This is also true. Although Old Zhu was very close to his second sister and brother-in-law, he did not bury them in the ancestral mausoleum. There are still rules to follow.

Zhu Yunying said with a smile, "We originally thought of sending the third son over, but after thinking it over, we think it's more appropriate for you to go, since you are the direct descendant of our family. Besides, it's good for him to stay here. He likes to be cultured, so we can let him lead the King of Zhongshan around. If you lead him, we're afraid that the King of that barbarian country will only be looking for women."

Zhu Yunwen hurriedly smiled and said, "Then let the third brother go. It's not appropriate for us to go. We're afraid we'll mess things up for you and make a fool of ourselves. We'll take our cousin from Jiujiang to Xuyi to repair the tomb of our great-aunt. We'll also pay our respects to our great-uncle and great-aunt. Don't worry, Your Majesty, we're sensible. We'll definitely visit the ancestral mausoleum when we get to Xuyi."

Hearing Zhu Yuntong say this, Zhu Yunying nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that although Zhu Yuntong lacked ambition and was playful, he still understood the principles that needed to be understood. This kid still had some inner talent.

However, this only shows that Zhu Yunying truly underestimated Zhu Yuntong. Although Zhu Yuntong was a playboy, he was still in his early twenties and knew the basic principles of life. While Zhu Yuntong was too lazy to ponder simple social customs and etiquette, he wasn't completely ignorant of them either.

Ultimately, it probably comes down to Zhu Yunying's expectations of Zhu Yuntong being a bit too low. What others considered common sense, Zhu Yunying believed, was something Zhu Yuntong could achieve, and that was something worthy of praise; it was Zhu Yuntong who had lived up to expectations.

He gave Zhu Yunwen a little encouragement and explained some things to him, and that was about it.

Zhu Yunying was still very busy. After instructing Zhu Yunwen on some matters, Zhu Yunying naturally needed to summon Zhu Yunwen to arrange some things for him.

After Zhu Yunwen left, he was immediately summoned to the Wuying Hall, which was a rare privilege for him. Fortunately, he did not feel resentful.

In his early years, with repeated reminders from Lady Lü, Zhu Yunwen studied diligently, often imitating the eldest Zhu. Both he and Lady Lü thought he was doing quite well.

For example, being intelligent, studious, and kind-hearted—that's the impression Zhu Yunwen left on many people. Regardless of what he was really like inside, that's how he appeared on the surface.

No matter how well he performed, his grandfather never noticed him, and never gave him any special treatment. Even though his father seemed to favor his mother, it seemed that his father never mentioned the position of crown prince in all those years.

Ultimately, it's this person in front of us. Even though he's 'unruly' and 'arrogant because of favor,' and doesn't seem to be close to the virtuous, he still manages to win over the Emperor. The Emperor doesn't know how many rules he's changed because of him.

At this moment, Zhu Yunwen had already accepted his fate, perhaps after his father's death, or perhaps even earlier. He had no chance; as long as his elder brother was alive, he had no chance at all.

As soon as Zhu Yunwen arrived at the Wuying Hall, he immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your subject Yunwen greets Your Majesty, my elder brother."

Zhu Yunying was too lazy to put on airs in front of Zhu Yunwen and said, "Rise. There's no need for formalities in front of us. This isn't the imperial court."

Although his elder brother had said so, Zhu Yunwen dared not be careless. "Your subject accepts the decree and thanks you."

"Originally, we planned to send you to Xuyi to pay respects at the ancestral mausoleum," Zhu Yunying said without hiding anything. "However, the Ryukyu Kingdom is about to pay homage to the court, and after thinking it over, we realized that among the royal family, you are the one with the right status, and you are also diligent and knowledgeable in etiquette. So, this matter still needs to be handled by you."

Zhu Yunwen, lacking any sense of being a tool, immediately knelt down again, saying, "Your subject obeys the decree, Your subject will certainly devote all your efforts..."

Zhu Yunying waved his hand and quickly said, "Don't try to show off your bookish knowledge in front of us. Those Confucian scholars don't know how they'll scold us."

Zhu Yunwen was speechless. To be honest, he did admire his elder brother, but he also didn't quite understand him.

Zhu Yunwen, who was well-versed in the classics, had thought about what he would do if he were the emperor. Of course, he would be lenient towards scholars, lenient in punishment and prison, reduce taxes, and cut redundant officials and staff. Naturally, he would also promote the Zhou rites, which he highly approved of.

As for the Duke Yansheng, who was deposed by the Emperor in his early years, he should naturally be reinstated. He is the backbone of Confucian scholars in the world, so he should be treated with the utmost respect. He is a descendant of Confucius!

However, these were just thoughts in his mind; Zhu Yunwen knew that the dragon throne had long since become irrelevant to him. As for his elder brother's poor reputation among Confucian scholars, Zhu Yunwen was naturally aware of it, and in fact, he himself harbored many complaints.

Complaining is useless; at this time, all Zhu Yunwen can do is suppress his anger and endure it. This is the only way for him to secure his position and make a living.

Zhu Yunying then instructed, "You have read quite a few books and know proper etiquette. You represent the royal family, and this is to show closeness and leniency. But remember this well: our Great Ming is, after all, the suzerain state. Putting aside that small vassal state of Wuning for the time being, the main problem is that it has no ruler or father. This time, we are going to reprimand it!"

Zhu Yunwen seemed to have understood something and roughly knew how he should treat Wu Ning.

Seeing Zhu Yunwen nod, Zhu Yunying felt much more at ease.

In summary, Zhu Yunwen, the historical emperor, made one mistake after another during his reign, almost entirely ruining the country with his flawed decisions. From this perspective, there are indeed some issues.

However, the current Zhu Yunwen is not the Jianwen Emperor, but merely the Prince of Xu of the Ming Dynasty. He cannot be a good emperor, but Zhu Yunwen is still considered a virtuous prince. At least he has a good reputation among officials, and he is well-educated and knowledgeable in manners.

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