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

Zhu Zhanji felt as depressed as if he had eaten shit.

That little rascal!

It's just a horse, what's the big deal?

When I ascend the throne and become emperor, I'll have as many horses as I want!

Zhu Gaoxu couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

Good lad, if you can talk, then say more.

Zhu Gaosui picked up his teacup, secretly pleased.

He and the Crown Prince have always been at odds.

They were delighted to see Zhu Zhanji suffer a setback.

The other imperial grandsons had different expressions.

The son of the King of Han, Zhu Zhanhe, and others smiled.

Zhu Gaochi's sons glared at him angrily.

Zhu Gaochi was somewhat embarrassed.

The Crown Princess Zhang, who was standing next to her, raised an eyebrow.

Her tone was gentle.

"Zhanjun is a lively child, but the rules of the palace cannot be ignored."

"Today is the anniversary of my mother's death. The whole family is gathered together, and we are all very particular about being 'all together'."

"You're still young, so it's normal for you to be playful. But when you grow up and start your own family, you can't be so carefree anymore."

"The most important thing in managing a household is to establish rules."

"A virtuous wife brings fewer troubles to her husband, and a kind mother brings filial piety to her children."

"If you marry in the future, you must find a woman who is well-educated, reasonable, knows how to manage a household, and is respectful of etiquette."

"Those like me, though I dare not say I am particularly virtuous, at least know when to be early and when to be quiet, and the children I raise also know how to respect elders and keep to the hour."

"If you marry someone who doesn't know what's important, not only will you miss your appointed time, but you'll also raise your children to be unruly... then this household will probably never have peace."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed.

Zhang's words not only belittled Zhu Zhanjun for being ill-mannered, but also scolded him and the Princess of Han for being unruly, which is why they raised the unruly Zhu Zhanjun.

The Princess Consort of Han was pale, her fingers gripping her sleeves, unsure of what to say.

She wasn't as sharp-tongued as Zhang, and only felt wronged.

Zhu Gaosui raised an eyebrow, watching the scene with great interest.

Although he was on good terms with Zhu Gaoxu, he didn't get along with Zhu Gaochi, but there is no kinship in the royal family.

If the two families start fighting, he'll be happy to watch the show.

It would be best if the two sides fought to the death, so that he could seize the throne.

Zhu Gaochi's face twitched, and he fell silent.

He and Gao Xu had a good relationship when they were young, but as they grew up, too many interests were involved, and it was impossible to go back to the past.

Now that his wife is backing up his son, he can't really smooth things over.

Zhu Zhanji was secretly pleased and looked at Zhu Zhanjun with a smile.

The atmosphere inside the hall became somewhat solemn for a moment.

Zhu Zhanjun seemed oblivious to the sarcasm in Zhang's words, and opened his dark eyes wide with curiosity.

"Aunt, are you saying I should find a daughter-in-law like you in the future?"

Zhang straightened her chest, raised her snow-white neck, and said elegantly.

"good."

She has the confidence and the right to say such a thing.

After all, she was chosen by Zhu Di and Empress Xu as the Crown Princess, and in the future she would be the Empress, a model for women.

She even thought to herself that if Zhu Zhanjun could really find a woman like her as his wife, it would be an incredible stroke of luck.

Zhu Zhanjun smacked his lips.

"Auntie, I still prefer pretty ones."

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

The hall suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone stared at Zhu Zhanjun in disbelief.

They had expected Zhu Zhanjun to make sarcastic rebuttals regarding rules and manners.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Zhanjun completely ignored Zhang's words and directly criticized her appearance.

This is incredibly destructive.

Which woman doesn't love beauty?

Especially a confident woman like Zhang, who holds a high position.

It's even more infuriating than slapping her directly.

Most importantly, Zhang proudly recommended her as a model daughter-in-law, only to be publicly criticized by Zhu Zhanjun for her low appearance.

Absolutely devastating!

A short while later.

Zhu Gaoxu finally couldn't hold back any longer, clutching his stomach and bursting into laughter.

He now knew his son's mouth was incredibly sharp.

Using it on the enemy would be so damn satisfying.

The Princess Consort of Han also covered her lips slightly, unable to suppress a smile.

Zhu Gaosui looked at Zhu Zhanjun with great interest.

I never realized my nephew was so interesting.

The princes were so frightened that they dared not utter a sound.

Zhu Zhanhe, Zhu Zhanqi, and several other brothers secretly gave Zhu Zhanjun a thumbs up.

Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji looked grim.

But for a moment, I didn't know how to refute it.

It was Zhang herself who brought up the topic.

Zhang was so angry that she trembled all over, her face turning bright red, as if she had been doused with scalding oil.

Her eyes, which were usually gentle and smiling, were now wide open, and the whites of her eyes were instantly filled with blood vessels. Her hands, which had been elegantly folded on her knees, suddenly clenched tightly, and her nails dug deeply into the soft flesh of her palms.

She wanted to reprimand him, but her lips trembled several times and no sound came out.

His ears were ringing, and the undisguised, boisterous laughter of Zhu Gaochi, the low, suppressed laughter of the Princess of Han, and even the momentary gloom on his son Zhu Zhanji's face all became blurry and distant.

As the Crown Princess and future Empress, when had she ever suffered such humiliation since entering the palace?

Zhu Zhanjun didn't engage in any shady dealings; he simply disliked her appearance.

These words made her feel more ashamed and indignant than any conspiracy or court infighting.

Zhang forced herself to remain calm.

"You...you child..."

"His Majesty has arrived," Meng Ji's voice rang out.

Everyone was taken aback, and then they saw Zhu Di slowly walk in, surrounded by a group of palace maids and eunuchs.

Zhu Di smiled.

"Is there something good that's happened?"

"I could hear Gao Xu's laughter even outside."

Everyone looked at each other.

Zhang's face was burning hot.

Finally, Zhu Gaochi said dryly.

"We...we are happy because our family has been reunited for so long."

Zhu Di glanced at him, but didn't ask any further questions, only nodding slightly.

"It's been a long time since the family sat together."

"Please sit down."

Everyone nodded slightly, and then respectfully found their seats and sat down.

Although it was a family banquet, it was still a royal affair, and the rules were different from those for ordinary people, so no one dared to be disrespectful.

Zhu Di waved to Zhu Zhanjun and Zhu Zhanji.

"You two sit next to Grandpa Emperor."

Zhu Zhanji glanced at Zhu Zhanjun, feeling somewhat resentful, but he didn't show it on his face. He simply bowed and sat properly to Zhu Di's left, while Zhu Zhanjun sat down to Zhu Di's right.

The rest of the imperial grandsons could only sit obediently at the bottom, looking at Zhu Zhanji and Zhu Zhanjun with envy.

The palace maids began serving the dishes.

Zhu Di picked up the wine cup in front of him and pondered for a moment.

"Today is the anniversary of your royal grandmother's death."

"We should have been vegetarian and avoided banquets to commemorate your royal grandmother."

"But your grandmother said before she passed away that she hoped we wouldn't make it a cold and lonely place when we missed her, or make us eat poorly and feel heavy-hearted. She didn't like that."

"So, she told me to remember to call you all, so that the whole family can get together for a meal and have a happy time. If she knew this in the afterlife, she would be happy too."

"Time flies, so many years have passed in the blink of an eye."

"When your grandmother was alive, she loved it most when the family was together."

She often said that no amount of wealth or luxury can compare to sitting around a table with children and grandchildren, chatting and laughing, and enjoying a simple home-cooked meal.

"Back then, the eldest, the second, the third... and you little ones were all quite mischievous. She would always watch you play with a smile and say that this was what a home should be like."

"Now, she's gone. This banquet was her favorite, and it's what I... miss the most."

He raised his glass, gesturing to the others.

"This cup is offered to your royal grandmother. May she rest in peace in heaven and see that our family is still harmonious and loving today."

Everyone quickly stood up, respectfully raised their cups, and said in unison, "To our Imperial Grandmother (Empress Dowager)."

Then, the drink is poured on the ground or taken a small sip as a sign of respect.

Zhu Di nodded slightly and said calmly.

"What your great-grandmother worried about most before she passed away was our family."

She always hoped that her brothers would live in harmony and that her children and grandchildren would be loving and loving, so that no discord would arise, making her a laughingstock to outsiders and damaging the harmony of her own family.