"I don't care what you call me!" Zhu Yunwen said without any politeness. "Tell me, why did my brother summon me here? Who invited me to go boating on the lake? What important matter could it be that you summoned me in such a hurry?!"
Liu Gensheng dared not answer. Even if he knew the inside story, he wouldn't dare say anything. No matter how close the Prince of Wu was to His Majesty, he was still the Prince of Qin; how could he reveal matters concerning the capital to a prince?
Zhu Su was also quite curious; the emperor's hasty summons must mean something was amiss. Since the eunuch didn't say anything, he wasn't surprised and decided to wait patiently. He figured the emperor wouldn't summon someone for no reason.
Despite Zhu Yunwen's boastful and seemingly fearless demeanor just moments before, his arrogance vanished the moment he entered the palace and approached the Chunhe Hall.
Zhu Su wasn't surprised at all; that was just how his nephew was. In fact, even Zhu Su himself felt a little nervous when he met his eldest nephew.
"Fifth Uncle, Second Brother, please wait a little longer," Xu Miaoqing said with a smile. "His Majesty is changing clothes in the back and will be here soon."
Zhu Yunwen was very perceptive and very attentive. "Your Majesty, I greet you, Your Majesty. I'm not being nosy, but Your Majesty is good in every way, except that you are too diligent in your duties. Your Majesty should advise Your Majesty to take care of your health."
Xu Miaoqing found it amusing and said, "Wait until your brother arrives before you tell him. If you tell us now, we won't relay it for you. I don't think your attempt to curry favor will work."
Zhu Yunwen just chuckled. He felt that this was not just flattery, but also his heartfelt words.
Having changed into loose-fitting casual clothes, Zhu Yunying turned around the screen and said, "Fifth Uncle, I apologize for troubling you to enter the palace."
Zhu Su quickly stepped aside, somewhat apprehensive, and said, "Your Majesty, you flatter me. It is my duty to summon you."
"Don't let Grandfather hear this, or he'll scold us for being arrogant." Zhu Yunying walked to the table with a smile and said, "Grandfather has nagged us a lot over the years. He says we're lucky that the dragon throne fell under our feet."
Zhu Yunwen was displeased and spoke first, "That should have been my brother's seat. Who else could sit there? If anyone is spreading rumors, we'll go and chop them down right now."
Zhu Su didn't know what to say. To be honest, it would be a lie to say that Zhu's sons didn't have any thoughts when their eldest brother passed away. It's just that each of them only dared to think about it in their hearts.
Including the second, third, and fourth brothers, the throne was directly passed to the Crown Prince, which was only natural. The throne certainly wouldn't fall to these princes.
“It’s Shang Bing and Ji Xi.” Zhu Yunying sighed and said, “These two drank too much at the banquet and complained that we revoked their fiefdoms. Ji Xi seemed to say that since our father has passed away, the position of Crown Prince should have been held by my second uncle.”
Zhu Su slammed his fist on the table, looking extremely angry. "What does Ji Xi mean? Now that the late emperor is gone, it should be my second brother's turn? Now that my second brother is gone, shouldn't it be his line of Prince Jin's turn?!"
"That's probably how they think," Zhu Yunying said with a smile, waving his hand. "These are all princes and grandsons of the emperor, so it's normal for them to have some thoughts."
Although the emperor was only complaining and didn't seem to be really angry, Zhu Su was still feeling uneasy. He felt that the emperor's words had a hidden meaning.
With the eldest brother gone, the position of crown prince should logically fall to the second brother. However, the second and third brothers have also passed away, and the fourth brother is currently in Japan. So, as the fifth son of the retired emperor, he should now be the crown prince. Is the emperor giving him a warning?
Or is there some scoundrel who dares to talk nonsense in front of the emperor, trying to poison his mind?
Zhu Yunying glanced at Zhu Su and said with a smile, "Fifth Uncle, don't overthink it. It shouldn't be your concern. But we don't want to bring this to the court, so we can only let the Imperial Clan Court handle it."
Zhu Su instantly understood that if this matter were brought to the imperial court, it could lead to serious consequences. But since only the Imperial Clan Court was involved, it was merely an internal matter within the imperial clan, indicating that the emperor was showing leniency.
Zhu Su, however, did not dare to be careless and asked, "Your Majesty, is it only the Imperial Clan Court that is inquiring?"
"The King of Qin and the King of Jin may have some complaints, but they're not serious," Zhu Yunying laughed, handing over the memorial. "What we're afraid of is that something like 'boiling beans with beanstalks burning' might happen."
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