Zhu Yunying has been quite busy lately and needs to temporarily resume the sacrificial rites.
Empress Ma's birthday was an extremely important event. Many people were well aware that while Empress Chang held a high position, this was only because Zhu Yunying posthumously conferred the title. The true empresses of the Ming Dynasty were Empress Ma and Empress Xu.
Empress Ma was the undisputed founding empress, and also the empress who shared a deep and devoted relationship with Emperor Hongwu. Before and after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there were many arrogant and unruly generals, all of whom were lawless. Even the families of some of these generals were nouveau riche and extremely spoiled, but all of them were terrified in the face of Empress Ma.
Moreover, with the Hongwu Emperor still alive, who would dare not respect his wife? Old Zhu might even dare to kill people.
Emperor Zhu Yunying, of course, needed to pay special attention to the birthdays and death anniversaries of his birth mother, and even more so to Empress Ma. To neglect these matters would be a grave mistake.
Sitting on the dragon throne, Zhu Yunying said, "Prince Wu, immediately lead your clan to Xinfengli to pay homage to your ancestor."
Suzhou, Guide Prefecture, is the birthplace of Empress Ma, and her parents are buried there. In fact, Empress Ma fled to another place to escape revenge after committing murder, and she died far from home. Buried in her hometown are her birth mother, Zheng Ao, and the personal belongings of her father, Ma Taigong.
Zhu Yunwen immediately stepped forward, his expression serious. "Your subject accepts the decree."
Some people felt a pang of jealousy at this point. The ceremony to pay respects to Empress Ma was naturally orchestrated by Zhu Yunying, the grandson of the emperor. While it would have been acceptable for some princes to participate in the ceremony upon returning to Empress Ma's birthplace, the current emperor directly sent his younger brother, a generation removed, given that Empress Ma still had a large number of 'sons'.
But there was nothing that could be done, since Zhu Yunwen was an absolute legitimate heir and the younger brother of the current emperor, truly of impeccable lineage.
At this point, Zhu Yunying continued, "Now, all members of the imperial clan in Yingtian Prefecture, regardless of gender, except for those who are too sick to walk or too young to walk, shall accompany me to Xiaoling Mausoleum for worship. The Imperial Clan Minister is currently in Beiping Prefecture. The eldest member of the imperial clan in Yingtian Prefecture is Prince Su, who shall immediately assist in the administration."
Prince Su, Zhu Yan, immediately stepped forward. He was two years younger than Zhu Yunying, and if Zhu Yunying hadn't stopped him, Zhu Yan might have already gone to his fiefdom. But now, he was a noble prince, wealthy but with little power.
At this time, the Imperial Clan Court, the Ministry of Rites, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Court of Imperial Banquets, and even the Court of Imperial Stud all needed to contribute manpower and resources.
Empress Ma's birthday and death anniversary were major national events, naturally requiring the Ming Dynasty court to be fully operational. In fact, these were indeed the key events that many people were busy with during this period.
Zhu Yunying was generally in a good mood, probably because the weather was favorable and the Ming Dynasty had a solid foundation. With all affairs proceeding smoothly, Zhu Yunying could feel much more at ease.
The Ming Dynasty was thriving, which was exactly what Zhu Yunying hoped to see, and it was also a reason for him to be proud.
Zhu Yunying was indeed quite happy; many things were progressing well, and the Ming Dynasty was developing better and better. It would be good to maintain this momentum; the Ming Dynasty still had much to do, and it needed even greater momentum.
Emperor Qianlong of the Qianqing Palace naturally received a lot of information and was quite satisfied. However, looking at his great-grandson scratching his head and ears while holding a calligraphy brush, Emperor Qianlong found it somewhat amusing. He had initially thought that Ying'er's offspring would definitely be very intelligent, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
Biao'er was intelligent from a young age, so Ying'er was also very precocious. Old Zhu felt that the Zhu family would definitely become stronger with each generation, and Ying'er should be even more intelligent, which was in line with Old Zhu's expectations.
But now it seems that's not the case. Yin'er is just like any other child, not as precocious as his father.
That's fine too. He can just teach ordinary children. Old Zhu feels he has enough time and patience now. He has a Biao'er and a Ying'er, and he feels that's a blessing from his ancestors. He can't expect anything higher, especially since Yin'er is no less capable.
“Your great-grandmother was educated, and your father learned it very quickly.” Old Zhu said with a smile as he read aloud from “The Six Secret Teachings: Military Strategy and Literary Enlightenment”. “Your father is smart and knows how to apply what he has learned to other situations. Since we have read books, he knows what they mean.”
Little Zhu put down his brush and immediately ran to Old Zhu, pleading, "Great-grandfather, Yin'er is clever too."
Old Zhu hardened his heart and said to Little Zhu, "Since you're so clever, go and practice writing! Look at how well you've written these two characters! When your father was your age, his writing, though a bit crafty, was neat!"
As if remembering something, Old Zhu said to Shuangquan, "Go, find the emperor's calligraphy and let the crown prince see it."
The calligraphy brushes that Zhu Yunying used when he was a child were kept by both Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma. Although he was still getting used to writing with a brush and his calligraphy was a little messy, Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma were incredibly proud. Their grandson was precocious and intelligent, and their precious grandson was more capable than ordinary children.
However, these calligraphic works were not only kept as souvenirs, but also because they were worried that if Zhu Yunying's calligraphy were to circulate, there would be much gossip and rumors. Scholars love to emulate child prodigies, especially after the Song Dynasty, when there were too many child prodigies, which wasn't always a good thing.
Although Shuangquan and others knew that Zhu Yunying was known for his intelligence from a young age, much of what they knew was hearsay. At times, they even suspected that it was just a way for some people to artificially enhance the emperor's prestige.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
