My father, Zhu Di, was granted a second life by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Chapter 36: Does the Old Emperor Want to Take Back His Move?

Zhu Yuanzhang considered Zhu Yunwen's attempts to deal with Miao Jin's sordid schemes to be completely harmless; what Zhu Yuanzhang valued most was Zhu Yunwen's ability to govern.

Zhu Gaoxi did not expect Zhu Yunwen to be punished for this matter; he simply wanted to report the grievances suffered by Miaojin through normal channels.

He believed that Zhu Yuanzhang's heart was not without any turmoil.

The following day, after court, Zhu Yuanzhang summoned Yu Xin, the Minister of Revenue, and Ru Chang, the Minister of War, to the Qianqing Palace to taste sweet potatoes, and specifically designated Zhu Gaoxi to be present.

After the Hu Weiyong case, Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the position of prime minister, and the ministers of the six ministries became the highest-ranking officials in the court.

It was of great significance that Zhu Gaoxi, a four-year-old grandson of the emperor, was chosen to attend such an important occasion.

This shows that in Zhu Yuanzhang's mind, he was no longer an ignorant infant, but would gradually grow into a prince who could attend and listen to important court affairs.

Yu Xin and Ru Chang both praised the sweet potatoes highly after eating them.

"Have you ever eaten this elsewhere?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked earnestly.

"Your humble servant is ignorant and has never tasted this before."

"Your Majesty, I have never eaten this before. May I ask what it is?"

"This was grown by our eldest grandson, Zhu Gaoxi. Let him tell you," Zhu Yuanzhang said, instructing Zhu Gaoxi to stand before the two ministers.

Yu Xin and Ru Chang both showed surprise. How could such a young child know how to farm?

"Greetings, gentlemen," Zhu Gaoxi greeted their questions calmly, "This is a sweet potato, a high-yield crop. It is very easy to grow, does not require complicated and meticulous farming techniques, and is highly adaptable. It can be grown in most types of soil and is also very drought-resistant. Planting it in years with low rainfall can reduce the loss of grain production."

"This sweet potato can be steamed, boiled, or roasted. Adding some to millet porridge makes it especially sweet. You can also slice it raw and dry it in the sun for long-term preservation. Sweet potatoes contain starch, which can be used to make noodles to stew with other dishes. They can also be made into hot and sour noodles on their own. Boiled or steamed sweet potatoes can be cut into strips, dried for a few days, and eaten as a snack. They can be preserved for a long time and can be carried around at any time."

Zhu Gaoxi spoke so much in one breath that Yu Xin and Ru Chang nodded repeatedly, their previous doubts completely dissipated.

"This sweet potato is so good, where did the young prince get it?" Yu Xin asked curiously.

Zhu Gaoxi turned to look at Zhu Yuanzhang, and after receiving an encouraging look, he slowly said, "It was my uncle, the Crown Prince, who appeared to me in a dream and said that there were sweet potato seedlings in the palace that could be planted. I followed my uncle's instructions, found the sweet potato seedlings, planted them in the vegetable garden, and three months later, I indeed harvested a lot."

"The Crown Prince always has the Ming Dynasty on his mind," Ru Chang said with tears in her eyes.

Yu Xin's eyes also welled up with tears after hearing this.

"This child was born on the very day Biao'er died. Zong Le said he was Biao'er reincarnated. Could this be the will of Heaven?" Zhu Yuanzhang murmured emotionally.

What did the old emperor mean by those words?

Hasn't the Crown Prince already been appointed?

Do you want to take back your move?

That's unlikely, isn't it?

Yu Xin and Ru Chang exchanged a blank look before quickly looking away.

"We plan to enfeoff Gao Xi as the King of Wu, with his fief in Yingzhou in the East China Sea. What do you think?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked, having taken in the changes in their expressions.

"Yingzhou in the East China Sea is a deserted island."

Yu Xin wanted to continue speaking, but he spoke a little too slowly and was interrupted by Zhu Yuanzhang.

"A deserted island is fine. We can develop it slowly. It will be a good opportunity for Gao Xi to test various ideas for increasing grain production. The Prince's Palace can be built in Chongming County, but there's no rush. He's still young," Zhu Yuanzhang said, leaning forward slightly and staring at the two ministers with a stern gaze. "If you have no objections, we'll have the Imperial Observatory select an auspicious day and the Ministry of Rites prepare the investiture ceremony."

The fiefdom was on a deserted island, which would not affect the Ministry of Revenue's tax revenue, so Yu Xin could not think of any reason to object.

Chongming County belongs to Suzhou Prefecture and is located near the mouth of the Yangtze River. It is directly under the jurisdiction of the capital. Establishing a vassal state in the important area of ​​the capital would pose a threat to the imperial power and could easily cause disputes. Ru Chang originally wanted to say these heartfelt words, but when he thought of Zhan Hui, the Minister of Personnel who died in the Lan Yu case, he suppressed his impulse.

When the Crown Prince ordered the arrest of Zhan Hui, he showed no mercy whatsoever.

Ru Chang still feels lingering fear when she thinks about it.

Besides, how could a mere Minister of War possibly stop the old emperor from doing what he wanted to do?

Seeing that the two remained silent, Zhu Yuanzhang wrote an edict with a flourish of his pen, saying, "Very well, this matter is settled."

Yu Xin's expression was grave. He felt that this matter was not so simple, but he did not want to presume to guess the superior's intentions.

Once the edict is issued, what will the court officials think? Should they continue to stand firmly on the side of the Crown Prince? Or should they find an opportunity to curry favor with the Prince of Wu?

Will the regional princes be tempted to make a move?

If the Prince of Yan's mansion can produce two princes, what about the other princely mansions?

The old emperor is already sixty-seven years old. When Crown Prince Zhu Biao passed away, he couldn't bear the blow and almost fell ill with a fever. Does he still have the time and energy to cultivate another heir?

What's more, this is just a four-year-old child.

Although precocious, she was still too young.

Oh, Lord Guolai!

Yu Xin dared not think any further and hurriedly took his leave with Ru Chang.

He needed to find a quiet place to comprehensively analyze the pros and cons and whether it was necessary to write a memorial specifically opposing it.

Yu Xin has always been cautious and is not the kind of person who acts impulsively on a whim.

Zhu Gaoxi saw Yu Xin's worries and Ru Chang's evasiveness, and also sensed Zhu Yuanzhang's probing intent.

It is possible that Zhu Yuanzhang had already begun to worry that Zhu Yunwen was not up to the task of being the crown prince.

Not long after Yu Xin and Ru Chang left, Zhu Yunwen arrived, clearly also very concerned about the matter.

"Grandfather, Gao Xi is exceptionally gifted and should be nurtured as early as possible. Why not have Mr. Huang teach him?" Zhu Yunwen said bluntly.

In his view, Huang Zicheng is extremely knowledgeable, and few can match him.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, then turned to Zhu Gaoxi and asked, "Would you like to study under Mr. Huang?"

"Grandpa, can I choose my own tutor?" Zhu Gaoxi asked.

"Sure, who do you want to choose?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked with great interest, anticipating his beloved grandson's surprising words.

"Grandpa, I need two days to think it over carefully. Also, I want to go to the Imperial Academy. Perhaps I can select a tutor from there," Zhu Gaoxi continued, seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang did not show any objection. "I want Xu Zengshou to take me there."

"Alright, tell Grandpa when you've thought it through," Zhu Yuanzhang readily agreed.

Just as Zhu Yunwen was about to object, Huang Liang came in from outside and reported, "Your Majesty, Qi Tai, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, has arrived."

"Let him in," Zhu Yuanzhang ordered.

In the previous life, Huang Zicheng, Qi Tai, and Fang Xiaoru were all key ministers of Emperor Jianwen, Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Gaoxi carefully examined Qi Tai, who exuded an air of righteousness.

"Yunwen, Qi Tai has served in the Ministry of War for many years and is very knowledgeable about border defense. You should listen to his opinions more often regarding troop training and border preparation. We will promote him to the position of Vice Minister of War," Zhu Yuanzhang said to Zhu Yunwen.

"Grandson thanks grandfather," Zhu Yunwen replied.

When Qi Tai heard that he was going to be promoted, he immediately knelt down to express his gratitude.