The Chunhe Palace was filled with a lively atmosphere. Consort Guo Ning appeared to be directing things from the center, and as the acting Noble Consort in charge of the inner palace affairs, she was indeed qualified. However, Consort Guo Ning was very discerning; there were some matters that she could not make decisions on her own.
Princess Ningguo and Princess Anqing also arrived at the East Palace. At this time, Zhu Xiong Ying's two aunts naturally took the lead in some matters. This was because they were Zhu Xiong Ying's aunts, and they had essentially raised him.
Since the Ming Dynasty now lacks an Empress and Crown Princess, many matters are naturally handled by Zhu Xiong Ying's two aunts. Consort Guo Ning's birth is not problematic, but she is ultimately only a Noble Consort, which makes her title somewhat illegitimate.
Zhu Xi was very happy and said to Princess Ningguo, "Aunt, I just visited my sister-in-law a few days ago. She is gentle and sensible."
“That’s true. I was worried that she would be just like her arrogant, jealous, and rude mother.” Princess Anqing laughed and said with a hint of pride, “Father Emperor is right. Ying’er won’t have to worry about her father-in-law and mother-in-law in the future.”
Prince Xu Da of Zhongshan has been dead for several years, and his second wife, Lady Xie, had also passed away. Therefore, Zhu Xiong Ying really doesn't need to worry about anything now, especially not about the Crown Prince's wife, Xu Miao Qing, being led astray.
Zhu Yue was also very happy, and then whispered, "Sister Miaoqing will soon be the most noble woman in the whole world!"
Princess Ningguo and Princess Anqing were slightly taken aback, but quickly showed no sign of resentment. Although they were imperial aunts, Xu Miaoqing was the Crown Prince's consort. This was a lawful marriage, and she was destined to be the principal wife entering the ancestral temple. Given the Crown Prince's current status, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Xu Miaoqing would undoubtedly become Empress in the future.
Moreover, in the current imperial city, the emperor and crown prince have quite a few concubines, but none of them are 'officially married'. Xu Miaoqing, by marrying into the royal family, will naturally be the woman of the highest status.
Zhu Xiong Ying's attire was that of a prince, and his carriage was also a prince's ivory carriage, which, simply put, was a carriage decorated with ivory.
In the first year of the Hongwu reign, Emperor Zhu felt that the five-tiered crown was too cumbersome, so now, for sacrifices to the gods of the land and grain, only the Tongtian crown and crimson gauze robe are worn. The Crown Prince's crown has nine chapters, nine tassels, and nine jade ornaments on each tassel.
If the princes of earlier years wore similar attire, that wouldn't work. Just a few days ago, Zhu Xiong Ying led the Ministry of Rites in a lengthy study. The answer to the question of what constitutes proper attire for civil and military officials was found, and the princes' attire was 'downgraded' as well.
The imperial robe has seven chapters, and the crown is made of three-colored jade beads with seven tassels!
Zhu Xiong Ying, as the Crown Prince, theoretically enjoyed the same status and treatment as princes. Therefore, the Crown Prince's wife also wore the same ceremonial robes and headwear as the wives of princes.
Zhu Xiong Ying, with a solemn demeanor, went to the ancestral temple after fasting and bathing. His wedding, ceremonies, and treatment were all on par with those of a prince—neither too high nor too low.
After all, there were still the Emperor and the Crown Prince above him, and the Imperial Grandson was only theoretically the third in line. Being on par with a Prince was already quite good, considering that these Princes were all Zhu Xiong Ying's elders, and being on the same level as them was no small feat.
While Zhu Xiong Ying was offering sacrifices to his ancestors at the Fengxian Hall, his younger brother Zhu Yun Tong reluctantly accepted the task. It should also be noted that, as Zhu Xiong Ying's brother, Zhu Yun Tong naturally bore the responsibility of going to the Fengyang Imperial Mausoleum to pay respects and offer prayers.
After paying respects at the ancestral temple, Zhu Xiong Ying couldn't just sit idle; he still needed to perform a ritual.
This was actually a kind of prayer. At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang was sitting on the throne in the Fengtian Hall, and all the civil and military officials were standing by.
Upon seeing Zhu Xiong Ying, Old Zhu smiled. Zhu Xiong Ying knelt down and bowed four times before the steps, then stood facing east.
This was a complex process, and Zhu Xiong Ying had naturally received training at this time, so he was quite adept at it. After the old emperor gave him his instructions, Zhu Xiong Ying bowed four times again, and then the emperor returned to the Qianqing Palace, at which point Zhu Xiong Ying was also allowed to leave.
Naturally, he couldn't really rest. Without stopping, Zhu Xiong Ying rushed to Chunhe Hall. The procedure was almost the same as when he paid homage to the emperor, except that he had to bow three times. This was naturally expected, as there was a distinction between superiors and inferiors, and besides, this procedure was actually decided by Zhu Xiong Ying himself.
Both Zhu Yuanzhang (the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty) and Zhu Yuanzhang (the second emperor of the Ming Dynasty) were quite cooperative, mainly because the rules and etiquette had changed a lot after the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Xiong Ying had now finalized the plan and made some minor adjustments to some of Zhu Yuanzhang's proposals.
Undoubtedly, Zhu Xiong Ying was exhausted after a long day, mainly because such complex and tedious etiquette was truly necessary. Since they were the imperial family, they naturally needed to set a good example.
Moreover, after the rule of the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang is now eager to "restore ancient rites," and at least at this time, he needs to strengthen the sense of identity among the Han people. These are all things that must be done well.
While the royal family was busy, the Xu family was naturally not idle either. The Zhongshan Prince's Mansion was also extremely busy at this time. Xu Yungong's return to Yingtian Prefecture was to oversee the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion and to prepare for his sister's marriage.
At this moment, outside the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion, a group of officials belonging to the Eastern Palace were gathered.
While it's not fair to say the whole world is watching, many people are certainly paying close attention to this marriage of the Crown Prince.
After washing up early, Zhu Xiong Ying, dressed in his imperial robes, rode in his palanquin to the Inner Five Dragon Bridge. His imperial grandson's retinue was already waiting there, and Zhu Xiong Ying then changed into an elephant-drawn carriage. The central imperial bridge was naturally unusable, but the princely bridges on the east and west sides were fine.
The grand and imposing procession of the Crown Prince departed the palace, leaving Old Zhu, in the Fengtian Hall, with a heavy heart. His beloved grandson was about to get married, but Old Zhu felt that his grandson was still immature. He thought it best to simply let the Xu family's daughter enter the palace; there was no need for him to personally welcome her.
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