Whether it's selecting a consort for the crown prince or the subsequent relocation of the capital, these are not things that can be done overnight.
Many things have already shown clear signs, and some of the most powerful people in the Ming Dynasty have learned certain details. Although many civil and military officials and nobles prefer the prosperous Yingtian Prefecture, their opinions and thoughts seem to be of little importance when facing the founding emperor.
Old Zhu was in a good mood. He took the wine poured by Zhu Xiong Ying and said, "Biao'er, take Ying'er back to the imperial mausoleum to pay respects to our ancestors in a few days."
Zhu Xiong Ying immediately understood. This wasn't because Old Zhu was worried about the Crown Prince having too much power. Rather, it was because the upcoming relocation of the capital would inevitably face strong opposition from some. Old Zhu was prepared to personally intervene and suppress the dissenting voices with an iron fist.
Zhu Biao naturally understood this as well, and said, "The civil and military officials still prefer Yingtian Prefecture, and there are many opposing opinions. However, moving the capital is inevitable, and these people cannot stop it!"
The idea of establishing the capital in the south, in a remote corner of the country, was something neither Zhu Yuanzhang nor Zhu Biao were satisfied with.
The powerful nobility of Huaixi and the civil officials of Zhejiang were quite influential, Liaodong had just been recovered, and the Han Chinese bloodline in the north was weak. These were all things that Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were dissatisfied with. Moving the capital was necessary; if a smooth relocation was not possible, then force would be the only option.
Pointing at Zhu Xiong Ying, Zhu Biao said, "Father, what are your thoughts on Ying'er's name change?"
Old Zhu was silent for a moment, then said, "We don't want Ying'er to change her name, but Ying'er is too common. If she ascends the throne, it will be inconvenient for the people."
Zhu Xiong Ying said with a grin, "I can't say 'Ying' or 'Xiong,' but the Great Buddha Hall where my grandfather used to chant sutras also needs to be renamed."
Old Zhu chuckled and scolded, "We're not high-ranking monks, we're just itinerant monks. We just sweep the floor, burn incense, ring the bell and beat the drum, cook and do laundry, and we still get scolded by the old monks. If we were to go to the main hall to chant sutras all the time, you wouldn't be able to become the Crown Prince!"
Zhu Biao then remembered something and asked, "Father, if Ying'er changes her name, will her peers also have to change their names?"
This refers to generational names. According to the ancestral precepts of the Ming Dynasty, the generational names of Zhu Yuanzhang's descendants were all prescribed. In fact, Zhu Biao's generation only had the character "木" (wood) in their names, but starting with Zhu Xiong Ying's generation, everyone except Zhu Xiong Ying had generational names.
In Zhu Biao's lineage, all his descendants are named 'Yun'.
Zhu Biao's intention was that, according to ancient etiquette, once Zhu Xiong Ying ascended the throne, his peers would certainly not be allowed to use the character '允' (yǔn).
Born into a commoner family, Zhu Yuanzhang broke with convention in many ways. "We won't change the names of the other children, and future emperors of the same generation won't change their names either. We thought about these things from the beginning. Bloodline and generation are very clear."
That's right. According to the ancestral precepts of Emperor Zhu, as long as the descendants follow the rules, it's clear which lineage the imperial family belongs to and which generation they belong to—it's all crystal clear.
At this moment, Zhu Xiong Ying said, "Then from now on, I will be Zhu Yun Ying?"
Old Zhu suddenly frowned a little, thought for a moment and said, "Let's go with Zhu Yunying. We've been thinking about it since your father's generation, and now we're going to follow the rules with you. Ying'er, your future offspring must be born according to the rules. Quite a few people have complained about your name."
Zhu Xiong Ying was not afraid and said bluntly, "That is the late completion of the Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Emperor. Besides, the Emperor named it. This is not my fault. It is the Emperor's business."
Old Zhu laughed and said, "We'll change her name when Ying'er is made crown prince. I reckon it'll be another year or two."
Zhu Biao was also aware of the situation. The main problem was that there were many things to do, and a change of dynasty couldn't be achieved overnight. Many things needed to be prepared immediately, but even with a clear plan and the ability to start implementing it, it couldn't be accomplished all at once; it would take time.
For example, this ancestral worship ceremony did indeed have the intention of getting Zhu Biao to leave Yingtian Prefecture and the center of power. This was naturally to prepare for Zhu Biao's ruthless purges, which literally amounted to be purges.
When Zhu Yuanzhang (the emperor) intervened to kill someone, Zhu Biao naturally played the good guy. Zhu Yuanzhang valued Zhu Biao's reputation and prestige highly and did not want his crown prince to have any bad reputation.
As for Zhu Biao, he had no objection to being sidelined at this time. He and his father had a tacit understanding, and many things were indeed not as complicated as they thought. They were just ganging up to bully 'outsiders'.
Zhu Xiong Ying couldn't help but ask, "Grandfather, whose wife is my wife?"
"Xu Da's daughter!" Old Zhu chuckled, looking like he'd hit the jackpot. "We never expected this! From now on, Tiande can't call us 'elder brother' anymore; she'll have to call us 'uncle' and 'elder brother'!"
Zhu Biao couldn't help but laugh, finding it amusing as well. "Father, I never expected to be on the same level as the Prince of Zhongshan. I guess it's just that the Xu family is feeling awkward about it."
"They're secretly delighted!" Old Zhu said casually and confidently. "The Crown Princess! They definitely know what we're thinking, they know their second daughter will one day be the Empress! Being a generation younger is a good thing for them!"
If the second daughter is to become the Crown Prince's consort, then the eldest daughter must die.
This is the cruel reality of politics. Although Zhu Yuanzhang didn't strictly adhere to ancient rituals after ascending the throne, he still cared about certain etiquettes. Even minor issues were no problem; Zhu Yuanzhang was confident he could resolve any obstacles related to 'improper etiquette'.
Zhu Xiong Ying fell silent; it seemed he was powerless to stop such things. In this era, many things were just like that.
As for whether his fourth uncle Zhu Di would harbor resentment or whether the Xu family would complain, Zhu Xiong Ying didn't care, nor did he need to.
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