As a top-tier second-generation official, Chang Mao has always been unrestrained and short-tempered, and he can be described as fearless.

Who could blame him when his father was Chang Shiwan, and his nephew was the Crown Prince? Moreover, this Crown Prince valued his relatives highly and was very close to the Chang family.

Upon seeing Xu Yungong, a top-tier second-generation official, Chang Mao burst into laughter, "Huizu, you don't even bow to your maternal uncle?!"

Xu Yungong kept a straight face, truly at a loss for what to do with Chang Mao, this unruly troublemaker.

This was Chang Mao's character. If Zhu Xiong Ying hadn't left Chang Mao in Yingtian Prefecture, the historical Chang Mao would have wounded Nahachu when he surrendered, causing Nahachu's tribe to collapse. Then, Chang Mao and his father-in-law, Feng Sheng, shifted blame, leading to Chang Mao being stripped of his title…

Chang Mao didn't care about any of that. He patted Xu Yungong on the shoulder and said, "You really are something. You didn't even come to see me when you got to Beiping! I remember when we were kids, we used to ride horses and fight together."

Xu Yungong had no choice but to say, “Duke Zheng, things are different now. We have both inherited the title, and it is not a good thing for us to visit each other in private. Serving the emperor and the country is what we should do, and only then can we live up to the reputation of our fathers.”

"Uncle Xu is really something, how did he raise you to be so boring!" Chang Mao continued in a very brash manner, which was really infuriating. "If you ask me, even Uncle Xu isn't as boring as you! His Highness summoned us, presumably to host a banquet. Don't say that your uncle doesn't care about you; if you're like this in private, don't blame His Highness for not being close to you!"

Chang Mao, a reckless and unruly young man, was barely thirty and still childless. He used to be a lawless tyrant in Yingtian Prefecture, and he remained so in Beiping; practically no one could control him. He rarely committed major offenses, but everyone turned a blind eye out of consideration for his father and nephew.

Xu Yungong was just over twenty years old, with a handsome face and extraordinary bearing. As the eldest son of Xu Da, the Prince of Zhongshan, Xu Yungong could be considered one of the best among the younger generation, showing no signs of being a spoiled brat.

Wang Chengen naturally knew the importance of Xu Yungong and Chang Mao, and led the two dukes toward the study.

"Sit down," Zhu Xiong Ying said casually with a smile. "You can leave it at that, but you can make yourself at home, brother-in-law. We're all family here, so let's not stand on ceremony."

Xu Yungong's face hardened, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Your Highness's kindness is beyond my comprehension. However..."

Chang Mao bluntly said, "Your Highness, then we won't stand on ceremony."

After saying this, Chang Mao tugged at Xu Yungong, feeling that Xu Yungong was really clueless. Trying to be so rigid at a time like this was the least likable thing to do.

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled and nodded, then said, "You should also listen to what we have to say. Now that we have left Beiping, there are still many military affairs to sort out. The defense of the northern border is extremely important and we must pay more attention to it."

Chang Mao was puzzled and said, "Your Highness, didn't His Majesty order me to dredge the canal or build the Tianjin Gate?"

Now it was Xu Yungong's turn to be speechless. It must be because Uncle Chang died young that Chang Mao became such a spoiled brat. If Uncle Chang were still alive, Chang Mao would definitely not be the way he is now.

When Song Zhong arrived, he greeted him and said, “Your Highness, the Yan Prince’s Three Guards command 13,000 men. In the eight years since the Yan Prince took up his fief, he has built cities and cultivated land, trained generals and soldiers, inspected key locations, and supervised the manufacture of military equipment. The Yan Prince’s Three Guards are strong, well-trained, and powerful.”

This is fairly normal. The main reason is that in order to ensure the long-term stability of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang tried every means to strengthen the power of the imperial family itself. He enfeoffed some princes as vassal kings and stationed them in the northern border and strategic locations throughout the country, hoping to use them to protect the imperial family.

Among them, Prince Yan, Zhu Di, and Prince Jin, Zhu Gang, held particularly special positions. Therefore, Emperor Zhu once issued a special edict that the two princes should handle minor matters on their own within their armies, and only report major matters to the court.

Zhu Xiong Ying then asked, "Does Fourth Imperial Uncle have any dealings with the civil and military officials of Beiping Prefecture?"

Song Zhong immediately presented a memorial, which not only recorded the interactions between Prince Yan, Zhu Di, and some military generals in Beiping, but also his interactions with some local officials. It included some of the discontent and discussions among the Prince Yan's three guards regarding his summons to Yingtian Prefecture and the Crown Prince's presence in Beiping.

Zhu Xiong Ying glanced at it and then said, "That's enough. Don't worry about these things too much."

Song Zhong couldn't ignore it. The Crown Prince's words might be a sign of his magnanimity, but it was also possible that the Crown Prince was giving him a warning.

This matter doesn't need to be made a big fuss about, but we absolutely cannot let our guard down. We must keep a close eye on things and absolutely cannot be careless or negligent in any way. We absolutely cannot let the Crown Prince's important matter be ruined.

This marked the official end of the day's official duties. Zhu Xiong Ying stood up with a smile, "Let's go have dinner. It's bitterly cold in Beiping, so please have something to eat first."

Chang Mao said nonchalantly, "As long as there is wine and meat, I will be happy!"

"Uncle, you can come often, and there will definitely be plenty of wine and meat." Zhu Xiong Ying said with a smile, pulling Chang Mao's arm. "But Uncle, if Grandmother finds out that you're drinking again, she'll probably be angry."

Chang Mao looked slightly embarrassed, then said, "My mother has already written that she will be coming to Beiping next month. At that time, I will not have a good time; I will be detained every day."

“Then my eldest uncle will go out on business, and my maternal grandmother won’t be able to control him then,” Zhu Xiong Ying said, offering a bad suggestion. “However, my maternal grandmother is indeed strict in managing the household. After the Duke of Liang’s mansion was disciplined, it became much more well-behaved.”

Zhu Xiong Ying's maternal grandmother, Chang Yu Chun's wife, and Lan Yu's sister—this was no ordinary person. After Lan Yu was repeatedly reprimanded, Chang Lan Shi no longer cared so much; she managed the Chang family's affairs, and she also managed the Lan family's affairs.

The men can go out to fight or run errands; she will keep the inner quarters in perfect order. Those arrogant and domineering servants and wicked slaves are now too scared to even cry.

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