“That’s different. I remember Grandmother made several bibs for us, all made of yellow cloth. Two of them even had five claws on them.” Zhu Yunying said to Old Master Zhu in a serious tone, “Grandpa, I think Grandmother had her own reasons. Only the eldest son of our Zhu family can wear the bibs she embroidered herself. We have to keep them well hidden.”
Old Zhu smiled and nodded. His precious grandson's thoughtfulness was more than just a little bit; Old Zhu had no reason not to pamper and love him.
Zhu Yunying grew up in Kunning Palace, where he was personally cared for by Empress Ma, who also sewed many of his clothes herself. Leaving aside the fact that the rules weren't as strict in earlier years, or perhaps because Zhu Yunying was always a special case, his food and clothing were sometimes indeed excessive.
But it didn't matter. Empress Ma was happy, and Zhu Yunying was happy too, so Zhu Yunying enjoyed it without any qualms.
“We went to check on her last time, because we were worried that our granddaughter-in-law might not know her place,” Old Zhu said with a smile. “She’s alright. She’s put away all of Yin’er’s clothes and has the palace maids take them out to air and wash them regularly.”
This wasn't just because Old Zhu was petty; the main reason was the rules of the royal family, which couldn't be broken at times. The eldest son's undergarment was exclusively for him to wear; the second son could only envy it. This rule couldn't be violated.
However, it seems that Old Zhu was overthinking things. Zhu Yunying understands this principle, and Xu Miaoqing also understands these principles. She is more cautious in these matters.
To say that she didn't dote on Zhu Wenkun would be impossible. However, Xu Miaoqing knew that Little Zhu's identity was special, something that had been determined since Little Zhu's birth, and that couldn't be changed by favoritism.
Even considering the bond between brothers, Xu Miaoqing dared not give Zhu Wenkun any clothes. Even when speaking to the ignorant and fussy Zhu Wenkun, she dared not say anything that crossed the rules. This was naturally because she was worried that if she gave Zhu Wenkun something to hold onto from a young age, it might cause some bad things.
It was all the better that Xu Miaoqing understood this principle, since there had indeed been instances throughout history where empresses and empress dowagers showed favoritism, almost causing social unrest.
For example, Empress Dowager Dou of the Western Han Dynasty favored her youngest son, Liu Wu, the Prince of Liang, and wanted him to succeed her eldest son, Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Qi, to the throne. She wanted to establish a succession between brothers, almost ignoring the fact that Liu Qi actually had children.
Without further ado, Old Zhu said seriously, "Let's look at Goryeo. We shouldn't let the two brothers divide the family property yet. Your eleventh uncle is quite capable in terms of civil administration. Goryeo was only recently conquered, and he's good at winning over the people and reforming the bureaucracy."
Zhu Yunying was actually quite tempted by Old Zhu's suggestion, because he knew it made sense.
When Zhu Yunying was born, the Ming Dynasty had already been established and its rule was basically stable. At that time, what Zhu Yunying was thinking about was to consolidate military power, get rid of some veteran generals, rectify officialdom, and at the same time eliminate the power of the prime minister.
These were no easy tasks, because the newly established country was already in chaos, and winning back the hearts of the people was never a simple matter, especially after nearly a century of Mongol rule, when the people's hearts were scattered.
The situation in Goryeo was actually much worse, mainly because Goryeo had its own ethnic groups, customs, and so on. Winning over the hearts and minds of its people was no easy task.
Although Yi Seong-gye and his son's usurpation of the throne alienated many Goryeo officials and common people, they were still Goryeo people, while those from the Ming Dynasty were Han Chinese. Moreover, Zhu Yunying knew that even now, there were still some people in Goryeo who had some attachment to the Mongols and who remembered the good things the Mongols had done for them.
These forces were even more powerful in Goryeo in earlier years, and whether they were pro-Ming or pro-Mongol was a major conflict for the Goryeo regime in those early years.
"It's good that your eleventh uncle is going there. He can first quell the chaos. Our Ming Dynasty has produced quite a few officials over the years, and we can't keep giving them to them forever." Old Zhu said seriously to Zhu Yunying, "After all, the family has been divided. How well they can manage the family depends on their abilities."
Old Zhu's meaning was clear: if Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan went to Goryeo, it would mean the founding of the country, which would obviously be a true separation of the family. The Ming Dynasty could not always be there to bail them out and do everything for them.
There are some practical things to consider, so the Ming Dynasty can provide some initial assistance, but the final outcome will depend on the abilities of Zhu Chun and Zhu Quan.
Zhu Yunying nodded and said to his father, "So we did the same thing with Fourth Uncle and his family. It's true that our Great Ming is now rich and powerful, but they are also vassal states after all. We can't just look after them and ignore the fate of our Great Ming."
The truth is clear to everyone: the Ming Dynasty couldn't keep providing assistance indefinitely. Not only did the emperor understand this, but the kings also understood it.
Old Zhu continued, "Your seventeenth uncle is quite skilled in warfare, but he is indeed lacking in domestic affairs. You should also give your younger brothers some pointers and mentor them. Governing a chaotic world is not something that can be done overnight."
Zhu Yunying naturally understood this principle. The art of rulership could not be taught casually, and many things were even forbidden to members of the imperial family. However, now that the imperial family of the Ming Dynasty was about to establish a new dynasty, there were some things that they should be allowed to learn a little about.
Ultimately, the Ming Dynasty had three generations of emperors, so they had experience in how to be a good emperor and govern the country effectively. The Ming Dynasty's current strength and prosperity were due to the rule of its emperors, so they naturally had more authority to speak on the matter.
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