"Your Majesty, Duke Liang and His Royal Highness Changsun met at the Jinyiwei Yamen, and they should be going to Chang Mansion now."

In the Ming Imperial Palace, Jiang Lin reported to Zhu Yuanzhang who was having a meal, and then explained the details clearly.

There are many rules for dining, but after Jiang Lin came over, Zhu Yuanzhang asked the people from the Shangshi Bureau to leave.

Zhu Yuanzhang was listening and eating at the same time. Jiang Li controlled his speaking speed and finished speaking just when Zhu Yuanzhang had finished eating.

After listening to this, Zhu Yuanzhang sighed softly and asked, "Jiang Lin, why didn't our eldest grandson come back to live here? He only stayed for one night and then left."

Zhu Yuanzhang did not ask about Lan Yu. What he was concerned about was that his eldest grandson returned the dragon chariot and moved back to his house.

"I think Your Highness must have his own ideas. For Your Highness now, living in the palace is too ostentatious, and it is also easy to be unable to display your talents." Upon hearing this, Jiang Li carefully expressed his thoughts.

If it were in the past, or if it were someone else, Jiang Lin would generally remain silent, but when it came to His Royal Highness Chang Sun, he would definitely help explain a few words.

"I know it in my heart, I just can't bear to let him go. His return is a gift from God to me. I really want him to be with me all the time. I am old now, and I know his physical condition well."

"I don't know how long I can see my grandson in the future."

Zhu Yuanzhang said with some sigh.

"Your Majesty is in good health and strong, and can still eat three bowls of rice. I have noticed that your Majesty has become more energetic since His Royal Highness Changsun came back, and I am very happy."

Jiang Li replied respectfully.

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said to Jiang Lin: "You, when did you become like those civil officials and learn to flatter?"

"Your Majesty, you are wise. Every word I say is true and comes from my heart." Jiang Li said quickly with his head down.

"Okay, we know you're loyal, so tell them to release Chang Sen. After all, he's our grandson's uncle. He's been locked up for these days, so he should have learned his lesson."

"The Duke of Liang is so cunning. He really thinks that we don't know what he is thinking by coming here at this time. He doesn't even think about what he can do if we have feelings for him." Zhu Yuanzhang first explained the matter about Chang Sen, and then said to Jiang Lin.

At this time, Jiang Li chose to remain silent.

Others might not know whether Lan Yu, the Duke of Liang, would be implicated, but he knew it. He had collected a lot of evidence related to Lan Yu's crimes and also listed most of the people involved.

If it weren’t for the appearance of His Royal Highness Chang Sun, who knows how many people would have died.

At this time, Liu He, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, came in and reported: "Your Majesty, the Gunpowder Department sent a message saying that the matchlock gun that His Royal Highness Chang Sun had arranged for has been manufactured."

Upon hearing the news, Zhu Yuanzhang's heart moved, but then he frowned slightly.

He wanted to see the power of the matchlock gun, but the rules for separating the military and politics today had not yet been decided. Even today's dinner was postponed for an hour.

Not only will I have to continue discussing with the ministers later, but I won't have much time in the next few days.

Zhu Yuanzhang knew very well that the reform of military power was more important than the matchlock gun.

The separation of military formations cannot be accomplished with just a few words, and the arrangement of personnel is particularly important.

If you just arrange a civil official to follow, it will not be a hindrance to the military general at all and it will not be of much significance.

For example, ordinary civil officials could not compete with Lan Yu, a Duke of a country. For Lan Yu, it would just be another logistical subordinate and it would be of no significance at all.

"Let our eldest grandson go and take a look. He was the one who made it, and he knows best whether it is what he wanted." Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a moment and said to Liu He.

After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly started laughing to himself.

It feels so good to have a grandson. No matter what needs to be done, I can just let him do it. The most important thing is that he is so outstanding.

"I obey your order."

…

"My grandson, Xiong Ying! My grandson, Xiong Ying!"

When she first arrived at Chang Mansion, Lan was filled with shock and surprise. After learning from Lan Yu's explanation that Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying, she immediately stood up, hugged Zhu Ying, and tears streamed down her face.

Zhu Ying was a little embarrassed, but did not struggle, but let Lan hold her.

He could feel that the old lady in front of him treated him like an old man, with unconditional love.

Chang Sheng and Lan Yu, who were watching from the side, looked at each other and could only smile bitterly.

Just now, Zhu Ying's identity was briefly mentioned, and Lan seemed to have already determined that this was his grandson.

After a long while, Lan finally let go, and then held Zhu Ying tightly with both hands, looking carefully at Zhu Ying's face, and said:

"Let grandma take a good look at him. After so many years, he is still so handsome, almost the same as when he was a child. That's great, that's great!"

Chang Sheng, the narrator, was somewhat helpless. Seeing that his second uncle Lan Yu was silent, he had no choice but to say, "Mom, why don't we sit down and talk?"

When Lan heard this, her expression suddenly changed and she scolded him, "You are the only one who is troublesome."

After saying that, he took Zhu Ying's hand and sat down next to his seat.

"Why have you become so thin? You must have suffered a lot outside over the years." Lan asked.

After a slight hesitation, Zhu Ying said, "Except that it was a little difficult at the beginning, it was pretty good later on. It's just that I have lost all my memories of my childhood and I don't know who I am anymore."

"I have been running around all these years and have not been able to visit grandma in the capital earlier. I hope you can forgive me."

Hearing this, Lan said with tears in her eyes, "You are such a filial child. Grandma is living well here, but she often thinks of you. God is so kind that he allowed me, who is half buried in the ground, to see my grandson come back."

"Thank God, thank the Bodhisattva, and thank the Buddha."

As Lan was talking, he put his hands together and began to chant. From the rosary on Lan's wrist, it can be seen that Lan likes to worship Buddha.

The Lan family is very important to the entire Chang Mansion, and even to Duke Lan Yu of Liang.

Even though Lan was an old lady in her fifties, in a sense, Lan and Zhu Yuanzhang were "direct" relatives, which was a completely different concept.

When Zhu Xiongying was pregnant, Lan had been helping to take care of him in the palace. After Zhu Xiongying was born, he was raised by Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma.

But apart from the two of them, the one who brought the most was the Lan family.

Even Lan cares about her grandson Zhu Xiongying much more than her three biological sons.

Whenever there was something fun or delicious, the first thing that came to mind was to bring it to the palace or leave it for the precious grandson.

Of course, there may be some other ideas as well.

After all, from the day Zhu Xiongying was born, everyone knew that he would be the future third emperor of the Ming Empire.

If the eldest grandson, who was raised by Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma personally, had not died young, he might have been much stronger than the Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

This will affect the long-term rise and fall of the two foreign relatives' families, the Chang and Lan families. Whether from an individual perspective or from a family perspective, Zhu Xiongying's importance is self-evident.

"Xiongying, you haven't had dinner yet, wait a moment, grandma will make you your favorite steamed pork ribs."

"That was your favorite food when you were a kid."

Lan suddenly stood up and said to Zhu Ying that she would go to the kitchen to cook for Zhu Ying herself.

"Mom, how can we let you do it by yourself? Just let the cook do it." Chang Sheng said hurriedly when he saw this.

"What do you know? This is my best dish. When Xiongying was a kid, he only liked the steamed spareribs I made. He could tell the difference by smelling other people's dishes without even tasting them."

Lan drove Chang Sheng away and insisted on going to the kitchen.

"Sister, please stay here and accompany Xiongying more. We just met." Lan Yu also hurriedly persuaded.

When Lan heard her brother Lan Yu say this, she explained, "Xiao Yu, you have been fighting outside for many years. You don't know that when Xiong Ying was a child, he pestered me to make this dish for him every day. Even the Empress asked me for advice."

“Even the Queen can’t make food as tasty as mine. Although Xiongying doesn’t remember the past, it’s hard for people to change their tastes. He will definitely still like it.”

Speaking of this, Lan seemed a little unconfident, and couldn't help but look at Xiongying with some expectation in his eyes.

"Grandma is right. I want to try her steamed pork ribs again."

Zhu Ying nodded seriously and spoke.

He also had a deep memory of the taste of his grandmother's food in his previous life, as he spent his childhood at his grandmother's house.

At this moment, the gaze of my grandmother in the previous life seemed to overlap with that of Lan.

He would not stop Lan from cooking by herself. For Lan, this might be the most precious memory.

"Xiaoyu, look, Xiongying has said so. Wait, I will do it now. It's time for dinner now."

Receiving the affirmation from her grandson, Lan smiled happily, and all the wrinkles on her face were cleared up.

"Sister, the younger generations are here, can't you change the name?" Lan Yu said somewhat embarrassedly.

It felt extremely awkward for a tall and mighty man like Lan Yu to be called Xiao Yu.

This kind of private address made Lan Yu feel a little embarrassed in front of the younger generation.

"If I don't call you Xiaoyu, should I call you Duke of Liang? Well, I won't say any more to you. I'll go cook for Xiongying." Lan glared at Lan Yu and then said.

Lan Yu was speechless. He had no idea what to do with this sister who was like a mother to him.

"Yueqing, go with grandma."

Zhu Ying instructed Ye Yueqing who was beside him.

"well."

Ye Yueqing stood up and walked to Lan's side to support her. Lan looked at Ye Yueqing carefully, smiled and said "good" twice, the meaning of which was very obvious.

Ye Yueqing couldn't help but lower her head with a blush.

After Lan left, Lan Yu asked Zhu Ying: "Your Highness, I..."

"Uncle, you treat me as an outsider. In this Chang Mansion, just call me Xiongying." Zhu Ying interrupted and said with a smile.

Just this one sentence made Lan Yu feel much closer to him.

Although Zhu Ying had opinions about Lan Yu in many aspects, they were still the power of her mother's family. Apart from her grandfather and her younger brothers and sisters, she had no one closer to her.

Now is the critical point. If Lan Yu can listen to his nephew, then everything will be easy to arrange later.

If not, then it depends on the situation.

Of course, Zhu Ying, who is well versed in the ways of the people, would not have tried to intimidate Lan Yu from the very beginning. That was an attitude towards outsiders, not towards family members.

Lan Yu felt relieved, and then he said firmly: "Xiong Ying, I won't say more. If there is anything you need from your uncle, I will do it, whether it is doable or not."

Lan Yu's words made Chang Sheng, who had been sitting next to him, tremble with his hand holding the teacup, and he almost dropped it on the ground.

This is quite outrageous.

However, when Zhu Ying heard this, he suddenly fell silent and did not answer immediately.

Lan Yu's directness and generosity caught Zhu Ying off guard.

He had to admit that from the first time he met Lan Yu, and even when he came to Lan Fu, apart from some excitement in his heart regarding the Lan family just now, deep down, he did not really regard Lan Yu and the others as his own relatives.

For Zhu Ying, whether it was Lan Yu or Chang Sheng, they were only meeting for the first time. They were nominally her in-laws, and deep down, what she was most concerned about was the balance of interests.

Talking about emotions and the like is pure nonsense.

Just Lan Yu's words moved Zhu Ying a little.

Zhu Ying, who was relatively knowledgeable, could clearly understand that what Lan Yu said was the real truth.

Zhu Ying was somewhat unaccustomed to the feeling of being like this just after meeting each other, as relationships in ancient times were maintained by blood ties.

The warmth and coldness of human nature in his previous life still had a certain influence on Zhu Ying.

A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor. Sometimes you will only understand it when you experience it yourself.

Zhu Ying remained silent, and the atmosphere suddenly became a little heavy. Lan Yu did not receive a response after he finished speaking, so he also remained silent.

After a long while, Zhu Ying slowly said, "Duke Liang may not know that during the years I was wandering in the wild, I ran a business association. A month ago, my caravan came to the capital and passed by a village, where it was surrounded and looted."

"Fortunately, my subordinates are not easy to mess with. They just beat the men to death. The leader of them is the one who claims to be the adopted son of the Duke of Liang."

"I wonder how the Duke of Liang would view this matter."

Zhu Ying's voice was very calm. The incident at the time was still defined as a crime committed by roaming Mongolians. The government office could not spend much energy to find them, so the matter was left unresolved.

But Zhu Ying knew that Lan Yu's other adopted sons had never given up on tracking down the murderer.

It’s just that the people under his command had already returned to the desert, so there is no further news.

At this time, Zhu Ying's title of Duke of Liang was also telling Lan Yu how he viewed the matter and what he planned to do about it.