Daming: I am the Crown Prince

The country of rituals and music is never just a casual remark.

The title of the crown prince began in the Han Dynasty, and Emperor Ming began the ceremony of enthroning and appointing the crown prince. In the Tang Dynasty, the older person was enthroned in the throne, and the younger one was appointed by an envoy. The Song Dynasty only used enthroning. The Yuan Dynasty only used appointment by an envoy, regardless of age.

In fact, the principle of the Crown Prince is similar. Now the Zhu family basically emphasizes the eldest son.

However, there are some differences in enthroning the crown prince, the crown prince's grandson, or the crown prince's wedding.

Zhu Yuanzhang has always been trying to restore the cultural traditions of the Han people, so he is very concerned about some major issues concerning the country.

In fact, the crown prince's wedding has changed over the years.

However, the status of the crown prince was different, and the system of the past dynasties was roughly the same as that of the empress. However, after the Sui and Tang dynasties, the emperor began to personally welcome the bride and perform the ceremony in the palace. The Song Dynasty began to practice the ritual of washing hands and feeding the bride, and the Ming Dynasty naturally followed suit.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang made some slight improvements. In the first year of the Hongwu reign, he stipulated that envoys must be sent to hold imperial edicts during all ceremonies, such as the emperor's wedding ceremony.

After offering the betrothal gifts, asking for the name, offering the lucky number, offering the betrothal gifts and asking for the date, it is natural to inform the temple.

Zhu Chong had a serious expression, and he was dressed in a crown and holding a ceremonial seal to report to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The wedding of a prince did not receive such treatment, but the crown prince, the Grand Prince, did.

As for Zhu Yunhuan, he had already started fasting at this time, and he and the emperor also had their own tasks.

Old Zhu came to the Fengtian Hall in an extremely solemn crown and robes. Zhu Yunhuan also came to the Fengtian Hall in an extremely solemn crown and robes, and knelt down in front of the Danbi.

Fu Youde knelt down with a solemn expression, holding a gift tray. On the tray was a wine cup. To restore the ancient rituals, we must pay attention to the details.

After Zhu Yunhuan offered the libation, Lan Yu came forward with a gift tray, which contained sacrificial food.

After the wine and food offerings were completed, Zhu Yunhuan came to the throne and knelt down.

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunhuan and spoke loudly, "Go and welcome your Prime Minister, and take over my clan's affairs. Encourage the commander to be respectful."

Zhu Yunhuan kowtowed respectfully and responded loudly, "Your Highness Zhu Yunhuan respectfully obeys your order."

After the four bows, Zhu Yuanzhang returned to the palace, and Zhu Yunhuan also left Fengxian Hall.

Outside the Prince of Zhongshan's Palace, Zhang Fusheng was nervous and busy, not daring to be careless at all.

He stared at it carefully and suddenly asked, "Isn't this position right?"

Xu Huizu, who was standing beside him, suddenly became nervous and asked quickly, "My dear friend, the East Palace is located to the south, and faces east and west. This is correct. We have asked people to ask and measure it many times before, so there must be no mistake."

During the wedding, Zhu Yunhuan's position was also very particular. Every move had to be in accordance with the etiquette, so naturally, his position had to be in line with the East Palace.

Zhang Fusheng lowered his voice and said, "Duke Wei, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince does not live in the main hall, so he has to move."

Xu Huizu immediately understood that even though the Crown Prince was now in charge of the Eastern Palace, the main hall of the Eastern Palace had always been empty. The furnishings inside were still the same as when the former Crown Prince Zhu Biao was there.

Xu Huizu immediately took out the plan and said, "Oban, why don't we move three steps south to correspond to the central axis of the East Palace."

Zhang Fusheng immediately said happily, "This is the best! Your Highness the Crown Prince is so pure and filial, I dare not make any mistakes, I hope the Duke will forgive me."

While the two were talking, Chang Sheng had already led the Jinyiwei and the imperial guards to surround the Zhongshan Palace with three layers of inner and outer layers, and the imperial guards also began to guard the streets along the way. The yamen runners could only maintain order at the outermost perimeter.

The carriages of Princess Ningguo and Princess Anqing also arrived. Without wasting any time, the two of them took some palace maids and maids directly into Prince Zhongshan's Palace and took full control of all order.

Xu Huizu and Xu Li naturally would not have any dissatisfaction. Xu Miaojing's marriage had to follow the rules, and the Crown Prince's wedding could not be sloppy at all.

Zhu Yunhuan looked around the East Palace and suddenly felt something was wrong. "No, there's nothing wrong with me!"

After thinking for a while, Zhu Yunhuan went straight to the Qianqing Palace. "Grandfather, after my wedding, I must live in the Eastern Palace first, at least for more than a month. I took a look, why does it look like I have to move in immediately?"

Old Zhu squinted his eyes in satisfaction, enjoying the massage of Concubine Guo Ning's shoulders. "More than a month? If you ask me, you can move in after the ladies come to pay their respects in three days."

"That won't work. Miao Jin will definitely be scared." Zhu Yunhuan said, "I'm used to being disrespectful to my elders, but she won't be able to do that. She will be scared to live here."

Old Zhu opened his eyes immediately, pointed at Zhu Yunhuan and cursed, "You really are Zhu Biao's son! You don't care about me when you haven't even found a wife yet!"

Concubine Guo Ning explained to Zhu Yunhuan, "The prince said the same thing at that time, and he always complained that it was not grand enough."

Seeing that Zhu Yunhuan didn't understand, Concubine Guo Ning continued to explain, "When the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess got married, the ancient etiquette was to use a hairpin as a gift. The Crown Prince felt that it was not worthy of the Crown Princess's status, so he insisted on changing it to a golden plate. The Di carriage was made of a phoenix sedan chair, and the geese were made of jade. When the Crown Princess visited the temple, the Crown Prince also went with her."

Zhu Yunhuan was immediately happy when he thought about it, "Grandfather, we can't just agree to everything. Now that this is going on, I'm already quite busy."

Old Zhu even laughed and scolded, "Your father favors your mother and is afraid of neglecting her. I think so too. When your mother entered the palace, the mourning period had not yet ended, and he was afraid that she would not be treated well by us without Yuchun. It's not necessary! Your mother is the eldest lady of our Zhu family, and no matter how grand the ceremony is, it is not too much. We will follow your father's wishes."

The Crown Princess was given a phoenix carriage when entering the palace, accompanied by the Crown Prince when offering sacrifices to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and even rode in a small carriage when meeting the Emperor. This was all due to Zhu Biao's preference for Crown Princess Chang. In other words, the Crown Princess was not the Empress, so she could not go through the middle gate of the Meridian Gate.

However, Zhu Yunxun still insisted, "I'll stay here for a month first, and I'll move in after the New Year."

Old Zhu glared at him fiercely, "It's up to you, you don't have to move in! I'm old, if I don't get up one day, I'm afraid no one will know!"

If you can't suppress him with your status, then use your emotions. Old Zhu is getting more and more proficient in this trick. But Zhu Yunhuan didn't take it. He said directly, "Not really. You're still waiting to have a great-grandson! It's not good to say these things on my big day. Anyway, we'll move in after the New Year. Then we'll clean up the side hall first. I'm young, and the furnishings in the side hall look a bit old-fashioned."

Concubine Guo Ning chimed in, "What the Crown Prince said is reasonable. The side palace is a bit old-fashioned. Let's have someone clean it up in the next two days and buy some furniture and furnishings in the style of the Crown Prince's bedroom. Is that okay?"

Old Zhu said immediately, "That's true. I hadn't thought about it before. I'm old, and I like to look old. Yun Hun can't do it. The things we use need to be brighter. Change it, and let someone change it later. Our grandson is young!"

In the past, Zhu Yuanzhang might not have thought that the layout of his Qianqing Palace might seem a little old-fashioned.

Don’t say that Chinese furniture looks stable and mature, etc. There are still some differences in style.

Concubine Guo Ning joked, "Even if we think about Yun Hu getting married now, his bedroom has to be renovated. In the past, there were a lot of swords, spears, axes, hooks and forks, but no one has added anything in the past two years. If you move to the Qianqing Palace, at most you can make a storeroom for it, don't fill the walls with things."

"My queen, there haven't been many weapons hanging in my bedroom in the past two years." Zhu Yunhuan complained bitterly and explained quickly, "It's all in the past. I was young and ignorant. I can't talk about it now!"

"Aren't there a few swords hanging there? There are also two spears. I remember seeing them last time. When I entered the room, I saw a spear sticking out of the door." Concubine Guo Ning continued jokingly, "But His Majesty was mad at you. He said you were still the same as usual."

Zhu Yunhuan thought about it carefully and was immediately amused. "Now that you put it that way, it seems a bit out of line! Maybe it's just that we're used to it, and the people below don't dare to say anything. I just leave it like that because I like it."

Old Zhu has a deep feeling about this. He just feels that some things are pleasing to the eye and he is used to seeing them, so that's it. If there is any change, he will still feel a little uncomfortable.

"Since you've moved in, I won't go to your room. Don't think I'm always nagging." Old Zhu said, "Children and grandchildren of ordinary people have to live with their elders. I won't set rules for you, just don't hide."

It is certainly good to have your own little world, but I guess many daughters-in-law don’t want to live with their parents-in-law.

Zhu Yunxun chuckled, "I have never had rules. I have never had rules since I was a child."

"It's better to have no rules, we are close." Old Zhu said happily. He was probably the one who least wanted to see Zhu Yunhuan being particularly rule-abiding. "We also know your preferences. We won't let anyone clean up your house. You and your wife can discuss what to do. We don't care about that. It's enough to have a great-grandson next year."

Well, urging marriage is no longer enough to satisfy Lao Zhu, now he is busy urging him to have a baby.

Concubine Guo Ning remembered something and said, "The people in the Qianqing Palace need to be replaced. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Zhu Yunhuan was stunned for a moment, and quickly said, "No need, they are all familiar people who are easy to use."

"How can it be the same!" Concubine Guo Ning said seriously, "In the Eastern Palace, the palace servants are used to serving you and know your preferences. If you move to the Qianqing Palace, will the people in the Eastern Palace have the final say, or will the people in the Qianqing Palace have the final say? I think it will probably be the old people in the Qianqing Palace who have the final say, and those people under you won't dare to say anything, that would be bad!"

Old Zhu thought it made sense, but he couldn't let his grandson suffer. "What Concubine Ning said makes sense. He is a seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister, not to mention he is our man. If we change him, we can talk."

"Then they take care of their own business. The ones in the East Palace are in front of me." Zhu Yunhuan said, "I don't follow the rules either. It's not that my subordinates don't follow the rules. It's just that I am more lenient. My subordinates also know that I like to make trouble. If I really let them serve my grandfather, I won't feel at ease."

Hearing what Zhu Yunhuan said, Old Zhu did not insist, "Okay, this is also a small matter, just see how it goes."

Zhu Yuanzhang was very strict with his subordinates, and the eunuchs and palace maids were all very cautious and afraid of making mistakes. Zhu Yunhuan was a little stronger, and seemed to be more lenient than Zhu Yuanzhang. His subordinates did not dare to overstep their boundaries, but they were a little more "lively" than Zhu Yuanzhang, even if this was only limited.

Old Zhu got serious and asked, "You're getting married tomorrow, what are you thinking?"

"What do you think?" Zhu Yunhuan said, "Just live a good life. If you have a wife, give birth to a few children as soon as possible and teach them well."

Old Zhu was satisfied with this. Having many children has always been his belief. "Let me make a deal with you. When Miao Jin gives birth to a boy, you can take a concubine."

Zhu Yunxun was immediately happy, "Say it later, say it later!"

"What are you talking about!" Old Zhu was immediately unhappy, "Don't be like your father, there are not many people in the room!"

Zhu Biao did not have many concubines. Zhu Biao had a total of 24 concubines, but Zhu Biao only had a fraction of them.

"Let's talk about it in two years." Zhu Yunhuan had never thought about monogamy. "When the time comes, I should marry a civil official or a landlord. If a foreign country sends a girl here, I will take her into my harem if I like her. I know my limits."

Old Zhu was very satisfied with Zhu Yunhuan's sense of propriety. This was what an emperor and a real man should be like.

Just like among Zhu's concubines, Concubine Han was from Goryeo and Concubine Weng was from Hongjila. Some of his concubines were not necessarily beautiful, and many of them were also for political reasons. For example, Concubine Guo Hui, the daughter of Guo Zixing; Ma Shixiong had tens of thousands of people under his command, and after he surrendered to Zhu, his adopted daughter became Concubine Sun. In fact, whether it was Concubine Guo Ning or Concubine Li Shu, they were more or less one of Zhu's means to win over his subordinates.

It is true that there are romantic people in the Zhu family, but some things are not that simple.

"After you get married, I won't treat you as a half-grown boy anymore." Old Zhu said more seriously, "You are making trouble in front of us now, and we are happy to see you. When you get married, you will be a man, and you will be responsible for the family and the country. By then, no matter how you behave or what you do, I will have higher expectations for you."

Zhu Yunhuan nodded in agreement, "That's right. You can still act recklessly now because of your age. Now that you have established a family and a career, you can no longer act recklessly."

"Live your life well and teach our granddaughter-in-law well." Old Zhu became more serious. "We value her status and character, but her status is the Crown Prince's Consort after all, and she will be the Queen Mother in the future. When the country is in order, the will of heaven is satisfied, and the officials are clean, the people are at peace; a virtuous wife brings less trouble to the husband, and a filial son brings peace to the father. You know what the palace is like. It has been without a master for 23 years. Miao Jin is the daughter-in-law of the house. If she can't manage things well, it won't work. Do you understand?"

Zhu Yunhuan nodded seriously and said, "Grandson understands! Even if she follows the rules, I will push her to take care of the affairs of the palace."

Old Zhu suddenly became happy and said to Concubine Guo Ning, "When the time comes, you will move to the Qianqing Palace and take charge of the harem affairs. Now that our granddaughter-in-law has come into the family, you can help her manage the harem."

Concubine Guo Ning naturally knew this. She was Zhu's favorite concubine and had been in charge of the palace affairs after Concubine Li Shu passed away. But being in charge was different from being the daughter-in-law of the family.

As for Lu who practiced in the Qing Palace, no one mentioned her, and don't expect her to be in charge of things.

The Crown Prince has already taken over the affairs of the court, so the Crown Prince's Consort must naturally start to learn how to manage the harem and how to be the mother of the country! (End of this chapter)