Chapter 345: When I Grow Up, I

Zhu Yong lifted him into the study and closed the door.

Zhu Qiong was placed on a chair, tilting his head to look at his father, with an innocent expression.

Zhu Yong sat opposite him, was silent for a moment, then said, "A brothel is not a good place; you are not allowed to go."

Zhu Qiong blinked and asked, "Then why can Uncle Chang Mao go?"

"He also cannot go, so Father caught him and brought him back."

Zhu Qiong nodded thoughtfully and asked again, "What is inside the brothel?"

Zhu Yong thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth: "There is Wine, there are women, there are singers, but it is not a place for respectable people. When you grow up, you still may not go."

Zhu Qiong nodded as if half‑understanding, then suddenly grinned, "Father, have you been there?"

Zhu Yong's face darkened: "No."

"Then how do you know?"

Zhu Yong took a deep breath: "I heard about it."

Zhu Qiong let out a sound, leapt from the chair, and ran out.

At the doorway he turned back and said, "Father, rest assured, I won't go. I'll go when I grow up."

Zhu Yong's face grew even darker.

He chased after him, but Zhu Qiong had already vanished.

In the courtyard, Guanyin Nu was standing under the corridor, watching his son's retreating silhouette, a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Did you hear that?" Zhu Yong walked over.

Guanyin Nu nodded.

"He said he will go when he grows up."

Guanyin Nu laughed out loud: "He's just teasing you."

Zhu Yong was startled, then realized that the kid was retaliating for him not letting him listen to the wall root last night.

He shook his head and sighed.

This child is as mischievous as he was when he was young.

No, even more mischievous than he was as a child.

At noon, Zhu Yong went to the Eastern Palace.

Zhu Biao was reviewing documents in the study; seeing him enter, he set down his brush.

"Second brother, something?"

Zhu Yong sat down and recounted last night's incident.

Zhu Biao, after listening, was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"These kids have quite the nerve."

"Elder brother, what do you think we should do?" Zhu Yong asked.

Zhu Biao thought for a moment, stood up: "Let's go see Chang's residence."

Zhu Yong stood up with him.

The two left the Eastern Palace and rode horses toward Chang's residence.

Chang's residence is in the northern city, not far from the Imperial City.

The stone lion at the gate had its mouth open, its aura fierce.

The gatehouse, seeing the Crown Prince and Prince Wu arrive, was so frightened its legs went weak, and it scrambled inside to report.

Before entering, a wail was heard from inside.

"Mother! Stop beating me! I'm sorry!"

Zhu Yong's steps halted, and he looked at Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao's face unchanged, he strode inside.

In the main hall, Lan Shi was holding a stick, chasing Chang Mao around the house.

Chang Mao's face was mottled blue and purple, his clothes torn, he ran like a rabbit, shouting, "Mother, I really only went to listen to the music, did nothing, and I'm already over thirty…"

"Listen to music? I let you listen to music!" Chang Yuchun smashed a chair with his staff, breaking one leg of the chair.

Chang Mao, frightened, tucked his neck, turned and fled, crashing into Zhu Yong.

"Ouch…" Chang Mao covered his forehead, stepped back two steps, looked up, his face turned pale, "Prince Wu, Crown Prince…"

Chang Yuchun also stopped, dropped his staff, clasped his fists in salute: "Prince."

Zhu Biao waved his hand, entered the main hall and sat down.

Chang Mao stood there, trembling all over, daring not to breathe.

Zhu Yong came in behind, glanced at Chang Mao. The kid's face was smeared with makeup, tears and snot covering it, looking like a wolf, a total wreck.

Zhu Biao looked at Chang Mao and asked, "Tell me about last night."

Chang Mao fell to his knees with a thud: "Prince, I was wrong, I shouldn't have gone to that kind of place…"

"What did you go to do?"

"Listen… listen to the music…"

"Anything else?"

Chang Mao lowered his head, his voice growing softer: "Drink Wine…"

"Anything else?"

"That's all, really all, Prince, I only went to listen to the music, had two cups of Wine, did nothing…"

Zhu Biao looked at him, silent.

Chang Mao knelt there, not daring to lift his head.

After a while, Zhu Biao finally spoke: "Your mother beats you for your own good; at this age there are many things you should learn, and places you shouldn't go, you must not go."

"Yes, yes, I've memorized it…"

Zhu Biao stood up, walked to Chang Mao, bent down and helped him to his feet.

"Just remember it, alright—stand up! Go wash your face; in a moment, come with me somewhere."

Chang Mao stood up dazed, not knowing where the Crown Prince intended to take him, but he dared not ask.

Zhu Biao turned his head toward Lan Shi and said, "Aunt Lan, I've taken the person away."

Lan Shi hurriedly replied, "Prince, please."

Zhu Yong watched from the side, silently admiring.

An older brother is an older brother; a few words are far more effective than a beating.

After leaving Chang Fu, Zhu Biao went to the Wei Guogong Fu, Cao Guogong Fu, and Tang Fu.

Xu Zengshou was locked in the wood shed by Xu Da; when he was released, he cried loudly and uncontrollably.

Li Jinglong knelt beside Li Wenzhong's bed, tears on his face; seeing Zhu Biao enter, he sobbed beyond words.

Tang Yue suffered the worst, punished by Tang He to kneel in the courtyard until his knees were raw.

Zhu Biao gathered the boys and led them to the East Palace.

In the main hall, the four boys knelt in a line, heads drooping, none daring to look up.

Zhu Biao sat at the head, Zhu Yong beside him.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" Zhu Biao asked.

The boys glanced at each other, none daring to speak.

Zhu Biao continued, "Your fathers beat you for your own good; I bring you here for the same reason. At this age you should learn skills, broaden your experience, and stay away from forbidden places."

Chang Mao lowered his head, murmuring, "Prince, I was wrong… but I'm already over thirty…"

"It's good you admit it. Starting tomorrow, come to the East Palace every morning; I'll have someone teach you military tactics. In the afternoons, go to the Longxiang Army camp to train with Wu Wang's troops."

But Zhu Biao ignored Chang Mao, stood up, and walked to them, "

The boys lifted their heads, eyes brightening.

The Longxiang Army—those are Great Ming's elite.

So many people beg to train there, yet can't.

"Prince, really?" Chang Mao couldn't help asking.

Zhu Biao nodded, "It's true, but there's a condition: if I learn you're going to such places, it won't be just simple training."

The boys nodded repeatedly, as if they could nod their heads down to the floor.

Leaving the East Palace, Zhu Yong couldn't help asking, "Brother, are you really planning to teach them military tactics?"

Zhu Biao smiled, "Teach them—why not? These kids all have decent talent; they just lack guidance. Chang Mao has courage but no strategy; he fought with you and also with Lao San, yet never learned to use his brain."

"Li Jinglong is clever but timid; Xu Zengshou and Tang Yue are still young but have good foundations. Teach them well, and they'll become pillars of Great Ming."

Zhu Yong nodded, letting his lingering worry go.

An older brother is always thorough.

Returning to Wu Wang Fu, night was already falling.

Zhu Yong stepped into the back courtyard and saw Zhu Qiong Jiong crouched in a corner, a small wooden hammer in hand, drawing something on the ground.

"What are you doing?" Zhu Yong asked as he approached.

Zhu Qiong Jiong looked up, grinned, and said, "Dad, I'm drawing a brothel."

Zhu Yong's face darkened again.

Zhu Qiong Jiong quickly stood, stepped back two paces, "Dad, I was just curious, didn't intend to go."

Zhu Yong inhaled deeply, crouched, and said, "I told you, that's not a good place; you must not go."

"I understand." Zhu Qiong Jiong nodded, then added, "When I grow up, I'll go with you."

Zhu Yong: "……"

He resolved never to mention the words "brothel" again.

That evening, the family ate together.

Zhu Qiong Jiong buried his face in the rice, eating more heartily than anyone.

Zhu Huanhuan sat beside his mother, occasionally glancing up at his father with a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Zhu Yong pretended not to see.

After the meal, Guanyin Nu went to coax Zhu Qiong Jiong to sleep.

Zhu Yong sat in the study, picked up a military treatise, flipped two pages, then set it down.

His mind was a mess.

The matter of Chang Mao's boys was essentially settled.

But Zhu Qiong Jiong's "When I grow up, I'll go with you" kept looping in his mind.

Is this child truly clueless, or just pretending?

The door opened, and Guanyin Nu stepped in.

"Asleep?" Zhu Yong asked.

Guanyin Nu nodded, sitting opposite him.

"Prince, are you still thinking about Jiong Jiong?"

Zhu Yong said nothing.

Guanyin Nu smiled, "He's just curious; in a few days he'll forget."

Zhu Yong shook his head, "This child is just like me when I was young—the more you forbid it, the more he wants it."

Guanyin Nu looked at him: "Did that Prince ever go there when he was a child?"

Zhu Yong was startled, then laughed: "No, at that time we couldn't even fill our stomachs, how could we afford to go to a place like that."

Guanyin Nu also laughed.

The two exchanged a glance and said nothing more.

Outside the window, the moon rose, lighting the courtyard brightly.

In the distance, the faint sound of the gatekeeper's clapper drifted.

Zhu Yong leaned back in his chair, suddenly feeling that days like this were quite good.

With big brother around, any matter could be solved.

With Guanyin Nu around, there was nothing to worry about.

With the children present, even a busy life had hope.

He closed his eyes, the corner of his mouth slightly lifted.

The summer of the eighteenth year of Hongwu was about to end.