Old Zhu and Little Zhu began to discuss some things in detail, naturally concerning matters such as the succession. It wasn't a matter of the grandfather and grandson simply having a quick discussion and immediately deciding that the seventy-year-old must abdicate; these matters required establishing clear rules and upholding the greater good.
So Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yuanzhang had another idea: their civil and military officials should contribute to these matters. If future generations complained about their ancestors, those nobles and officials would be blamed as well, not just the grandfather and grandson.
Whether it was the old Zhu or the young Zhu, there's no doubt that they both had a strong desire for power. And there's no doubt that the old Zhu was deeply devoted to his children; the throne was naturally important to him. However, at this stage, it wasn't necessarily the most important thing for him.
As for Xiao Zhu, he simply hoped to avoid some detours and to help the country and the nation develop better. Of course, he might also know certain things and wanted to prevent them as much as possible. The throne was naturally important, but at this point, he could only painfully relinquish some things and impose some small constraints on himself.
As for whether he could live to seventy, it's hard to say. There weren't many emperors who lived to seventy.
Old Zhu was actually quite pleased; he didn't feel that his grandson was forcing him to abdicate. In Old Zhu's view, his grandson was in his best interest in many things, such as the idea of abdicating at seventy, which Old Zhu felt was tailor-made for him.
The relocation of the capital, coupled with the successive losses of his sons, left Old Zhu feeling utterly overwhelmed. If it weren't for his beloved grandson by his side, Old Zhu didn't know if he could have endured it all. He even felt that if one day his precious grandson were to leave this world, then he would have no family left.
His parents are gone, and his brothers and sisters have all passed away long ago. His devoted wife is gone, and his beloved eldest son has also died young. The only person Old Zhu cares about now is this precious grandson in front of him, who can be considered his true 'blood relative'.
Regarding the throne, a tacit understanding has now been reached: any future emperor of the Ming Dynasty who wishes to die on the throne must pass away before the age of seventy. Otherwise, there would likely be widespread uproar, with a large number of loyal ministers and generals clamoring that it violates ancestral rules.
Of course, if there were a stubborn and capable emperor, it might be possible to break the ancestral rules, which is not impossible.
Old Zhu was a little smug and barely sleepy. "Ying'er, our Great Ming is truly extraordinary! The succession of the Great Ming will surely be secure, and the matter of establishing an heir will be secure. Even if someone becomes senile, we won't have to worry."
"It's all thanks to my grandfather that I could do this. No one else could have done it," Zhu Xiong Ying said to his grandfather. "I know that my grandfather loves me dearly. Even if it were an ordinary family, I wouldn't be willing to hand over my family business."
Old Zhu was all smiles and quite pleased with himself. "Even after I abdicate, I'm still the retired emperor. As long as I'm alive, I'm not afraid of you seizing power. My words still carry weight!"
Zhu Xiong Ying had no doubt about this; his grandfather, the Emperor, truly possessed such ability. Even after abdicating, Zhu would still be the most influential figure in the Ming Dynasty, a fact that needed no further questioning.
The grandfather and grandson continued their conversation, planning to find one or two trusted confidants to discuss the matter in the imperial court, so that it could be truly established and become an ancestral rule.
They certainly didn't lack leads or suitable candidates. Both grandfather and grandson now had their own trusted confidants in the court, and their ability to maintain control was exceptional.
Especially those civil and military officials knew about 'transformation'; they could be the emperor's inner circle, the emperor's courtiers, or even the crown prince's inner circle at any time. These three—father, grandfather, and grandson—were basically of one mind and rarely harbored any suspicion towards each other.
Although you need to adapt at any time, there's no need to worry about being purged for choosing the wrong side. Just focus on doing good deeds, and there's nothing to worry about.
Moreover, both the Hongwu Emperor and Crown Prince Yiwen were capable and shrewd, as was the current Imperial Grandson. Regardless of the character of these three generations, it's fair to say they were all wise rulers.
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