Despite having five sons, Tang He's youngest died young. His third and fourth sons died in battle in Yunnan and Wukaiwei, respectively. His eldest son, the legitimate heir, had already died of illness before Tang He, also during the campaign in Yunnan. His second son lived a little longer, but was not eligible to inherit the title.
As a result, the eldest son, Tang Ding, died young, and his eldest grandson, Tang Sheng, also passed away before he could inherit the title. Tang He's great-grandson, Tang Wenyu, had finally reached the age to be ready to receive the title, but he too died.
This outcome naturally means that the direct line of the Tang family is now completely extinguished. The only one with offspring is Tang He's second son, Tang Yi.
Zhu Yue thought for a moment and said, "The Imperial Son-in-Law's family originally had no heirs, and the Duke of Liang almost lost his title. Since the Emperor is so magnanimous and lenient towards the nobles, I suppose the Duke of Xin is not afraid of losing his title. I just guess he'll have to be downgraded."
It's no secret that Feng Cheng's uncle, Feng Sheng, had rendered great service. Although he was stripped of his military power by Zhu Yuanzhang for secretly associating with Zhu Su, he was posthumously granted the title of Prince. The title of Duke of Xin was also transferred from his eldest daughter, Lady Chang, to his second son.
Lan Yu should actually be more grateful to Zhu Yunying, who only had one daughter, who was also the Princess Consort of Shu. This guy was originally arrogant and domineering, but in recent years he has been keeping a low profile and helping the emperor, not just because of his niece, Lady Chang.
It was also because Zhu Yunying was very 'generous' that he allowed Lan Yu to take his grandson back and make him his own grandson, thus ensuring that his title of Duke of Liang would have a successor.
“Speaking of which, Lan Shu’en should also be officially appointed.” Xu Miaoqing said with a smile, remembering something. “And my maternal uncle’s son, Qi’er, will also be appointed as a heir this time. By then, there will be several Qi’ers in the court.”
Zhu Yue was both amused and annoyed, and said, "My brother loves to slack off the most. Everyone outside says that he likes Qilin, but there are too many Qilin. My cousin from my uncle's family is a Qilin, and so are my and my eldest sister's family. Even my two aunts' children are Qilin. He's even more carefree than my grandfather."
Old Zhu was really troublesome, with all the rules about generational names and naming conventions; it was anything but easy. Only his closest cousins or nephews were named 'Qilin'. Nephews were out of the question; following Old Zhu's rules, there was almost no room for them to be creative.
"Don't let His Majesty hear you say that, or he'll be angry with you." Xu Miaoqing smiled as she spoke intimately with Zhu Yue, not only because they were 'best friends' but also because they were sisters-in-law. "His Majesty has also said that he won't be involved in naming children anymore. He won't be involved in Qi'er's offspring either."
Zhu Yue didn't care and said, "There's also the Crown Prince, just like my grandfather and brother. Last time he went to our place, he promised me a lot of official positions, just like my brother. My brother promised my aunt a few years ago, but according to the rules, he only gave her the position of Assistant Commander of the Five Armies. He even pretended to forget about it for many years afterward."
This is definitely Zhu Yunying's dark history. In his early years, he did promise his two aunts that he would secure positions for their children in the Five Armies Commandery, but unfortunately, both of his cousins were not very capable.
Xu Miaoqing wasn't unhappy; on the contrary, she still felt a bit proud.
She naturally knew that Little Zhu's position was secure, but that wasn't enough. 'Unfilial father' was the most feared evaluation of crown princes throughout history, making them feel like they were sitting on pins and needles and jeopardizing their position.
Everyone outside says that the late emperor was gentle and kind, but Xu Miaoqing, his daughter-in-law, knows that the late emperor, like the Hongwu Emperor, had a ruthless and decisive nature. Now, people outside are also saying that the Ying Shi Emperor is actually a replica of the Hongwu Emperor, only less domineering and harsh.
Now, Xiao Zhu is being taught by both the Hongwu Emperor and the Yingshi Emperor. Even if he doesn't seem to be the most intelligent, the teachings of two wise emperors will naturally make him appear quite outstanding.
Moreover, all the current actions indicate that the current emperor is deliberately giving the crown prince opportunities, allowing him to have more chances to gain a position in the court.
It's true that Emperor Ying Shi is still very young, and it seems there's no need to rush into grooming a successor. However, some signs in the Ming Dynasty also indicate that the emperor doesn't necessarily need to worry too much about the crown prince; an excellent crown prince is definitely not a burden for the emperor.
It can only be said that Old Zhu set a good precedent, and Big Zhu and Little Zhu will further carry forward this excellent tradition, which is definitely something that makes Xu Miaoqing feel very at ease now.
While the two women were having a private conversation, Zhu Yunwen rode his horse to the outside of the palace with a worried look on his face. He felt that he might have been caught. Although he had just gained some advantages from his uncles, the Prince of Shu and the Prince of Ning, a few days ago, he knew what else he had been doing these days.
Although he has never made any major mistakes, he has indeed made a lot of minor ones. If his elder brother were to summon him, he would definitely receive a severe reprimand.
There's no need to even think about it; if it were serious business, he'd go straight to the Wuying Hall. Besides, he'd heard the news that his elder sister had also entered the palace, which basically meant that the person who had protected him since childhood was now going to educate him.
There's no need to worry about such things. With more experience, you'll naturally develop immunity. There's no need to make a fuss or scare yourself. Just take it easy.
Moreover, over the years, Zhu Yunwen had received countless lessons from his elder brothers and sisters, and all he had to do was keep his head down and remain silent. Now that he was back in the Prince's residence and had left the palace, he was no longer the little brother who bowed his head and admitted his mistakes; he was now the most carefree and dashing Prince Wu of Yingtian Prefecture.
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