Xu Huizu has always been a cautious person, which can be attributed to the influence of Xu Da. Such is the family tradition, and there's nothing that can be done about it. It's a personality trait formed from childhood, and it can't be changed overnight.
The emperor's edict must be obeyed, but the crown prince's decree cannot be ignored. Especially for someone of his status, it is even more important to uphold the crown prince's authority. He cannot rely on his status to feel fearless; that would not be a good thing.
Feeling rather bored, Little Zhu looked at Shuangquan and asked, "Why has it taken so long? What are Father and Uncle talking about?"
Shuangquan smiled obsequiously and replied, "Your Highness, His Majesty is probably discussing important military and national affairs with the Duke. The Duke has just returned to court and has many things to report to His Majesty."
Xiao Zhu sighed and said helplessly, "It's only because it's in the Wuying Hall that we can ask them. Otherwise, we would have let you go and ask them."
Only the Crown Prince would dare to say such a thing. The Wuying Hall is where the Emperor works; how could an ordinary prince dare to go there?
But thinking about it, it doesn't seem too surprising, given the different status of the person before us. Leaving aside the fact that some crown princes don't dare to get too involved in politics, and some are even feared by the emperor.
But this one was different. The Qianqing Palace held no secrets from him, and the retired emperor rarely kept anything from him. So, if this one truly had any ideas, ordinary people really couldn't stop him, and wouldn't dare to.
Fortunately, Xiao Zhu is also sensible. Although he is usually spoiled, he knows what to do and what to say, and he will not be overly arrogant.
Just as Little Zhu was feeling bored, a young eunuch entered the hall happily, saying, "Your Highness, the Duke of Zhongshan is requesting an audience outside the hall."
Little Zhu immediately sat up straight and happily said, "Announce."
Xu Huizu entered the hall with his head held high and knelt down immediately, saying, "Your subject Xu Huizu pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince. May Your Highness live a long life."
Xiao Xiao, with a serious expression, said in a measured tone, "Rise. Shuangquan, offer a seat to the Duke of Zhongshan."
Let alone receiving a seat from the Crown Prince, Xu Huizu would generally be granted a seat even before the Emperor. This was not only due to his status, but also because he was a high-ranking official in the court.
We still need to give the court officials some face. They are the pillars of the country, and the emperor or crown prince should give them some respect.
Xu Huizu naturally thanked the emperor quickly. Even though he was the crown prince's uncle, he still needed to be mindful of the difference between ruler and subject.
Xu Huizu was ultimately just a subject, even though he was the crown prince's uncle. At times like these, he had to maintain the proper decorum. This was often the case in the royal family; the relationship wasn't just that of father and son or brothers, but also that of ruler and subject.
After the formal greeting, Xiao Zhu immediately said, "Uncle, we saw the things you brought back, and many of them are things we like."
Of course! These were all carefully selected by Xu Huizu, and he believed that His Highness the Crown Prince would like them. If His Highness the Crown Prince didn't like them, then there would be no reasoning with him.
Xu Huizu smiled and said, "If Your Highness likes it, that would be best."
Little Zhu was very happy, but still said, "Uncle, why didn't you prepare some gifts for the Emperor as well? Although you are in Goryeo, you must know about the Emperor's birthday."
Xu Huizu was somewhat speechless, and could only say that the imperial family's education was truly excellent. The emperor, his ministers, and their sons all seemed to get along remarkably well, almost unusually so.
Isn't this obvious? Throughout history, there have been countless instances of fathers and sons distrusting each other and brothers killing each other for the throne. And for that supreme position, there has never been a shortage of things that seem to disregard ethics and morality.
However, in the Ming Dynasty, the Hongwu Emperor had no suspicion of the deceased Xiaokang Emperor, and Xiaokang Emperor's brothers never showed the slightest covetousness for the throne.
In fact, the same was true in previous years. Although His Highness Prince Xu seemed to have some ambition for the position of Crown Prince in his early years, those were just rumors. The senior officials of the court all knew that the current emperor's position had always been very stable, and there was never any need to worry about changes in the foundation of the state.
The same thing is true now. The current crown prince was made crown prince before he could even speak clearly. In recent years, everyone knows that the retired emperor and the current emperor dote on the crown prince.
At this point, Xu Huizu could only say, "Your Majesty, I know I am guilty; it was my negligence!"
Xu Huizu was of course aware that his sister had given birth to the emperor's third son, and that the crown prince had a younger brother.
As the elder brother, Xu Huizu was naturally happy, and even as the leader of the Xu faction, he felt happy. This meant that the Empress's position was secure, and it also provided an extra layer of insurance, since the Crown Prince was not yet fully grown up.
However, it was also inappropriate to reveal any other thoughts, and at this time, it was necessary to be mindful of the Crown Prince's feelings. Even if the Crown Prince might not care about this, it was still inappropriate for a subject to curry favor with the Crown Prince's younger brother.
Even seemingly normal social interactions might displease the Crown Prince; such things are quite possible.
After asking for a gift for her younger brother, Little Zhu asked, "Uncle, has Father allowed you to go to the Eastern Palace to pay your respects?"
Xu Huizu immediately replied, "Your Majesty's great favor allows me to pay my respects to the Empress."
Even though he was the Empress's brother, Xu Huizu's status was still that of the Duke of Zhongshan in the Ming Dynasty. In front of Xu Miaoqing, he was not just an elder brother, but first and foremost a subject and the Duke of Zhongshan. Therefore, even though he had disciplined Xu Miaoqing quite a bit in the past, he still had to kneel and pay his respects to her when he saw her now.
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