It was rather unlucky; the sudden downpour made the army's march difficult. It was time to set up camp and get some rest.
Zhu Gang squeezed into Zhu Shuang's tent and sat down casually. "Second Brother, are we just going to rest like this?"
Zhu Shuang laughed. The third brother, with his long, beautiful eyes and beard, and his imposing presence, was both intelligent and ruthless. "Instead of resting, you want me to go and appease the soldiers? Wouldn't it be better if I went to distribute ginger soup to the soldiers or check on their tents?"
Zhu Gang laughed, his words carrying a deeper meaning, "After all, he's his elder brother's bloodline; he's learned all of his tricks!"
Zhu Shuang chuckled and said, "He's even more shrewd than our elder brother. He's so young, yet so deep in thought. I'd heard before that our nephew was a deep thinker, but now that I see him, I realize I underestimated him. Our elder brother isn't as ruthless or heartless as him. No wonder he was raised by our father."
Zhu Gang also fell silent at this moment. Sometimes, he and his brothers really felt unbalanced.
All these sons combined don't even compare to the resources their eldest brother receives. Over the years, they've only known the roles of ruler and subject, father and son; they are both sons and subjects. But in their father's eyes, there is a true 'legitimate son,' and now there is a 'legitimate grandson.'
“If my nephew gets that position in the future, we can forget about staying in the north,” Zhu Gang suddenly laughed and said. “At that time, he might become a wealthy and powerful prince.”
Zhu Shuang shook his head and said with some worry, "According to Father Emperor's wishes, our title of Prince can be passed down, and our descendants will not lack wealth and honor. But our eldest nephew does not think so, and my elder brother also has his own ideas. When the time comes, we will inevitably have to grant him the title of Prince."
Remembering something, Zhu Shuang said, "Let's not talk about those things. We, as his younger brothers, dare not say anything to our imperial brother. Even if the crown prince ascends the throne in the future, and you have some troops under your command, would you dare to draw your sword against him?"
Whether it was the King of Qin or the King of Jin, they were both people who had led troops, but they also knew that their guards were nothing in the eyes of the Crown Prince.
Throughout history, emperors have always worried that their crown princes would wield too much military power. But in the Ming Dynasty, things are different; the emperor and crown prince share the same civil and military staff. In recent years, nearly half of the Ming navy was controlled by the crown prince, even though many people didn't value the navy.
But now things are different. The Crown Prince has arrived in Beiping and is in charge. He has four Dukes and a whole bunch of Marquises and Earls under his command, as if they are afraid that the Crown Prince will not have military power.
Not only did he gain military power, he was also given ample autonomy. It was extremely difficult for the princes to deploy troops, but once the Crown Prince issued an edict, the princes had no choice but to obediently mobilize their troops, leaving them no room for negotiation.
Zhu Shuang sighed and said, "I used to think about some things and felt that I was no worse than my elder brother, just that I didn't have the support of our father. But now I see that I am not as good as my elder brother as I was born later. My mind and skills are not as good as his, and even my son is not as good as his."
Perhaps there are times when you feel resentful, but some things are probably decided at birth. It's not a matter of whether you fight for them or not; there's simply no point in fighting for them!
Being a vassal king isn't so bad. It's carefree and doesn't involve much politics. You can live a leisurely life, unlike your father and elder brother who have to work so hard. Being a vassal king is much more comfortable.
Zhu Xiong Ying didn't care about any of that. He strode ahead, while his guards followed behind carrying a yellow sheep.
Upon entering the tent, Zhu Xiong Ying immediately said warmly, "Second Uncle, Third Uncle, how about we have some of my cooking today, and perhaps a pot of wine as well?"
Zhu Shuang immediately laughed, looking very expectant. "Alright then, I can't speak for anything else, but your second uncle has brought plenty of wine. Nephew, come and grill some mutton, your second uncle will have a taste!"
Zhu Xiong Ying felt that the roasted mutton wasn't a big problem. Although he wouldn't dare to boast about his excellent skills, given the good ingredients, it couldn't be too bad.
Scallion segments, ginger slices, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and fennel seeds are definitely indispensable. Previously, his subordinates also used seasonings and salt to flavor the food, so Zhu Xiong Ying only needs to pay attention to the heat now.
Watching Zhu Xiong Ying roast mutton, Zhu Shuang asked casually, "Nephew, you know about your second uncle's outrageous deeds a few years ago. We had quite a few people bribe pearls and jade in the coastal provincial administration. We spent all our money there, but you were able to get money back from there. That's quite remarkable."
Zhu Xiong Ying became smug and said with a smile, "Grandfather is about to take charge of the Tianjin Guard, and Duke Xin has also gone to Korea. My two uncles, just wait, my Ming Dynasty is about to conquer a mountain of silver!"
Zhu Shuang and Zhu Gang immediately became curious, as they genuinely knew nothing about these matters. "Oh? Nephew, is there some story behind this?"
Zhu Xiong Ying didn't hide anything, saying there was no need for it. "Although the land of the Japanese pirates in the East is barbaric, there is a large silver mountain there, with reserves far exceeding those of our Great Ming. If we can take that silver mountain, our Great Ming will no longer have to worry about not having enough money."
Zhu Shuang and Zhu Gang initially didn't believe it; could there really be a silver mountain in this desolate land?
But suddenly, they felt a pang of unease. They knew all too well how brilliant and ambitious their father was. Since their father was personally overseeing the matter, it must be true. There really was a great silver mountain in that wild and uncivilized land of Japan. Soon, the whole world would know.
However, this was a major event known only to the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and even the Imperial Grandson; it was only these princes who remained unaware. The only consolation was that the common people were temporarily unaware, which meant these princes still held some status.
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