Wang Chengen's expression grew even more bitter. He knelt down and said, "Your Highness, if that's the case, I'm afraid I will be punished."
Xu Miaoqing rolled her eyes at Wang Chengen, then said, "I remember Yunwen is extravagant. You should arrange for a reliable person to manage the Prince's treasury. He dislikes tedious matters. As for the land and estates he has been granted, have someone take good care of them."
Wang Chengen whispered, "Your Highness, there are mice running around in the Prince's mansion's storeroom."
Xu Miaoqing was not surprised at all, and simply asked, "Has the Prince ever incurred any debts outside?"
This spurred Wang Chengen on. He knew a lot about the accounts, and there were definitely more he didn't know. It was only because everyone knew Zhu Yunwen's special status that even though Zhu Xiong Ying, Zhu Xi, Zhu Yue, and even the Chang family were helping him, there were still some debts outside.
Xu Miaoqing felt a headache coming on. Zhu Yunwen not only spent money extravagantly but also didn't understand economics. It seemed that simply helping to manage the granted land or salary was no longer enough; someone needed to be sent to accompany him to prevent this foolish boy from being taken advantage of.
In fact, Zhu Xiong Ying knew about these things, but he turned a blind eye. Zhu Yunwen's status was special, and he certainly didn't dare let too many people cheat him. It's just that this silly boy was too naive and sometimes liked to spend money like water. If he wasn't kept an eye on, the dignified prince would probably go bankrupt soon.
Although the foolish boy was bold, he didn't sell any of the things that Old Zhu or Great Zhu had bestowed upon him. As for the things that Zhu Xiong Ying had bestowed upon him, Zhu Yunwen, that foolish boy, only kept some that had special markings that others dared not accept; otherwise, they were basically all sold or given away.
This silly younger brother has truly been spoiled rotten. He's a master of eating, drinking, and having fun, and he's absolutely clueless about practical matters. Now that he's out of the palace, he's still indulging in his own way, and sometimes it seems he hasn't made much progress.
This was mainly due to the efforts of Lady Lü, but Zhu Yunwen also deserves credit.
There are still many things to worry about. Don't assume that the Crown Prince and his wife can just eat, drink, and have fun every day. For them, there are simply too many things to handle.
For example, Zhu Xiong Ying got up early, ate some 'breakfast', and then slowly walked towards Fengtian Hall.
Upon seeing Chang Mao, Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly.
Chang Mao, understanding the implication, immediately stepped forward, displaying impeccable manners, and said, "Your subject Chang Mao greets Your Highness."
"Duke Zheng, something must be happening in court these next few days," Zhu Xiong Ying said in a low voice. "We'll have to play it by ear."
Chang Mao nodded slightly, not feigning ignorance, "Your Highness, I understand. But Your Highness, what should I do?"
Chang Mao, who had previously been severely punished by the court for his beatings of civil officials, had just been fined half a year's salary. He was worried that he might lose another half a year's salary if he wasn't careful. He needed to find out more about these things, although he knew that he would almost certainly not receive his full salary.
“If things get out of control in the court, you can step in with the Duke of Liang.” Zhu Xiong Ying didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point. “Don’t let the civil officials gain too much power. You can grant them some things. But remember, just grant them some things.”
Chang Mao immediately understood. In the end, it wouldn't be a problem if the civil officials caused any trouble. But it had to be the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince who bestowed these pedantic scholars upon them, not the civil officials forcing the Emperor and the Crown Prince to make concessions.
There are many intricacies involved here, and the initiative certainly cannot be given to those civil officials. Of course, Chang Mao also understands very well that these military officials are essentially the same; they can receive rewards and favors from the emperor, rather than forcing the emperor to agree to certain conditions.
The highly motivated Chang Mao was prepared, for example, to once again deliver a sound beating to certain civil officials if necessary. Lan Yu, who soon received the news, was also very confident; given his arrogant and domineering nature, if provoked, he would be even more outrageous than Chang Mao.
Anyone who dares to jeopardize the Crown Prince's important affairs will become their mortal enemy. Anyone who dares to disobey the Crown Prince's orders should not blame the Duke of Zheng for beating them severely, or for secretly tripping them up and beating them with sticks.
Chang Mao didn't care about reputation; as long as his nephew ascended the throne, that was enough for him. He didn't care about anything else.
As for Lan Yu, with the Crown Prince gone, he's in a hurry to find a new patron. The Crown Prince is a natural patron, given his background. However, Lan Yu also understands that to replace Fu Youde and the others, he still needs to do some things to gain the Crown Prince's trust.
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