"You just don't have the talent, you can't learn it," Old Zhu bluntly retorted. "You only need to learn one-tenth of your cousin Jiujiang's skills!"

Zhu Yunying got angry and stormed off. The example Old Zhu gave was terrible; Zhu Yunying hadn't learned even a fraction of Li Jinglong's skills, which was truly disheartening.

Although Zhu Yunying knew that Li Jinglong had solid theoretical knowledge, was well-versed in military strategy and tactics, and indeed possessed some ability, it was still unacceptable to say that Zhu Yunying hadn't learned even a fraction of Li Jinglong's military leadership skills—that would be too disheartening!

Watching Zhu Yunying leave, Little Zhu said, "Great-grandfather, our father is really angry this time. We reckon he won't come to pay his respects to you for two or three days."

"Let him be!" Old Zhu said, like a child, "He was so close to us when he was young, but he's become less and less so as he grows up. He tricked us into giving him the throne, but he can't even be bothered with the formalities. We've spoiled him for nothing!"

Little Zhu grinned. He had no intention of getting involved in this matter. Little Zhu wasn't at an age where he didn't understand anything. He knew a lot about many things now, and some family matters were not suitable for him to get involved in.

At this point, it's better to choose to protect oneself. Besides, Xiao Zhu felt that even if his great-grandfather and father had a falling out, it would just be a 'fight,' and there was really no need to worry about anything else.

Zhu Yunying actually had similar thoughts. He was never obedient to Zhu Yunying. Even when he was a child, Zhu Yunying would try to coax Zhu Yunying, but he would also occasionally cause trouble for Zhu Yunying and upset him.

Old Zhu clearly didn't dislike what Little Zhu did. Perhaps it was because he had children like Little Zhu and Little Little Zhu who weren't afraid of him that Old Zhu felt genuine family affection, rather than just fear and longing for imperial power.

Back at Chunhe Palace, Zhu Yunying teased Zhu Wenkun, coaxing, "Call me quickly, and I'll give you something delicious."

Sitting on the tatami mat, Zhu Wenkun looked at Zhu Yunying, happily shaking his little arms. After babbling for a while, he started drooling. Speaking was still a bit difficult for Zhu Wenkun at the moment.

Looking at Zhu Wenkun's expression, Zhu Yunying sighed, "It seems we can only wait a little longer. You and your elder brother are the same; it's hard for you to speak. It's a bit late for you to start learning to talk."

Xu Miaoqing came to her side at this moment and said softly, "Your Majesty, today my aunt and sister sent a palace token, requesting an audience with the emperor. I feel that there are some things that my aunt and sister should know, so as not to cause them worry."

Zhu Yunying thought for a moment and said, "Let them come tomorrow. It's a good thing that the second prince is out on business, otherwise that kid might cause trouble and even break into the palace. They know about these things, so it's not a big deal."

Xu Miaoqing breathed a sigh of relief. The emperor was faking illness, and she, as the empress, had actually been having a hard time these past few days, also under considerable pressure.

Putting aside other matters, the emperor's younger brothers and sisters would naturally be nervous, including some princesses and noblewomen who also wanted to enter the palace for an audience. This included the wives of some military officers who also wished to enter the palace for an audience.

Although they came under the guise of paying their respects to the Empress, everyone knew their real reason for entering the palace was to inquire about the Emperor's health. If they couldn't find out in court, then they would need to consider matters of diplomacy involving the Empress.

As for faking illness, Joo Yoon-young felt it was fine. It wasn't that he was afraid of trouble; rather, he had his own ideas.

The appointment of the Minister of Revenue and the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture was actually insignificant. Zhu Yunying had long had his own ideas and candidates, and he was not worried about too many obstacles in the court. These were all minor matters.

Even sending Prince Ning, Zhu Quan, to Goryeo was nothing special. Not to mention that Zhu Yunying was already aware of such matters, the entire court and the imperial family were also somewhat aware of them.

At most, it's officially finalized now. Everything is settled, and there's no need to speculate or think about any further maneuvering.

Now everyone has a clear understanding of the situation, and everyone knows the emperor's decision, which is enough.

What Zhu Yunying was truly concerned about was the affairs of the cabinet, which was the real reason he feigned illness this time, and also what he truly wanted to plan.

Under Zhu Yunying, the cabinet would certainly only be an advisory body, and the cabinet members would be unlikely to have the opportunity to participate in decision-making. These were essentially senior secretaries, merely advisors to the emperor, and would not have much power.

However, the nature of the cabinet and their proximity to the emperor naturally meant that once these people had some opportunities, they could gradually get involved in some political affairs, and their status and power might become more and more prominent.

There were basically no problems with Zhu Yunying, but it's hard to guarantee that the cabinet will become too powerful under his descendants.

Therefore, it is necessary to impose some restrictions on the cabinet, rather than allowing it to rise above the Six Ministries as it has in history, or even become a "powerful minister".

The earlier promotion of the six ministers' ranks was not only intended to counterbalance the military elites, but also somewhat as preparation for the current cabinet. Zhu Yunying's strategy was actually quite ambitious.

Now that he's feigning illness, Zhu Yunying can naturally establish a cabinet through the young Zhu, which is no problem.

However, Zhu Yunying did not recognize the legal status of the cabinet, which was a constraint on the cabinet.

According to the rules established by Zhu Yunying, an institution like the Grand Secretariat should not exist. Zhu Yunying's creation of the Grand Secretariat naturally means it is not a formal institution, since he cannot violate ancestral rules, especially since Zhu Yunying is still alive.

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