As for his second elder brother, Xu Yingxu, although he was wounded in the Battle of Mobei a few years ago, he was still granted the title of Marquis of Kaiyuan. Xu Yingxu felt extremely honored by this hereditary title, and his injury was worthwhile.

Currently, he doesn't hold a noble title, even though he has the position of Left Commander-in-Chief. Compared to a marquis, it's nothing. This status is essentially a 'nominal title'.

For Xu Zengshou, his current goal is to be granted a marquisate. Over the years, he has been constantly on the move, completing various tasks, and naturally, he is also thinking about being granted a marquisate.

He didn't see anything wrong with this. His advantage was naturally his family background, so the threshold for being ennobled would definitely be lower. As long as he achieved some success, he could rightfully be ennobled.

It was not uncommon in the Ming Dynasty for fathers, sons, and brothers to all be granted the title of marquis. There were even families with one duke and three marquises. So, whether it was the Chang family or the Xu family, they seemed extremely illustrious. However, such things were not unusual; as long as one had military merit, it was all that mattered.

Little Zhu does possess the skills to manage his subordinates. Even though Xu Zengshou is his uncle, Little Zhu doesn't believe that these matters are solely based on kinship. The distinction between ruler and subject certainly exists, and Little Zhu is increasingly gaining a clearer understanding of these matters.

After Xu Zengshou realized what he should do, Xiao Zhu no longer intended to sit in the Wenhua Hall.

He turned around and headed straight for the Wuying Hall. The child was quite sensible; he sent someone to inform them before barging in.

"Did you send your uncle away?" Zhu Yunying asked with a smile, "But did you do what we told you to do?"

Little Zhu naturally helped Zhu Yunying sort through the memorials, saying, "Most of them are said according to what Father taught. My uncle is also a smart man, so he naturally knows what to do."

Zhu Yunying nodded in satisfaction and then said, "That's good. He is indeed a smart man and knows what to do. Tell your mother and great-aunt that your uncles also need some experience."

"My uncle is afraid of our cousins. Who dares to mess with them?" Little Zhu said. "You named most of our cousins, and you treat them all well. We can beat or punish the people with military merits, but those cousins ​​are not easy to mess with."

Zhu Yunying couldn't help but laugh and said, "Only the Mei family is alright. The others are somewhat like your second uncle. In the future, these few probably won't be reliable either."

As he said this, Zhu Yunying pulled out the two memorials. "Take them back and let your mother have a good talk with you. Write another memorial later and send it over tomorrow."

Little Zhu naturally understood that this was his course of study; even the Crown Prince needed to continuously learn and improve.

Little Zhu left the Wuying Hall. He knew what he should do, and he was well aware of many things. After all, he was raised by Old Zhu and Zhu Yunying. Although his methods were still a bit immature, and his knowledge and cunning were not yet sufficient, compared to children of similar age, Little Zhu was already quite shrewd and resourceful.

Most importantly, although this child is somewhat bold, he does have a certain sense of propriety and knows what he should do. While he may be a little arrogant or spoiled, it's not excessive.

Zhu Yunying was very proud of his son's performance; this was the power of education, and this was the behavior of the best crown prince. A crown prince should have power and prestige, but he shouldn't be without sense of propriety.

Even Zhu Yunying back then didn't act recklessly; he always did things within reason.

Even the powerful Zhu Yuanzhang of yesteryear, despite his extraordinary status, would not do anything excessive; he knew what he should do.

Seeing Xiao Zhu leave, Zhu Yunying said to Wang Chengen, "Go and tell Xu Zengshou to give those military officers some experience. Some spoiled brats should suffer, and those with ambition should be given some tasks. They shouldn't just be guarding the city walls all day. What I lack most are guards, not people to get things done."

Wang Chengen naturally understood this as well, and immediately went to convey the imperial decree. He probably understood the emperor's intentions to some extent.

These past few years have indeed seen some peace and prosperity, but in the bustling Jiangnan region, it has also somewhat eroded people's ambition. When it comes to indulging in food, drink, and entertainment, the scions of aristocratic families are probably more adept at it; they truly know how to enjoy life.

Even among families with military merit, although there are indeed some who seem quite ambitious, the overall atmosphere has become somewhat hedonistic, and it's time to rectify the situation.

It would be best for Zhu Yunying to continue fulfilling his duties as emperor. He now needs to handle various political affairs. These matters are demanding, both large and small, and Zhu Yunying must deal with them all properly.

Wang Chengen returned quickly and said happily, "Your Majesty, Song Zhong is outside requesting an audience."

"Judging from your expression, you must know what it is?" Zhu Yunying also became interested and asked with a smile, "Tell me, what is it?"

Wang Chengen, knowing how to play the innocent, said, "This servant was just speculating wildly. But seeing Song Zhong's happy expression, how could this servant dare to ask any more questions?"

This shows a degree of discretion, even though he was the emperor's most trusted eunuch, practically a close confidant. Wang Chengen knew to ask what needed to be asked and to remain silent about what shouldn't be said. Too much curiosity, or an inability to keep secrets, would mean the end of everything.

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