The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

A moment later, Zhu Yuanzhang took the medicine pillow handed to him by the eunuch.

Upon hearing about its efficacy, I recalled that in recent years, while handling official duties at my desk, I often experienced stiffness and pain in my spine.

And the gift from his grandson happened to be able to alleviate the symptoms, which really relieved his worries!

Old Zhu's eyes were filled with warmth as he turned to Empress Ma and said, "Look at our eldest grandson! He even remembered all our little discomforts. He's more attentive than those imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital!"

These feelings come from the bottom of my heart.

Upon hearing this, Crown Prince Zhu Biao looked pleased.

The other princes and grandsons were mostly envious.

Upon hearing this, Empress Ma's face was filled with affection, and she exclaimed, "Xiong Ying has always been such a thoughtful child. What other gifts have you prepared for your grandfather? Why don't you bring them out as well!"

"yes!"

Zhu Xiong Ying clapped his hands again.

This time, it was Sanbao's turn to step in, carrying a wooden box.

After being slowly opened, a set of utensils made of sandalwood was revealed.

It includes a massager, a massage hammer, a moxibustion box, and an acupoint chart.

Before Lao Zhu could ask any questions, Zhu Xiong Ying took the initiative to explain.

"Grandpa, I know that you fought on the battlefield in your younger days, braving wind and rain, which caused you to suffer from a lumbar spine injury! You experience unbearable pain on rainy days, so I thought I'd make you a set of physiotherapy equipment!"

He then picked up the wooden double-wheel massager, demonstrating how to use the rollers, and said, "Grandpa, look, this wooden roller massager is easy to hold! When you have free time, you can roll it on your neck, shoulders, and back to stimulate acupoints and relieve soreness!"

"As for this massage hammer, one end is for pounding, and the other end is for acupressure..."

But the emperor's eldest grandson gave a vivid and engaging explanation.

Whether it was the emperor, empress, crown prince, or anyone else, they were all stunned.

The grandsons of the emperor, such as Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Yunwen, and Zhu Yunchi, were filled with admiration.

Big brother is amazing!

Then.

As before, the other gifts Zhu Xiong Ying prepared were mostly small items.

In terms of value alone, it cannot compare to the various vassal kings.

Empress Ma knew the intentions behind it, and Zhu Yuanzhang knew them even better!

Old Zhu laughed heartily, rarely showing such joy.

Finally, Zhu Xiong Ying stepped back, bowed deeply, and said, "Your Majesty, these gifts are not valuable, but I hoped they could help ease your burdens and alleviate your suffering!"

"Your grandson has no other desires but that Grandfather and Grandmother enjoy good health..."

A few words.

Even the iron-fisted emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was moved to tears.

He abruptly rose from his desk, strode over to his grandson, and personally helped him up, saying with a smile, "My dear grandson, get up quickly!"

"Over the years, we've received countless congratulatory gifts, but this one from our eldest grandson is the one that truly pleases us!"

"We're in a good mood today, Biao'er and Zi'er, you two should have a few more drinks with us!"

Led by Zhu Biao, the other older princes rose one after another and said in unison, "Your subjects obey!"

Old Zhu was overjoyed and his face was flushed from drinking.

His gaze swept over his wife, then turned to his refined and gentle eldest son, before looking at his beloved grandson, and the entire hall filled with respectful and filial grandchildren…

I feel that after a lifetime of military service and the conquest of the world, it was all worth it!

The happiest thing in the world is this moment: family reunion and peace throughout the land!

So much so that the family banquet lasted until late afternoon before finally coming to an end.

After the banquet, Zhu Yuanzhang bestowed upon his princes and grandsons gifts such as the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper) and jade pendants.

The princes who had taken up their fiefs were also commended by imperial decree!

Empress Ma then bestowed the finished shoes and clothes upon her children and grandchildren!

The Emperor's birthday celebrations have ended, and more than ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Under the coordination of the Crown Prince, all the imperial grandsons, including Zhu Gaochi, who had entered the capital, began to be vaccinated against smallpox!

Furthermore, under the guidance of his elder brother Zhu Xiong Ying, Zhu Gao Chi, Zhu Ji Xi, and others had already begun to get used to studying at the Great Hall.

Furthermore, in various academic exchanges, I saw that my elder brother was very knowledgeable. In some debates on classical studies, he even left great Confucian scholars such as Liu Sanwu speechless!

The admiration he received was palpable!

September has passed, and October has arrived.

The construction of the university in the suburbs has entered its final stage.

With the help of the Crown Prince, the recruitment of lecturers and students is proceeding smoothly according to plan.

It is far away in Guanzhong.

Xi'an City, Qin Prince's Mansion.

Inside the warm pavilion of Chengyun Hall.

Because the weather in Guanzhong gets cold early, the underground heating system was started in the pavilion as early as the end of September.

King Zhu Shuang of Qin leaned against the Luohan bed, holding an agate wine cup in his hand. His casual clothes were loose, and he was drunk. He watched the dancers dance and shouted loudly.

He looked completely drained by alcohol and women!

Not far to the side, on the imperial concubine's couch, sat the secondary concubine, Lady Deng, who was charming and beautiful.

Madam Deng peeled an orange, a smile on her face, and held it to Zhu Shuang's lips, saying softly, "Your Highness, please try this. This orange is perfect for relieving the effects of a hangover!"

Zhu Shuang held that jade-like hand, pulled it into his arms, inhaled its fragrance, and smiled, "My beloved consort, you are the most loving!"

"In a year or two, we'll find a way to make you a princess..."

Upon hearing this, Lady Deng's heart trembled with joy. Leaning against his chest, she softly said, "I thank Your Highness! But the Princess Consort is still alive, and what about the Emperor and Empress..."

Zhu Shuang said, "Hmph, you mean her? If I wanted her to die at midnight, how could she possibly live to dawn?"

"As for the palace..."

Speaking of the capital, the emperor and empress dowager were in the palace.

Zhu Shuang recalled several pieces of news that had come from Yingtian Prefecture a few months ago, and he immediately sobered up a bit!

Thinking of this, he sat up straight, then waved his hand to dismiss the dancers. He then took his favorite concubine's hand, feeling somewhat irritated, and frowned, saying, "My beauty, it's strange, isn't it? These past few days, my right eyelid has been twitching nonstop; I have a feeling something's about to happen!"

I will now recount the details.

Madam Deng quickly put her arm around his waist and gently patted his back, comforting him, "Your Highness, please don't worry. You are the second son of the Emperor, guarding the northwest gateway of the Ming Dynasty... Even if some poor and pedantic censors nitpick and try to sow discord among the imperial family, especially the Emperor, wouldn't he side with you?"

Thinking of their protective father and their elder brother Zhu Biao, who treated them well.

Zhu Shuang felt relieved and smiled, "My beauty is right!"

Just then, someone knocked on the door of the warm chamber from the outside.

Hearing the noise, Zhu Shuang's mood was disturbed. His face darkened, and he shouted, "Who's the blind fool who dares to ruin our fun? Do they want to drown us in the lake to feed the fish?"

The eunuch outside the door entered, his head bowed low, and explained in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, a message came from the Provincial Administration Commission, saying that someone has submitted another memorial to the capital today, impeaching Your Highness..."

Zhu Shuang scoffed, slamming his hand on the table. "A few old bastards, do they really think we're afraid? They even dare to gossip to Father Emperor! We'll make them wish they were dead!"

At this point, Zhu Shuang was about to issue an order to use some underhanded tactics to teach those officials who impeached him a lesson.

Suddenly, he remembered something, lowered his eyes, and asked, "Has there been any news from the capital these past two days?"

After a moment's thought, the eunuch replied in detail, "Your Highness, there was a letter from the capital today, sent from the palace..."