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

The following day, at the Qianqing Palace.

Spring sunlight streamed through the carved windows, casting dappled shadows on the golden bricks inside the hall.

Zhu Di and Zhu Zhan sat facing each other, with several plates of snacks and a pot of tea steaming on a small table between them.

Zhu Di held a memorial in his hand.

"Zhan Jun..."

"Look at these memorials, they're all praising you."

Zhu Zhanjun chuckled.

"Your grandson is humbled and dares not accept such praise from you gentlemen."

"Fearful?" Zhu Di chuckled, tapping the memorial with his finger. "But this memorial isn't all praise."

Some say that the Prince of Huai has made great contributions in solving smallpox, but military power is of great importance and should not be lightly granted.

"If you were given the vanguard of the Imperial Guard, it might shake the position of the Crown Prince and cause instability in the court."

He paused, then looked directly at Zhu Zhanjun: "Zhanjun, what do you think?"

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional chirping of birds coming from outside the window.

Zhu Zhanjun blinked, a sly smile beyond his years appearing on his face. He put down his teacup, composed himself, and said, "Grandfather, I believe those ministers are merely worrying unnecessarily and exaggerating."

Zhu Di raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

Zhu Zhanjun spoke eloquently: "Grandfather, think about it, the position of the Crown Prince is the foundation of the country. How can it be easily shaken by a mere prince like me?"

"My eldest brother, Zhu Zhanji, is the eldest grandson of the emperor, personally appointed by you, my grandfather. His status was established long ago and is known to everyone in the court and the public."

"My grandson has only performed some minor merits and received some rewards. How could that be enough to shake the foundations of the Crown Prince's palace?"

He paused.

"Besides, Grandfather, you were driven to the brink of despair by that scoundrel Jianwen back then, and even... you even ate excrement to protect yourself. How strong your endurance was!"

"My grandson always admires him greatly when he thinks about it."

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

Zhu Di: "..."

Some things don't need to be mentioned again.

Zhu Zhanjun, seemingly oblivious to the change in his grandfather's expression, continued, "Elder brother Zhu Zhanji, since Your Majesty places such high hopes on him to inherit the vast empire of the Ming Dynasty, his capacity to shoulder responsibility, even if not comparable to Your Majesty's, shouldn't be too far behind, right?"

"Now that his grandson has only done something good and received a reward, he can't even handle it?"

"If he encounters even bigger storms and setbacks in the future, will he be able to handle it? Won't he be in tears?"

"Grandpa, I think young people should experience some pressure and weather some storms in order to grow into towering trees."

"This 'pressure' from my grandson should be seen as a whetstone for my eldest brother."

"That's a good thing."

Zhu Di stroked his beard and pondered for a moment.

"Hmm, what you said... makes sense."

"Young people really need to be tempered."

"However, I know that Zhanji is arrogant."

"But... his resilience shouldn't be that bad, right?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhanjun's eyes darted around, and he shook his head, saying, "Grandpa, who would know?"

"My eldest brother has always been petty and always felt that as the eldest grandson of the emperor, he would inherit the throne in the future, and he couldn't stand the slightest grievance."

"What if my grandson can't handle this pressure and has a moment of despair? Maybe... he might rebel?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di couldn't help but puff out his beard and glare, saying, "Impossible! He doesn't have the guts!"

Zhu Zhanjun blinked innocently: "Grandpa, I never said that my elder brother would definitely rebel."

"But you can't judge a book by its cover. My grandson is young and inexperienced. How dare I presume to guess what my elder brother is thinking?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di fell silent.

After a while.

He then spoke slowly.

"Zhanjun and Zhanji, those children, I watched them grow up."

"He is a bit arrogant and not very broad-minded, but as for rebellion... I still think he doesn't have the guts or the inclination."

Zhu Di stood up, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, looked at the azure sky outside the window, and said in a low voice: "When I raised the army to quell the rebellion, I was forced to the brink of death. That brat Jianwen pressed me step by step, wanting to reduce the power of the princes and take my life. If I did not rebel, I would be doomed, and you descendants would suffer as well."

"Zhanji was raised by me from a young age and received a proper imperial education. He is well aware of the difference between ruler and subject and understands the greater good."

"He might feel jealous, resentful, or bitter, but he would never go that far."

Zhu Zhanjun blinked his clear, large eyes and said crisply, "Grandpa is right."

"However, Your Majesty, I have a small suggestion, but I'm not sure if I should say it?"

Seeing his expression, Zhu Di felt a little less heavy-hearted and couldn't help but smile: "Oh? What brilliant idea do you have now?"

Zhu Zhanjun took a step closer, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously.

"Grandfather, you see, I know that just talking to you about my elder brother's ability to endure is just empty talk without any concrete evidence."

"How about... we give him a try?"

"Test him?" Zhu Di frowned slightly. "How should we test him?"

Zhu Zhanjun chuckled.

"Of course, we should give him a stress test."

"No emperor is without pressure."

"Some people can withstand the pressure and become emperors of all time, like you, my grandfather."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di instinctively raised his head and straightened his chest.

Zhu Zhanjun continued.

"Some people can't withstand the pressure, so how can you entrust the empire to such people?"

"Wisdom is important, but character is even more important."

"Grandfather, if you think Brother Zhanji has a strong will."

"Give him a chance to touch power."

"For example, the Emperor's grandfather is seriously ill and on the verge of death."

Zhu Di: "???"