Feigning illness is a skill, and there are many nuances to it. If done well, everything will be fine. But if done poorly, it can easily cause unrest, which would be counterproductive.

Therefore, Zhu Yunying needs to be careful. After all, he is the emperor, and his body belongs not only to himself but also to the Ming Dynasty.

When Zhu Yunying was a child, many people were focused on him. As he grew up healthy, the struggle for the throne in the Ming Dynasty was a foregone conclusion. After Zhu Yunying ascended the throne, everyone's attention turned to his offspring. When little Zhu was born, everyone knew that the Ming Dynasty had a worthy successor.

It can be said that Zhu Yunying has not disappointed. As things stand, Zhu Yunying has remained healthy, which means that the throne of the Ming Dynasty is basically a foregone conclusion. Everyone knows that Zhu Yunying will not disappoint.

So now, even if Joo Yoon-young wants to feign illness, he needs to be careful not to overact and to maintain a proper balance.

"Father, Grandpa said you're getting sick." Little Zhu ran back panting, looking very anxious. "Father, why are you sick?"

Zhu Yunying found it amusing and said, "I'm perfectly healthy. I'm just pretending to be sick so I can make some plans. Just listen to your great-grandfather's arrangements. Do you think your great-grandfather would harm you?"

Little Zhu was relieved and put on a show of filial piety, "That's good. We're not grown up yet, and we don't plan to be emperors right now. Dad, we should be at least seventeen or eighteen before we become emperors. You have to hold on, but don't hold on for too long!"

Zhu Yunying gritted his teeth and pointed at the little Zhu, saying, "You are our son, otherwise, if you were so disrespectful, we would punish you! We, we want to live to be seventy or eighty years old, and we will occupy the throne!"

Little Zhu immediately turned and ran, saying, "When that time comes, you'll be the retired emperor, and I'll be the emperor!"

Watching little Zhu run off, Zhu Yunying said helplessly, "Our son has been spoiled rotten by his grandfather. This child is only so because we pamper him, and only in our Great Ming Dynasty. In any other dynasty, which crown prince could be so unruly!"

Xu Miaoqing also said with a smile, "Yin'er's unruly nature is not only due to the Emperor's doting on him, but also because of His Majesty's affection. It is also because I have failed to discipline him properly that Yin'er is so unruly. This child is also relying on his status and has a lack of manners."

Zhu Yunying hurriedly said, "You are becoming more and more particular about rules these days. If we teach Yin'er to be too rigid, Grandfather will definitely be unhappy. There's nothing wrong with being a little unconventional. As long as Yin'er has good character, that's enough. To be honest, Yin'er is bound to be a good crown prince. We all know that."

Xu Miaoqing had to follow the rules. Although she was the Empress and the mother of the nation, everyone knew that most of the time, an Empress didn't have much power. Not every Empress was like Lü Zhi, Dugu Jialuo, Empress Zhangsun, or Wu Zetian.

Even though Empress Ma set a good precedent for the Ming Dynasty, everyone knew that Empress Ma held a very high position. Besides her deep affection for Emperor Zhu, she also had unparalleled prestige among the founding heroes during the early years of Zhu's conquest of the country.

Xu Miaoqing was well aware of this. Even though she was the Empress and the most favored concubine, she never became arrogant because of it. Nor did she need to. Her position was secure, and as long as she didn't make any major mistakes, her position as Empress would remain unchanged.

Moreover, with two sons, Xiao Zhu and Zhu Wenkun, Xu Miaoqing's position was naturally more secure. Therefore, it wouldn't hurt to be more disciplined; there was no need for her to compete for favor like some other concubines.

Xu Miaoqing was curious and concerned, "Your Majesty, why would you pretend to be sick when you're perfectly fine?"

“We have some plans, we’re going to set up a cabinet.” Zhu Yunying laughed, and also complained, “Grandpa Emperor knows what we’re thinking, he’s thinking about making Yin’er’s prestige in court even higher. What can we do but obey Grandpa Emperor?”

Xu Miaoqing was overjoyed. She was now in a position of power because of her son, and her son's status was secure. Xu Miaoqing had no reason not to be happy.

Zhu Yunying didn't say anything more, but simply instructed, "We'll be pretending to be sick for the next few days, so you should also be careful."

For Xu Miaoqing, cooperating with Zhu Yunying on various tasks was second nature to her. Not only was feigning illness a thing, but she could generally cooperate well with anything Zhu Yunying asked her to do.

Xu Miaoqing was aware of some things; she knew Zhu Yunying's personality and could be considered a virtuous and capable wife to him.

Some things don't need to be rushed. When the morning court session started again, Zhu Yunying listened patiently to the reports from the court officials and dealt with a few matters. It seemed that there was indeed no need to rush, and everything seemed to be going very smoothly.

The only unusual thing was that Zhu Yunying, sitting on the wide dragon throne, would yawn from time to time, looking like he hadn't slept well.

The unusual thing about this incident is that Joo Yoon-young yawned a lot, and seemed a bit tired.

In fact, over the years, not to mention Zhu Yunying, even the iron-willed Zhu Yunying would yawn or look tired during the morning court sessions, which is quite normal, given that he had to get up so early.

It doesn't seem like a big deal, and everyone feels that it's not worth paying too much attention to.

After the morning court session, Zhu Yunying summoned Ru Chang to the Wuying Hall. Many people were paying close attention, since Ru Chang was Zhu Yunying's most trusted confidant and the Minister of Personnel of the Ming Dynasty, making this occasion even more significant.

Who knows whether the emperor summoned Ru Chang to discuss ordinary matters of the Ministry of Personnel, or to inquire about the upcoming appointment of the Minister of Revenue?

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