Although Little Zhu is mischievous and somewhat spoiled due to Old Zhu's doting, this little fellow is definitely a capable helper for Little Zhu. When Little Zhu is busy with official duties, Little Zhu can take his place in fulfilling his filial duties to Old Zhu.
With such a little one around, although Old Zhu sometimes gets so angry he rolls his eyes, he mostly enjoys being with his grandchild and can live a peaceful and comfortable old age. Although Old Zhu has also experienced a lot of misfortune, it seems that his later years can be a little more peaceful and comforting at this stage.
As for matters of state, Zhu Yunying was naturally in charge; he was capable of handling them.
Sitting on the dragon throne, Zhu Yunying, with a stern face, suddenly scolded, "What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket!"
Now that the emperor had spoken, the officials immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness. They had been arguing for days, mainly about the situation in Korea, and had even forgotten about the imperial examinations.
Seeing the officials kneeling, Zhu Yunying sternly rebuked them, "Everyone says to issue an edict to reprimand them, but those who plotted to usurp the throne and killed their brothers to secure their father's position, do you still expect them to have any morality?! Such beasts, a reprimand is enough?"
Seeing the officials kneeling even more respectfully, Zhu Yunying said with a stern face, "Since the end of the Tang Dynasty, Goryeo has broken away from the control of the Central Plains. Although they admire the culture of the Central Plains and claim to have Confucian traditions, the Khitan, Jurchen, and Mongol tribes have been rampant with their plundering. Not only Goryeo, but the Central Plains are also filled with bloodshed. What talk of morality and ethics?!"
Zhu Yunying slammed his hand on the armrest, rose, and descended the imperial steps. "Am I foolish, or are you all naive?!"
With the emperor's statement, many people probably noticed something and seemed to understand the Ming Dynasty's stance.
Looking at the civil and military officials, Zhu Yunying said with utmost seriousness, "The glorious Ming Dynasty inherits the orthodoxy of the Han people and the hearts of the people. If we treat even this matter that angers the heavens and the people as none of our business, and if we can turn such a rebellious matter into a trivial one, how can we restore the prestige of the Han people!"
Zhu Yunying's words were a bit harsh, and some civil and military officials might not have taken them seriously, thinking that this was just an excuse for the emperor to raise an army, and that it was enough to just listen to it.
However, in the eyes of some people, the emperor's words were deafening, and they felt the emperor's good intentions and learned about the emperor's grand ambitions.
For thousands of years, Chinese civilization has looked down on other civilizations, taking it for granted that Chinese civilization is the most powerful and the greatest. They have no doubt about this and naturally have an unparalleled sense of pride.
However, many people are indeed aware of what happened starting from the end of the Tang Dynasty. For hundreds of years, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun were out of control of the Central Plains dynasties. The Khitan, Jurchen, and Mongols took turns ravaging China. The once proud Han people were reduced to being oppressed at will, while the barbarians they once looked down upon were high and mighty, acting arrogantly and domineeringly.
The achievements of the Hongwu Emperor go far beyond simply founding a dynasty. He revitalized the Han people's prestige and upheld the orthodoxy of Chinese civilization. This is why countless scholars, despite their disdain for his humble origins, still felt compelled to sing his praises.
The recapture of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun restored the integrity of the Chinese land. This was Zhu Yuanzhang's achievement, something that the so-called paradise for scholars during the Song Dynasty could not accomplish for hundreds of years.
However, these things that were enough to make Zhu the Elder proud seemed far from enough to make the Zhu family emperors feel complacent; they still had more pursuits and ambitions.
Just then, Wang Chengen took small steps to Zhu Yunying's side and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus has arrived."
As expected of his grandfather, Old Zhu made an appearance at this crucial moment. They had originally agreed to attend court together, but Old Zhu felt it wasn't appropriate and changed his plans to arrive during the morning court session.
Perhaps Old Zhu has been waiting outside for a while, just waiting to appear at the right time, to help Little Zhu make the final decision at this crucial moment, and to completely confirm the strategy for North Korea.
Upon seeing Zhu Yunying nod slightly, Wang Chengen immediately shouted, "His Majesty the Retired Emperor has arrived!"
Not to mention the civil and military officials, even the young Emperor Zhu quickly knelt down. Originally, the young Zhu had planned to go to the entrance of Fengtian Hall to help the old Zhu, but seeing that it was the young Zhu who was helping the old Zhu, he decided to kneel down cleanly and neatly, feeling that this was more appropriate.
The civil and military officials knelt even more respectfully. Although the Hongwu Emperor now had a full head of white hair and walked with a less imposing gait than before, no one dared to underestimate him, especially in his twilight years. Perhaps only the current emperor and crown prince could bring a smile to the Hongwu Emperor's face.
Little Zhu helped Old Zhu slowly walk up the imperial steps. Just as Little Zhu was about to turn around and kneel down to the side, Old Zhu reached out and pulled Little Zhu back.
"Crown Prince, stand right in front of us." Old Zhu spoke slowly, but his words sent chills down the spines of all the civil and military officials. "The emperor is incompetent; you must watch and learn from him!"
Well, even though it was another charade, Joo Yoon-young, kneeling to the side, couldn't help but want to complain.
Old Zhu is truly biased. Now that he has a great-grandson, he practically ignores his beloved grandson. Whenever he tries to discipline his great-grandson, Old Zhu uses his former grandson as a negative example.
"We deserve to die ten thousand times!"
"A subject should die for his sovereign," this is the attitude a subject should have. Now that the Emperor Emeritus is criticizing the current emperor, these subjects naturally cannot expect to remain unscathed; this is the Emperor Emeritus's severe criticism of them.
Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, not allowing his officials to rise. Even Zhu Yunying could only kneel to the side and listen to his reprimand.
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