Little Zhu strode confidently over the threshold and walked straight to Zhu Yunying. This child wasn't lacking in confidence, not just because of his status, but also because of the doting affection of both Old Zhu and Little Zhu; his confidence was remarkable.

Little Zhu was still sensible, and knelt down solemnly, "Your subject greets Your Majesty the Emperor, may Your Majesty be well."

"Peace." Joo Yoon-young was also quite serious, playing along with little Joo's act. "Rise."

Little Zhu immediately expressed his gratitude and stood up, saying, "Your Majesty, I have made all the arrangements for the outing. I hope Your Majesty will make the final decision."

Wang Chengen immediately strode forward, bowed slightly to Xiao Xiao Zhu, and took the folding document from Xiao Xiao Zhu's raised hands.

If it were any other official, Zhu Yunying might have simply accepted the memorial and sent it away. When he would read it or give a reply was Zhu Yunying's business; all the officials could do was wait.

But now the memorial is from Little Zhu, so Zhu Yunying naturally needs to take a look at it immediately and give a reply right away.

Zhu Yunying quickly glanced at the document and could tell it was written by Little Zhu. Not only the handwriting, but also the word choice and sentence structure were in Little Zhu's style, which naturally did not escape Zhu Yunying's notice.

Zhu Yunying put down the memorial in his hand and asked, "Why not bring the orphans of the Imperial Guards this time? The orphans of the Imperial Guards are the orphans of soldiers who have received imperial favor. They should be pillars of the court and guards of the Crown Prince. The orphans of the Imperial Guards should be brought along on this outing."

Little Zhu immediately replied, "Father, some orphans of the Imperial Guards went north before. The orphans in the camp are too young to be fit for the duty of guarding them."

Zhu Yunying looked at the little Zhu and said seriously, "Your Highness, the Imperial Guard orphans have received imperial favor. It's not that we gave them food or a place to live. This is only right. Their fathers and grandfathers served the court and died in service. The court should take care of their orphans. Although the Imperial Guard orphans cannot protect the imperial family, you should still show them leniency. Only in this way can you win their hearts."

Little Zhu thought for a moment and said, "Then let's take the Imperial Guard orphans with us. They can't guard the central army, so let's take them on an outing. Then we can go to the Imperial Guard orphans' camp and give them some wine and meat. How about that?"

Zhu Yunying laughed heartily and said, "Our Crown Prince is indeed wise; these are things that the Crown Prince should be doing."

Winning people's hearts can sometimes be incredibly costly, while at other times it can seem very cheap.

In such a feudal dynasty, loyalty to the emperor was always the mainstream ideology. In this land, there was also a great deal of the concept that "if the emperor treats me as a national hero, I will repay him as a national hero."

For monarchs and many people of high status, a single word or a mere reward is enough to make some people choose to repay them with their lives, enough to move others to tears of gratitude, and enough to make them completely devoted to the monarch.

Little Zhu clearly had the qualifications to do so, because he was the Crown Prince, representing the Ming Dynasty's empire, and his favor was the highest honor. To receive Little Zhu's respect and praise would thrill not only ordinary soldiers, but even some nobles and aristocrats.

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Yunying said, "Go to your mother's place later and have her take you to get some clothes. Remember, don't give them all as rewards; only reward those who perform well in the camp."

“We know,” Little Zhu said immediately. “Father, we know that not everyone should be rewarded. If everyone is rewarded, then it’s impossible to distinguish between good and bad, and it won’t motivate others. The court also conducts evaluations when awarding merits. Although the Imperial Guards’ orphans are supported by the court, there are some ruffians and scoundrels in the camp.”

Zhu Yunying was relieved. Treating everyone equally required distinguishing between different situations; in the army, this was certainly not the case. Such "differential treatment" was necessary to ensure the enthusiasm and motivation of the Imperial Guard orphans.

Zhu Yunying smiled and said to Little Zhu, "It's good that you understand this principle. Take the orphan of the Imperial Guard with you and let your aunt take care of the women. Although there is a difference between men and women, you are the Crown Prince. Don't just focus on riding and hunting. You should also show your face to the women to show your favor."

Little Zhu immediately made a face. He only coaxed his little sister because he needed her help. He quickly lost patience playing with her; he preferred playing with boys, where they could play war games and ride horses.

No one knows a son better than his father. Just look at Little Zhu's expression; if Zhu Yunying hadn't reminded him, Little Zhu definitely wouldn't have gone to the women's area. He'd be too busy playing to think about anything else.

Little Zhu might be complaining a bit, but Zhu Yunying isn't actually that worried.

His precious son was indeed a handful, with his own ideas and even a bit spoiled. However, he would resolutely carry out whatever Zhu Yunying asked him to do, regardless of whether the little Zhu liked it or not.

Therefore, Zhu Yunying had nothing to worry about. His son knew what was important and what needed to be done well.

Zhu Yunying felt that there were no major problems with Xiao Zhu's arrangements, but some aspects did need to be improved.

Zhu Yunying certainly wouldn't just brush him off easily. He carefully explained the areas that needed improvement to Little Zhu, not only telling him the reasons but also the solutions, analyzing everything thoroughly.

It's not just because Xiao Zhu is his son, but also because Xiao Zhu is the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty. It would be of no harm for Xiao Zhu to understand and grasp these things. It would be an excellent thing for Xiao Zhu to get in touch with these things as early as possible.

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