Military officers have their own thoughts, and civil officials have their own ideas. And the emperor, of course, also has his own plans.
Zhu Yunying was well aware of many things, and he was indeed playing a grand game. This made him feel somewhat excited and thrilled; he could now use the entire world as his chessboard and the people as his pieces!
The plan for the large-scale development of Liaodong actually started a long time ago; it just seems to be being implemented more resolutely now.
There are some things that Zhu Yunying doesn't need to worry about too much. If he had to do everything himself, it would be too stifling for an emperor. He needs to delegate some authority and trust his subordinates a little more.
For Zhu Yunying, the task at hand now is naturally to continue cultivating a support system for his crown prince. Or perhaps it's a bit premature to start cultivating a support system for young Zhu, but establishing some prestige for young Zhu is certainly not a problem.
Xu Miaoqing was both excited and expectant. "Your Majesty, are you really not going this time?"
"We've already agreed with Grandfather that we'll just have some tea in the palace," Zhu Yunying said with a smile. "You two can go out for a stroll and help the imperial family and nobles with their marriage arrangements."
Little Zhu suddenly ran over, leaving Zhu Yunying speechless. It was undoubtedly Old Zhu's doing.
"When we first went to Beiping, your great-grandfather gave us a five-clawed dragon robe." Zhu Yunying was speechless. Looking at little Zhu's military uniform, he said irritably, "Tell me, are you planning to personally lead the expedition, or are you going to mobilize troops?"
Little Zhu leaned back on Zhu Yunying's lap and said in a serious tone, "Great-grandfather said that we are in charge of the army today!"
Zhu Yunying gave a thumbs up and praised, "That's right, you really are in charge of the army today. Five-clawed clothes are fine, even as the Crown Prince we can wear five-clawed clothes, your grandfather couldn't even wear five-clawed clothes back then! Speaking of which, your great-grandfather was the least particular."
That's true; quite a few people wore the five-clawed dragon robe of the Ming Dynasty.
Old Zhu had previously bestowed a five-clawed dragon robe upon his brother-in-law Li Zhen, which was also worn by young Zhu when he was stationed in Beiping Prefecture. This included Zhu Shuang, Zhu Yunying's deceased second uncle, who had secretly made empress-like garments for his concubine Deng and had his own bed made into a five-clawed dragon bed.
This is actually a rather polite way of putting it; back then, this person did make the dragon robe without permission, but it was kept from him.
Whether something is presumptuous or disrespectful depends on the circumstances. If it was personally bestowed by Emperor Zhu, then naturally there would be no problem.
Little Zhu, hands on his hips, proudly declared, "Great-grandfather said that today we're going to test the martial arts prodigies! We want to see them hunt and fight!"
"Your second uncle will take you with him then." Zhu Yunying smiled and said to little Zhu, "Remember this, and listen when your second or third uncles speak up."
Although Zhu Yunying will not be going out this time, there are indeed some occasions that are not suitable for Xu Miaoqing to appear. Under such circumstances, it naturally means that Zhu Yunying's younger brothers need to step in, and Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Yunwen are also suitable to appear on such occasions.
At the Five Dragon Bridge, the Empress and Crown Prince's ceremonial guards were ready. Outside the Imperial City, at the gates of Yingtian Prefecture, the guards were also fully prepared. Along the way, there were also many sons of civil and military officials, or students from the Imperial Academy, all ready to join at any time.
Zhu Yunying naturally didn't need to worry about these things. When the Crown Prince left the city, the strength of his guards was not to be underestimated, and preparations in all aspects were very complete.
Holding his chubby son's little hand, Zhu Yunying said, "Don't be too naughty. Wang Chengen and Shuangquan are timid. You'd better think twice before they stop you."
“Great-grandfather said they’re all cowards, but we don’t have to listen to him,” Little Zhu immediately declared, echoing his father’s teachings. “They’re afraid of trouble, but we’re not! Dad, we’re the strongest, right?”
The Crown Prince is certainly the most daring one to ride a horse freely in the Imperial City. Under the protection of Emperor Zhu and Emperor Xiaozhu, this young man is indeed incredibly audacious and knows nothing of fear.
Actually, there are also some princesses and princes who have not yet left the palace waiting at the Five Dragon Bridge. Whether they are the descendants of Emperor Zhu or Emperor Xiao Zhu, they all went out together.
Especially for the princesses, their opportunities to leave the palace were extremely limited. If they were not married, they would basically live in the palace forever, with very few chances to go out and play.
Zhu Yunying greeted his uncles and aunts with a smile, no longer needing to put on any imperial airs. As a junior, sometimes it's necessary to show some respect. There's no way around it; seniority is what matters, and age sometimes doesn't count.
Little Zhu happily climbed onto his bicycle frame, and Zhu Yunying just smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, you guys go ahead, have fun."
As the massive procession slowly began to move, Zhu Yunying smiled and flicked his sleeves, heading towards the Imperial Garden. He needed to have some wine and tea, chat with Old Zhu, and relax a bit—that would be a good thing.
"Come here, come here quickly!" Old Zhu waved happily when he saw Little Zhu coming over. "We've never tasted this Longjing tea before."
Longjing tea is very famous, renowned for its four perfections: green color, fragrant aroma, sweet taste, and beautiful shape. It was recorded by Lu Yu, the Tea Sage of the Tang Dynasty, and its production reached a certain scale during the Northern Song Dynasty. However, to be precise, the name Longjing tea originated in the Song Dynasty and became widely known in the Yuan Dynasty.
Now it's becoming even more famous, not only because Longjing tea is indeed of exceptionally high quality, but also because of the emperor's fondness for it, which naturally makes many people eager to obtain Longjing tea.
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