King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 777 Emperor Qiansheng: Zhu Jinghong

Although persuading someone to ascend the throne was customary, the news that Zhu Jinghong accepted the invitation still caused a sensation inside and outside the capital.

This was the most talked about matter among the common people, and the officers and soldiers in the army were even more eager to tell each other, and were extremely happy about the news.

The news that Zhu Jinghong accepted the advice to ascend the throne spread, which actually diluted the grief of the Chinese people in the military camp.

"A wise ruler has been born, and good generals are in power. Our Ming Dynasty will surely spread its power throughout the world, and a prosperous era is coming!"

This is the argument of the military generals, and almost everyone believes that the great era for them to achieve great things has arrived.

The emperor's funeral ceremonies went on as usual, the dignitaries in the capital gradually emerged from the national mourning, and ordinary people returned to their normal lives.

Everything in the government was running normally, except for the dispute over the late emperor's posthumous title, temple name, and Zhu Jinghong's reign title. After several days, there was still no conclusion.

In Kunning Palace, Baochai was wandering around the main hall, accompanied by Daiyu, Xiangyun, several concubines and princesses.

She was not here to visit her new residence, but to inspect the new robes delivered by the Fashion Bureau.

The two sets of clothes in the center of the hall are the emperor's crown and robes, and on the left and right are the empress's phoenix robe and ju robe.

And of course, there’s the matching tiara.

The emperor's crown and Yishan crown look much simpler than the empress's nine-dragon and four-phoenix crown and Yanju crown.

At this moment, Baochai stood in front of the Zhaiyi and looked at the pattern on it carefully. This was the highest level dress belonging to the queen.

Although she has not yet been officially crowned as queen, it is obvious who the clothes belong to.

While Baochai was checking, Princess Xu of Qingyang said, "I heard that the Imperial Astronomical Observatory has chosen a date for the ascension ceremony on the 29th of this month, but the Ministry of Rites has not yet decided on the posthumous title and reign title, so the date has not been set yet!"

"Today is twelve. If I ascend the throne on the twenty-ninth, there are still seventeen days!" Baochai replied.

At this time, Concubine Jia said, "It won't be long. According to the system, the new emperor will confer titles on the six palaces after he ascends the throne. By then, the Crown Princess can live in the Central Palace!"

Baochai did not say those empty words at this moment, but sighed: "The position of the Empress has great responsibilities!"

Then, everyone started discussing the details of the robe, but all they heard was flattery, and Baochai's ears were really callused from listening to it.

On the side, Daiyu and Xiangyun did not participate in the conversation. They wandered alone in the corner, their eyes fixed on the East Hall of Kunning Palace.

That was once the residence of Princess Jing'an Zhu Yunsheng, and the two of them spent several unforgettable years there.

But now Kunning Palace is about to change its owner, and everything that happened can only remain in memory.

The two of them were chatting quietly about the past, and soon Baochai came over and asked what they were talking about.

"Alas... It's been a flash, ten years have passed!"

In the tenth year of Zhengtong, Baochai entered the palace as a tutor, and ten years have passed since then.

From a common girl to a princess's tutor, then to a princess consort and a crown princess, and now to be honored as the queen, this journey is truly legendary.

"By the way, in a few days, when the palace is vacated, you can move in!"

At this point, Baochai asked, "Where do Sister Lin and Sister Yun want to live?"

In the six palaces, as long as Daiyu asked, Baochai would naturally agree.

Daiyu replied: "It's up to Sister Bao to arrange!"

Xiangyun also said cheerfully: "I live with Sister Lin, and nothing else matters!"

As they were chatting, a female official came over and after greeting Baochai, she said, "Your Highness, I need to put on the robe to confirm whether it is suitable, so... please change your clothes!"

"This……"

Baochai looked hesitant, and she said, "I haven't received the imperial canon yet, so if I were to wear a phoenix robe or a phoenix robe, I'm afraid it would be inappropriate!"

Before the female official could reply, Xu Shi in the distance immediately spoke up: "Sister-in-law, aren't you putting Your Majesty in an unjust position by what you said?"

"In the homes of common people, there is still a saying that a man should not divorce his wife after having shared his hardships. Your Majesty and I have a bond that is stronger than gold. The position of queen... belongs to you!"

"If you refuse to accept it, won't it make outsiders suspect that there is a rift between His Majesty and you?"

Xu was a clever talker and she talked a lot. Princess Zhao of Jinghai, who was standing beside her, was not willing to be left behind and immediately joined in to persuade her.

The scene at this moment was somewhat similar to "persuading the emperor to ascend the throne", and Baochai found it funny when she thought about it.

Under the persuasion of the two princesses and several concubines including Consort Jia, Baochai replied: "Forget it, forget it. Can't I try? If you keep talking... I will have to go to Hongde Hall to apologize!"

Then everyone took action and took over the work of the palace maids to help Baochai change her clothes.

Both the Zhaiyi and the Juyi were extremely troublesome to put on, and Xu and the others had a lot of time to spare.

As she watched herself becoming more and more dignified in the mirror, Baochai thought of the difficulties she had experienced over the years.

Zhu Jinghong was fighting outside most of the time, and all affairs inside and outside the palace were handled by her. She had to be on guard against both open and covert attacks at all times. It took her ten years to get to where she is today.

While Baochai was reminiscing about the past, a court meeting was being held in the Zhaoren Hall on the east side of the Qianqing Palace.

The court discussed two main things: determining the temple name and posthumous title of the late emperor, and Zhu Jinghong's reign title.

After the Tang Dynasty, the number of posthumous titles increased rapidly, and now has become a long string of words, but the last word is still particularly important.

At this moment, what they were discussing was the posthumous title, and the cabinet gave two opinions.

"The one who conquers the distant lands is called Huan, the one who defeats the enemy with strong will is called Zhuang..." Zhu Jinghong murmured. These were the two opinions given by the cabinet.

At this moment in the hall, the six ministries and nine officials were debating, arguing over whether to use "Huan" or "Zhuang".

However, Zhu Jinghong himself was not satisfied with either of them.

The reason is that if one makes weapons quickly, one can also be given the posthumous title of Zhuang, which implies warmongering. What's more, the one who defeated Duan Yuyan also used this title.

From the perspective of respecting the respected, Zhu Jinghong should also cover up for his father. The word "Zhuang" should never be used.

As for the word "Huan", it is a beautiful posthumous title, but the story of Duke Huan of Qi's sons arming themselves and attacking each other is known to everyone in the world.

Of course, it can be said that Zhu Jinghong was overthinking this, but these two words were so targeted that it was hard not to doubt the intentions of these people.

So Zhu Jinghong wanted to curse. If he hadn't read more books, he might have been fooled by this group of people.

"uh-huh!"

Zhu Jinghong coughed, and Lu Tong, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, reminded everyone to keep quiet, and the hall soon became silent.

"I think these two words are inappropriate and cannot fully demonstrate the merits of the late emperor!"

Zhu Jinghong then picked up the posthumous name list and continued, "To be strong and resolute is called Su, to be respectful and to make a decision is called Su, and to be resolute is called Su."

"When the late emperor was young, he followed Emperor Taizu to fight and made outstanding achievements in overcoming difficulties. He was praised by Emperor Taizu many times and praised as a hero like me!"

Zhu Jinghong was not at all ashamed to praise his father at this moment. He believed that if the old man were still alive in heaven, he would be so happy that he would laugh like a pig.

After all, the old man struggled all his life just to prove that he was a good emperor and the best grandson of Emperor Taizu Zhu Shenzhuo.

After praising him for a while, Zhu Jinghong turned and said, "What you have proposed was the posthumous title of Qi Huan and Zheng Zhuang. These two emperors were not perfect... How can the late emperor be given the same posthumous title as them?"

Strictly speaking, what Zhu Jinghong said was unreasonable. After all, Huan and Zhuang were indeed beautiful posthumous titles, and he, a man surnamed Zhu, was simply guilty.

But this is not the time to talk about right or wrong, but about stance and attitude.

The control of power has always been a matter of either advancing or retreating. Regardless of whether these people intend to do so or not, Zhu Jinghong will give them a warning.

Otherwise, if you are looked down upon by these people, you will have more troubles in the future.

In fact, there were indeed people among the six ministries and nine officials who did it on purpose, but the two posthumous titles were obtained through public discussion, and it is difficult to single out anyone because the law does not hold everyone responsible.

Of course, if Zhu Jinghong really wanted to arrest someone, he could do it, but the prerequisite was to interrogate all the six ministries and nine officials, but this would inevitably cause chaos in the government.

"Now that the late emperor has passed away, can you be disrespectful? Are you so loyal and filial to your king and father?"

Unlike most new emperors in the past, Zhu Jinghong was a truly powerful emperor, no less powerful than the previous emperor.

Zhu Jinghong's tone was calm at this moment, but it also made everyone feel oppressed. After so many years as an official, none of them were clean. If the emperor really wanted to deal with someone, it would actually be very easy.

What was important was to establish authority; it didn't matter who was causing trouble. That was why the dozen or so prime minister-level officials present were already frightened.

Even the wisest man can make mistakes. These people are always scheming and scheming, but they really don't know how to choose the right time to do something at this critical moment.

The important officials present who had no intention of ridiculing the royal family were all blaming themselves for being careless and not thinking about the events of Qi Huan and Zheng Zhuang. After all, the directionality was too strong.

You really must not get involved in the affairs of the Zhu family and his son!
At this time, the Grand Secretary Zhao Yushan bowed and said, "I am guilty of capital crime. I hope Your Majesty will calm down and keep your body healthy!"

There is no way, he is the prime minister, and he has to take responsibility at this time.

After him, all the important officials present kowtowed and chanted "Death penalty, death penalty".

Seeing everyone pleading guilty, Zhu Jinghong had no intention of letting them off lightly. He just continued to ask, "Is this the only crime you committed?"

Hearing the question, everyone at the scene was worried, but also couldn't help but sigh that times have really changed. The reckless Thirteenth Master back then also spoke in a nonsensical way.

When the hall was silent, Zhu Jinghong said coldly: "I am waiting for your reply!"

This allowed the officials to list their own faults. The senior officials who had just thought that "the law does not hold everyone responsible" now felt even more worried.

So it is no wonder that civil officials and literati naturally reject people like Zhu Jinghong. What they would prefer is a holy emperor ruling the country with ease.

Of course, now that everything is a foregone conclusion, everyone can only face reality.

As the Prime Minister, he is the only one who speaks when no one else speaks.

"Your servants were not thoughtful enough and neglected the late emperor. This is the first crime!"

"To present this absurd posthumous title to Your Majesty is to deceive the Emperor. This is the second crime!"

"If Your Majesty is too sad and does not observe and agree, we will be unfilial to your Majesty and father, and this is the third sin!"

"For these three crimes, I am guilty even if I die a thousand times. I hope Your Majesty will punish me severely!"

To be able to become the Prime Minister and keep the position for so many years, Zhao Yushan is not only able to get things done, but also very good at talking.

In a short period of time, he found three angles to explain. Anyway, Zhu Jinghong admired this old man very much.

Zhu Jinghong stood up slowly, walked around the imperial desk, and slowly walked to the middle of the old ministers. He looked around at the people who were still kneeling on the ground and said, "The ancients said that it is the greatest virtue to admit one's mistakes and correct them. Do you know that you are wrong?"

Zhao Yushan had just said it very well, so he listened to the crowd's response and said, "I am guilty of the death penalty, and I hope Your Majesty will punish me severely!"

"The late emperor was kind and benevolent, and I am not a tyrannical ruler. I can be lenient with you for your momentary carelessness!"

Turning around again, Zhu Jinghong walked towards the imperial desk and said, "You are the emperor's salary and you should be loyal to him. Since you have made a mistake, each of you will be fined three months' salary!"

The important officials present certainly do not need to rely on salaries to make a living, so there is no harm in fining them three months' salary. The key is to show Zhu Jinghong's attitude to the outside world.

So what if he is an important official in the court? He will still be punished if he makes a mistake, and other people will be more restrained.

Returning to the throne, Zhu Jinghong continued, "The late emperor's posthumous title was Su. As for the temple name you are discussing, I think Yingzong is still not appropriate!"

Zhu Jinghong felt uncomfortable when he heard the name Yingzong Zhengtong Emperor. Although it was a good temple name, he still expressed his opposition.

"The late emperor reigned for twenty years, working day and night to govern the country. His achievements in civil and military affairs were comparable to those of the Tang and Song dynasties. He reversed the decline of the Ming Dynasty since Emperor Kangzong and made outstanding contributions to the revival of the Ming Dynasty..."

The so-called "Kangzong" is the temple name of the retired emperor Zhu Xinkan.

Zhu Jinghong himself did not feel embarrassed by his flattery, but except for a few ministers, everyone else present felt uncomfortable listening to it.

"So I think that the late emperor's temple name should be "Xing". What do you think?"

If the questioning had not started, the ministers present would have really made some suggestions, but now no one dared to say anything.

After a few breaths, Prime Minister Zhao Yushan replied: "Your Majesty is wise!"

So Zhu Xianming's matter was finalized, and he became Emperor Xingzong Su of the Ming Dynasty. Next, it was time to talk about Zhu Jinghong's reign title.

Naturally, no one dared to play tricks when it came to proposing a reign title, and a total of four reign titles were proposed for Zhu Jinghong to choose from.

"Chonghui, Hongxi, Qiansheng, Yongzhi!"

After reading it once, Zhu Jinghong said slowly: "I think Qiansheng is the best, so let's name the reign Qiansheng!"

The next moment, all the ministers kowtowed again and answered in unison: "Your Majesty is wise!"

After the meeting was over, Zhu Jinghong was planning to review the memorials, but Baochai was already waiting for him in Hongde Hall.

"Is everything settled?"

Looking at Baochai who came forward, Zhu Jinghong replied: "The late emperor Xingzong Su Emperor, the new year name is Qiansheng, and the day of his accession to the throne is the first day of September!"

"Why are you here?" Zhu Jinghong asked again.

"The clothing department sent some samples today, and I specially asked you to take a look at them. If there are any shortcomings, I will make corrections!"

Zhu Jinghong replied: "Just take a look at it!"

Baochai said helplessly: "I can help you look at the patterns, but can't I try it on for you to see if it fits you?"

Seeing that Zhu Jinghong had no intention of going, Baochai could only step forward and grab his sleeve, saying, "Go and give it a try, otherwise if something really doesn't fit, it will make outsiders laugh at you!"

"Go ahead...ah!"

Sighing, Zhu Jinghong replied: "Well, go ahead, otherwise you will always be worried about it!"

Seeing that he agreed, Baochai immediately let go of her hand, and then bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration!"

Zhu Jinghong then followed Baochai to the Kunning Palace behind the Qianqing Palace. When they arrived there, all outsiders were asked to leave, and only Daiyu and Xiangyun remained in the palace.

"Is Miss Lin feeling better?"

"Your Majesty, I have already recovered. Thank you for your concern!"

Looking at Xiangyun who was coming over, Zhu Jinghong asked again, "Yun girl, Baochai and I were not in the palace these days, so you didn't go and make trouble with Zhenqin, did you?"

Xiangyun curled her lips and replied, "If she doesn't bother me, who would bother with her?"

As they were talking, Zhu Jinghong walked into the hall and saw the emperor's clothes on the hanger.

Crown clothing, twelve-chapter robe, Tongtian crown clothing, leather hat clothing, daily clothing...

As he was looking at them, he heard Baochai ask, "Which one would you like to try first, Your Majesty?"

The others were too complicated, so Zhu Jinghong looked at them and said, "Let's try the regular clothes first!"

The so-called daily clothes are the clothes that the emperor usually wears. They have fewer embroidered dragons than the imperial robes and no twelve-chapter patterns, but their workmanship is still extremely luxurious.

At this time, Baochai called to the palace servants: "Come here, help His Majesty change his clothes!"

Of course, she and Daiyu and Xiangyun also participated in the dressing process. They also wanted to see what the new emperor Zhu Jinghong looked like wearing the emperor's robe.

Even if it was just "daily wear", the color used by the emperor was out of print, and only one person in the Ming Dynasty could wear it.

Generally speaking, the crown and imperial robes are of too high a grade and are not normally worn. Leather hats and imperial robes are only worn on special occasions, so everyday clothes are worn very frequently.

Of course, according to Zhu Jinghong's habit, he would not wear regular clothes every day. Instead, he preferred to wear "casual robes". After all, the emperor also had to have his own life.

After a few breaths, Zhu Jinghong finished dressing. Baochai and the others looked him up and down, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong with him, they invited him to sit in the main seat.

The three women had a tacit understanding. With Baochai as the first, they stood in front of Zhu Jinghong, performed a great ceremony, and then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live the emperor!"

Zhu Jinghong smiled, and then said: "Queen, please stand up, and my two beloved concubines, please stand up!"

Although Baochai has not yet been canonized, Zhu Jinghong's words are undoubtedly an official recognition of her, which makes Baochai very happy.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The three of them responded in unison, then stood up.

(End of this chapter)