Xu Miaoqing then said, "It's all because I haven't made any progress over the years, which has caused my grandfather to become somewhat distant from me."

“That’s not right. In front of your grandfather, you shouldn’t first and foremost be the Empress of the Ming Dynasty, but our wife and Yin’er’s mother,” Zhu Yunying said, reminding Xu Miaoqing again, “You are his granddaughter-in-law, that’s the most important thing.”

In fact, Zhu Yunying had reminded Xu Miaoqing many times over the years, and Xu Miaoqing was quite clear about the reasons. However, in front of Zhu Yunying, most people would naturally feel weak in the knees and lose their confidence.

Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang was always quite demanding of outsiders, so gaining his true approval was clearly unrealistic. The people he valued were always his own offspring and family, especially his eldest son and grandson.

Zhu Yunying continued, "We know you haven't had an easy time these past few years, but sometimes you should take the initiative. Grandfather politely said you didn't need to pay your respects, so you really won't go? That's definitely not acceptable. Yin'er and I are favored by Grandfather. Why? Because we don't see him as the Hongwu Emperor, but as our grandfather! It's only right that we act obediently in front of him!"

At this moment, Xu Miaoqing could only appear to be accepting his instructions. She understood many of the principles, but she simply couldn't be presumptuous in front of Old Zhu, nor could she act like a junior in his presence.

Her upbringing instilled in Xu Miaoqing a strong sense of discipline, making her extremely cautious and unwilling to overstep boundaries. This was simply her nature. Adhering to one's duties and doing what one is supposed to do—this was the character and education Xu Miaoqing received from childhood.

Travel arrangements, of course, needed to be made carefully, and Zhu Yunying was confident that his arrangements were flawless. His subordinates were generally reliable; the Ming Dynasty was not lacking in meritorious officials and generals—our Ming Dynasty was brimming with talent!