However, Xu Miaoqing and Xiao Xiaozhu didn't need to worry about any of this. They just needed to stay in the carriage and make sure they made it back to the capital smoothly.
As soon as they arrived at Wulong Bridge, Little Zhu shouted, "Hurry up and get the horse, we're going to the Qianqing Palace!"
Xu Miaoqing quickly came over and advised, "Yin'er, you're not young anymore. You can't ride horses in the palace all day. Your great-grandfather and your father didn't do that either."
“But my great-grandfather said that after he passes away, we will no longer ride horses in the palace, and we promised.” Little Zhu raised his face and said confidently, “Father also knows that we can ride horses now.”
What could Xu Miaoqing say at this point? Naturally, she should say nothing. Although she was the empress, the true rulers of the Ming Dynasty were her husband and her grandfather; those two were the ones who truly held the reins of power.
Little Zhu rode off happily on his pony, naturally forgetting his little sister who was watching him longingly. He was now going to find his great-grandfather; he could hardly remember anyone else anymore.
Shuangquan and Wang Chengen, after exchanging greetings with Xu Miaoqing, quickly followed Xiao Zhu. Their masters had always been very clear: loyalty to the Retired Emperor, the Emperor, and the Crown Prince was their entire life and mission.
"Great-grandfather, we almost caught a rabbit!" Little Zhu exclaimed excitedly, waving his arms and legs. "Cousin Mu didn't catch it; he was too slow!"
Old Zhu instantly forgot he had a grandson; now all he could see was his great-grandson. "Really? Then tell your great-grandfather how you caught the rabbit. We'll give you some ideas, and we'll definitely be able to catch a rabbit next time."
Watching the old man and the young man walk hand in hand towards the bedchamber, Zhu Yunying smiled and shook his head. He felt it was better to return to his own territory, where he would feel more at ease.
For Zhu Yuanzhang, the early deaths of his parents, elder brother, and elder sister left him all alone. The successive deaths of Empress Ma and Zhu Yuanzhang further devastated him.
If it weren't for Little Zhu and Little Zhu, Old Zhu might have once again lamented, "I was just a commoner from Huaiyou, what does the world mean to me!"
Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, Zhu Yunying saw Xu Miaoqing and asked, "Are you still tired today?"
"Today, you all followed my lead and we walked quite slowly along the way," Xu Miaoqing said with a smile to Zhu Yunying. "I have also given birth to children and know how to take care of a pregnancy."
Hearing Xu Miaoqing say this, Zhu Yunying naturally felt relieved. "We'll have the imperial physician come over to take Yin'er's pulse later. We were thinking of giving Yin'er a younger brother or sister. We were thinking that it would be great if he had a younger brother."
Xu Miaoqing nodded with a smile; this was naturally something she had been looking forward to as well. Little Zhu's position was secure, and as the saying goes, "like father, like son," having a younger brother wasn't necessarily a bad thing for Little Zhu.
Furthermore, the least desirable situation is that Little Zhu has a younger brother, which is a double insurance for both Xu Miaoqing and Zhu Yunying.
Zhu Yunying sat down and asked with a smile, "How was it after seeing so many noblewomen today?"
"Not bad. I've looked at a few today, and some of them are acceptable," Xu Miaoqing said with a smile. "My aunt is also helping to make an assessment today. My eldest aunt has taken a liking to the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Dingyuan."
The title of Marquis of Dingyuan originally belonged to Wang Bi, who had accompanied Lan Yu in the great victory at Buyur Lake. However, this veteran general with illustrious military achievements was no longer alive, and Wang Bi's eldest son, Wang De, inherited the title of Marquis of Dingyuan. In fact, Wang Bi was considered to have educated his sons well, as his second son, Wang Zheng, was also granted the title of Marquis of Xiting, although it was not a hereditary title.
Wang Bi had six sons, all of whom were in the military. His eldest son inherited the title. His second son was exceptionally capable, and now they could be considered a family with two marquises.
Zhu Yunying smiled and said, "My eldest aunt's family? That means it's my cousin Shunchang. You'll make the decision on this. We need to make this clear: for ordinary relatives and nobles, you can make the decision yourself and let us know when you've made a decision. But for my eldest aunt's family and my younger aunt's family, we'll have to discuss it with them."
Xu Miaoqing was secretly pleased. Her position as Empress was legitimate and she possessed considerable power. However, Xu Miaoqing was also well aware that she wasn't particularly gifted in this area. From a young age, she had mainly learned household management skills, and the abilities required of an Empress would require continuous learning.
Xu Miaoqing was well aware that if it were ordinary relatives or nobles, she could make the decision directly, and the emperor would certainly not refuse her request.
However, she was also well aware that marriages for certain members of the imperial family and noble families with special status were not so simple. These matters naturally required the emperor's approval, and she could not make decisions on her own.
Amidst the laughter and chatter, Zhu Ruyi came running up, stumbling along, and immediately began to complain in her childish voice, "Daddy, brother is the worst!"
"Your brother won't play with you again?" Zhu Yunying picked up his daughter and immediately laughed. He knew the children's affairs very well. "Ruyi'er, is it because your brother wants to play with other people again, and you can't stop him no matter how much you call him?"
Zhu Ruyi nestled against Zhu Yunying's chest, looking pitiful, and said, "Brother is catching rabbits, he doesn't want me."
That's right. Little Zhu is such a playful child; he's gone completely off on his own. Not to mention his sister, he basically forgets about his parents and great-grandparents too. They're not even worth mentioning.
Right now, Zhu Yunying still needs to comfort her aggrieved daughter. However, there's no need for her to join in the condemnation of Little Zhu, otherwise Little Zhu might hear about it and come back to cause trouble too. The most important thing is that she doesn't want the children to have any wrong impressions.
Just when it seemed like everything was harmonious on Zhu Yunying's side, things weren't so harmonious on the outside.
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