The ceremony of presenting captives began with offerings to the temple and the shrine, followed by three sacrifices.
These prisoners were handed over to the Ministry of Justice, and the music director led the audience to leave. The emperor, wearing a crown and a crimson robe, ascended the Meridian Gate to issue a proclamation to the world. All officials, dressed in court attire, listened to the proclamation, the ceremony being the same as the reading of an imperial edict of amnesty.
Actually, this wasn't just a one-day event. The first day involved paying respects to the official in charge of issuing the proclamation, the second day to the opening ceremony, and the third day to the celebratory ceremony. Officials also needed to be dispatched to the northern and southern suburbs, the Jing Shen Temple, and the Tai She Ji (Grand Altar of the Land and Grain). A chosen day was then set for presenting the captives, and all officials offered their congratulations.
Some things may seem tedious, but such tedium is also very necessary, and such a sense of ritual is indispensable.
Zhu Yunying was overjoyed because while he was showing off his military strength, envoys from various vassal states kept submitting memorials, each one displaying a humble attitude. These people were all very clever; anyone who could serve as an envoy was intelligent.
There doesn't seem to be much fighting in the north right now. In addition, the Ming Dynasty has seized the port of Goryeo and its intention to destroy Japan is obvious. Many vassal states are worried that their countries will become the next target of the Ming Dynasty. They are now afraid that they will give the Ming Dynasty some excuse to send troops.
The military might of the Ming Dynasty was also something that these vassal states could not withstand, and at this time they could only obediently submit to its rule.
The Ming Dynasty was truly invincible. Its military strength had reached a new level, making many neighboring countries tremble with fear, lest they provoke this powerful neighbor and bring about their own destruction.
It doesn't matter if the surrounding countries are living in fear; what matters is that the people of the Ming Dynasty feel at ease at this time. Living in a powerful country, one naturally doesn't need to worry about facing war at any moment or becoming a slave to a conquered nation.
For Zhu Yunying, governing such a thriving and powerful country was both a source of pride and a source of pressure.
Keep working hard; that's what Zhu Yunying should be doing. He really doesn't have time to dwell on things now. He should just focus on doing his job well. As an emperor, he can't let his guard down at any time and needs to plan everything better.
Merit-giving and rewards were naturally indispensable. Generals were rewarded with official titles and ranks, and ordinary soldiers were also given land and money as rewards. Zhu Yunying was not stingy in these matters.
The fallen soldiers should not be forgotten either. They should be rewarded, at least to let their families feel that the Ming Dynasty has not forgotten them. It is also very important to ensure that they can continue to live.
The war appears to be over, or at least temporarily over, and it is unlikely that there will be any major fighting in the near future.
Even though Zhu Yunying had many ideas, he was also very clear that a country could not be at war indefinitely, not even through the so-called "war to sustain war" approach, as that was unrealistic.
In reality, during the thirty years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, wars had never ceased; the only difference was their scale. Now, Zhu Yunying needed a temporary respite, and the Ming Dynasty needed time for adjustment.
Old Zhu was in a good mood because the north seemed to be at peace for the time being, which naturally made him feel much more at ease.
Moreover, seeing the strength of the Ming Dynasty these past few days, and witnessing the proper conduct of all the civil and military officials before his grandson, Old Zhu naturally felt even more at ease.
His great-grandson was also present. Although young Zhu was too young to be very convincing, in old Zhu's eyes, his great-grandson had the bearing of an emperor and was capable of commanding respect.
Autumn has arrived, and soon we'll be able to start the final event of this grand triumphant return: the banquet. That's quite nice.
Old Zhu was in a good mood and suggested, "Waiting around isn't going to help. The banquet is being organized by someone. Let's go take a bath to warm up. We've been so busy these past few days."
“Alright.” Joo Yoon-young didn’t object. Taking a bath was a relaxing thing. “Yoon-ho also came along. You haven’t had a proper rest these past few days because of all the work. You’ve been running around all day. Let’s go take a bath together.”
Zhu Yunwen actually didn't want to bathe with his elder brother and grandfather, as it would put too much pressure on him. However, it was clear that he had no right to object and could only obediently follow along.
Little Zhu walked ahead, bobbing his head and skipping along. The little guy was so cute and carefree, it made everyone happy.
Sitting comfortably in the bathtub, Zhu Yunying said with a smile, "Yin'er has been the happiest these past few days. He's busier than us during the day, and goes straight to sleep when he gets home at night. I'm afraid all our generals have become familiar with him these past few days."
Old Zhu laughed heartily, appearing particularly pleased. "Our Crown Prince is truly extraordinary. Yin'er is indeed capable. I reckon all those generals will be vying to serve the Crown Prince!"
Zhu Yunying couldn't help but chuckle. He knew, of course, that Old Zhu was joking, and those generals weren't so easily swayed. Even though young Zhu was the Crown Prince and had given them much encouragement, ultimately, all those people respected was young Zhu's position as Crown Prince.
Moreover, they might also believe that the Crown Prince's encouragement was actually at the Emperor's behest. After all, the Crown Prince is still young and couldn't possibly understand so many things.
This is indeed true; some of the encouragement given by young Zhu was indeed Zhu Yunying's intention. Of course, young Zhu was a person who enjoyed social occasions, and he did indeed like those lively occasions. He would take the initiative to chat with some dukes and marquises, and he would also shower them with praise.
Even if some praise was slightly excessive or inappropriate, the generals didn't care. The Crown Prince's praise was definitely meaningful, and it was certainly at the behest of the Emperor or the Retired Emperor.
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