My father Yongle, building a five-good family

Chapter 2: Warm in winter, cool in summer [Plot omissions have been added]

The days passed by little by little.

Because the crown prince had passed away, Zhu Gaoyu's first birthday banquet was not held in a grand manner. At the banquet, only the family members of the Prince of Yan's Mansion had a meal together.

After dinner, Zhu Di held his chubby little son in his arms. Seeing that his little son was very lively and not afraid of his father, he dared to crawl all over him.

So he pretended to be stern and patted Zhu Gaoyu's buttocks lightly, "Fourth brother, call me daddy."

Zhu Gaoyu ignored him.

He continued to climb up with a grunt, pulling out a strand of his beard as he went.

"Hey!"

Zhu Di cried out in pain.

There was a moment of silence in the room, and the three eldest brothers looked at each other at the same time.

The fourth child is really a newborn calf that is not afraid of a tiger!

You even dare to pull out dad’s beard!

Zhu Di looked fierce and slapped Zhu Gaoyu on the buttocks again, "Little bastard, who do you think I am? Do you think you can pull out this beard? Call me daddy!"

Zhu Gaoyu blinked his silly eyes, and a cunning look flashed across his eyes. Then, he finally spoke in a childish voice:

"Hey!"

Zhu Di's face turned dark indeed.

Among the three brothers in the hall, the youngest one couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The younger one is young and doesn't understand much, so you can't argue with him.

But can’t Zhu Di deal with these people who are laughing secretly?
He frowned slightly:

"I asked you to read books before, today I will test you to see what books you have read."

Is this a test of the teacher's homework or a nitpicking?
The three people in the hall couldn't help but tense up when they thought of the beatings with bamboo sticks that their own father had received in the past.

I only heard Zhu Di continue:

"Ever since your grandfather founded the Hongwu Dynasty, there have been refugees migrating back to the north. I recently went with my personal guards to investigate in Beiping City, and saw refugees with skinny bodies and yellow faces everywhere at the city gate. What do you guys think?"

When Zhu Gaoxu heard this, he said without thinking:
"Refugees running around are a destabilizing factor for the imperial court. Dad, I think we should take compulsory measures against the refugees. For example, keep one person from a family of four, and two from a family of six... Otherwise, the city of Beiping will be desolate, and the refugees will all flock to the rich places. Wouldn't that be a mess!"

When Zhu Di heard this, he nodded slightly but said nothing.

Zhu Gaoyu continued to look silly and watched his brothers talking.

Although he had the memory in his mind, it was still a little too obscure for the one-year-old Zhu Gaoyu.

After listening to this, Zhu Di looked at the plump fat man next to him and asked, "What do you think, Boss?"

The fat man was not very old, about fourteen years old. He always had a friendly smile on his chubby face and looked very approachable.

This person was Zhu Di’s eldest son, Zhu Gaochi.

Zhu Gaochi paused after hearing this and said, "Father, what the second brother said makes sense. But if we just use iron-blooded tactics blindly, it will inevitably backfire. In addition to leaving one person in a family of four, I think we should first implement the household registration system, which includes the Lijia system and the Zhiding system."

"In addition to this, we can also use conciliatory means, such as distributing cotton clothes, reducing travel expenses, and resettlement expenses. At the same time, the distribution of land and tax reductions also need your decision."

When Zhu Di heard this, his expression relaxed slightly.

Although the eldest brother is a little slick, he has his own set of principles in politics.

The third brother, Zhu Gaosui, looked at this, then looked at that, and quietly shut his mouth.

When Zhu Gaoxu saw Zhu Di's expression, he realized that in this test, it was the boss who took the lead. He was dissatisfied and couldn't help but say a few sarcastic words:
"Big brother is the good guy. Since you already have a plan, why did you wait so long to tell him? Are you waiting to see your younger brother make a fool of himself?"

Zhu Gaochi's round face seemed a little confused: "Second brother, I..."

Zhu Gaoxu was only twelve years old at that time. He had a temper like dynamite, which could be ignited at any time. He did things in an extreme way and thought as he pleased.

He just sneered, "Just do it, who are you pretending for, big brother? You are virtuous, you are amazing, you..."

"All right!"

Zhu Di drank loudly and suddenly smashed the wine cup in his hand onto the table.

"It's just a trivial matter, but you have to be like a woman and fuss about it. What's the point of being a bully in your own backyard? If I were like you, I would have been hacked to death by the Northern Yuan people in the desert grassland!"

"Brother is not friendly! Brother is not respectful! Do you remember what day it is today? A hundred years later, when I die, will you brothers still have to fight for the position of vassal king and punch your brains out?"

This is heartbreaking.

The hall suddenly became quiet.

The Zhu family has a tradition of being afraid of their father.

At least in the Prince of Yan's Mansion, as soon as Zhu Di got angry, several of his sons knelt down, each of them wishing they could stick their heads to the ground, not daring to even breathe.

Zhu Gaoyu blinked and subconsciously recalled a passage in his mind.

He opened his mouth and spoke a string of words so fluently that they didn't seem like something a one-year-old could say.

"The Disciple Rules are the teachings of the sages.

"First, filial piety and respect for elders; second, prudence and trustworthiness."

"Love all people and be close to the benevolent..."

As Zhu Gaoyu's voice rang out, the whole room fell into deathly silence.

Xu Miaoyun sat next to Zhu Di, looking at her little son on her husband's lap, her eyes widened in surprise.

In the hall, although the three sons are of different ages, they are all old enough to be governors.

In the past, not to mention the eldest son Zhu Gaochi, even the youngest Zhu Gaosui read a lot of books.

But it was precisely because of this that they were even more shocked when they heard Zhu Gaoyu say "filial piety first, and sincerity second"!
Zhu Gaoxu, in particular, was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped to the ground.

This catchy and enlightening sentence might make some sense if it was written by a great scholar.

But the fourth child is just a one-year-old kid. Who taught him to say these things?

Zhu Di looked at his little son in his arms and heard "warm in winter, cool in summer", but he didn't wait for the next sentence. He frowned:

"Where's the back?"

Zhu Di had a dignified look on his face, but who could do anything with a one-year-old baby?

Especially this little baby, he is my biological child!

Zhu Gaoyu grinned and once again revealed a toothless smile.

Cute and adorable.

Zhu Di looked at the fat boy in his arms, raised his eyebrows, and turned to look at Xu Miaoyun:

"Did the lady teach him to say such things?"

Hearing this, Xu Miaoyun glared at Zhu Di and pinched his thigh quietly, "What do you think of me, Your Highness? The fourth son is just a kid. Before today, he never said a word, like a mute person." After she finished speaking, she seemed a little jealous, "To be honest, the first time he spoke was in front of you, his father. It's true that sons are closer to their fathers. As a mother, I gave birth to him and raised him, but I can't compare to meeting you two or three times."

When Zhu Di heard this, he grimaced in pain, but couldn't help but smile awkwardly: "Madam is a female scholar, why do you need to belittle yourself like this?"

Xu Miaoyun saw Zhu Di take a step back, and thought that today was the fourth child's first birthday party. Although there were no foreign guests and it was just a family dinner, she could only snort and laugh because the children were still there.

This matter has been exposed.

As for how the couple get along in private, that is another matter.

-

But since Xu Miaoyun said that she had never taught him, then these words of advice and enlightenment must have come from the fourth brother.

Zhu Di had many guesses in his mind at this time, and in the end he could only conclude that the fourth child...

Could it be that he is a person who is born with knowledge like the sages and child prodigies?
Thinking of this, Zhu Di poked the little fat baby in his arms and gently poked a dimple of flesh on his white and tender arm, which was like a lotus root node.

Zhu Di wanted to coax Zhu Gaoyu into saying the words after "Xia Zeqing", and his tone was like that of a big-tailed wolf:

"Xiao Si, what is behind Xia Zeqing?"

When Zhu Gaosui saw this, he secretly approached his elder and second brothers and whispered:
"Why do I feel like my father also smiled so slyly when he held a banquet to recruit the Mongolian general Nair Buhua two years ago?"

Zhu Gaoxu looked at the third brother and said quietly, "Third brother, are you so angry that you dare to say that Dad is a thief?"

Although the voice in the hall was small, it could not escape Zhu Di's ears.

He glanced at the third brother and silently took note of the incident. When he asked Zhu Gaoyu about the follow-up of that sentence, Zhu Gaoyu opened his eyes, his eyes were clear and confused:
“I don’t remember.”

Zhu Di: ...It is hard to say for the time being whether the fourth child is a genius or just an ordinary person.

At this moment, the maid who was in charge of Zhu Gaoyu's food and daily life brought him a plate of minced meat and egg custard.

Looking at Zhu Gaoyu waving a spoon and eating a bowl of egg custard with relish without even raising his head, Zhu Di's face couldn't help twitching and he turned his head away silently.

Look at that starving ghost.

If you don’t know, you might think that the palace has treated this kid badly and he hasn’t tasted anything good in eight hundred years.

Zhu Di even suspected that when he grew up, this silly boy Zhu Gaoyu would be cheated out of a meal while walking on the street.

Thinking about it, Zhu Di seemed to realize something and glanced at the boss.

Zhu Gaochi was not very old at this time, but he had been obese since childhood. At this age, he would be out of breath after walking a few steps.

When he saw his boss like this, Zhu Di suddenly felt a little sad.

It’s enough to have one fat person in the family, but don’t let there be another little fat person.

Zhu Gaochi felt his father's gaze and felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

Did he do something wrong again?
……

night.

Zhu Di and Xu Miaoyun lay side by side on the bed, but could not fall asleep for a long time.

In the darkness, Zhu Di's voice was so faint that the tone was slightly distorted:
"I'm afraid the old man will also know about what happened today."

When Xu Miaoyun heard this, she couldn't help but clench her hands that were hanging on both sides.

Zhu Di seemed to sense something, and held Xu Miaoyun's trembling hand, patting it soothingly:
"It's okay. The fourth child is still young. Although the old man prefers the grandson, he still has us sons in his heart."

If an ordinary woman heard this, she would believe it.

But Xu Miaoyun shook her head and whispered:

"I'm not afraid of the old man. The old man still has feelings for his descendants. What I'm worried about is..."

Xu Miaoyun didn't finish her words, but Zhu Di already understood.

Now that the eldest brother has passed away, his good nephew is only good at scholarly conversation, but has not inherited his father's kindness.

If what Xiao Si said today were to spread, those scholars would highly praise it.

A one-year-old kid, in the royal family, is more famous than the crown prince... This is not a good thing.

Zhu Di opened his eyes and looked at the layers of gauze covering him, feeling a little blocked in his heart.

Although he was unwilling that his eldest brother should be the crown prince, he accepted it nonetheless!

But Zhu Yunwen was just a child, so what right did he have?
When it comes to civil and military affairs, which of their brothers is not better than this little nephew?
What Zhu Di feared the most was... that Zhu Yunwen would ascend to the supreme throne in the future. Without the old man, he would no longer have the shackles that bound his hands and feet, and he would wonder what he would do to these vassal kings.

Is this how I have to accept my fate?

Zhu Di couldn't sleep for a long time that night.

……

Prince Yan's Mansion.

The Hall of Cunxin.

As the rear hall of the Prince of Yan's Mansion, the Cunxin Hall is generally used as a private place for daily living and study, unlike the formal places such as the front hall and the middle hall for banquets.

It was June, and it was not the hottest time in Beijing, but kneeling on the blue bricks under the scorching sun was not a pleasant experience.

When the many maids and eunuchs who were coming and going saw the three brothers kneeling in front of the Cunxin Palace, they slowed down their pace and passed this road with bated breath.

Zhu Gaochi was the chubbiest of the three brothers, and he also sweated the most. However, after being exposed to the sun for a quarter of an hour, beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down from his forehead to his neck, and finally disappeared deep into his collar.

Zhu Gaoxu was still unconvinced, so he knelt on the ground alone, with his back straight and his lips pursed so tightly that they turned slightly white.

Zhu Gaosui looked at his eldest brother on the left, then at his second brother on the right, and finally glanced at a small shadow under the low wall next to him, his eyes lit up slightly.

"Fourth Brother~Fourth Brother~Here~Brother is here!"

Although Zhu Gaoyu spoke slowly, he was an active eater. He drank a cup of goat's milk every morning and evening without fail, and his body was as strong as a calf.

While his peers were still stumbling and needed support from adults, Zhu Gaoyu could already move his short legs freely on the ground.

After Zhu Gaosui finished speaking, Zhu Gaoyu slowly walked out from the shadow under the low wall.

The wet nurse followed carefully behind, holding an umbrella in her hand.

Seeing this scene, Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but curl his lips, "We are unlucky, but he knows how to enjoy himself."

Zhu Gaosui smiled and said, "Second brother, why are you arguing with a child like the fourth brother? Children are delicate and tender. If they get sunburned, mother will definitely nag them."

When talking about this, Zhu Gaoxu became even angrier.

"Is this kid an ordinary kid? He's very smart! Last time I just stole a piece of candy from him, and he turned around and cried in front of his mother, causing me to write thirty more large characters that day!"

At the end, Zhu Gaoxu was still a little indignant: "I have never seen a one-year-old child smarter than him. Tell me, can I treat him as an ordinary child?"

After he said this, he found that the eldest and the third brother had turned their heads and looked at him strangely.

As the elder brother, Zhu Gaochi couldn't help but twitch his lips when he heard this.

The second one is really good!
You are already twelve or thirteen years old, and you will be able to get married in a few years, but you are still snatching the candy from children!
(End of this chapter)