Chang Sen sighed and said, "We just can't understand it. His Majesty has already bestowed so much glory and wealth upon them, so how can there still be those who have their minds clouded by money?"

Chang Sheng said irritably, "Anyone complaining about having too much gold and silver? Those born into noble families are all living in wealth and honor. But to be fair, there are differences among them. Those who receive more rewards from His Majesty and manage their households well are indeed wealthier. As for those who are incompetent, they are just empty shells."

They were all marquises, which were titles of the highest rank, and naturally very prestigious. However, many people also understood that these seemingly prestigious marquises were sometimes ranked in different ways, depending not only on their official rank and position, but also on their standing in the Emperor's eyes.

Privately, some people compare their businesses, want to see how grand their possessions are, or simply enjoy extravagance.

Such things are not surprising. It's not just these nobles who are like this; many wealthy merchants also like to show off and spend lavishly.

If that's the case, it means that some marquises who seem to have very illustrious status may actually feel a bit constrained by their wealth. If they were to compare themselves to others, they would feel that their wealth is not enough.

“We are His Majesty’s maternal clan, and everyone in the court and the public says we are highly regarded by His Majesty.” Chang Mao sighed, somewhat disappointed. “His Majesty has been very supportive of us over the years, but look at us now, there are still people who have failed to live up to His Majesty’s favor and have done things that are disgraceful. If even the Emperor’s maternal clan can’t be relied on, are we supposed to count on the Xu family and the Fu family?!”

Mentioning this makes the three Chang brothers angry, and they really don't know what else to do.

Needless to say, the current emperor's lineage is naturally close to the Chang lineage, and the emperor has indeed given the Chang lineage many opportunities.

However, the three Chang brothers are somewhat unreliable; their talent and abilities are limited, so one shouldn't expect them to achieve much. Lan Yu is indeed capable, but the problem is that Lan Yu is not young anymore, and it may be difficult for the Chang lineage to find someone else who can shoulder the responsibility.

Furthermore, over the years, the Chang faction has failed to bring honor to His Majesty, instead doing many things that have disappointed and humiliated him. This time is no exception; they have colluded with His Majesty's trusted confidants to smuggle firearms, a blatant disgrace to the Chang faction.

It wasn't just about colluding in smuggling; Lan Yu was also wronged. He was training troops in the Northwest, and his officers dared to collude with local officials and border troops to allow smuggling. If this had happened to a harsh emperor, Lan Yu would have certainly suffered some punishment.

The Xu family is currently enjoying great influence, thanks not only to the achievements of Xu Da, the former Prince of Zhongshan, but also to Xu Huizu, who is capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities. As for the Fu family, it goes without saying that Fu Youde, who was not considered outstanding among the founding heroes, has grown stronger with age and has achieved accomplishments that are no less than those of Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, and Feng Sheng.

While others either maintained the status quo or gradually grew stronger, the Chang lineage, despite having natural advantages, slowly declined and eventually became one of the weaker factions within the martial arts group!

Where can we reason with this? If Xu Huizu were to submit a memorial impeaching them, His Majesty would not only lose face, but the Chang family would also become a laughingstock.

Zhu Yunying was unaware of these matters; he simply handled some official business after court. Then, seeing that it was almost time, he went to the Qianqing Palace to have his meal.

Upon seeing Zhu Yunying, Zhu Yunying's eldest daughter, Princess Lin'an, immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I, Princess Lin'an Zhu Jingjing, pay my respects to Your Majesty."

“Aunt, this is going a bit too far.” Zhu Yunying looked at her little sister and said irritably, “You just stood there watching? Hurry up and help your aunt up, otherwise we’ll definitely get the Emperor’s wrath.”

Princess Ningguo and Princess Anqing found it somewhat amusing, but there was nothing they could say. As for Zhu Yunying's younger sister, she could only complain.

“Aunt, we’re all family, there’s no need for such formalities.” Zhu Yunying sighed and said, “Li Shanchang is Li Shanchang, and Aunt is Aunt. Grandfather and we all know this. Although the title of Duke is gone, our three cousins ​​and uncle still hold official positions.”

Zhu Jingjing naturally understood all this. It was true that she was the eldest daughter of the Hongwu Emperor and thus enjoyed some favor. However, she was not as favored as her two younger sisters born of the principal wife, and having married Li Shanchang's son, she had been exiled to Tianjin for many years.

Although Prince Consort Li Qi holds an official position in Tianjin, he is ultimately inferior to other prince consorts. As for Li Shanchang's title, he should not even think about it. These past years, he has been extremely cautious, fearing that His Majesty might decide to settle scores later.

Zhu Su then added, "If you ask us, it's just that eldest sister is overthinking things. That's just how she is, always so cautious!"

Zhu Yunying joked, "That's a good thing too. My eldest aunt is a reliable person and should be a role model for the princess. If she acted like my fifth uncle, we would have a headache. Fifth uncle, we still can't understand how you dared to meet with the general in private when you were enfeoffed in Kaifeng, and even dared to leave your fiefdom without an imperial edict?"

Old Zhu glared angrily at Zhu Su. This was a troublesome son. Although he wasn't as unruly and cruel as his second and third sons, he had done quite a few outrageous things. If it weren't for the eldest son protecting him, the fifth son would have been stripped of his title and sent back to his hometown of Fengyang long ago.

Zhu Su seemed a little embarrassed and said, "Your Majesty, please don't say any more. It was all because of my youthful foolishness. Back then, I acted somewhat recklessly because I relied on my father's favor and my elder brother's protection. Thinking about it now, I'm afraid of what I've learned."

Hearing Zhu Su say this, Old Zhu nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that his troublesome son had grown up a bit and was much less of a worry. This was a good thing, as it would prevent him from causing trouble for Ying'er.

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