For Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Mengwan, this return to the Ming Dynasty and to Yingtian Prefecture could be considered a revisit to familiar territory. As for whether it was truly a triumphant homecoming, they themselves were actually unsure.
Most importantly, they hadn't forgotten their primary mission upon returning to Yingtian Prefecture. Their status was now different from that of ordinary members of the imperial family. If they returned to Yingtian Prefecture again, they would no longer be merely members of the Ming imperial family.
Or, if they were to come again in the future, their status as members of the Ming imperial family would be diminished, and they would be regarded as envoys of vassal states, or even rulers of vassal states.
Although it wasn't the most formal occasion, he still couldn't be careless. Even though he was on good terms with Zhu Yunwen and others, Zhu Gaochi didn't dare to delay; he still had to go to court and pay his respects to the emperor and the retired emperor.
Moreover, the Crown Prince is right here; how could we possibly make him wait on the side?
“Uncle, our great-grandfather has decreed that we uncles will not attend court today,” Little Zhu said with a smile. “Uncles, please return to your residences to rest today, and we will go to the palace tomorrow to pay our respects to our great-grandfather. We will first reminisce about our family ties, and then discuss state affairs.”
Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Mengwan immediately knelt down, their attitudes upright, and said, "Your subject accepts the decree."
Although the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Chu are no longer within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, their residences in Yingtian Prefecture still exist. At most, they are not as luxurious as the residences of some princes, and over the years, almost no one has come here; only some servants clean them.
Zhu Gaochi felt conflicted. Perhaps soon, this former Prince Yan's mansion would be bestowed upon another prince. He even considered that this mansion was his father's residence in Yingtian Prefecture in his early years. At that time, the Ming Dynasty was not particularly strong, and the mansion was not especially nice.
It's not impossible for the Prince of Yan's residence to become the residence of another prince. At worst, they could just replace some lintels and bricks, and as long as they replaced some items that exceeded the prescribed standards, there wouldn't be any problem.
There was indeed no need to rush into the palace immediately. Although it would not have been a problem for Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Mengwan to enter the palace immediately.
But in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, these two were still his grandsons, not future heirs of a vassal state. Even if the fourth and sixth sons had settled down and established themselves in Japan, they were still his sons.
Old Zhu seemed to be in a good mood, having sipped a couple of drinks. "Gao Chi and Meng Wan will be entering the palace in a few days, and they should be submitting their credentials then. Are you ready?"
Zhu Yunying nodded with a smile and said, "Of course it's all prepared. The necessary crown and court robes are all there, and the seal has been engraved. Although my fourth and sixth uncles are only rulers of their overseas kingdoms, they are still more esteemed than our Ming princes."
At this point, Zhu Yunying seemed a little embarrassed, because he was arguably the person who most opposed the generous treatment of the imperial family members by the early Ming Dynasty. He also once tried his best to reduce the treatment of the imperial family members.
The tangible benefits naturally included fiefdoms for members of the imperial clan and annual stipends. Other aspects, such as the standards of etiquette and clothing, were also to be reduced by Zhu Yunying.
After all, Zhu Yuanzhang was too extravagant at the beginning. His clothing, carriage, and so on were actually on the same level as those of the Crown Prince.
Old Zhu was torn between his sons and daughters, but Zhu Yunying was unhappy, and it's likely that future crown princes of the Ming Dynasty would also be unhappy. Furthermore, in the past, all officials of the Ming Dynasty had to kneel before princes without exception, a practice Zhu Yunying also felt was inappropriate.
When a prince is conferred a title, all officials must kneel in obeisance, which is perfectly acceptable. However, it is absolutely unacceptable for all officials to kneel in obeisance at every meeting. Otherwise, these princes, living under the constant burden of such self-imposed obeisance, would develop inappropriate thoughts and intentions.
Zhu Yunying smiled and said to his father, "Since my fourth uncle and sixth uncle founded their own kingdoms, they can only be vassal states of our Great Ming. They can only be called rulers or kings, not sovereigns or emperors. My intention is to follow the same rules as the crown prince."
Nine crowns—that was the treatment of the ruler of a vassal state. It certainly couldn't be like the emperor's twelve crowns, with the sun and moon on his shoulders.
Old Zhu nodded with a smile and said, "That makes sense. We can rest assured about the fourth and sixth sons. We also know that Gao Chi and Meng Wan wouldn't dare to have any ulterior motives in front of you. But as for the future generations, that's hard to say."
Zhu Yunying smiled and nodded. He naturally did not object to this statement, and even felt that what Old Zhu said was very realistic.
"Actually, I've thought about these things too. Now that my fourth and sixth uncles are around, they naturally won't cause any trouble. Even with Gao Chi and Meng Wan, we don't need to worry too much," Zhu Yunying said frankly to his father. "Over the years, two or three generations have been enough for them to be busy managing their own businesses. They shouldn't have any other thoughts."
The truth is that Zhu Di was indeed a man of great talent and ambition, but it was no easy task to completely subjugate Japan and bring its people under his control in a short period of time. After all, although Japan may appear uncivilized now, its imperial lineage has never been interrupted.
It's said that even during the chaotic late Eastern Han Dynasty, countless people still considered themselves 'Han officials'. This was even more true in Japan, where the general public believed the Emperor was supreme. Even if a powerful minister emerged, he would at most aspire to become the Shogun, not depose the Emperor and establish himself as king—that would be tantamount to alienating himself from the Japanese nobility and people.
The saying "Emperors take turns, next year it's my turn" doesn't actually have a market in Japan.
Over the years, Lao Zhu has also paid close attention to Japan, knowing that there were not only Japanese pirates or silver mines there, but also some other things.
“Yes, it’s different over there than we are. A change of dynasty is just a change of dynasty. There’s a person destined for the throne.” Old Zhu said with a lot of worry. “Take your fourth uncle for example. Over the years, he has fought quite well over there and occupied a lot of land. But the people there don’t recognize him. They only recognize the emperor who was driven to Hokkaido.”
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