"Are you saying that our royal brother's arranged marriage is bad?" Zhu Xi wasn't going to tolerate Lady Lü. She still remembered all the little tricks Lady Lü had pulled over the years. "Our royal brother is considering brotherly affection and taking care of Prince Heng. Don't be so womanly!"
Lady Lü suddenly realized that she was merely the mother of Prince Heng, Zhu Yunxuan. She didn't even qualify as a 'consort mother,' because Zhu Yunxuan's consort mother could only be Lady Chang. Including Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Yunxi, their 'true mother' could only be Lady Chang!
Seeing the embarrassed and pleading look on Lady Lü's face, Xu Miaoqing smoothed things over, saying, "Don't take it to heart. After all, Prince Heng is the fourth son of the late emperor and His Majesty's own brother. A marriage should be arranged for him. I have also met Ru Chang's second daughter. She is quite gentle and skillful, and she is a good match for Prince Heng."
Informing Lady Lü and Lady Ma of these matters was a gesture of respect; informing them was not their place to make the decisions. This was a matter that Zhu Yunying should decide, not only because he was the emperor, but also because he was his elder brother.
Zhu Xi then said, "The fifth son is about five years old. We should have him submit a memorial requesting permission to return to Fengyang to inspect the ancestral property."
Lady Lü became agitated. Returning to her ancestral home in Fengyang might mean being exiled to a high walled city. However, for most princes and grandsons of marriageable age, returning to their hometowns to observe their ancestral property and then returning to Yingtian Prefecture was usually for the purpose of being officially conferred titles.
Zhu Yunxi was nearing the age to be granted a princely title, and it seemed the emperor intended to do so. Although it might not be a duplicate title, Empress Lü had long since given up hope. Even if her eldest son became emperor, at most she would grant her second and third sons a princely title in a relatively wealthy region.
Unfortunately, the current emperor no longer grants fiefdoms and can only stay in Yingtian Prefecture.
Lady Lü naturally thanked the emperor immediately. She knew that no matter what, the emperor would still grant her three sons the title of prince. This was to give the Zhu family face and to maintain the emperor's image.
But if the emperor were truly petty, none of her three sons would have an easy time; they would all be at his mercy. Now, reflecting on her past actions, Lady Lü felt some regret. How could she have been so foolish and harbored such inappropriate thoughts?
Unfortunately, there's no going back; offending the emperor is irreversible. Of course, Lady Lü also harbored some regret.
For example, they didn't find the right direction, or their methods were insufficient, so they failed to drive Zhu Yunying down or even harm him.
For the sake of the dragon throne, Lady Lü felt that even though she came from a scholarly family, she would still be crazy about that position. Of course, she knew that a prince was noble, but what she hoped for even more was that her eldest son could sit on the dragon throne, so that her son would be the emperor and no longer have to be at the mercy of others.
Regret or remorse is futile for Lady Lü. Some things were destined from the beginning, and her schemes and ambitions now seem like nothing more than a joke.
Just as the women were chatting, little Zhu rushed over excitedly, "Mom, we want to go out and play!"
Lady Lü felt a pang of jealousy. Her youngest son was almost old enough, yet the emperor had not yet bestowed upon him the title of prince. But this crown prince, he was made crown prince when he was still a child. The most disregarded rules of the Ancestral Instructions were those of the retired emperor and the current emperor.
Furthermore, they are, after all, the imperial family; even members of the imperial lineage need to follow the rules. But look at the situation now—the retired emperor and the emperor themselves constantly use terms like "we," "I," and "I," showing no trace of imperial dignity.
The young prince was also influenced; he stopped calling his mother "Empress Dowager" and started calling her "Mother" like ordinary people do.
Xu Miaoqing said to Xiao Zhu with some helplessness, "Even your mother can't interfere. Your great-grandfather and your father will decide. You still have to ride a horse this afternoon, so don't forget."
Lady Lü felt a pang of bitterness. He was neglecting Confucian studies, just like the current emperor, and seemed to have no intention of becoming a wise ruler. She thought of their own Yunwen, so intelligent, filial, and well-versed in Confucian classics; given the opportunity, he would surely become a wise and sage ruler.
Unfortunately, there were some things that Lady Lü could only speculate about.
What Lady Lü was actually thinking was no longer important; she could only speculate wildly, or perhaps only dare to think about it silently in her heart. After all, everyone knew who was in charge of the Ming Dynasty.
What you thought at the beginning didn't matter, because it might seem hopeful, and even with some hope, you had to work hard, because it was the dragon throne. But now it's different. If you have even the slightest thought now, your whole family will basically be living under the walls of Fengyang.
Little Zhu lay on Xu Miaoqing's lap, somewhat unwilling to stay still.
After all, she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and was showered with love and affection, so little Zhu was inevitably spoiled to some extent.
Xu Miaoqing continued, "In a few days, His Majesty will order the Imperial Observatory to select an auspicious day, and preparations for establishing the new government should also be made. You should all go back and put your minds to it, and choose some reliable people for the Fourth Prince."
In fact, Lady Lü now lives near the Xiaoling Mausoleum, guarding the tomb of Zhu Yunwen. However, Zhu Yunwen has already established his own residence, but his two younger brothers now mostly live with Lady Lü.
Now that the fourth prince, Zhu Yunxuan, is about to get married, he naturally can no longer live with Lady Lü. Strictly speaking, Zhu Yunxuan should have moved out after Zhu Yunying ascended the throne and was granted the title of prince; he still has his own princely residence.
"Your Majesty, I obey the decree." Lady Lü naturally agreed obediently, though she was secretly pleased. "He has his own eunuchs and maids, so if he establishes his own household, he won't be short of servants."
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