Old Zhu also felt a bit frustrated. The other princes and grandsons were trying their best to prove themselves. But this crown prince usually acted like he was the only one who could do it, but he seemed to be too measured. He would never reach out for something he shouldn't.
He was still focused on managing the imperial treasury and keeping an eye on the precious navy, having Song Zhong, the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, help him with a whole host of things.
Old Zhu is now sharpening his knives, and the current commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Mao Xiang, is about to be discarded after his usefulness is over. Mao Xiang will inevitably be pushed out to take the blame, and he is about to be beheaded.
Jiang Huan, whom Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao had trained, is now the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, effectively the second-in-command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. His current task is quite simple: to accompany the Crown Prince on his inspection tour of Xi'an.
Accompanying Zhu Xiong Ying was Song Zhong, the third-ranking officer in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Although the homonym of his name might not be appealing, he was a highly experienced middle-aged spy, and his position as the third-ranking officer in the Embroidered Uniform Guard was undeniable.
Zhu Xiong Ying understood that Song Zhong's arrival would indeed ease his mind a bit, as Song Zhong could carry out certain tasks effectively. However, Song Zhong's true loyalty still lay with Old Zhu, and the knife was merely a temporary loan from Old Zhu and Zhu Biao to Zhu Xiong Ying.
Moreover, with Mao Xiang and Jiang Huan around, Song Zhong, nominally the third-in-command, actually had relatively limited power. He could assist Zhu Xiong Ying, which was enough.
Zhu Xiong Ying returned to the palace and went straight to the Wu Ying Hall.
Old Zhu glanced at Zhu Xiong Ying and pointed to a memorial, "Your second uncle is going to rebel."
Prince Zhu Shuang of Qin was certainly unhappy at this moment, as his fiefdom was in Xi'an. However, his palace was not yet fully completed, and he was still engaged in large-scale construction. With the Crown Prince's inspection tour underway, Xi'an might become the next capital.
It would be a lie to say that Zhu Shuang didn't have some thoughts at this point. If the capital were to be moved to Xi'an, his power base would be gone, and it would be very difficult to say where his new fiefdom would be.
"Second Uncle rebelled?" Zhu Xiong Ying chuckled, laughing nonchalantly. "It's true that Second Uncle is restless these days. His fiefdom is about to be lost, so he must be having trouble eating and sleeping. Those who accuse him of rebellion are undoubtedly making false accusations and should be punished severely. Such treacherous officials who sow discord within the imperial family should be thoroughly investigated."
Zhu Xiong Ying certainly didn't believe that Zhu Shuang would rebel, even though this second uncle had undertaken large-scale construction projects after arriving in his fiefdom, wasting manpower and resources, and disobeying his father's orders, which had drawn a lot of reprimands and dissatisfaction from Zhu.
However, Zhu Xiong Ying certainly didn't believe that Zhu Shuang would rebel, nor did he think Zhu Shuang had such courage and confidence. Zhu Shuang probably wouldn't even dare to think about rebellion, nor would he dare to show the slightest sign of it.
Old Zhu found it somewhat amusing and teased, "Our grandson dislikes us being granted too many titles and honors. I thought you were going to take this opportunity to badmouth your second uncle and get us to strip him of his title!"
Zhu Xiong Ying didn't say much, but simply picked up a stack of memorials that Old Zhu had reviewed, plopped down on the floor, and began to read them.
"You insolent fool, don't you know how to get a chair for the Crown Prince?!" Old Zhu was furious, very dissatisfied with the eunuch standing to the side.
Zhu Xiong Ying looked up at Old Zhu and said, "Grandpa, what you just said made me angry! If you don't give me a reward, I won't get up from here."
Old Zhu snorted and said irritably, "If you want to sit on the ground, then sit down and see who's more uncomfortable!"
Zhu Xiong Ying wasn't bothered at all; sitting wasn't enough for him, he wanted to watch while lying down. Old Zhu, on the other hand, was somewhat uneasy, frequently glancing at his grandson, who had been well-mannered and obedient as a child but was now becoming increasingly unruly.
Old Zhu finally gave in; he couldn't bear to see his precious grandson suffer!
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