Old Zhu was undoubtedly gratified. He was enthusiastically playing with his adorable, chubby great-grandson, enjoying the bliss of family life.
Little Zhu, however, was quite uncooperative. At first, he was indeed happily playing the game, pointing at his nose and eyes, shaking his little hands, and kicking his chubby legs. But he quickly lost patience and got bored with the game.
Although Old Zhu was still somewhat unsatisfied, he was clearly more concerned for his great-grandson. Since his great-grandson didn't want to play games anymore, then so be it; the child was tired too.
"Yin'er should be asleep by now." Zhu Xiong Ying said to Old Zhu with a helpless expression, "That's the problem with this kid, he always wants to get up at night. Even when we go to court, he gets up and makes a fuss."
Old Zhu chuckled and said to Zhu Xiong Ying, "No wonder he's our great-grandson! That's good. He'll surely be a diligent and benevolent emperor in the future!"
"When I ascend the throne, I will immediately appoint an empress and a crown prince." Zhu Xiong Ying laughed, reassuring his grandfather once again, "Grandpa, rest assured, I will definitely make a good start and will never follow the wrong path of the Liu Han and Li Tang dynasties."
Old Zhu was all smiles, but then he suddenly sighed, “We originally had this idea of establishing the eldest son as heir. We thought that with us and your father, we could set a good rule at the beginning of the dynasty so that our descendants could follow the same rules. But your father passed away suddenly, and things have become chaotic.”
Zhu Xiong Ying comforted him, saying, "Grandfather, don't worry. When I ascend the throne, I will be the eldest son of the legitimate wife. We still need to make a good start."
Establishing the eldest son as heir is certainly not the most perfect solution, as there's always the possibility that the eldest son might be of mediocre talent. However, establishing the most virtuous son is much more complicated. The princes might fight amongst themselves for the throne, which would be tantamount to raising a treacherous horde, not to mention that this "virtuous" son might not always be truly virtuous.
Xu Miaoqing, standing beside her, dared not speak. It was indeed a topic she dared not express any opinion on, but she was certainly excited inside.
It wasn't just because she was destined to become the empress, but more importantly, because her son was likely to ascend the throne once he grew up. She trusted Zhu Yuanzhang, and she trusted Zhu Yuanzhang even more.
For Old Zhu, having his grandchildren and great-grandchildren around is a small comfort, preventing him from feeling too empty. After all, he still has his closest relatives in this world, and people who care about him.
Zhu Xiong Ying was about to rest when Wang Cheng En approached her. "Your Highness, His Highness the Prince has sent word that it is time to confer the title of Prince."
Zhu Xiong Ying was stunned for a moment, then realized what was going on. This was referring to the fourth prince, Zhu Yunxuan, the little brother who used to wet the bed. He was about to turn ten and it was time for him to be granted the title of prince.
According to the ancestral precepts of the Ming Dynasty, the eldest son of the Crown Prince was the Imperial Grandson, and the second eldest son and the sons of concubines were all granted the title of Prince of the County when they reached the age of ten, and were given a gilded silver book and a silver seal.
Although the Great Zhu is no longer alive, Zhu Yunxuan will certainly retain the title of a Prince of the Second Rank. If Zhu Xiong Ying ascends the throne, he might even receive a Prince of the First Rank. Zhu Yunxuan and his elder brother Zhu Yunwen will likely receive the same treatment, both currently dependent on Zhu Xiong Ying's favor.
Even the fifth brother, Zhu Yunxi, like his two older brothers, had to defer to their eldest brother, Zhu Xiong Ying. At this point, the three brothers had completely resigned themselves to their fate; the throne, no matter how you looked at it, had absolutely nothing to do with them.
Zhu Xiong Ying nodded and said to Wang Cheng En, "The matter of Yunxuan's investiture cannot be delayed. Send someone to inform the Imperial Clan Court, and have the Ministry of Rites submit a memorial tomorrow."
In fact, Zhu Xiong Ying didn't harbor any resentment towards Lü's three sons, mainly because his position was very secure. Putting everything else aside, those three were his half-brothers, and Zhu Xiong Ying had a responsibility to take good care of them.
According to some prevailing societal views, if Zhu Xiong Ying, as the eldest brother, couldn't even take care of his own younger brother, then he would be morally deficient. While this wouldn't necessarily shake Zhu Xiong Ying's position, it would certainly cause some private gossip, which was certainly not what Zhu Xiong Ying wanted.
As the Crown Prince, his every move is under the public eye, and he can be considered a role model for the people. Naturally, these matters require even greater care and cannot be handled carelessly.
Remembering something, Zhu Xiong Ying said, "Second Prince did a good job this time. Have someone send him a pair of jade pendants and a set of wine utensils as a reward. I remember that the Emperor recently bestowed a pair of pots upon him. Send them over."
Zhu Xiong Ying wasn't a big drinker, but his younger brother was a true connoisseur of wine. Let's give the younger brother some face; he wouldn't dare give away the imperial gifts, so let him use them to embellish his image. Otherwise, he might be too extravagant and give them away to others when he's in a good mood.
Wang Chengen's expression turned bitter; he really didn't know what to say. He wondered if this could be considered a tradition of the Eastern Palace.
When the Crown Prince was alive, he also enjoyed giving away imperial gifts to others. The current Crown Prince does the same, frequently bestowing gifts from His Majesty the Emperor.
It was probably only the Crown Prince and the Grandson of the Crown Prince who were so generous, not treating the gifts bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor as precious treasures, but rather casually giving them away to others. What's even more problematic is that His Majesty the Emperor showed no displeasure, and continued to send good things to the Eastern Palace.
If we're talking about exceeding the bounds of propriety, the Eastern Palace is actually the most excessive, because many of the items there are clearly not allowed for the Crown Prince or the Crown Prince's grandson. Of course, you could also say it doesn't matter, since they were all bestowed by the Emperor, and there are things like the dragon bed and the five-clawed golden dragon robe, which is perfectly reasonable.
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