Zhu Youxiao was very busy with ancestor worship, New Year greetings to Concubine Liu, and the grand court meeting in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, but he was not the busiest or most tired.

At dawn, the Jinyiwei began to set up the procession and ceremonial guards on the steps and steps of the palace, set up bright fans inside the hall, and arranged chariots on the steps. During the ceremony, there were four whip-blowers, two on each side, all facing north.

The Jiaofangsi set up a band on both sides of the palace steps, facing north, and played grand music; the Yilisi set up the Tongwen and Yubo tables on the east side of the steps; the Jinwuwei set up guard officials inside the Fengtian Hall and on both sides of the steps, and set up armored soldiers outside the Wumen, outside the Fengtian Gate and on the east and west sides of the steps.

In addition, the Jinyiwei also had to station generals outside the Qianqing Palace gate, on the steps, and on the platform, and place flags on the east and west sides of the Qianqing Palace gate.

The herdsman placed horses, rhinos and elephants to the south of the Wenwu Building, facing east and west.

The Imperial Astronomical Observatory had a morning officer on the east side of the inner passage, standing on the north side. Two imperial censors, responsible for regulating etiquette, stood on either side of the steps, facing each other.

Well, I won't go into too much detail. Anyway, it's extremely grand, extremely lavish, extremely elaborate, extremely tedious, and extremely exhausting.

In short, the court received congratulations from ministers and foreign envoys, and also received many New Year gifts. Zhu Youxiao also rewarded them one by one, and finally the emperor gave him a banquet, which was a very important part of the first day of the New Year.

Spring Festival banquets are also divided into different levels. According to the size of the official position, they are divided into four levels: upper table, upper middle table, middle table, and lower table. The food on each table is also different.

Taking the dishes on the table as an example, there are tea snacks such as raw small flowers, five kinds of fruits, five kinds of roasted and fried dishes, phoenix chicken, double-bone bones, large oil cakes, five kinds of wine, four kinds of vegetables, three kinds of soup, two large steamed buns, rice with horse, beef and mutton sacrificial meat, and five cups of wine.

Look, this is what the emperor served when he entertained guests. It’s really quite ordinary.

As I've said before, being able to attend the New Year's Day banquet is a symbol of status, not the food itself. If you were able to attend the central government's New Year's party, you'd be surprised if you asked what you could eat and drink.

Besides, this banquet has wine, meat, big steamed buns, and rice with sacrificial pork. How can I let you starve?

Moreover, "the generals accompanying the emperor shall be given wine, fine noodle soup, meat with head and trotters in pepper and vinegar, two steamed buns, pork rice, and a cup of wine; the soldiers with golden spears, the captains of elephant slaves, and the musicians of the Jiaofang Department shall be given wine, braised beef, double-bottomed steamed buns, fine noodle soup, and a cup of wine."

It can be said that no matter what the social status of the participants is, everyone can get a share. It is much more upscale than distributing lunch boxes, and it is very benevolent and humane.

As the "Song of Yanjing Kaiyun" and "Song of Shangwanshou" were played, the emperor raised the first cup of wine, marking the beginning of the nine rounds of drinking at the banquet.

It was New Year's Day, and the emperor seemed to be in a good mood. His warm smile and clear voice made the ministers at the banquet feel a lot more relaxed.

I originally wanted to play a poetry medley with you guys, but the music and dance have already been arranged, so forget it.

Zhu Youxiao glanced around, finally fixating on a table. At this table sat Zhu Youjian, and—his great-uncle Zhu Youjian. They were three generations apart, and it was embarrassing for them to meet.

However, according to Zhu Youxiao's arrangement, Zhu Youjian still worked very hard in the clan school and learned economic knowledge.

After the Jiannu's attack is repelled, Bi Ziyan will return to Beijing to serve as the governor of the central bank, and Zhu Youjian may be sent to Nanjing to manage commercial taxes in Jiangnan.

Another new agency planned by Zhu Youxiao would be the Ministry of Commerce or the State Taxation Bureau, which would be temporarily under the Ministry of Revenue but would become independent in the future.

The system of three provinces and six ministries, established in the Sui Dynasty, has continued to this day. Although there have been changes in functions in successive dynasties, in Zhu Youxiao's opinion, it is no longer suitable for the development of society.

Further dividing government agencies and making their functions more professional and efficient is the task that Zhu Youxiao will plan and implement step by step.

For example, the collection of commercial taxes was not considered a positive item in the Ming Dynasty, but it was the growth point of the country's fiscal revenue.

Zhu Youxiao's idea was to increase the collection of commercial taxes and reduce the collection of land taxes, rather than neglecting the fundamentals and taking food from the mouths of the common people.

Therefore, even if the social status of merchants was improved, it would not be a big deal. Granting nobility to the people was what Zhu Youxiao tried.

"My dear companion." Zhu Youxiao turned around and said to Wang Tigan, "Set up a seat at the foot of the steps. I want to summon a few ministers to question me."

"I obey your order." Wang Tigan bowed and accepted the order, and asked the palace maids to set up an embroidered cushion under the emperor's desk.

Zhu Youxiao pondered for a moment and said, "Please ask Master Sun to come over first."

The palace maid took the order and left, and soon called Sun Chengzong over.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully wish you a happy New Year and a long life." Sun Chengzong bowed and greeted the emperor first.

Zhu Youxiao smiled and said, "I also wish Master Sun good health and that he can help me with my worries. Please take a seat."

After expressing his gratitude, Sun Chengzong sat on the embroidered cushion and waited respectfully for the emperor to speak.

Even though Zhu Youxiao did not send Sun Chengzong to Liaodong, the Ministry of War had a lot of complicated affairs over the past year. He just had to speak, issue orders, and make suggestions, and his subordinates were so busy and tired!

"Master Sun, you've worked hard over the past year." Zhu Youxiao looked at the white hair on Sun Chengzong's temples and said with a sigh, "The She'an Rebellion and the rampant Eastern Tartars are rampant. War is a matter of national importance. I'm afraid Master Sun won't have much time to rest in the next few years."

Sun Chengzong bowed and said, "It is all thanks to your Majesty's planning and planning that the country is on the rise. I have done my best to help, so how dare I say that it is hard work?"

Zhu Youxiao shook his head and said, "Planning is simple, but implementing it is laborious and laborious. With General Sun and General Yuan, one inside and one outside, I can rest assured about the Liaodong campaign. The Eastern Tartars' weaknesses have been exposed. As long as we remain patient and suppress their losses, I believe we can achieve victory without fighting in three to five years."

Sun Chengzong nodded slightly and said, "Suppressing consumption is indeed weakening the strength of the Eastern Tartars, but to completely annihilate them, we still need to recover the lost territory and press them more forcefully."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!