In particular, in the tenth year of the Hongwu reign, Emperor Zhu decreed that the Duke Yansheng establish an official office and specifically ordered the reconstruction of his mansion east of his former residence in Qufu. In other words, the renowned Duke Yansheng Mansion began to grow and prosper under Emperor Zhu's rule.
At this moment, Da Zhu asked directly, "Ying'er, what are you thinking?"
"A single bamboo bowl of rice, a gourd of water, living in a humble alley—others would find such hardship unbearable, yet Yan Hui remained joyful," Zhu Xiong Ying said calmly. "This refers to Yan Hui, Confucius's most beloved disciple. If one treats one's disciples this way, one should treat one's descendants the same way. I have heard that the court's rewards are already quite substantial, and with the Confucius family's thousand-year-old wealth, it is more than enough."
Zhu Xiong Ying continued, "Your grandson also knows that many of Confucius's descendants are unfilial, and much land in Qufu has fallen into the hands of the Confucius family. Your son is going to have someone investigate to see how many tenants they have. Those who are talented but lack virtue, and those who are neither talented nor virtuous, are not worthy of holding high positions."
Zhu Yuanzhang looked somewhat embarrassed. During the Yuan Dynasty, scholars had a low social status, and Zhu Yuanzhang originally had the opportunity to continue suppressing them. However, in recent years, he had elevated the status of scholars, which gave these scholars some inappropriate thoughts.
Now, even if Zhu Xiong Ying wanted to suppress scholars, it would take a lot of effort.
Da Zhu laughed and said, "That's fine then. Get ready these next two days and come with me to court."
Zhu Xiong Ying nodded immediately, feeling that he was about to be used as a pawn. But there was nothing wrong with the matter itself; Zhu Xiong Ying felt that even being used as a pawn was acceptable. This was an absolutely serious matter, and Zhu Xiong Ying was fully aware of that.
Suddenly, Zhu Xiong Ying felt something was wrong; it seemed as if he had deliberately jumped into a huge pit.
Old Zhu and Big Zhu exchanged a glance, thinking that Little Zhu was still too naive. He couldn't hide his thoughts at all. Even if he looked down on some of Confucius's descendants, he didn't need to be in such a hurry to show it. Now, look at him, he's fallen into their trap so easily.
Zhu Xiong Ying never expected that he would take on such a difficult task and then be ridiculed for being too inexperienced. However, even if Zhu Xiong Ying knew about this evaluation, he would still feel quite helpless, mainly because the two people opposite him were simply too formidable.
Zhu Xiong Ying's cultivation still seems insufficient. He needs to continue learning and growing, and perhaps he will make some progress. Maybe in the future he will be able to put up a fight with these two outstanding figures of our time.
There's no need to have so many thoughts and ideas now; they're simply unrealistic. Zhu Xiong Ying knows he's not cut out for these things. He should focus on playing his role well and going to the court to challenge certain individuals.
This isn't just a competition; even the Crown Prince Zhu Xiong Ying is personally involved. What the old Zhu and the eldest Zhu want now isn't to muddy the waters, but to see who isn't truly on the emperor's side.
This is the real focus, this is the true thought and intention of Emperor Zhu and Emperor Da Zhu. Even the Crown Prince has been willing to be pushed to the forefront; if this doesn't produce some results, that would be truly worrying.
Continuing to review memorials, this was Zhu Xiong Ying's work, and this was his primary concern at the moment.
After dealing with these matters, Zhu Xiong Ying returned to the Eastern Palace. He wasn't a complete scoundrel; he naturally knew that this was a time to spend with his pregnant wife. This was no small matter; it was a matter of utmost importance, concerning the succession of the Ming Dynasty.
Seeing that Xu Miaoqing wasn't eating much, Zhu Xiong Ying asked, "Isn't it a little too little?"
Xu Miaoqing replied with a smile, "I'm eating smaller meals more frequently now, so it's not a problem."
That's certainly not a problem, but no one dares to skimp on Xu Miaoqing's meals; she's naturally a key person under protection now. As the Crown Prince's consort, Xu Miaoqing is entitled to not have to worry about 'normal mealtimes' at this time, and no one will be so oblivious as to say anything.
Seeing that Zhu Xiong Ying was getting ready to rest, Xu Miao Qing said, "Your Highness, it's time to go to Qiong Qiong's place."
Look at how dignified she is as a wife. While pregnant, she allows her husband to sleep with a concubine instead of trying to monopolize him.
Zhu Xiong Ying lay lazily on the couch and said, "It's alright, I've been there quite a few times. I'll keep you company for a while. Come here, let me hear if the child has been playing around."
Xu Miaoqing felt an indescribable sweetness and joy in her heart. The Crown Prince was a very considerate person. Those who said the Crown Prince was unruly, fond of martial arts, or even mean and ungrateful—who among them truly understood the Crown Prince!
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