Old Zhu found it amusing and said, "After all, they are barbarians from a foreign land, so it's common for things to be poor and chaotic. We're not too happy about your fourth grandfather being in Japan. When your uncle came back last time, we asked him about it, and we found out that many people weren't getting enough to eat. It's only because your father was heartless that he sent them to those places."

Sitting to the side, Joo Yoon-young quietly sipped his tea. At this moment, it was best not to stir up trouble; keeping a low profile was the best approach.

Despite having silver mines, Japan was severely lacking in various resources, including copper, iron, and coal. They basically had nothing. They managed to obtain some silk, much of which had to be paid as tribute to the Ming Dynasty. They needed to receive rewards from the Ming Dynasty and engage in trade to obtain grain and cloth.

Japanese cuisine may seem sophisticated, with dishes like sushi and yakitori, but often it's because Japan is really short of everything, so when they catch fish, birds, and other food, they dare not waste a single bit; every part must be used to its fullest potential.

It's true that Zhu Yuanzhang harbored resentment. His own children and grandchildren had gone out to establish their own kingdoms, seemingly with a foundation in the land. But those places were so desolate, how different were they from those of a commoner king? They were not as well off as they were in the Ming Dynasty.

Seeing that Zhu Yunying remained silent, the old Zhu said to the young Zhu, "The ruler of Zhongshan also has court robes. They use our Ming Dynasty's reign title and recognize our Ming Dynasty as their suzerain state, so naturally we should also bestow court robes upon them."

“We know that person wouldn’t dare wear the king’s clothes today,” Little Zhu said with a grin. “They say only one king outside can wear the same robes as us. Their palaces are all distinguished according to our style.”

Old Zhu was displeased upon hearing this and said sternly, "Who told you that? Those people's palaces have specific regulations regarding land area and scale. At most, they can only be considered as princely residences, with all buildings painted in cinnabar and blue. How can they compare to our Crown Prince!"

Needless to say, the crown prince is no match for it. Even the royal capital of a typical vassal state ruler is not even up to the level of a prince's mansion; it can only be at the level of a county prince's mansion.

Clothing and such can be provided according to the standards for a crown prince, but that is already a privilege. How could the palace be given such extraordinary treatment? Old Zhu values ​​these things immensely, but he is always strict about other rules and regulations.

Of course, Zhu Di and his brothers were different. Their palaces in their respective fiefdoms were built to the level of a prince's residence, which was slightly better than the treatment of other vassal kings.

Old Zhu was in a good mood, mainly because his great-grandson was doing well. "We were worried that you wouldn't be able to handle the situation today, but it seems we were overthinking it."

Little Zhu got excited and said confidently, "We don't have any manners in front of our great-grandfather, but everyone outside says we have good manners! I am the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, the foundation of the country. I can just keep quiet and put on a stern face, and who would dare to disrespect me!"

Little Zhu continued, her words flowing freely, "We may not be good at pedantry, but we know we should be respectful and courteous. We just chat with them about everyday life, and everyone is grateful to us!"

Old Zhu couldn't help but chuckle, thinking that Little Zhu's actions were perfectly fine, and in fact, this was more or less the result of Old Zhu's teaching.

Little Zhu is quite young, and he's not particularly bright, so there are some things he doesn't understand. Unlike Zhu Yunying, who is precocious, he can't discuss deep topics despite his young age.

Let's chat about life; this is also a manifestation of the Crown Prince's respect for talent and virtue. Such qualities are very important to the Crown Prince, and they can indeed earn him gratitude and praise from officials, the common people, and all.

Little Zhu continued to chatter on, saying, "Dad, we didn't promise anything today. That's all we know. If we agreed to anything, we might just be causing you trouble."

Zhu Yunying was generous with his praise for Xiao Zhu's awareness, saying, "It's good that our Yin'er is like this. Not only you, but we are the same. We don't easily agree to many things, otherwise it will be a troublesome matter."

Being cautious in speech and action is a tradition of the Zhu family, and this excellent habit should be maintained.

After all, the emperor's power is immense, and the crown prince's power and influence are not to be underestimated. A casual remark from them could affect many people.

Old Zhu was only proud of this, saying, "We don't easily agree to things, and if we do, we have to do them well. We are the emperor and the crown prince, our words carry the weight of the law, and what we say is law!"

Zhu Yunying largely agreed with this view. The emperor really couldn't change his orders frequently, otherwise it would not only affect the emperor's prestige, but also leave all the civil and military officials confused, which would not be beneficial to the implementation of the court's policies.

Remembering something, Zhu Yunying said to his father, "These days, Grandfather, you need to teach Yin'er a thing or two. His eldest uncle is about to lead his army back from Goryeo, and we, as the Crown Prince, must go and greet him."

Before Old Zhu could speak, Little Zhu got excited, "That won't do! This time, the Duke of Ying is the Grand General, and our uncle is just the Deputy General. Even if we're going to lead the horses, we shouldn't be leading the horses for our uncle, but for the Duke of Ying."

The practice of the crown prince leading horses for some generals was actually a 'tradition', not unique to the Ming Dynasty, but a custom that existed in many dynasties.

These seemingly simple and crude methods are actually unparalleled honors for many military generals, and they are indeed some of the pursuits of many military generals.

Zhu Yunying rolled his eyes at Little Zhu and said, "Who told you to fetch the horse? Don't be so clever for things that aren't necessary. There's no need for that now. Goryeo isn't like the Tatars or the Oirats, and this battle isn't the one that will determine the fate of our Great Ming Dynasty. There's no need for that."

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!