One night in October 1363, when the sun had set, Zhu Biao personally sent his teacher Song Lian away from the Duke's Mansion, even after completing one day's study.
Originally, he wanted to go back to his room, eat some food, read a book and then go to bed, but he saw the maid next to Ma came safely, saying that his wife invited him over.
As for Ruyi, she was already married and was a close military general beside Zhu Yuanzhang.
Classmate Xiao Zhu followed Ping An towards the inner courtyard. The place where he lives now is next to Zhu Yuanzhang's study. He specifically asked Lao Zhu to come here when he was six years old.
In front of him, there was peace and a servant holding a lantern to light the way. There were two companions beside him to protect him, lest he slip.
Just like that, he walked into the inner courtyard. Xiao Zhu looked in the direction. He was not going to his mother's room, but to the hall in the backyard. He must have something serious to do.
Before he got close, two maids came to greet him. Xiao Zhu asked a few questions and found out that the women and children in the backyard had already arrived and were waiting for him to finish school.
When he arrived outside the main hall, he was not in a hurry to go in. He took the hot towel handed by the maid, wiped his hands, and asked how Ma's appetite was these days.
The hall was brightly lit and the air was filled with various fragrances. Everyone except Ma stood up and prepared to greet the eldest son of the mansion.
There were more than twenty women inside. Those with children picked up their children, while those without children quickly stood up and waited with lowered eyebrows and eyes.
Ma sat on the upper seat and picked up some tea, looking calmly at those with children.
Not long after, an aristocratic young man walked in. His face was smooth and white, his expression was gentle, his eyes were clear, and he always had a slight smile on his lips, exuding a calm and elegant air that only middle-aged celebrities can have.
Wearing a white robe embroidered with golden cloud patterns, it was made of fine silk by the best showgirls in the south of the Yangtze River. Her long black hair was tied behind her back by a gold ring inlaid with sapphires, and she wore a sheep with red thread around her waist. The jade pendant of Guanyin came in surrounded by a group of maids.
Xiao Zhu walked in and bowed to his mother with a smile and said, "My son pays homage to my mother.
He straightened his waist slightly and cupped his hands towards the women, "I have met all of you, aunts.
The women also hurriedly returned the greeting, "I'm waiting to see the eldest son."
Eight-year-old Zhu Xi led his younger brother Zhu Fan, while Ji took the young Zhu Di and Zhu Xi out to salute, "Brother pays homage to elder brother."
Zhu Biao showed a soft smile to his four younger brothers, "Okay, be good, let's go eat."
"Sisters, please sit down. Biao'er also come and sit down. Mom asked the kitchen to make you your favorite eight-treasure meatballs, rouge goose breast and chicken marrow bamboo shoots."
Everyone took their seats, Zhu Biao sat next to Ma, and below were the two brothers Zhu Di and Zhu Xi. As for Zhu Di and Zhu Xi who were still young, they all ate next to their mother, and the other concubines were at another table.
The main seat on the left is empty, and that is Zhu Yuanzhang's seat.
Seeing that everyone was seated, Ping An glanced at his wife and then went to arrange the dishes. The dishes in the kitchen had been prepared long ago and were kept hot waiting for Zhu Biao to get off school.
When Zhu Biao saw that his mother had no intention of speaking, he turned around and asked about his brothers' homework. Song Lian was now teaching Zhu Biao, while Zhu Xi and Zhu Xi were taught by Song Lian's apprentice.
These two are not academics. As long as Zhu Yuanzhang is not in the house, they will spend three days fishing and two days drying nets, always thinking about having fun.
After Zhu Yuanzhang returned home to inspect his sons' homework, he had to give them a beating. Every time, Zhu Biao interceded to save them from being hung up and beaten.
In the early years, the Song family still thought that Zhu Ping was only one year younger than Zhu Biao. If Zhu Biao failed, his son would not have no chance...
But with the gap in reality, the Song family has long since accepted their fate. They have taught their two sons since they were young that they should ask their eldest brother about anything. If they don't listen to his words, your father will be beaten to death without anyone stopping them.
The two children are not young anymore, so they are naturally aware of the difference in status in the family, but they think it is right. Not only are they not as good at reading as their eldest brother, but they are also not as courageous as him.
When they saw their father, they couldn't even say a word, but the eldest brother still looked as gentle as jade even in front of his angry father, and he could always rescue the two brothers before they were beaten to death.
These two have become Zhu Biao's real little brothers since they were young, and they have inexplicable admiration for him.
Seeing the two brothers grimacing when they talked about studying, Xiao Zhu was helpless. He just forgot about food and not about fighting. Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang was about to come back, he didn't know how to cram in the interim and read more books and avoid being beaten a few times. It seems that I will inevitably get beaten again...
He glanced at Zhu Di with a dull look. Xiao Zhu had never wanted to get rid of the future Yongle Emperor in advance. He was not afraid that he would not be able to suppress him.
As long as he lives, Zhu Di will always be the King of Yan. If one day he really dares to rebel, he will not mind giving his brother a lift on the battlefield.
And he will also leave behind a secret hand in the future. If he still cannot escape the fate of dying prematurely, he will take Zhu Di and several ambitious brothers underground. Zhu Yunwen is ineffective, but he can still manage a stable world.
What's more, he doesn't just have that one son. At most, he will have a few more. Leaving Lao Zhu a good grandson will not be in vain.
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