Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Zhu Yunwen returned to the palace and went to the You Palace as usual to meet his mother and two younger brothers.

Seeing his mother obviously aged a lot, Zhu Yunwen felt bad. If he had won, his mother would still be the Crown Princess, the future Empress Dowager, and the most honorable woman in the Ming Dynasty.

But now, in this secluded palace, there seem to be some diligent eunuchs and maids serving, but none of them are familiar faces, so it is obvious who arranged these people.

The younger brothers also seemed very dutiful and cautious, especially the fourth one, who dared to look down on Zhu Yunhuan in the past, but now he is very polite.

What else can I say? I lost, and that's the result. If I had won, Zhu Yunhuan should have been cautious, and his sisters should have been even more careful.

Zhu Yunhuan didn't care what people like Zhu Yunwen were thinking. Anyway, they all had no worries in life and death, so isn't that enough?

This is considered a very good ending. There is someone to serve you, and those who should be given fiefs will be given fiefs. As long as they don't cause trouble and everyone is still friendly and respectful to each other, that's enough.

In Wuying Palace, Zhu Yunhuan was stunned for a moment when he saw Chang Sheng coming over suddenly. No need to think, it must be Old Zhu who called him.

"I, the Duke of Kaiguo, Chang Sheng, pay my respects to His Majesty the Emperor." Chang Sheng was very polite and immediately saluted, "I pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. May His Royal Highness live long."

Old Zhu joked, "This is Yun Hun's good uncle, he is so brave. Japanese pirates, you are even reporting false military intelligence now!"

Chang Sheng immediately trembled, there were some things he knew better than anyone else. He did get Zhu Yunhuan's instructions, but these things could not be made public, especially if the emperor asked for accountability, it would be a big deal.

"It's not a false report, it's just that we seem to have seen the Japanese pirates." Zhu Yunhuan said nonsense in a serious manner, "Although the Japanese pirates did not land, they are on the sea and on the island. It makes sense for the army to go and suppress the bandits."

Old Zhu was too lazy to talk nonsense, and just asked, "I don't know how much cargo is on the ship. I just asked around, that is, the nobles and relatives, why don't you think about your own family?"

Lao Zhu had no idea whether it was profitable to open up the sea. He felt that it might be a waste of time and money and would end up being a losing business.

The reason why it was not stopped before was that Zhu Yuanzhang felt that even if there were some losses, it would not have much impact on the court.

As long as his grandson didn't have unrealistic fantasies, he would just treat it as paying for a lesson. If that was the case, Old Zhu would naturally accept it.

However, Lao Zhu also thought of another possibility, that is, if he really made money from going overseas this time, he would have to take this matter seriously.

After all, he also asked some people and read history books. Whether it was the Tang Dynasty, the Song Dynasty, or even the Mongols, they all made a lot of real money from overseas.

"The Imperial Treasury, didn't the Imperial Treasury pay some money?" Zhu Yunhuan said first, "I've also thought about this. If this matter is done for a long time, the royal family will also benefit more in the future. Grandfather, I'm not just withholding money!"

If the Crown Prince is mentioned, many members of the royal family have some complaints. Even though some things were proposed by Zhu Yunwen, the Prince of Wulin, and approved by the Emperor, everyone knows what happened.

Reducing the royal family's supplies and formulating a system for evaluating them were all ideas of the Crown Prince. He wanted to legally reduce the royal family's treatment and power without having to worry about a bad reputation!
Zhu Yunhuan was full of enthusiasm and was looking forward to it. "I think the court, royal family, nobles, etc. will all benefit from it. Some merchants and craftsmen will also benefit from it."

If going overseas forms a certain scale, it will not only bring a little profit, but also give birth to a large industrial chain, which can make many people rich.

Zhu Yunhuan continued, "Grandfather, think about it. If we can make a lot of money by going out to sea, the shipyards can hire more craftsmen, and the kiln factories and workshops in various places can also hire craftsmen. The people of our Ming Dynasty will not have to rely on the land."

Old Zhu was not happy. "We still have to keep an eye on the land. Can we still rely on gold and silver to fill our stomachs in a year of famine? Besides, if merchants can make money without doing any production, it will easily make the people forget their roots."

There is actually nothing wrong with Zhu's argument. Such views and opinions were common in feudal dynasties.

Merchants who do not engage in production think that those who flatter or buy low and sell high, etc., are taking away the benefits of others.

Moreover, once many people become jealous of the profits from doing business, they will all go into business, which will naturally mean that there will be fewer people farming, as this is a feudal dynasty based on agriculture.

"How can everyone do business? There are more and more people in the Ming Dynasty now. It seems that there is more and more land, but it is not enough." Zhu Yunhuan said, "It is not good for everyone to farm."

Old Zhu is not unaware of the convenience brought by the circulation of goods, etc., he just looks down on merchants from the bottom of his heart, which is normal.

Old Zhu asked seriously, "You have thought about so many things, and you have brought officials and soldiers with you, as well as hundreds of large and small ships. When do you think you will be back?"

Zhu Yunhuan answered without thinking, "He should be back in the spring next year. I asked Lian Zining to follow him. He is also an envoy, and I want to promote the prestige of the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu was so angry at Zhu Yunhuan's shamelessness that he sent the big ship out to sea under the pretext of fighting the Japanese pirates. He also arranged for the civil servants to be the time, so that when they returned, they could still say that they were promoting the national prestige.

As for bringing merchants and goods, that was a secondary matter. To promote national prestige was also a requirement for many scholars and officials in a prosperous era.

Old Zhu became more and more certain that his precious grandson had been planning to go to sea a long time ago and had taken every aspect into consideration.

Not only did they take into consideration warships, sailors, guides, merchants, etc., but they had also found reasons and excuses.

"I don't want to talk to you. Next year, when you become the emperor, you will take care of things on your own," said Old Zhu. "If you get into trouble, don't expect me to clean up your mess."

Chang Sheng, who was still kneeling, suddenly looked up. What did he hear?
Although he knew that Zhu Yunhuan's position was stable and that it was only a matter of time before Zhu Yunhuan inherited the throne, what did the emperor mean by this?
The emperor was in very good health, although he occasionally pretended to be sick in recent years. But he had pretended to be sick so often that some people no longer thought it was surprising to hear that the emperor was ill.

Zhu Yunhuan looked at Zhuge Liang in silence. At first, he thought that Zhuge Liang summoned Chang Sheng to "raise an army to question him", and then he thought that Zhuge Liang was dissatisfied with the profit distribution.

But looking at it now, it is not the case at all. Old Zhu wants to create some established facts through Chang Sheng's mouth.

Who is Chang Sheng? Everyone outside knows that he is the second son of King Kaiping and heir to the title of Duke. They also know that he is the uncle of the Crown Prince and has a very close relationship with him.

Chang Sheng was a bit of a big mouth, and his thoughts were not very deep. When it came to matters concerning the throne, Chang Sheng cared about it very much.

Don't think about it. In a few days, the whole city will probably be in an uproar. I guess people will start to hear a lot of opinions. There will definitely be no persuasion, because everyone is still very afraid of Emperor Hongwu. There is no reason to let Zhu Yunhuan be disloyal and unfilial. That is the stupidest thing to do.

But if the emperor then shows his old age, or becomes uninterested in state affairs, some things seem to be a natural consequence.

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunhuan and said, "What's wrong? You are so obsessed with being the head of the family. How much of what we arranged for you have you listened to? How much of the things you arranged on your own have you done?"

Zhu Yunhuan was even more speechless, and hurriedly explained, "Grandfather, I never said I wanted to be the emperor in a hurry, did I?"

"You are not in a hurry to become the emperor. You just say that." Old Zhu sneered and said, "You are really Zhu Biao's son. When asked, you said you are not in a hurry to become the emperor. You didn't tell us that you had dealt with the matter. Is that what the crown prince should do?"

Chang Sheng was still frightened. He felt that he didn't want to hear too many things, otherwise the psychological pressure would be a bit too great. However, he didn't feel particularly worried about the emperor's complaints. The crown prince was just like that.

Old Zhu stared at Chang Sheng and said, "Just keep this in mind. Don't let the people of the world know about it. Otherwise, everyone in Yingtian Prefecture will know about it before we even leave the palace!"

Chang Sheng kowtowed repeatedly, "Your Majesty, I dare not do that. I will keep my mouth shut!"

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunhuan and pointed at Chang Sheng, "Is this your hope in the Five Military Commandery? If you really rely on him, you won't be the emperor next year. We will help you hold on."

Chang Sheng was stunned and felt anxious. How come His Majesty suddenly decided not to pass on the throne? Did he say something wrong?

"I've said it before, my second uncle is simple-minded, he does whatever His Majesty says." Zhu Yunhuan said with a smile, "I'll go explain it to him later, he's always been efficient in doing things."

Old Zhu glared at Zhu Yunxun and said, "Can you just say this? If it gets out, it will be considered as you being unfilial!"

Old Zhu was too lazy to play dumb, and said to Chang Sheng, "I will pass on the throne after I have my great-grandson, which will probably be next year. You know the situation well. People who should know should be told, and people who shouldn't know shouldn't know. Do you understand?"

Chang Sheng looked up in surprise, then nodded repeatedly.

Seeing Chang Sheng's expression, Old Zhu got angry. "How could Chang Yuchun have such a stupid son like you? Tell me, who should know about this?"

Chang Sheng was speechless for a moment. For a moment, he really didn't know who should know these things and who shouldn't know these things.

"I'm too lazy to talk to you. Go ask Yun Hun later." Old Zhu was really angry and laughed. "I'm so angry that I feel stuffy in my chest if I say a few more words to you! But you are a little stupid, but Yun Hun will be able to use you in the future."

Although Chang Sheng was scolded by Lao Zhu, he was not angry or annoyed at all.

In addition to not daring to do so, it was also because Lao Zhu was not only the lord, but also an elder. It was no big deal to be scolded a few times, just listen. Chang Sheng also knew himself, he was not a smart person, and his mind was not that active.

Seeing Chang Sheng stumbling out of Wuying Hall with sweat all over his forehead, Old Zhu was too lazy to say anything. As for Zhu Yunhuan, he felt a little embarrassed.

He never followed too many rules in front of Zhu Yuanzhang and was not afraid. However, all the civil and military officials in the court were not able to let go in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, and Chang Sheng's attitude was actually very common.

"Grandfather, my uncle is timid." Zhu Yunhuan couldn't help but complain, "Just inform him about the matter, there's no need to scare him like this."

Old Zhu said proudly, "You can scare our son and grandson, but we can't scare your uncle?"

The words of the old naughty Zhu left Zhu Yunhuan speechless for a moment, but thinking about Zhu's character, he was really capable of doing such things.

Even though Zhu Yuanzhang acquiesced or even supported some of the things Zhu Yunhuan planned to do, that was because he was the emperor and he knew that such things had to be done.

Don't say anything, because that is "justice", Lao Zhu can only accept this matter with a pinch of his nose.

But as a person who is extremely protective of his son, Old Zhu can scare the people around Zhu Yunhuan whenever he wants. If the others are not important or difficult to scare, then he can just bring Chang Sheng over to scare him, which is fine.

Zhu Yunhuan thought about it carefully before saying, "If my second uncle really tells others about it, I will have to retire next year even if I don't want to."

"I am seventy years old, I can retire." Zhu said, "I am also afraid that I will become confused when I am old. If I really become confused and make mistakes, I will regret it. Many emperors were considered to be talented and accomplished when they were young, but they became confused in their later years, causing turmoil in the country and the country."

Zhu Yunhuan was also speechless and had no intention of saying anything polite or insincere at this time.

There are some things that everyone knows, so there is no need to be hypocritical, as it has been decided long ago.

Therefore, it is enough to just follow the previous plans. Many things will come naturally by then and there is nothing to worry about.

"Just scare Yunwen for a bit, he's also timid." Old Zhu reminded, "And your fourth son, confer the title on him as soon as you ascend the throne, and keep the fifth son by your side for now."

Zhu Yunhuan nodded, a little worried, "The fourth child is too young, how about letting him out in two years?"

Old Zhu glared at him, "Still young? Everyone you meet is too young! Many of your uncles of this age have gone to serve as feudal lords, but your fourth child can't endure hardship?"

Old Zhu definitely did not doubt what Zhu Yunhuan wanted to do to his other brothers, he just felt that sometimes Zhu Yunhuan protected his brothers more than he did.

It seems like my brothers and sisters are all children who can't do anything and need to be taken care of.

Sometimes Zhu Yuanzhang really thought that this was a good quality. He believed that even a hundred years after his death, the royal family would not live a bad life.

But don't always think about taking care of your grandson. You have to take care of himself too! (End of this chapter)