Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Chapter 32 Cleverness

Old Zhu was handling state affairs, and Zhu Yunhuan seemed to be waiting boredly.

Seeing that the beating was almost over, Lao Zhu said, "You are thirteen years old, and you act like a scoundrel in front of us, so we won't bother with you. You are our grandson, so we won't be angry or annoyed with you no matter what."

Zhu Yunhuan replied in a muffled voice, "My grandson is just being too clever."

Old Zhu didn't even raise his head and continued, "I like your intelligence, and I also think that if a boy is not naughty when he is young, he will have no future when he grows up. But you should remember that it doesn't matter if you quarrel with me now. I am happy when you dress up and entertain your parents in front of me. I have many grandchildren, but none of them dare to get close to me."

Zhu Yunhuan fell silent for a moment. In fact, his little trick had been seen through by Old Zhu a long time ago.

Before this, Zhu Yunhuan was fearless because he knew that Zhu Yuanzhang valued family affection and that Zhu Yuanzhang lacked some family affection in his heart.

In addition, he was only thirteen years old, so even if some of his actions seemed out of line, they were nothing in the eyes of Old Zhu. This was just a child's mischief, and it would not really be taken seriously.

Old Zhu suddenly said seriously, "At your age, even if you like to play, we can ignore it. But if you want to fight for the throne and become the crown prince, you should not be an ordinary child, and we don't want you to dress up to entertain your parents. You can't act crazy and stupid in front of us, you have to shoulder the weight of the country!"

Zhu Yunhuan also became serious, "Your Majesty, I will follow your grandfather's instructions!"

A smile appeared on Old Zhu's lips, and he said, "Okay, when we don't see you, we won't see Yunwen. We didn't see Yunwen when he came to pay his respects these few days, so you should go back now."

Zhu Yunhuan did not act like a child and said, "Grandfather, tomorrow we should go to pay respect to my elder brother."

Old Zhu said, "The court will make its own arrangements. You can go there tomorrow."

Zhu Yunhuan, who was standing outside the palace, said, "Tomorrow Yunwen will have to guard the body of his father. The fifth child is too young, so I want to take the fourth child with me."

Old Zhu looked up and stared at Zhu Yunhuan, and Zhu Yunhuan also looked at Old Zhu calmly.

Old Zhu chuckled, his tone a little strange, "In the past, people said you were a playboy, and that Yunwen was smart and wise. In my opinion, you are the same as your father. You have learned to read people's minds at a young age. Fourth brother, you are not allowed to take him with you!"

Zhu Yunhuan wanted to bring Zhu Yunwen over there, but he actually had ulterior motives. He just wanted to prove that all of Lu's children were illegitimate, and he wanted to make a comparison.

Since Zhu Yunhuan did not allow it, Zhu Yunhuan had no choice. In some cases, Zhu Yunhuan might be more pleased with his grandson's cleverness in front of Zhu Yunhuan, thinking that his grandson was close to him.

However, when it comes to the fight for the throne and state affairs, Zhu Yuanzhang will take it seriously.

What Zhu Yuanzhang is most worried about now is that there will be no successor. Neither Zhu Yunhuan nor Zhu Yunwen will be able to hold on to the throne.

During this period of time, Zhu had thought a lot. He was now wavering and could not make a decisive decision immediately. He had carefully considered the pros and cons of these two grandsons for a long time, whether to choose Zhu Yunwen or Zhu Yunhuan.

Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

After being criticized by Old Zhu, Zhu Yunhuan was not depressed or frightened, but was more reflective.

His previous reputation was too bad, and even though his recent performance was quite conspicuous, it was obviously not enough to reassure Old Zhu. Some of his little tricks and cleverness could indeed win some favor from Old Zhu.

But Zhu Yuanzhang was definitely not just an old man who had lost his beloved son, he was also the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He could like a naughty little grandson, but if he wanted to entrust the country to him, he needed a reliable successor!
There is no need to politely leave and stay in Wuying Palace. That is not a smart choice.

After returning to Rouyi Palace, Zhu Yunhuan went straight back to the study.

"Thirteen years old, thirteen years old is an advantage. I can act like I have suddenly realized the truth, or I was ignorant when I was young, but I started to understand things when I grew up. Occasionally acting like a spoiled child or a rogue can be seen as fun. But this is not the best way after all. What I am fighting for now is the position of crown prince, not for favor!"

After thinking about all this, Zhu Yunhuan wanted to slap himself in the face. He almost lost sight of the main goal!
This warning and reminder from Old Zhu came at a very timely moment, allowing Zhu Yunhuan, who originally thought he had the advantage and initiative, to wake up in time.

The crown prince should act like a crown prince.

He Lin's note on Gongyang Zhuan, Duke Xi's fifth year: "The crown prince is the deputy ruler.

The crown prince should be wise, brave, and kind, or he should be trusted and supported by others, and people should believe that he can inherit the country and protect the world. Especially at this moment, the emperor is old, and he is only thirteen years old, which is a very unstable factor.

The country is in doubt with a young ruler, and this is what Zhu Yuanzhang is most worried about.

"I have to be more proactive. The good news is that Yunwen and I are now on the same starting line. In terms of closeness, I may be closer to the emperor's grandfather after these days of contact. But Yunwen has a better reputation accumulated over the years."

Analyzing the pros and cons, Zhu Yunhuan's eyes began to firm up, "At the age of thirteen, I will show more maturity and sophistication that is inconsistent with my age. These are the qualities that can most impress Grandfather!"

Simply trying to please Zhu and deliberately getting close to him is certainly useful, but it is not the most important thing in the fight for the throne.

After thinking about these things carefully, Zhu Yunhuan became more determined about the path he should take.

Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling returned to Rouyi Palace happily. When they saw Zhu Yunhuan, they immediately asked him with concern.

Zhu Yunhuan was cheerful, there was no need to worry his two sisters, "Don't worry, my grandfather and I are fine. We are leaving the palace tomorrow and we should go to pay tribute to our brother."

Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling had no doubts, they were just little girls raised in the deep palace. Although they were generally precocious in this era, they were ignorant of worldly affairs, so there was no need to tell them about some intrigues.

In the eyes of Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling, the fact that their grandfather allowed Yunhu to go to pay homage to their brother was the greatest support and recognition. Especially since they had heard that there would be many court officials and nobles attending the ceremony.

This is more meaningful than the previous visit to pay tribute to his maternal grandfather, King Kaiping. It is the best behavior to prove Yunhu's status as the legitimate son!
Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling both understood this principle, and naturally others would understand it as well.

When Zhu Yunhuan's carriage arrived at Zhongshan surrounded by civil and military officials, many people understood some truths.

This third grandson is the true legitimate son of the late crown prince, and he shares the same mother as the eldest legitimate grandson, Prince Yu Huai. When the second grandson, Zhu Yunwen, was born, he also had to respect Crown Princess Chang as his legitimate mother!

Chang Sheng and others were naturally secretly excited. They also felt that Zhu Yunhuan took the initiative in this battle for the throne.

Zhu Yunhuan's identity has been emphasized, and we should not pay too much attention to his previous reputation as a playboy. Even if he is a playboy, he is still the legitimate son of the prince.

Besides, he is only thirteen years old. Even if there is a saying that one can tell a person's future by looking at the age of three, we should not conclude that he is a hopeless case.

Zhu Yunhuan once again gained some presence inside and outside the court, which might have offset some of the negative impact of his reputation as a playboy.

Identity, his identity as the legitimate son can determine many things.

Zhu Yunwen in the East Palace was worried. He looked at Lu and asked, "Mother, my grandfather is not as close to me as before."

Mrs. Lu was anxious and said pitifully, "It's a pity that your grandfather has no offspring, and we have no help in the court."

Although Lü Ben held a high position in the early years of the founding of the country, he had no son.

Zhu Yunwen asked, "My grandfather was also a prominent civil servant in his time. Didn't he have any students or former officials?"

Mrs. Lu said with some pride, "Many people in the court have been able to gain a foothold thanks to your grandfather's kindness, and he naturally has many students and former officials. But now your royal grandfather does not allow the harem and court officials to interact, so we have no one to discuss matters with."

Zhu Yunwen also understood this. Many people in the Eastern Palace were transferred away, many of whom were once his confidants and close friends.

Zhu Yunwen lowered his voice and said, "Mother, although the emperor's grandfather does not allow us to have contact with foreign officials, it's just a few words. I can still spread it in the main hall. I have someone I can trust."

Mrs. Lu's eyes lit up, and she immediately felt that her eldest son had become successful and capable!
"Good!" Mrs. Lu smiled happily and said, "If there is someone trustworthy, let him go to find Zhan Hui. Zhan Hui and his father are old friends with your grandfather. The Censor Ye Xixian was an official in the same court as your grandfather in his early years and they were very close. There is also the great Confucian Fang Xiaoru, who was a disciple of Song Lian in his early years. He always took it as his responsibility to promote the way of governing the world with benevolence and righteousness and to achieve peace in the world. He and your grandfather are very compatible."

Zhu Yunwen's eyes lit up, but he was still a little worried, "Fang Xiaoru was reported in the early years, and now he has lost his official position."

Lu scolded, "You are foolish! He is a great scholar of his generation and has great prestige among the scholars. If he raises his arms and shouts, how many people in the scholars can be used by you?"

Zhu Yunwen's eyes lit up. Could it be that Fang Xiaoru was the person who could assist me as king?
(End of this chapter)