"But Dad said we have to be good tomorrow," Little Zhu said to Old Zhu, looking distressed. "Great-grandfather, we can't wear the dragon robe tomorrow, or it won't be good."
Old Zhu was even more pleased and quickly said to Little Zhu, "We know about this. For unimportant occasions, we'll let you wear the dragon robe. But for this kind of occasion, we certainly won't. You can just wear the Crown Prince's court robes then, which will make you even better than your royal uncle."
"Our father also said that we must be the most obedient tomorrow," Little Zhu said, leaning against Old Zhu's chest. "Father said that we should pay our respects."
Old Zhu's eyes lit up, and he said, "Alright! Your father has always been lazy and good-for-nothing. Then let's have Yin'er do the praise. Your father and your second uncle are both good-for-nothings, so we're counting on Yin'er to do the praise."
Little Zhu instantly became highly motivated, just like many other children, who are very enthusiastic and love being encouraged and praised.
Zhu Yunying, however, didn't care about any of these things. He simply drank wine, ate food, and chatted with Mei Yin, Liu Zhi, Zhu Yunying, and Feng Cheng. As for being gossiped about by Old Zhu, it was nothing to him; Old Zhu was just coaxing Little Zhu.
"Our Yin'er is the most capable. If we live two more years, we'll see Yin'er sharing your father's burdens." Old Zhu said with anticipation, holding little Zhu. "Let's try to live a few more years, and then we'll arrange some duties for you so Yin'er can practice. Your father, at your age, is starting to take charge."
Zhu Yunying was speechless and turned to look at the old Zhu, "Grandfather, we haven't done anything for Yin'er in the past six months. I remember we interfered in the marriage of my aunt and uncle. But even so, you and Father Emperor still complained about us quite a bit."
Old Zhu got excited again. Although his family knew what was going on, he couldn't help but boast about his grandson's precocious intelligence whenever possible.
So everyone listened attentively. For example, Old Zhu and Little Zhu misjudged Ouyang Lun and believed him. If Little Zhu hadn't been clever enough to see through Ouyang Lun's true nature, Zhu Zhu and Liu Zhi definitely wouldn't have ended up together.
As for Ouyang Lun, he passed the imperial examination, was appointed as a county magistrate, and then promoted to prefect. Those who didn't know better thought he was favored by the emperor and rose through the ranks quickly. In the end, from his appointment to his execution by skinning and stuffing his skin with straw, it only took three years, which fooled quite a few people.
"Tomorrow we'll get up first and go to the Hall of Literary Glory with our great-grandfather," Little Zhu said with great enthusiasm. "Then we'll go to the East Palace to pick up our younger brother and wait outside the Hall of Imperial Sacrifices."
Zhu Yunying said with a smile, "Your younger brother is too young, so he won't be going tomorrow."
Little Zhu objected, saying, "My little brother can stand now, so he should stand first. If he cries, we'll make him come back. We all have to go to our great-grandfather's birthday celebration!"
Wang was both happy and worried. Although she and Lian Qiongqiong had come to the Qianqing Palace together, they were not entitled to sit and could only serve on the side. Little Zhu's words, of course, made Wang happy. If Zhu Wenjin were to attend the grand banquet, it would slightly elevate his status.
However, considering Zhu Wenjin's age and other factors, Wang was worried that her son wouldn't be able to handle such an occasion. But the Emperor Emeritus was already so old; who knew if he would ever have another chance to celebrate his birthday?
Zhu Yunying smiled but didn't say much. She suggested that Little Zhu try to take care of his younger brother, which would also help Little Zhu gain more authority. As for Zhu Wenjin, if he couldn't handle such a situation, he could simply be sent back to the Eastern Palace.
“In that case, I won’t let you go to the East Palace to pick him up,” Zhu Yunying said. “You just wait outside the Fengtian Hall, and we’ll have someone send your brother there. As the eldest brother, you have to watch over him and protect him. If he can’t handle it, then you can have someone send him back.”
The authority of an older brother needs to be cultivated from a young age.
In the past, Zhu Yunying was like a father figure to his younger siblings. And in the hearts of Zhu Yunying's siblings, he is now considered a representative of an elder brother who is like a father. And perhaps little Zhu should be the same.
As the elder brother, taking on more responsibility isn't necessarily a bad thing. Especially in the royal family, the status of the eldest son needs to be clearly defined, and this matter must be taken seriously.
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