When Zhu Yunying received the letter from home, he really didn't know what to say, and it seemed that he really had no other choice.
If it were just young Zhu Yunying's "forgetting home in pleasure" act, a single imperial edict would suffice. In reality, if it were just young Zhu Yunying, there would be no need to worry so much. Even if the boy was somewhat spoiled, he actually knew to fear his father, the Emperor.
But with Old Zhu as his backer, Little Zhu naturally felt fearless.
Although it was Lao Zhu's handwriting and Lao Zhu's tone, Lao Zhu also briefly mentioned some of his thoughts.
The clever Zhu Yunying naturally understood that this seemed to be Old Zhu's idea. But without even thinking about it, it was definitely Little Zhu who was instigating it, which was why Old Zhu was letting Little Zhu have his way.
“I’m familiar with this tactic. I used to do it this way too.” Zhu Yunying muttered to himself, laughing and crying at the same time. “This is indeed my own son. He’s even better at finding backers than I was when I was a kid. This kid will be a troublesome one in the future.”
Despite the complaints, Zhu Yunying truly had no other options. He was indeed the emperor, but in the Ming Dynasty, the emperor did not hold the most power; the retired emperor was the unshakeable deity, and Zhu Yunying was well aware of this.
Sending Zhu Yunwen or Zhu Su over wouldn't really make a difference. Old Zhu had already made up his mind; sending his own grandson or son would basically only result in a scolding. Unless Zhu Yunying himself went, although he would still get a scolding, at least he could bring them back.
It's quite obvious, though. Zhu Yunying can't leave now; he still has to handle state affairs, and no one can help him oversee the country.
Wang Chengen whispered, "Your Majesty, the Eastern Depot said that it was His Highness the Crown Prince who came up with the idea at the city gate. Even the Emperor Emeritus wants to return, and His Highness the Crown Prince intends to inspect the local areas. After leaving Fengyang, the imperial carriage headed towards Luzhou Prefecture."
Zhu Yunying nodded slightly and said, "I understand. Only that boy has the guts. Go and inform the Empress, and also take the letter to her so she won't worry."
There's no way Old Zhu would write to Xu Miaoqing; he's an old-fashioned, patriarchal man who favors sons over daughters. Most importantly, even if Xu Miaoqing were his granddaughter-in-law, Old Zhu would only slightly respect her and give her a modicum of courtesy.
It's unrealistic to expect Old Zhu to be so considerate in every aspect; only Little Zhu and Little Little Zhu receive such treatment.
Wang Chengen immediately said, "Her Majesty the Empress sent a letter some time ago, and I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince personally reviewed it. She also sent back quite a few things, but she didn't mention returning to the capital."
“Once they’re out, they don’t come back so easily,” Zhu Yunying said irritably. “Don’t even mention the Crown Prince, the Prince of Wu is the same way!”
His Highness Prince Wu has run away again. Back when Zhu Yunying was overseeing the construction of Beiping, Zhu Yunhua, who was ordered to inspect Yangzhou, whipped local officials and then fled to seek refuge with Zhu Yunying. This time, however, he went to the Prince of Jin's residence, beat up his cousin Zhu Jihuang, and then decisively ran away.
It is said that when they went straight to the Prince of Jin's residence, the guards were already outside. After beating the people, they immediately fled with their men. Moreover, the Princess of Wu immediately brought the Prince of Wu's heir to the palace, with some requesting an audience with the Empress and others with the Emperor.
That family was full of troubles, leaving Zhu Yunying at a complete loss for what to do.
“Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, Prince Wu is also trying to share Your Majesty’s burdens.” Wang Chengen, who had been following Zhu Yunying closely, spoke in hushed tones. He knew Zhu Yunying’s temperament all too well. “Prince Zhaode is truly unruly. He falsely accused Prince Jin and sowed discord between the emperor and his ministers. Your Majesty, out of consideration for the kinship with the late Prince Gong of Jin, did not take action. Prince Wu, of course, acted in accordance with the duties of an elder brother.”
"How much money did you take from him?" Zhu Yunying said irritably. "Even at a time like this, you're still speaking well of him?"
Wang Chengen immediately knelt down and said pitifully, "Your Majesty, this servant has never received a single tael of silver from the Prince of Wu."
That's true. Zhu Yunwen, who was fearless and had nothing to lose, was a real miser. If he didn't pick up any money when he went out, he considered it a waste of money. You could say that if you entered the palace and didn't take anything with you, you had made a wasted trip.
King Wu was incredibly generous when it came to spending money elsewhere, especially at brothels and taverns. But once he arrived at the palace, the entire royal household was practically starving, requiring the emperor or empress to provide relief. It's even said that King Wu had the audacity to swindle money from the crown prince.
“Send someone to tell the King of Wu that he must return before autumn,” Zhu Yunying said after thinking for a moment. “A memorial to apologize will suffice, and that will be the end of this matter. This scoundrel has run away, turning a small matter into a big one.”
Zhu Yunying was indeed very angry about Zhu Yunwen's actions.
Beating Zhu Jihuang is nothing compared to the fact that this guy is indeed of bad character and falsely accused his brother Zhu Jixi, which is no small matter.
Zhu Yunwen went and beat him up, which was a bit too much. The worst part was that Zhu Yunwen ran away. If he hadn't run away, Zhu Yunying would have just given him a slight reprimand and that would have been the end of it. But since the boy ran away, not only would the Imperial Clan Court be concerned, but people in the court would also have something to say about it.
Although the King of Wu was favored, he was still a subject and should be subject to certain rules and regulations; he could not be too arrogant.
Since Zhu Yuntong had fled, Zhu Yunying had to start making amends for him. For example, they quickly ordered that Zhu Yuntong's trip not be a flight, but rather that he had reported to the Imperial Clan Court and the Emperor beforehand, and that he was on an imperial inspection tour.
The beating of Zhu Jihuang was a bit excessive, so it was necessary to summon Zhu Su, the Imperial Clan Court official. Zhu Jihuang, the aggrieved party, didn't really need to worry, as he would face further punishment later.
However, Zhu Jixi should be summoned as well. He is, in a sense, also a party involved, falsely accused by his half-brother. This is no small matter, especially considering Zhu Jixi's previous resentful remarks towards the emperor; he should be further reprimanded.
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