Ming Dynasty: Traveling through the harem, Zhu Yuanzhang was dumbfounded

Chapter 42: First meeting Zhu Xiongying

During the Ming Dynasty, people of high status in the Ming Dynasty basically wore dark-colored clothes.

For example, the official robes of the Ming Dynasty were bright red or sapphire blue, and some nobles even wore purple clothes to make themselves unique.

People of lower status, on the other hand, adorn themselves with clothes in light and elegant colors.

Palace maids generally wear plain white, light pink or grass green.

From the moment he entered the Eastern Palace, Yang Chen discovered that most of the palace maids were wearing emerald green clothes.

These palace maids should be the lowest-ranking maids, responsible for the hardest physical labor.

While Yang Chen was waiting, he suddenly heard some weak baby cries coming from the corridor in the distance.

When he looked sideways, he saw a little boy dressed in luxurious clothes holding a baby in his arms.

The boy was very small but his face was full of determination and a little nervousness.

As the baby cried, the boy's face gradually showed anxiety, and he looked around for something.

Just at this moment he saw Yang Chen, so he bravely walked forward.

"Excuse me, have you seen my father? My brother is hungry. My mother took my brother Yunwen out and there is no milk. If my brother doesn't drink milk, he will starve to death."

"Mother? Brother! Could this boy be Zhu Xiongying?"

Yang Chen looked at the boy in front of him carefully and found that he was wearing a special jade pendant around his waist.

This jade pendant is not an ordinary ornamental toy, but a military-style jade pendant similar to a tiger talisman. It feels very strange to wear it on the little boy.

"Is your father the crown prince?"

"Mmmmm~"

Seeing that Yang Chen recognized his father, Zhu Xiongying nodded, then changed his posture and held the baby in his arms.

It is now the twelfth year of Hongwu, and Zhu Yunhu was born in November of the eleventh year of Hongwu.

That is to say, up to now, the child is not even ten months old.

Zhu Xiongying is only five years old now, and he lost his biological mother when he was less than five years old.

In the East Palace, he has been taking care of his younger brother more these days.

Only when it is breastfeeding will it look for its mother.

But today, Lu left without saying goodbye and took Zhu Yunwen away from the Eastern Palace. By now, Zhu Yunwen had been hungry for the whole afternoon.

Yang Chen half squatted down and communicated with Zhu Xiongying at eye level.

"Your father has gone to look for someone. Why don't you wait here for a while? Who knows, he might be here soon."

When Zhu Xiongying heard that his father might show up, a conflicted look appeared on his face.

He didn't know whether he should leave immediately or wait.

Finally, after Yang Chen's persuasion, he decided to wait.

After a few minutes, Zhu Xiongying seemed tired of holding the baby and kept moving his body.

"Do you want me to hold you for a while?"

Yang Chen looked at the embarrassed child on his cute face and asked tentatively.

But what I got in return was rejection.

"No, no, I'm not tired."

After he said this, Zhu Biao quickly appeared from where he disappeared.

At the same time, a palace maid dressed in plain brocade clothes followed behind him.

"Yang Chen, this is Aunt Zhang, who is in charge of all the affairs of the East Palace. You will live in the East Palace in the future. If you have any problems, just look for her. She will arrange for a maid to serve you later."

Aunt is one of the few female officials among the palace maids. The full name of this position should be the aunt in charge, not a title among relatives.

Yang Chen did not look at the female official, but raised his finger and pointed at Zhu Xiongying who was sitting on the chair.

"A Biao, don't worry about me for now. Your son is almost starving. Find someone to feed him."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao realized that Zhu Xiongying was holding Zhu Yunhuan and looking at him nervously.

"Father, I know you are busy and I shouldn't disturb you, but my brother Yunhuan is really hungry. He has been crying since noon. If he doesn't drink milk, I'm afraid he will get sick." It was just a simple sentence, but Yang Chen noticed that there seemed to be something intriguing in it.

They are obviously father and son, but why is Zhu Xiongying so "afraid" of his father?

Could it be that Zhu Biao doesn't like Zhu Xiongying?

This thought began to germinate in Yang Chen's heart.

But then, Zhu Biao's reaction proved that his guess was wrong.

Because Zhu Biao himself was also somewhat surprised by the news that Zhu Yunhuan was starving.

He first walked up to Zhu Xiongying and picked up the crying Zhu Yunhuan.

At this moment, Zhu Yunhuan had cried so much that he was almost asleep, and his stomach was rumbling from time to time.

Even Zhu Xiongying is the same.

It was the first time he was so angry, and his own majesty immediately oppressed Aunt Zhang.

"Aunt Zhang, my son is the emperor's grandson. How can you take care of him like this? He's starving, why don't you feed him?"

Under the brocade clothes, Aunt Zhang also looked flustered. She immediately knelt down and began to explain.

"Replying to the prince's question, this servant, this servant..."

Halfway through her explanation, she thought of something and suddenly became silent.

Zhu Biao narrowed his eyes slightly, suppressed his anger and gave the other party the right to continue speaking.

"Say!"

Seeing this, Aunt Zhang continued her story.

It turned out that Mrs. Lu announced today that she had no milk and needed to take Zhu Yunwen out to relax and try to make herself feel better.

"Even if the Crown Princess is not here, there are hundreds of palace maids in the East Palace, and no one is there to take care of my son? How can we let him stay here alone?"

Zhu Biao was no fool. After a brief contact he discovered that his son had been hungry for a long time.

Who could believe that such a thing would happen in his own East Palace.

If his mother knew that Zhu Xiongying was starving in the Eastern Palace, Empress Ma would be the first one to come from the harem with a horsewhip and beat him in front of Zhu Xiongying.

"In reply to the Crown Prince, it was the Crown Princess who said that she had some free time today, so she asked all the palace maids and eunuchs in the East Palace to go to the garden to trim the plants.

I failed to notice the eldest grandson. It was my fault. Please punish me, Your Highness."

After saying this, Aunt Zhang kowtowed and begged for punishment.

Hoping to be forgiven, Zhu Xiongying also stood up at this time.

"Father, this is all my fault. Please don't blame Aunt Zhang."

He ignored his son's request.

Zhu Biao thought for a moment, then lowered his eyes and said coldly:
"After I take Brother Yang to find a place to live, you can go to the Palace Administration Office and report the truth."

In the early years of the Hongwu period, there were six bureaus and one department in charge of the palace maids in the imperial palace, and the Palace Justice Department was responsible for orders, prohibitions, rewards and punishments, and other matters.

The female officials who can serve here have a lot of experience and enjoy the treatment of the fifth rank.

Faced with such punishment, Aunt Zhang did not choose to continue begging for mercy, because it was a blessing for her that she was not sentenced to death directly.

"Brother Yang, I'm really sorry that I just asked you to come to the East Palace and let you encounter such a thing."

"It's okay. Since your son is hungry, take him to find something to eat. You can arrange a place for me to stay first. I need to take care of some things later. I'm also very hungry."

With just a few words, Yang Chen made the atmosphere around them less tense.

"Okay, in that case, Brother Yang, let her take you there."

"Brother Yang is my distinguished guest. You must treat him with the utmost courtesy. No disrespect is allowed. Do you understand?"

Although Zhu Biao was kind, he was not stupid. His son had been wronged, so he had to seek revenge.

Now that Mrs. Lu is not around, it is natural that Aunt Zhang has to bear the brunt of the anger.

"I understand."

(End of this chapter)