Zhu Yunying naturally cares deeply for his own child, and he does have many plans for him. Of course, Old Zhu also cares deeply for little Zhu.
Everyone understands that even if Little Zhu has his own ideas, things may not go as he wishes. Many things are beyond his control. Although he is the Crown Prince, there are certain responsibilities that Little Zhu must shoulder.
In fact, the same applies to Zhu Yunying; freedom of marriage is unrealistic for people of their status.
“It’s normal that you don’t want to marry a woman from a military family,” Zhu Yunying said, looking at little Zhu. “Your great-grandmother was a local strongman and a heroine. Your grandmother, needless to say, was even more valiant and capable. Your mother was also a heroine. It’s just that we are stronger; your great-grandfather and grandfather were both bullied quite a bit.”
Old Zhu coughed and said, "Your grandmother still listens to us on important matters, and your mother is also very devoted to your father. It's just you who's always causing trouble in front of us, and you've ruined the reputation of the men of the Zhu family."
Zhu Yunying hugged little Zhu and said, "It can't be said that we've ruined it. We're just reasoning with Yin'er. Our Zhu family men are different. Although they may seem a bit afraid of their wives, they are the most affectionate. We must protect our wives and children. Protecting our wives and children is the duty of our Zhu family men. We can't always be old-fashioned and macho."
When Zhu Yunying said this, Zhu Da agreed, "That's true. It's only right to protect one's wife and children. If one were truly lustful, there are plenty of beautiful women and concubines in the palace. As the saying goes, when choosing a wife, one should choose virtue; when choosing a concubine, one should choose beauty. One should pay attention to the character of the wife so that the family can be at peace."
Zhu Yunying immediately began to educate little Zhu, saying, "That's exactly right. Look, your great-grandmother was virtuous, and the concubines in the palace were all dutiful. Your grandfather's generation was also quite capable. Your grandmother passed away early, and your grandfather's concubine was a bit short-sighted and did unreliable things all day long. Your uncles are also all useless."
Little Zhu was puzzled and said, "Second Uncle is playful, and Third Uncle is studious, aren't they both good? They're both decent. If the second and third brothers are sensible in the future, we'll feel more at ease. We don't want to discipline them; we still want to be good older brothers."
At this moment, Xu Miaoqing also said to Xiao Zhu, "Your second uncle, which we shouldn't have said, is a bit of a playboy. We also know that your third uncle had some ambitions in his younger years. Tell me yourself, your father and your third uncles are not close. Your third uncle likes to read, but he only reads the words of the sages. Isn't that right?"
Little Zhu was puzzled and asked, "Isn't it because Dad and Third Uncle have a grudge? Does Dad look down on Third Uncle?"
"Then why did your father look down on your third uncle?" Xu Miaoqing patiently instructed. "If your third uncle hadn't had inappropriate thoughts in his early years, your father wouldn't have had a grudge against him. Why did your third uncle have a grudge? Wasn't it because his mother didn't teach him well? She talked nonsense all day long, and his mind became very active."
Little Zhu seemed to understand and said, "Then we know what to do. Our little brother is still honest."
Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunying and said, "He's still a child after all. Unlike you when you were little, he can't understand things easily and can't apply what he's learned to other situations."
"Just say I'm deep-thinking." Zhu Yunying couldn't help but complain to his father, "I'm precocious, but is this what I thought? I can figure things out, but can I control them? When I was little, my grandmother always told me things, saying that I would govern the country and shoulder the responsibility of the Ming Dynasty. How could I not have any thoughts?"
Seeing that Zhu Yunying remained silent, Zhu Yunying couldn't help but complain, "Besides, Grandfather, you've said it to us countless times. Before we could even speak, you were already telling us that we would be the Crown Prince and the Emperor. When we grew a little older, you were reading memorials to us, and Grandmother was always helping us figure out the court's structure and the deeper meaning behind Grandfather's decisions."
Old Zhu couldn't help but chuckle as he thought about it. "That's still your grandmother's problem. She just likes to overthink things. We have to tell her everything we do, and she's always saying we're wrong or that we're not good enough. So let me tell you, if you marry a wife who's too domineering, none of you will feel comfortable or have an easy life."
Being henpecked was one of Zhu Yuanzhang's characteristics, but it could also be seen as a sign of his respect for Empress Ma.
The family was happily preparing, and Zhu Yunying was very much looking forward to the trip to Xiaoling Mausoleum to pay respects. For Old Zhu, being able to visit Xiaoling Mausoleum was naturally a good thing.
He certainly had nothing to hide; he had long seen through these things, and he was truly indifferent to matters of life and death. Even if he couldn't see his wife and children again, visiting their tombs and talking to them would be a comfort to him.
As for the advice from court officials, Old Zhu didn't care anymore. The most important thing was for the emperor to bear the pressure; it had nothing to do with the retired emperor.
These are all retired emperors, long since sidelined by the emperor, and can only act according to the emperor's wishes. So if there's anything, go to the emperor; all of this has nothing to do with the retired emperor. Don't disturb the retired emperor as he's instructing the current crown prince.
Although Old Zhu is currently focused on teaching Little Zhu, there are still some things to arrange. "You're a bit unreliable when it comes to doing things. There are still some military units that you don't understand. We still need to check on them. It's one thing for the retired emperor to be left behind on the road, but we can't afford to cause any trouble for the emperor and the crown prince. We need to ask about this ourselves."
Zhu Yunying immediately said, "I am not good at leading troops in battle, but as an emperor, I know how to use people well. Emperor Gaozu of Han himself said that he was not as good as Han Xin in leading troops in battle, not as good as Zhang Liang in strategizing and winning battles from afar, and not as good as Xiao He in providing logistical support to ensure a continuous supply of soldiers. But why did Emperor Gaozu of Han sit on the dragon throne? It was because he knew how to use people well!"
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