Watching little Zhu happily devour his snacks, Old Zhu was quite worried. "Yin'er, if you keep eating like this, your father will scold us again! If you ask me, there's nothing wrong with being chubby, it's just that your father is being nosy!"
Little Zhu spat out pomegranate seeds and said, "We're eating less meat now, we're just eating fruit, and Dad won't say anything."
“That’s right, your father is just worried that you’re too fat.” Old Zhu laughed and pinched little Zhu’s cheek. “Our Yin’er isn’t fat, all the fat is in his face. Our Yin’er is sturdy, and his flesh is firm.”
Little Zhu nodded excitedly. He wasn't chubby; he was strong. At most, he just had a little bit of baby fat on his face, so he looked a tiny bit fatter than the average child.
Old Zhu and Little Zhu are now waiting patiently, both knowing that Little Zhu will definitely come. The reason is that Shuangquan has already gone to the Wuying Hall, and Little Zhu is bound to come, since even the Emperor Emeritus has issued an edict, and Emperor Yingshi cannot disobey it.
Zhu Yunying strolled leisurely to the Qianqing Palace and saw pomegranate seeds scattered all over the ground, but he didn't say much.
It's fine for little Zhu to eat some fruit, as long as the child doesn't eat meat and fish every day. It's normal for children to have a sweet tooth, and Zhu Yunying doesn't think there's a big problem with him eating some fruit.
As for the pomegranate seeds that Little Zhu spat out all over the ground, that's not a problem. Little Zhu is actually quite clean.
As for cleaning, that's not something Little Zhu needs to worry about. Don't think that just because he's the Crown Prince, even ordinary rich kids don't necessarily enjoy doing 'household chores'.
"I knew Grandfather would call us," Zhu Yunying said calmly to Old Zhu. "Pour me a cup of tea."
Wang Chengen was about to make a move when Zhu Yunying stopped him, saying, "Let the Crown Prince pour us some tea. Don't cause trouble here."
Little Zhu happily jumped off the stool, ready to pour tea. Little Zhu was quite interested in these kinds of things and believed she could definitely do them well.
Old Zhu did not object, but quickly said, "Keep an eye on it, this tea is a bit hot, don't let it burn the Crown Prince."
Both Old Zhu and Little Zhu would feel gratified if Little Zhu were to pour the tea, as it would show that Little Zhu had grown up. Moreover, receiving tea from Little Zhu would be a sign of his filial piety, further increasing their sense of satisfaction.
Little Zhu, carrying a teacup, cautiously approached Xiao Zhu. Shuang Quan and Wang Chengen were even more nervous at this moment, following closely behind Little Zhu. They would rather get burned themselves than see the Crown Prince get burned.
Satisfied, Zhu Yunying took the tea and took a sip. "The tea my son poured is so fragrant. I'm not thirsty anymore after just one sip."
Little Zhu was even happier. Feeling a great sense of accomplishment, he didn't need to be reminded and immediately poured Old Zhu a cup of tea as well.
Needless to say, after drinking the tea poured by his great-grandson, Old Zhu suddenly felt as if it were a magic pill, and he could live for another five hundred years.
Pouring tea is something many children can do. It's just that nowadays, little Zhu seems quite proud and happy when faced with constant praise.
Children naturally love being praised, and having always been cared for and praised since childhood, little Zhu doesn't know what it means to be embarrassed. In fact, this child has experienced quite a few big occasions, and he accepts these praises with ease.
After a brief moment of warmth, Old Zhu looked at Little Zhu and said, "You know why we called you here this time, right? To be honest, you little rascal, you're just messing around!"
“How is this nonsense?” Zhu Yunying immediately retorted, saying to the old Zhu, “Grandfather, you know perfectly well what this ‘never increasing taxes’ means.”
This so-called "never increasing taxes" seems like something only a wise ruler would do. In this way, it might actually reduce the burden on the people, although it could also affect the court's finances.
However, when taxes were shifted to the land instead of the people, Zhu Yunying's "never increase taxes" was actually just empty talk and platitudes. It only made some uninformed people think that it was the emperor's benevolence and grace, and that even a sage ruler could not do such a thing!
Old Zhu couldn't help but laugh, pointing at Zhu Yunying, "You've got both substance and face, and those people outside will still be grateful to you!"
Hearing what Zhu Yunying said, Zhu Yunying smiled and said, "Those people outside will still be grateful to Grandfather. Let's make it clear first, Grandfather is the founding emperor, and this title is well-deserved. This groundbreaking achievement deserves no amount of praise."
Old Zhu was heartbroken, feeling that his grandson had made a bad deal. "You said it yourself, I am the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Since I am the founding emperor, whether I have this title or not is not so important. But you, as the new emperor, have such benevolent policies. Your popularity will surpass mine!"
Seeing that Xiao Zhu remained silent, Lao Zhu continued, "Tell me yourself, who outside would dare to say anything bad about us? We are, after all, the founding emperor. Now that you are sitting on the dragon throne, we have gained the reputation. People outside who don't know the situation will think that you, the Emperor Ying Shi, have no power. What kind of situation is that!"
As for the promise of never increasing taxes, Zhu knew it wouldn't have much impact on the court's finances. The main reason was that once the poll tax was converted into a land tax, it would mean that the poll tax would be changed to a land tax.
This naturally means that many people believe they have gained a great deal, especially some ordinary people with limited knowledge, who may feel that the emperors of the Ming Dynasty have a greater sense of identification and belonging to the court.
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