Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

Just as they were eating, an announcement came from outside: "His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived..."

Zhu Biao brought Zhu Xiong Ying in. As soon as the little guy saw Zhu Hui, he broke free from his father's hand and ran over, calling out, "Second Uncle!"

Zhu Li put down her chopsticks, picked him up, and said, "Why are you here, Xiong Ying?"

"I miss my second uncle! Second uncle, I heard you got into a fight?" Zhu Xiong Ying said, hugging his neck.

"Yeah, we beat up a few bad guys."

"Is my second uncle powerful?"

"Not bad, it was taken care of in one move."

Zhu Biao walked over, first bowed to his parents, then sat down next to Zhu Hui. He glanced at the dishes on the table and laughed, "Mother, you're being too biased. There wasn't this much meat when I came last time."

Empress Ma rolled her eyes at him and said, "You come every few days, but how many times does Li'er come?"

Zhu Yuanzhang added, "That's right, the eldest brother is arguing with his younger brother."

Zhu Biao raised his hands in surrender and said, "Okay, okay, I was wrong."

Zhu Xiong Ying squirmed in Zhu Li's arms and said, "Second Uncle, will you teach me how to fight? I want to fight bad guys too!"

"You're still young. We'll teach you when you're older," Zhu Hui said earnestly.

"When will I grow up?"

"Hmm...when you're a head shorter than me."

Zhu Xiong Ying glanced at Zhu Hui's height, then at herself, her face falling as she said, "That will take a long time..."

Everyone at the table laughed.

Zhu Biao served Zhu Hui a bowl of soup and explained in a low voice, "Second brother, let me tell you, it was Father who told Mother, not your eldest brother..."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him and saw that Zhu Yuanzhang looked embarrassed.

However, he straightened his face and glared at his eldest son.

Zhu Biao spoke calmly, showing no fear of his elderly father. After all, he possessed a secret technique: a small cane can withstand a big one...

"Second brother, the Lü family and the Yang family have already been dealt with by your elder brother. This kind of thing will not happen again."

Zhu Li nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

He knew his elder brother was reliable; if he said he would handle things cleanly, then he really would.

Empress Ma listened to the brothers' conversation, her eyes darkened for a moment, but she quickly smiled and said, "Li'er, I want to see your adoptive parents. They raised you for eighteen years and are your great benefactors."

"Great! They're in Yingtian. Shall I bring them over tomorrow?" Zhu Hui's eyes lit up.

"No need, I'll go myself. Tomorrow I'll leave the palace and visit them at your residence, and also see if you're comfortable in your new place," Empress Ma said.

Zhu Yuanzhang interjected, "Let's go too."

"What are you doing? You're scaring people," Empress Ma scolded.

"How are we scary?" Zhu Yuanzhang protested.

"Your face looks like the King of Hell when you're not smiling. The Zheng couple are honest people; they can't be easily frightened."

Zhu Hui suppressed a laugh, while Zhu Biao lowered his head and drank his tea.

Zhu Yuanzhang touched his face and muttered, "Is it really that scary...?"

The meal was a lively and enjoyable affair.

Zhu Xiong Ying kept pestering Zhu Li to tell her stories of hunting in the mountains, her eyes shining as she listened.

Empress Ma kept putting food on her son's plate.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao discussed state affairs, and Zhu Yuanzhang would occasionally ask Zhu Li for his opinion.

Zhu Li mostly listened with a simple smile, only saying a few words when asked a question.

Zhu Hui did not leave the palace until it was getting dark.

Empress Ma escorted him to the palace gate, took his hand and instructed him, "Li'er, when you go out in the future, take someone with you more often, don't run around on your own, and if anything happens, tell your mother or your elder brother, don't keep it to yourself."

"Yes, Mother." Zhu Liu nodded obediently.

"Also, come to the palace to see your mother often, so she doesn't always worry about you."

"it is good."

On the way back to the Prince of Wu's residence, Zhu Hui sat in the carriage, watching the lights gradually appear outside the window, feeling very at ease.

He has parents, an older brother, a nephew, and adoptive parents and a younger sister in Yingtian.

Life is much more lively now than it was in the mountains.

Although there were more rules, the clothes were a bit tight, and some food was wasted... it felt so good to have someone care.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, there was a knock on the gate of the Wu King's mansion.

Zhu Li was practicing boxing in the courtyard. Actually, it wasn't really boxing; it was just stretching his arms and kicking his legs to loosen up his muscles and bones.

Hearing the noise, he stopped and went to the front yard, where he saw his adoptive father, Zheng Dazhu, dressed in a brand-new blue cloth shirt, standing nervously at the door, followed by Zheng Huangshi and Zheng Daya, who was peeking out.

"Father, Mother, Yaya, why are you here so early?" Zhu Li quickly went to greet them.

Zheng Dazhu rubbed his hands together and lowered his voice, saying, "Li'er, is Her Majesty the Empress really coming to our house?"

"Yes, we talked about it at dinner yesterday," Zhu Li nodded.

Madam Zheng turned pale and exclaimed, "Oh dear, this... how can this be allowed... how can Your Highness set foot in our little courtyard..."

"Mother, don't panic. Her Majesty the Empress is a very kind person, just like the aunties and grandmas in our mountains. Yaya, have you had breakfast yet?" Zhu Yi comforted her with a smile, then turned to her younger sister and said.

"No, Mother stopped eating after she heard that Her Majesty was coming," Zheng Daya answered honestly.

Zhu Hui laughed and said, "Come in first, I'll have someone get you something to eat to tide you over."

He led the three into the mansion and instructed the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Uncle Fu had been waiting for a long time. When he saw people arrive, he hurriedly stepped forward to greet them, his attitude respectful but not obsequious.

Mr. and Mrs. Zheng became even more reserved.

When breakfast was served—simple white porridge, steamed buns, and pickled vegetables—Zheng Huangshi finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, it wasn't a table full of delicacies; otherwise, she wouldn't have dared to touch her chopsticks.

As we were eating, we heard the sound of horses' hooves outside again.

Zhu Hui put down the bowl and walked to the door, where he saw Zhu Biao getting off the carriage, followed by the bouncy Zhu Xiong Ying.

"Second Uncle!" the little guy rushed over.

Zhu Li picked him up and said, "Xiong Ying is here too?"

"Dad said there's no school today, he brought me here to play. Second Uncle, who's that?" Zhu Xiong Ying put her arm around his neck and looked at the people in the room.

"Those are my second uncle's adoptive parents and sister." Zhu Li carried him into the house and introduced them to each other.

When Zheng Dazhu and his wife were about to kneel again, Zhu Biao stopped them, saying, "There's no need for such formalities, you two. You raised our son, Li Di, and you are the benefactors of the Zhu family. It is I who should be the one to pay my respects."

As he spoke, he actually bowed deeply.

Zheng Dazhu was so frightened that he quickly helped him up, saying, "Your Highness, you mustn't, you mustn't..."

Zhu Xiong Ying followed suit, bowing to Zheng Dazhu and his wife and saying, "Xiong Ying thanks Grandpa and Grandma for raising my second uncle to be so capable!"

Children speak without thinking, and everyone in the room laughed.

The atmosphere became much more relaxed.

After finishing breakfast, Zhu Biao glanced at the sky and said, "Father and Mother should be arriving soon. Second brother, you stay here with them and wait for a while. I'll take Xiong Ying to the gate to greet them."

He led Zhu Xiong Ying out.

Only then did Zheng Daya dare to ask in a low voice, "Brother, His Highness the Crown Prince... is so kind."

"Big Brother is a very good person." Zhu Li nodded.

Just then, a commotion arose outside.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma have arrived.

There was no full imperial procession; he only brought a dozen or so guards and palace maids, and the carriage was just an ordinary blue-canopied carriage, but his imposing presence was still undeniable.

As soon as Empress Ma got out of the carriage, she grabbed Zhu Biao, who was coming to greet her, and asked, "Where is Li'er?"

"Inside, with the two elders," Zhu Biao said with a smile.

Zhu Yuanzhang, with his hands behind his back, looked at the facade of the Prince of Wu's mansion, nodded, and said, "This house is alright, but it's a bit small. I'll have the Ministry of Works allocate that piece of land next door to expand it."

"Father, that's enough." Zhu Li came out from inside.

When Empress Ma saw him, a smile appeared on her face. She then glanced at the uneasy Zheng family of three behind him and quickly stepped forward, saying, "These two must be Brother Zheng and Sister-in-law Zheng, right?"

When Zheng Dazhu and his wife were about to kneel again, Empress Ma held them up with one hand each, saying, "Don't kneel, don't kneel. We're just ordinary people visiting each other today, so let's not stand on ceremony."

Her tone was gentle, and her eyes were sincere.

Zheng Huangshi's tension subsided considerably. She cautiously looked up at Empress Ma, the mother of the nation. She was dressed in a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and wore only a jade hairpin in her hair. Her smile was gentle and kind. Just as her son had said, she was similar to the kind aunties in the mountains.

Zhu Yuanzhang also came over, trying to soften his expression as he said, "Brother Zheng, you've worked hard all these years."

Zheng Dazhu waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "It's no trouble at all, Li'er is obedient and easy to raise..."

The group entered the front hall.

Empress Ma pulled Zheng Huangshi down to sit, asking about the details of life in the mountains, what crops they grew, what livestock they raised, and whether it was cold in winter.

As Madam Zheng gradually opened up, she talked about how Zhu Hui fell from a tree while taking bird eggs when he was a child, and his bottom swelled up for three days so he couldn't sit on a stool. Empress Ma laughed so hard she wiped away tears.

On Zhu Yuanzhang's side, Zheng Dazhu was initially apprehensive, but he gradually relaxed when the conversation turned to practical topics such as hunting and farming.

Zhu Biao stayed by his side, occasionally interjecting a word, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Zhu Xiong Ying and Zheng Daya, the two little ones, quickly became friends. Zhu Xiong Ying took out her wooden toy horse, and Zheng Daya took out a grasshopper made of straw from her bosom. The two squatted in the corner and chattered away.

Zhu Hui felt at ease watching this scene.

This is the life he wants.

……

Around noon, Empress Ma suggested that they go and see the small courtyard where the Zheng family was currently staying.

Madam Zheng Huang was a little embarrassed: "Your Majesty, our courtyard is small and messy..."

"It's alright, I just want to see where Li'er grew up," Empress Ma said with a smile.

Although this is not where Zhu Hui grew up, it is managed by Zheng Huangshi and has many similarities to other homes in the village.

So the group moved to the Zheng family's courtyard in the west of the city.