Zhu Yunying affectionately patted little Zhu's head, "That can't be helped. It's been different since you were born. You are our eldest son, and the future of our Ming Dynasty will fall on your shoulders. We were just like you before, only we had it easier in front of your great-grandfather. Others used to think of us only as the eldest grandson of the emperor and the crown prince."

For these emperors, being a solitary figure was perhaps their ultimate fate, and it's not surprising that they referred to themselves as "lonely and isolated." After all, their status was far too unique, making it virtually impossible to engage in equal dialogue with them.

This is probably a classic case of not being able to have your cake and eat it too. Don't be fooled by the fact that Zhu Yunying has a troublesome younger brother who's always causing trouble. No matter how close the boy acts, he's actually afraid of Zhu Yunying deep down.

Besides the bloodline advantage of being his elder brother, the difference in status was also a factor, especially after Zhu Yunying ascended the throne, this phenomenon became increasingly apparent. However, this was understandable; after all, he was the emperor. Even the supreme ruler couldn't have everything perfect, and not everything could go according to his wishes.

Leading his young daughter Zhu Ruyi towards the East Palace, Zhu Yunying also saw her beloved daughter Zhu Ruyi with her younger brother Zhu Wenjin in the Imperial Garden. Zhu Yunying had four children; four children with three mothers was perfectly normal in that era, and no one would consider the emperor a scoundrel.

Zhu Yunying naturally valued his son, Little Zhu, immensely. Although he couldn't see him every day, he would see him at least once every two or three days, barring unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, Little Zhu was quite familiar with his father, the Emperor. Coupled with Little Zhu's status and the arrogance he had gained from being favored over the years, he naturally felt no fear in front of Zhu Yunying.

As for Zhu Ruyi? Although she is Zhu Yunying's only daughter, and many people know that Emperor Yingshi dotes on her, she is still a princess. Under normal circumstances, it's normal for him to see her only once or twice every ten days. Even though Emperor Yingshi dotes on his daughter, he doesn't spend much time with her.

Zhu Wenjin, on the other hand, seemed rather aggrieved, just like many other princes, appearing to be neglected.

His personality was inherently unruly, and given that he was a prince born to a concubine, his status as a member of the imperial family was undeniable. No one dared to mistreat him, but compared to his other brothers and sisters, Zhu Wenjin's treatment was far worse.

Seeing his father once every ten days or so was the norm; as for having a long talk with him, that was a luxury. To think he could be as close to his father as his elder brother was simply a pipe dream.

Zhu Wenjin's treatment was quite normal; Emperor Zhu had treated some of his sons the same way in the past. Some princes only saw Emperor Zhu a limited number of times throughout the year. This was actually similar in other dynasties. Emperors typically had many children, and apart from those born to the empress or those who were favored, ordinary princes rarely had the opportunity to meet the emperor.

Having seen Zhu Yunying, his daughter and son naturally rushed over as well.

Zhu Ruyi was very happy and obediently bowed, saying, "Your subject greets Father Emperor, and your subject sister greets Your Majesty."

Zhu Wenjin quickly followed suit, saying, "Your subject pays respects to the Emperor, and your younger brother pays respects to the Emperor."

Zhu Yunying was in a good mood and asked with a smile, "We could hear you laughing and joking from afar. What are you playing?"

Zhu Ruyi said happily, "Dad, we want to catch butterflies, but we're afraid of them. So we let Wenjin catch them. He loves catching butterflies and grasshoppers, and he's not afraid of insects or mice."

Little Zhu wasn't happy about it. He was still a very nice older brother. "Then call me! I'm much better than Wen Jin! Wait here together, and I'll come over and catch all the butterflies for you right away."

Zhu Ruyi quickly said, "We can just catch butterflies here with Wenjin, we don't need to catch many. Originally, we wanted to call for the Emperor, but Wenjin said that the Emperor is still at the training ground."

Zhu Ruyi's words were actually somewhat true, though she did intend to invite her elder brother, the emperor, to join them. However, Zhu Ruyi now knew that her brother's status was extraordinary, so she wouldn't call him during certain games.

Looking at his second son, who was standing timidly beside him, Zhu Yunying said with a smile, "This shows some of the spirit of our Zhu family. The men of our Zhu family should take good care of their family members, and the women of our family are our responsibility to protect."

Zhu Wenjin immediately smiled and said, "Father, my elder sister also likes me the most. She's always playing with me."

There was nothing that could be done about it. Zhu Wenjin did want to play with his elder brother, the Emperor. His elder brother either lived in the Qianqing Palace or the Chunhe Hall, places that ordinary people couldn't go to, not even princes.

Moreover, Zhu Wenjin, who was rather playful, didn't actually have much academic pressure. He basically went to the main hall every day just to go through the motions. Whether he learned anything or not was irrelevant. He could just mess around after school every day, and no one would say anything to him.

His elder brother was different; he had a much heavier academic workload. He studied at the Imperial Academy quite often, and was frequently tutored by the Emperor Emeritus himself. In addition to his studies, his elder brother also practiced riding and archery at the training grounds.

In reality, Zhu Wenjin's closest friend was Zhu Wengeng from his second uncle's family, the future heir to the Wu King, who was a spitting image of the Wu King. He would often feign illness to skip school, and when he got to the main hall, he would often sleep. He had no interest in studying and always had some strange gadgets stuffed in his bag, completely corrupting the atmosphere in the classroom.

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