Old Zhu didn't attend court, but this didn't affect the operation of the court. The main reason was that Great Zhu had begun to take over the administration of the government in recent years. It had been like this for a long time; many memorials were approved by Great Zhu before being sent to Old Zhu, so it wasn't a big deal.
Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang also learned the news that his eldest son had returned to Yingtian Prefecture after a long journey and that his eldest son was now in the Qianqing Palace. This made Zhu Yuanzhang feel both heartbroken and comforted.
It was obvious that Zhu Xiong Ying knew about Zhu Zi's situation and rushed back immediately. She is definitely a filial child, but sometimes she seems to care too much about others and neglect to take care of herself.
Although Emperor Zhu did not attend the morning court session, he did wake up, just a little later than usual. He wasn't in a hurry to leave his palace or attend court; instead, he handled some state affairs within the palace. His eldest grandson, snoring on the dragon bed, didn't affect Emperor Zhu's efficiency, which made him feel even more at ease.
After working hard for most of his life, Old Zhu just wanted to leave a better legacy for his descendants!
Zhu Xiong Ying slept until around 9 AM, which was basically just a little bit of sleeping in. After waking up, Zhu Xiong Ying naturally didn't have anything to worry about. She washed up and then had some brunch to tide her over.
Seeing his eldest grandson carrying a bowl of porridge, sipping it while strolling around, Old Zhu chuckled, “Our Ying’er, this won’t do! You’re our eldest grandson, yet you have no royal manners at all! Even wealthy families don’t behave like this.”
"Grandpa, this is nothing," Zhu Xiong Ying joked. "I know perfectly well that I only act this way in front of you. Even in front of Father, I have to restrain myself a bit, because Father is in charge!"
Old Zhu laughed and said, "Your father cares about these things; he has even more rules than we do. It's all because your grandmother didn't teach us well. We're just peasant boys from Huaixi; we don't have so many ridiculous rules!"
Zhu Yuanzhang never shied away from his birth. He was born into a peasant family in Fengyang. His parents starved to death, and he had been a monk and a beggar. Zhu Yuanzhang didn't shy away from these experiences. As for the time when some civil officials wanted to find Zhu Yuanzhang's ancestry, they found Zhu Xi. Zhu Yuanzhang was furious. He didn't like finding ancestors randomly.
"Speaking of my grandmother, I still feel that she had a great influence on me and my father." Zhu Xiong Ying became interested and chatted with Old Zhu about family matters. "My grandmother was kind and generous, so my father and I are the same."
Old Zhu snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "You really don't know what your father did? Even though we protected him and gave him a good reputation, he was ruthless in judging cases and punishing people. He's no less ruthless than us."
Old Zhu seemed to remember something and said, "Speaking of your grandmother, I get angry. I've said it many times: your father and you are the crown princes of our Great Ming Dynasty, different from ordinary princes and grandsons. Your father has been a bit misguided in his teaching; he's still somewhat soft-hearted. If you're delayed any further, I'm really afraid you'll become a Renzong in the future."
It was clear that Zhu Yuanzhang did not want his descendant to be like Emperor Renzong; he wanted a successor with great talent and ambition. Emperor Da Zhu (Zhu Yuanzhang's eldest son) mostly satisfied Zhu Yuanzhang, only occasionally showing some dissatisfaction.
Zhu Xiong Ying couldn't help but laugh and said, "Actually, I think it's alright. Grandfather is too strict with the civil and military officials. But when it comes to the people, I think there is really no emperor better than Grandfather who loves his people like his own children."
This made Zhu Yuanzhang proud; he truly valued the people immensely, a sentiment stemming from his own impoverished background. He genuinely cared for the people and did much to protect their interests.
Zhu Xiong Ying continued, "Grandfather, it's time to raise the salaries of civil and military officials as well."
Zhu Yuanzhang was a strict ruler who placed extremely high demands on officials and took strict measures to prevent corruption in the bureaucracy. In addition, his frugal personal life also influenced his standards for setting salaries for officials.
A first-rank official receives a monthly salary of 87 shi of rice; a second-rank official receives 74 shi; a third-rank official receives 61 shi...
One shi (石) here is about ninety kilograms. In addition to the food rations, a corresponding amount of paper money is also distributed according to rank. It's not a small amount; it's certainly enough to feed oneself, but indulging in lavish meals is unrealistic.
Old Zhu was displeased and said irritably, "We give them quite a lot in salary, enough to feed and clothe their family. We don't even ask them to pay taxes, so this salary is quite substantial!"
Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor) was not considering high salaries to encourage integrity, mainly because the Ming Dynasty did not have the financial resources for such measures. Moreover, he was inherently resistant to such a strategy and would never offer such treatment to his civil and military officials.
Zhu Xiong Ying smiled but didn't say much. These things can be discussed later; there's no rush.
After the morning court session, Emperor Zhu went straight to the Qianqing Palace. Although he was quite busy, he wasn't so busy that he couldn't spare a moment for lunch. His son had returned, so naturally, Emperor Zhu needed to come and see him.
"Ying'er, spend more time with your royal grandfather this time you're back," Da Zhu said, instructing Zhu Xiong Ying. "There are some things that are useless for your father to say, since your royal grandfather won't listen. It's more useful for you to say them."
Old Zhu slammed his hand on the table and said angrily, "What the hell?! Do you two think you're in charge of disciplining us?!"
Da Zhu wasn't afraid, and Zhu Xiong Ying was even less likely to be afraid.
Zhu Xiong Ying smiled broadly, full of confidence, "Father, don't worry. You are my son and I am your grandson. Grandparents are close to their grandchildren. Your grandfather is naturally a strict father to you, but he is a good grandfather to me. I can be disrespectful and spoiled."
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