"Father, you should also keep an eye on Ying'er." Zhu Biao finished reviewing the memorials and saw the eunuch serving the meal. "She was quite sensible when she was little, how come she's become such a worry and playful person now that she's grown up?"
Old Zhu didn't mind and said with a smile, "Our Ying'er is smart and sensible, and now she cares about the people. It's good for her to go out and see the world. It's not good for her to be trapped in the palace all the time. We'll feel at ease if she goes out and see the world."
"Father, Ying'er wants to go everywhere now." Zhu Biao said helplessly, "Yesterday I went to the Northern Garrison Command. Mao Xiang was probably frightened. He sent me a lot of apologies."
Old Zhu smiled and said, "The Crown Prince often says that our punishments are cruel, and we also know that the Embroidered Uniform Guard abuses prisoners. Biao'er, remember this: you can see and hear, so don't be fooled by those civil and military officials. We also know that they fabricate charges to gain merit and rewards, and they will stop at nothing to expand the scope of the accusations. We know all of that."
Zhu Biao was silent for a moment, then said, “Father, I understand that this sword should be put away in a while. But I think that if we are more lenient and less likely to implicate others, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. In recent years, the punishments have been too excessive.”
Old Zhu slammed his hand on the table, then simply kept a straight face and remained silent.
Zhu Biao was prepared. In fact, he and Zhu De had occasionally clashed these past few days, sometimes over their differing political views. Occasionally, he was even intimidated by Zhu De's anger.
However, Zhu Biao rarely needed to worry so much; he would still stand firm when necessary. If all else failed, he would simply have the Crown Prince summoned. Moreover, Zhu Biao wasn't naive; he knew that even if the Emperor was furious, he wouldn't truly harm him or the Crown Prince.
As for Zhu Xiong Ying at this moment, he strolled ahead with the air of a wealthy young master, followed closely by Fu Rang and Feng Cheng.
Fu Rang, needless to say, was Fu Youde's third son. As for Feng Cheng, he was the nephew of Feng Sheng, the Duke of Song, who was now the most powerful figure in the Ming military.
Feng Guoyong, the Duke of Ying, was the eldest son of Feng Sheng. Feng Guoyong was a man of great talent and merit; it was Feng Guoyong who proposed Zhu Yuanzhang's strategy of seizing Yingtian Prefecture as a base. Had he not died young, he might have been a figure like Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, and Tang He.
Feng Cheng, a descendant of a prestigious family, is also very capable. He previously accompanied Fu Youde on a campaign to Yunnan and Guizhou, and is now a second-rank official, serving as the Vice Commander of the Left Army.
Zhu Xiong Ying was in a good mood and continued walking around. "Feng Cheng, do you know why you failed to inherit the title?"
Feng Cheng immediately replied, "Your subject is ignorant and dares not presume to guess Your Majesty's intentions."
“The Duke of Ying will certainly be honored with a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple and have his portrait painted in the Temple of Meritorious Officials,” Zhu Xiong Ying said calmly, seemingly casually. “But as you know, your uncle, the Duke of Song, is currently commanding troops in the field.”
Fu Rang broke out in a cold sweat. What exactly did the Crown Prince mean by this?
Feng Cheng was sweating profusely. The Crown Prince shouldn't have said those things. Although many people suspected this, some things couldn't be said aloud. Saying them could easily hurt and disappoint the generals.
Looking back at Feng Cheng, Zhu Xiong Ying continued, "You are the nephew of the Duke of Song. Currently, the remnant Yuan Grand Commandant Nahachu has hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in Jinshan, becoming a border threat to Liaodong. If war were to break out, the Duke of Song would be a Grand General. The Duke of Song should just focus on fighting; perhaps he can even be enfeoffed as a king in the future."
Feng Cheng dared not say anything, and disregarding the attention of those around him, he immediately knelt down.
Zhu Xiong Ying didn't stop and continued, "Speaking of which, we are related. My maternal aunt is your cousin. We're family, so we should be mindful of each other and keep in touch, right? I remember my maternal aunt also has a princess sister, isn't she?"
Fu Rang dared not speak, but simply followed behind Zhu Xiong Ying with his head down, while Feng Cheng, who was kneeling on the ground, had large beads of sweat dripping down his face.
His uncle was Duke Feng Sheng of Song. Feng Sheng's eldest daughter married Chang Mao, making her the maternal aunt of the crown prince. However, Feng Sheng's youngest daughter married Zhu Su, the fifth son of the emperor and the Prince of Zhou, who was also the younger brother of the fourth son of the emperor and the Prince of Yan.
The grandson deliberately mentioned his uncle's daughter. Could it be that his uncle has a secret connection with the King of Zhou? The King of Zhou has already taken up his fief in Kaifeng. Could it be that his uncle and the King of Zhou really have some secret connection?
How could a high-ranking general have private contact with a prince who had been enfeoffed? Even if they were father-in-law and son-in-law, it would be taboo.
Feng Cheng knelt on the ground, not daring to move, his mind racing with thoughts. Nervousness, fear, and confusion were all likely among his feelings. Now that the Crown Prince had come to reprimand him, was it the Crown Prince's doing, or the Emperor's?
After wandering around, Zhu Xiong Ying returned to the East Palace and was immediately speechless to see his younger siblings fussing over a little puppy.
Fu Rang returned to his residence and immediately went to his study. His father and brothers also came over. Fu Rang used to be a member of the emperor's personal guard, but he had only been a sentry before. There was a difference between that and now that he was serving by the side of the crown prince.
After hearing his three sons' report, Fu Youde pondered for a long time before giving them his earnest advice.
Back at his residence, Feng Cheng dared not delay for a moment and quickly wrote a letter. He was merely using the letter to remind his uncle; if his uncle didn't take any action, Feng Cheng might have to submit a memorial to plead guilty.
Back at the Wuying Hall, Zhu Xiong Ying asked casually, "Grandpa, I've been wandering around outside for half a day and I'm hungry."
"Serve the meal." Old Zhu said sternly, "Really! We still need Feng Sheng very much. What are we going to do if you give him a dressing down today!"
Zhu Xiong Ying didn't care and said directly, "Fifth Uncle has already taken up his fief and still has a lot of contact with the Duke of Song. If we don't give him a warning now, I'm afraid there will be some trouble later. It's not a bad thing to nip it in the bud. I don't want to put my grandfather and father in a difficult position later."
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