Since ancient times, there has been the custom of staying up late on New Year's Eve.

Lao Zhu's family is from the folk, so naturally they also have this habit.

As for keeping up the year old, there is a saying that the elders continue to keep up the year old. Even if the legend is not credible, the royal family should be scrambling to do so.

Therefore, after the dinner, New Year's Eve is not the end. As the palace, there are still a lot of singing and dancing performances.

Every New Year's Eve, Zhu Ying would spend a sum of money to organize New Year's Eve programs in the palace.

The stage was mainly set up in Fengtian Square. There were large stoves all around. The fire was so bright that you couldn't feel the cold at all.

There are also sheds erected around to protect you from the wind and cold.

In addition to the royal family, many ministers can also be invited. This can be regarded as another form of Spring Festival Gala.

Moreover, tomorrow is Zhu Ying's coronation ceremony, and this year's New Year's Eve is especially different.

Nominally speaking, this is the first night of the transition from the Hongwu Year to the Yongsheng Year, which has a great meaning.

The recruitment for this Spring Festival Gala will not only include various local operas in the Ming Dynasty, but also some programs from other countries. Many performers have been preparing for this more than half a year ago.

Being able to be on the Fengtian stage this time is the highest honor for any troupe or performer.

Therefore, rehearsals started very early.

In the stands, in the front row, naturally were Zhu Ying and Zhu Yuanzhang.

In the second row are the feudal princes, then the princes and the emperor's grandsons.

Behind them are Lan Yu and other princes, and then the seven ministers and important officials of the court.

Probably no one is sleeping tonight, because after the ugly hour, that is, after the opera singing and dancing ends at 2 o'clock in the morning, Zhu Ying's enthronement ceremony begins and the sacrifice to heaven begins.

Not only the palace, but also the entire capital city of Nanjing was ablaze with lights.

In order to celebrate the grand grandson's enthronement ceremony tomorrow, major theaters are offering free performances, and a large number of stages have been set up on Zhengyang Avenue.

In teahouses and restaurants, the storyteller looked excited and spoke in a high tone, showing no intention of stopping.

The sound of firecrackers continued, and the crowds on the streets were surging. It was truly a celebration.

Looking further afield, the entire Ming Dynasty was completely immersed in a sea of ​​joy. All the major prefectures, counties, and even the villages in the countryside were full of joy.

All the people of the Ming Dynasty understand that after New Year's Eve, it will be the year from the thirty-seventh year of Hongwu to the year of Yongsheng.

"Thirty-seven years, thirty-seven years, it's gone by in the blink of an eye. I still remember back then, when we were just a cowherd boy, trying our best to get a bite of food."

"We are in troubled times again, turbulent and unstable. We are living an elusive existence. We join the Red Scarf Army and crawl out from the dead. Who would have thought that the ragged cowherd boy who was a monk and a beggar decades ago?

, will be who we are today.”

The singing was loud on the stage, but Zhu Yuanzhang didn't have much thought to listen. He took Da Sun's hand and spoke quietly.

Zhu Ying also seemed to feel something. She didn't say anything, but just held the old man's rough palm tightly.

"We once thought that like other brothers, we would die in a certain place and be buried in a foreign land. After all, we have nothing."

"Dasun, please don't look down on us. We know that you are very skilled in martial arts, but back then we were also charging into battle. It's no big deal. If not, we wouldn't be appreciated by Marshal Guo and marry your grandma."

"If it weren't for your grandma, we really wouldn't be able to accomplish such a big thing today. It's a pity that your grandma missed you so much that she died early, otherwise her body and bones would have lived longer than us."

"We still remember the first time we met the eldest sister, who was Marshal Guo's adopted daughter. We thought at that time, how could there be such a beautiful female Bodhisattva in this world."

"Grandson, let me tell you, when your grandma was young, she was a great beauty. I don't know how many people in our army admired her, and many people tried their best to see her more."

"But your grandma can't be liked by anyone. Even if she likes me, Marshal Guo also likes me. He asked the eldest sister what she wanted, and then betrothed her to us."

"At that time, it was really the happiest time in our life. We were so happy that we couldn't sleep a wink for two days and two nights. We lay on the bed, tossing and turning, covered ourselves with quilts and laughed. Tang and the old boy thought we were

I was so mad that I almost asked a doctor for us, hahaha."

"After we got married, Marshal Guo was seduced by a villain and locked us up without giving us food. It was your grandma who stole the freshly baked pancakes, hid them in her arms, brought them to us, and even burned herself."

"If it hadn't been like this, we might have starved to death there, but your grandma saved our lives."

"For us, being able to marry your grandma is the most proud thing in our lives."

Zhu Yuanzhang's calm tone was full of sighs. The eldest sister's health had always been very good, much better than his. However, when her eldest grandson passed away, the eldest sister couldn't bear the blow, and her spirit was exhausted, so she passed away.

"I just regret that it was God's fate. Sister, she thought she would find you down there, but how could she have imagined that you are still up there."

"If it is, if it is, oh, it's been a hard time for her, but fortunately she has the boss with her, so she won't be lonely down there."

"The boss is also unfilial. As the saying goes, if your parents are here, don't travel far away. If we are still here, he will abandon us and go to find his mother."

"Back then, when your father was born, we were in the midst of the Jijing Festival, which is where we are now staying in the capital. At that time, it was the critical moment to attack the city gate. The news of your father's birth came, and soon after, the city gate was breached.

Already."

"Your father deserves half of the credit for destroying the city."

"Your father was not as naughty and mischievous as you when he was young, but he was well-behaved. He never had to worry about studying or anything like that. Song Lian and other great scholars all say that your father is talented and intelligent."

"The only bad thing is that your father is soft-tempered, too kind and not ruthless enough. Being too kind is not a good thing when you are an emperor. At that time, the second, third, and the others made mistakes, and every time it was your father who came to beg for mercy.

"

"Even before leaving, he begged me to say good things to my second son. This kid, eh."

As he spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang's voice suddenly became choked with sobs.

Scenes of memories of past years suddenly began to become clearer in Zhu Yuanzhang's mind. Those memories that had been deeply buried seemed to be blown away by the wind and vividly displayed.

Happy moments, happy moments, happy moments. In the beginning, I lived a happy time with my eldest sister, Biao'er, and my family of three.

However, when the eldest sister left, and when the boss Zhu Biao left, these happy, sad, and tragic memories also flooded into my heart.

"Dasun, tell me, how could his mother and father be so cruel, leaving us like this, leaving us alone in this world, alone, alone, how could they be so cruel.

"

All kinds of thoughts surged up, and Zhu Yuanzhang, who was only eighty years old, burst into tears.

"Grandpa, I am still here, and my grandson is still here, here."

Zhu Ying held the old man tightly with both hands and spoke quickly.

Feeling the touch in his hand, Zhu Yuanzhang, whose eyes were already a little cloudy, slowly stopped feeling sad when he saw the person in front of him.

"Yes, Dasun, you are still here, still with us."

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang felt the sound of the opera on the stage, the cheers from the surroundings, and the bustling scene, which gave Zhu Yuanzhang a somewhat real feeling.

Just now, he seemed to be separated from everything around him and fell into his own world.

This feeling is actually very similar to autism in later generations. It is a manifestation of emotional closure. Fortunately, Zhu Ying is here.

Zhu Yuanzhang must have completely different emotions towards this grandson whom he personally raised with his eldest sister when he was a child.

At this time, sudden fireworks appeared and cannons roared.

The sky above the entire city of Nanjing is covered with colorful and bright fireworks. It's New Year's Eve and the New Year is here.

From now on, after the Hongwu Year, it will be the first year of Yongsheng.

Today's fireworks, with the development of gunpowder technology, are more colorful than the firecrackers of the past. The palace directly uses artillery to launch high-altitude fireworks, so that the fireworks can bloom higher in the sky.

Even if it is hundreds of miles outside Nanjing, it is still clearly visible, and you can even see the clouds.

"It's really beautiful. This is the most beautiful firework we have ever seen."

"If the older girl is here, she will definitely be very happy. She likes to see these the most."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were a little stagnant, he looked up blankly at the fireworks in the sky, and murmured.

No matter whether he is a son or a grandson, in fact, in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart, the eldest sister always comes first.

In a person's life, the ones who stay with him the longest and are closest to him are not his parents, nor his children and grandchildren, but the person beside him and his partner who will grow old together.

Especially for Zhu Yuanzhang, the many years of mutual support occupies the most important position in his heart.

Therefore, after the eldest sister left, Zhu Yuanzhang did not even want to establish the queen.

The fireworks were set off in the sky for nearly half a day, and then they stopped for a while. For later generations, it was more than an hour.

For ordinary people, the fireworks that were set off for more than an hour were a figure that they could not believe at all. It was an amount of money that an ordinary family could not earn in a lifetime, and only the royal family could afford such expenses.

"It's almost time, eldest grandson, it's time to prepare for the enthronement ceremony."

"We have one more thing to say. Remember, don't embarrass your uncles too much in the future. I know you have forgotten your past memories, but when you were young, each of them loved you very much."

"The royal family has been ruthless since ancient times, but we hope that our old Zhu family will not be like this. Don't embarrass them. Just promise me, okay?"

There was a bit of pleading in Zhu Yuanzhang's voice. Perhaps he had already felt something before he said such words.

"Grandpa, please rest assured that your grandchildren will not embarrass them."

Zhu Ying said solemnly, and at the same time, his eyes were slightly red. He seemed to feel something, but at this time, he didn't know what to say, maybe he was afraid to speak.

Zhu Yuanzhang grinned and said: "Go and get ready. We also want to see the grand moment when our eldest grandson ascends the throne."

The enthronement ceremony is complicated and strict. Whether it is a sacrifice to heaven or some other arrangements, every process is very particular, sacred and majestic.

This can be said to be the most solemn and solemn ritual, and it is also the embodiment of imperial power.
To be continued...