The First Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Zhu Yi has arrived in the capital.

He arrived in Beijing on the 27th, just one day after he set off from Juyongguan.

Upon arriving in the capital, Zhong Ning, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, escorted him to the nearest post station. Since the Prince of Ning's mansion did not have a residence in the capital, and Zhu Yi was currently just an ordinary prince of the capital, he did not intend to stay at the Huitongguan.

"Thank you for your help, Commander Zhong. This is just a small token of my appreciation. Take it and have some tea with the brothers." Like his father, Zhu Yi had his own way of winning people's hearts.

Zhong Ning is, after all, Qian Ning's man. He was sent to greet him, and it's likely that someone will be sent to keep an eye on him in the future.

In Zhu Yi's view, if he wanted to develop in the capital, he had to build up his network of connections.

Moreover, his thinking is different from that of ordinary people. He would never take the path of a civil servant, because that path has been blocked for him.

He could only take the path of military merit and close associates. These people might not seem to have as much say as civil officials, but they could determine the structure of the top power structure at crucial moments. So, Zhu Yi could find a third path for himself, besides being adopted as the crown prince and rebelling with his father.

……

……

Zhong Ning left two people behind to be at his beck and call, ostensibly so, but in reality, to keep a close watch on him.

He then left with the silver, clearly showing his great fondness for this son of the Prince of Ning. He could even make a fortune while running errands, making him a veritable god of wealth.

"Young Master, we have already sent someone to inform you that the person you requested will be here soon." Min Twenty-Four, a notorious thief, was now acting as Zhu Yi's bodyguard.

"Thank you. Once she arrives, please have her come directly to my room."

The person Zhu Yi wanted to see was Yu Niang, the mother of his two former personal maids, Xiao Mei and Xiao Tang.

Not long after he entered the room, before the attendants had even finished tidying him up, someone announced at the door that he had arrived.

Zhu Yi first dismissed his attendants and met Yu Niang alone in the room.

"This humble servant greets Your Highness, Young Prince." Upon seeing Zhu Yi, Yu Niang quickly knelt down and kowtowed.

Zhu Yi laughed and said, "Why such formalities? Let's just treat this as a normal meeting. I don't have a particularly high status. Please stand up and chat."

"Yes." The fish girl stood up, looking very reserved.

Having come to the capital from Nanchang, she had no idea what she was supposed to do. She vaguely knew that she was to serve Zhu Yi, but she didn't know exactly what she was supposed to do.

Zhu Yi said, "Your two daughters will come to the capital through other channels, and they will probably arrive a little later, no later than half a month. As you know, they were arranged to be by my side by the Prince's Mansion, while you are someone I asked to be by my side."

"Yes." The fish girl seemed very nervous.

Zhu Yi's words were actually meant to imply to Yu Niang that she and her two daughters were not under the same system; she was one of his people, while her two daughters were sent to his side by the Prince's Mansion, and they were his people.

If you want to live a good life with your two daughters in the future, you have to listen to me and do things for me. I will act as a bridge for you and your daughters to meet again.

Zhu Yi said, "I know you're not very literate, so I'll just tell you things verbally. Find some people for me in the capital. I'll pay you for it, and I'll also find you some helpers. In the end, I'll use the wicked people from the capital, not the ones I brought from Nanchang."

Zhu Yi has now arrived in the capital.

If he wants to develop his network, he first needs money.

If things continue at the current pace, everything he does will be under Zhu Chenhao's control. Even if he helps Zhu Chenhao make money in Nanchang, Zhu Chenhao will take it for granted and won't value his son's contribution.

On the contrary, in many ways, Zhu Chenhao would try to restrict his son's actions in the capital.

What Zhu Yi needs to do is very simple: he must achieve economic independence.

Using the people from the Prince Ning's mansion is tantamount to exposing one's own trump card to Zhu Chenhao.

Then why not use Yu Niang? No one would have thought that he would use someone with little education, who had previously only done laundry and had never even led a team, to act as his money-making manager.

Moreover, Zhu Yi believed that because Yu Niang had two daughters who were a ties between them, she was easier to control.

Another point is that men have a unique advantage when it comes to controlling women of lower status, which is much better than just finding some men outside to help them.

After all, Zhu Yi didn't need anyone to have great ambitions or even their own ideas. All they needed to do was be honest, obedient, and do their job well.

The fish maiden said, "This humble servant does not know how I can help the young prince."

"Just call me Young Master," Zhu Yi said. "When we go out, I don't want people to know my identity. In the next few days, I may have to deal with some interpersonal matters. When I have some free time, I will go with you to the outskirts of the capital to hire some people. In public, you can act as my steward, but in front of the people from the Prince Ning's residence, you can just act as my maid."

"Yes."

Yu Niang would never have imagined that Zhu Yi would use her for something big.

……

……

Zhu Yi and Yu Niang had only been talking for a short time when it was already afternoon.

Min Ershisi entered and reported, "Young Master, I just received news that people have been inquiring about your whereabouts at every city gate. They seem to be from some noble family. As for whose family it is, we don't know yet."

Zhu Yi laughed and said, "It's probably because the hooks I planted earlier have worked. Now some people should be scared to death! Here's what you do: take some men to the city gate and tell them I live here, and have the people behind them come find me."

Min Twenty-Four asked, "Would revealing my whereabouts be detrimental to your safety?"

"This is the capital, why would I be afraid of this?" Zhu Yi said. "Besides, this is just my temporary residence. I'll move there once I find the People's Academy in the next couple of days. I'll inform Qian Ning in advance. As long as I'm still under the surveillance of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they won't care what I do."

"Yes."

Min Niansi then led his men to the city gate to find the Xia family.

……

……

At the Jinyiwei command post, Qian Ning had just returned when he learned from Zhong Ning about Zhu Yi's arrival in the capital.

"Governor, do you think we should allow him to come and pay his respects?" Zhong Ning asked.

Qian Ning said irritably, "He's a prince, and he's very likely to be adopted by His Majesty as a prince. Do I have to go see him in person? Can't you tell the difference between high and low status?"

"Yes."

Zhong Ning thought to herself, "Why can't I listen to what you're saying?"

Is this something I could possibly know?

That little prince, he actually became a prince?

The emperor has no son, doesn't that mean... there's a possibility that the young man might inherit the Ming Dynasty?

I was too negligent towards him before; how dare I accept his gold?

"Also, Governor, we just received news that the Xia family, the father-in-law of the Emperor, are searching everywhere for the whereabouts of the young prince of the Ning Prince's residence. The specific reasons are unknown," Zhong Ning reminded him.

Qian Ning said irritably, "Isn't it because Tang Yin scared him to death? Speaking of which, I was the one who had someone inform the Xia family. Now that Tang Yin hasn't returned, I guess that old bastard is clinging to this young prince as a lifeline. But don't worry, it's probably not to establish a connection with the vassal king. Even if His Majesty finds out, he won't blame us. It's all about survival!"