After court, Zhu Yunying strolled off, preparing to continue his official duties at the Wuying Hall. This was what he was supposed to do; after all, an emperor should be diligent in his duties at this time, not just simply attend court.
As he was reviewing the memorials, Shuangquan suddenly approached cautiously. "Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus has summoned you."
Zhu Yunying nodded, then looked up and asked with a smile, "Shuangquan, do you remember you used to be by our side?"
"Your Majesty's grace, I used to serve Wang Cheng'en." Shuangquan immediately replied with a smile, "I served Your Majesty for two years, and perhaps I was deemed useful, so Your Majesty decided to let me serve the Emperor Emeritus."
Zhu Yunying smiled and nodded, somewhat teasingly, "It's also your good fortune to have been able to serve your grandfather for so many years."
That's the truth. Shuangquan was born into the Crown Prince's household, and as a close eunuch, following Emperor Zhu when he was still on the throne was somewhat taboo.
Ultimately, it's only because Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Emperor Xiao Zhu didn't mind these things that they didn't care about them. In other dynasties, doing so would have caused some problems.
Zhu Yunying looked at Shuangquan and asked with a smile, "Tell me, why did Grandfather summon us over? Is he going to scold us again?"
Shuangquan's face contorted with tears as she pleaded, "Your Majesty, please spare me! How could I possibly know anything about the Emperor Emeritus's affairs!"
There was nothing that could be done about it; Zhu Yunying was truly at a loss for words. Ultimately, although Shuangquan was someone who had served under him, over the years, the only person Shuangquan had truly been loyal to was Old Zhu.
"Go back and have someone prepare a meal." Zhu Yunying waved his hand and said somewhat helplessly, "Prepare some sesame cakes, vermicelli soup, and two pots of warm yellow wine. Have someone bring the Empress and the Crown Prince over as well, so we can all have a meal together as a family."
Shuangquan put on a fawning smile and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus said that His Highness the Crown Prince studied diligently today and has been granted a half-day rest."
Pointing at Shuangquan, Zhu Yunying sighed helplessly, "Fine, go back now. We'll have Wang Chengen handle things; you're unreliable now."
Shuangquan didn't say much. He didn't actually blame Zhu Yunying for sending him to the Emperor Emeritus. To be honest, Shuangquan was quite afraid of serving the Emperor Emeritus back then, after all, everyone had heard about the Emperor Emeritus's temper. And with his status, he was naturally even more of a target.
However, he has been very cautious over the years, and the retired emperor has also extended his favor to him, giving him important responsibilities. He is no longer just serving the retired emperor's food and drink, nor is he just taking care of the retired emperor's daily life.
Zhu Yuanzhang, who was in the Qianqing Palace, also heard Shuangquan's report. He laughed and scolded Zhu Yunying, and that was about it.
He was well aware of Zhu Yunying's ulterior motives and had originally intended to block him in advance. But now, things had gotten worse; his grandson was becoming increasingly unscrupulous, and this slippery fellow was becoming harder and harder to handle.
Zhu Yunying continued to handle official business until Wang Chengen reminded him that it was almost time, at which point he set off towards the Qianqing Palace.
As soon as Zhu Yunying arrived at the palace gate, she saw Old Zhu's imposing figure. It was clear that this "empty nester" was sometimes lonely. Even though he had many children, Old Zhu had very few family members in his heart, and he still longed for his family to come.
Zhu Yunying immediately exclaimed, "Grandpa Emperor, is dinner ready yet? My stomach is growling!"
Old Zhu immediately glared and roared at Shuangquan, "Hurry up and serve the meal! Doesn't the emperor hear me? He's hungry!"
After scolding Shuangquan, Old Zhu glared at Wang Chengen, "You good-for-nothing! The emperor has such heavy court duties every day, can't you even be a little thoughtful and prepare some snacks?"
"Grandpa, Yin'er hasn't arrived yet?" Zhu Yunying looked around and said, "It would be much more lively if Yin'er came."
"That brat is no good. We spent half an hour with him working in the fields today, and he ran away." Old Zhu shook his head and said with some helplessness, "The only thing that kid is good for is that he poops and pee a lot, which fertilizes our land."
Zhu Yunying laughed and scratched his head. "I've always been lazy, and having a good son has made me even lazier. Come to think of it, it's all my father's fault. None of his sons are hardworking and can't endure hardship."
"That's your mother's fault!" Old Zhu couldn't stand it anymore and retorted, "Yunwen and the others are a little better than you, but you're lazy, and your good brother is even more of a lazy good-for-nothing! Today he and your third uncle beat someone up at the restaurant, and they seem to be from a noble family."
So be it, Zhu Yunwen was, after all, a prince of the Ming Dynasty, a man of noble status. As for Chang Sen, aside from being the current emperor's maternal uncle and the third son of Chang Yuchun, his status as a genuine marquis alone gave him considerable influence.
"Never mind that. Although they have some dissolute behavior, they are still relatively easy to manage." Zhu Yunying poured himself a cup of tea and then said, "By the way, we had the imperial kiln make a batch of utensils. We'll send some over to Grandfather later."
Old Zhu didn't mind, and simply said, "We don't need them, you can use them. We don't like those things, enough is enough. As for you, you don't have many good things in your room. People who don't know better might think that our Ming Dynasty is poor, and even the emperor can't afford good things."
Zhu Yunying immediately became smug and said, "Grandfather, we have quite a few fine objects, but we only use them in private and don't show them off. After all, we are the emperor. If we become extravagant, the people below will follow suit. That's not a good thing. It's best to use them in private. Speaking of which, we are becoming more and more particular, and so is our Yin'er."
Old Zhu shook his head, with a hint of criticism, "You're still not good enough. Those wealthy people are much more particular about food and drink than you. They only eat the fish lips when they eat fish, and they only pick young, tender chickens that are a few months old. You're still not good enough."
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