Little Zhu Ruyi happily hugged Zhu Yunying's neck, her round little face resting on Zhu Yunying's shoulder.
This made Zhu Yunying very happy; the milky scent of human babies is naturally pleasant. With its chubby little face and chubby arms and legs, it was undeniably adorable.
Gently nibbling Zhu Ruyi's little hand, Zhu Yunying sat up and said with a smile, "Daughters are so sweet. Our son wasn't like this when he was this age. When we held him, that rascal would always push our faces away. Daughters are so much better; they're always so close to us."
Lian Qiongqiong smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I remember that when His Highness the Crown Prince was young, he only liked to be held by His Highness the Empress."
“That makes sense. We can’t hold him, Father won’t let us hold him, and Grandfather isn’t affectionate either.” Zhu Yunying was both annoyed and amused. “That brat probably doesn’t realize he’s offended so many people at once. Doesn’t he realize that our throne is going to be passed on to him?”
Lian Qiongqiong smiled but didn't say anything. There were some topics she dared not participate in, and she didn't dare to say much even in private.
Continuing to play with his daughter, Zhu Yunying casually asked, "Have you been away from the palace with the Empress these past few days? Is anything wrong?"
"With the Emperor Grandfather overseeing things, there's naturally nothing to worry about," Lian Qiongqiong quickly said. "It's just that the Empress Dowager Han and Lady Ge had a few words of argument, and Lady Li had some complaints with Lady Hui during a banquet because of the Prince Ding's matter."
Consort Hui was the mother of Prince Ying, Zhu Dong, who was also the twenty-fourth son of the late Emperor Zhu. Zhu Dong's twenty-third son, Zhu Jing, was the offspring of Consort Li.
Consort Li was dissatisfied because her son was originally supposed to be the Prince of Tang, but the then Crown Prince and Imperial Grandson disagreed and stripped him of the title, giving him only the title of Prince Ding. The title of Prince Ying, Zhu Dong, wasn't particularly prestigious. Even though it was just a title bestowed upon him, it still represented the dignity of a prince.
Zhu Yunying nodded slightly, then asked, "Have these matters been informed to the Empress?"
"As soon as Her Majesty the Empress returned to the palace, I reported to her," Lian Qiongqiong replied immediately. "The Empress summoned all the retired consorts and ordered them to copy the 'Admonitions for Women' and reduce their offerings by half."
Zhu Yunying nodded slightly. Those people were all Zhu's concubines, but at this time, there was no need to talk about seniority.
Xu Miaoqing is the Empress, and she now reigns supreme. Those elders, however, have virtually no political standing. If Xu Miaoqing punishes them, they have no choice but to accept it.
In the palace, Emperor Zhu is naturally the most powerful, followed by Emperor Xiaozhu, and then Emperor Xiaoxiaozhu in third place. These three hold unique positions, and Xu Miaoqing is the most powerful woman among them. Her words carry the weight of imperial decrees, and she has the authority to discipline palace maids, imperial concubines, and even the emperor's underage children.
Shuangquan arrived, wearing a fawning smile, "Your Majesty, it's time for dinner. The Emperor Emeritus should have his meal."
Looking at his daughter in his arms, Zhu Yunying was reluctant but had no choice. "It's too windy outside today, so I won't take you with me. I'll come see you again in a couple of days. Ruyi'er, my dear father!"
Zhu Ruyi immediately brought her chubby little face close to Zhu Yunying's face.
"Dad, don't forget about me!" The little tyrant rushed in and shouted, "My royal sister loves me the most!"
What was initially a comforting feeling for Zhu Ruyi turned sour, because Zhu Ruyi was overjoyed upon seeing her elder brother. She not only hopped around in Zhu Yunying's arms but also smiled at the little Zhu with trembling hands.
She was happy to see Xiao Zhu, but definitely not as happy as she was this time.
Zhu Yunying shook his head and looked at little Zhu, asking, "Are you coming with us to your great-grandfather's place, or are you staying here to tease your imperial sister?"
"We're not going to our great-grandfather's place. Mother is calling us for dinner, and our younger sister is coming too," Little Zhu said proudly. "Father, we're going to deliver the imperial decree!"
He's just always running around, and at his age, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Not only does he run around in the East Palace, but he's also running around in both the East and West Palaces. Old Zhu's concubines are incredibly affectionate towards him, and they all bring out delicious food and fun toys for him.
The most popular and unrestrained person in the palace is actually His Highness the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty.
“The Crown Prince isn’t coming with us; he wants to dine with his mother and sister.” Upon arriving at the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yunying immediately said, “That’s good. It’ll be good for us, grandfather and grandson, to have a chat. We can’t have a proper conversation with that child when he’s here.”
Old Zhu smiled and nodded, pointing to the table, "We had someone warm a pot of yellow wine for you, let's have a drink together. Yin'er is different from you. When you were little, you liked to listen to us talk about politics, but you only listened and didn't say anything. Even when we asked, you pretended to be deaf and dumb. Yin'er is different. He likes to ask questions, and he's also a bit of a blabbermouth. He still doesn't understand things."
Zhu Yunying's paranoia kicked in; he felt that his father was subtly implying that his younger brother was cunning as a child, or a master of feigning ignorance. Or perhaps, his father was simply experiencing a shift in affections, now only seeing the innocence and cuteness of his great-grandson, temporarily neglecting his eldest grandson and others.
Sipping his wine, Zhu Yunying was in a good mood. This was especially true for Old Zhu; although he had many children, in his old-fashioned feudal mindset, there was still a distinction between children and grandchildren. Few people could drink with him like this, especially now that he was old and had experienced the loss of loved ones over the years; Old Zhu relied even more on Young Zhu.
Although he had abdicated, Old Zhu still cared a lot about the country. "Tell me about your martial arts academy, what exactly are you thinking?"
“We talked about changing the garrisons a while ago, so why not just set up a military academy as well?” Zhu Yunying said to Old Zhu. “The experience of those veteran generals in leading troops should be passed down. If they just rely on their own exploration, they will mostly waste time and effort, which will only harm our Ming soldiers.”
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