Emperor Ying Shi must be ill, otherwise he wouldn't have missed the morning court session for two consecutive days. It's always the retired emperor who brings the crown prince to court, which is very unusual.

Faced with this situation, many civil and military officials were worried and felt uncertain about the outcome.

But even if you're unsure, it's no use. The one sitting on the dragon throne is the Hongwu Emperor. Even though he seems to have been away from court for a long time, no one dares to underestimate the Hongwu Emperor's abilities.

Some people, being more cautious, felt that even more care was needed at this time, given that Emperor Hongwu was likely in a bad mood. If they offended him, being dismissed from office would be a minor matter; their entire family could be executed without question.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Emperor Zhu looked at Bao Zhao with a serious expression and asked, "I remember that the Ministry of Revenue embezzled the income of the imperial family some time ago. How is the case progressing now?"

Everyone tensed up immediately. Recalling the brutality of the Hongwu Movement, many felt that Yu Xin's fate was not just dire, but destined for an extremely tragic end.

Bao Zhao immediately knelt down and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty the Retired Emperor, it is true that the official Yu Xin delayed the acquisition of the imperial clan, but we have not found any evidence of his corruption or abuse of power."

This is interesting. It means that Yu Xin did indeed deliberately delay receiving dividends from the Imperial Clan Bank. He might have wanted to cause trouble for the Imperial Clan, or he might have simply forgotten, or he might have had other intentions. This matter can now be considered confirmed, and there's no way to deny it now.

In fact, many people knew more inside information, but they dared not reveal it to Emperor Hongwu. After all, Yu Xin was now in prison and regretted it too late. He was too clever for his own good, and it was not actually a serious crime.

Old Zhu was very displeased and scolded, "There is nothing wrong with it? Yu Xin has unjustifiably delayed the imperial clan's gains, which is putting the emperor in an unjust position! You treat the imperial clan harshly and neglect your relatives. What kind of stain do you want the emperor to bear?"

Needless to say, all the civil and military officials immediately knelt down and pleaded guilty. Many of them even harbored resentment towards Yu Xin, who was simply causing them trouble!

Just then, Little Zhu stepped forward, seemingly with great courage, and said, “Your Majesty, I believe that Yu Xin has committed a transgression and should naturally be punished. However, my father is wise and the officials are diligent, so the situation has not deteriorated to such an extent. I believe that even though Yu Xin has committed a transgression, he has also made contributions, and I hope that Your Majesty will show leniency.”

Yu Xin certainly made contributions. He entered officialdom in the 21st year of the Hongwu reign and helped Zhu Yunying revise the stipends and benefits for members of the imperial family in his early years. In recent years, due to the shortage of provisions for border defense, Yu Xin formulated the method of attracting merchants and opening markets. These are all undeniable contributions.

Old Zhu seemed very displeased, and looked at young Zhu sternly, saying, "Crown Prince, you must remember this well: merit is merit, and demerit is demerit. If you take advantage of some merit to embezzle, bend the law, and run rampant, what will become of the court's laws? Even if there are members of the imperial clan, they are still your relatives!"

This was a stern and forceful statement, and many people felt that the Hongwu Emperor was truly enraged. They imagined that the Crown Prince might now be afraid and have to apologize.

However, Little Zhu's performance surprised everyone. He argued his case, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe Yu Xin should be punished, but there is no need for execution! Although the royal family's income was delayed, it has already been disbursed. The royal family has no complaints, and there is no reason to say that Father Emperor treated the royal family harshly or that relatives were dissatisfied."

Zhu Su was now trembling with fear. He felt he was in a dilemma, but his attitude was extremely important at this moment. He couldn't escape it even if he wanted to.

He was the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan Court, representing the attitude of the imperial clan, and thus wielded considerable influence, especially now that the interests of the imperial clan were at stake. The opinion of Prince Zhou, Zhu Su, essentially represented the opinion of the imperial clan.

Following the Hongwu Emperor's words would naturally offend the Crown Prince, and might even offend his own nephew, the Emperor, which was not the situation Zhu Su wanted to see.

But if he went along with Little Zhu's words, he would be offending his father, the Emperor. Reflecting on his experiences over the years, Zhu Su still harbored a deep-seated fear and lingering apprehension towards the old Emperor.

Zhu Su didn't even have the chance to cower in fear. Sitting on the dragon throne, the old Zhu snorted coldly, "Prince Zhou, what do you think of Yu Xin's actions? Yu Xin first reduced the expenses of the imperial clan, and then withheld their income. Do the imperial clan really have no resentment?"

Little Zhu then interjected, "Your Majesty the Great-Grandfather Emperor reduced the expenses of the imperial clan. This was Father Emperor's intention. Yu Xin was merely following the decree and did not make things difficult for the imperial clan!"

Zhu Su, his face contorted with grief, knelt down and gritted his teeth, "Your Majesty, I believe the imperial clan harbors no resentment..."

Offending the Emperor is one thing; if you offend him, you can apologize and at worst get a few lashes or be banished back to your hometown to observe the ancestral legacy. But if you offend your nephew, the Emperor, or your grand-nephew, the Crown Prince, you'll never have a peaceful life, and your descendants might even suffer the consequences.

Old Zhu seemed very angry, pointing at Zhu Su and shouting, "As the clan leader, you should protect your clan and relatives! Now, even you are not protecting the clan?"

Little Zhu spoke first again, saying, "Your Majesty, the Fifth Prince has not neglected the clan; he was merely reporting the facts. His wisdom and virtue are known throughout the court and the country, and the entire imperial clan admires him! I believe that, considering Yu Xin's many contributions, it would be best to dismiss him from his post!"

Many people's eyes lit up; it seemed Yu Xin had a chance to 'escape unscathed,' a stroke of luck that allowed him to survive the prospect of having his family and clan wiped out. Although he lost his official position, at least he was alive!

At this moment, Xiao Zhu continued, "Yu Xin was from Linhuai in Fengyang Prefecture, so he was practically a fellow townsman of my great-grandfather. Removing Yu Xin from his official post and sending him back to his hometown is to demonstrate the benevolence of my great-grandfather, the Emperor, and my father!"

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