But if they were sent overseas to barbarian lands, that would be torture; I don't even want to think about it.
In reality, during the Ming Dynasty, the imperial family members were not yet treated like pigs. Emperor Zhu still hoped his descendants would be successful and did not block their path to officialdom. Historically, the practice of treating the imperial family like pigs was implemented by Zhu Di after he usurped the throne. While further improving the treatment of the imperial family, he forbade them from doing any work, leaving them only to have children and play.
Zhu Yunwen naturally knew why his uncles had been visiting him so frequently lately; it wasn't just because of the current emperor's birthday. It also concerned the treatment of those princes, and they were quite anxious about it.
When Zhu Yuanzhang was emperor, these princes were princes of the blood. Now that their nephew sits on the throne, these uncles are worried about a decline in their treatment. Moreover, many princes know that they cannot go to their fiefdoms; it's basically the current emperor who has been preventing them from doing so since they were children.
The emperor valued his relatives, but no matter how you looked at it, it was Zhu Yunwen who seemed to be having the best time. Even though Zhu Yunwen and his relatives had some semblance of respectability, they weren't much different from other princes. So, no matter how spoiled and useless Zhu Yunwen was, the princes of the imperial clan still fawned over him, because he was special.
"My brother won't grant us any land. If we want to go abroad and be granted a fiefdom, we have to be willing. And being willing isn't enough; we have to have some ability." Zhu Yunwen said lazily, knowing that his brother had already told him that he didn't have the ability. He knew he wouldn't do well if he went abroad, so he decided to let him stay in the Ming Dynasty.
Sang's eyes darted around, and she said with a charming smile, "Your Highness mentioned the bank a few days ago, what percentage of the profits will our Wu Prince's Mansion get?"
"What percentage?" Zhu Yunwen said irritably. "The bank is the nation's treasury, what percentage can it take? We'll just share some of the profits, my brother won't mistreat us. But I also know that my brother is the emperor after all, no matter how much he dotes on us, he won't do anything reckless. By the way, didn't my second sister send us something yesterday?"
Zhu Yunwen was aware of some things, but he simply didn't want to say much. He and Lady Sang seemed to be a harmonious couple, but sometimes he was not entirely satisfied with Lady Sang's limited knowledge and greed.
But none of that matters. He should go to his second sister's place now, even though he's bound to get scolded. But even if he gets scolded, it's nothing. He's used to it. He's just thick-skinned. That's how he's gotten by all these years.
The thoughts and feelings of the imperial family members and civil and military officials regarding Zhu Yunying's birthday were naturally different. To them, Zhu Yunying was the emperor, and his birthday signified something extraordinary, something that had to be taken seriously. The distinction between ruler and subject was clearly something that had to be strictly observed when dealing with Zhu Yunying.
For Zhu Yunying and Zhu Xi, Zhu Yunying was not only the emperor, but also their elder brother. Therefore, they naturally cared even more about Zhu Yunying's birthday.
For so many years, their elder brother has always protected them, and the things they can do to protect him are limited. But for Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Xi, their elder brother's birthday is naturally special; they must take it seriously and do their part.
"Second Uncle!" Feng Qi stumbled over, very happy. "Second Uncle, Little Dog."
Zhu Yunwen grinned and said, "Go find your father, or your mother. If we give you a puppy, she'll scold us."
Holding his chubby nephew, Zhu Yunwen was in a good mood. "The little guy has gained weight and is quite substantial now."
Zhu Xi looked at her younger brother with a hint of helplessness, "I told you to come earlier, but you insisted on coming at this time. Tell me yourself, is it so hard to leave the house earlier? Think about your elder brother, he's never like you, not getting up until after 9 am."
Zhu Yunying was used to waking up at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), more precisely around 2 AM. He needed to be there for the early morning court session. However, it wasn't a problem for Zhu Yunying to sleep until 9 or 10 AM.
Zhu Yunwen chuckled and said, "Uncle Wang went to our residence to gather information. We're very busy right now, and we know what my brother is thinking."
Some things are better left unsaid; otherwise, it might not be so good.
Zhu Yunying's thoughts were known to Zhu Yunhuo, and Zhu Xi could probably guess some of them as well. As for the members of the imperial clan, they were even more aware of the situation; these people also had their own plans and expectations.
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