My father, Zhu Di, was granted a second life by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Chapter 116 Defense Against the Prince of Yan

Upon hearing this, the old emperor smiled and said, "Since Xi'er is confident, then let them stay. If they are well-behaved, break them up and incorporate them into small banners for training and control."

Xiaoqi was the lowest-ranking official position in the garrison. There were ten Xiaoqi in each hundred households, and each Xiaoqi was in charge of ten people.

Clearly, You Dun was the first choice appointed by the old emperor to assist in controlling military power, while the Prince of Yan was ranked after him, with his main role being to command troops and defend against enemies.

Regarding military power, the imperial court stipulated that military officers would serve in the military governor's office and have the power to command troops, but they would not be given orders to send troops. The five military governor's offices and the Ministry of War were mutually restraining, and the power was concentrated in the hands of the emperor.

The King of Yan's role was similar to that of a military general, but he had no authority to command troops.

In other words, in matters of national importance, Youdun's influence is second only to the Crown Prince.

The old emperor was far-sighted. In his blueprint, You Dun was not only a powerful minister with a serious illness, but also a backup heir to the throne.

If the crown prince dies unexpectedly or falls into the control of others, there is a chance that the emperor could take his place.

The old emperor could have easily secured his right to succession with a secret edict.

Therefore, it is only right to take precautions and restrict the power of the Prince of Yan in the capital in advance, and it is part of the overall plan.

The old emperor will employ a variety of methods and mobilize various forces to ensure that the succession to the throne does not deviate from his predetermined path.

Zhu Gaoxi gradually figured out the old emperor's thinking and knew that persuasion was useless. He could no longer fight for more rights for his adoptive father, so he could only communicate with Youdun in private and ask him to save face for his adoptive father in the actual implementation.

After leaving the Qianqing Palace and returning to the vegetable garden, Zhu Gaoxi went directly into a secret room with Youdun and briefly told him about what had happened in the past two days.

"Zhang Yu is my father's trusted and beloved general. He wants his son to be given an important position. Since he rarely speaks up, my father can't refuse and can only agree to let Zhang Fu temporarily command the Flying Eagle Guard."

Zhu Gaoxi carefully chose his words, trying to downplay the subjective will of his adoptive father in this matter. It could be considered a white lie, as he did not want there to be mutual suspicion, conflict, and endless fighting between Zhu Gaoxi and his adoptive father.

But You Dun didn't seem surprised; he simply smiled and accepted the change in position.

"In my heart, no one can compare to my brother. This is just a temporary measure," Zhu Gaoxi said earnestly, worried that it might chill Youdun's heart.

"As long as we trust each other and work together, those things don't matter," You Dun said with boundless sincerity.

"Yes, it's just a minor incident," Zhu Gaoxi grinned. "Father brought two centurions with him, Zhang Wu and Tan Yuan. Their positions will remain unchanged when my brother reorganized the guards. And Wu Liang, who has always been dedicated and hardworking, has no reason to be demoted."

Historically, Zhang Wu served as a centurion of the Right Protectorate of Yanshan. He was brave and skilled in battle and made many meritorious contributions during the Jingnan Campaign. After Zhu Di ascended the throne, he rewarded Zhang Wu for his merits and enfeoffed him as the Marquis of Chengyang, with a stipend of 1,500 shi (a unit of grain), ranking first among the marquises of the Jingnan Campaign.

Zhang Wu died of illness in the first year of the Yongle reign and was posthumously granted the title of Duke of Lu. However, since he left no heirs, the title could not be passed down.

Tan Yuan inherited his father's position as the deputy commander of the Right Guard of Yanshan. He was exceptionally brave and strong, capable of drawing a bow with a draw weight of two stones. He was skilled in riding and archery, hitting the target every time. He rose to the rank of deputy commander.

During the Battle of Jiahe, Tan Yuan was killed when his horse stumbled and fell. After Zhu Di ascended the throne, he was posthumously granted the title of Marquis Chongjing.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Youdun said, understanding perfectly, and patted Zhu Gaoxi's shoulder lightly.

"The engagement is the day after tomorrow, and Uncle Wu might arrive in the capital tomorrow. Brother, you should stay with Uncle Wu first. It's not too late to take over the guard duties at the Prince's Mansion after the engagement ceremony."

Zhu Gaoxi was worried that his adoptive father would have a hard time accepting the situation. On the day of the engagement, in front of everyone, if his adoptive father had a bitter face, it would attract a lot of gossip.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Youdun said with a gentle smile.

When the cheap father learned of the old emperor's arrangements, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

No matter how much resentment or grievance one feels, one can go back to Beiping and process it slowly; there's no need for others to see it and gossip about it.

Zhu Gaoxi would advise his adoptive father to leave the capital as soon as possible.

The longer they stayed, the more wary the old emperor became. There was no need for the cheap father to stay in the capital and become disliked, especially with the Crown Prince full of hostility, ready to find fault at any time.

Stepping out of the secret room, Zhu Gaoxi suddenly realized his stomach was rumbling. He then ate a bowl of wontons with relish.

Just as he wiped his mouth clean, a rare guest arrived – Princess Zhu Jingyi of Jiangdu, who came uninvited and graced him with her presence.

Zhu Gaoxi stared at the simple-minded girl with great interest for a long time, but he couldn't figure out why she had suddenly become so bold as to venture into the vegetable garden in broad daylight. Wasn't she afraid that the Crown Prince and Lady Lü would find out and make her suffer the consequences?

"If you keep staring like that, I'm leaving," Zhu Jingyi threatened aggressively, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Zhu Gaoxi withdrew his gaze with a mischievous grin. "What brings you here, sister?"

"Aren't they supposed to be engaged? Geng Xuan said that as the older sister, I can't just sit idly by," Zhu Jingyi said bluntly.

However, Zhu Gaoxi always felt that she wasn't telling the truth and seemed to be trying to get close to him.

Offering unsolicited favors is either a sign of malice or theft.

Harmfulness is not allowed, and defensiveness is indispensable.

Zhu Gaoxi was not naive and would not be deceived by superficial words.

He was certain that Zhu Jingyi would never visit Sanbaodian without a reason.

"I heard that the Princess Consort of Yan has returned to the capital with her," Zhu Jingyi casually mentioned.

"Your mother was the Crown Prince's wife, and she was deeply devoted to you. She would always be sad and shed tears whenever she mentioned you. She also said that you were well-behaved and cute when you were little," Zhu Gaoxi replied indifferently.

If you're here to sow discord, then forget it.

When Zhu Jingyi mentioned her deceased mother, her eyes reddened and tears welled up, and she remained silent for a long time.

Worried that he had gone too far, Zhu Gaoxi quickly changed the subject, "Did you carve another wooden sculpture, sister?"

"Don't you also think Yunwen has been held back? She's not your biological mother, so why would she truly care for you?" Zhu Jingyi hesitated for a few moments before finally mustering the courage to speak.

"This dim-witted older sister is truly beyond redemption," Zhu Gaoxi sighed inwardly.

"If you want to accuse Lady Lü, you'd better go to the Qianqing Palace and find Grandpa. It's no use telling me," Zhu Gaoxi stood up, making a gesture as if to see the guest off. "Lady Lü is bad, but that doesn't mean everyone else is bad. Sister, if you really miss your brother in the future, you are welcome to come and sit in the vegetable garden anytime. If you are being used as a pawn, it's better not to come, so as not to cause mutual resentment."

"What are you saying? I'm just genuinely thinking of you!" Zhu Jingyi said, tears streaming down her face.

"If you still care about your brother, sister, then stop being a go-between for others," Zhu Gaoxi turned around, his back to Zhu Jingyi, "Li Hui, see the princess off."

Zhu Jingyi wiped away her tears and ran away.

"Your Highness, isn't this going too far?" Sanbao asked in a low voice with a worried expression as he watched Zhu Jingyi's departing figure.

"Let's make things clear once and for all, so that nothing like this happens again," Zhu Gaoxi said, walking towards the backyard.

Feeling irritable and not wanting to see anyone, he decided to focus on researching and improving the charcoal pencil production process, striving to achieve low-cost mass production as soon as possible.