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.
He originally 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 married a long time ago and was a close military general beside Zhu Yuanzhang.
Classmate Xiao Zhu followed Ping An and walked towards the inner courtyard. The place where he lives now is next to Zhu Yuanzhang's study. He specifically asked Lao Zhu for it when he was six years old.
There was peace in front of him 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 and saw that 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 I arrived outside the main hall, I was not in a hurry to go in. I took the hot towel handed by the maid, wiped my hands, and asked how Ma's appetite was these days.
The lights in the main hall were bright, and the air was filled with various fragrances. Everyone except Ma stood up and prepared to welcome 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, especially 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 quickly returned the courtesy: "I am waiting to see the eldest son."
Eight-year-old Zhu Fang 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, 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 being heated until Zhu Biao left 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 were not in love with learning. As long as Zhu Yuanzhang was not at home, they would 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 would always give them a beating. It was Zhu Biao who interceded every time to avoid the tragic incident of hanging them up and beating them.
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 always ask their eldest brother for anything. If they don't listen to their eldest brother, their 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 feel that they are right. Not only are they not as good as their eldest brother in reading, but they are also not as courageous as his eldest brother.
When they saw their father, they couldn't even speak, but the eldest brother remained as gentle as jade even in front of his furious father, and could always rescue the two brothers before they were beaten to death.
These two have become Zhu Biao's real little brothers since childhood and 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 fights. Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang was about to come back, he didn't know how to make ends meet, read more books and take less beatings.
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, and 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 to the ground. If his son fails to live up to his expectations, he can still govern a stable world.
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What's more, he doesn't just have that one son. At most, he could have a few more. Raising good grandsons for Lao Zhu would be a worthy end of the love between father and son.