Zhu Yunying naturally knew what kind of personality his precious eldest son had, so he didn't care too much about some things.
Skipping school is indeed a bad thing, but when Zhu Yunying thinks about the responsibilities her precious son has carried since he was little, and the various studies he has had since he can remember, she sometimes feels a little heartache.
There are no winter or summer vacations. Xiao Xiao Zhu's vacation time is very limited each year. Apart from normal days off, he can only get vacation time on Zhu Yunying and Xu Miaoqing's birthdays, Lao Zhu's birthday, and Xiao Xiao Zhu's own birthday.
If you really calculate it, Xiao Zhu's actual vacation time in a year is only about a month. The rest of the time seems to be spent constantly studying.
Even though Old Zhu and Young Zhu seemed to have little affection for Confucianism, they would absolutely not allow their youngest son to be completely ignorant of some knowledge. They didn't expect Youngest son to be 'exceptionally talented' or 'literarily brilliant,' but he should at least have a basic understanding of the classics.
While he may appear to be playing and frolicking with his friends on the training ground, Xiao Zhu is actually learning military tactics, archery, and other skills, all of which have specific requirements. This isn't a leisurely horseback ride; it's a form of training, a rigorous exercise according to military regulations.
Even though it seemed like a normal opportunity to travel around Yingtian Prefecture, this was indeed a rare chance for little Zhu to relax.
However, this is also part of the training. Little Zhu needs to investigate people's livelihoods, understand the various aspects of life, and sometimes he also needs to visit some government offices.
Zhu Biao basically had no childhood because he was the eldest son of Zhu Yuanzhang and had to shoulder his responsibilities. Therefore, he needed to study constantly from a very young age, and everyone had high expectations and demands for him.
Zhu Yunying didn't really have a childhood, not just because he was supposedly precocious. It was also because he was the eldest grandson of the Ming Dynasty, so from the moment he was born, he had to consider issues such as the succession of the empire.
In fact, the same goes for Little Zhu. He doesn't seem to be a child prodigy; in fact, he could be described as just an ordinary child. But that doesn't mean he can grow up like an ordinary child. He needs to shoulder his responsibilities. His background and status naturally mean more responsibilities and obligations.
Zhu Yunying understood these things, and so did Old Zhu, and even Xu Miaoqing understood this principle.
Their special regard for Xiao Xiao Zhu stemmed from his status, so even though they sometimes felt sorry for him, they wouldn't lower their expectations of him. This was a quality that the future emperor of the Ming Dynasty should possess.
Sometimes, the pampering and indulgence shown to Little Zhu can actually be seen as a form of compensation for him. The other princes and grandsons obviously wouldn't be treated like Little Zhu, and the expectations and demands placed on them weren't as high; it all depended on their self-discipline and ambition.
Little Zhu was obviously unaware of all this. He was just happy because he hadn't gone to school for a day. He did nothing in the Qianqing Palace except chat with his great-grandfather and play around.
Fortunately, Xiao Zhu is also self-disciplined. He can skip school occasionally, but it is obvious that he cannot skip school forever, as that would be unacceptable to everyone.
"Yin'er, today we've invited someone from the Ministry of Rites to come and talk to you about various ceremonies." Old Zhu stood up and said to Zhu Yunying, "Your father understood the principle that 'the most important matters of the state are sacrifice and war' when he was very young, and you should understand it too."
Little Zhu nodded; he probably understood the principle. The so-called 'sacrifice and war' did not refer to sacrifice and war in general, but rather to sacrificial rites and military rites, both of which belong to the category of ritual system. Specifically, they are the rites of ancestor worship and sacrifice to the land god, all of which are related to sacrifice.
Although Xiao Zhu had attended some formal occasions before, he was always reminded in advance by Lao Zhu or Xiao Zhu, and someone would be assigned to keep an eye on him and remind him at all times.
But things are different now. Little Zhu needs to truly understand the characteristics and nature of these rituals, including some of their requirements.
To be honest, both Old Zhu and Young Zhu were extremely disgusted by many of the red tape and formalities. However, they also understood that even the most powerful emperors could not truly do whatever they pleased.
Moreover, as emperors, their every move is watched by the entire world. Many things can be interpreted in this way, which naturally means that certain things need to be taken seriously and cannot be treated carelessly.
“Great-grandfather, I’ve been thinking about it, and now that I’m ten, I should go back to our ancestral home.” Little Zhu said seriously, “Although you’ve taken me back to our ancestral home twice, once when I was too young to understand, and once when I just went along to take a look. But the next time we go back, it will be for the Crown Prince to offer sacrifices at the ancestral mausoleum.”
Old Zhu nodded with satisfaction and said to Little Zhu, "He's better than your dad. Your dad always says he's from Fengyang and that our hometown is in Fengyang. He's just saying that; he doesn't actually know where our hometown is. He's almost thirty, and he only goes home about as often as you do."
Little Zhu nodded excitedly and chimed in with a complaint, "Dad doesn't know where our ancestral home is, but we do know where our family home is. Dad went to our ancestral home with Grandpa in our early years and visited our great-grandfather's neighbors and the descendants of his benefactors. We didn't get to rest there for more than a few days!"
Old Zhu felt perfectly at ease joining his great-grandson in criticizing his grandson, saying, "Your father is all talk and no action. He can spout a whole bunch of grand principles, but he's no match for you when it comes to getting things done."
“Great-grandfather just really likes our dad!” Little Zhu said confidently, even a little sourly. “We’re so considerate, yet great-grandfather still prefers talking to our dad. He’s happy with whatever our dad says.”
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