Old Zhu did indeed do a lot in his hometown. Sweeping tombs and paying respects was the most normal thing, but Old Zhu also met a few of his childhood playmates. Not all of his playmates went out to make great achievements like Tang He and Xu Da; many of them stayed in their hometown and lived a quiet life.
For Lao Zhu, this trip back to his hometown was quite rewarding. Although some of his childhood friends were nearing seventy and he hadn't seen them for many years, seeing them again was a comfort.
Seeing that Old Zhu was in a very talkative mood, Zhu Yunying smiled and asked him some questions, which were just casual conversations.
Little Zhu was very excited and said happily, "Father, Yin'er is riding an ox. Grandfather is wearing straw sandals, and Yin'er is also wearing straw sandals. We're going to beg for food at the temple."
Well, this is a trip down memory lane, a journey Old Zhu has taken himself down.
Zhu Yunying was speechless and said to his grandfather, "Grandfather, I don't get that kind of treatment. Even if I wanted to go to Longxing Temple before, you wouldn't allow it."
Longxing Temple is also known as Huangjue Temple, but it was renamed after Zhu Yuanzhang became emperor. In fact, this Longxing Temple is not authentic, because the real Longxing Temple was destroyed by war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, and because it was too close to the imperial tombs, it had to be rebuilt in another location.
"Our Yin'er is strong, he didn't cry or make a fuss the whole way." Old Zhu said happily, somewhat boastfully, "When he was tired, he would sit on the ox's back, and when he wasn't tired, he would stay with us and lead the ox. He wore straw sandals and ate steamed buns, and he didn't complain at all the way."
This made Zhu Yunying proud. In fact, he knew that his father's reminiscences of past hardships couldn't possibly mean that things were actually worse than before. But the fact that young Zhu, who was living a life of luxury, didn't complain about hardship was something to be praised for.
In a good mood, Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunying and continued, "We haven't forgotten our roots, and neither should our descendants. We are just peasants from Haozhou. It wasn't easy for us to survive, let alone conquer the world."
Zhu Yunying naturally understood this principle. Old Zhu's life was truly legendary; he was the emperor with the humblest origins in history.
The emperor's carriage returned to the capital, and the retired emperor of the Ming Dynasty returned, which made Kong Ne even more uneasy, because the Kong family's glory might come to an abrupt end.
Upon returning to the palace, Emperor Zhu did not immediately throw himself into work, not just because he had just finished his 'sightseeing' and his mind was not yet fully back on duty. It was also because he had just returned to the palace and still had many things to do, none of which could be ignored.
Although he didn't particularly favor his other children, they were still his own, and he naturally needed to see them upon their return. Moreover, he also intended to meet with some of the court officials who came to pay their respects.
Moreover, for Zhu Yuanzhang, he was already the retired emperor, and his grandson had proven himself to be a qualified and excellent emperor, so Zhu Yuanzhang naturally did not intend to interfere too much in court affairs.
Old Zhu was very happy and felt that he had no regrets about returning to his hometown this time, especially since he brought his beloved great-grandson home, which made him feel proud and satisfied.
This trip home truly made Old Zhu feel proud, and he felt much less worried.
Zhu Yunying naturally had no intention of discussing state affairs at this time, mainly because there was simply no need for it. He could handle state affairs himself, and his father didn't need to worry about them.
It wasn't that he was worried about power; it was simply that Zhu Yunying felt he was capable of handling these matters and could manage these political affairs well, and that was enough.
While he wouldn't claim to be an exceptionally filial son, Zhu Yunying considered himself to be somewhat so. Old Zhu was getting on in years, and it was indeed time for him to rest properly. Not to mention a life of complete retirement, less worry wouldn't hurt.
In a good mood, Zhu Yunying also joined in, since it was just a family dinner. Although Zhu Yunying was undoubtedly the main character at such a dinner, his position as the second-in-command was unshakeable.
After a fairly satisfactory family dinner, Old Zhu said cheerfully, "Come with me for a walk to digest our food, and let's chat."
"Then I'll have to take Yin'er with me, but I won't take Ruyi; she'll cry." Zhu Yunying laughed, then turned to Wang Chengen, "Where is the Crown Prince?"
Wang Chengen hesitated, then mustered his courage, "His Highness Prince Wu has taken the Crown Prince away. His Highness seems to have said that the Princess Consort is pregnant and he's taking the Crown Prince to see her..."
For a moment, Zhu Yunying didn't know whether to be angry or happy. He was angry that his troublesome younger brother had run off with the Crown Prince. He was happy, however, because his brother had finally had an heir.
Of course, Zhu Yunying didn't need to worry, because even if he were abducted, he wouldn't have escaped the capital. So, there was no need to worry about his safety.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
