The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

Inside the palace.

Since his adoptive father was also there, the three of them had to share the two baskets of steamed buns that Zhu Xiong Ying brought.

At Lao Zhu's suggestion.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao was sitting on a small table at the lower end of the table.

Zhu Xiong Ying sat close to his grandfather on the edge of the large dragon throne.

If foreign officials were to witness this scene, they would surely be astonished!

Under heaven, perhaps only the eldest grandson of the emperor has this privilege, daring to sit peacefully and openly on the throne.

A few breaths later, Zhu Yuanzhang sat down at his desk, rolled up a small section of his sleeve, and started eating.

He ate two steamed buns, then picked up the bowl of porridge, slurped down a big mouthful with the pickled vegetables, and wasn't picky at all!

Then, his gaze swept over his beloved grandson's thin face.

So, Old Zhu picked up the serving chopsticks, took out a thin-skinned, generously filled bun, put it in his grandson's bowl, and said with a smile, "Grandpa is full. Our grandson is growing, so eat more!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Seeing that her grandfather really had no appetite, Zhu Xiong Ying did not refuse. After thanking him, she gulped down her food.

Looking ahead, he noticed that his father's bowl was empty. He then took the remaining vegetable buns and patted his tummy.

"Father, I've eaten my fill. You still have to help Grandfather with state affairs, so please eat some more..."

To be honest, in this life, the father is a fully leveled starter and the most stable crown prince in history.

Despite his seemingly carefree and easygoing nature, Zhu Xiong Ying is deeply respected.

However, of the four major cases during the Hongwu reign, Biao'er's father presided over three of them, which means he was certainly not an ordinary person.

Not to mention that during his lifetime, he was the head of Huaixi and the executive vice emperor of the Ming Dynasty!

He's another great elder brother to all the feudal lords!

He possessed both fame and power, and could subdue all civil and military officials. Who would dare to underestimate him?

Furthermore, in terms of interpersonal relationships, the concepts of benevolence, righteousness, tolerance, and harmony are relative.

Regarding corrupt officials, Old Zhu said to execute nine generations of their families, while Young Zhu said to exterminate three generations.

This is a charade.

He was originally a copy of Old Zhu, who was both literate and martial!

If we could live another twenty or thirty years, the Ming Dynasty might have ushered in another golden age!

Therefore, some people in later generations said that as long as Crown Prince Zhu Biao had not died, Prince Yan Zhu Di would not have launched the Jingnan Campaign.

This is absolutely true.

After all, from his fourth uncle's position, there was no need for him to do such a thing, and he wouldn't even dare to think about it!

According to his observations, Xiao Zhu was overworked, which weakened his body and eventually led to his serious illness.

Fortunately, through adjustments to diet and lifestyle over the past year, like Empress Ma, there has been improvement...

It's still good news!

Even in the future, as long as Old Zhu, Little Zhu, and Empress Ma live long, there will be three tall figures standing in front of them.

Zhu Xiong Ying can just enjoy his life in the back; isn't that wonderful?

Seeing his eldest son's filial piety, Zhu Biao glanced at his father, a smile appearing on his round face, and said softly, "Father, please eat."

Shortly after, Zhu Xiong Ying returned to his throne and then ate his porridge.

A grain of rice was found on the table.

He subconsciously picked up the food and put it in his mouth, a habit he had developed in his previous life.

Catching a glimpse of this scene, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes filled with reminiscence. He stroked his beard and said, "Looking at this steaming white rice porridge, when I was as old as my grandson, I never even dreamed of this!"

"They were begging, they were really begging. Holding a chipped bowl they had picked up, they followed thousands of other refugees, crawling out of Haozhou."

"When knocking on people's doors, you have to be careful not to speak too loudly, for fear of being mistaken for a thief and chased away. Phrases like 'Please have mercy, sir and madam,' are said hundreds of times a day!"

"And if you pass by a dozen or so wealthy households, and you're lucky, one of them will open the door for you, and you might get half a bowl of spoiled porridge, or a small piece of dry, hard, blackened steamed bun..."

At this point, seeing his eldest son and grandson both look up with admiration in their eyes, Old Zhu didn't forget to stretch out his hand and gesture a couple of times.

"Those hard, dry steamed buns, even if they cut your throat and hurt after chewing, you have to force them down if you want to live."

"If there's no food, you'll starve to death on the roadside; you can only accept your fate."

"Hey, I remember that coldest year clearly. We were so hungry that we had to fight with stray dogs for the swill that rich people dumped. There were rice bits in it, frozen into ice crystals. It tasted fishy and stinky when we chewed it. But in a famine, it was like heavenly food!"

"It wasn't until we were completely desperate that we became monks, finally managing to get a meal and a place to shelter from the wind and rain. But later, we had no choice but to go out and beg for alms..."

Zhu Yuanzhang paused briefly, his expression turning serious, and said, "Throughout history, those who sit in our positions are most prone to forgetting their roots, but we will not forget!"

"That's the taste of hunger, the taste of being worthless, the taste of being less than grass!"

"Our Biao'er, our Da Sun, you're fortunate to live in such good times and have enough to eat, that's true. But you must also remember that there are still many people in this world who are hungry."

"What we need to do is ensure everyone has enough to eat! Anyone who opposes us and cuts off the people's livelihood will be killed!"

"No matter how future generations view us, we have no regrets!"

The voices here were like thunderclaps, constantly echoing in my ears.

Since having children and grandchildren, Old Zhu has taken to telling stories of his past whenever he has free time.

He did not shy away from his past hardships and misfortunes, intending to teach his descendants to always remember to put the people first.

At these times, Zhu Xiong Ying listened most attentively!

The person before me is the living Zhu Yuanzhang, whose legendary experiences, along with all sorts of gossip, are far richer than what is recorded in the "Veritable Records of the Ming Taizu"!

Looking at Emperor Gaozu of Han as a whole.

Both men came from humble backgrounds and both built the most prosperous dynasties in Chinese history.

Han and Ming dynasties.

But in his mind, Lao Liu, who came from a humble background, had a higher starting point, while Lao Zhu was truly at the bottom!

Holding a bowl in his hand, he not only successfully launched the Northern Expedition and recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, but also established the Ming Dynasty and restored the Han Dynasty, which was truly the mandate of heaven!

In feudal history.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this is unprecedented and will never be repeated!

After Old Zhu finished speaking.

Zhu Biao understood his father's deeper meaning and reacted quickly, rising to bow and saying, "Your subject humbly accepts your instruction!"

Zhu Xiong Ying imitated him perfectly, bowing in return and saying, "Grandson must learn from His Majesty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Good children! Rise, all of you!"

Immediately afterward, while Zhu Xiong Ying stood up to continue drinking her porridge...

Old Zhu picked up a handkerchief, wiped his mouth, and then instructed the Crown Prince, "Biao'er, remember everything we just arranged! We need results within three days!"

"As for tomorrow, it's the day of the announcement of the results. After the announcement and naming ceremony at the Fengtian Hall, there will be a banquet at the Huitong Hall. You don't need to go in my place. Just focus on your work..."

The palace examination for this year was held three days ago.

The corresponding top three rankings were already determined long ago.

Although Guo Huan's incident occurred last night, it will not affect the overall situation in the court and among the people.

Moreover, the imperial examination was a matter of national importance, and there could be no mistakes.

"Your subject understands!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao readily agreed.

Zhu Xiong Ying heard that there would be a feast to eat and that he would also be able to meet a group of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

After putting down his chopsticks, he moved closer to Old Zhu and looked up, saying, "Grandfather, may I accompany you to the imperial examination ceremony tomorrow?"

"Don't worry, I've finished all the homework assigned by the teachers, and it won't delay my studies..."

Zhu Yuanzhang, also wanting his beloved grandson to broaden his horizons, laughed and said, "Alright! Let's go together, my grandson!"

"By the way, regarding your plan to hold a memorial service for your mother, your father and I have already discussed it. There's no need to rush; let's wait for the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to calculate an auspicious date!"

"Grandson thanks His Majesty!"

It's getting late.

Upon seeing Old Zhu and Little Zhu, they realized there were still important matters to discuss.

Zhu Xiong Ying, carrying her schoolbag, took her leave.

Accompanied by several eunuchs, he headed straight for the main hall.

Two incense sticks later, he walked along the path and had just stepped into the front yard when a cold laugh rang out.

"Zhu Yunwen, you motherless bastard, how dare you push me? You're asking for death!"

There were still about ten feet to go.

The boastful person is none other than the thirteenth son, Zhu Gui!

Upon hearing this, he saw that Zhu Yunwen had insulted his deceased mother and also verbally abused his younger brother.

Zhu Xiong Ying's blood surged instantly. He grabbed a stool, ran like the wind, and smashed it against his forehead without a care.

Snapped!

"Zhu Gui, you piece of trash, say that again to our faces if you dare!"