Old Zhu's eyes were practically glued to Little Zhu and Little Little Zhu. His life had become much more leisurely after retiring. At Little Zhu's suggestion, Old Zhu now eats smaller, more frequent meals, and besides, he's getting old and his appetite isn't particularly strong anymore.
But watching his grandson devour his food and his great-grandson eat heartily, Old Zhu smiled especially happily. If it weren't for Little Zhu and Little Little Zhu being there, Old Zhu wouldn't have been willing to bring so many delicacies; he could have easily made do with what he had.
"Watching Yin'er eat makes me want to eat an extra bowl of rice too," Zhu Yunying said with a smile, rinsing her mouth with her tea. "This child has a good appetite."
Old Zhu laughed too, agreeing with this point. "Yin'er has always had a good appetite, and you're no worse. When we were your age, we never had enough to eat and rarely had a full meal."
Yes, Zhu De didn't join Guo Zixing until he was twenty-five. This was because his senior brother Gao Mi revealed that Zhu De was corresponding with a commander of the Red Turban Army. So, it's fair to say that Zhu De was a "late bloomer."
"We've never gone hungry, and we're well-fed," Zhu Yunying laughed, saying to Old Zhu, "Looking at these past few years, the people of our Great Ming have had a better life. I'm not afraid if there are still people who can't stay in the monastery."
Old Zhu glared at Zhu Yunying. Over the years, it was only his precious grandson who always joked with him.
Little Zhu immediately put down his bowl and chopsticks, not caring that there were still rice grains on his face. "Great-grandfather was a novice monk. Father said that great-grandfather loved to wander around begging for alms. We know Longxing Temple."
Longxing Temple, isn't that Huangjue Temple? It was named after Zhu Yuanzhang after he rebuilt the destroyed Huangjue Temple.
Old Zhu found it even more amusing and said, "Your father dares to talk about our little affair! We were a wandering monk for fifty days. The temple couldn't collect rent, so we carried our bowls and became like beggars. Three years! We went from seventeen to twenty!"
Zhu Yunying immediately said, "It was only through these three years of traveling that my grandfather learned about the local customs and broadened his horizons, and also learned about the tyrannical Yuan dynasty's perverse actions. If it weren't for these three years, my grandfather wouldn't have been able to rise to prominence, and I wouldn't have become emperor."
Old Zhu nodded with a smile and said to Zhu Yunying, "If you had suggested that high-ranking officials must become people-friendly officials, we would have been happy to oblige! We've been among the common people and know how difficult their lives are. If you wanted us to take Yin'er out of the palace so he could experience the lives of ordinary people, we would have been happy to oblige too. What we fear is that you and the officials are unaware of the hardships of the people; how can we govern the country then?!"
Little Zhu's eyes lit up with excitement. "Great-grandfather, we have another day off! We want to see the big ships! Mother said Father loves big ships! We want to go to the shipyard too!"
Look, this is a tradition of the Zhu family. The children and grandchildren all know the story of how their elders started their business and talk about it with great interest.
Old Zhu calculated the time and sensed something was wrong. "You little rascal, are you trying to trick us? We only left the palace a few days ago, and we won't be able to leave again for another ten days. You're just like your father; we've spoiled you all too much, and now you all dare to fool us!"
Little Zhu climbed onto Old Zhu's lap with a grin, pressing his chubby little face against Old Zhu's, and Old Zhu immediately beamed.
Patting his great-grandson's bottom, Old Zhu said, "This time we won't go to the shipyard. We'll take you to see how the people farm. The little bit of land we cultivate in the palace isn't enough. You need to see how the people farm, how they pay rent, and how they actually live!"
"Then Grandfather must be a wealthy landowner, not an official..."
Before Zhu Yunying could finish speaking, Old Zhu interrupted, "We know how to arrange things, why are you meddling?! We've been out there for so long, we've seen far more people and things than you! We're going to take Yin'er to see how the people live, and no one can be kept in the dark!"
Old Zhu's confidence is absolutely unquestionable, so there's no need to worry about being fooled. As for Old Zhu's arrangements, Little Zhu doesn't need to doubt or worry either; they'll definitely be handled perfectly.
After having a meal at the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yunying led his bouncy son back to the Chunhe Palace.
Little Zhu was naturally sent away. With maids and eunuchs attending to him, Little Zhu needed to obediently prepare for bed. The way these people served him was far more appropriate than when Zhu Yunying and Xu Miaoqing were with him; their skill in serving others was simply too high.
Xu Miaoqing was somewhat helpless and amused. "I had prepared dinner, but when Yin'er heard that His Majesty hadn't returned, he insisted on going to his grandfather's place. I didn't stop him, and his grandfather was happy to see Yin'er there."
Zhu Yunying certainly wouldn't object to this statement. "That makes sense. Whether it's us or Yin'er, if one of us is around, Grandfather will eat more during his meals. If both of us are there, Grandfather will be happy even if he doesn't eat. Grandfather is so old; his happiness is more important than anything else."
As Empress, Xu Miaoqing naturally knew what she should do and how to make her son's position more secure.
In reality, there's no need to worry about so much. Little Zhu just needs to grow up healthy and learn from his father and great-grandfather. As for other matters, given Little Zhu's background and status, there's no need to worry about his younger brother having any other ideas.
After chatting with Xu Miaoqing about some things, such as everyday matters and children's education, Zhu Yunying went to bed.
Zhu Yunying, who got up early, once again came to the court, and the only thing on his mind was the affairs of the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Rites.
Actually, the Ministry of Justice is doing relatively well, since Yang Jing is still alive. Even though he is seriously ill, he hasn't been laid to rest, so people are only whispering amongst themselves, and some things are not discussed openly.
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