Zhu Yunying couldn't stand it anymore and quickly said, "Grandfather, please don't say such things in front of Yin'er. This child is inherently bloodthirsty. Many people outside say that our father is the Hongwu Emperor in the guise of a scholar, and some even say that we are a little Hongwu who is too lazy to even pretend. Our son is probably the same way."
Old Zhu laughed heartily, "That's exactly how it should be! You are our descendants, we personally taught you, who else could you be like if not us? Your father was alright, he passed away early, he had a literary reputation in his early years, and he was quite kind. As for you, I reckon you'll be just like us, those historians don't know how to portray us."
Zhu Yunying didn't care and said, "What can the historians say? That you, Emperor Hongwu, were harsh on your officials or used severe punishments? The poison of the Mongol Yuan dynasty has not been eradicated, so it's natural to use harsh laws in this chaotic world! That you slaughtered meritorious officials? But don't you think about how many of those nobles were corrupt and lawless? Some were just unlucky to be killed, but many more deserved to be killed!"
Zhu Yunying continued, “To be honest, no matter how the historians embellish the story, they can’t erase the great achievement of my grandfather, a commoner from Huaixi, who unified the country! The Han people’s land was reclaimed by my grandfather, and his achievement in driving out the Tartars is something that no one can erase!”
“That’s right! Emperor Gaozu of Han was just a village head, while our great-grandfather was a little monk and a little beggar!” Little Zhu said with pride. “There were indeed people born into slavery during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, but none of them were like our great-grandfather. Our Ming Dynasty unified China, unlike those people who just messed around in small places! If anyone writes something like that, we’ll kill them!”
Although Old Zhu was happy, he still said, "Yin'er, there are so many opinions in the world, can you kill them all? Let scholars say a few sarcastic things, as long as they don't spread rumors and mislead the public. We know what we're doing."
“That’s exactly right. We never intended for those Confucian scholars to remember us well.” Zhu Yunying said to Old Zhu nonchalantly, “The people of our Great Ming are living well, and this prosperous country is still here. That’s much better than any kind of praise and flattery! If we really care about empty fame, we can go to Mount Tai to perform the Fengshan ceremony every day. Although the Fengshan ceremony was not done properly during the Song Dynasty, we can still go and pretend to be cultured.”
Little Zhu's eyes darted around, and he immediately offered a suggestion, "Father, let your son lead the troops. Once we reach Langjuxu Mountain, we can bring you over. We can also perform the Fengshan ceremony there. It's much more interesting than the Fengshan ceremony. If you ask me, we shouldn't have stopped the troops two years ago. We should have let the three great dukes of our Ming Dynasty lead their troops to continue the northern expedition. The Fengshan ceremony is nothing compared to that!"
Old Zhu and Little Zhu exchanged a glance, unsure of what to say, their feelings a little complicated.
Two years ago, when Zhu Yuanzhang had just ascended the throne, the three military leaders, Fu Youde, Lan Yu, and Xu Huizu, led a large army on a northern expedition and indeed achieved great victories. It was not impossible for them to pursue Wang Zhubei and achieve the feat of sealing the wolf's lair, after all, the court had won a decisive victory in the north, further weakening the Tatars.
This is something to be proud of. After such a battle, the peace in the north for fifty years is not a problem. The relocation of the Ming Dynasty's capital to Beiping is also a more logical thing.
But thinking about Zhu Yunying's personality, it's really hard to describe. Everyone says that Zhu Yunying, the virtuous emperor, will become a martial emperor. Now it seems that little Zhu can completely surpass his father and be single-mindedly devoted to being a great general and fighting battles.
The title of Crown Prince is certainly desirable, but if given a choice, young Zhu might not want to be Crown Prince Zhu, but rather General Zhu.
We should pay more attention to this child's thoughts and ideas. After all, what the Ming Dynasty needs is a crown prince, a heir apparent, not an emperor or general who likes to personally lead troops into battle.
If someone had the abilities of Zhu Di, they would be overjoyed. If that didn't work out, Zhu Houzhao would be fine too; since the major events were already decided, it would be like the emperor going off to cosplay. But it absolutely couldn't be Zhu Qizhen, otherwise, the country would be in turmoil, which wouldn't be good.
After finishing his dinner, Zhu Yunying left on his own, finding it more comfortable to return to his Chunhe Palace. As for the young Zhu, he naturally stayed overnight at the Qianqing Palace, where he could be considered to have grown up. If it weren't for the inevitable relocation of the capital to Beiping in the future, and the young Zhu were to move back several years later, it would simply be a 'revisit to familiar places'.
Xu Miaoqing was in a good mood and saw Zhu Yunying and quickly said, "Kun'er is still awake today, and he is quite well-behaved."
Zhu Yunying was overjoyed and said, "Then bring him over so we can see him. Our second son can eat and sleep well."
The nanny quickly picked up Zhu Wenkun. Fortunately, the boy wasn't shy around strangers yet, and even though he was being held by Zhu Yunying, he didn't cry or fuss. This was a small comfort to Zhu Yunying, since Zhu Wenkun and Zhu Ruyi, before they could speak, were the type who would cry as soon as Zhu Yunying held them.
There was nothing they could do; they were relatively unfamiliar with Zhu Yunying. Zhu Yunying, as the father, certainly didn't spend much time with the children.
While playing with his youngest son, Zhu Yunying didn't forget about his eldest son. "You should also keep an eye on Yin'er. That child is good in every way, except he's too fond of martial arts. These days, the Hanlin Academy has been teaching him history, and the little guy has gained a lot of knowledge, but he's only thinking about fighting, which isn't good."
Although Xu Miaoqing felt that Zhu Yunying was also preoccupied with things like fighting, she dared not argue with him about these matters. She did not think it was a trivial matter and naturally required utmost caution.
Ultimately, Zhu Yuanzhang's status was different; he was the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, and his fate was in the hands of the nation.
Xu Miaoqing was well aware of her own position. Although Zhu Yunying treated her very well, and her position as Empress, the head of the six palaces, was unshakeable, in the Ming Dynasty, the position of Empress Xiaoci could influence the Emperor's will.
"Your Majesty, I obey." Xu Miaoqing was also very serious, because this was no small matter. "It's just that Yin'er is fond of martial arts. He spends most of his time practicing riding and archery at the training ground every day."
Zhu Yunying solemnly instructed again, "The practice of riding and archery must not be neglected. No matter how busy we are, we cannot sit still all day. A man should have the spirit of a man, especially since he is the Crown Prince of our Great Ming and the future Emperor of our Great Ming! In addition, more movement will keep him healthy. It is not only Yin'er who should ride and shoot, but the other members of the imperial family should not just indulge in pleasure."
Exercise is definitely good for your health, as long as you don't overdo it, especially in this era when medical technology isn't very advanced. And even if medical conditions were more advanced, you should still exercise.
As for those weak and pedantic scholars, they all looked down on uncouth and boorish men, feeling that they lacked the elegance of scholars. In Zhu Yunying's eyes, this was a joke and an outright act of 'betraying one's teacher and ancestors'.
Think of the Confucian scholars of our ancestors; the sword at Confucius's waist was no mere decoration. Yet today, many scholars can't even lift a sword—it's disheartening to think about!
Whether Confucius would have felt frustrated and disappointed in his unworthy descendants is hard to say. For Zhu Yunying, however, he couldn't concern himself with such things; he only knew that educating his children well was of paramount importance.
Especially for that little rascal in the Qianqing Palace, the foundation of the Ming Dynasty cannot be neglected in his education and training.
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