Father can be an enemy country

Chapter 1396 Tears, Tears, Tears
"Yes." Boss Zhu nodded, a little embarrassed, "The emperor of the Celestial Empire was devoted to managing the nine provinces and thirteen provinces... By the way, in the future, Daning, Liaodong, and Guizhou will also be set up as provinces. The court can no longer manage such a large territory. If you bite off more than you can chew, you will suffer if you stretch your hands too far."

"Then Inner Yunnan should be governed by the imperial court." Zhu Zhen took the initiative to say, "It's enough for me to have Outer Yunnan."

"No, Yunnan belongs to the King of Dian." Zhu Yuanzhang had already thought it over. Yunnan was the link between the imperial court and the overseas vassal kings, and this connection could not be severed. He shook his head decisively and said:
"We have thought it out for you. In the future, one of your sons will be in Kunming to manage Yunnan, one son will be in Suzhou to manage the Navy, and one son will be in Yunnan to manage these overseas provinces. This way, we won't have to fight over the family property in the future."

"Your son obeys your order." Zhu Zhen knelt down to receive the order.

Zhu Yuanzhang handed the imperial edict to him, and suddenly his eyes turned red and he said, "It's all thanks to you..."

Although he had seen the world map drawn by Zhu Zhen, he still firmly believed that only the land of China was a good place, and that the land outside of China, no matter how vast it was, was still a wild land...

"Father, what are you talking about? I am so grateful for giving you so much freedom." Zhu Zhen kowtowed three times to his father and said, "I will protect the southwest for you and expand the territory! I hope you take care of yourself and always smile!"

"Okay, take care of yourself, my son." Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and turned away.

"Your son will take his leave." Zhu Zhen kowtowed three more times before slowly leaving the Golden Palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Zhen's receding back and, after holding back his tears for a long time, they finally fell.

~~
After leaving the Qianqing Palace, he went to the Wan'an Palace to say goodbye to his mother.

"You've only been back for a few days, and you're leaving again?" Concubine Hu held her precious son's hand and cried loudly.

"Don't worry, Meng Xun won't leave yet, and someone will play with you." Zhu Zhen coaxed his mother softly.

"A grandson is a grandson, a son is a son, and no one can replace anyone else." Concubine Hu cried.

"Then you can go to Kunming with me." Zhu Zhen was also worried about his drunken mother. Moreover, the palace stipulated that when a prince went to his fiefdom, his biological mother could apply to go with him.

"Well..." Concubine Hu backed off. "Your mother's health is so bad, and I have to take care of everything in the palace. How can I leave?"

"Will you be able to take care of it?" Zhu Zhen expressed deep doubt: "Isn't it the mother of eleven or twelve who is helping you take care of it?"

"You little brat, you're about to leave, but you're still embarrassing me." Concubine Hu said gloomily, "Concubine Guo Hui and Concubine Hu Shun have indeed helped me share a lot of the burden, but I still have to make the final decision."

"Well, alright." Zhu Zhen nodded helplessly and said, "Then I will ask you one thing."

"Quit drinking." Concubine Hu said.

"Good boy, you can answer the questions quickly." Zhu Zhen smiled bitterly and said, "But you have to do it. Don't make me worry."

"I really quit drinking. Now I only drink it when I eat." Concubine Hu said with a guilty conscience, "At most I drink a little before going to bed, otherwise I can't sleep."

"That's four meals!" Zhu Zhen almost broke down.

"Okay, okay, I'll give up drinking early in the morning from now on." Concubine Hu had no choice but to give in and said, "We have to take it one step at a time, right?"

"Okay." Zhu Zhen sighed and said, "I don't mean to deprive you of your hobbies..."

"It's just for your health, you have to be restrained." Concubine Hu answered again.

"Yes." Zhu Zhen nodded and said, "This son is really a naggard, isn't he?"

"Son, I am willing to listen to your nagging." Concubine Hu smiled and shook her head: "It is too hard to live without your nagging."

"..." Zhu Zhen felt a lump in his throat and almost burst into tears.

~~
Finally, the family gathered at Kunning Palace for lunch. This meal was both a welcoming banquet for the fourth brother and a farewell banquet for them.

After the banquet, the two brothers bid farewell to their father, the emperor and their mother, left the palace and returned home to prepare to set off the next day.

After leaving the palace, Zhu Zhen suddenly poked his head out from the golden carriage and said to Zhu Di who was riding beside him: "Captain Zhu."

"The prince is here." Zhu Di got into the role quite quickly, worthy of being a veteran actor.

"Go pick someone up at Jiangdongmen Wharf for me." Zhu Zhen ordered, "Clean up and don't embarrass me."

"I just took a shower and changed my clothes." Zhu Di touched his face and said, "It's this face. No matter how I wash it, it won't become white."

"Oh, then take a bouquet of flowers." Zhu Zhen asked the palace maid to take a handful of purple gentian flowers from the golden vase, handed it to Zhu Di and said, "Be nicer and don't put on airs. Go ahead." "Okay, as you wish." Zhu Di took the flowers in confusion and rode to Jiangdongmen Wharf.

Then I saw an official ship of the Maritime Customs just docked at the pier with the gangway set up.

Zhu Di saw Xu Miaoyun standing on the bow of the boat at a glance, and then he knew who Lao Liu had asked him to pick up.

His mouth opened wide immediately, and his whole body was surrounded by a huge sense of happiness.

It was not until Xu Miaoyun ran down the gangway and threw herself into his arms that he came to his senses. He hugged his wife, who was already in tears, and the couple burst into tears.

It took a while for the fourth brother to calm down. He asked curiously, "Why are you here? Didn't you agree to go back to Beijing with your father-in-law?"

"I heard that the prince was in trouble. I couldn't wait any longer. As soon as Tanggu opened the first ship of the year, I hurried back." Xu Miaoyun held the fourth brother's face distressedly and said, "The prince has suffered..."

"It's okay. I have my brothers to protect me. How can I suffer? I've even gained weight." Zhu Di also raised his hand to hold Xu Miaoyun's oval face. He saw that her plump oval face had become a melon seed face. This made the fourth brother feel distressed. "It made Miaoyun worried."

"I'm fine." Xu Miaoyun also looked at the flowers in Lao Si's hand in surprise. "Your Majesty, don't you know that I am coming?"

"Ah, Lao Liu asked me to bring this. He told me to pick up an important guest." Zhu Di smiled bitterly and said, "I only realized it was you when I got here."

"Sixth uncle is always so meticulous." Xu Miaoyun took the flowers with emotion and smiled through her tears, "It was he who ordered the official ship at Liujiagang to hurry up, so that we could catch up with the prince's trip."

"Yes, Lao Liu is really good to our family." Zhu Di said with a sigh, "It's a pity that I have to go to Yunnan with him tomorrow, and we have to separate again."

"No, we won't separate." Xu Miaoyun shook her head and said firmly: "I want to go to Yunnan with the prince."

"How can that be possible? That kind of place can kill people." Zhu Di was startled, and said in a low voice: "Besides, I am no longer a prince."

"It's okay. I can go wherever the prince can go." Xu Miaoyun said firmly, "Besides, it's precisely because you are not the prince that I have to go! Even if you are a garrison soldier, you still need a wife who can wash and clean yourself."

"That's not necessary. The Sixth Lord has already appointed me as a captain." Zhu Di said hurriedly.

"Then I am Qian Hu's wife." Xu Miaoyun hugged him tightly and said, "Anyway, I will go wherever you go. I can't leave you alone."

"My wife..." Zhu Di's nose felt sore, his mouth curled up, and tears fell again.

The couple were talking sweetly to each other endlessly, and their three sons stood aside, unable to get a word in for a long time.

Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but whisper to Gao Chi: "Brother, are we biological children?"

"I don't think it's possible." Zhu Gaochi sighed and said, "My mother said that she would not take us with her to Yunnan and let us study in the main hall."

"Ah..." The three brothers sighed together.

~~
The next morning, Lao Liu and his party set off to leave Beijing.

The prince led all the officials to see him off, and the ceremony was very grand.

Zhu Zhen looked at the scene of drums and music and the huge procession of ceremonial guards and said, "Brother, I will be back next year. Is it necessary to make such a big scene?"

"Of course it is necessary." Zhu Biao said with a smile: "You have worked hard for two and a half years and have made great contributions. Naturally, it should be more grand."

"Don't do this next time." Zhu Zhen smiled and gave his elder brother a big hug.

"We'll do the same next time." Zhu Biao laughed and waved goodbye to him.

“The green mountains will never change, and the green waters will always flow.”

"Brothers working together can cut through gold!"

After saying this, Zhu Zhen led the crowd on board and sailed upstream.

The prince watched his boat slowly leave Jinling and refused to turn back for a long time.

Lonely sails far and wide, and only the Yangtze River flows.

(End of this chapter)