Xu Huizu, dressed in full armor, returned to Yingtian Prefecture in a very low-key manner. As a humble person, even though he was the emperor's brother-in-law, a duke, and one of the most prestigious generals in the court, he remained very modest and humble.
He had to report to the Governor's Office first. As a general of his caliber, he couldn't just go home after returning to the capital; he had to report first.
Having completed his official duties, he returned to his residence. Xu Yingxu and Xu Zengshou stood at the gate, leading Xu Huizu's eldest son, Xu Qin, and other family members to greet him respectfully and formally. This was not only out of respect for Xu Huizu, but also out of proper etiquette.
Xu Huizu was not only the head of the Xu family and the clan leader, but also the entire family was naturally there to welcome him home after he had been away on campaign.
Xu Huizu nodded calmly and headed straight for the ancestral hall. Xu Huizu was very particular about rules, likely influenced by Xu Da; sometimes, he did resemble Xu Da exactly.
After paying respects to his parents, Xu Huizu returned to the main hall, removed his armor, changed into casual clothes, and once again received greetings from his family.
These are the rules, these are Xu Huizu's rules. Although he is only a second-generation member, the Xu family's upbringing is now a model among noble families, something many noble families envy, but also something they cannot learn.
After the family banquet, the three adult males of the Xu family stayed behind, as they needed to have a good talk about some things.
Xu Huizu sat in the main seat and asked earnestly, "I won't ask about matters of the court, nor do I need to ask too much. Let's talk about the affairs of the Governor's Office. Tell me about any matters that have happened among the nobles while I was away."
Xu Zengshou immediately stood up. His eldest and second elder brothers had gone out to fight, while he stayed at home, so he naturally paid more attention to many things.
“Brother, things are peaceful in the capital. Among the noble families, there are some good-for-nothings who act like spoiled brats, but no one has committed any serious crimes,” Xu Zengshou said. “A while ago, I went to the Marquis of Changxing’s residence. Princess Hanshan is marrying Geng Xuan.”
Princess Hanshan, the fourteenth daughter of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, was the daughter of Queen Han of Goryeo. Her husband was the eldest son of Marquis Changxing, Geng Bingwen.
Xu Huizu nodded, then asked, "Did you go there on your own, or did His Majesty or His Highness send you?"
Seeing that Xu Zengshou remained silent, Xu Huizu became extremely angry. Without hesitation, he stood up, grabbed a stick, and lashed it out at Xu Zengshou. Xu Zengshou didn't dare to dodge and simply stood there, letting his elder brother beat him mercilessly.
"My Xu family is a family of military merit, and my father's achievements are outstanding. He should have avoided suspicion! Thanks to the imperial family's great favor and the trust of three generations of emperors—the Emperor Emeritus, the late Emperor, and His Majesty—how dare you collude with court officials?" Xu Huizu gritted his teeth and shouted, "Xu Zengshou, come with me to the palace to plead guilty!"
Xu Yingxu was also not very happy. He said to Xu Huizu, "Brother, I have already taught him a lesson. I made him resign from his post as the commander of the Imperial Guard Orphans, but His Majesty rejected it!"
Xu Huizu knelt down facing the direction of the palace and said, "Your Majesty is magnanimous, and my Zhongshan Prince's Mansion should be even more cautious! You should also remember that the Empress is the mother of the nation and the Crown Prince is the rightful heir! My Zhongshan Prince's Mansion should be even more respectful and not arrogant!"
This is Xu Huizu's style, and it can also be considered Xu Da's style; it's a style that has been passed down through the Xu family.
Xu Yingxu seemed to remember something and asked cautiously, "Brother, isn't it a bit too early for His Majesty to have Fu Rang and the Third Prince train the Imperial Guard Orphans? After all, the Crown Prince is only three years old!"
This does seem a bit premature. Although everyone knows that the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty has been chosen, it seems a little too hasty to let the Crown Prince take control of the military at this time.
The Xu family naturally attached great importance to the Crown Prince. One could say that the Xu family valued Zhu Wenyin just as much as the Chang family valued Zhu Yunying. They clearly wouldn't dare to treat matters concerning the Crown Prince, whether major or minor, lightly.
Xu Huizu looked at his second and third brothers and asked, "Do you know when His Majesty took command of the army?"
Xu Zengshou immediately replied that he knew about this matter, "I heard that His Majesty was in command of troops when he was about ten years old. The late Duke of En, Zhang He, and the Marquis of Zhulu, Zhu Shou, were among the first to serve under His Majesty."
Xu Huizu nodded and said, "Those two have served under His Majesty for a long time. Zhang He was posthumously granted the title of Duke of Enguo, which was largely due to His Majesty's efforts in suppressing Japanese pirates, opening up sea routes, and supervising maritime transport. Zhu Shou was granted the title of Marquis of Zhulu, which was not only due to his merits but also because he was fortunate to serve under His Majesty."
“Remember this well: the orphans of the Imperial Guards being trained now will surely be incorporated into the Eastern Palace Three Guards, becoming the Crown Prince’s future allies,” Xu Huizu said with an extremely serious expression. “If the Crown Prince takes command of the capital’s army, the Crown Prince’s Three Guards will be his reliance. This matter cannot be taken lightly!”
Xu Zengshou still didn't understand, and said again, "Brother, isn't His Majesty's move a bit premature?"
"Good morning?" Xu Huizu chuckled and said, "Our Great Ming Dynasty is different from other dynasties. The retired emperor was nearly thirty years old before the late emperor was born. You all know many things, so there's no need for us to spell them out."
Old Zhu had Zhu Biao when he was nearly thirty. After Zhu Biao's birth, his nephew Zhu Wenzheng was immediately "laid off," and his nephew Li Wenzhong was changed back to his original surname. Even his adopted son Mu Ying was allowed to revert to his original surname. The meaning behind this is quite clear.
Nephews and nieces are never as good as biological sons. As for adopted sons, they are still just adopted sons, even if they are as affectionate and talented as Mu Ying.
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