Old Zhu and Little Zhu returned to their ancestral home in Fengyang to pay respects to their ancestors, which didn't make Zhu Yunying feel disappointed. He didn't need to find it strange at all; Old Zhu was taking Little Zhu with him, so there was naturally no problem, and Old Zhu could arrange everything.
For Zhu Yunying, there were many things he needed to do during this period, including fulfilling his duties as emperor.
In fact, the civil and military officials still had some objections to the fact that the retired emperor had left Yingtian Prefecture with the crown prince.
In their view, the retired emperor was too old, and if he were to pass away en route, it would be a considerable problem. Moreover, the crown prince had already been appointed, and there were no major national affairs at the moment, so there was really no need for the crown prince to return to Fengyang to pay respects to their ancestors.
These two individuals hold special positions, and it would be disastrous if anything were to happen to them. Although the current emperor doesn't need to worry about unrest while on the throne, if anything were to happen to either of them, many people would likely be in turmoil.
There was nothing that could be done; the emperors of the Ming Dynasty were too forceful. Although it's said that the imperial family has no personal matters, if the emperor insisted, there was nothing anyone else could do.
It is impossible for the officials to usurp the emperor's power; at least, such a thing should not be a concern in the Ming Dynasty in the short term.
After the court session, Chang Mao, the Duke of Kaiping, was summoned to the Wuying Hall, which suggests that the emperor had some instructions for him.
Seeing Chang Mao approach, Zhu Yunying smiled and asked, "Uncle, is everything alright at the manor?"
"Your Majesty, everything is fine at home," Chang Mao said cheerfully, though still very respectfully. "It's just that a few days ago, the boys at home started causing trouble, and there was no peace."
Zhu Yunying couldn't help but laugh. There were quite a few little brats in the Kaiping Prince's Mansion now, and they were all boys.
Despite Chang Mao's lack of offspring in his early years, Chang Lanshi couldn't sleep at night, fearing that her eldest son would have no descendants. She even blamed the long-deceased Chang Yuchun, believing that it was because Chang Yuchun had killed prisoners and committed a sin that the three sons of the Chang family had no children.
Fortunately, Chang Lan had no regrets, even though she was quite old at the time. Chang Mao could even be considered 'middle-aged' when he had children. But at least she had children, and Chang Lan passed away while holding her grandson.
Chang Mao, Chang Sen, and Chang Sheng—they all had children one after another. Lan Yu, who was away from home for many years, brought back her son, who was also raised at the Kaiping Prince's Mansion. He was also a troublesome and unruly child.
"Speaking of which, things have been much more peaceful in the palace since Yin'er went back to his hometown," Zhu Yunying said with a smile. "As long as he's in the palace, he can't have a moment's peace. Relying on his grandfather's doting, that child has developed an arrogant personality and causes chaos all day long. Jin'er is no better; he's always running around recklessly."
Chang Mao simply listened. He was naturally concerned about Zhu Yunying's offspring. But ultimately, he was Zhu Yunying's maternal uncle, not Little Zhu's, so it wasn't his place to care so much.
As for Zhu Wenjin, he was even less worth mentioning. Although he was a prince, everyone knew the situation of the emperor's second son; being born out of wedlock meant he would likely only be a prince. While that would be extremely wealthy and powerful, none of the military officers considered serving him; following the crown prince was the only logical course of action.
Chang Mao understood that the emperor had summoned him not just to chat about everyday matters.
Even though he was the emperor's maternal uncle and very close to the emperor, Chang Mao was actually well aware of the emperor's personality.
They would just have a brief chat about everyday matters first, since Chang Mao's status was different, and he couldn't be treated like other officials. Moreover, even with some officials, as long as they had rendered meritorious service, Zhu Yunying could be more patient with them to show his affection.
After a brief chat, Zhu Yunying asked with a smile, "Uncle, are you still familiar with Marquis Huining, Zhang Wen?"
Chang Mao did not hesitate at all and said, "I do know a little. Marquis Huining followed the Emperor Emeritus across the river and was granted the title of commander of a thousand households. He followed the army to conquer the Central Plains, Shaanxi, and Lanzhou. In particular, he made great contributions in defending Lanzhou. The Emperor Emeritus also called it a great achievement, and thus he was promoted to Vice Commander of the Grand General's Office."
Zhu Yunying nodded with a smile. There were quite a few capable ministers and generals at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. To be able to fight alongside Old Zhu on the battlefield and survive until the establishment of the Ming Dynasty was not something that ordinary people could do; it required real ability.
As Chang Mao spoke, he carefully observed Zhu Yunying's expression. He knew his imperial nephew's personality all too well.
Chang Mao was well aware that his imperial nephew was precocious. He also knew that his imperial nephew was shrewd and calculating even at a young age, and that ordinary people could not possibly understand his thoughts.
Moreover, the emperor's nephew might be harboring murderous intentions even when he seems kind and gentle. While speaking kindly, he might already be plotting how to deal with certain people, and he would do so without hesitation or mercy.
Sometimes Chang Mao felt that this emperor's nephew was just like his brother-in-law, the crown prince, from back then. It's just that the crown prince's brother-in-law had a reputation for benevolence, so outsiders who didn't know the truth thought he was a kind and generous person. But his own emperor nephew had a disadvantage because he was fond of martial arts from a young age and was raised by the retired emperor.
It is precisely for these reasons that many people believe that the current Emperor Ying Shi is a continuation of the Hongwu Emperor, only slightly more benevolent.
Zhu Yunying smiled and said, "This Zhang Wen has indeed made contributions. I heard that he also followed Marquis Dingyuan in the campaign against the Western Qiang."
Chang Mao immediately understood and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, although Marquis Huining did follow Marquis Dingyuan in his early years to fight against the Western Qiang, he was mostly a deputy general of Duke Ying. When they attacked Shu, he followed Duke Ying. In the fourteenth year of Hongwu, when they conquered Yunnan, he also followed Duke Ying. However, in the twentieth year of Hongwu, when they attacked Marquis Nahachu of Xianhaixi, he followed Duke Song."
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