Zhu Su remained silent. He was actually one of the first to know that his father and elder brother wanted to move the capital, and he understood that Yingtian Prefecture was not the best choice for a capital. It was indeed too prosperous here, and it would make the civil and military officials accustomed to the prosperity of Jiangnan.
Putting everything else aside, enjoying the peace and prosperity of the Jiangnan region is far better than suffering in the harsh north.
Zhu Yunying continued, "Fifth Uncle should lead the imperial clan to Beiping first. All the princely and princess residences in Beiping have been repaired, so the imperial clan need not worry about not having a place to stay. Although the Prince of Zhongshan and the Prince of Kaiping conquered Beiping in earlier years, the city has been under construction for many years, and Beiping is no longer as desolate as it once was."
This is fairly true; Beiping Prefecture had some connection with the Yuan Dynasty, so there was some basis to it.
It is said that after the initial capture of Beiping, the city was in ruins. However, since the fourth year of the Hongwu reign, Beiping has been gradually rebuilt. Even the initial military posts have been continuously constructed over the years.
Especially after it was decided that Beiping would become the capital of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial city of Yingtian Prefecture was used as a model, and Beiping Prefecture began to take shape.
Zhu Su naturally understood this as well, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, I believe that the imperial family all wish to move the capital to Beiping, and we would never dare to disobey Your Majesty's will."
This can be considered an art of speaking. Here, "imperial will" can refer to the decree of the Hongwu Emperor. Of course, it can also mean the decree of the Emperor Ying Shi, which is also considered imperial will.
In fact, after Zhu Yuanzhang's death, Zhu Su adjusted his attitude relatively quickly. Facing his nephew, Zhu Su dared not be careless. This was the emperor of the Ming Dynasty; he could not only think of him as uncle and nephew, nor could he only care about his status as the emperor's uncle.
"My fifth uncle has gone to Beiping. He should continue to repair the Xiaokang Encyclopedia." Zhu Yunying sighed and said, "My grandfather had been looking forward to this encyclopedia since he was alive, but unfortunately he only saw a little bit of the first draft."
Zhu Su was slightly embarrassed. He was in charge of compiling the "Xiaokang Encyclopedia," and he had indeed made some progress over the years. However, compiling a truly comprehensive encyclopedia could not be completed in just two or three years; it required more time and more learned scholars.
The support from the imperial court is sufficient; at least Emperor Yingshi has consistently provided funds and personnel as needed. If there is no progress, Zhu Su will certainly be unable to deliver on his promises.
Looking at Zhu Su, Zhu Yunying continued, "Fifth Uncle is also compiling the Great Encyclopedia. Some of the scholars from the Hanlin Academy can be brought along, and the ancient and modern books treasured in the Wenyuan Pavilion and Dabentang can also be moved to Beiping."
Zhu Su didn't know what to say. At this moment, he could only force a smile and do as the emperor ordered.
It was obvious that the emperor was using him as a pawn, taking away a group of people from the Hanlin Academy and along with the royal collection of ancient books. This was clearly the emperor's arrangement, but those who didn't know the situation might have thought it was for the Prince of Zhou's needs for compiling books.
These were the main events that officially marked the beginning of the capital relocation. Those who knew the emperor understood that these actions were his will, but those who didn't would likely perceive them as actions taken by the Imperial Clan Court instructing the Prince of Zhou.
He didn't care what others thought; Zhu Yunying was simply doing what an emperor should do.
Since there's nothing to worry about with Zhu Su, it's time to mobilize others. Since even his own uncle has set an example and taken responsibility, the emperor's brothers can't stand idly by; they also need to shoulder their responsibilities and obligations.
Both Zhu Yunying and Zhu Yunwen held very special positions, and many people were watching them closely. If these two were uncooperative on the matter of relocating the capital, Zhu Yunying's plan to move the capital would truly lack credibility.
This was no small matter. In fact, Zhu Yunying was very clear that moving the capital required great courage. To accomplish such a task, it would be extremely difficult for anyone other than a founding emperor.
Looking at Zhu Yunying, Zhu Yunying said, "You are our younger brother, and we have always protected you all these years. We don't expect you to be outstanding or become a pillar of the court, but on matters of principle, you should stand with us, understand?"
Zhu Yunwen immediately nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I understand these principles perfectly well. Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will have people start preparing as soon as I return to my residence. We will head to Beiping Prefecture first, and we will make a grand entrance so that the whole world will be watching us!"
Zhu Yunying was very satisfied with Zhu Yunwen's statement, "Good, as expected of my imperial brother, he makes things so easy for me."
In fact, Zhu Yunwen did not want to go to Beiping. In his plan, he would definitely stay in the prosperous Jiangnan region and enjoy the prosperity of Yingtian Prefecture. This was what a wealthy prince like him should do.
Honestly, I've been using a source-switching app to read and follow my favorite books lately. It offers various source switching options and different reading voices. The .huanyuanapp works on both Android and Apple devices.
Although Zhu Yunwen was often quite dissolute and indeed somewhat foolish, he understood the basic principles. Even if he didn't, it didn't matter; as long as he carried out the tasks assigned by his elder brother, he didn't need to figure things out on his own.
These things were very simple for him, and in fact, he had been doing just that all these years.
In truth, Zhu Yunwen knew perfectly well that his move to Beiping was merely a formality. Once the relocation of the capital was complete, he, the Prince of Wu, would surely pack his bags immediately and return to Yingtian Prefecture to live a carefree life.
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