Zhu Kai smiled and said.

"If you have thought of everything, what else can I do to surprise the Emperor?"

"Ah? Oh, Your Highness is wise. In that case, let Your Highness prepare all these things. If there is anything we can help with, please let Your Highness know directly. But..."

Even the steward of the imperial kitchen was a little stunned. He had never thought that the emperor's son could actually go to the imperial kitchen to cook himself, although it was normal to cook for the emperor.

After all, they are essentially father and son, but the prince is the emperor's son and has a noble status, which is not something everyone can do.

"First, cut the beef into slices the size of a thumb, and then make sure to cut it in one piece. Don't separate them."

"Your Majesty, please let me ask you a question. This beef is the most difficult to cook. Your Majesty wants to cut it so thick. Do you plan to stir-fry it or stew it?"

How could the steward of the imperial kitchen have imagined that Zhu Kai would actually cook some food himself? They thought he was just pretending to be there.

They wanted to perform well in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, but these servants in the imperial kitchen all had responsibilities.

If Zhu Yuanzhang really gets a stomachache, it would be their fault to lose their heads, so they are very worried that Zhu Kai is messing around here.

"I told you that you don't need to worry so much. Are you afraid that you will get sick from the food I prepared? You will have to take responsibility. Otherwise, I will sign a disclaimer for you."

"Disclaimer?"

"Alright, alright, you really don't have to worry about these things. The food prepared tonight is not only for the Emperor and the Empress, but also for the Crown Prince and all the princes.

Can I harm myself? Besides, today is a family dinner and those who can come here are not outsiders, they are all the emperor's children.

I am an adult who is capable of taking responsibility. If there really is any problem, I will bear it alone.

You guys don't need to help take responsibility. Do you think I'm the kind of coward who runs away when something goes wrong?"

"Your Majesty, that's not what we meant. Please don't be angry, okay? Just do as you say and cut up all the beef first. Do we need to prepare anything else?"

"It would be better if we could prepare some desserts and pizza. Oh, right, quickly knead the dough and roll it into a plate-sized shape. It's best to make it flat, only a little thick and a little thinner. Then, don't add any oil and bake it in the oven."

"My Lord, what is this?"

"This is called Bing Pi. I will come over to make it in a while. You guys just do as I say. I can make some things, but I can't figure out some things like kneading the dough.

You guys prepare these basic ingredients first, I will personally handle it when I return."

"Okay, it's almost evening and time for the Emperor and the Empress to have dinner, so we can't delay. Your Majesty, where are we going?"

"I will go to the Crown Prince first. I have something important to discuss with him. I will be back soon. Don't worry. I will never let you take any risks. You are so timid."

Although Zhu Kai said this, he also sympathized with these servants.

Zhu Kai arranged everything, and after that he left the imperial kitchen directly.

I'm going to go see what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is doing first.

Zhu Kai just walked nearby and heard some noise inside.

"Your Highness, why are you here?"

"Well, I'm here to see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Do I need to report to you in advance?"

"Your Highness, please don't misunderstand me. That's not what we meant. We just wanted to ask you what you are doing here. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Marquis Deqing are both inside. Please go in, Your Highness."

After hearing this, Zhu Kai nodded and walked straight in.

When he opened the door, he saw Crown Prince Zhu Biao sitting on a chair. The person lying on the bed was Liao Yongzhong. When he saw Zhu Kai coming in, he immediately stood up halfway and raised his back.

"Marquis Deqing, what happened? You were so lively in the court, but suddenly you are lying here waiting for the imperial physician to see you. What happened?"

"Your Majesty, I didn't expect that such a small matter would alarm you. This is really inappropriate."

"What's wrong with this? These things are all very normal. Come over here and let me take a look."

"Please forgive me, Your Highness. I am not feeling well right now. I have a problem with my feet. I can't get up for a while. I'm afraid I'll have to wait for someone to take me back in a sedan chair."

The prince found it really intolerable to see his scoundrel appearance. Zhu Kai could see that his elder brother usually had the best temper, and even the most tolerant people couldn't stand this guy.

"Brother, what happened? I didn't go to court today, and I don't know if there was any conflict in the previous court. I just heard that Marquis Deqing has a bad temper. Did he fight with someone?"

When Liao Yongzhong heard what Zhu Kai said, he became a little anxious and quickly explained.

"Your Highness has not been in the capital for more than a year, so I'm afraid you still have some misunderstandings about me.

Who has ever told His Majesty that I have a bad temper? I will not easily come into conflict with anyone.

I am lying here to see a doctor today because of an old injury that has recurred. I am unable to move. The Emperor and the Crown Prince care about an old man like me and specially asked the imperial physician to come and take a look. "

When Zhu Kai heard this, he smiled knowingly.

“That’s right. Marquis Deqing has worked hard and made great contributions. He has followed my father for so many years. He followed my father to conquer the world when he was young. It is normal for him to have some old illnesses.

The Emperor and the Empress have also been concerned about your health all the time. Today, my eldest brother has already suggested that the imperial physician examine you thoroughly. That requires a complete check-up from beginning to end.

It’s just that there is no MRI at this time, otherwise you would have to be scanned from head to toe to see if there is anything wrong with you.”

As Zhu Kai spoke in a sarcastic tone, he thought to himself that he would not live long. Even the crown prince was angry, so who could tolerate him like this, let alone Zhu Yuanzhang?

Zhu Yuanzhang could not tolerate these things. Even Chang Yuchun, Xu Da and others were obedient in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, let alone Liao Yongzhong.

Zhu Yuanzhang had been jealous of him since he was young. If he hadn't thought about his hard work over the years, he would have tolerated him long ago. Now this guy has finally reached his limit.

"Zhu Kai, aren't you accompanying your mother? Why are you here?" When Zhu Kai saw the current situation, he knew it was very awkward, but he has always been very good at easing awkward situations.

"Marquis Deqing really should take a good look at his injuries. The people around you took advantage of your injury and showed no manners at all, bumping into me in public."

When Liao Yongzhong heard what Zhu Kai said, he became even more panicked.

I've gotten into too much trouble recently, and I don't dare to cause any more trouble.

In fact, the people around him bumped into Zhu Kai. This happened on the street. He didn't know anything about these things. It was just that he was used to being arrogant and domineering, so naturally the people around him took advantage of their power.

It was the first time that Crown Prince Zhu Biao heard about this incident. His first reaction was not to blame the person in front of him, but to worry about his younger brother Zhu Kai.

"When did the people from Marquis Deqing's mansion bump into you? Are you okay? If they were riding too fast and bumped into you, the least they could do is break some tendons and bones."

Seeing that the prince and Zhu Kai took this matter so seriously, Liao Yongzhong no longer dared to take it lightly. He no longer cared whether his injury was fake or not. He quickly jumped off the bed and immediately knelt in front of Zhu Kai and said.

"Your Majesty, it's because the people around me are too inconsiderate.

I don't even know when I offended the prince. Does the prince still remember what the person who offended you looks like? When I get back, I will tie him up immediately and send him to your mansion to be handed over to the prince for punishment."

“This happened two days ago.

Besides, I was a bit face-blind to begin with, and their horses were so fast that I couldn’t remember who bumped into me.

I am not here today to hold anyone accountable, but I want to remind you that this kind of thing must never happen a second time.

The capital city is so bustling, with common people everywhere. They normally wouldn't look around when they go out on the streets, and there are no traffic lights at this time.

You have directly bumped into him. With your status and position, where can ordinary people seek justice? I am afraid there is no place to appeal."

In fact, Zhu Kai said these words because he had considered this point from the bottom of his heart. That's why he said this. He did it for the sake of ordinary civilians.

He knew that it was very difficult for ordinary people to do something and protect their rights.

What's more, this is the Ming Dynasty. Even though this is under the feet of the emperor, everyone knows that it is darkest under the lamp. Even if Zhu Kai is very concerned, they can't focus on it all the time.

Liao Yongzhong has been oppressing the people of the capital for too long. If the emperor quickly gets rid of this guy, he can still gain a good reputation.

Even if Zhu Kai understood the hardships he had experienced when he followed Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the world when he was young, there was nothing he could do. This was the plot that should have happened in history, and no one could stop it.

"Zhu Biao was the most kindhearted person. He was of course very angry when he heard about this. However, he also knew that tonight was a rare family dinner, and he did not want to lose his temper at this time and alarm Zhu Yuanzhang.

Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang has already begun to have the intention to attack him, and he will do it sooner or later. If he attacks now, it will only alert the enemy."

"Imperial Physician, how is Marquis Deqing's injury?"

The imperial physician knew very well that this guy was just pretending to be sick and he did have some chronic illnesses.

But it was not as serious as he said. He just wanted to pretend to be sick to gain the emperor's sympathy.

The imperial physician was just a civil servant, and his judgment of the situation in the court was completely inaccurate.

To be more precise, these people from the Imperial Hospital usually had close contacts with the concubines in the harem, and in the harem governed by Empress Ma, they did not engage in any behavior of jealousy or vying for favor.

Therefore, he knew relatively little about the evil nature of human nature.

He also didn't understand what Zhu Yuanzhang's attitude towards Liao Yongzhong was, so he naturally didn't dare to offend him at this time and could only go along with what he said.

"Reporting, Your Highness, Prince, it is true that Marquis Deqing's previous injuries were quite serious. Recently, due to the cold weather, his old illness has relapsed. However, he will be fine after a few more days of rest.

This kind of thing accumulates over the years and cannot be recovered overnight. It still needs to be adjusted slowly. The key is not to get cold or tired. "

Zhu Kai nodded slightly when he heard this. He made a bold decision without discussing it with anyone.

"Marquis Deqing, since your injury is so severe and the weather is so cold, and it is almost the end of the year, you don't have to stay in the palace any longer.

I will find someone to carry you back in a warm sedan chair later. You can rest well at home during this period of time. You don’t need to come to court.”

Marquis Deqing was completely stunned when he heard this. How could Zhu Kai say such words in front of him?

He could allow himself not to attend court. As a prince, how could Zhu Kai, even if he was the son of Zhu Yuanzhang, say such a thing?

Not to mention Zhu Kai, even the Crown Prince Zhu Biao could not make such a decision on behalf of Zhu Yuanzhang, and specially approved the ministers of the current dynasty not to attend court.

Only the emperor could make such a decision. He wouldn't dare to listen to Zhu Kai even if he said so.

"Your Highness...Your Highness is really too considerate of me, but this matter has not been approved by the Emperor, and I dare not hide at home.

It is also my duty as a subject to discuss state affairs with the emperor in the court.

If I hide at home and don't come, I don't know how much blood and gore there will be.

I will pretend I didn't hear what the prince said just now. I'd better go back and have a good rest. Even if I really can't come, I have to get the emperor's permission, otherwise, I will have a hard time explaining myself. "

"Brother, look..."

Zhu Kai also realized that he had said some wrong things. Although he was usually arrogant and domineering, he did not dare to make a decision easily when it came to matters like this, as he was easily envied by others.

Zhu Kai now only feels fortunate that people like Hu Weiyong who like to stir up trouble are not here, otherwise Zhu Kai would be overstepping his authority and Zhu Yuanzhang would not be happy either.

When Crown Prince Zhu Biao saw that Zhu Kai was a little flustered after saying these words, he quickly explained on behalf of his brother.

“Marquis Deqing, there is no other meaning to what the King of Sai just said. He is just being considerate of your physical condition.

In that case, then do as he says. You should have a good rest at home for the next two days. As for the emperor, this prince and the prince will speak for you after we return, and you can get special approval. " (End of this chapter)