The Great Ming Demon Pill: Your Majesty, please address me as the Crown Prince!

No wonder he felt the raindrops were a bit annoying!

Yao Guangxiao silently wiped his face, then pondered for a moment.

"Your Highness, the three books you gifted me are indeed extraordinary."

"It's a pity that this old monk can only grasp the basics."

Zhu Zhanjun waved his hand.

"Old monk, when you feel like giving up, why not persevere a little longer?"

"The harder you persevere now, the more satisfying it will be to give up later."

Yao Guangxiao: "..."

Zhu Di said with a smile.

"Old monk, at least you're not crazy."

Yao Guangxiao looked at the urine stains all over his body and sighed.

"Your Majesty, I am going mad."

Zhu Di stroked his short beard.

"Before you go crazy, help me build the Great Temple of Gratitude."

Yao Guangxiao: "..."

....................

The project to build the Great Bao'en Temple was quickly approved by the imperial court.

Zhu Zhanjun and Yao Guangxiao jointly supervised the construction.

The Eastern Palace.

Zhu Zhanji sat in the study of the Eastern Palace with a gloomy expression.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became, and he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Why does this kid have to meddle in everything?"

"The Great Bao'en Temple was built for Emperor Taizu and Empress Xiaoci, concerning imperial filial piety and the public's perception. What does it have to do with Zhu Zhanjun?"

"What does a young prince know about architectural styles or Buddhist temple regulations?"

Upon seeing this, Jin Ying, who was standing to the side, quickly bowed and leaned closer, lowering her voice to say, "Your Highness, please calm down."

"It is precisely because the Great Bao'en Temple is of extraordinary significance that I feel we must not let His Highness Prince Jiyang take all the credit."

Zhu Zhanji frowned and looked at Jin Ying: "What do you mean by that?"

Jin Ying said cautiously, "Your Highness, please consider this: the Great Bao'en Temple was built by His Majesty to demonstrate filial piety and pray for the prosperity of the nation. It is the most eye-catching royal project in recent years."

"Once completed, it will be a magnificent feat that will be remembered for generations to come."

"The person in charge of the construction will not only leave an impression on His Majesty that he is good at understanding the emperor's wishes and capable of doing practical work, but will also establish an image of loyalty and filial piety, as well as pragmatism and competence, in the eyes of the people, especially the scholars and officials."

"This is an excellent opportunity to build political prestige."

He paused, and seeing that Zhu Zhanji was listening intently, he continued, "His Highness Prince Jiyang was already famous for his extraordinary skills in investigating things and controlling lightning, and there were already miraculous rumors about him among the people."

"If he were to lead the construction of the Great Bao'en Temple this time, his prestige would likely be at its zenith. Your Highness, this shift in power would be extremely detrimental to the Eastern Palace."

Zhu Zhanji's face grew increasingly grim; Jin Ying's words struck a nerve.

He was already jealous and resentful of Zhu Zhanjun's recent success, and now, after listening to Jin Ying's analysis, he felt even more that this matter was of great importance and that he absolutely could not sit idly by and watch Zhu Zhanjun gain another great achievement.

"You're right." Zhu Zhanji stood up abruptly. "How can such an important matter be left to him alone?"

"As the eldest grandson of the Emperor, both publicly and privately, I should share the Emperor's burdens in this matter and fulfill my filial duty to our ancestors!"

He straightened his robes and instructed Jin Ying, "Prepare a sedan chair; I'm going to the Qianqing Palace to see my grandfather."

"I must get involved in the construction of the Great Bao'en Temple!"

Jin Ying quickly replied, "Yes, Your Highness. This servant will go and prepare immediately."

....................

Before long, Zhu Zhanji arrived outside the Qianqing Palace to request an audience.

After announcing the arrival, he took a deep breath, composed himself, and stepped into the hall.

Zhu Di was reviewing memorials when he saw Zhu Zhanji enter, and he put down his vermilion pen.

"Zhanji is here. What brings you here?"

Zhu Zhanji knelt down, lifting his robe, and said earnestly, "Grandson greets His Majesty."

"I have heard that my grandfather has decided to build the Great Bao'en Temple to repay the boundless kindness of Emperor Taizu and Empress Xiaoci Gao, and to pray for the well-being of all people."

"Grandson is grateful for the filial piety of his grandfather, and also thinks that as a descendant of the Zhu family, he should fulfill his filial duties to his ancestors and share the burdens of his grandfather."

"Therefore, I have come to request permission from Your Majesty to also participate in the supervision of the construction of the Great Bao'en Temple!"

He raised his head and looked at Zhu Di with sincere eyes.

"I know that I am not talented and learned enough to match my younger brother Zhanjun's many ingenious ideas."

"But my grandson is sincerely filial and willing to do his best in this matter, learning and gaining experience."

"And since my grandson is a few years older, he may be able to do his part in coordinating various departments and supervising the craftsmen."

"Although Brother Zhanjun has ingenious ideas, the project is huge and involves a wide range of areas. Having one more person to assist him can save him from being overworked."

"I humbly beg Your Majesty to grant my filial piety!"

Zhu Di looked at his eldest grandson kneeling below, tapped his fingers lightly on the imperial desk, and remained silent in contemplation.

With his experience and understanding of Zhu Zhanji's thoughts, how could he not know?

This clearly shows that Jian Zhanjun has received another important assignment, and Jian Zhanjun is resentful and wants to get a share of the pie, or even compete for the limelight.

Zhu Di couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.

That grandson is too impatient.

Zhan Jun had already produced cement, which is why he allowed Zhan Jun to get involved.

Why should you, the eldest grandson of the emperor, be jealous of this?

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the faint scent of sandalwood wafting through the air.

Zhu Zhanji lay prostrate on the ground, his heart pounding with anxiety, awaiting his grandfather's decision.

After a while.

Zhu Di, still softening his heart, nodded.

After all, he was his beloved eldest grandson.

Although their recent performance has been poor, we cannot show favoritism.

The completion of the Great Bao'en Temple would also enhance Zhu Zhanji's prestige; it would be good to add some prestige to him.

He said lightly.

"I grant your permission."

Zhu Zhanji was overjoyed.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

.......................

The Prince of Han's Palace.

"Please enjoy your tea, Your Highness." Hu Shanxiang poured Zhu Zhanjun a cup of tea and then slowly withdrew.

Zhu Zhanqi, Zhang Mao, Liu Zhong, Zheng Yu, Li Heng, and Zhu Yi watched with great envy.

Liu Zhong couldn't help but say.

"Your Highness, is this your childhood sweetheart?"

"My brothers are really envious."

Zhang Mao, Zheng Yu, Li Heng, Zhu Yi, and others nodded.

Zhang Mao couldn't help but say.

"How did Your Highness find such a beautiful young lady?"

Zhu Zhanjun described it casually.

"There are two kinds of people in the world who are most fascinating: one is me, and the other is people like me."

Being favored by girls is one of my few troubles.

"The young ladies are all begging me to be their child brides."

[Ding! You have obtained a silver treasure chest!]

Everyone: "..."

Zhu Yi's smile looked more like a grimace.

"It's okay to fool your buddies, just don't fool yourself too."

"It won't hurt us brothers to believe you, but don't get yourself hooked. It's no big deal if you fool us a little; we'll just laugh it off. It's not that we want to break your defenses, but wipe away your tears and think about it carefully. Besides us brothers, who else would believe these things you say..."

Zhu Zhanqi, Zhang Mao, Liu Zhong, Zheng Yu, Li Heng, and others nodded in deep agreement.

Zhu Zhanjun chuckled.

"Whoever breaks down is a dog."

[Ding! Silver Treasure Chest obtained!] x6

Everyone: "..."

Zhu Zhanjun lightly picked up the teacup and took a sip.

"On another note, besides Second Brother, what brings you all here today?"

Zhu Zhanqi remained silent, his gaze sweeping over the others.

Zhang Mao chuckled.

"Squad leader, I heard that His Majesty has entrusted you with the important task of overseeing the construction of the Great Bao'en Temple."

"This is no small matter; it's real power at stake."

"The guys also want to follow the squad leader and see what it's like to gain some experience!"

Liu Zhong, Zheng Yu, Li Heng, and the others nodded repeatedly.

They were all groomed by their parents, because they had a good relationship with the Prince of Jiyang.

Zhu Zhanjun suddenly understood and nodded.

"It's nothing."

"Leave this to me."

Zhu Yi, Zhang Mao, Liu Zhong, Zheng Yu, Li Heng, and the others immediately grinned with delight.

Zhu Yi smiled.

"Your Highness has shouldered heavy responsibilities at such a young age. The Great Bao'en Temple project is so massive that it will surely be remembered for all time. His Majesty must really value Your Highness."

Zhu Zhanjun chuckled.

"This is all thanks to my grandfather's trust."

"But brothers, don't be envious."

"You guys beat the ashes."

"I want to be the leader."

"We're all serving the Ming Dynasty, aren't we?"

Zhang Mao, Liu Zhong, Zheng Yu, Li Heng, and others were in tears.

The class monitor is awesome; you have to admit his ideological awareness is really high.

Zhu Yi cupped his hands in greeting.

"Then congratulations on your promotion, Your Highness."

Zhu Zhanjun said with a smile.

"That certainly qualifies as a promotion."

"I really want to share this good fortune of my promotion with you guys, so would you like to absorb some of my promotion luck?"

"With my extensive experience, I can also check if there are any problems in your workplace and offer some suggestions."

[Ding! You have obtained a Golden Treasure Chest] x6

Everyone: "..."

Even if you try your best to memorize jokes secretly in the middle of the night, you can't compete with a natural talent who can just casually utter a line.

Your Highness is still too abstract.