Remembering something, Old Zhu said, "Your eldest uncle is quite a handful. If it weren't for the respect you'd show him, we would definitely have banished him to some desolate wilderness."
“Uncle is pretending to be ignorant when he knows the truth, and he’s just making a fool of himself.” Zhu Xiong Ying turned to look at Old Zhu and said with a smile, “If Lan Yu steps forward, then Uncle can’t step forward, otherwise the Chang family will be too powerful. My position is very secure, so Uncle wouldn’t dare to have any other ideas.”
Old Zhu nodded upon hearing this, but also said, "He's clear-headed about important matters, but lacks manners when it comes to trivial ones. It's not that he's tarnishing his own reputation, but rather that he has inherent problems. Your eldest uncle, second uncle, and third uncle are all of the same character. We're not afraid of them interfering in politics, and they don't have the ability to do so."
Zhu Xiong Ying didn't know how to respond, because Old Zhu's words were quite insightful. His three uncles calling it self-deprecation was, in effect, a compliment. Those three were all prone to minor mistakes, and if one were to nitpick, a whole host of accusations could be found, but it was possible to turn a blind eye.
“In a few years, Xu Yungong should also have his power reduced,” Old Zhu advised Zhu Xiong Ying. “That boy is quite talented, but he will eventually become the emperor’s brother-in-law, and will inevitably be the uncle of your crown prince. Then he will not be able to hold military power.”
Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, then joked, "Grandpa Emperor, I am just like Emperor Wu of Han, with Wei Qing and Huo Qubing as my brothers. Our Crown Prince will probably have a great general as his uncle in the future."
Old Zhu smiled and nodded, becoming serious as well, "But don't you dare follow the example of Emperor Wu of Han and cause a tragedy of father and son killing each other!"
“I know, the rules set by the Emperor are here, the eldest son of the legitimate wife must be established, and the rules must be firmly established,” Zhu Xiong Ying said. “Although some princes may have some talent and ability, the eldest son of the legitimate wife may be mediocre. But there is no way around it, that position is too special, if the rules are not followed, the country will be in chaos.”
Old Zhu was even more gratified and said to Zhu Xiong Ying, "Over the years, we've been biased towards you and your father, that's for sure. But we didn't dare show favoritism to our other sons, for fear they might have ulterior motives. Throughout history, how many human tragedies have occurred in the struggle for the throne!"
There's no need to continue discussing this topic; just keep it in mind.
Zhu Xiong Ying was genuinely curious, so he asked, "Grandfather, what trouble has my eldest uncle gotten into this time?"
"It's all because he acts recklessly!" Old Zhu said irritably. "That's his only bad habit, a shameless scoundrel! He wouldn't dare to embezzle or break the law, nor would he bully men or women. He was drunk and didn't show up for his shift!"
Zhu Xiong Ying was speechless. This really was Chang Mao's style. It was no surprise that he did these things.
Old Zhu continued, "Your good third brother took a fancy to two innocent courtesans in a brothel, but he didn't dare bring them back to the mansion. Your eldest uncle has a house, so the third brother settled them there."
Zhu Xiong Ying was speechless. His uncle was a handful, and his younger brother was just as unruly. Speaking of Zhu Yun Tong, that rascal, he's barely even grown his first hair!
Seeing Zhu Xiong Ying's disappointed and sullen expression, Old Zhu chuckled. There was no other reason; he simply found the Crown Prince's behavior amusing. Old Zhu knew that his Crown Prince genuinely cared for his younger siblings, and that the Crown Prince's current actions were simply a reflection of the elder brother's helplessness!
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