On the 18th day of the ninth month of the second year of the reign of Emperor Hongwu, which was his 72nd birthday, the court attached great importance to the event.
Zhu Yunying got up early and immediately headed towards the Qianqing Palace. Zhu Yunying attached great importance to Old Master Zhu's birthday and was genuinely happy; it was a moment to celebrate.
Upon arriving at the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yunying couldn't help but laugh. The Qianqing Palace was brightly lit at the moment, and it was clear that Old Zhu had gotten up.
Zhu Yunying entered the hall and immediately knelt down, saying, "Grandson congratulates His Majesty on his birthday. May His Majesty live as long as the evergreen pine of Nanshan!"
"Get up," Old Zhu said cheerfully. "Our grandson is filial, that's enough for us. As for the talk about living to a hundred, just listen to it and don't worry about it."
Little Zhu was also restless at this moment, "Dad, we've all finished breakfast and are waiting for you!"
There was nothing more to say. Old Zhu and Little Zhu immediately led Little Zhu towards the Hall of Diligent Governance. After changing into their court robes, Old Zhu led his grandson and great-grandson towards the Hall of Magnificent Canopy.
Old Zhu smiled as he held Little Zhu in his arms, accepted the homage of the palace officials, and then went to the Fengtian Hall to receive the congratulations of the officials.
Look, this is full of ritual. We haven't even gone to the 'Golden Palace' or Fengtian Hall yet. But we've already arrived at the other two main halls of the Three Great Halls. Next, we'll go to Fengtian Hall, which is the most important part of Old Zhu's birthday celebration.
"Yin'er, once you get there, keep an eye on the shift schedule," Old Zhu patiently instructed Little Zhu, adding, "We'll have the whips crack early, understand?"
Little Zhu nodded quickly, even though he was fairly familiar with the process. He just nodded obediently for now, even though he was still playful; at least Little Zhu knew something.
Xiao Zhu could just listen from the sidelines; these things didn't seem to require much of his attention. This wasn't just because he believed Xiao Xiao Zhu had already mastered these skills, but also because Shuang Quan would be by Xiao Xiao Zhu's side, so there was no need to worry so much.
In fact, the court officials were already prepared outside the Fengtian Hall. Only civil and military officials of the third rank or above were qualified to attend this grand banquet, and those who could attend were all considered important ministers.
The very brave little Zhu wasn't afraid. He walked ahead, knowing perfectly well where the Fengtian Palace was. Shuangquan quickly followed, wanting to take good care of his young master.
“Yin’er has grown up too.” Looking at little Zhu’s back, Zhu Yunying said with a smile, “In another two years, he might really be able to help us with things.”
Although Old Zhu dotes on Little Zhu, he also knows the reality: "We can't see it coming. Yin'er is no different from other children. You are precocious, so we can rest assured that you will get things done early. As for Yin'er, he doesn't have any other thoughts right now."
What Old Zhu said was certainly true; Little Zhu was basically no different from other children. Expecting this child to be able to do anything right now was highly unrealistic.
It's better to face reality and not have too many expectations for Xiao Zhu right now. Otherwise, not only will the adults be disappointed, but Xiao Zhu will also bear too much burden at such a young age, which is obviously not something anyone wants to see.
At this moment, outside the Fengtian Hall, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had set up yellow banners on the east and west sides of the hall, while the Golden Guard and other guards had set up twenty-four guards on the east and west sides of the hall. The Music Bureau set up nine musical performances inside the hall, a grand music performance outside the hall, and three dance troupes below the hall.
Upon the arrival of young Zhu, all the civil and military officials, as well as members of the imperial family and nobles, hurriedly paid their respects. The distinction between ruler and subject was clear; even though young Zhu was still a child, he was the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, and the relationship between ruler and subject had been established long ago.
This is the treatment of high-ranking officials; third-rank officials wait here. As for fourth- and fifth-rank officials, their treatment is to wait at the Meridian Gate, because their rank is not high enough.
Little Zhu looked around and asked, "Where's our little brother?"
A young eunuch quickly replied, "Your Highness, the Second Prince is asleep."
Little Zhu wasn't very happy and said, "He's asleep again? Never mind, Father said that if the second son is asleep, we won't wake him. If we take him back, he won't be allowed to go to the grand banquet."
Little Zhu naturally had the right to make decisions, and he was clearly unhappy that his younger brother Zhu Wenjin had let him down at a crucial moment. But Little Zhu couldn't do anything about it; his father had given him instructions beforehand, so he had to obey.
Wang's personal eunuch dared not say much, though he also felt wronged. The Second Prince couldn't even speak properly; how could he possibly attend such a grand banquet? However, the thought that the Second Prince had missed the Emperor Emeritus's birthday celebration was certainly not a good thing. Moreover, this absence had greatly displeased the Crown Prince.
At this point, the eunuchs around Lady Wang knew that they had to obey the Crown Prince's orders, so they could only take the Second Prince back with them.
At this moment, little Zhu was very calm. He stood at the front as a matter of course, which was the treatment reserved for the crown prince.
The sound of three whips rang out, and the censor intended to issue a warning. However, there was no need for a warning at all. As the music began, the young crown prince, dressed in court robes, started walking with a stern face.
Led by Xiao Zhu, the imperial princes and civil and military officials also began to enter the Fengtian Hall.
Little Zhu knew his place; to the east of the throne was a special seat reserved for the Crown Prince. To the west were the seats for the various princes. As for the court officials, they were simply allowed to stand inside the hall.
The music stopped when everyone had reached their assigned spots.
The young Zhu, who was sitting in front of the old Zhu, stood up and said to the little Zhu, "Crown Prince, lead the officials to pay homage."
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