Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 824 Wife and Children Enter Beijing
"Mother, are we going to the capital? Is it far? Is the palace big? Is our new home inside the palace? Is it beautiful? Is father waiting for us there? Do you think father will recognize me when he sees me?"

In a carriage, Zhu Mincheng raised his little head and kept asking questions. Ever since he knew that they were going from Yangtou Mountain to the capital to meet Zhu Shenzhui, and that they would live in the imperial palace in the capital in the future, the little guy began to ask a hundred thousand questions and had countless questions to ask every day.

Just after they set off, Zhu Mincheng, who was looking out the window with great interest one moment, turned back the next and kept asking questions to his mother Xu Jingqiu.

"The capital is not far away, nor is it near. We can get there in a few days by car. The palace is of course big. This is the palace built by Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty. It is the center of the world and is larger than an ordinary county town. From now on, the palace will be our home. Of course, our new home is beautiful. Not only does it have many houses, but it also has a garden. I heard that there are all kinds of rare birds and animals from all over the world. Your father is waiting for us in the palace in the capital. Look, these people outside are sent by your father to pick us up. Of course he remembers you..."

Xu Jingqiu touched Zhu Mincheng's head and said with a smile that although she had just left Yangtou Mountain, her heart had already flown to the capital.

She had not seen her husband for more than two years since Zhu Shencui started his rebellion. It was impossible for her to say that she did not miss him. Especially after she learned that Zhu Shencui had taken over the capital and became regent, and specially brought her and her son from the garrison to Yangtou Mountain for settlement, Xu Jingqiu knew the deep meaning of Zhu Shencui's actions.

Xu Jingqiu never thought that Zhu Shenzhui would do such a big thing, and he succeeded. When he first learned about Zhu Shenzhui's plan, although Xu Jingqiu expressed his unconditional support, he could not help but feel uneasy. After all, this was not a small matter, but a big matter. If the plan failed, not only Zhu Shenzhui, but also he and his people would die.

At that time, Zhu Shenzhui had already made plans to retreat to Mongolia if the plan failed. It was this arrangement that made Xu Jingqiu feel more at ease. At least Mongolia was a way out, and there was still a place to go even if the plan failed.

However, Xu Jingqiu would not take her children to Mongolia unless it was absolutely necessary. After all, she knew that Mongolia was controlled by Tana and her son. As Zhu Shenzui's legal wife, Xu Jingqiu had long known about Tana's existence. She could accept Tana and her son, but would never allow Tana and her son to affect her position in Zhu Shenzui's heart.

This was probably Xu Jingqiu's bottom line. Many times, she even thought that instead of living under someone else's roof and having to look at other people's faces, it would be better to follow Zhu Shenzhui in case of failure. As for the two children, they could be entrusted to Tana. For the sake of Zhu Shenzhui's kindness, Tana would always ensure that they had enough food and clothing and lived a stable life.

When the news came that Zhu Shenzhui had become the regent, Xu Jingqiu was both surprised and happy. She could understand Zhu Shenzhui's concerns about temporarily settling them in Yangtou Mountain instead of taking them to the capital right away. After all, he had just taken the position of regent and was surrounded by dangers. Taking the children to the capital at this time would not only not help, but would cause trouble for her husband. Settling them in Yangtou Mountain was the best choice.

In this way, Xu Jingqiu took her children and sister-in-law Zhang to Yangtou Mountain and lived there for two years. During these two years, she thought about her husband all the time. Although they often communicated with each other, she always felt empty in her heart when she was not with Zhu Shenzhui.

A few days ago, someone came from the capital, bringing not only the official imperial edict, but also private letters from her husband Zhu Shenzhui and her brother Xu Xiancheng.

Now the obstacles to Zhu Shenzhui's ascension to the throne have been completely removed, and he will become the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty and officially ascend the throne on the fifth day of next month. In other words, her husband went from being an ordinary member of the royal family to becoming a prince, and then a regent who truly controls the country. Last year, he was promoted to the King of Wu, becoming the head of the princes, and now he will ascend the throne and sit on the throne of the emperor.

When Zhu Shenzhui became emperor, Xu Jingqiu was undoubtedly the empress. Moreover, Xu Jingqiu knew that Zhu Shenzhui had not favored any woman in the past few years in the capital and had always been alone. She, as the empress, was his only companion, just like when he was Emperor Xiaozong.

Of course there is also Tana, but Xu Jingqiu knows that once Zhu Shenzhui takes the throne, he and Tana will no longer be the same as before. His own position is as stable as Mount Tai, because Tana will never give up her Mongolian heritage and marry into the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty will not allow a foreign woman to occupy the position of the master of the six palaces.

When Xu Jingqiu became the queen, her two sons were legitimate sons, especially the eldest son Zhu Minlan, who was the undisputed candidate for crown prince after Zhu Shenzhu officially ascended the throne.

Thinking of this, she looked at Zhu Minlan with love and satisfaction. The eldest son, who was three years older than Zhu Mincheng, was now almost fourteen years old. This eldest son looked very similar to her husband Zhu Shencui. He had admired his father the most since he was a child. Whether it was practicing martial arts or behaving like his father Zhu Shencui, the young man had grown up a little, and his skin color was a healthy wheat color because of years of practicing martial arts. Moreover, Xu Jingqiu never fell behind in his studies. Not only did she personally enlighten him since he was a child, but when he was six years old, she also hired a famous old teacher to teach him.

Although his studies were interrupted more than two years ago because of Zhu Shenzhui, he followed his mother Xu Jingqiu to settle in the guard post and then went to Yangtou Mountain. However, Xu Jingqiu did not relax his studies. Not only did she watch him finish reading the Four Books and Five Classics, she also found various historical books to teach him personally. Zhu Minlan did not disappoint his mother's expectations. Not only was he good at reading, but he was also not the kind of person who read books blindly. This was also what Xu Jingqiu expected, because their family was not an ordinary family. Even when they were just members of the royal family, it was impossible for them to get ahead through the imperial examination. Reading is to open up their minds and understand things, especially reading history books is to understand various principles and improve their own insights. In addition, Zhu Shenzhui set an example, and his mother Xu Jingqiu was a talented woman. You must know that when Xu Xiancheng was studying for the imperial examination, it was Xu Jingqiu who first guided him. In terms of talent, there are few women in the world who can compare with her.

In terms of martial arts, Zhu Minlan is not bad either. He can use a spear very well at a young age. The spear skills were taught to him by Zhu Shenzui. Now he is so skilled in martial arts that two or three ordinary people cannot get close to him. This is because he is young. When he grows up, even if he cannot match Zhu Shenzui's bravery, he will not be much worse than Li You, Wang Hai and others.

In fact, Zhu Mincheng's academic and martial arts skills were not bad either, after all, both brothers were taught by Xu Jingqiu. But compared to the calm eldest son, his younger son had a more lively personality, and he was also very young and childish, so he could not compare to his older brother.

The three of them were sitting in the carriage. Zhu Mincheng was still pestering his mother with questions from time to time, his eyes full of curiosity and excitement. Zhu Minlan was different from his brother. He sat opposite his mother, his back straight, holding a book in his hands and reading it carefully. Although his eyes stayed on the pages, his ears were erected, listening carefully to the conversation between his brother and mother, with a faint smile on his lips.

Compared with his younger brother, Zhu Minlan is not only much more mature, but also understands the differences of their trip to the capital this time.

When he followed his mother and younger brother to Yangtou Mountain, he was the same age as Zhu Mincheng. Nearly three years had passed, and he had grown up a lot and understood a lot more. He also understood why his father Zhu Shenzui went to the capital and why he had not seen him and his mother for so long. Now his father Zhu Shenzui was about to become the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, so what did it mean to bring them to the capital now?

Zhu Minlan, who had read history books, knew very well that he was about to become the most eye-catching member of this ancient empire from an unknown teenager. Moreover, as his mother's eldest son, he would be the next heir to the empire after arriving in the capital, and no one else would be able to take the position of crown prince.

Prince! You are second only to one man and above all others. You are the heir apparent to the throne of the country.

Zhu Minlan was both excited and expectant, but also had a faint sense of uneasiness. There were countless princes in history, but not many of them could safely succeed to the throne. Could he, the prince, really become the emperor? The young Zhu Minlan was a little confused, but thinking of his father, he mustered up his courage. Since his father could become the emperor from a royal family, his success was much more difficult than anyone else, but he did it. He was about to become the prince. Could it be that being a prince was harder than his father's?

Zhu Minlan, who has always regarded his father Zhu Shenzhu as his idol and has been learning from his father all the time, is full of expectations for the future. He believes that he can be a good prince and become the emperor of this empire like his father in the future.

Compared with the joy and anticipation of Xu Jingqiu, her mother and her two sons, in another carriage, Zhang's mood was extremely complicated and she was even a little at a loss.

Zhang was not a talented woman like Xu Jingqiu. She was just a girl from an ordinary family. In her mind, a woman should follow her husband wherever he goes. It was her responsibility as a wife to manage the household and give birth to children for her husband. And she had always done so. Although she gave birth to a daughter for her husband, her husband died early. Moreover, her husband and father-in-law passed away one after another. The family lost two men at once, and the pillar of the family collapsed. At that time, Zhu Shenzhu was still young, only about the same age as Zhu Minlan now.

At that time, Zhang even wanted to die. She really wanted to close her eyes and find a river to jump into to follow her husband. But looking at her hungry daughter and Zhu Shenzhu who was not yet an adult, Zhang, who was thin but tough, finally gave up the idea of ​​death and carried the family on her weak shoulders.

Many years passed in a flash. With Zhang's efforts, as Zhu Shenzhui grew up, the family gradually became better and better. Although Zhang knew that Zhu Shenzhui was doing something secretly outside without telling her, as a woman, she never questioned Zhu Shenzhui, let alone caused him any trouble, because she firmly believed that her brother-in-law was a wise and thoughtful person, and he would still be needed to take care of the family in the future. By that time, she would have completed her mission. As long as everything was fine at home, watching Zhu Shenzhui and her daughter grow up, it would not be in vain for her to do so much.

But she never expected that the subsequent developments were beyond her expectations. She never thought that Zhu Shencui had been secretly plotting something big, and he had succeeded. Zhang was frightened when she heard that Zhu Shencui had started a rebellion. When she heard that he had become the regent, although Zhang was relieved, she was always worried about Zhu Shencui in Beijing.

And now Zhu Shenzhui is going to be the emperor? When someone from the capital came to pick them up and told them about this two days ago, Zhang was stunned. She could never have imagined that the skinny boy who followed her back then, who was not as tall as her, would become the emperor in the blink of an eye. It all seemed like a dream.

(End of this chapter)