Zhu Yuanzhang was undoubtedly a domineering emperor, extremely so towards his subjects. While he did have a tender side towards his descendants, he was also intolerant of their disobedience on matters of principle.
Prince Zhu Zhen of Chu was not happy. He had just paid his respects to his father, the Emperor, at the Fengtian Hall. But as soon as he led his descendants to the Wuying Hall, he saw his nephew, Zhu Xiong Ying, standing at the entrance of the hall, holding a large jade tablet in both hands.
As a prince, Zhu Zhen was perfectly aware of what this large jade tablet represented, so it would be strange if he wasn't in a good mood.
This man also had military achievements, having quelled the barbarian tribes near Dayong and, along with Tang He, Zhou Dexing, and others, suppressed some barbarian tribes in Guizhou. He also showed no mercy in suppressing rebellions in Yunnan and Hunan.
Zhu Zhen stood expressionless to one side, while his second son, Zhu Mengjiong, stepped forward and said, "Your subject greets His Highness the Crown Prince."
Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, then said to Zhu Zhen, "Sixth Uncle, the princes have reached the age to be enfeoffed as princes."
"Oh?" Zhu Zhen said with a hint of resentment, "Meng Jiong and Meng Wan are fourteen now, and Meng Zhuo is thirteen, and there's still no sign of them. The eldest, Meng Cong, is fifteen, and there's still no sign of them."
According to the imperial ancestral teachings, a prince can be enfeoffed at the age of ten, but there has been no such ceremony for the Prince of Chu's lineage.
Zhu Xiong Ying looked at Zhu Zhen and said with a smile, "This matter has also put the Emperor in a difficult position. Meng Wan is the legitimate son. He should be named the heir apparent, but I'm afraid Meng Cong and Meng Jiong will harbor resentment."
Zhu Mengwan was Zhu Zhen's third son, and his mother was Princess Wang of Chu. Princess Wang was the daughter of Marquis Wang Bi of Dingyuan, which meant she was part of Zhu Xiong Ying's inner circle. In Zhu Xiong Ying's view, it was natural to establish the heir apparent, not the eldest son.
Zhu Zhen snorted coldly. He probably understood the hidden meaning in Zhu Xiong Ying's words. Emphasizing Zhu Meng Wan's status was clearly a way of saying that Zhu Zhen was not the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and that someone who was neither the eldest nor the legitimate son should not have any other thoughts.
Zhu Bai, nicknamed "Master Zixu," was a learned man with a fondness for Taoism. He was skilled in archery and horsemanship, making him a prime example of the most adept horsemanship among Zhu Yuanzhang's sons. However, this Prince of Xiang was also rather complex; while he enjoyed discussing military matters, he wasn't particularly interested in actual combat. He was refined and cultured, skilled in calligraphy, painting, and poetry, and also possessed a chivalrous spirit.
Zhu Bai, who is already 25 years old, still has no children, which makes the old Zhu quite worried. Could it be that his son has a health problem?
Old Zhu was in a good mood, watching his eldest grandson and eleventh son chatting animatedly, simply listening from the sidelines. But the more he listened, the more Old Zhu couldn't help but frown. His eleventh son was a boastful character, speaking eloquently about military formations, but this was only because he had read a few military books.
His eldest grandson, however, had no good intentions either. He talked incessantly about his past exploits, such as patrolling the nine border regions, conquering the northern deserts, or defeating Goryeo across the sea. He spoke casually, but the implication was that he was trying to flatter Zhu Bai, making Zhu Bai genuinely believe that Zhu Bai was a god of war just because he had read a few military books.
As for his eldest grandson, who harbored ill intentions, Old Zhu was too lazy to say anything more. As for his eleventh son, who always carried books with him, Old Zhu figured he should just let him be a prince who loved reading; he couldn't be relied upon for military matters.
After Zhu Bai left the palace, Old Zhu asked, "Ying'er, what do you think of your eleventh uncle?"
“If there is a rebellion in the Xiangchu region, we should mobilize the troops from the garrison.” Zhu Xiong Ying laughed and said to Old Zhu, “I think it’s time to change the commander of the Xiang King’s Three Guards. Uncle Eleven likes to talk about military matters, but I think Uncle Eleven shouldn’t go to the barracks.”
Old Zhu snorted coldly and said irritably, "He's greedy for fame and eager to learn, that's true, but I don't know what he's learned! Tell me yourself, what exactly has he learned?!"
He was an expert horseman and archer, and could speak eloquently about military matters. He often read late into the night and recruited talented individuals to proofread and organize books. He carried books with him wherever he went, and would linger over beautiful scenery, composing poems and essays in its honor…
This seemingly incredibly talented and all-around genius, Prince Xiang, turns out to be nothing but an empty shell once you get to know him!
Old Zhu was somewhat at a loss for words, but thankfully his eleventh son was a dutiful child, which was quite rare. Although this eleventh son was all show and no substance, as a prince, he was relatively easy to manage.
There are also those who cause trouble, such as Prince Zhou, Zhu Su, who just ran north. This current Left Censor of the Imperial Clan Court has arrived in Yingtian Prefecture. He seems to have realized his mistakes and corrected them, but in the blink of an eye, he sneaked into Zhu Yunwen's residence. The two of them seem to be plotting something again.
They did indeed have some plans; if it weren't for the Emperor's decree, these two would have even intended to go to Changbai Mountain to dig for ginseng. Upon returning to Yingtian Prefecture and finding themselves unpunished, and with their escape barely mentioned, the two emboldened themselves.
It was definitely not a secret collusion between princes. Zhu Su was taking his nephew Zhu Yunwen to visit some of the princes' younger brothers to inquire whether there were any interesting plants in their fiefdoms.
This really hit Zhu Bai where it hurts. He was a prince who loved traveling and Taoist culture, and he often indulged in refined pursuits or organized books.
Zhu Bai's fiefdom is the famous Jingzhou. You can go there to pay homage to Guan Yu, and also see the scenery of the Jingxiang region. Furthermore, there are still many barbarians there, many uncivilized areas, and many interesting plants and animals.
Not to mention Old Zhu, even Zhu Xiong Ying got the news, and they really didn't know what to say.
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