Zhu Xiong Ying, clad in golden armor, opened his arms with peace of mind, allowing his imperial grandfather to help him dress up.

The other maids and eunuchs knelt to one side; even if they wanted to show their faces, they wouldn't have the chance. It was clear that the Emperor was reluctant to let the Crown Prince go to Beiping this time, and was now arranging his attire.

After helping Zhu Xiong Ying put on her armor, Old Zhu adjusted the plume of her helmet. "She looks beautiful, our Ying'er is so beautiful!"

Zhu Xiong Ying patted his shoulder and said, "Grandpa Emperor, the cloak. Without the cloak, I can't be considered a young hero!"

"Alright, let's put the cloak on Ying'er." Old Zhu smiled and took the scarlet cloak from the maid. "Now that's perfect, our Ying'er is a young hero! We're old, but our grandson is young!"

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled at Old Zhu, then knelt down, "Grandpa, please sit down. Your grandson kowtows to you."

Old Zhu originally intended to help Zhu Xiong Ying up, but then he smiled and sat down.

Zhu Xiong Ying kowtowed three times to Old Zhu and said, "Grandfather, I am not by your side. Please remember to eat well and sleep well, and don't overwork yourself. Father is now able to govern the country, so please don't overwork yourself."

Old Zhu waved his hand impatiently and said, "Get lost! Stop being so wishy-washy, the army outside the city is still waiting!"

Zhu Xiong Ying laughed as she got up, then grabbed Old Zhu and hugged him tightly. Despite Old Zhu's seemingly disgusted expression, even though he was pushing him, he wasn't really using force; he was clearly enjoying his beloved grandson's affection.

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Xiong Ying kissed Old Zhu hard on the face, then turned and ran away.

"You brat!" Old Zhu was stunned for a moment, then reached for his shoes. "Is this how you behave?"

Zhu Xiong Ying ran out of the Qianqing Palace, turned around and knelt down, "Grandpa, your grandson is going to Beiping now. Grandpa, please take care of yourself at home and wait for your grandson to come back!"

Old Zhu, who was holding the shoe, paused for a moment, his eyes reddening and his nose stinging. "Get lost. Don't try to be a hero. Don't be afraid of trouble outside. If anything goes wrong, come back to us, and Grandpa will stand up for you. Don't be afraid of making mistakes either; we'll cover for you if anything happens. Got it?"

Zhu Xiong Ying kowtowed deeply to Old Zhu and stood up. This time, he didn't hesitate and strode out of the Qianqing Palace.

Watching Zhu Xiong Ying's figure disappear, Old Zhu sighed heavily, then looked at the young eunuch Shuang Quan, "Do you have anyone useful in front of us and the Crown Prince?"

Shuangquan quickly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, Wang Chengen is with Your Highness."

Old Zhu seemed to remember something and asked, "I remember we arranged for maids to serve the Crown Prince in his bedchamber years ago. What happened to them? Didn't they go to Beiping with him?"

"Your Majesty," Shuangquan replied respectfully, "Your Highness is merciful. He said that Hongxiu and Tianxiang have reached the age of marriage and have released them from the palace, promising them to two centurions of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Old Zhu smiled. His empress did the same, releasing palace women from the palace when they reached a certain age, fearing it would delay their marriage.

While Zhu Yuanzhang was still marveling at the benevolence of his grandson, Zhu Xiong Ying had already left the palace, leading a large army straight to the outskirts of Yingtian Prefecture, where the army was ready and waiting to set off.

Actually, the troops here don't represent the entire force Zhu Xiong Ying brought to Beiping. After it was confirmed that Zhu Xiong Ying was going to Beiping, many more troops had already set off. This particular force was basically the army Zhu Xiong Ying was leading.

Ancient military campaigns were not so simple; they could not simply move or stop at will. The troops led by Zhu Xiong Ying could be considered the elite of the Beijing Garrison, which was the most powerful army in the Ming Dynasty.

The Five Armies Camp was a field army composed of elite cavalry and infantry selected from various provinces of the Ming Dynasty. Its predecessor was the 100,000-strong Ming army led by Xu Da in the Northern Expedition against the Yuan Dynasty.

The Shenji Battalion was a special unit in the army specifically in charge of firearms. It was divided into four divisions, with three divisions each in the Ye and Shao sections, responsible for firearms such as muskets and cannons. Subordinate to this battalion was the Wuqian Battalion, which was responsible for training firearms and escorting the imperial cavalry.

The Three Thousand Camp was based on Mongol cavalry, and its actual number was more than three thousand, all of whom were cavalry. It was divided into five departments, each in charge of the emperor's flags, clothing, weapons, drums, and imperial treasures, and was the main mobile force of the Ming Dynasty's capital army.

This was the backbone of the Ming Dynasty's Imperial Guards, the true elite. However, the Imperial Guards that Zhu Xiong Ying took with him this time were slightly modified; for example, the Shenji Battalion was simply renamed.

Zhu Xiong Ying didn't offer much advice on matters like marching. Although he had read some military books and received lessons from Zhu De and other veteran generals, he was well aware that he wasn't one of those seasoned veterans and shouldn't offer too much guidance to experts.

Many generals accompanied him to Beiping this time. Even second-generation dukes like Xu Yungong and Li Jinglong had experience in training troops outside the capital, and these people were capable.

Zhu Xiong Ying didn't say much at this time, nor did he cause any trouble on the march; he simply marched obediently.

However, Zhu Xiong Ying paid close attention to various matters along the way, including the local people's livelihoods.

Previously, Zhu Xiong Ying had always lived in Yingtian Prefecture, where he could sense that it was quite prosperous. Even after returning to his hometown of Fengyang, he could feel that the local people's livelihood had recovered quite well; after all, it was the capital city, and the resources allocated to it were substantial.

This journey north, especially through the Central Plains, made Zhu Xiong Ying realize that the Ming Dynasty would still need time to recover. The wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty had shattered the heartland of the Central Plains, leaving the people destitute.

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