Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Chapter 73 Ceremony (I)

Although the weather is still hot, fortunately it is past midsummer and it is not as hot as in the past few days.

Zhu Yunhuan fasted for three consecutive days as he prepared for the enthronement ceremony. Chang Sheng and Zhu Chong each offered sacrifices to heaven and earth and the ancestral temple, marking the beginning of the enthronement ceremony.

Over in the Fengtian Hall, the Ceremonial Department had also set up the case for the imperial edicts and treasures, and all the civil and military officials as well as the chief and deputy envoys were busy.

Zhu Yunhuan got up early before dawn and started to get ready.

As soon as Zhu Yunhuan's bedroom was lit up, Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling immediately walked in with a group of maids and eunuchs.

Zhu Yunhuan found it funny and said, "Big sister, second sister, grandpa was still saying yesterday that it's time to choose a son-in-law for you. After all, I'm not a child anymore, so can't you stay in my bedroom?"

Zhu Yourong immediately said, "You are my brother, I watched you grow up, what is there that you shouldn't watch?"

Zhu Youling also chimed in, "That's right! Why should we be shy about this between siblings?"

Zhu Yunhuan was somewhat amused and also somewhat touched, "Okay, I'll wash up first."

While Zhu Yunhuan was washing, Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling were not idle either. They asked the maids and eunuchs who followed them to tidy up the crown and clothes.

This is not just a robe, it also includes the crown, jade sceptre, middle robe, knee-guard and so on, from head to toe, from inside to outside.

Zhu Yunhuan had just finished washing up when Zhu Yourong urged him, "Little brother, you don't need an outsider to help you put on your crown today, okay?"

"Okay!" Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "Even if my elder and second sisters don't tell me, I'm going to let you help me put on my clothes and comb my hair."

Zhu Yourong immediately said, "That's how it is! You were very naughty when you were little. Every time your hair got messy, it was me and my elder sister who helped you comb it. Otherwise, you would definitely get scolded."

In fact, Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling are still a little confused about the situation. They have seen Zhu Yunhuan being scolded since they were young. But now everyone says that it was their father who favored Yunhuan and taught him in person, otherwise Yunhuan would not be as successful as he is now.

Zhu Yunhuan opened his hands and said, "I don't care about that. Anyway, today I am counting on my elder sister and second sister to help me put on my robes and crown."

Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling happily took the clothes. The top was black with a red skirt, which was called Xuanyixuanshang.

After all, Zhu Yunhuan was the crown prince, so he could only wear clothes painted with five patterns: dragon, mountain, Hua insect, fire, and Zong Yi, and his skirts were embroidered with four patterns: algae, pink rice, fu, and fu, for a total of nine patterns.

Compared with the emperor's crown, the top lacks the sun and moon on the left and right shoulders and the stars below the back of the neck. The bottom lacks the Zong Yi pattern, which is a kind of sacrificial ritual vessel.

Zhu Yourong held a strip of cloth embroidered with dragon patterns, which was his knee-covering, while Zhu Youling held a large belt and a leather belt, which was his waist belt.

Zhu Yourong measured it carefully, and Zhu Youling tied the belt immediately.

Zhu Yunhuan raised his hand and said, "I still prefer to wear casual clothes, which is much easier. It will take me half an hour to put on this crown."

Zhu Yourong smiled and said, "No trouble, this one fits me perfectly!"

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps. Zhu Yunhuan looked towards the door of the bedroom with some surprise, and the figure of Old Zhu appeared.

Old Zhu, dressed in imperial robes, had a stern face and was a little surprised.

Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling hurriedly greeted him, and Old Zhu said, "It's already this late, and you haven't finished your work yet?"

"It's not late." Zhu Yunxun explained quickly, "I got up late, so I asked my elder sister and second sister to help me a little."

Old Zhu knew it very well, so he just said, "It's not too late. We are old and sleep less, so we won't miss the time. I thought you haven't worn the crown and robes many times, so I came to see you."

Logically speaking, it was not the time yet, but Old Zhu went around in circles and ran to the East Palace. It can only be said that he cared too much about Zhu Yunhuan.

When Old Zhu saw that Zhu Yunhuan still had his hair loose, he said, "Stand up and turn around for us to see."

Zhu Yunhuan obediently stood up, raised his hands and slowly turned around.

"Not bad." Old Zhu smiled and said, "You two sisters are thoughtful. The clothes are worn properly." Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling were indeed thoughtful. They had prepared for this day for a long time in advance and asked people in the palace many times, for fear that Zhu Yunhuan would not wear the crown and clothes properly at the enthronement ceremony.

Old Zhu came over and said to Zhu Yunxun, "Comb your hair."

Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling immediately took the comb and started to comb Zhu Yunhuan's hair. Old Zhu just sat aside and watched without saying a word.

"When we were little, our eldest sister and second sister were also good to us." Old Zhu suddenly spoke up, "But our eldest sister didn't care about her family anymore after she got married. But our second sister was the best and always protected us."

Zhu had complaints about his elder sister, but he almost never mentioned them in recent years. In the third year of Hongwu, Li Wenzhong returned to his hometown to pay tribute to his mother. He found the coffins of his aunt and aunt, which were already in tatters, and then reported it to Zhu.

Only then did Zhu Yuanzhang posthumously confer the title of Princess Taiyuan on his eldest sister and consort Wang Qiyi as the Duke of Fuma.

Zhu's second sister was the Princess of Cao, the mother of Li Wenzhong and the grandmother of Li Jinglong. Although this second sister died in the disaster years, Zhu never forgot the care of her sister and brother-in-law, so he took special care of his brother-in-law Li Zhen's family.

Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling did not dare to respond. They listened quietly while helping Zhu Yunhuan comb his hair.

Zhu Yunhuan didn't say much, he just listened quietly.

"I couldn't sleep well at night when I founded the country." Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunhuan, his face full of nostalgia for the past. "I got up early and prepared to put on the crown and robes. Your grandmother scolded me while helping me put them on. Your father was also unreasonable. He said that I hadn't married at that time and couldn't even put on the crown and robes properly. It was your grandmother who helped me put on the crown."

Zhu Yunhuan analyzed and said, "I guess he has never worn it before, otherwise he wouldn't be so flustered."

"He has never worn it, so how could the servants know?" Old Zhu glared and said, "We thought that he must be too thoughtful, so we thought of asking his mother to help him put on the crown. At that time, your father and I had already put on the crown, but your grandmother had not yet put on her clothes."

Seeing that it was almost done, Lao Zhu stood up and said, "Okay, let me help you put it on."

Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling quickly stepped aside. Originally, they were there to help Zhu Yunhuan put on the crown. But now that the task was snatched away by Old Zhu, they did not dare to have any dissatisfaction, but were infinitely happy in their hearts.

There were two tassels hanging from the crown in front and back, which blocked Zhu Yunhuan's vision slightly, but it was not a problem.

Old Zhu took the jade hairpin handed to him by Zhu Yourong and basically fixed the crown.

Old Zhu stroked the two pieces of topaz tied to the crown ring and hanging beside his ears. This is called a "纩", also called "充耳".

Old Zhu spoke with deep sincerity. "A king should know what to listen to and what not to listen to, and not easily believe in slander."

Zhu Yunhuan replied formally, "Sun Chen will remember this."

Old Zhu smiled and nodded, then tied the red tassel for Zhu Yunhuan and said, "Let's go."

Old Zhu turned around and left, and Zhu Yunhuan naturally had to follow him, because the enthronement ceremony was about to begin, and now Zhu Yunhuan had to make final preparations.

Before leaving, Zhu Yunhuan said to Zhu Yourong and Zhu Youling, "Big sister, second sister, you should also change your clothes quickly."

Zhu Yourong couldn't help wiping away tears, choking and saying, "Hey. Little brother, please go over quickly, don't worry about us."

Zhu Yuanzhang, who favored boys over girls, did not intend to take care of his two granddaughters. They could not go to the court to attend the enthronement ceremony, so they stayed in the palace.

Old Zhu, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped and frowned and said to Zhu Yunhuan, "You need to practice your manners. The tassels are shaking, and the jade on your waist is also shaking. Your father is better than you. He looks elegant and dignified."

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "How can they be the same? It won't work if I learn everything from him. Besides, he didn't learn everything from his grandfather."

Old Zhu thought about it and it made sense. He smiled and said, "That's true. The three generations in our family are all different. But some things in their bones are exactly the same. Okay, our Zhu Chongba's blood is different!"

Zhu Yunhuan didn't know what to say and could only agree.

Suddenly, Zhu Yunhuan remembered something important. Old Zhu still had fertility. If Zhu Yunhuan had a son in a few years, Old Zhu might give Zhu Yunhuan's son another great-uncle and a great-aunt at once.

Zhu Yunhuan took a deep breath. He originally thought that some uncles who were of the same age or younger than him were already the limit. But when he thought about his grandfather's physique, he could still have children when he was almost seventy. He couldn't help but accept it!

(End of this chapter)