It wouldn't make sense to pass through the city without entering, and Zhu Yunwen couldn't endure that hardship either. He should first go to the Prince Zhou's residence for a stroll and a rest, and then go and say hello to his fifth uncle.
"Fifth Uncle," Zhu Yunwen said casually to Prince Zhou, Zhu Su, "I am passing through your territory, and I hope you will take me in."
Zhu Su had heard about his lazy nephew. "Your brother Wang has gone to Xi'an and should be here by now. As for your second uncle, there's not much we can say."
"Fifth Uncle, I didn't bring any imperial decree. I just went to pay my respects to Second Uncle." Zhu Yunwen wasn't fooled and said, "When I came, my elder brother told me that I was going to pay my respects to Second Uncle. Also, I wanted to reassure the Crown Prince that there's nothing to worry about regarding the Prince of Qin's lineage."
Zhu Su breathed a sigh of relief. His second brother's death was baffling, and his actions in recent years were indeed difficult to judge. To be honest, it was entirely possible that the Qin King's faction would be weakened.
Zhu Yunwen took the tea brought by the maid and said, "Grandfather was indeed angry, and the posthumous title given to Second Uncle was not very good. When we came, my elder brother also said that it was nothing serious."
It's good that nothing serious happened. Although the title "Min" (愍) is a fitting conclusion for Prince Zhu Shuang of Qin, as long as the succession of the Qin lineage remains unaffected, that's all that matters. This isn't just a matter for Prince Zhu Shuang of Qin; it's also a matter for Prince Zhu Su of Zhou.
During their casual conversation, Zhu Yunwen asked, "Fifth Uncle, what have you been busy with these days?"
Zhu Su said with a smile, "If you read some books, you'll know that I was exiled to Yunnan a few years ago, and you'll also know the hardships of the common people."
The main reason was that Zhu Su had left his fiefdom without cause a few years ago, and in a fit of anger, Zhu Yuanzhang almost stripped Zhu Su of his title of prince. However, even though Zhu Su was exiled for a period of time, he was eventually allowed to return to his fiefdom to continue being the Prince of Zhou.
Zhu Yunwen had also heard about these things. "Fifth Uncle, I heard that you compiled medical books and famine relief works a few years ago. Have they been effective?"
This really hit Zhu Su where it hurt; he had been interested in medicine since his youth. After being exiled and learning about the hardships of the common people, he understood even more the importance and urgency of medicine for the masses.
So he organized a group of doctors, scholars, painters, and others to begin compiling medical texts. He also established a special botanical garden to cultivate various wild edible plants discovered through folk surveys and to conduct observations and experiments.
While Zhu Su was talking non-stop, Zhu Yunwen's eyes lit up. "Fifth Uncle, my brother has a Ministry of Works Academy in Beiping Prefecture, which is full of skilled craftsmen. Why don't I go and get some skilled people for you? You just said that you haven't seen many medicinal herbs yet, shall we go and look for them?"
Zhu Su was tempted, but also still had lingering fears. "Don't talk nonsense. I still want your fifth uncle to put us under house arrest. Last time he almost stripped us of our princely title!"
"Fifth Uncle, I'll take responsibility!" Zhu Yunwen said confidently and nonchalantly. "Grandfather doesn't care about me anyway, and my elder brother protects me. We can go to Yunnan, we can go to Liaodong, we can go wherever we want, and we'll definitely be able to get the best medical books! My elder brother has great ambitions, and he naturally knows how important medical books are, so he certainly won't make things difficult for us!"
Zhu Su was tempted, but still a little worried, "If we're really questioned, will you take the blame?"
"I'll take care of it, as long as Fifth Uncle takes me sightseeing!" Zhu Yunwen quietly took out the token. "Fifth Uncle, let's go to Xi'an first to pay respects to Second Uncle. It's been a long time since I've seen Second Uncle. Then we'll go to Beiping. Fifth Uncle, let's see if there are any suitable people at the Ministry of Works Academy. We can also go to Liaodong on the way, since it's getting hot."
If we were to name the two most fearless "princes" in the Ming Dynasty right now, it would probably be these two who are currently urging each other to go out for a stroll. One wants to produce the best medical book, and the other is thinking about taking the opportunity to travel and enjoy the scenery.
As for being punished, so be it; it's not a big deal. At worst, I'll get a scolding. But studying plants and herbs and going on a trip is more important than anything else.
Prince Zhu Youdun was about to cry; his father had once again run away from home. Zhu Youdun wasn't worried about managing the princely affairs; in recent years, his father had devoted himself to studying medical books. However, this time his father had left without imperial decree, and he might indeed be severely punished by His Majesty the Emperor.
We should quickly submit a memorial, hoping that this matter is not so serious and that there is still room for remediation!
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