King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 340 The Ancestor Before Heaven and Earth

New Year's Eve has passed, and the time has entered the orthodox 11th year.

In principle, the holidays are from the first day to the fifteenth day of the lunar new year, but because there are so many sacrificial activities, it is difficult for officials to take all these holidays.

The emperor wants to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth, the sun and the moon, mountains and rivers, and ancestors...

Not only officials have to participate in these activities, but also the royal descendants are no exception.

For example, at this time, Zhu Jinghong had already finished dressing up and was going to participate in worshiping the Mausoleum of the Ancestors.

Zhu Jinghong just walked out of Chengmingyuan, and by chance he met Baochai and Xiangyun.

"See Lord Thirteen!"

Before the two men knelt down, Zhu Jinghong waved his hand and said: "No gifts, no gifts!"

"Where are you going?"

Just listen to Xiangyun's reply: "The Queen's grace has given us three days' leave!"

"So that's how it is... For Chinese New Year, you should be allowed a few days off!"

Just as Zhu Jinghong was about to say a few more words, Yu Hai reminded him: "Master Thirteen, let's go too, the Lord is still waiting!"

Nodding his head, Zhu Jinghong said to the Baochai two: "You have a safe journey, I will take my leave first!"

"Master Thirteen, go slowly!" The two girls followed suit.

After Zhu Jinghong left, Xiangyun took Baochai to continue eastward, and they still left the palace through Donghuamen for a while.

Seeing Xiangyun's happy face, Baochai couldn't help asking: "Girl, it hasn't been long since you entered the palace, and you've come home like an arrow?"

This was originally a casual question from Baochai, but Xiangyun said with emotion: "When I was at home, I always felt that the elders were strict. I thought that one day when I grow up, I can leave them earlier... But I have been away from home for a month. But I miss them so much!"

"Now that I think about it carefully, the elders' strict control is really for my sake!"

After hearing this, Baochai smiled and said, "If you think like this...you've grown up!"

The two chatted like this, quickly left Donghua Gate, and continued walking to Dong'an Gate.

Outside the Dong'an gate, Xue Pan was already waiting with his servants, looking forward to the direction of the palace gate.

"Master, the girl is here!" Ying'er shouted excitedly, and then rushed to catch up.

As for the historians on the side, there were also people who were heading towards the palace gate at this moment.

After leaving the palace gate, Baochai said a few words to Xiangyun before they went back with their families.

Inside the sedan, Baochai was thinking about things at home, but he heard Xue Pan say from outside: "Sister, I used to come to pick you up, and Lian Er came up to rush me. Now that he has a princess, he doesn't like us anymore." !”

Jia Lian didn't come today, so Baochai naturally noticed it. "Brother, please don't say this to others. After all, we are two different families. We are here out of friendship but not out of duty. How can we be resentful because of this!"

"Sister...Brother, I never felt resentful. I wish he wouldn't come!"

"Every time I come here, I don't care about this, it's annoying to death!"

After hearing this, Baochai couldn't help but joked: "You're right, when Brother Lian came to play with you, how often did you not go cheerfully!"

Pulling the reins and trying to keep the sedan chair level with Baochai, Xue Pan then said: "Sister... You are wrong, now Lian's second brother has become a candidate for the Dragon Guard, and he hasn't come to play with me for a long time! "

"He is so ambitious. Brother, you should learn from Brother Lian!"

Baochai has a very good impression of Jia Lian, so at this moment, he can't help but use him to persuade his elder brother.

"Sister, am I not making progress? I haven't handled the errand of the Thirteenth Lord properly!" Xue Pan was quite dissatisfied.

Inside the sedan chair, Baochai smiled and said, "Of course that would be better!"

Soon they all went back to the mansion. This was the first time that Baochai had entered the mansion in the capital.

Compared with the Xue family and Rongguo mansion in Jinling, this place is obviously much smaller, but there are also three entrances to the main courtyard and two left and right roads across the courtyard. It is no problem for a family of three to live.

Aunt Xue was currently in the inner house, standing under the eaves and staring at the door outside, refusing to leave despite the maid's persuasion.

"The girl is back!"

Hearing the rumors from outside, Aunt Xue immediately beamed with joy, and then walked into the courtyard, the next moment Baochai walked in surrounded by girls.

"Mother, why do you..."

Before Baochai finished speaking, she heard her own mother say, "Bao girl, I hope you will come back!"

"Daughter pays homage to mother!" Baochai knelt down to salute.

However, Aunt Xue supported her and said at the same time: "It's cold outside, don't worry about these false courtesy, let's go in and talk!"

After entering the house, Baochai formally bowed to her mother, but Aunt Xue accepted it. She was really happy for her daughter's filial obedience.

"For so many years, you brothers and sisters have always been by my side. Now that you have been away from home for a long time, you don't think it's a big deal on weekdays... At the end of the year, Mom always feels empty in her heart!"

"Now that you're back, Mother will feel at ease!"

Every sentence in the words is full of Aunt Xue's love for her daughter, and Baochai's eyes are filled with tears.

Although she is tough, well-educated, and respectful, she is only a 15-year-old girl, and she has just graduated from high school in modern times.

"How long will you be back this time?"

"Your Majesty has granted three days off!"

"It's only been three days? Sigh... something is better than nothing!" Aunt Xue showed regret.

Seeing that his mother was not very happy, Baochai said, "I came back this time, and my mother has rewarded me with a lot of things. Come and see my mother!"

After saying that, regardless of whether her mother wanted to or not, Baochai took her to the side room, where the girl had already placed her "luggage".

At first, Aunt Xue was not very interested, but when she saw Baochai receiving a first-grade crown and clothes, and the wishful gift from the royal family, she couldn't help laughing from ear to ear.

The first-grade crown clothes, you must know that the old matriarch of Rongguo Mansion is just the first-grade crown clothes.

When Aunt Xue was happy, the emperor took the honored ministers and officials all the way out of the imperial city.

In order to ensure the safety of the emperor's travels, the Beijing camp and the guards went directly to the army, each dispatching tens of thousands of troops and retinues, and the five-city military and horse divisions were mobilized at full strength.

Everything within five miles in front and three miles of the emperor's dragon chariot was in a vacuum state to ensure absolute safety.

In the villages and towns encountered along the way, regardless of the status of the people involved, those who can breathe must be moved out of the warning range.

Under this kind of vigilance, it is absolutely impossible to rely on manpower to assassinate the king, but Zhu Jinghong's heart is still hanging.

After all, the White Lotus Sect in the capital is as endless as weeds, so he couldn't help but worry about this trip.

In addition to offering sacrifices to the ancestral mausoleum today, the heaven, earth, mountains and rivers have to be sacrificed next, but according to the practice of previous years, the emperor should let the crown prince do it for him.

Logically speaking, offering sacrifices to heaven and earth should be placed first, and the emperor should be there in person, but it was completely reversed here with Zhu Xianming.

It can also be seen from this how much Zhu Xianming respected his grandfather and put him directly before the world.

"However, this grandpa, quelled the turmoil and rebuilt China, completely completed the land reform in the southwest, conquered all the chieftains in Tibet and all the tribes in the north..."

"The establishment of the four capitals of Qinghai, Anxi, Anbei, and Andong has strengthened the imperial court's control over the surrounding areas, and in these places it has also carried out the reform of the land and returned it to the local people. It is simply a strong man that has never been seen before..."

It is not an exaggeration to say that this 35-year ruling experience is as good as opening up. Even if the current emperor has done well enough, he is still much worse than Shizu.

Thinking of this, Zhu Jinghong couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "It's no wonder...the old man respects the ancestors so much, and as the descendant who inherits his career, he will naturally be honored!!"

(End of this chapter)