Li Shanchang is now somewhat worried. He is worried that he will be forgotten, and that his current situation with the Crown Prince is merely a matter of "dying peacefully".
Because Li Shanchang only met the Crown Prince when he first arrived in Beiping. Now, even though he lives in Fulong Palace, Li Shanchang can't see the Crown Prince, let alone give him any guidance.
What alarmed Li Shanchang even more was that his son, Li Qi, was being relocated to Jiangpu. Li Qi was a驸马都尉 (Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant), married to Zhu Yuanzhang's eldest daughter, Princess Lin'an!
While the entire family wasn't executed, many of the Li family's relatives and influence were wiped out because of the unfortunate younger brother, Li Cunyi. Now, only Li Shanchang's lineage remains. It seems highly likely that this was only due to Princess Lin'an's influence.
Li Shanchang, a clever man, couldn't help but think that he might be the next to lose his head. He knew the monarch he had once served; he knew how ruthless Zhu Yuanzhang was, and that Zhu Yuanzhang could be cruel and ungrateful at times.
Feeling somewhat uneasy, Li Shanchang got up early and started strolling around, also keeping an eye out for any movement. "Eunuch, has His Highness gotten up yet?"
"His Highness is still resting," Wang Chengen said softly. "Yesterday was busy with many affairs, and His Highness was busy until very late. I imagine His Highness will get up later."
Zhu Xiong Ying usually led a very regular life, but she would occasionally indulge herself a little. For example, she would sleep in late, which she would do every ten days or so. Wang Cheng En was naturally aware of this.
This left Li Shanchang anxious and helpless. He had prepared many arguments to test the Crown Prince's attitude. But now it seemed that this was not the case at all; His Highness the Crown Prince seemed to completely ignore the matter.
Whether Li Shanchang is in a hurry or not, Zhu Xiong Ying really doesn't care. He's not that eager to find talent, especially since Li Shanchang seems a bit out of touch with reality. Zhu Xiong Ying naturally needs to keep a good talking-to and just leave Li Shanchang idle for now.
In this day and age, Zhu Xiong Ying had no intention of playing the old-fashioned card; he was the successor to this feudal empire. Naturally, he often considered things from the perspective of a feudal monarch.
It might not be quite late in the day, but Zhu Xiong Ying knew that lunch preparations were about to begin, so there was no need to rush.
As Wang Chengen helped Zhu Xiong Ying wash up, he whispered, "Your Highness, Lord Li was inquiring about Your Highness's whereabouts earlier."
"Oh?" Zhu Xiong Ying rinsed her mouth and then said, "Keep dealing with him. I'm quite busy right now. Let him eat and sleep as usual, and don't neglect him. Just let him enjoy his retirement."
To put it bluntly, Zhu Xiong Ying completely sidelined Li Shan Chang, which was probably an even more torturous thing for Li Shan Chang.
For someone like Li Shanchang, who had always held immense power, losing both authority and status would be a tremendous blow. Perhaps his only remaining source of confidence is his past achievements, which is likely the very reason he believes he still has a chance to rise again.
But looking at it now, Li Shanchang felt that his chances of turning things around were really not that great, and regaining power would not be an easy task. Because it seemed that he was not valued by the Crown Prince.
It seems there's no chance of turning things around. Now he's been exiled to Beiping. Perhaps it's only because the Crown Prince and his grandson are merciful and want to preserve the tale of 'harmony between the emperor and his ministers' that he's better off than the current emperor being fond of slaughtering meritorious officials!
At this moment, Wang Chengen continued, "My lord, the servants and craftsmen from the Bureau of Armory, the Bureau of Gardens, the Bureau of Firewood, the Bureau of Seals and Ribbons, and the Bureau of Palace Attendants have also arrived."
The Twelve Directorates, Four Offices, and Eight Bureaus, collectively known as the Twenty-Four Offices, were all managed by eunuchs. Those who came to Beiping this time included those who manufactured firearms, those who managed palaces and tombs, those who handled matters such as tallies, verification of tallies, and tokens, and those who managed vegetables, fruits, firewood, and other supplies.
This was not like ants moving house; the construction of Beiping was a massive undertaking that required a gradual and step-by-step approach.
Moreover, Zhu Xiong Ying also needed firearms, which naturally required craftsmen and support from Yingtian Prefecture. In other words, most of the skilled craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty were serving Zhu Xiong Ying's plans.
From work to life, Zhu Xiong Ying received support from all aspects, which naturally made her feel more at ease and a little proud.
Even though he was stationed in Beiping, Old Zhu never lacked concern for his beloved grandson who was thousands of miles away. He didn't care if he lived a simple life himself, but he couldn't let his precious grandson suffer.
Helpers kept coming, and Zhu Xiong Ying got used to it. This was the normal way, and this was how Old Zhu treated Young Zhu.
Besides feeling heartbroken, it was also because the establishment of Beiping as the capital was of utmost importance, and at this time, there could be no room for carelessness. Human resources and supplies were pouring in continuously.
As for expecting Beiping to have sufficient supplies now, that's clearly impossible. Zhu Xiong Ying knows that Beiping needs a constant supply of resources. Not only now, but it will likely need a continuous supply in the future, because the city's future positioning is very clear.
Zhu Xiong Ying's attitude towards the arrival of manpower and supplies was actually quite simple.
He would naturally not be careless about such matters, and these things must be handled with utmost caution. However, Zhu Xiong Ying would not interfere too much at the moment; he genuinely needed to trust and cultivate certain individuals.
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