"Brother Wang," Zhu Yunwen said, bowing slightly from his horse. "His Highness the Crown Prince is only ten miles from the city. Let's not rush there. We can take our time. Brother Wang and younger brother, please bathe and change into your court robes and prepare your ceremonial guards."
Zhu Gaochi naturally accepted the order immediately, as the journey from Japan to Busan, and from Busan to Tianjin, had indeed been arduous. The overland journey from Tianjin to Yingtian Prefecture was quite a long and tiring one, and even with some prior rest, everyone was still somewhat staggering and disheveled.
Although they were on a long journey, these nobles didn't need to worry about anything.
Especially since these people are going to court, everyone needs to be well-prepared. For example, court attire and other such items definitely need to be prepared in advance; one cannot be careless.
Zhu Yunwen was in a good mood. While Zhu Gaochi was washing his face, he asked, "Brother, I've heard that Japanese women are quite docile. But we didn't mention bringing any foreign women as tribute to you on this trip."
Zhu Mengwan, standing nearby, spoke up first, "Brother Wang, if we really send foreign women as tribute, His Majesty the Emperor will probably be very troubled. If you want foreign women, we can get you some from here. It's true that Japanese women are docile, and many from prestigious families are well-versed in classical studies."
Zhu Yunwen was speechless for a moment, and quickly refused, saying, "Then forget it. I just like fresh and beautiful colors. If she is some kind of talented woman, I won't be interested."
Considering Zhu Yunwen's personality, it's understandable why Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Mengwan would follow suit. This Prince Wu disliked studying from a young age. When other imperial grandsons of similar age were in the main hall, he would often be fast asleep or simply feign illness to avoid attending.
Zhu Yunwen didn't seem to care at all, and said with a grin, "If you really want to say it, I still prefer the Silla maids and the women of Goryeo. I heard that many Goryeo princes and nobles, and even the Yangban, have all fallen into ruin during this army's campaign in Goryeo."
It can only be said that when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. Putting aside the dynastic changes in Goryeo over the years, including the many power struggles and factionalism, it is possible that the nobles who were once high and mighty could be instantly brought down to the dust. The young masters and ladies who were once living in luxury might become slaves.
There's nothing new about this. Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Mengwan had a lot of feelings about these things because they had done a lot of these things in Japan and had seen this scene many times.
After all, establishing a foothold in Japan clearly requires creating a completely new order. While some local support is necessary, it often necessitates eliminating existing power structures, and at such times, one cannot afford to be sentimental.
While these nobles were making their preparations, the imperial guards were also working hard to prepare, not to mention that they could not be compared with the soldiers of the capital garrison or the emperor's personal guards, but they could not lose their dignity.
At this moment, Little Zhu was very calm. Dressed in the crown of a prince, Little Zhu stood quietly at the front of the massive procession. It was actually the most appropriate thing for him to take the lead in these matters.
If it were just an ordinary envoy from a vassal state, it certainly wouldn't be Zhu Yuanzhang (the young emperor) who would be sent; the Court of State Ceremonial would simply send some officials. It's even quite possible that those officials wouldn't be of very high rank.
However, Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Mengwan's identities were ultimately different, and they couldn't be treated entirely as envoys from vassal states. Especially considering that they were currently working overseas, having the Crown Prince appear at this time could be seen as a way to appease these members of the imperial family.
Since Little Zhu is of a lower generation, it's impossible for his great-grandfather to come out, and his father, the emperor, couldn't come out in person either. So it could only be Little Zhu, the junior.
Chang Mao, fully armored, stepped forward and said softly, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince of Yan and the Crown Prince of Chu have arrived."
Little Zhu nodded calmly and said, "Alright, let the members of the imperial clan come forward. Our great-grandfather said that we can talk about family matters outside the city, but not inside the imperial city."
In fact, Prince Qin (Zhu Shangbing), Prince Jin (Zhu Jixi), and Prince Xu (Zhu Yunwen) were all quite excited, as they were roughly the same age as Zhu Gaochi. Most importantly, they had studied together at the same academy, so they shared a deep sibling bond.
Zhu Gaochi had been in Japan for many years, and they hadn't seen each other for a long time. Now, things had changed drastically. Zhu Shangbing and Zhu Jixi, who had previously held some ambitions, had inherited the title of Prince. Zhu Yunwen, who had once harbored some ulterior motives, was now obediently serving as the Prince Xu of the Ming Dynasty.
This is truly a case of things changing beyond recognition. The boys who once studied together have all grown up, with their own children, families, and vastly different identities. Perhaps they are no longer as innocent as they were in their childhood.
It can only be said that the treatment given to Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Mengwan this time was quite high. Most of their brothers of the same generation came, and among the younger generation was even the young Crown Prince Zhu, which was simply beyond the 'standard'.
Watching the slowly approaching procession, Little Zhu remained completely calm. He had seen it all before; he had witnessed the emperor's procession countless times and had inspected the three main camps or various garrisons on numerous occasions. This small scene was nothing to him.
Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Mengwan were well aware of the situation. Although the ceremony appeared to be of a very high standard, it was mainly because they were now 'envoys of a vassal state' and because the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Chu were cooperating with Emperor Ying Shi's policy of granting overseas titles.
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