Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Chapter 75 Ceremony (Part )

Zhu Yunwen was like a walking corpse and could only follow the actions of the royal family members.

There were more than 20 uncles, some of whom were about the same age as him, and some were even younger than him. So among this special group, Zhu Yunwen even doubted whether Zhu Yunhuan had seen him.

He took Zhu Yunwen to watch the ceremony and kowtow to congratulate him early in the morning, and his mother even wanted him to bring the fifth child, Zhu Yunxi, with him. You know, the fifth child is less than two years old, but in order to please him, he didn't care about that at this time.

Fortunately, the Emperor's grandfather showed mercy and did not let the fifth son follow. Not to mention the fifth son, even Zhu Yunwen felt a little overwhelmed.

Just now, the 25th uncle Zhu cried and said something he shouldn't have said. He was immediately scolded and punished by the uncles of Yan and Zhou. You have to know that the 25th uncle is already five years old and can't bear it.

Uncle Twenty-Four was also only five years old. When he saw Uncle Twenty-Five being beaten, he was so scared that he didn’t even dare to cry.

But at this time he didn't care so much anymore. He numbly followed the main group, kowtowed and congratulated when they arrived.

Suddenly Zhu Yunwen felt something was wrong. He should be going to the Wenhua Hall, where he should ascend the throne and perform family etiquette with the royal family and the kings. But why did it seem like he was heading towards the Fengtian Hall?

Zhu Yunwen was puzzled, and Zhu Di and others were actually the same, but they just followed suit and were not very talkative.

As soon as they arrived in front of Fengxian Hall, Zhu Di and others were dumbfounded. They had just gone to Kunning Palace after congratulating Zhu Yuanzhang, but they saw Zhu Yuanzhang already in front of Fengxian Hall.

Looking at the large group of sons and grandchildren, Old Zhu was very pleased.

However, his eyes were basically focused on Zhu Yunhuan, and the smile and pride in his eyes could not be hidden. "I knew you would definitely come to Fengxian Palace first. If anyone dares to gossip outside and say that you are a playboy and don't know etiquette, I will kill him!"

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "Such a big thing, I have to tell you about it."

The look in Old Zhu's eyes when he looked at Zhu Yunhuan was so kind and gentle, but the next moment, his look when he looked at Zhu Chong and others was so disappointing.

"You all act filially in front of us, and you are not lacking in etiquette. But you turn around and forget what we told you to do, and you don't worship your ancestors often. Your filial piety is just for show, right? Look at Yunhuan, he didn't forget to worship his ancestors before such a big event, he is much better than you useless people!"

Zhu Chong and others knelt down and listened obediently. They thought that if this scene had not been discussed beforehand between their father and Zhu Yunhuan, it must be that Zhu Yunhuan was truly filial.

Of course, some people also think that maybe Zhu Yunhuan knew Zhu too well, so he guessed Zhu's thoughts. This must be very pleasing to others.

No wonder he was quickly appointed as the Crown Prince, every move of his is filled with hidden meaning!
After scolding, Old Zhu didn't say anything else. He straightened his clothes and led his descendants into the Fengxian Hall.

Old Zhu took the lead in offering sacrifices, and Zhu Yunhuan followed suit to burn incense.

Zhu Chong and others can only kneel with incense in their hands, let alone Zhu Yunwen and others.

"I, Zhu Yunhuan, hereby inform all the ancestors that today I have been appointed as the Crown Prince. I shall be diligent and kind, protect the country and look after the royal family."

Fengxian Hall is the ancestral temple of the Zhu family. Naturally, it does not need to be as formal as the Taimiao.

Old Zhu nodded in satisfaction, and then said, "Second Brother, you guys should also pay your respects in front of our ancestors."

Zhu Chong stood up immediately, and everyone offered incense in the order of seniority among the clan members, and then stood in their own seats.

Zhu Yunhuan also stood up. He was supposed to perform the ceremony in the Wenhua Hall, but he broke the rules and performed the ceremony in the Fengxian Hall.

Zhu Chong stepped forward and bowed respectfully, "I am the Prince of Qin, Zhu Chong. I am extremely pleased to see your nephew receive the imperial seal. I would like to lead my brothers to congratulate your Highness."

As soon as Zhu Chong finished speaking, all the royal family members performed the ritual of four bows according to the rules.

Zhu Yunhuan accepted the greeting calmly and said, "My uncles, please stand up."

The attendants had already prepared the cushions, and Zhu Chong and others were sitting facing west.

Zhu Yunhuan also began to express his gratitude, "My nephew Zhu Yunhuan has been honored by the Holy Spirit to be the Crown Prince, and I am honored to meet all the uncles."

Old Zhu standing aside was very pleased. He had set a rule in his early years that the emperor and the princes, although there was a difference in age, must observe the etiquette of monarch and minister in the court. Because the position of the emperor was the position of the ancestor. But now it was not in the court, after the uncles had performed the ceremony, it was natural that the emperor or the crown prince had to perform the family ceremony.

After paying respects to Zhu Chong and others, Zhu Jihui and others also hurried forward. Zhu Yunwen naturally followed obediently, not daring to be careless.

Zhu Yunwen's expression was serious, not daring to be rude in the slightest. "Your Highness, I am Zhu Yunwen. I am overjoyed to see my brother, the Crown Prince, being honored with the imperial seal. I would like to lead my brothers to congratulate Your Highness."

Then bow once, take a step back, bow once more, kneel on the left foot first, bend the right foot second, bow your head to the ground, and press both hands to the ground. Then raise the right foot first, press both hands to the knee, raise the left foot second, bow once more, and then bow.

The four bows have a long history, dating back to the Warring States Period, but before that it was an additional bow to express apology.

Now it has become the most solemn etiquette, a formal gift performed for parents and teachers.

During grand court ceremonies, ministers would bow five times when meeting the emperor, but normally they only bowed four times.

After the ceremony, Zhu Yunwen and others stood up. The emperor's uncles could sit and receive Zhu Yunwen's four bows, but they, the brothers, were not qualified.

That is to say, those who are older like Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Jihui can stand to receive the greeting, while those who are younger than Zhu Yunwen like Zhu Shangbing have to stand away.

Zhu Yunhuan earnestly performed family etiquette towards Zhu Jihuan and others, bowing twice without kowtowing.

This was not Zhu Yunhuan's pretense, but a rule set by Zhu Yuanzhang that people of the same generation should bow twice.

Old Zhu was laughing so happily, what he wanted most was to see the family in harmony, with brothers being friendly and respectful to each other. This scene was very good, no matter if someone was uncomfortable, no one had any resentment or unhappiness on their faces.

When the ceremony was over, Old Zhu said, "The foundation of the country has been established. In front of our ancestors, you should know your limits. If anyone has any thoughts that should not be raised, we will expel the unworthy descendants from the clan."

Zhu Chong and others immediately knelt down and said they dared not.

At this point, the status of the monarch and his subjects had been determined, and no one dared to have any improper thoughts. Even though the princes or grandsons of the emperor did have some desire for the throne, they all knew in their hearts that the position was not born to belong to them.

Old Zhu then spoke up and said, "Second Brother, you princes who are away have been staying in the capital for a long time this time. You will set off to return to your fiefdom tomorrow."

Zhu Yunhuan was stunned for a moment. Normally, all officials would be required to present congratulations tomorrow, and there would also be a grand banquet.

Old Zhu directly said to Zhu Yunhuan, "It's good that you take care of your uncles, but you shouldn't protect them like this. The status of the monarch and his subjects has been determined, and the banquet should not have reserved seats for the royal family and princes. It doesn't matter whether they are there or not."

That was true, because according to the rules set by Zhu Yuanzhang, whenever there was a big banquet in the court, the princes of the royal family, even if they were in Beijing, could only go to the side hall and were not allowed to sit in the same hall with the court officials.

Zhu Chong immediately accepted the order, "I obey your order."

In fact, Zhu Chong had wanted to go back a long time ago. He was definitely not as comfortable in Yingtian Prefecture as in Xi'an. In Yingtian Prefecture, he was just a prince with the title of King of Qin, and he had to be cautious in the palace. In Xi'an, he felt much more comfortable.

Old Zhu then looked at Zhu Gang and said, "You stay."

Although Zhu Gang wanted to return to Taiyuan, he could only accept the order with a forced smile. Even though Zhu Yunhuan had hinted at this before, Zhu Gang was mentally prepared.

But now it seems that the last bit of luck is gone. To put it nicely, he has to shoulder heavy responsibilities. To put it bluntly, he has to be supported by his father and start to restrain his second brother.

Zhu Chong knew everything in his heart, but he did not show any dissatisfaction. After all, he was the oldest of Zhu's surviving sons, so it was natural for him to be easily misunderstood and suspected.

Zhu Yunwen was also clear in his mind. Some of his uncles had not yet been enfeoffed. But his grandson was about to go to Hangzhou, and he would be enfeoffed in an unjustifiable way.

There was no way out. Since he had fought with Zhu Yunhuan before, it was impossible for him to stay in Yingtian Prefecture.

That's good. I'll be free in Hangzhou, where I can enjoy the mountains and rivers and concentrate on studying. I don't have to kowtow when I meet him in Yingtian Prefecture.

(End of this chapter)