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