Emperor Yingshi's attitude was somewhat gratifying to many civil and military officials. After all, Emperor Yingshi didn't seem to be very close to Confucianism. However, he did value traditional secular etiquette.
Even though Emperor Yingshi had his share of unorthodox views, overall he was not a major problem. Furthermore, Emperor Yingshi attached great importance to restoring the Han Chinese orthodoxy and was constantly working to repair the damage caused by the Mongol Yuan dynasty over the past century.
Implementing these policies now in places like Jiangnan, where the literary culture is already quite strong, is an absolute advantage. Even though the effects of a century of foreign invasion are still significant, they are certainly less severe than those in the north, which had been under foreign rule for hundreds of years.
To truly win over the Han Chinese in the north, it would actually require the efforts of at least two or three generations to gain their complete acceptance of their Han identity.
These were no small matters, and Zhu Yunying understood this, as did all the civil and military officials.
The coming-of-age ceremony marked the beginning of a more formal and large-scale implementation of traditional Han Chinese rituals. Even with previous policies of investiture and de-Mongolization, these were far from sufficient.
The Ming Dynasty now possesses considerable resources. With a prosperous and peaceful nation, it is natural to consider the idea that when granaries are full, people will know etiquette, and when food and clothing are plentiful, people will know honor and shame. This is definitely a relatively suitable opportunity.
The court session was about to end, but the capping ceremony for the prince suddenly became the focus of attention.
Traditionally, the coming-of-age ceremony takes place in the ancestral temple, presided over by the father or elder brother, and a designated distinguished guest bestows the cap on the young man. This requires a series of procedures, such as setting up a mat to inform the ancestors, divining an auspicious date, and preparing food and drink at the western academy.
However, the coming-of-age ceremony for princes in the Ming Dynasty obviously could not be completely performed according to some 'traditional etiquette'.
However, such matters were not difficult for the Ming emperors and ministers, because the Ming Dynasty had already established many etiquette and system regulations during the reign of Emperor Zhu.
Some are based on tradition or rituals and procedures found in ancient books. Others are simply slight modifications without violating secular etiquette.
All of this is perfectly normal, which means there's not much to worry about.
Zhu Yunying understood this principle, as did all the high-ranking officials of the Ming Dynasty.
The thorny issue now is whether the retired Emperor Zhu is willing to personally preside over the coming-of-age ceremonies for his two illegitimate sons. After all, Zhu is an old-fashioned and conservative ruler who, while loving his own children, generally doesn't place much importance on his illegitimate sons.
Another point is that if the coming-of-age ceremony were to be presided over by the Prince of Han and his consorts, Zhu Yuanzhang would be somewhat worried that his other sons would be unhappy. Even if those sons were unhappy, they would probably only grumble in their hearts and dare not speak out. But Zhu Yuanzhang is well aware of many things, and it is not easy to fool him.
If Old Zhu wasn't willing, then it would have been Big Zhu, but Big Zhu has been gone for several years.
If we were to let the still-living 'eldest brother' Zhu Su preside over the matter, even though he was one of Zhu's favorite sons, it would be a bit much, considering that both the Prince of Han and the others were princes, and Zhu Su was also a prince.
Moreover, everyone understands that Old Zhu has almost no relatives, and his descendants have no 'respected elders,' so there are practically no people to attend the ceremony.
These are all things that need to be considered, and they all require the approval of Emperor Zhu Yunying; otherwise, many people will feel uncertain.
After all, this was no ordinary coming-of-age ceremony. Any mishap during such a ceremony could make the whole world laugh at them. To put it bluntly, it was a violation of etiquette and an attempt to cause trouble for the emperor.
Ordinary people wouldn't dare to do such a thing; otherwise, it wouldn't just be causing trouble for the emperor, but making things difficult for themselves, gambling with the lives of their entire family on the emperor's mercy.
This concerns the system of rites and rituals, and it is by no means a trivial matter. Over the years, the Ming Dynasty has been continuously building up its system of rites and rituals. Some aspects have indeed yielded results, while others have not yet achieved significant progress.
Joo Yoon-young knew that some things couldn't be rushed; they required long-term planning and sufficient time to see results. Fortunately, Joo Yoon-young was patient, and most importantly, he understood that many things truly couldn't be rushed.
The morning court session had essentially moved directly to the afternoon court session, but everyone had gotten used to it.
This was actually considered relatively good. In the early years of the Hongwu reign, morning court sessions were simply not enough. Faced with an incredibly diligent emperor, civil and military officials had to enter the palace before dawn and might not even be able to return to their residences by nightfall.
These things are nothing to be alarmed about. Since there are important matters to discuss, it naturally means more time is needed to address state affairs, and everyone is used to this. To be honest, Emperor Yingshi was far better than Emperor Hongwu.
After the court session, Zhu Yunying went straight to the Wuying Hall, had a simple lunch, and began reviewing memorials.
"Let Duke Cao enter the palace," Zhu Yunying said to Wang Chengen without looking up. "I remember your adopted son is also in the capital. Have him wait outside. After Duke Cao leaves the palace, he will go to the Martial Arts Academy with him."
Wang Chengen was extremely excited and knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face. "This humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness. This lowly servant..."
"Alright, we understand your intentions." Zhu Yunying smiled and said to Wang Chengen, "You are one of our people, and you have done your best all these years. Do your job well, so that we can have descendants in the future."
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