Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Zhu Yunhuan naturally understood the reasons why Daoyan raised these issues. In the final analysis, it was just a favor.

Because of various cases, the court did abolish some titles directly. However, many noble titles were retained. The first generation of nobles were gone, and the second and third generations were not able to inherit the titles.

For example, titles such as Duke of Xin, Marquis of Deqing, and Marquis of Hanghai are still recognized by the imperial court, but the court has never approved the crown prince to inherit them.

Zhu Yunhuan looked at Daoyan and asked seriously, "Master, you also know that my mother is from the Huaixi noble family. But over the years, do you think these nobles are really close to me?"

When talking about Zhu Yunhuan, everyone subconsciously thinks that he is the spokesperson for the Huaixi nobles. He is the natural leader of the Huaixi nobles. After all, Zhu Yunhuan's mother is the legitimate daughter of Chang Yuchun.

Daoyan said calmly, "Your Highness, even if some nobles are not close to you, they are still nobles and your subjects."

This may sound awkward, but it makes a lot of sense if you think about it. These are the most direct ways of saying it. Although they are not euphemistic at all and sound harsh, this is the actual situation.

Daoyan continued, "Your Highness, the court has been suppressing the nobles over the years, and many people have some complaints about this."

Zhu Yuanzhang was suppressing the nobles, and Zhu Yunhuan also seemed to be constantly suppressing the nobles. These things were obvious to all, and many people knew them clearly.

"You mean we can suppress them, but we should also show them kindness?" Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "The nobles are very powerful now, and the Five Military Command is under their control."

There was naturally nothing wrong with Zhu Yunhuan's words. Zhu was suppressing the nobles, and Zhu Yunhuan was also consciously suppressing them. The strength of the nobles must have been greatly weakened compared to the beginning of the founding of the country.

But everyone also knows that even if the nobles seem to be suppressed, they are still a behemoth that the civil service group dare not provoke, and they are still the most powerful force in the Ming Dynasty court.

Daoyan smiled and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me for speaking frankly. The nobles today are not as good as they were in the early days. If Your Highness does not support them, I am afraid these people will not be able to continue."

The first generation conquered the world, and the second generation might have a chance to keep the family business. But in reality, many second and third generations simply cannot keep much of the family business, and there are many playboys and scum.

There are many powerful figures among the second generation of nobles, such as Xu Huizu, Wu Gao, etc. These are people who are worth cultivating.

But if we look at the second generation of nobles, we will find that most of them are mediocre people. Even among these playboys, many have killed their fathers and brothers and lost their titles.

"That makes sense, but the system of inheriting the title of nobility has been established before, and it is difficult to change it." Zhu Yunhuan said, "These people need to work harder and can't fail to do even a little bit."

Daoyan was such a smart man that he naturally understood what the Crown Prince meant. Inheriting the title and granting favors to the nobles were basically the decisions.

The imperial court did establish a system of succession for nobles and even military officers, and would conduct certain assessments. However, the difficulty of these assessments was not high, and with a little effort, one could achieve some seemingly outstanding results.

Inheriting a title is a big deal, and it really needs to be treated with caution.

After discussing some things with Daoyan, Zhu Yunhuan was in a good mood. The day passed very quickly and some things were basically finished, so he could go home.

Heading straight to the East Palace, Zhu Yunhuan joked, "You guys are really good at flattering people. It looks like there haven't been many changes in the palace, but the East Palace looks festive."

Zhang Fusheng quickly said in a flattering tone, "Your Highness, these are not things that we dare to do. They are all His Majesty's decrees."

The Crown Prince does not want to celebrate at this time. Other people are not aware of these things, but Zhang Fusheng and others who have been following him know them very well and they certainly would not dare to do anything rash.

Now the road leading to the East Palace is decorated with lights and colors, and the iconic plum blossom forest in front of the East Palace seems to be tied with ribbons.

As soon as Zhu Yunhuan arrived at the Eastern Palace, he heard the crying of children, one was his son and the other was his cousin.

Zhu Yunhuan walked forward quickly. If he walked slower, it would not work. "Ruyi, why don't you come to see your cousin?"

Old Zhu immediately laughed and scolded, "Why? Am I so unreasonable in your eyes? How can I not feel sorry for my granddaughter?"

Zhu Yunhun was instantly embarrassed, because according to past practice, Zhu Biao would not make mistakes, Zhu Yunhun would not make mistakes, and Zhu Wenyao naturally would not make mistakes either.

The people who made the mistake were naturally other people, such as other sons, daughters, or grandchildren. Sons were favored over daughters, not to mention that they were "outsiders".

Princess Ningguo smiled and said to Old Zhu, "Father, Yunhu has always been like this, keeping a close eye on his family. That's just his personality, he always thinks about how to protect his family."

Old Zhu smiled with relief. He just liked Zhu Yunhuan's character. He didn't ask for any reason, but protected his family first. After things were sorted out, he would deal with some things behind closed doors.

Zhu Wenyao ran over aggrievedly and stretched out his chubby little hand, "Dad."

Zhu Yunxun took a closer look and didn't see any injuries, but he still felt distressed. "Oh, my Wen Yao must be hurt from the fall. Dad is so sad."

Zhu Wenyao cried even louder. He didn't know if it hurt or not, but he just wanted to cry. He had just fallen down, and it must have hurt then and it must still hurt now. He wanted to show everyone the marks of his fall.

Seeing Zhu Wenyao crying while hugging Zhu Yunxun's thigh, Old Zhu said with a smile, "It would be fine if you didn't coax him, but you teased him on purpose. Is there any father like you?"

Touching Zhu Wenyao's head, Zhu Yunxun said with a smile, "Raising a child without playing with him is meaningless. When I see my Wenyao crying, sometimes I want to laugh, and I don't know why."

Old Zhu knows this feeling very well. "Only when you raise a child can you understand the kindness of your parents. Raising a child can be fun sometimes, and this little thing is fun."

Chubby Zhu Wenyao was crying because he fell down while playing with his cousin. Zhao Ruyi didn't cry at first, but she started crying when her mother glared at her. She had never suffered such an injustice before.

Princess Ningguo coaxed her daughter and said, "Yunhuan, have you finished all the affairs of the court?"

"Can you come back if you don't finish it?" Old Zhu glared at his 'eldest daughter' and said unhappily, "You guys are all mediocre. Don't count on you to help me in this life. Just don't cause trouble for Yunhuan."

Not to mention Princess Ningguo and Princess Anqing, even Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling were listening obediently. They had been disliked by Old Zhu so much that they were used to it. Zhu Yunhuan patted Zhu Wenyao's butt and said, "Go and play. Go find your cousin and your aunt. You'll have someone to play with you today."

Zhu Wenyao was really happy. He usually played with Aunt Baoqing, and today there was also a cousin, so he was so happy. Even though he was sad because of the fall, he got better in a moment.

Watching the three children playing, Zhu Yunhuan said, "Looking at these, I remembered that when I was a kid, I often beat Gao Chi and Shang Bing. They were all afraid of me and said I was unreasonable."

Old Zhu said with some amusement, "You still think you are right? You don't respect your elder brother, you don't protect your younger brother, they are just good-tempered, you just bully them, I didn't see you beat Yun Wen?"

"Hit him!" Zhu Yunxun was even more confident. "If I didn't hit Yunwen, why did I have such a bad reputation when I was a child? They couldn't do anything to me. I was just naughty. They were afraid of me but also liked to play with me!"

Princess Anqing and others were also amused by Zhu Yunhun's shamelessness, but when they thought about some of the things they had heard, they felt that it was still possible for Zhu Yunhun to do these things.

Now when talking about these things from Zhu Yunhuan's perspective, no one thinks it is a bad thing. They will just think that those little brothers grew up together and have a good relationship.

"It's hard for Wen Yao to have so many brothers to study and play together. This is unfair to him." Old Zhu sighed and said, "Your father grew up with your uncles, and your eldest brother and you also have brothers, but Wen Yao can't do that."

After Zhu Yunhuan ascended the throne, all the princes were sent to fiefdoms, even Zhu Yunhuan's brothers were basically sent to fiefdoms. Zhu Yunhuan now had only one son, which naturally meant that Zhu Wenyao had no playmates.

In fact, Zhu Xiongying and Zhu Yunxun’s playmates were not just brothers, there were also many uncles of similar age. The main hall used to be very lively, but it has become deserted in recent years.

"So you have to find a study partner. It won't be easy for her to keep playing with Aunt Baoqing in the next few years." Zhu Yunxun said with a smile, "Wen Yao and I will take care of my little aunt's future affairs."

Old Zhu blew his beard and glared, he is here now. This bastard usually wants him to live a long life, but now he seems to have no confidence.

Seeing Old Zhu's expression, Zhu Yunhuan immediately changed his words, "Fifteen years is not a long time. He will only be eighty-five at that time. When that time comes, maybe I can see Wen Yao get married. Even if he doesn't get married, he can still arrange the marriage."

Old Zhu was even more furious, while Princess Anqing and the others didn't know how to respond. They weren't too frightened, but just stood by and tried not to laugh.

Old Zhu did not fight with Zhu Yunxun and asked, "How was the sacrifice?"

"Of course there won't be any mistakes. I've also gone to Fengxian Hall to offer sacrifices." Zhu Yunhuan answered, "Many clan members looked at me more awkwardly. My uncles and brothers didn't dare to talk to me."

"You are the emperor, so they should know their limits. Could it be that they are really close to you?" Old Zhu had already let it go. "Among my sons, how many of them look like my sons?"

It is normal for Lao Zhu to complain about his sons. After all, he may not see them once a year or two. It is understandable that he has some complaints and grumbles from time to time.

Old Zhu continued to complain, "Don't be fooled by the fact that the second and fifth brothers seem to be close to you. That's because you are still the crown prince. When you become the emperor, you will really be the ruler and the minister. How dare your aunt and sister be close to you?"

Pointing at Princess Ningguo, Old Zhu said, "You asked them to go to Beiping, how dare they say no? You have your reasons for arranging things, they just need to do it."

Mei Yin and Princess Ningguo felt a little embarrassed, and they didn't know how to respond to these words, but what Old Zhu said was indeed the truth.

Even Princess Anqing knew that this was the truth. She had a good relationship with Zhu Yunhuan, but when this nephew was the grandson of the emperor, he was the grandson of the emperor. If he really became the emperor, he would not be just the nephew of the grandson of the emperor.

Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling knew it better. They had a scale in their hearts and were taught since childhood that there was a difference between the emperor and his subjects. In the future, they would not only be "imperial sisters" but also the eldest princesses.

Zhu Yunhuan naturally knew about what Old Zhu said, and it could even be said that he had already had a very deep understanding of it.

His identity has changed somewhat in recent years. As the emperor's grandson and the crown prince, this identity has made many people more in awe of him, so it is understandable that they are somewhat distant from him.

The emperor is a lonely man, and this is also a normal situation. Such identities do make people feel difficult to approach, and blood ties will also become distant because of these identities.

However, Zhu Yunhuan was also clear about these things. After all, since he had such an identity, he had to bear some of the influences that came with it.

It has to be said that Zhu Yunhuan’s birthday seemed to be quite lively. In fact, this was not only a matter of the court, it was also a family affair.

For example, this is the case now. Some sacrifices in the court are over, and the family is happily preparing to have a reunion dinner. This is how it should be now.

"Dad." Zhu Wenyao ran over happily, "Dad, play."

Zhu Yunhuan stood up immediately. It was rare for his son to be so proactive, so Zhu Yunhuan naturally could not be a spoilsport parent. Amusing children is still a very interesting thing.

Seeing Zhu Yunxun playing with Zhu Wenyao, although Old Zhu had a kind smile on his face, he was not polite, "Yunxun has always taken care of his family, you guys must not take advantage of his favor and become arrogant."

"I, your son (grandson), will obey the Holy Spirit's command."

Old Zhu did not comment and continued, "Yun Hun has great ambitions. It's OK if you can't help him. I don't blame you. Don't cause trouble for him. After all, you are married and have a different surname now."

Old Zhu's words may sound inhumane, but it is a very normal point of view in today's era. A daughter who is married off is like water spilled, and this is not just a casual statement.

Princess Ningguo and others did not think there was anything to be sad about, because this was the education they had received since childhood.

Old Zhu continued calmly, "Live your life well and educate your children well, that's all. Yunxun will not treat you unfairly, but don't ask for help when you shouldn't, so as not to embarrass him."

“Grandfather!” Zhu Wenyao ran over aggrieved and very angry, “Dad is bad.”

Zhu Yunhuan felt wronged. He was helping his son find grasshoppers. He was still working so hard to find grasshoppers in this weather, and now he was doing a thankless job! (End of this chapter)