Zhu Yunying nodded and said to Little Zhu, "We are the emperor and you are the crown prince. Every move we make must be in accordance with the rules. In the early years, it was easier to do. When the Ming Dynasty was first established, many rules were not yet perfect and could only be gradually improved. But now it is different. All the necessary rules are in place, and sometimes we have to abide by the rules."
Little Zhu hurriedly said, "Our great-grandfather also told us that without rules, there can be no order. If our royal family doesn't follow the rules, then all the subjects of the world will follow suit. Therefore, we must be careful with our words and actions and not act recklessly."
Zhu Yunying was quite pleased with what Xiao Zhu said; the boy did have some knowledge and good self-control.
After receiving the homage of the palace officials at the Huagai Hall, Zhu Yunying led the little Zhu towards the Fengtian Hall.
“You haven’t been to the main court much before. Although it’s not much different from the regular court, it is still the main court.” Zhu Yunying still didn’t forget to instruct Little Zhu, saying, “You just stand here today. Don’t speak unless we ask you. Even if we do ask you, we need to think it over carefully and not give a definite answer on many things.”
Little Zhu, with his experience, confidently said, "My great-grandfather told us that when discussing politics, we should think and ask questions, and when it comes to making decisions, we should not mince words. However, when in court, we should also leave room for maneuver in our words. Even if we have a good idea in mind, we should not make absolute statements all at once, unless we are determined to do so."
Zhu Yunying was very satisfied with Zhu Yunying's answer. This was not only a quality that a crown prince should have, but also the behavior that an emperor should have. There was absolutely nothing wrong with doing this, and Zhu Yunying should maintain this attitude.
At this moment, the civil and military officials, upon hearing the order to "purify the whip," lined up and entered the Fengtian Hall, all dressed in their court robes.
However, seeing little Zhu was a slight surprise. His Majesty had already returned to the court; why was the Crown Prince here?
However, they had no time to think about it now, because Zhu Yunying strode towards the dragon throne, and the young Zhu naturally led the civil and military officials in shouting "Long live the Emperor!" three times, which was much more formal than the usual court sessions.
After the court was established, Zhu Yunying naturally announced that the young Zhu would represent the Ming court to receive Wu Ning, the ruler of Zhongshan.
No one had any objections to this arrangement, and everyone thought it was perfectly normal.
After all, it would be a bit much to let Wu Ning directly meet the emperor now, but it wouldn't be good to completely ignore it either. Although Wu Ning had a reason for coming to court to apologize, he also had to give the ruler of Zhongshan some face.
As everyone understood, this was the time to formally establish the tributary relationship between Ryukyu and the Ming Dynasty. It also meant establishing the tributary system and the investiture ceremony; future rulers of the Ryukyu Chuzan Kingdom would have to accept investiture from the Ming Dynasty.
This is no small matter, and many people are aware of it implicitly. The nature of the Ryukyu Kingdom of Chuzan is somewhat different from that of the vassal states of the Zhu family, so Wu Ning's visit to the court requires even greater attention.
Prince Zhu naturally accepted the imperial decree and expressed his gratitude, as did Minister of Rites Chen Di, who was tasked with assisting Prince Zhu in accomplishing this important matter. Many people also recognized the Crown Prince's status once again; having Prince Zhu personally receive Wu Ning was a clear demonstration of his position, something that ordinary princes would not normally do.
Everyone knows very well that the most important matters of state are sacrifice and war.
Such activities also carry extremely strong political signals, and everyone understands what's going on.
Wu Ning's arrival at the court was naturally a major event, and all the officials and civil servants dared not be careless or negligent in their arrangements for him. This was something that had to be done well.
However, the Ming Dynasty could not revolve entirely around this one matter. There were many other things to deal with, including some urgent matters that needed to be addressed.
When the court session began, Zhu Yunying glanced at the little Zhu before speaking, "I was feeling unwell a few days ago, but thanks to the blessings of my ancestors, I have recovered completely. However, while I was bedridden, I was also pondering some things."
It doesn't matter if he's not sick, but if Zhu Yunying says he's sick, then he must be sick. If he says he's seriously ill, then he must be seriously ill; there's nothing more to say about that.
As for Zhu Yunying going from being bedridden to walking briskly in just two or three days, that's nothing unusual. After all, he was the emperor, so everything was perfectly normal, and no one with any sense would doubt it or try to get to the bottom of it.
Whatever Emperor Ying Shi said about this matter, that was the truth; everyone was aware of it.
Ru Chang's heart stirred. He was increasingly unsure of the emperor's intentions. He really couldn't understand what kind of decisions and thoughts Emperor Ying Shi was making.
Perhaps Emperor Ying Shi wasn't joking, or perhaps he was testing something. It's possible that Emperor Ying Shi genuinely intended to relinquish power, or at least had some intention of doing so.
However, Ru Chang was determined not to be the first to speak out at this time. He also planned to continue to play dumb. Unless His Majesty made him take a stand, Ru Chang would remain silent. At this time, he should pretend to be deaf and dumb.
Zhu Yunying glanced at Ru Chang and shook his head slightly. It seemed that his Minister of Personnel was very cautious, perhaps even a little too cautious.
However, Zhu Yunying did not intend to punish Ru Chang for this, nor did he intend to replace the Minister of Personnel. Zhu Yunying could accept Ru Chang being cautious, as long as Ru Chang did not act recklessly.
Zhu Yunying glanced around at the assembled officials and slowly began to speak, “Since my ascension to the throne, I have worked diligently day and night, and only then can I say that I am truly diligent. However, even so, I dare not say that the country is without worry. There are countless matters, both big and small, concerning the Ming Dynasty every day, and I cannot make decisions on every single one of them.”
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