Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Whether Zhu Yunhuan was very frugal or not is a bit complicated. Because sometimes he seemed to be frugal and didn't like extravagance. But in many cases, he would not deliberately reduce his quality of life.

The expenses for this wedding will definitely have to be spent, but we will try to save as much as possible.

Looking at the list, Zhu Yunhuan thought carefully and said, "There will be about 30,000 taels of silver left, so I'll take it to the East Palace. I thought about it and realized that it was not appropriate to ask the craftsmen from the Ministry of Works and the Martial Arts Garden to help me with the work."

Xia Yuanji said, "Your Highness, whether it is the Ministry of Works or the Martial Arts Garden, the things your Highness makes have brought many benefits to the people of the world. I think even if it costs a little, it is reasonable."

This was not Xia Yuanji flattering Zhu Yunhuan, but rather some of his true feelings and thoughts.

Whether it was gunpowder, manure, etc., these were indeed done according to Zhu Yunhuan's wishes, and there must have been some costs.

However, compared with those returns, these investments are obviously very valuable. If we really count the details, Zhu Yunhuan, the crown prince, brought more returns to the Ming Dynasty, and those investments are naturally not worth mentioning.

This is a serious matter. It is not used for daily expenses or for living a life of extravagance. Naturally, there is no need to criticize it.

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said to Xia Yuanji, "That is indeed true, but I still feel that it is a little inappropriate. You should also know that it is a simple matter for me to ask someone to do something, but when it comes to money, it is much more sensitive."

Hearing what Zhu Yunhuan said, Xia Yuanji naturally did not refute, because the actual situation was indeed so.

It was indeed no problem for the Crown Prince Zhu Yunhuan to ask people to do something, whether it was within the palace or outside the palace, it could be solved with just one word.

But if money is needed, whether it is from the imperial treasury, the national treasury, or some government offices, even if the officials finally agree, there is still a procedure to go through.

Zhu Yunhuan continued, "Now that the money is in my East Palace, I have the final say on how to spend it. As for what to buy, others should not say too much. Isn't that right?"

Xia Yuanji quickly replied, "Your Highness, if the East Palace has any expenses, the court will naturally pay for it as well."

Whether it is the emperor or the crown prince, they all need to be supported by the court and have some "salary". The state is responsible for their daily life and so on.

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "I know what you mean, don't worry. I am not a person who likes pleasure, and I don't plan to spend the money on wine and women and squander it."

Xia Yuanji quickly apologized and said, "Your Highness, please understand that this is not my intention."

Whether this was the meaning or not was not so important, but Xia Yuanji was indeed worried that Zhu Yunhuan would use the money for daily expenses, etc.

If the emperor and the crown prince were relatively frugal, it would naturally be a good thing for the Ming Dynasty. If the ruler was extravagant, it would be a huge burden for the people and would have a bad impact on the court.

The Hongwu Emperor was frugal, and the crown prince and grandson had never shown themselves to be extravagant, so it seemed that the Ming Dynasty did not need to worry about the extravagance of its rulers.

But who can absolutely guarantee such a thing? There are many emperors in history who were wise and powerful in their early years, but became foolish and incompetent in their later years, or began to only care about pleasure, etc.

The Crown Prince used to be frugal because the Emperor was watching him closely and he had never been extravagant. If he gets a taste of extravagance, he might start to enjoy himself. It is also possible.

Therefore, Xia Yuanji's worries are not unreasonable. In fact, such things are not uncommon in history.

Zhu Yunhuan said, "Okay, I know how to use this money. Get the money over quickly, this is the most important thing."

Xia Yuanji knew this very well. This was the private money of the Crown Prince, just like the Emperor had a private treasury. In principle, the Crown Prince had the final say on how to spend this money.

However, this is not absolute. If the crown prince starts to indulge in luxury, the emperor will definitely stop him. If the ministers hear some rumors, they may also advise against it.

Therefore, the Crown Prince can use this money, and even if he does something that people don't quite understand, many people can turn a blind eye to it, because this is money saved by the Crown Prince himself.

However, if the Crown Prince uses this money to do something that seems to violate the bottom line, many people will be really angry.

The Hongwu Emperor holds great power and the Crown Prince is now fully fledged. Under normal circumstances, court officials would not dare to challenge the authority of these two.

But it is also because what these two are doing now is also within the power of the ruler. Therefore, these civil and military officials are very afraid and will not say too much.

However, if the crown prince began to live a life of extravagance, some officials would certainly agree, follow blindly, or even flatter him. However, some officials would also make direct criticisms, even at the risk of their lives, so that they could also gain a good reputation.

These are also the pursuits of some scholars. Leaving a name in history and assisting the king is also the dream of countless scholars.

After a busy day, Zhu Yunhuan said to Zhang Fusheng, "Prepare the carriage and guards and go to the Kaiping Palace."

Zhang Fusheng asked with some concern, "Your Highness, it's almost dark. If you leave the palace now, I'm afraid you won't be able to make it back for dinner."

"Go and do your work." Zhu Yunhuan said with a smile, "You don't need to worry about these things. Just do your good work steadily."

Zhang Fusheng naturally didn't say anything more and hurried to get some things done. These were the most important things for him. It's not a bad thing to have your own opinions, but you definitely can't make decisions for the crown prince.

It must be said that Zhang Fusheng's status and honor are closely related to Zhu Yunhuan, the crown prince. Even all his status comes from this crown prince. Naturally, he also hopes that the crown prince's status will be stable.

Zhu Yunhuan naturally didn't need to worry about Old Zhu. His second uncle and fifth uncle were still in Yingtian Prefecture, so he could naturally ask them to accompany Old Zhu for dinner.

One or two meals would not cause any problem. Zhu Yunhuan was not so petty as to worry that his grandfather's contact with his uncles would affect his status.

It was enough to travel with a small group of people. It was not a serious matter, so there was no need for a lot of ceremonial guards. However, the necessary guards must be brought, otherwise they would not be able to leave the palace.

Seeing Zhu Yunhuan coming, Chang Lanshi was surprised but very happy, "Your Highness came suddenly, and the mansion is not prepared yet." "I am not an outsider, what do I need to prepare?" Zhu Yunhuan supported Chang Lanshi and said with a smile, "Grandma, many times I feel that the people in my family are too obedient to the rules, which is not good."

Chang Lan just smiled at this. Zhu Yunhuan, the grandson of the emperor, could show his closeness to the people in the Kaiping Palace. But if the Chang family got carried away because of this, it would obviously be bad, so the rules should still be followed.

This is not only a respect for the imperial power, but also a way to avoid a series of impeachments by officials. Many people are keeping an eye on the Chang family.

Zhu Yunhuan looked at Chang Sheng and said, "There's no need to call my aunt. I came here because I thought my aunt was about to give birth, so I wanted to come and see her."

Chang Lan immediately smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. My daughter-in-law is in good health. The imperial physician and the doctors we invited come here often. The midwife we ​​hired also lives in the mansion and everything is well prepared."

Everyone was very attentive, and that was as it should be, since the Chang family had some children who were not prosperous. As for the unborn 'Chang Jizu', everyone was eagerly looking forward to it.

"This is also the first time that my second aunt has given birth to a child, and she is at this age." Zhu Yunhuan said, "If I don't come to take a look, I will feel a little uneasy."

In fact, it was not just Zhu Yunhuan who had these concerns. Chang Lan and others were even more worried about this matter, so they had always been very cautious and would never dare to make any mistakes.

Chang Lan looked at Zhu Yunhuan with kindness in her eyes, "If my daughter-in-law has children, they should grow up with your children."

"Of course!" Zhu Yunhuan laughed immediately, full of anticipation, "I've thought about it. Xu Qinxu from the Prince of Zhongshan's Palace is a few years older, so Jizu of our family should be a little older too. Jizu is still my younger brother, so he should protect my son in the future."

Chang Lan said, "That's also Jizu's blessing!"

It can be considered a blessing to be able to grow up with the future crown prince and have a certain blood relationship with him. This is the most rare thing for a noble family, and this is one of the reasons why they are rich.

When they arrived at the main hall, Zhu Yunhuan sat down and said, "Let's have a meal together as a family. Now my second and third uncles are not in Beijing anymore. As the crown prince, I want to do something, and I always count on my uncles to make efforts first."

Chang Lan said nonchalantly, "That's what they should do. In ordinary families, uncles help their nephews. Your Highness is a man who does great things. If our family members don't contribute, it's really unacceptable."

The principle is similar, but many people also understand that not every relative will do their best to do things.

Of course, the relationship between the Chang family and Zhu Yunhuan was not ordinary. Because they were a relationship of monarch and subject, the Chang family naturally tried their best to do things well in order to allow Zhu Yunhuan to ascend the throne smoothly.

Even though Zhu Yunhuan no longer needs the Chang family to cheer and rally their support inside and outside the court, he still needs to do his best in the serious work that needs to be done, without any delay.

Noble families enjoy wealth and glory because of their status, so naturally they may need to do some things that they should do because of their status.

After eating and drinking, Zhu Yunhuan said to Chang Lan, "I have some silver and money in my hand. I will have someone send it to you when the time comes."

Chang Sheng immediately said, "Your Highness, the palace is not short of money. How can Your Highness subsidize us? The palace has prepared some money. If Your Highness needs it, you can send someone to take it at any time."

Zhu Yunhuan had no doubt about Chang Sheng's sincerity, because Chang Lan and Chang Sheng had mentioned these things before. They had prepared a lot of silver and money for Zhu Yunhuan just to let Zhu Yunhuan do the right thing.

Even though Chang Lan had not received much education and even though Chang Sheng was a playboy, it did not mean that they did not know some things.

The crown prince of every dynasty has built up his strength in the court. In addition to his status as the crown prince, he also needs to use money to recruit some people.

However, Zhu Yunhuan's situation was a little special, and the "start-up capital" was not used. But the Chang family had been preparing for it, and it might come in handy someday.

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "It's impossible that it was subsidized. Maybe we will need the government to help subsidize us when the time comes."

Chang Lan immediately said, "Don't worry, Your Highness. If the money is not enough, there is still some in the mansion. If the gap is really big, I will go to the Duke of Liang's mansion. He still has some spare money in his warehouse."

Zhu Yunxun smiled and explained, "It's business. Farm tools and other things are important, and I'm also improving them. Some things are made by the Ministry of Industry, and some are made by people in Wuyuan. But those things are related to people's livelihood and cannot be used privately."

Chang Lan and Chang Sheng were listening patiently. They naturally knew that Zhu Yunhuan had always liked craftsmen.

Zhu Yunhuan continued to explain with a smile, "After all, I am the grandson of the crown prince. I have had a reputation as a playboy since I was young. Many people hope that I will return to my old ways. Besides, the reputation of the grandson of the crown prince amassing wealth is not good either."

Chang Sheng said impatiently, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I am not afraid of a bad reputation. Although I am dull, I am quite capable. Your Highness, why don't you just show up? I will do everything!"

Chang Lan also said, "Chang Sheng is right. He already has a bad reputation, so he doesn't care if it gets even worse."

Anyway, with Zhu Yunhuan as his backer, Chang Sheng really didn't care about his reputation. Even if it was a common sight, the emperor wouldn't care, the crown prince wouldn't care, and other people would just have to endure it even if they were upset.

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "It's not that serious, but it's better for the family to handle some things. Maybe we can develop some new things or recruit some craftsmen. It's not good to use the name of the Eastern Palace, nor to have any connection with the government."

Chang Sheng immediately understood what he meant. Many noble families were also good at this trick, including some seemingly honest civil servants.

Many families have businesses, and this is the boss behind the scenes, but he has nothing to do with those businesses in public. Everyone has to have a face, and merchants are looked down upon by everyone.

But he looked down on merchants. Those gold and silver were all good things, and more was never too much.

Chang Lan said confidently, "Your Highness, don't worry. Everyone in the mansion knows what they should know, and they definitely don't know what they shouldn't know. Your Highness's money will definitely be well taken care of in the mansion."

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "It's not up to others to think about these things. My sister can't do it either."

Chang Lan and Chang Sheng were happy to hear this. The person that the Crown Prince trusted the most was still the Prince of Kaiping's Palace! (End of this chapter)