Zhu Xiong Ying is not yet capable of handling tasks like building the Great Wall. What he needs to do now is to closely monitor the construction of the imperial palace and the progress of the work in Beiping Prefecture.

Upon hearing that General Feng Sheng, along with Zhang He, Zhu Shou, Zhang Yi, Yu Yuan, and others, had already reached the outskirts of Busan, Zhu Xiong Ying simply smiled and said nothing more.

Yi Seong-gye is still plotting his coup and fighting against powerful Goryeo clans and Buddhist forces; he doesn't have much time to concern himself with a small town like Busan. Of course, protests are necessary—what are the Ming army afraid of if they seize Goryeo's territory?!

What Yi Seong-gye thought was truly unimportant; what mattered was that the Ming Dynasty needed the Busan region. However, the reasons weren't solely due to Yi Seong-gye's rebellion or the former Goryeo king's disrespect for the Ming Dynasty; the Ming Dynasty was also currently helping Goryeo suppress Japanese pirates...

Having a big fist has many advantages, and various reasons can be found, and they are quite effective.

Zhu Xiong Ying left Fulong Palace again, but this time he didn't just wander around Beiping Prefecture. With a pair of command flags and two pairs of clearings, Zhu Xiong Ying set up his ceremonial guard, and the Crown Prince led his troops toward Kaiping Guard.

This area, which later became Zhenglan Banner and Duolun County in Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia, was also the site of Shangdu during the Yuan Dynasty. Kaiping Guard was consistently positioned on the front lines of the confrontation between the Ming Dynasty and the Northern Yuan. Whether it was the subsequent subjugation of figures like Nahachu and Nairbuhua, or the campaigns deep into the Mongolian steppe, this area served as a forward base…

Zhu Xiong Ying, clad in golden armor, sat astride a tall horse. The Akhal-Teke steed given to him by Old Zhu was proving somewhat useful. While perhaps unsuitable for warfare, its outstanding physique was a perfect match for the valiant imperial grandson.

Li Shanchang was probably the most speechless, because he couldn't find any opportunity to get close to the Crown Prince, who was simply too busy.

Just as the army was slowly advancing, a fast horse galloped over.

"Report: His Highness Prince Qi, along with his guards and troops from Xuzhou and Pizhou in Shandong, has arrived and will reach Kaipingwei in three days."

Zhu Xiong Ying remained expressionless and issued the order, "Oh? Three days later?! Issue a decree that I must see Prince Qi and his guards at Kaiping Guard one day from now! If they fail to arrive on time, they will be subject to military law!"

Zhu Xiong Ying's seventh uncle, Prince Qi, Zhu Fu, was no pushover either. He was enfeoffed in Qingzhou and stationed in Kaiping, which was actually the Tangshan area. However, as a prince, he still had to go to war when necessary, which was also one of Zhu's strategies.

Zhu Xiong Ying looked at Fu Rang and then asked, "Have the troops of the Prince of Qin, the Prince of Jin, and the Prince of Dai arrived yet?"

Fu Rang immediately replied, "Your Highness, the Prince of Qin's guards arrived yesterday, and the Prince of Jin's guards will arrive tonight as Your Highness requested. However, the Prince of Dai may not be able to arrive on time, given his travel schedule."

Zhu Xiong Ying was amused. It seemed that many of these imperial uncles were still not entirely convinced of Zhu Xiong Ying's authority.

This is quite normal. When facing Zhu Yuanzhang, these vassal kings were like mice before a cat. When facing the Great Zhu, these vassal kings were all obedient younger brothers, and dared not have any thoughts.

These princes, while perhaps not harboring many thoughts, still maintained a certain level of respect when facing Zhu Xiong Ying. After all, he was their elder; did they really think the title of imperial uncle was useless?

As long as he doesn't think about anything inappropriate or act recklessly, an imperial uncle is an imperial uncle, and Zhu Xiong Ying can't act recklessly. After all, not everyone is Zhu Yunwen, whose policy of reducing the power of the princes has angered both heaven and people, essentially driving his own imperial uncles to their deaths.

Zhu Xiong Ying arrived at Kaipingwei after a long and arduous journey. Shangdu, once a capital city of the Yuan Dynasty, was now merely a military outpost. However, it appeared to require further repairs, and the area needed to be brought under control.

Zhu Shuang, dressed in military uniform, walked over laughing heartily, "Nephew, let your second uncle take a look!"

Is that too much?

It might be a bit excessive, but not too excessive. According to Zhu Yuanzhang's regulations, when princes came to court, they first met the emperor in their everyday clothes. If the emperor was an elder, then they would observe the proper kinship rites…

Therefore, Prince Zhu Shuang's actions weren't particularly excessive. While it was impolite, it wasn't exceptionally so. The main reason was the rules set by Emperor Zhu himself; sometimes, the princes received treatment that was almost equal to that of the Crown Prince.

Since he's practically on par with the Crown Prince, and is also a grandson of the Crown Prince, he's nothing special.

Zhu Xiong Ying remained calm, smiling as she cupped her hands in greeting, "Second Uncle."

Zhu Shuang looked Zhu Xiong Ying up and down, in a good mood. "The last time I saw my nephew was in Yingtian Prefecture, but at that time my second uncle was in a difficult situation. In fact, it was thanks to my elder brother and nephew that we were able to get through this."

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled and said politely, "Second Uncle, you flatter me. It's all because Grandfather cares about you."

“That’s different, different. We can’t compare to my brother and grandson.” Zhu Shuang said with a hint of jealousy, “Besides, your grandfather didn’t take care of our Shang Bing and Shang Lie.”

Zhu Xiong Ying felt that her second uncle was complaining, after all, Shang Bing and Shang Lie were both born to Consort Deng. However, Consort Deng had long been given death by Emperor Zhu because he felt that she had corrupted his sons.

As for Zhu Shuang's principal wife, she was Guanyin Nu, the younger sister of Wang Baobao, whom Zhu Shuang called "the extraordinary man of the world." The prototype of Zhao Min had a bad relationship with Zhu Shuang and was imprisoned by him in a separate place.

Zhu Shuang was in high spirits and said to Zhu Xiong Ying, "When the third and thirteenth brothers arrive, let's have a good drink together. Now that we've been enfeoffed, it's hard to see these brothers. It's been a long time since we've gotten together and had a chat."

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled but didn't say anything. These major princes had all returned to the capital by imperial decree just two years ago, so it hadn't been long since they last met.

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