On the eighth day of the second month of the thirty-fourth year of Hongwu, Li Jinglong, who had been away for several years, finally returned to the capital.

Along with it came a large amount of cargo.

Pepper, ivory, gems, and spices, which were expensive in the Ming Dynasty, were measured by the thousand kilograms on Western fleets.

In addition, there are animals such as lions, leopards, thousand-mile camels, and camel birds.

Especially giraffes.

The most important thing is that it is said that Li Jinglong brought back the auspicious beast "Qilin".

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't care much about the goods because the Ming Dynasty was too rich at that time. After the sea routes were opened up, goods from all over the world were dumped into the Ming Dynasty.

Porcelain, tea, and silk are considered luxury goods abroad, but modular production had already been completed in the Ming Dynasty. The annual output of the Ming Dynasty's royal factories alone was an astonishing number.

But for 'Qilin', the feeling is completely different.

This is a mythical creature.

"Grandson, let's go and see the auspicious beast Qilin. Li Jinglong is great. He has done a great deed this time."

Zhu Yuanzhang was beaming with joy, and to honor the Qilin, he specially held a grand ceremony.

Zhu Ying smiled and went with the old man.

Of course he knew that there was no such thing as a Qilin, but he was still somewhat curious about the animal called Qilin.

When they arrived at the suburbs and saw this so-called "Qilin", Zhu Ying was speechless.

This is clearly a giraffe.

Not only the grandfather and grandson, but also other princes such as Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Yunhuan, Zhu Di, Zhu Gang and others were watching.

No one in the Ming Dynasty had ever seen a giraffe, so when they saw this auspicious beast called "Qilin", they were all amazed.

Huang Guan, who was following Zhu Ying, exclaimed: "It has a deer body, horse hooves, a lion's head, deer horns, tiger eyes, and an ox's tail. It is indeed a Qilin auspicious animal."

As expected, vision and knowledge are always the biggest limitations of people. Even a genius like Huang Guan was shocked because he had never seen it before.

Faced with hundreds of people watching, the giraffe was at ease and showed no fear.

Even when Zhu Gang plucked up the courage to step forward and touch it, it did not move at all and its temperament was gentle and peaceful.

Zhu Yuanzhang praised: "It is indeed a auspicious beast."

Zhu Di stepped forward and said, "Father, this auspicious beast should be seen by all the people of the Ming Dynasty. I suggest that we take it to Zhengyang Square so that the people can know that the auspicious beast Qilin has been born in the Ming Dynasty and see the auspiciousness of the Qilin with their own eyes."

Zhu Ying thought about it and decided to stop it.

After all, as the Ming Dynasty expanded into the world, it knew more as the areas it came into contact with became increasingly vast.

You will know in the future that your actions today will become a laughing stock in future generations.

"Grandpa, although this beast is a sign of good fortune, it is not a Qilin. You cannot announce it to the people as a Qilin."

In such an atmosphere, such a remark that destroyed the atmosphere suddenly came out, and everyone looked over to see who was so tactless.

Oh, it’s the crown prince, then it’s okay.

"Why do you say that, grandson? Could it be that Li Jinglong dares to deceive us?" Zhu Yuanzhang saw that it was his grandson who was speaking, so his temper subsided and he asked in confusion.

Li Jinglong quickly stepped forward and said, "Grandson, this beast is called Qilin in Bangladesh. I dare not lie to you."

He felt extremely aggrieved. When the Crown Prince said this, not only was there no merit in doing such a good thing, but it was actually a mistake.

If anyone else dared to question him, he would have to be reprimanded, but this was the crown prince.

Zhu Ying said: "Although this beast is somewhat similar to a Qilin, it is definitely not a Qilin. When did a Qilin have such a long neck? If it is a Qilin, where did its dragon scales go?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the name 'Qilin' is the name of Bangladesh, right?"

Li Jinglong nodded and said, "When Bangladesh paid tribute, it indeed called it Qilin."

Zhu Ying continued, "It's not a Qilin, but a Kirin. The Bengali language is very different from that of the Ming Dynasty. There is no such thing as a Qilin. It just sounds similar. The Kirin beast is not a rare creature in Bangladesh. It is gentle in nature and lives on plants and trees."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked Li Jinglong: "Is this correct?"

Li Jinglong nodded hesitantly: "Your Majesty, it is indeed as the Crown Prince said."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zhu Ying, "Does your eldest grandson know about this beast?"

Zhu Ying explained, "This is the first time I've seen one in my life, but when I was in the Western Regions, I heard about this beast from merchants. I remember clearly that they called it Jilin, and I thought it was a Qilin. Later, after listening to the explanation, I realized it was a Jilin beast."

"This kilim is a type of deer. Take a closer look, and apart from its long neck, see if it is a deer."

After hearing what the prince said, everyone looked carefully and imagined that without the long neck, it would really be a deer.

Zhu Ying said again: "There is no grass where the Gilin beasts live. Gilin beasts that live on grass and trees can only live on leaves. Perhaps a long time ago, their necks were not so long. Gilin beasts with short necks would starve to death if they could not eat leaves, so only those with long necks could survive."

"As generations passed, the necks of these kilims became longer and longer, and they became what they are today."

After listening to the Crown Prince's words, everyone suddenly understood. Now looking at this "Qilin" again, it was clearly a deer.

Li Jinglong also confirmed that there was indeed little pasture in Bangladesh where the kielim lived.

When you put it that way, it naturally makes sense.

Zhu Yuanzhang was obviously a little unhappy because it almost made a fool of himself. Li Jinglong quickly apologized: "It was my negligence that almost made a fool of myself. Fortunately, the Grand His Majesty pointed me out."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hands and said, "No wonder you are wrong. No one has ever seen this Kirin beast. At first glance, it does look a bit like a Qilin. The Bangladeshi people also called it cleverly, Kirin Qilin. Who wouldn't be confused after hearing it?"

"In order to prevent further jokes, this Jilin beast should be renamed when it arrives in Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Ying suggested: "Since it is a deer and its neck is so long, why not call it a giraffe?"

Now that the Crown Prince had spoken, the ministers certainly had no objection. Besides, the name Giraffe was vivid and appropriate.

Zhu Yuanzhang made the decision: "Let's call it a giraffe. The fourth brother's suggestion is also good. Let's pull the giraffe to Zhengyang Square for the people to see."

Zhu Yuanzhang still appreciated Li Jinglong's contribution in bringing back a large amount of goods after traveling for several years, and he would not blame him too much for the incident of Jilin Qilin.

In addition to the giraffe, other lions, ostriches, and macaques were also pulled over.

This naturally caused a huge craze in the capital.

A large number of people went to watch the excitement.

But compared to the happiness of the common people, Zhu Chong, Zhu Gang, Zhu Di, and Zhu Gui were not in a very good mood.

It was a rare occasion that the four princes gathered together in Zhu Chong’s Qin Palace.

"The Northern Expedition is over, and the war is over, but recently our father has shown no intention of asking us to return to Japan."

"When I paid my respects to my father a few days ago, I mentioned something about Japan, but my father didn't seem to have any intention of letting us return to Japan."

Zhu Di said in a deep voice.

Zhu Di's base is basically all in Yancheng. Logically, he should have returned after the Northern Expedition, but now there is no movement at all.

The Ming Dynasty is about to enter the era of farming, and Japan is almost the same.

Even if they set out now, they could only make it in time for sowing, but there was no news from the palace.

Listening to Zhu Di's words, the other three were silent.

Zhu Yu said, "Father will not say that we cannot return to the vassal state. He may want us to stay in the capital to accompany him more."

As soon as these words were spoken, they were immediately met with contemptuous looks from Zhu Chong, Zhu Gang, and Zhu Di.

What a joke. It’s been so many days since we returned to the capital, including last year’s Northern Expedition. There is no such thing as deep father-son love.

Even on the grassland, wasn't the person my father talked about the most the most the Crown Prince?

Under the gazes of his three brothers, Zhu Yu said awkwardly: "They should let us return to the vassal state."

Zhu Di sighed: "If it was just the father, he would naturally let us return to Japan, but what about the grandson?"

Zhu Gang asked hesitantly, "Old Fourth, you mean that our nephew doesn't want us to leave? But why did he keep us in the capital? It was he who asked us to go to Japan in the first place."

Zhu Di said: "This is a different time. The Crown Prince is well versed in business and is even more skilled in gathering intelligence. Even if we can hide our affairs in Japan from the Emperor, how can we hide them from the Crown Prince?"

"When we returned to the capital earlier, the Crown Prince summoned us to the capital with an imperial decree. Wasn't that a hidden meaning? Now I'm afraid he doesn't want us to return to Japan again."

Zhu Yu was puzzled and asked, "We are serving as vassal states in Japan to protect the Ming Dynasty. Why doesn't the Crown Prince allow us to return?"

Zhu Di was speechless about his brother, who had no political sense at all, but he could only patiently say: "We have gained too much money in Japan, and the private soldiers have made the crown prince a little wary, so the crown prince has restricted us from staying in the capital, either by threatening or restricting us."

"This is a great opportunity for the Crown Prince. As long as he prevents us from returning to Japan, he can easily render our deployment in Japan completely ineffective, and even seize our mineral deposits in Japan."

Zhu Di's words obviously made several people frown.

The reason why he said this was that he wanted to tie a few people together with himself to fight against the crown prince together.

With the merits he had achieved in the Northern Expedition last year, Zhu Di now felt that he had become too successful and that even if he received a reward from his father, the crown prince would be even more wary of him.

Zhu Chong said at this time, "Tomorrow I will go to pay my respects to the emperor and find out what he thinks. As long as he agrees, the crown prince can't do anything to us."

When Zhu Di heard his second brother speak, he naturally stopped talking.

Among the princes now, the one who has the most say is Zhu Chong. After all, he now holds the title of clan leader and is the true leader of all the princes.

…

East Palace.

This rebuilt palace has now become Zhu Ying's office.

The arc-shaped hall in the front is mainly used for holding meetings, while work is generally done in the back hall.

Most of the officials from the Taisun faction are now gathered here.

In fact, Zhu Ying does not have many confidants under his command now, and mainly consists of a few people headed by Huang Guan.

Today he specially summoned Zhu Gaochi.

"During these years in Annan, you have made great contributions to our Ming Dynasty. As the saying goes, a good warrior does not have great achievements. Others have not paid attention to it, but I have always kept it in my heart."

"You are the main contributor to Annan's current situation. Tell me what you want, and I can agree to it."

Zhu Ying said with a smile.

Zhu Gaochi sighed and said, "If my elder brother allows, I hope to go back to Japan."

Zhu Ying was a little surprised when he heard this and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

It was Zhu Gaochi himself who did not go to Japan and sought another way out.

However, after Zhu Ying said this, he thought for a moment and knew what Zhu Gaochi was thinking.

He himself might not care about the position of King of Yan, but he is the Crown Prince and his son needs it.

At this time, Zhu Zhanji had already been born. Considering his son, Zhu Gaochi thought it was obviously the best choice for him to go to Japan.

Zhu Gaochi couldn't say this, so he just said, "Please help me, big brother."

Zhu Ying said: "You are the prince of Yan, so it is natural for you to go to Japan. I will remember the merits of Annan for you. If you need anything, just tell me."

Zhu Ying did not mention the reward, because the wealth of Yancheng in Japan was already astonishing, and it was no exaggeration to say that it was rich enough to rival a country.

Of course, this country does not refer to the Ming Dynasty.

"Thank you, brother." Zhu Gaochi stood up and bowed. He understood what his brother meant. This was a favor to him.

The favor of the Crown Prince is not simple. Strictly speaking, it is more effective than the imperial edict of the Emperor.

This is also because the red-lettered iron certificates issued by Zhu Yuanzhang to the founding heroes did not actually play much of a role, and those who should be killed were still killed.

After getting his elder brother's promise, Zhu Gaochi felt relieved.

Even if my father was a little unhappy, there was no other way.

After all, Zhu Gaochi is no longer alone now. He already has a son and he has to make plans for his son.

If he stayed in Annan, even if he was the prince of Yan, it would be difficult for him to get Yancheng in the end.

Next, Zhu Ying talked to Zhu Gaochi about some things about Annan.

Under Zhu Gaochi's governance, Annan is now considered peaceful, especially in terms of education.

The abolition of Nom characters was implemented thoroughly, and Chinese schools were opened in almost every town to spread the Central Plains culture.

The reclamation of rice fields and the construction of water conservancy facilities are also progressing steadily.

At this time, it was no longer meaningful for Zhu Gaochi to stay in Annan.

The next day.

Zhu Chong entered the palace and paid his respects to the Qianqing Palace.

"Tell me what's going on. We know what kind of person you are."

Zhu Yuanzhang's tone was not good. He loved and hated the second son, who had done all kinds of ridiculous things in his life.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not seem to blame anyone for what happened during the Northern Expedition on the grassland.

Zhu Chong smiled and said, "As expected, I can't hide anything from you, Father. This time, I want to ask you, the Northern Expedition has ended, I wonder when I will return to the vassal state."

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered at this and said, "Why, are you reluctant to part with the money you have in Japan, or do you think that since you are not in Japan, you will have less money to take?"

Zhu Chong didn't dare to respond.

Zhu Yuanzhang was straightforward: "Whether you return to the vassal state or not, our decision has no final say. It all depends on the arrangement of our eldest grandson."

Zhu Chong was shocked.

He remembered what the fourth brother said yesterday. Could it be that his eldest nephew didn't want them to go back and wanted to trap them in the capital forever?

"Father, what arrangements can the Crown Prince have? Do you want us to be idle princes in the capital, fighting cocks and walking dogs all day, doing nothing?"

Zhu Chong also became more aggressive, and his tone was filled with strong dissatisfaction.

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and said, "Why, you are not happy to be an idle prince? Isn't the capital more prosperous than your Qincheng?"

"You want to return to Japan so much, do you want to raise an army on your own, or do you want to unite with the third, fourth, and seventh brothers to fight against the imperial court?"

"You guys are doing those little shits in Japan, do you really think I know nothing? There are tens of thousands of private soldiers in Luzon, how many private soldiers do you have? Are you going to treat my explanation to you as a joke?"

Zhu Chong was so frightened that he kowtowed immediately and said, "I dare not."

He didn't expect that his father knew about what happened in Luzon and even knew how many people had been there.

This is a serious crime if investigated.

According to the vassal system established by my father, the number of personal soldiers cannot exceed 30,000. Now it is clearly an overstepping of authority.

Moreover, the Crown Prince must also know about this.

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly: "Originally, we wanted to capture all of you, remove you from the vassal states, and imprison you in the capital. It was our eldest grandson who begged for you."

"The end of the Northern Expedition does not mean that there will be no more wars in the Ming Dynasty. Reclaiming wasteland in other places can also be regarded as expanding the territory of the Ming Dynasty."

"Timur has evil ambitions, and we in the Ming Dynasty will certainly confront them. As uncles, you guys should certainly do something to help."

"The vassal state of Japan has been promised to you, so there is no reason to take it back. However, you guys don't have to go back. Let the princes go. Anyway, you are all very capable, and you can do something for our Ming Dynasty."