Zhu Su looked at Zhu Shangbing and said, "His Majesty is wise and mighty, how could you not know His Majesty's intentions?! You're talking nonsense while drunk, we think you're all confused! Here's what we'll do, shut yourselves in your residences for half a month, and think carefully about what you've done!"
Zhu Shangbing's expression changed, and he pleaded, "Fifth Uncle, it's just a little grumbling, we dare not hold any resentment!"
The meaning here is quite clear: grumbling is just a few complaints and doesn't need to be taken too seriously. But resentment is different; it's hatred and dissatisfaction towards the emperor, which is more serious and formal.
Zhu Su glared fiercely at Zhu Shangbing and said, "It's just closing the residence, not imprisoning you! Now you're scared?!"
Zhu Shangbing seemed to be secretly pleased. This was just being confined to his room to reflect on his mistakes, which didn't seem like much. Confining oneself to one's room to reflect on one's mistakes was just a minor punishment, and he had experienced similar things before from childhood to adulthood.
To say it was confinement was essentially like being imprisoned in the Prince of Qin's residence. At that time, the prince's power and status would basically disappear. It's no exaggeration to say that once confined, it was almost impossible to have any chance of regaining freedom.
Seeing Zhu Shangbing's smug look, Zhu Su said, "This is just something we say. When you submit your own memorial, the outcome still depends on His Majesty's decree."
Zhu Su's meaning was also very clear: the Imperial Clan Court could naturally be treated leniently and given only minor punishments as a warning.
However, if the emperor is not satisfied with such a punishment, he might increase the severity of the punishment, which is not impossible.
Zhu Shangbing's smile vanished, replaced by trepidation. Ultimately, he had no idea what the final outcome would be; it all depended on the emperor's attitude.
Even though they felt the emperor wouldn't punish them too severely for what they had done, no one could guarantee otherwise. After all, Zhu Shangbing and the others were indeed complaining about the emperor. If the emperor wanted to make an issue of it, it wasn't impossible.
For now, it seems that this is the best course of action for Zhu Shangbing. Perhaps Zhu Shangbing himself is somewhat unsure, but others generally believe that what he did wasn't actually serious enough to warrant a lenient approach and not severe punishment.
Ultimately, it was just Zhu Shangbing complaining. If he were to be severely punished for this, it would make the emperor seem petty. In that case, it would be plausible to say that the emperor was mistreating members of the imperial family.
The other party involved in this matter, Zhu Jixi, appeared. He was slightly older than Zhu Shangbing, both being twenty-five years old, only one year younger than Emperor Yingshi. To say he was immature would certainly be a lie.
Zhu Su was much stricter with Zhu Jixi, probably because Zhu Jixi was the older brother. It's understandable that the older brother would be severely reprimanded for leading his cousin Zhu Shangbing astray.
Looking at Zhu Jixi, who had his head bowed, Zhu Su said, "If you're not happy, submit a memorial yourself, and we'll help you plead with His Majesty. If you don't want this throne, we think Prince Zhaode would be quite willing."
Zhu Jixi suddenly looked up, and it seemed that he understood now. This was not an unexpected disaster, but a disturbance in the household.
Although he inherited the throne, his half-brother was also granted the title of Prince, which seemed like a separation of the family. However, if he, the eldest son, made a mistake and was stripped of his title, the Prince of Jin would certainly not be deposed, and the throne would have to be inherited by one of his brothers.
Zhu Su didn't mind telling Zhu Jixi some news. If the brothers of the Prince of Jin caused trouble, then let them cause trouble. As long as it wasn't too outrageous, it wouldn't be a big problem, and everyone could understand.
But having a younger brother who always wants to take his place and a brother who is constantly causing trouble makes things even more unsettling.
If Zhu Jixi can handle things well with the Prince of Jin's residence, everyone can probably have some peace of mind. At least the trouble will only be with the Prince of Jin's lineage, which will save the Imperial Clan Court a lot of trouble, and the Emperor won't have to be distracted by these unpleasant matters.
This isn't a case of shifting blame; it's simply that the Prince of Jin's faction is restless!
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