Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Zhu Yunhuan was in a good mood, mainly because many things were going smoothly.

The noble group was united in their determination to fight a war and gain some spoils of war. These were also their interests, so they would not give in easily.

As for the collusion between officials and businessmen and the gentry's intentions to have some evil intentions, there are naturally laws of the court, and Zhu Yunhuan does not need to worry too much about these matters.

Zhu Su rushed to Yingtian Prefecture in a dusty state and went to Fengxian Temple to pay homage first. Naturally, he also saw Zhu Yunhuan holding the jade sceptre in his hand.

The uncle and nephew followed the rules set by Zhu Yuanzhang. First, Zhu Su paid a visit to the crown prince Zhu Yunhu, and then the nephew Zhu Yunhu went to the side hall to pay a visit to his uncle.

"Yun Hun, you called me back in such a hurry, what's the matter?" Zhu Su couldn't help but complain, "To be honest, Lao Liu should be here by now, why hasn't he arrived yet?"

King Zhu Zhen of Chu was also a cunning man. Although Nanchang was far away, it was not particularly far. In the final analysis, he just did not want to be the first vassal king to reach Yingtian Prefecture, as he felt there was no benefit.

Zhu Yunhuan said unhappily, "Uncle Wu, I don't like what you said. In the past, Uncle Wu liked to respond to Tianfu and return to his hometown the most. Why has it changed now?"

"You also said it was in the past, how can it be now?" Zhu Su complained, "I was young and unstable then, but now I am this age, how can I still be unstable?"

Zhu Yunxun smiled and said, "My nephew has run into trouble, so naturally I would like to ask my uncle for help."

Although Zhu Yunhuan's face was full of smiles, Zhu Su felt that he was not joking, which naturally made him feel a little suspicious and worried.

Zhu Su looked at Zhu Yunxun and asked cautiously, "What can be difficult for you now? Is it possible that your father is ill?"

"We need an important member of the royal family to try the case." Zhu Yunhuan revealed the answer directly, "When the time comes, my fifth uncle will take my fourth son to try the case. I don't like the connection between some Beijing officials and the gentry in Jiangnan."

Zhu Su immediately breathed a sigh of relief and immediately took on the responsibility, "Okay, I can do this! You just need to tell me what to do, and I will definitely find the case you want."

Zhu Yunhuan never looked down on his fifth uncle. He also knew that although his fifth uncle was a playboy and seemed much more mediocre than some of his other uncles, this did not mean that he was mediocre.

"The evidence and witnesses are all there, so we don't have to rely on Uncle Five to solve the case." Zhu Yunhuan said quickly, "It's just that we need to rely on Uncle Five's status. My fourth child is still a little bit unpresentable."

Zhu Su was silent for a moment, then said, "Bring your fourth son to me, and I'll help you keep an eye on him."

Zhu Su and others naturally had no way of getting close to Princess Lu's three sons, but they were nephews after all, so there was no problem in taking care of them a little.

"I can accommodate Yunwen, let alone the fourth and fifth uncles." Zhu Yunhuan said confidently, "Don't worry about the fifth uncle. I plan to send the fourth uncle to Jiangxi or Huguang. I want to open a farm there."

Zhu Su thought for a moment and said, "That's true. Your sixth uncle and your twelfth uncle can help watch over the family. That's enough. It's not good for your fourth and fifth sons to go to the border. Outsiders will gossip about them."

Zhu Yunhuan was too lazy to explain anything, because even if he explained, others might pretend to be convinced, but what they really thought in their hearts was another matter.

Pointing outside the door, Zhu Yunhuan said, "Go see Grandfather Huang. You have to go there when you come back."

This naturally needs no further explanation. Even if Zhu Yunhuan did not mention it, Zhu Su would have mentioned it. It was not necessarily because he had any doubts about Zhu Yunhuan, but because this was what a son should do.

Old Zhu happily held Zhu Wenyao in his arms, and now he didn't feel any back pain at all. He bent over and held Zhu Wenyao in his arms, watching the little guy tossing around with his chubby little legs.

This is not Zhu Wenyao learning to walk, it is simply Old Zhu carrying the little guy and walking, which is absolutely strenuous work.

"Father." Zhu Su was still very happy. "Your Majesty, I, your son Zhu Su, kowtow to you."

Old Zhu raised his head, his face full of kindness, "Look at your nephew's grandson. Great, our Old Five is also a grandfather now."

Zhu Su smiled and got up, but Zhu Wenyao was not happy. When the child was in a good mood, he would give his father some face and allow him to hug him occasionally. Now that he was meeting his great-uncle for the first time, how could he give him face?

Zhu Su didn't care, he just made fun of him from a distance. Zhu Wenyao was very brave, and probably thought his great-uncle was funny, so he kept laughing in a childish voice.

"Father looks much better." Zhu Su was still very happy. He said while teasing Zhu Wenyao, "My nephew is a lucky doll and can bring more blessings to father."

Old Zhu would smile happily, as long as his great-grandson was praised, he would be happy to hear it. Moreover, Old Zhu also thought so in his heart, this great-grandson was an absolute lucky doll.

"In the past few years, I always felt that I didn't have much time left, so I didn't dare to sleep too deeply, for fear that I wouldn't wake up." Old Zhu said with a smile, "In the past two years, I have slept soundly and woke up happily."

His grandson was able to control the court, and now he had the hope of a great-grandson. Naturally, Old Zhu no longer felt that life was meaningless and hopeless as he did in previous years.

Old Zhu continued, "I asked you guys to come back this time not because Yun Hun wants to be the emperor, but because I have something for you guys to do."

Zhu Su immediately stated his position, "Father, don't worry. In the past few years, my sons have been very dutiful. We have never hesitated to do anything the Crown Prince has ordered us to do, and we have done it properly."

This is not self-praise, but since Zhu Yunhuan became the Crown Prince, these influential princes have indeed been very supportive of Zhu Yunhuan as the Crown Prince both openly and privately, and have no complaints.

As for the fact that the King of Qin committed a crime, etc., that was due to the character of Zhu Chong and others. It was not because they were dissatisfied with Zhu Yunhuan, nor were they deliberately looking for trouble to express their dissatisfaction.

Old Zhu naturally understood all this, so he smiled and said, "Even if you all tie yourself together, you can't defeat Yun Hun. He treats you well, and you should know that. Our grandson is taking care of his family, and you should appreciate it."

Although Zhu Su felt that what Zhu Yuanzhang said was a bit exaggerated, it was difficult for him to refute it. Besides not wanting to make Zhu Yuanzhang angry, he also didn't want to upset Zhu Yunhuan because of some verbal advantage.

The status of the monarch and his subjects has been determined, so sometimes you don't need to care about the status of your uncle, it doesn't make much sense. Old Zhu continued, "I'm too lazy to talk about the Seventh Old Man, he's a man who never changes despite repeated admonitions. It's only because Yun Hu is kind that we give him respect. You should take this as a warning and don't act recklessly in the future."

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "Grandfather, Uncle Seventh has reflected on himself now, and he confessed his mistakes in the past few years. I think Uncle Seventh has come to his senses, so I will let him change his title in two years."

Old Zhu nodded in satisfaction, but then criticized, "Yun Hu, you are too kind! Do you think your uncle will believe you just because he wrote a letter to confess his faults? It is better to observe his actions than to listen to his words. Old Seven should take a closer look!"

Zhu Su, who was standing aside, didn't know what to say for a moment. Perhaps the best option at this time was to keep silent.

In other words, in the eyes of the emperor his father, Yunhu was a kind-hearted and benevolent person. The seventh brother was sent back to his hometown to farm, and he was said to be allowed to change his title only after two years. Who knows how many years these two years will be?

But if you think about it, it's not surprising. The emperor has liked Yunhu more and more over the years. Perhaps it's because no matter what Yunhu says or does, it's always to his liking, so naturally, everything he does is right.

The three guards of King Zhou were transferred away, saying that they were needed to dredge the canal and there were not enough soldiers and guards. Zhu Su, the King of Zhou, did not object. He just lost the three guards of King Zhou. Anyway, he could not mobilize those soldiers and horses.

This was just the beginning. The three guards of the King of Zhou and the King of Qi were gone, and the situation of other vassal kings was not much better. Their three guards would all be taken away by the imperial court.

The idea was proposed by Zhu Yunhuan, the crown prince, but the decree was issued by the emperor, and Zhu Su and others had no room for bargaining.

Because their military power was given by Zhu Yuanzhang, it was only natural for Zhu Yuanzhang to take it back now, and no one could find any problem with it.

Even if you are dissatisfied in your heart, you can only hold it in at this time. If you really express your dissatisfaction, it would be the stupidest thing to do.

There is a Prince of Qi farming in his hometown of Fengyang, so naturally he doesn't mind having one or two more princes. This is also something that will not attract much attention. After all, the princes are sometimes in the most embarrassing situation.

It is true that they seem extremely noble, but once they are really punished, perhaps no one in the court will speak for these princes, because the princes' births are sometimes inherently "inadequate".

Zhu Su is back, and Old Zhu is of course very happy. Even though he thinks he is in much better health now, at his age, he is still worried that he might leave at any time.

My sons are not around all the time, and it is no exaggeration to say that I see them one less time, so it is very understandable that I am happy at this time.

Looking at Old Zhu who was holding Zhu Wenyao in his arms, Zhu Su felt more and more that his nephew's throne was as stable as Mount Tai and that his father's love for Wenyao had reached an unprecedented level.

"You have come back frequently in the past few years, and I have summoned you for many matters, big or small." After Zhu Wenyao fell asleep, Old Zhu became serious, "According to the original rules, you princes can only come to the court every year."

Zhu Su and others were also aware of this. The original rule was indeed to make pilgrimages every year. However, in recent years, they have responded to Tianfu a little more often, perhaps once or twice a year.

Old Zhu continued, "But there are some rules that cannot be forgotten. When Yunhuan ascends the throne, you are not allowed to come back. You are not allowed to pay homage to the new emperor for the first three years of his ascension."

Seeing that Zhu Yunhuan wanted to say something, Old Zhu said, "The rules must be set. We know you can control the situation, but what about Wen Yao in the future? What about future generations? Now that you have started, things will be difficult to do in the future."

Hearing what Old Zhu said, Zhu Yunhuan did not try to be brave, "Grandfather is teaching me that I was a little reckless."

The princes were not allowed to come to pay homage when the new emperor ascended the throne, etc. In fact, everyone understood the reason. Naturally, they did not want the princes to come to the capital to inquire about news at a sensitive time.

Or to put it in a more conspiracy-theoretic way, the new emperor's accession to the throne is unstable, and if a capable and prestigious prince really comes, it might cause some trouble.

So it is better to be straightforward and not allow the vassal kings to come to the throne when the new emperor ascends the throne. This will fundamentally eliminate some hidden dangers. Even if it is not all hidden dangers, it is worth it if it can reduce some major sources of unrest.

There is no selfishness in the heavenly family. This is not just a casual remark most of the time. Some things need to be done decisively. Naturally, all of this is also based on the overall situation.

Zhu Su was not surprised by this. After all, Zhu had mentioned before that he would abdicate at the end of the year, and everyone knew about this now.

Not to mention these princes of the royal family, it is estimated that many people in the court have guessed this, and they have tacitly continued to maintain the current situation in the court, and will be loyal to the new emperor under extremely natural circumstances.

Old Zhu also continued, "We have thought about this. You guys should do what you need to do. Sometimes you elders still need help. You should do more to offend people."

Zhu Su hurriedly agreed and said, "Father taught us that if Yun Hun has any instructions, we should definitely contribute."

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "I plan to let my fifth uncle take my fourth son to the first trial of the matter of the Jiangnan gentry. By then, it will be a solid case, and this matter will be over."

Old Zhu smiled and nodded, "It's a good idea to do this. It's better for the royal family to come forward than the three judicial officials. They are all the same. If we really let them handle everything, they might cover up for us."

Old Zhu always has the worst motives in speculating about people he doesn't like, such as corrupt officials and so on. Naturally, Old Zhu feels dissatisfied with everything and thinks those people are very unreliable.

Zhu Yunhuan also said, "I am also afraid of these things, so I let Uncle Five and Old Four go. When the time comes, when they sit in the court, even if they don't say anything, it will make some people afraid to act rashly."

Identity is sometimes very useful. In some seemingly special occasions, the identities of royal family members are very useful. When they come forward, some cases will become simpler.

Zhu Su was not afraid of offending people. He was already the King of Zhou, so there was no need for him to care about the thoughts of those civil officials and military generals.

For him, gaining the emperor's trust is the most important thing. The other princes probably thought the same way. Only when the emperor felt assured, could the princes' lives be truly stable and comfortable.

Otherwise, there will inevitably be all kinds of suspicion, and when that happens, it will be a hard time. By then, let alone other things, all civil and military officials will use the faults of the vassal kings to please the emperor.

There is no need to feel ashamed when working for the emperor. This is a good thing and you can't fight for it! (End of this chapter)