In fact, the civil and military officials were in the same boat, even though they all knew beforehand that some things seemed inevitable. But this time at the morning court session, the emperor directly issued an edict of abdication. Such decisiveness caught many off guard, and many did not expect the emperor to abdicate so readily—after all, he was the supreme ruler!

What many people were thinking at this moment didn't seem particularly important to Zhu Yunying. Doing his duty was the most important thing for him, and it was what he should be doing.

No secrets can be kept in the palace; many people are aware of this matter. What happened in the Fengtian Hall is also widely known, and everyone knows what will happen next.

The way some of the guards and palace maids looked at Zhu Yunying at this moment also carried a different meaning.

Zhu Yunying didn't go to the Qianqing Palace; he decided to stay in the Eastern Palace instead. This wasn't to avoid suspicion, but mainly to take a look around and make necessary preparations. He couldn't afford to fail at a crucial moment; Zhu Yunying still needed to take this matter seriously.

Little Zhu likes to wear new clothes, but he doesn't like wearing crowns because it prevents him from going out to play.

Zhu Yunying sat on the couch, smiling as he watched Xu Miaoqing coax her chubby son. However, it was practically impossible to explain things to a boy this age. Children his age acted without much logic; he mostly followed his instincts.

"Yin'er, you should be obedient." Xu Miaoqing looked at her aggrieved son and said earnestly, "Your father's coronation ceremony is in a few days, and you will be named the crown prince. Don't cause trouble at this time."

Zhu Yunying laughed and said to Xu Miaoqing, "He's not a problem. The investiture of you as Empress and Yin'er as Crown Prince must be done in the Jinshen Hall. Speaking of which, the imperial city I built in Beiping was modeled after our Yingtianfu imperial city."

That's the truth. The imperial city of Yingtianfu was the model for the Forbidden City in Beiping, only slightly larger. The three main halls of the imperial city—Fengtian Hall, Jinshen Hall, and Huagai Hall—needless to mention. The Qianqing Palace, Kunning Palace, and even the Eastern Palace were all present.

Xu Miaoqing naturally understood this principle and said, "Your Highness, when you ascend the throne, will you also go to the southern suburbs to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth like your grandfather did?"

Zhu Yunying nodded. His enthronement ceremony was similar to that of his father, Zhu Yuanzhang, only slightly simplified. After all, Zhu Yunying did not have the merit of creating a new world or establishing a dynasty, but he was the one who passed the throne to Zhu Yuanzhang, so he naturally did not need to worry about anyone vying for the throne.

Therefore, at that time, Zhu Yunying would offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth in the southern suburbs before receiving the congratulations of the officials in the Fengtian Hall. The so-called "ascension to the throne before the spirit tablet," or the idea of ​​sitting on the throne first and then considering the grand ceremony, did not exist for Zhu Yunying.

His coronation ceremony will certainly be perfect, and the preparations are indeed quite thorough, so there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

Remembering something, Zhu Yunying said, "Although we have ascended the throne, let's not go to Kunning Palace for the time being."

"Your Majesty, I know that," Xu Miaoqing said without needing Zhu Yunying to remind her. "Your Majesty, I will stay in the East Palace with you for the time being."

Old Zhu hasn't moved out of Qianqing Palace yet, so there's naturally no need to move Kunning Palace there. Even though Xu Miaoqing is about to become Empress, there are still things she needs to be careful about.

Zhu Yunying thought this was fine, as it allowed him to continue being with his wife and children. Of course, he could also stay overnight in various places, and there were still wives and concubines hoping for his stay.

“Although you are not going to Kunning Palace now, after your investiture, you should start managing the affairs of the harem.” Zhu Yunying spoke again to Xu Miaoqing, “We have also discussed this matter with Grandfather, so you need to handle the affairs of the palace well.”

Over the years, Consort Li and Consort Guo have taken turns acting as Empress, but ultimately their positions are not legitimate.

Xu Miaoqing has only ever held the title of Crown Prince's Consort all these years, even though she is the only legitimate daughter-in-law in the current four generations of the Zhu family. However, the issue of seniority also needs to be considered.

But now there's no need to worry about so many things. As long as Zhu Yunying ascends the throne, she can rightfully take over the affairs of the harem. Xu Miaoqing is naturally aware of these things.

Abdication and ascension to the throne—everything happened so naturally and smoothly.