For a high-ranking official like Lian Zining, the current crown prince was naturally no stranger. Even though the young Zhu rarely appeared in court, it did not affect the attention of the entire court, nor did it affect the desire of many to serve under him.

In fact, many people know that the current crown prince, like the current emperor, has an overly secure position as heir apparent.

The current emperor did not like to appear in court when he was young, but everyone knew that he was favored and biased by the Hongwu Emperor. Many rules were even broken for him, and many matters were handled by the then Crown Prince.

The current Crown Prince, Zhu Yuanzhang, still enjoys the favor and preferential treatment of the Hongwu Emperor, and many people know that his position is secure. The rule established by the Hongwu Emperor that the eldest son of the empress would only be made Crown Prince at the age of ten was broken by Zhu Yuanzhang.

This was a treatment that even the young Zhu Yunying hadn't received. Little Zhu was immediately made crown prince by Zhu Yunying after his ascension to the throne, even before he could speak properly. This wasn't just Zhu Yunying's idea; it was also the opinion of the Hongwu Emperor.

Seeing the crowd about to kneel, Xiao Zhu waved her hand, "Go back, everyone. Don't greet me outside the mansion."

Lian Zining immediately accepted the order. Although he was not entirely clear on the reason, he still had to follow the Crown Prince's instructions at this time.

Little Zhu, lacking any sense of being a guest, led the way. In reality, not everyone in the Lian household knew Little Zhu, but seeing Zhu Ruyi following behind the young man, they could roughly guess what was going on. Moreover, Lian Zining's attitude further confirmed their suspicions.

Xiao Zhu arrived at the main hall and sat down with an air of authority, while Shuang Quan naturally stood to Xiao Zhu's left.

"Lian Zining, Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, pays respects to His Highness the Crown Prince. May His Highness live a long life."

Xiao Zhu nodded slightly and then said, "Since I am accompanying the princess on her visit to her family today, there is no need for formalities. Lord Lian, please have your relatives come forward to pay their respects, and you may catch up with each other."

There's nothing wrong with Xiao Zhu doing this. After all, he's the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty. Since he's come to the Lian residence, it's not like he's really just a guest. It's only natural for Lian Zining to show courtesy, and everyone in the Lian residence should also pay their respects to Xiao Zhu; this etiquette cannot be omitted.

Lian Zining's wife, daughters, nephews, and nieces all naturally bowed respectfully according to their status and position. This wasn't just a formality; they also remembered that Zhu Ruyi was a princess, and even Lian Zining had to bow to her.

After bowing, Little Zhu adopted the demeanor of a crown prince, saying, "Ruyi, go with your maternal grandmother to the backyard to catch up. It's not easy for you to leave the palace, so talk to your maternal family more."

Zhu Ruyi naturally understood these things, and stood up, saying, "Your Majesty, I accept the decree."

Little Zhu looked at Shuangquan and asked, "Did you bring any palace maids or nannies with you on this trip? Tell them to stay with Ruyi'er and not to neglect them."

There was certainly no shortage of palace maids and nannies. Although this was Zhu Ruyi's maternal grandparents' home, there were still things that needed to be noted.

In fact, it wasn't just Zhu Ruyi who was like this. Even when young Zhu went to the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion or the Kaiping Prince's Mansion, he was never short of eunuchs and other people by his side. The people in the palace would naturally take over all the tasks.

Just like the Lian family now, all matters, big and small, are being handled by people from the palace. Many servants and cooks are still in a daze at this time, and can only retreat to the side trembling, not daring to utter the slightest complaint about being 'seized'.

Watching Zhu Ruyi leave, Little Zhu took out a letter from his pocket. "Lord Lian, Father has issued a decree. Please take a look."

Lian Zining immediately knelt down, raised both hands to receive the letter from Shuang Quan, and respectfully kowtowed before opening the envelope.

After reading the contents, he felt a stirring in his heart, but his expression didn't change much.

"I understand." Little Zhu, who had already read the letter, said, "You can make arrangements in the next few days. Father is quite patient. Three days or five days is fine. Just don't delay too long, Father has other important matters to attend to."

Lian Zining naturally knelt down and quickly said, "Your subject will obey Your Majesty's decree."

Little Zhu nodded slightly and then said, "I've heard that Lord Lian was the second-place scholar in the imperial examination of the eighteenth year of Hongwu. He is skilled in poetry and prose, and is learned and talented. The Imperial Noble Consort is also skilled in poetry and prose, and Ruyi'er is quite talented as well. The Lian family has many promising young talents. Today, I've come to see the children of the Lian family."

Lian Zining immediately said, "Your Highness, my eldest son Chengjing is currently a principal clerk in the Ministry of Revenue, and my second son Xuantong and youngest son Renshan are both studying at the Imperial Academy. If Your Highness wishes to examine them, I will immediately send someone to summon them."

Little Zhu nodded and said, "Then let them all come back. We also want to see how talented Ruyi'er's uncles are. I remember there was a Lian Gan in the last imperial examination who was ranked second-class. I heard Ruyi'er say that he was also from a martial arts family?"

Lian Zining was somewhat proud, but still humbly replied, "Your Highness, Lian Gan is my nephew, and he has been appointed as the magistrate of Guangde County."

Little Zhu immediately laughed and said, "I remember your father was once the Assistant Magistrate of Guangde. Now your nephew has been transferred to Guangde. It's quite a good story."

Lian Zining was the 32nd generation descendant of Lian He, a descendant of Xi. His father, Lian Boshang, was also a successful candidate in the provincial examinations at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and served as a mid-to-lower-level official. This could be considered a family with a strong scholarly tradition and a distinguished official family.

Lian Zining was somewhat excited. Although he was now one of the important officials of the Ming Dynasty, many people knew that Lian Zining was a lone official, and his career had basically reached its ceiling, with little room for further advancement.

However, Lian Zining didn't need to worry too much. It seemed that his daughter had deprived him of opportunities for advancement, but also because of his daughter, the Lian family members received more attention from the emperor.

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