For Old Zhu, taking his great-grandson back to his hometown was naturally a joyous occasion. His parents' imperial tombs were located there, but his great-grandson had never actually returned, which was something Old Zhu somewhat regretted.
It's not that we don't want Xiao Xiao Zhu to go back, it's just that Xiao Xiao Zhu is too young and it's not suitable for him to go back yet. But now, there's no need to worry about that. The child is a little older, and with Lao Zhu taking care of him himself, there's naturally no problem.
In fact, Old Zhu knew in his heart that this was his beloved grandson's attitude.
Over the years, all of Zhu Yuanzhang's princes had returned to their hometown to pay homage at the ancestral tombs. However, if it was young Zhu Yuanzhang who returned, it would be a formal ancestral worship ceremony, which naturally represented a different significance.
Only tools and titles cannot be given to others.
The most important matters of state are sacrifice and war.
In fact, such sacrifices were not merely sacrifices. In ancient times, sacrifices were not just a "show" with complicated procedures and elaborate rituals on the surface, but rather represented the source of power and the legitimacy of rule.
The retired emperor leading the crown prince to pay homage at the ancestral tombs signifies the true attainment of his position. Just as crown prince Zhu Biao led his grandson Zhu Yunying back to their ancestral home in Fengyang, this was a formal declaration to the ancestors and a way of letting the whole world know the truth.
As for the other princes or grandsons who went back to pay their respects, it was only on behalf of their fathers and brothers. For example, when little Zhu was born, it was Zhu Yunwen who went back to pay his respects. As for why it wasn't his uncle Zhu Yunwen, it was because Zhu Yunwen was on the run at the time.
When Zhu Yunying was born, the elder Zhu and the first Zhu offered sacrifices at the Fengxian Hall. Zhu Shuang, Zhu Gang, and Zhu Di, his uncles, were also ordered by the elder Zhu to return to their ancestral home in Fengyang to offer sacrifices to their ancestors.
These are no small matters; every move the royal family makes sends a strong political signal.
The imperial examination for the Dingchou year has concluded. The top scholar was Chen Yu from Yingqian, Minxian County. Zhu Yunying personally selected Song Cong from Taihe, Jiangxi, as the second-ranked scholar, while Shanyin, Zhejiang, was also selected as the second-ranked scholar. Yin Changlong, the top scholar in the provincial examination, performed only moderately well in the imperial examination, and Zhu Yunying only awarded him the second-class rank.
Clearly, the uproar had not affected Zhu Yunying's resolve. What did the commotion matter? The scholars of the North lacked talent, and Zhu Yunying did not deliberately seek a balance. Not only were the Southern scholars among the top three, but even for Northern scholars, achieving the second rank of "Jinshi" was no easy feat.
This was the dignity and prestige of scholars. However, after passing the imperial examination with flying colors, these newly appointed scholars, according to the rules, were to enter the Hanlin Academy, where they would become distinguished in this seemingly unimportant government office. Of course, some of these newly appointed scholars would also begin to observe government affairs and would soon be assigned to official positions.
For Duke Yansheng Kong Ne, this period has not been easy lately.
He was technically the second Duke Yansheng of the Ming Dynasty, although his father, Kong Xixue, had already been granted the title during the Yuan Dynasty. Although the Ming Dynasty acknowledged this, there was always something strange about Kong Xixue's title of Duke Yansheng.
While not exceptionally talented, Kong Ne, the Duke of Yansheng, possessed some skills, including poetry and seal script. He was, in a sense, a traditional scholar. He enjoyed considerable renown among the literati, especially given that his ancestor was Confucius, which led many scholars to idolize him.
There's no way around it; having a good ancestor ensures that descendants enjoy endless blessings—that's just a fact.
Kong Ne wasn't actually nervous at this point, mainly because he now had his own support. He had a good ancestor, which was the source of Kong Ne's confidence. He also felt that the Ming Dynasty needed the reputation of the Kong family and needed the Duke Yansheng to help the Ming emperor recruit scholars from all over the country. This was the source of Kong Ne's confidence.
The Court of State Ceremonies and the Ministry of Rites were quite excited about Kong Ne's visit, as Kong Ne was nominally the head of the civil officials in the Ming Dynasty.
The imperial family also had its representatives. For example, Zhu Yunwen excitedly undertook the task of representing the imperial family to welcome Kong Ne. The Ming Dynasty sent a prince like Prince Xu, which could be considered a sign of respect for Kong Ne.
This could be considered a case of "courtesy before force," probably because the Zhu family sometimes still values face. By giving the descendants of Confucius both face and substance, they could then act with a clear conscience, without the slightest embarrassment.
Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunying and said with a smile, "This time we're going to use the fact that the three branches of the Kong family are on equal footing and use the bloodline of the Kong family as an argument."
Zhu Yunying immediately became happy and agreed wholeheartedly, "That's what I think too. The Song, Jin, and Yuan dynasties each had their own Duke Yansheng. One was in Quzhou, one in Kaifeng, and one in Qufu. As for whose lineage Kong Ne belongs to, that's been a mess for a long time."
This wasn't Zhu Yunying exaggerating; in reality, after all the turmoil in the Liao, Song, Jin, and Mongol dynasties, each regime had its own Duke Yansheng. Each Duke Yansheng believed himself to be the legitimate heir, making the concept of the eldest son a joke. In the end, the Yuan dynasty government had to verify the direct line of the Duke Yansheng.
However, it's hard to say whether this direct descendant is truly a legitimate heir.
Logically, the direct line should follow the Southern Branch of the Southern Song Dynasty, which is the line of Kong Duanyou. However, Kong Duanyou had no heir, and his younger brother became the Duke Yansheng of the Southern Branch. The Duke Yansheng, Kong Fan, who was established by the Northern Branch, was Kong Duanyou's younger brother.
The Duke Yansheng established by the Yuan Dynasty was the Northern Branch. Of course, later, under protests from the Kong family, the Yuan court changed the title to Kong Sihui. This seemed to be 'legitimate', but this legitimacy did not necessarily mean that he was the most formal direct descendant of the Kong family.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
