Zhu Yunying smiled and handed the noisy Zhu Wenkun to Old Zhu, saying, "This little thing has drooled all over our faces, we have to wipe it off. When Yin'er hugs Wenkun, we feel uneasy. He's holding him too tightly, and he won't let the palace maids or wet nurses hold him."

Little Zhu was unhappy and emphasized, "We can carry our little brother, and he's the most well-behaved when we hold him."

Old Zhu was a man of his word; he was well aware of Zhu Yunying's little schemes. However, he was too lazy to say much, simply holding Zhu Wenkun and teasing him a bit. After all, this was Zhu Yunying's second son, and Old Zhu would occasionally inquire about him.

However, after Xu Miaoqing helped Zhu Yunying wash his face, Old Zhu immediately handed Zhu Wenkun to Xu Miaoqing. The meaning was quite clear; he was basically asking her to leave. There was no need to hide his intentions; it was that obvious.

Xu Miaoqing naturally dared not utter a single complaint, and quickly rose to take her leave while holding Zhu Wenkun. Although she also liked her younger son, Xu Miaoqing was well aware that her eldest son's status was different. If it weren't for Little Zhu secretly bringing Zhu Wenkun over without her knowledge, Xu Miaoqing would never have dared to bring Little Zhu over today; that would have been a grave taboo.

After Xu Miaoqing left, Old Zhu asked with a stern face, "Crown Prince, do you know why your mother wanted to copy books?"

Little Zhu tilted his head, looking a little dejected. "It's not us. We just thought Wenkun was cute, so we thought we'd bring him over to show Great-Grandpa. Great-Grandpa hasn't seen Wenkun in a while, so we forgot about him."

Old Zhu said even more seriously, "You are the Crown Prince, the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. We have told you long ago that there is a distinction between seniority between you and Wenkun, and you must observe the etiquette between ruler and subject in the court. The position of the emperor is the position of the ancestor! Look at your father, even though he dotes on your second uncle so much, your father knows his limits. He only spoils him when it is appropriate, otherwise he will harm him."

Seeing little Zhu with his head down, Old Zhu stopped talking, and Zhu Yunying was also busy with his own things at this time, remaining silent.

Shuangquan and Wang Chengen were even more cautious at this time. If they made any mistakes, they would be scolded.

Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Zhu Yunying spoke up, "Yin'er, just remember these things, and don't repeat them in the future. You are, after all, the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, and you must be careful in every word and deed. Your words and actions affect many people. Think thrice before you act, and don't act rashly in a moment of passion."

Although he usually dotes on Xiao Xiao Zhu, Lao Zhu didn't protect her at this moment.

Seeing that it was about time, Zhu Yunying said to Little Zhu, "Alright, sit down. Today we're going to tell you some stories."

Old Zhu laughed too, his previous serious expression vanishing, replaced by a kind old man. "Storytelling is good, we love listening to it. Yin'er, in this respect you're not as good as your father, neither are your grandfather or I. Your father's ability to draw inferences and understand history is always insightful."

Little Zhu nodded repeatedly and said, "We also like the stories Father tells. We didn't like listening to those tutors and professors. They were all pedantic scholars. We can see for ourselves and think for ourselves. Nowadays, many scholars are not scholars at all. They are forgetting their roots and don't even know what the earliest Confucianism was like!"

The Confucian scholars of the past were not weaklings; they were quite spirited. Leaving aside Confucius, many scholars in the Western Han Dynasty would draw their swords at the slightest provocation, showing even more passion than many warriors.

However, the spirit of scholars has been dwindling, especially after the Song Dynasty, when they almost completely lost it. Those refined scholars gradually lost their spirit and became powerless.

Old Zhu was even happier and said, "This is the true descendant of our Zhu family, this is the true crown prince of our Zhu family! Your third uncle looks like a scholar, but we don't think he'd be a good emperor. If an emperor is too benevolent, things will go wrong. Your father said years ago that an emperor should have a sword in his left hand and a book in his right; that's what an emperor should be like."

Little Zhu nodded seriously and said, "Then we'll just be like our dad and master the Four Books and Five Classics."

Old Zhu and Zhu Yunying panicked and immediately shouted, "You dare!"

Little Zhu was displeased and retorted, "My great-grandfather didn't understand the Four Books and Five Classics, and my father doesn't either. You all only know the Four Books and Five Classics, so why should we be proficient in them? That's not good, we're going to be emperors in the future, and being an emperor isn't like taking the imperial examination!"

Old Zhu grew anxious and said, "Your father is different. He was precocious and could draw inferences from one instance to another, but you are not. Only through studying can one understand principles. We may look down on some scholars, but you need scholars to govern the country. If you don't know the Four Books and Five Classics, how can you understand the minds of scholars and how can you manage them?!"

Zhu Yunying quickly added, "Your great-grandfather came from humble beginnings, but he read books whenever he had free time. Tell me, can all of us combined be as capable as your great-grandfather? Even your great-grandfather had to read books, let alone you and me!"

There's no way he can slack off now. Little Zhu should just focus on his studies; that's what he should be doing.

As the Crown Prince, young Zhu certainly had much to learn. His position was secure, and the Ming Dynasty was growing stronger. However, for young Zhu, his great-grandfather and his father were both ambitious emperors.

So Little Zhu had no choice but to accept it. While enjoying the supreme glory that came with his status, this little guy also needed to learn a lot. But there was nothing to say about it; many children started elementary school at a young age, and ten years of hard study didn't necessarily guarantee them any official rank or title.

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