Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Chapter 63: The Third Division
Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling were in high spirits. This time when they returned to the Eastern Palace, they could finally hold their heads high.

They don't have to be so cautious when living in the Eastern Palace in the future, because their younger brother will become the master of the Eastern Palace.

Not only the Eastern Palace, but also Wenhua Hall has not had anyone working there for several months. But now it has a new owner. Although Zhu Yunhuan has not been officially enthroned, he should have a formal place to work and study.

Wenhua Hall is where the Crown Prince observes government affairs, similar to the Emperor's Wuying Hall.

Not only Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling were in high spirits, Chang Lanshi also became proud at this time. This time when she was summoned to the palace, Princess Anqing and Princess Ningguo talked and laughed with her all the way, treating her as their own elder.

After the death of his daughter and grandson, the royal family did not change their attitude towards Chang Lan immediately, but they were less close to him than before. In addition, their eldest son was useless. If it were not for the influence of Chang Yuchun and the sudden rise of Lan Yu in recent years, the nobles might have ignored the lineage of the Prince of Kaiping.

But all this has completely changed in recent days. The nobles have become closer, and the royal family has also become more intimate.

"Aunt, aunt." Zhu Yunhuan bowed with a smile and said, "There are some things that my nephew doesn't understand, and I need your help."

Princess Ningguo smiled and said, "That's as it should be. When I was still a young girl, I was also in Kunning Palace. Your brother was there too."

Princess Anqing also said, "That's right. At that time, he cried at night and had to change his diaper when he pooped and peed. If he complained a little, your royal grandfather and royal grandmother would scold us and say that we should learn how to take care of children in advance."

Zhu Yunhuan's eyes lit up, and he said, "This is a good thing. I feel relieved to have my own aunt help me! I was still talking about these things with my grandfather yesterday. He was worried that no one would help me take care of the children in the future. This is good. When I have children in the future, my elder and younger aunts will help me."

Princess Anqing pretended to be dissatisfied and said, "How can this be justified! There are many maids and nannies in the palace. When there is a Crown Prince's Consort in the future, she will have to learn by herself. How can a married woman like me take care of a child!"

"That can't be helped. You are my aunt!" Zhu Yunhuan looked very smart. "It's okay to let an outsider take care of the child, but can I feel more at ease with my own family? I have to tell my grandfather that my elder and younger aunts will help me manage the household in the future."

Chang Lan had no dissatisfaction, even though she was just standing aside and her grandson was not in a hurry to talk to her. But she could fully understand that her grandson's surname was Zhu and he was the emperor's grandson. Although she was an elder, she was also a minister.

You don't have to care so much about the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects in the Kaiping Palace, but in the imperial palace, especially in the Wenhua Hall, you have to pay attention to your identity.

Zhu Yunhuan chatted with the two aunts. They had hardly any dealings with each other before, but now they were very close.

Zhu Yunhuan then looked at Chang Lan and said, "My mother's burial will be moved tomorrow, and the princess has to go and help look after it."

Chang Lan immediately replied, "I obey your order."

Zhu Yunhuan continued, "When the burial is moved, the ladies of the imperial court should also go. The princess is ranked first among the ladies of the imperial court. The same etiquette was followed when my father was buried."

No one had any objection. Chang Lan's identity was special. She was the head of the imperial court ladies, so there was no problem.

Asking them to come here was more about procedural matters, because the reburial of Crown Princess Chang was a major event for the court, and government offices at all levels were handling all matters in an orderly manner.

Zhu Yunhuan is very busy, and others are also very busy now.

Princess Chang's burial place has been relocated, and the Crown Prince is about to be buried. Everyone has also tacitly begun preparing for the Ming Dynasty's first ceremony to enthrone the Crown Prince, and all of this is busy work.

When Princess Chang was reburied, all the civil and military officials, noble ladies and noblewomen in the court saw Zhu Yunhuan holding Princess Chang's spirit tablet and offering it in Fengxian Hall, and saw Zhu Yunhuan holding Princess Chang's clothes and hat and offering them in the Sacrifice Hall.

As for Zhu Yunwen, he had always been following Zhu Yunhuan obediently.

This scene was just a preview. The funeral of the crown prince a few days later must also be a similar ceremony. At the same time as the crown princess's reburial, some news was also deliberately released. When the emperor's grandson Zhu Yunhuan returned to Chunhe Palace, many people tacitly did not ask where the crown princess Lu moved to. They just needed to know that Zhu Yunhuan returned to the East Palace.

Moreover, the fact that he summoned ladies and court officials to the Wenhua Palace in the past two days was released intentionally or unintentionally, which is something that few people take for granted.

The Crown Prince is also the heir to the throne, so naturally he should live in the Eastern Palace.

Old Zhu summoned Zhu Yunhuan to Wuying Hall and asked, "When enthroning the crown prince, there must be ministers from the East Palace to assist him. What do you think should be done?"

The Eastern Palace Assistant Ministers were naturally headed by the Crown Prince's Three Masters. Even now, everyone knew that their main responsibility was to guide the Crown Prince in morality and to protect him, but it was just an honorary title.

Zhu Yuanzhang often went on personal expeditions, and when he considered that the Crown Prince was the regent, it would be unfavorable to set up a bureaucratic system, so he ordered the court officials to take charge of the East Palace, but did not grant any position as the Crown Prince's three teachers. In addition, because of his love for Zhu Biao, the founding team was stuffed into the East Palace, and each of them was promoted.

But now it is different, back then Li Shanchang, Xu Da and Chang Yuchun were the real three ministers. Although the three orphans' junior teachers, junior tutors and junior protectors were established, there was no one who held them concurrently.

As for the next level, it is the East Palace Assistant Minister. This time, Zhu did not plan to set up the Three Dukes and Three Orphans, but he would bring out the Three Masters of the Crown Prince.

In the 19th year of Hongwu, Li Jinglong served as the Prince's Tutor. This is also a typical example of being promoted but not in charge of the affairs of the Eastern Palace.

Zhu Yunhuan thought for a moment and said, "Give them promotions. Duke of Ying, Duke of Cao, Duke of Liang, Duke of Song, including my second uncle, are all the three teachers of the crown prince."

Old Zhu smiled and said, "That's true. All those promoted are nobles, just like when the country was founded. The civil servants are getting anxious."

"It's urgent, but I don't plan to give titles to civil officials." Zhu Yunhuan said with a smile, "Civil officials can enter the officialdom through the imperial examination, and there are also people like Zhan Hui who can easily enter the officialdom by relying on the merits of their fathers. If they are given hereditary titles, then the court will be full of civil officials in the future."

Old Zhu smiled and nodded, "That's right, we can't give titles to civil officials, no matter how much they make trouble."

Old Zhu then asked, "Lan Yu is the Grand Tutor?"

Although they are both third-rank teachers of the first rank, Taifu and Taishi are still slightly higher than Taibao.

"Him?" Zhu Yunhuan said directly, "The title of Grand Guardian is great. He is arrogant because of his achievements. If you give him the title of Grand Tutor, he will become even more lawless. It just so happens that my grandfather was a regular Grand Guardian before, which is better than him, the Grand Guardian of the Grandson."

Old Zhu laughed and joked, "Then he will make a scene. He is always arrogant."

"I know." Zhu Yunxun smiled and said, "I also understand the relationship between the Chang family, the Lan family and me, but my last name is Zhu after all. Duke of Liang, my grandfather changed Duke of Liang to Duke of Liang and engraved his faults on the hereditary certificate. He hasn't made much progress in these years, so I'll give him a lesson when he comes back."

Old Zhu became more and more satisfied with his grandson, knowing that he was a member of the Zhu family and cared about the country and the people.

Old Zhu sighed and said, "Since you are the crown prince, Lan Yu should have improved himself. But his temper is really domineering. He even dared to say in front of us at the banquet that 'the promotion and demotion of the officers in the army is all in his hands'. It's not easy for you to deal with such a person."

Zhu Yunhuan was silent for a moment before he said, "He should be suppressed. Now he has the Duke of Ying and the Duke of Song, and in the future he may have the Duke of Wei and the Duke of Cao. If he still doesn't make progress in the next few years, he is not surnamed Chang. Even if he is surnamed Chang, there is no way, my surname is Zhu."

Old Zhu nodded in satisfaction, and then continued, "He can still be used, he is a good knife. It depends on whether you have the ability to be the one who wields the knife. The art of power is not just about checks and balances. You must also remember that there should be checks and balances between civil and military officials in the court, and it is not good for one person to dominate. Moreover, even if the emperor holds great power, he should have talented civil and military officials in his hands, otherwise there will be no one to do things with."

Zhu Yunhuan certainly didn't want to kill Lan Yu, as he was one of his right-hand men. However, the domineering and arrogant character of this great-uncle whom he had rarely met also made people feel uneasy.

Let’s take a look first to see what this person looks like. Of course, it would be best if we could tame him!
(End of this chapter)