In reality, Zhu Yunying might not be able to recognize all his cousins, but fortunately, there was little need to worry about it most of the time. The generational naming system that Old Zhu arranged for the Zhu family was very useful at this time, as one could tell which branch and generation one belonged to just by hearing their names.
Although Zhu Yunying knew that his cousins would find it difficult to treat him normally, he was the first of the third generation of the Zhu family, and as the eldest brother, he was also the Crown Prince. Rumors were circulating throughout Yingtian Prefecture that the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne would be in a few days.
It would be truly strange if these cousins could treat Zhu Yunying with normalcy at this moment.
Zhu Yunying, who was holding a wine glass, suddenly saw a familiar face and immediately reached out, "Gao Xu, Gao Sui, come here."
Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui immediately approached, each carrying a wine cup. Sixteen-year-old Zhu Gaoxu and thirteen-year-old Zhu Gaosui were no pushovers. According to Zhu Yunwen, both were prone to brawls and had caused quite a bit of trouble in Yingtian Prefecture.
The two brothers approached Zhu Yunying and immediately bowed, saying, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince."
"No need for formalities today, just call me elder brother." Zhu Yunying laughed and looked at Zhu Gaosui, saying, "I heard someone say you beat someone up in the street the other day, what happened?"
Zhu Gaosui's face flushed red instantly. He had indeed been involved in many fights, and few people in Yingtian Prefecture dared to discipline him. However, he was still quite sensible, knowing that there were many princes and dukes in Yingtian Prefecture, and as long as he didn't cause trouble for the Imperial Clan Court, there wouldn't be too much of a problem.
Zhu Yunying spoke up, saying, "Now your fourth uncle is conquering the world in Japan, laying the foundation for the Ming Dynasty and for you. If you were sensible, you should learn more from him. Even if you don't become like Gao Chi, you should learn some military tactics instead of just fooling around all day."
Since Zhu Yunying had already spoken, the two brothers quickly accepted the order. Although they might only listen out of politeness, they genuinely needed to hear it, and they had to maintain appearances.
Seeing that neither of them was interested in continuing the conversation, Zhu Yunying said, "You two can leave now. Let Gao Chi come and talk to us."
Zhu Gaochi arrived; this was Zhu Di's eldest son. Slightly overweight, the eighteen-year-old Zhu Gaochi was dignified, calm, and discreet in his speech and actions. He loved reading and truly absorbed it, and his temperament was relatively mild.
"Greetings, elder brother." Zhu Gaochi immediately cupped his hands in greeting.
Zhu Yunying pointed to the side and said with a smile, "No need for formalities, let's just sit together and chat as brothers."
Zhu Yunying could say that, but Zhu Gaochi dared not be careless. Putting aside the fact that their eldest brother had a special status, Zhu Gaochi was also uneasy about what his brother had done over the years. As the eldest son of the Prince of Yan, he even suspected that the Crown Prince might dislike their lineage, given the Prince of Yan's recent setbacks.
Zhu Yunying smiled and asked, "Fourth Uncle, have any letters been sent back home these days?"
“With the ocean blocking our way, it’s not easy to send a letter home even under normal circumstances,” Zhu Gaochi said. “The last letter Father wrote home was two months ago, and the matter he discussed was four months ago.”
Zhu Yunying nodded. Communication was so difficult in this era, especially with the sea separating them.
"Fourth Uncle is making good progress in Japan. I didn't originally intend to tell you about these things. But since I saw you today, I thought I'd tell you," Zhu Yunying said with a smile to Zhu Gaochi. "Do you think sending you to Japan is a way of suppressing your lineage as the Prince of Yan?"
Zhu Gaochi immediately stood up and hurriedly said, "Your subject wouldn't dare!"
Zhu Yunying reached out and tugged at her arm, saying, "I've already said there's no need for formalities; we're just having a casual chat. Fourth Uncle's trip to Japan was out of necessity. The fact that Yan was newly annexed was just an excuse. The main reason was that the court was moving the capital, and naturally, the fiefdoms would be taken back."
Zhu Gaochi nodded immediately, seemingly understanding. "Your Majesty, I understand. With the capital moved, it is naturally inappropriate to enfeoff the Yan region. Moreover, after Beiping was brought back into the court, the court also granted new fiefdoms. This trip to Japan was entirely Father's own idea."
Zhu Yunying smiled as he looked Zhu Gaochi up and down, and said, "In principle, you should have been granted the title of Prince Shizi long ago, but we stopped it. Fourth Uncle went to Japan, where he was going to establish a new country and establish a fiefdom. The court will grant you a fiefdom in the future, but these matters should still be handled by Fourth Uncle."
"That's what Father thinks too," Zhu Gaochi said, looking quite longing. "Father's early ambition was to exterminate the Yuan and drive out the northern invaders. Now, being able to protect the silver mountains and eliminate the Japanese pirates in Japan is also Father's lifelong ambition."
“That’s true. Fourth Uncle is quite skilled on the battlefield.” Zhu Yunying laughed and said to Zhu Gaochi, “But Gaochi, you should also know about the Japanese. The people there quite approve of their emperor, and the succession has been orderly. It’s not an easy task to govern there well. You should learn more about that.”
Zhu Gaochi was somewhat nervous and hurriedly stood up, saying, "Your subject is terrified."
Pulling Zhu Gaochi down to sit, Zhu Xiong Ying encouraged him, saying, "What we're saying is from the bottom of our hearts. Since the court stepped in to help conquer Japan, it's a clear indication that they intend to grant fiefdoms. Fourth Uncle should get a piece of land, and the other piece will probably go to your Sixth Uncle or one of your other uncles. Conquering the world is not easy, and governing it is even more difficult."
Zhu Gaochi stood up, looking completely convinced, and said, "Thank you for your teachings, elder brother. I will remember them."
"After some time, you will come to the palace. Handling government affairs is different from handling affairs in the vassal states," Zhu Yunying said to Zhu Gaochi. "You will come and learn government affairs from me. In the future, the places you conquer will be yours to govern. If the second and third sons do not like these things, let them go to learn military affairs from their uncle."
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