Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Zhu) treated his descendants very well, as evidenced by his desire to ensure they would have a comfortable life. However, he also had high expectations for them, as seen in the tasks assigned to some of the vassal kings.

They occupied every dangerous pass and controlled every fortress, assisted by veteran generals, who held great power and authority, and whose influence matched that of the army. They cleared the desert and their camps stood in sight of each other!

To put it simply, these princes guarded the northern border, frequently needing to go on patrols. They also had to set up scouts and carry out border affairs such as farming and agricultural production.

People in southern Mongolia are not allowed to graze livestock except in grain-producing areas. The uncultivated plains and mountainous areas in southern Mongolia require long-term grazing. Military households must have their own herds and milk them like the Tatars.

Ultimately, Zhu Yuanzhang dared not be careless about Mongolia, which seemed to be in decline at the moment, and had to keep putting pressure on Mongolia at all times.

Prince Zhu Shuang of Qin and Prince Zhu Gang of Jin, at first glance, are not true border princes, since their fiefs are not located in the Nine Border Regions. However, this does not mean that they can enjoy a life of ease in their fiefs. They have now arrived at Kaiping Guard with their three guard command offices, two fortified posts, and one ceremonial guard office.

Prince Qi, Zhu Fu, arrived late, and he wasn't actually very happy. He was ten years older than Zhu Xiong Ying, and now, this uncle was being ordered around by his nephew, which naturally made Zhu Gui very unhappy. While Zhu Gui was unhappy, others were also unhappy.

Moreover, he and Prince Tan, Zhu Zi, were brothers. Zhu Zi's self-immolation caused Zhu Fu some resentment.

Zhu Fu seemed unaware of anything, having grown accustomed to his carefree life in his fiefdom and losing all sense of urgency.

Dressed in full military attire, Zhu Shuang looked at Zhu Fu and rebuked him, "Your Highness Prince Qi, is this how you lead troops?"

Before Zhu Fu could say anything more, Zhu Gang also scolded, "You insolent fool! Did the Crown Prince fail to give a clear explanation? Did you encounter any obstacles on your march?! If you don't provide an explanation, you should be punished according to military law!"

Zhu Xiong Ying quickly said, "Second Uncle, Third Uncle, you're exaggerating! Right now, it's just that Grandfather ordered a hunt; there's no war going on!"

Zhu Gang quickly said, "Fortunately, there is no war at this time! If there were a war, Seventh Brother's actions would be a delay in military operations! Grandson, you can't say anything to him, Third Uncle, please!"

Zhu Fu was somewhat displeased and said, "Second brother, third brother, I've led the army all this way from afar..."

"So you've come all this way?" Zhu Shuang was displeased and shouted, "So you think I'm close to your third brother? You're also a prince enfeoffed in your fiefdom. Father and my elder brother are counting on us brothers to pacify the borders. Is this how you pacify the borders?"

Zhu Xiong Ying was speechless. His second and third uncles were scolding his seventh uncle, but their words also included a reminder to Zhu Xiong Ying, the imperial grandson.

The princes were tasked with pacifying the borders; this was the policy set by Emperor Zhu. However, over the years, these princes had also heard that Zhu Xiong Ying, the grandson of the emperor, did not favor the policy of enfeoffment, and they had also heard that Zhu Xiong Ying wanted to reduce the power of the princes.

That won't do. Having tasted the joy of wielding absolute power in their fiefdoms, they certainly wouldn't accept being idle princes again.

Therefore, it's necessary to make a statement when necessary. These vassal kings don't want to be treated like pigs; they still hope to continue living a carefree life in their fiefdoms. They not only want to be carefree themselves, but also to secure the means for their children and grandchildren to enjoy the same freedom.

Zhu Fu remained silent with a stern face. He wasn't afraid of his second and third brothers at all; they were all princes, all enfeoffed princes. It was just that their fiefdoms were smaller than his second and third brothers', which wasn't a big deal.

Zhu Xiong Ying spoke up at this moment, saying that there was no point in trying to smooth things over. "Seventh Uncle, this should be a time for family reunions. However, I remember the imperial edict from my grandfather, and I suppose you were also calculating your travel time."

Zhu Fu was even more displeased and looked at Zhu Xiong Ying, asking, "Grandson, what do you mean by this? Is your seventh uncle responsible for delaying military operations and should be punished according to military law?"

"Seventh Uncle, that's not very meaningful." Zhu Xiong Ying was also displeased and said with a stern face, "Seventh Uncle should also know that our Ming Dynasty army is currently on a northern expedition. Seventh Uncle's guards and troops should be combined with our border troops as the main force, right?"

Zhu Fu snorted and said, "Oh? I remember that the Duke of Wei and the Duke of Cao led two armies. Can this be considered a northern expedition?"

Zhu Shuang drew his sword, pointed it at Zhu Fu, and roared, "Is this your reason? Today we don't need to talk about kinship anymore. Father will soon be stationed at Jinmen Guard. You come with me to Jinmen Guard and tell Father!"

This made Zhu Fu somewhat timid, and he tried to bluff his way out, "Second brother, this is over. I was only late for two days, and I know I was wrong. Why do I need to go to Father Emperor?"

Zhu Fu's attitude did not satisfy Zhu Shuang, so Zhu Shuang said, "I think you should also hand over your troops. Although you are a prince, how can you command respect if you disobey military orders like this? My army is about to set off, and you are being given two days to rest. How can the army advance?"

Just as Zhu Fu was filled with rage, Zhu Gang also said, "Second brother is right. Seventh brother, what you've done will not be acceptable to Father Emperor, nor will it be right in front of the Emperor. Seventh brother, you should go back to Qingzhou and submit a memorial to apologize."

Zhu Fu panicked a bit and quickly said, "Second Brother, Third Brother, it can't be like this, can it?!"

"Not at all?" Zhu Shuang said with a sneer. "Just you wait, Father and my brother will issue an edict soon to reprimand you, and they might even send you back to Yingtian Prefecture! You should know that the Fifth Prince is still in Yingtian Prefecture."

Whether Prince Qi, Zhu Fu, panicked at this moment was not something Zhu Xiong Ying particularly cared about. However, Zhu Xiong Ying felt that his second and third uncles would likely take the initiative and become the dominant force.

Originally, this hunt for the princes on the border was to be led by the Crown Prince Zhu Xiong Ying. However, it seems that before Crown Prince Zhu Xiong Ying could even express his opinion, his second and third uncles had already begun trying to seize the initiative.

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