Zhu Yunying felt perfectly justified in giving Old Zhu something to do, and he even became quite adept at it; in fact, he had always done so.
Although Zhu Yuanzhang has been abdicated for two years and seems to be enjoying his retirement, he has never been completely idle.
It's impossible for him to be idle. Whether it was when the first Emperor Zhu (the Grand Emperor) helped handle state affairs, or when the second Emperor Zhu (the young Emperor Zhu) took over the administration and ascended the throne, the old Emperor Zhu was not completely uninvolved. He simply delegated many matters to his children and grandchildren, but he still needed to oversee them.
After Zhu Yuanzhang abdicated, last year and this year, while taking care of the young Zhu Yuanzhang, he also kept a close eye on him, fearing any turmoil in the court.
"What matters to Yin'er is what matters to us," Old Zhu said with a smile, holding little Zhu. "Yin'er swallowed his pride to beg the imperial clan. If anyone dares to interfere, we'll confiscate their property and exterminate their entire clan!"
This is not surprising at all. Old Zhu already had an extreme aversion to corrupt officials and was extremely harsh in punishing them. Moreover, this matter concerned his prestige, so Old Zhu was naturally even more intolerant.
Zhu Yunying also said seriously, "There's Hongcang in here, which is a gift from our Empress Dowager. If anyone dares to touch it, we'll chop off their claws!"
Hearing Zhu Yunying's words, Emperor Zhu was even more pleased. Hongcang was a favor bestowed by Empress Ma, a sign of the court's care for scholars. This matter had to be taken seriously; anyone who dared to embezzle it would be severely punished.
"Then we should send our third uncle." Little Zhu couldn't stay idle either, and offered a suggestion, "Mother said that among the Emperor's children, the third uncle is the most talented in literature, and he is somewhat like the Emperor."
Upon hearing this, Old Zhu immediately chuckled, "Yin'er, do you still remember your imperial grandfather?"
Little Zhu shook his head decisively; he really didn't remember his imperial grandfather. Because by the time Little Zhu was old enough to remember things, his grandfather, the Great Zhu, had already passed away.
"Ah, we've all had such bad luck." Old Zhu said, patting Little Zhu's head with pity. "We lost our parents early on. Your father lost his mother when he was young, and his grandmother who took care of him also passed away. A few years ago, he lost his father too."
Little Zhu was dissatisfied and hugged Old Zhu, saying, "Dad, I'm still here! We're not suffering at all, we're the best!"
With this little guy making jokes around, Old Zhu's somewhat negative mood was quickly dispelled, which made Zhu Yunying breathe a sigh of relief.
If it weren't for Xiao Zhu constantly around Lao Zhu, Lao Zhu might have lost his spirit long ago. Or, to put it more narcissistically, if it weren't for him all these years, Lao Zhu might really not have been able to hold on.
"You can stay here." Zhu Yunying patted little Zhu's head. He had already gotten up, but then changed his mind. "Never mind, we've had a few drinks, so let's rest here. Grandfather, there must be enough blankets, right?"
Old Zhu immediately beamed, though he still looked a little disgusted. "How old are you? You have children of your own, yet you still cling to us all day long! Tell me, aren't you ashamed? You even want to sleep in the same bed as us."
"Exactly!" Little Zhu chimed in, but quickly changed her mind. "Then we'll sleep in the middle!"
Old Zhu and Little Zhu naturally agreed, and Shuangquan, Wang Chengen, and the others immediately began to busy themselves, serving these supreme beings in the human world as they washed up and rested.
Although it was freezing cold outside, it didn't bother Zhu Yunying at all; he was truly used to it. Sleeping later than a dog and waking up earlier than a rooster—that was probably a characteristic of the Ming Dynasty emperors.
"It's almost Chinese New Year, so it's not good to make a big fuss." Old Zhu opened his eyes, tucked the blanket around Little Zhu, and said softly, "Whatever it is, let's wait until the New Year to do it, so we can have a lucky start."
Zhu Yunying smiled and nodded, saying to his father, "Grandpa, don't worry. I've been emperor for two years, so I have some experience. Besides, I've seen Grandpa and Father handle state affairs quite a bit in the past few years. Even if I'm not smart, I've learned by imitating them."
Old Zhu immediately laughed and scolded, "If you really are following suit, then we'll feel at ease. Tell me yourself, how many of our ancestral rules have you changed?"
It's best to play dumb. At this point, Zhu Yunying could only pretend to be a little naive, because there was a reason and logic to what Old Zhu said, and it was a fact.
According to Zhu Yuanzhang's wishes, he would naturally set all the rules and frameworks, which is the so-called "plan for ten thousand generations". Zhu Yuanzhang believed that he was capable of setting these rules well, and that future generations would be good emperors as long as they acted in accordance with his rules.
However, Zhu Yunying did not think so. In fact, it was Zhu Yunying who most severely undermined and rejected the old Zhu's grand plans for all ages, which once made the old Zhu furious.
Heaven have mercy, Old Zhu was such a domineering man, yet he couldn't bring himself to be harsh with his eldest son and grandson. Even when he was angry, he couldn't bear to severely reprimand his precious children and grandchildren.
Gu Ren
In fact, Da Zhu is slightly better. Although he also has his own opinions and sometimes has some 'conflicts' with Lao Zhu, he generally listens to Lao Zhu.
But it's a different story with Xiao Zhu. Over the years, Xiao Zhu has done a lot of things that have forced Lao Zhu to change some of his original plans. This kid has just as many opinions as Lao Zhu, and he can be considered Lao Zhu's stubborn mule.
Smiling, Zhu Yunying accepted the cloak offered by Wang Chengen and said, "Grandpa, please rest. I can handle matters of state well."
Old Zhu smiled and nodded. He would occasionally complain about his troublesome grandson, but it was always with a hint of boasting.
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