Chapter 840 (End of the book) The new emperor ascends the throne, the sun and the moon shine together
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.
A large number of eunuchs and soldiers appeared, quickly dismantled the stage and other facilities built in Fengtian Square, and then replaced them with new decorations.
Ministers also have to wait outside Fengtian Gate, and only descendants of the royal family can be in Fengtian Square.
A large number of palace musicians are preparing dozens of kinds of music from the sacrifice to the enthronement, including the military parade.
How could such an important ceremony as the coronation of the throne have no background music?
Take a shower, change clothes, and put on a brand new dragon robe.
This dragon robe is not as complicated or gorgeous as those seen in later generations. Instead, it is a bit simpler. Apart from a few dragon patterns, there are only simple dark patterns, which makes it appear grand and majestic, not extravagant.
In my impression, the twelve chapter patterns on the dragon robe were only seen by emperors after Yingzong in Ming Dynasty history.
The cuffs are not wide, but very narrow, somewhat similar to those of later generations, but a little more concise and capable.
According to the procedure, Zhu Ying first went to the Ancestral Temple and Sheji Altar to offer sacrifices, and then went to Zhengyang Square for the flag-raising ceremony.
After going through the sacrificial process, the sky was already slightly bright.
In Zhengyang Square, there was already a dense crowd. Not only the people of the Ming Dynasty, but also a large number of foreigners appeared at this moment.
Because it was widely announced half a year in advance, many foreigners rushed here very early in order to wait to meet the Ming Taisun, or the new Ming Emperor.
The vastness, prosperity, and prosperity of the Ming Dynasty today are inseparable from the great grandson of the Ming Dynasty.
Especially in recent years, the grandson is no longer much different from the emperor.
Whether it is the history of China or the history of foreign countries, such a powerful emperor is very rare, especially now that the Ming Dynasty has an influence on the entire world and has a territory that far exceeds the history of China. It can be said that it is a true emperor.
First.
Such a powerful emperor's enthronement ceremony can be said to be the most significant event in the history of the world. It is no wonder that almost everyone wants to participate.
Not to mention the area around Zhengyang Square, even the houses were crowded with people, and of course, there were guards.
Scenes like this are unprecedented, let alone mentioning them.
The scene was huge, but Zhu Ying didn't say anything.
Of course, it's useless to say anything, as it won't be heard at all.
When the dragon chariot arrived at the flag-raising platform, Zhu Ying stepped down from the dragon chariot and nodded slightly to the eunuch Guo Zhong next to him.
Guo Zhong immediately shouted: "Your Majesty decrees, raise the flag!!!"
Behind Guo Zhong, there is a bodyguard group of dozens of people, these people are the loud ones who make the selection.
As Guo Zhong shouted, the bodyguards immediately raised their voices and repeated: "His Majesty decrees, raise the flag!!!!"
The flag was raised, and the thousands of soldiers and eunuchs surrounding Zhu Ying all knelt down and bowed their heads, shouting: "Long live my emperor, long live long live!!!"
Further away, all the soldiers in Zhengyang Square knelt down: "Long live my emperor! Long live! Long live!"
Immediately afterwards, all the people who heard the sound knelt on the ground excitedly and shouted loudly: "Long live my emperor, long live long live!!!"
Standing on the flag-raising platform, Zhu Ying could hear this sound echoing throughout Nanjing.
Far away, even further away, no matter what they are doing at the moment, as long as they hear this voice, no matter how far away they are from the palace and can't see anything, they will immediately kneel down and shout.
In fact, it is not just the city of Nanjing.
The time of the enthronement ceremony is fixed, which is Chen hour, which is exactly seven o'clock in the morning.
At this time, all major cities, counties, and towns in the Ming Dynasty knelt down and shouted in the direction of Nanjing.
Goryeo, Japan, Champa, Chenla, Siam, Annan, and India all shouted long live the emperor.
This is the current influence of Zhu Ying and the majesty of the Ming Dynasty.
At this moment, Zhu Ying can boldly say: I am the country!
If he were more arrogant, he could call himself the Emperor of Eternity.
The flag-raising is not the end, but only the beginning of the entire enthronement ceremony.
In the next process, the main process is the military parade.
Three hundred thousand elite soldiers of the Ming Dynasty will line up in square formations on Zhengyang Avenue, waiting for their new emperor to review.
At the same time, this is also a guarantee for the people of the Ming Dynasty and a deterrent to all nations in the world.
For this military parade, all participating soldiers have undergone the most rigorous training. Unlike the military parade in which Zhu Ying conferred the title of grandson, this time the requirements are even more stringent.
When a phalanx comes, you can almost only hear the sound of footsteps. If you close your eyes and feel the vibration of the ground, it will be like a giant walking slowly.
And such a phalanx is a military quality that all 300,000 elites possess.
Even ordinary people who have no understanding of military affairs can understand the horror of this.
The envoys from other countries who came to watch the ceremony all turned pale under such elite troops.
There are three hundred thousand elite soldiers. How many countries don't even have the number of soldiers to participate in the military parade? Even if there are ten thousand, no, thousands of such soldiers, they can easily break through their royal capital.
Not to mention, the Ming Dynasty now has more than two million soldiers. Many countries and the entire population of the country do not have such a number.
As Ming people, all the people felt a strong sense of pride in their hearts at this moment.
Look, this is our country, our Ming Dynasty.
Even the vassal princes Zhu Xi, Zhu Fan, and Zhu Di couldn't help but feel convinced at this moment.
Especially Zhu Di, who had thought about ascending to the throne several times. In his opinion, after the death of his eldest brother Zhu Biao, among his father's heirs, he was the most qualified to inherit the throne.
But now, I have to accept it.
He knew that even if his father passed the throne to him, the Ming Dynasty would not be able to reach its peak level in his hands.
It can even be said that it is far worse.
Zhu Yunwen raised his head slightly and looked in Zhu Ying's direction, with complex expressions in his eyes.
Next to him was Zhu Yunxi who was full of excitement.
Zhu Yunxi really wanted to shout loudly at this moment: This is my eldest brother, my dear eldest brother.
Lines of troops walked along Zhengyang Avenue. When they arrived in front of Fengtian Gate, they shouted "Long live!"
This military parade lasted until midnight, that is, it ended at two o'clock in the afternoon.
The next ceremony was held in Fengtian Square in the palace.
Above the steps of Fengtian Square and in front of the Fengtian Hall, there are two dragon chairs.
When thousands of civil and military officials came over, Zhu Yuanzhang was sitting on the dragon chair.
Zhu Ying walked up the steps step by step from below, walked to Zhu Yuanzhang, knelt down and kowtowed.
"What a grandson."
Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile. Next to him, Liu He, the eunuch and eunuch in charge of etiquette, bowed and placed a crown on a wooden tray.
Mianqi is what can often be seen in later generations. It is a crown with a horizontal plate on top of a cylindrical hat and curtains on the front and back.
The horizontal boards are very particular, they are round in front and square in the back. There are 12 jade stones strung with colorful ribbons on the front and back, forming a small "door curtain".
The crown of crowns originates from the "Zhou Rites". The crown of the emperor has twelve crowns, nine of the princes, seven of the superior officials, and five of the inferior officials.
After the Zhou Dynasty, Mianqi was usually used as a symbol of imperial power.
Emperors rarely wear Mianqi and only wear it on very formal occasions. At this time, Mianqi also symbolizes the change of imperial power.
Zhu Yuanzhang stood up and stepped forward, took off the Wusha Yishan crown on Zhu Ying's head, took the crown from the eunuch Liu He's tray, and put it on Zhu Ying.
At this moment, it is considered the final process of the entire ceremony.
Zhu Ying, who was wearing a crown, followed Zhu Yuanzhang and sat on his own dragon chair.
In Fengtian Square, civil and military officials once again knelt down and shouted: "Long live my emperor, long live long live!!!"
Zhu Ying first glanced at the old man, and under his affirmative gaze, he said loudly: "Everyone loves you, please be safe!"
At this time, the celestial phenomena changed.
In the sky, there was a rare sight of the sun and the moon shining together.