Having settled things, Zhu Xiong Ying felt at ease. He had done everything he needed to do, and now he just needed to wait for the results.
As for the outcome, Zhu Xiong Ying wasn't particularly concerned. Or rather, whether Zhan Hui and the others wanted this dignity was not something Zhu Xiong Ying should worry about; he simply did what he was supposed to do.
In a good mood, Zhu Xiong Ying felt that everything was under control, and he gradually began to focus his attention on other things. For example, Old Zhu's birthday, which was an absolutely major event, and perhaps a major event that would change the course of the Ming Dynasty's history.
It wasn't just Zhu Xiong Ying who was concerned about these things; many people were also eagerly waiting and watching, knowing that this moment might be quite special and that some sensational events were about to happen.
The matters concerning Zhan Hui were actually minor. Resolving such matters wouldn't have been particularly difficult for Zhu Xiong Ying. After all, Zhu Xiong Ying was the Crown Prince, and the current emperor was domineering and autocratic.
Zhu Yuanzhang lived in the West Palace, and his third and fifth sons were also with him. He did not let them leave the palace, but let them stay with him.
He lay comfortably on the dragon bed, enjoying the massage of his two sons. Of all his sons now, these two were the ones Old Zhu loved the most; they were truly the apples of his eye.
Old Zhu slowly opened his mouth and asked with a smile, "Third brother, what do you think about our grandson being busy reforming the officials?"
“Father, if you ask me, the Grandson is too benevolent.” Zhu Gang spoke directly, which was in line with his character. “Since he doesn’t like that Minister of Personnel, just kill him. Let him go back to his hometown to live in peace. That man might still make irresponsible remarks about the government. He might even think about cultivating his power and bullying the local people when he returns to his hometown.”
Zhu Su disagreed, saying directly, "Third Brother, if you ask us, Zhan Hui isn't that kind of person. He's still somewhat sensible. The Crown Prince letting him go back to live a life of leisure is a way of showing respect to scholars. Our Crown Prince's reputation for being fond of martial arts is too great; it's time to change that."
"Change it? What's there to change?" Zhu Gang disagreed, saying directly, "Our father conquered the world on horseback. Can those scholars conquer the world? Those scholars are all spineless cowards, we..."
Old Zhu was not happy and said to Zhu Gang, "It's not good for these words to get out, not good for you, and not good for the Crown Prince. It's not a bad thing that our Ying'er likes martial arts, it's good for the Emperor Wu to have a better reputation. What I fear most is that our Ying'er is too weak."
“Then Father, you don’t need to worry. The Crown Prince is not weak.” Zhu Gang said directly, “Not to mention that our Crown Prince has been fond of martial arts since he was a child and has practiced with those veteran generals. Before, in the north, we went out to patrol the border with the Crown Prince. Our Crown Prince is very steady in his use of troops, which is a good thing. As long as it is stable and reliable, that’s fine.”
Old Zhu laughed heartily and patted Zhu Gang's head, "Third brother, you've got a good eye. Our Ying'er doesn't need to become a general, nor do we need him to fight on the battlefield. Our Ying'er's steady military tactics are enough. Our Ming Dynasty is strong, whether it's dealing with vassal kings or barbarians, steady military tactics are sufficient, there's no need for surprise attacks."
Zhu Gang was speechless, suppressing his unease, "Father, if Ying'er ascends the throne, I will return to my hometown to guard my grandparents' graves!"
Old Zhu glanced at his clever yet cruel son but said nothing, which made Zhu Gang a little anxious. He'd already played the victim card; he should have offered some comfort, but why was there no follow-up?
Zhu Su then said, "If we're talking about it, if the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he won't treat us badly. We know he's trying to weaken the power of the princes. Once we hand over the military power of the Three Guards, everything will be fine. We won't have to worry about the affairs of the princely territories. We can just collect our salaries and live peacefully as princes."
Old Zhu seemed to be dozing off, and casually asked, "Fifth Brother, do you really think so?"
“Father, the Crown Prince is very similar to my elder brother,” Zhu Su said at this moment. “Your son is not stupid. The Crown Prince is more fond of martial arts than my elder brother. I reckon the Crown Prince also wants to surpass Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Han. Putting aside other matters for now, the Crown Prince is still good to his own clan. Even when he was reducing the power of the princes, he was thinking of a way out and would not treat us unfairly.”
Old Zhu smiled slightly, knowing that his two sons weren't just trying to comfort him. It seemed they were quite clever; they understood that there was no room for expectation in such a moment, so they simply told the truth instead of resorting to trickery.
As for Zhu Xiong Ying at this time, he was busy with other things, such as processing memorials to the emperor. He also felt that some people and some things were really hard to get along with. Even if there were some good-looking plans, it was difficult to actually follow them.
A thirst for power, or perhaps some ideals in his heart, keeps Zhan Hui going. Asking him to retire and return to his hometown is simply impossible; he feels he can continue to lead the civil officials in resisting imperial power, and he feels he can continue to remain in the court as a pillar of the state.
A little threat, setback, or suspicion from the emperor or the crown prince is nothing to him; he will prove his loyalty and virtue!
There was no way to reason with this matter, and it truly infuriated Zhu Xiong Ying. His good intentions seemed unacceptable, and many things appeared to be beyond his control.
Originally, Zhu Xiong Ying wanted to improve the living conditions of civil officials in the Ming Dynasty. After all, the old Zhu's high pressure on civil and military officials was too harsh. Zhu Xiong Ying thought that he could relieve the pressure a little so that these people would not live in fear and could retire with dignity.
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