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

Chapter 887 Reminder
Zhu Qiuqi had just returned to Beijing yesterday. He went to the palace to meet Zhu Shenzhui early this morning and reported to Zhu Shenzhui on the work of Shandong's maritime trade.

After arriving in the capital, Zhu Qiuqi first worked in the Clan Court, which was set up by Zhu Yuanzhang. However, due to various reasons, the Clan Court became almost in name only, and most of its powers were transferred to the Ministry of Rites. The entire Clan Court became a decoration.

After Zhu Shenzhui became the regent, he picked up the clan office again. As the Prince of Jiaocheng, he served as the Grand Clan Chief, and later let the Prince of Jin Zhu Qiugui serve as the Left Clan Chief. As for the Right Clan Chief, he gave it to the Prince of Qin Zhu Cunji.

Zhu Cunji was a lucky kid. Logically speaking, he was not qualified to be the King of Qin. As a bastard and the third son of a bastard, he had two older brothers. His father Zhu Yizhu became the King of Qin as his younger brother after the death of the previous King of Qin. After Zhu Yizhu's death, as his eldest son had passed away, the throne fell to his second son Zhu Cunji. Zhu Cunji was not in good health and died of illness after only four years as the King of Qin. After his death, he had no children again. Therefore, Zhu Cunji, as the third son of a bastard, became the only heir to the King of Qin.

Zhu Cunji was crowned the King of Qin by an imperial decree issued in the name of Emperor Chongzhen when Zhu Shenzhui was the regent at the time. This guy was very tactful. After being crowned the King of Qin, he submitted a memorial to Zhu Shenzhui, expressing the King of Qin's loyalty to Zhu Shenzhui.

Moreover, when Zhu Shenzhui was later promoted to King of Wu and was about to take the next step to the throne, Zhu Cunji specially submitted a memorial to persuade him to ascend the throne, in order to show his absolute support for Zhu Shenzhui.

Therefore, when considering the candidate for the Right Clan Director of the Ministry of Clan Affairs, Zhu Shenzhui finally chose Prince of Qin Zhu Cunji. In this way, Prince of Jin and Prince of Qin became the Left and Right Clan Directors of the Ministry of Clan Affairs. However, their positions as Left and Right Clan Directors were just nominal. In fact, as vassal kings, one was in Shanxi and the other in Shaanxi, and it was impossible for them to come to Beijing to take up the post. Therefore, the people who actually did the work in the Ministry of Clan Affairs were the Left and Right Clan Directors.

The left and right clan members of the Ming Dynasty's Clan Court are now Zhu Minfeng and Zhu Minyu. These two brothers can be considered as old followers of Zhu Shenzhui and helped them a lot when Zhu Shenzhui was just starting out. In addition, Zhu Shenzhui knows them very well. Zhu Minfeng is prudent and Zhu Minyu is honest. Although their abilities are just average, they are very reliable. Moreover, the affairs of the Clan Court are only to manage the affairs of the royal family, manage the genealogies of the royal family, clans, and relatives, and guard the royal mausoleums and temples. These jobs do not require too much ability, but character is very important.

After Zhu Shenzhu ascended the throne, he naturally did not forget these three people when conferring titles on his meritorious officials, and conferred the title of General of the State on them all equally. Although this title was not as high as that of a prince, let alone a real prince, it was the highest title among the royal family, second only to that of a prince.

Considering their original low-level titles, it was no exaggeration to say that they had risen to heaven overnight. In addition to the title, they were also rewarded with mansions and gold and silver, which made them even more overjoyed.

After meeting Zhu Shenzhui, Zhu Qiuqi left the palace and returned to his general's mansion. He had just arrived home and had time to change his clothes and wipe his face when a servant came to report that Zhu Minfeng and Zhu Minqi had arrived. Zhu Qiuqi hurried out to greet them and invited them into the backyard to talk.

"Fourth uncle, fifth uncle, why are you two here today? I had been thinking of meeting His Majesty today, taking a day's rest, and then visiting you two tomorrow." After taking a seat and serving tea, and waiting for the servants to leave, Zhu Qiuqi asked with a smile.

"Haha, I knew you were going to see His Majesty today, and I had someone keep an eye on you. My fifth brother and I got the news right after you left the palace, so we came here together." Zhu Minfeng said with a smile, pointing at Zhu Qiuqi, "Don't come to visit us tomorrow. I know you are very busy and you probably won't be able to stay in Beijing for a few days. We are not outsiders, so it doesn't matter if you come and we come, right, fifth brother?"

Zhu Minyu smiled and nodded repeatedly. Although the three of them were uncle and nephew, they were no different from real brothers. They had been friends since they were in Pingyang, and had always worked with Zhu Shenzhui. Now that they had come to Beijing and were working in the Ministry of Clan Affairs, they were naturally closer.

Zhu Qiuqi laughed loudly and was not polite. The three of them were all friends, so there was no need to be polite. They drank tea and started chatting. Zhu Qiuqi asked the two uncles how they were doing these days. He hadn't been back to Beijing for a long time. Since he was here today, he didn't need to leave in a hurry. He asked someone to send a table to the restaurant so that the three of them could have a good drink.

"Old Five and I are not as carefree as you. You are just sitting idle in the Imperial Clan House, and now you are working in the Imperial Household Department. You are still working in Shandong. I heard that the maritime trade in Shandong is booming. I saw you looking so radiant today. Did you make a fortune in Shandong?" Zhu Minfeng deliberately asked with a smile. Zhu Qiuqi was so amused by his words that he shook his head and said, "What are you talking about, Fourth Uncle? Aren't we all working for His Majesty? How can we not be dedicated?"

"It's right to do your best, but it's also natural to live a comfortable life. There's no conflict."

"Haha, Fourth Uncle is really joking. Others may not know what kind of person His Majesty is, but how can you and I not know? His Majesty is very stubborn. As long as we work hard for His Majesty, His Majesty will naturally benefit from us. But what His Majesty gives is different from what you take. I know this difference. Although I am doing well in Shandong now, the hard work I have gone through is not known to outsiders. And to put it bluntly, I am walking on thin ice in Shandong. I dare not neglect it at all, for fear of disappointing His Majesty, let alone making profits for myself."

Seeing Zhu Qiuqi's seriousness, Zhu Minfeng's smile faded, and he nodded with a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, you didn't lose your mind. I'm not worried about anything else, but I'm afraid that you'll be too impatient and forget your duty after leaving Beijing, and do something wrong."

"Fourth Uncle, are you deliberately deceiving me?" Zhu Qiuqi reacted and asked in surprise.

"What? What if I deceived you?" Zhu Minfeng said with a serious expression, "Your Majesty has been so kind to us that I cannot repay you with my life. You and I were just members of the royal family before. How did we, the three brothers, uncles and nephews, live in those days? Have you forgotten?"

"I dare not forget!" Zhu Qiuqi stood up, clasped his fists towards the direction of the palace and said, "If it weren't for Your Majesty, I would have starved to death, let alone today. I am not an ungrateful person. I know how Your Majesty treats me. I will never frown even if I die for Your Majesty."

"Now, you and I, uncle and nephew, not only hold high titles and important positions, but also have the trust of His Majesty. No matter what, we must not let His Majesty down. I always keep this in mind. I am doing the same thing in Shandong now. Although I am a big shot in the maritime trade in Shandong, I know the pros and cons. This matter is of great importance and is related to His Majesty's plans and the finances of our Ming Dynasty. How can I let my guard down and sacrifice public interests for personal gain? Not to mention failing His Majesty's kindness."

"Good!" Seeing Zhu Qiuqi like this, Zhu Minfeng immediately praised him, and Zhu Minyu, who had been silent on the side, also breathed a sigh of relief and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.

Although they were both in the capital, they knew the situation in Shandong. As Shandong opened to the sea, maritime trade became more and more prosperous. While they were happy, they were also worried that Zhu Qiuqi would forget his duties in Shandong and do something wrong because of greed.

In their eyes, Zhu Shencui was not only their elder but also their benefactor. If Zhu Shencui had not helped them many times and taken them to do business, it would have been difficult for them to make ends meet with their family fortune.

Life was not easy for the lower-class royal family members. They had all experienced it personally, especially the natural disasters and man-made calamities during the Chongzhen period. Some members of the royal family starved to death due to lack of food at home. If it were not for Zhu Shencui's care, they might have suffered the same fate.

Zhu Shencui not only helped them change their lives and destinies, but also valued them so much now. Not only did he give them high titles and positions, but he also let them shoulder the heavy burdens of the Ministry of Clan Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

People should be grateful and repay kindness. If they can't do this, can they still be considered human beings? Moreover, under Zhu Shenzhu's care over the years, the three of them have become wealthy and have no shortage of money. There is no need to greedily use Zhu Shenzhu's trust for personal gain.

Among the three, Zhu Minfeng and Zhu Minyu are older and are the elders. Zhu Minfeng is steady in his work, and Zhu Minyu is honest in character. Naturally, they would not do anything to let the emperor down. But Zhu Qiuqi is a smart kid. When he followed Zhu Shenzhui to do business, he was the best and most capable. But I'm afraid that this kid's cleverness may backfire. If he takes a wrong step, it will be too late to regret it!
The reason they came to see Zhu Qiuqi today was that Zhu Minfeng and Zhu Minyu hadn't seen him for a while and missed him. On the other hand, they wanted to take this opportunity to test Zhu Qiuqi and see if he still had the original intention. If Zhu Qiuqi had been boastful and even showed off the benefits he had gained in Shandong, then don't blame Zhu Minfeng and Zhu Minyu for being rude. They would have turned against each other immediately, not only scolding Zhu Qiuqi, but also reporting him directly.

"Fourth uncle, fifth uncle, you really think I'm a three-year-old child. You actually use this method to test my nephew?" Zhu Qiuqi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He shook his head and said, "Don't say that my nephew doesn't have this idea. Even if my nephew dares to do it, can't His Majesty know about it?"

"To be honest, Shandong not only has the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but also the Governor's Office and the Provincial Administration Office, plus the Royal Guards and the Shandong Navy. Everything is linked together, so if anyone reaches out, Your Majesty will know in a blink of an eye. In addition, there is one thing you two uncles don't know? All trade settlements in Shandong's maritime trade must go through the Royal Bank. The Royal Bank is directly controlled by Your Majesty, and the in and out figures are accurate. If there is a discrepancy, the bank will not let you off."

"Besides, I am not without money. Not to mention that Your Majesty has made a lot of money with me in the past, and later there were so many rewards. In addition, Your Majesty's maritime trade in Shandong also has a share in it. This is a special favor from Your Majesty. With these, why would I take the risk to do those things? If I really did it, would I be able to come out of the palace safe and sound today?"

Zhu Qiuqi's words startled Zhu Minfeng and Zhu Minyu. They were not very clear about these things, but they were not annoyed when they heard him say this. Instead, they laughed again. If this is the case, then it couldn't be better. Anyway, they are not outsiders. There is no best way to deal with this kind of thing.

(End of this chapter)