The Crown Prince is incredibly important, but he is currently only the heir apparent; he's not in a wheelchair anymore. Therefore, for the loyal and respectful Xu Huizu, carrying out the tasks assigned by His Majesty the Emperor is of utmost importance.

Seeing Xu Huizu, Zhu Yunying was in a good mood. "The Duke of Zhongshan is back, and we feel at ease. Although our Ming Dynasty is strong and well-equipped, you can't underestimate those people outside. They are all quite capable."

Xu Huizu then said, "It is kind of Your Majesty to think of me..."

Zhu Yunying interrupted him directly, saying with a smile, "Don't be so polite. We're all family. You're not an outsider either; you're the Empress's brother and our Crown Prince's maternal uncle. Even the late Prince Zhongshan held us in his arms."

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This isn't meant to be overly affectionate; it's simply the truth. Chang Yuchun hadn't met him, as he was already deceased at that time. However, Xu Da was a different story. Zhu Yunying had met Xu Da a few times when he was young, and Zhu Yunying never boasted about his son to Xu Da.

After all, Old Zhu and Xu Da had a very good relationship. They were childhood playmates and their children were once in-laws. When Old Zhu was a grandfather, he often let little Zhu wear open-crotch pants to show off.

This is definitely a dark history, but there's nothing we can do, kids have no rights! Even if Xiao Zhu felt ashamed at the time, and he put his pants back on one moment, Lao Zhu might pull them off the next.

Actually, it wasn't just Emperor Zhu who did this; Empress Ma also frequently acted like a bird-walking fanatic in front of the court ladies. Even if Emperor Zhu didn't need to urinate, Empress Ma would proudly make him urinate in front of the court ladies.

Looking at Xu Huizu, Zhu Yunying asked, "This battle against Goryeo won't be easy, will it?"

Xu Huizu immediately replied, "Indeed, it is not easy. I thought it was just a small country, and that the imperial army could easily subdue the disobedient. Who knew that although the Li family father and son are perverse and have no ruler or father, they can still bewitch people's hearts."

Zhu Yunying was not surprised at all, and said with a smile, "Those who can commit regicide and usurpation are naturally not to be underestimated. If it weren't for the imperial army, the Li family father and son might have actually achieved something. Those two could be considered heroes."

The evaluation wasn't low, but it was a fairly fair assessment by Zhu Yuying, considering that Yi Seong-gye and his son did indeed achieve something. If it weren't for Zhu Yun-ying's interference, the Joseon Dynasty might have lasted for centuries.

Zhu Yunying could be considered to have chosen a relatively good time. Yi Seong-gye and his son's assassination of the king and usurpation of the throne aroused dissatisfaction among many remnants of the Joseon Dynasty. In addition, the internal strife within the Yi family over the throne did indeed deplete their strength.

If the Lee family were to maintain their power for decades, and if Joseon Korea were to regain the hearts and minds of its people, returning to North Korea would not be an easy task. After all, they possessed their own ethnicity and culture, and a relatively stable regime; destroying a country like North Korea was no simple matter.

The Sui Dynasty is the best example of this. Even though the Tang Dynasty once dealt a heavy blow to Goguryeo, it did take considerable effort. Even the Mongol cavalry, which once swept across the world, suffered some setbacks on Goguryeo's lands.

Zhu Yunying was neither arrogant nor did he look down on the small countries in the region.

It is true that the Ming Dynasty was very powerful, but that does not mean that it could destroy a country as easily as crushing an ant.

Xu Huizu also said, "Although Goryeo admires Confucian culture, in my opinion, they have only learned the superficial aspects."

This piqued Zhu Yunying's interest, and he decided not to delve into anything too ancient. From the Sui and Tang dynasties onward, Confucian culture in Goryeo (Korea) became increasingly prevalent. By the Song dynasty, it was even considered a miniature version of China.

Some people even believe they are the orthodox Confucianists because after the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty at the Battle of Yamen, the orthodoxy of Chinese civilization was indeed greatly affected under Mongol rule.

Seeing that the emperor was interested, Xu Huizu said, "Confucians often talk about Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher, and the people from Goryeo seem to think so at first glance. However, in my opinion, these are all sycophants, and many of them have no integrity."

The reason is actually quite simple: everyone knows that Yi Seong-gye and his son murdered the emperor and usurped the country, killed their brother and imprisoned their father. Such perverse and disrespectful acts of tyranny still have many followers.

These things were naturally incomprehensible to Xu Huizu, or rather, even if he understood them, he would pretend not to.

After all, such things don't only happen in Korea; they also occur frequently in China.

When dynasties change, there are always those who immediately switch sides. Those who usually profess loyalty to the emperor might suddenly become subjects of a foreign power. Such things are not uncommon, especially after the Tang Dynasty, when they became so frequent that they almost became a joke.

Xu Huizu continued, "In my opinion, most of the so-called Yangban officials in Goryeo are scheming and despicable. Many of them claim to be Confucian scholars, as if they understand the principles of the world just because they have read a few books of sages. I once thought that Yelang's arrogance was just a joke, but I have seen quite a few arrogant people who treat meals as public affairs."

Zhu Yunying laughed heartily, showing no particular surprise.

It's not about the bad impression left on later generations, but rather that Zhu Yunying had also read some classical texts. In his view, Goryeo did indeed have some extremes, and the inferiority complex inherent in its people turned into outward arrogance.

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