In the eighth year of Hongwu, New Year’s Day was the first day of the first lunar month.
Last night, the King of Chu, his mother and her son stayed up late with the whole family at Qianqing Palace, and it was almost four o'clock when they returned to the palace to go to bed.
Zhu Zhen felt that not long after he fell asleep, there started to crackle outside, and the whip was set off again.
"His grandma, please leave me alone!" He was always very angry when he got up.
"Your Highness, it is not allowed in our palace, but also in other palaces." Mu Xiang, who was refreshed all over his body, wiped his face with a warm towel and whispered softly: "Besides, today is the official meeting, Your Highness You have to get up quickly, just be patient."
"Grandma, I still have to go to work on the first day of junior high school." His Royal Highness the King of Chu, who was forced to open business, looked very angry.
Mu Xiang coaxed and comforted him, dressed his highness in court clothes, and led him to the main hall to kowtow to Concubine Hu Chong.
Concubine Hu Chong was wearing Zhai clothes and a phoenix crown, sitting on the throne with a rare seriousness.
"My son, I wish my mother and concubine a happy New Year. I wish my mother and concubine always have youth and a smile!" Zhu Zhen kowtowed to his mother and concubine respectfully.
Although Mu Xiang just told him how to say the congratulations, he still wanted to use his own words to give his mother and concubine the most sincere congratulations.
"Hey, dear baby, get up quickly." Concubine Hu Chong smiled as brightly as a flower, happily picked up her son and gave him a bunch of brand-new copper coins.
"Take the new year's money and have another safe year."
Zhu Zhen took the bunch of copper coins wrapped in red silk with both hands and rubbed them. They were so heavy... He suddenly realized that this was the first time in his life that he had touched money.
But he didn't notice that it was actually not real money. It was special New Year's money. What was engraved on it was not 'Hongwu Tongbao', but 'good luck', 'long life' and other words...
~~
After taking the new year's money, his mother and concubine chased him outside to 'lose a thousand gold coins'.
Although he is confused, Wang Defa is there, so he can do whatever he is told.
When I came to the front yard, I saw that the palace officials had removed the door bars of the Wan'an Palace gate and wrapped the two ends with red silk.
"To lose a thousand gold is to throw it three times on the ground in the courtyard to pray for peace, luck and success in the new year for our Wan'an Palace." Wang Defa pointed to the gate bar with a smile.
Of course, Zhu Zhen would not let him do it himself. Not to mention that His Highness the King of Chu could not lift this doorbar like a beam, even the Overlord of Chu had to shake his head when he saw it...
Twelve strong firemen shouted slogans and raised the door bar together. Zhu Zhen put his hand on it symbolically, then threw it up together shouting slogans, and hit the ground with a bang. Everyone cheered together. .
If you do it again and again, you will lose a lot of money. If nothing else, it is quite a relief.
~~
After finishing his work, he returned to the main hall, had something to eat, and then prepared to go to court.
Naturally, there are certain things to eat on the first day of the new year. In the palace, people drink pepper wine and eat water and snacks.
Water dim sum is dumplings.
Jiaobai wine is Jiaojiu and cypress wine. You may want to ask, what is that?
Well, pepper wine is wine brewed with Sichuan pepper; cypress wine is wine brewed with Platycladus orientalis leaves.
It is said that pepper is the essence of the Yuheng star, and consuming it will make people hard to grow old. Cypress is also an elixir, so younger people are asked to drink wine for their elders.
Miao Shanggong was holding a red lacquer tray with two wine bottles and two wine cups.
Concubine Hu Chong's eyes gleamed when she looked at the two pots of wine, she was so happy that she couldn't open her mouth from ear to ear, and she even said falsely: "Son, this doesn't count as mother breaking the precept, right? Ho ho ho..."
"It doesn't count." Zhu Zhen shook his head helplessly.
"Pour it in quickly," Concubine Hu Chong quickly urged Miao Shanggong. "Pour more, fill it full."
I didn’t forget to argue with my son: “Mom is not greedy, but the wine needs to be full and the tea needs to be light, right?”
Seeing his mother and concubine being so cautious, Zhu Zhen felt very sorry for herself. Plus, it was the Chinese New Year...
"As long as the concubine doesn't drink at banquets, it's not impossible to have a drink privately at dinner and not get drunk." He said this while holding the pepper wine, which made Concubine Hu Chong extremely happy, but made her think about it later,
If you just want to slap yourself in the mouth.
"Don't worry, my concubine will definitely restrain herself. Just have a drink every day to help her sleep." Lest he regret it after he finished speaking, Concubine Hu Chong still used great patience to restrain the urge to dance. She took the wine cup gracefully.
, just try it and stop it.
"It's bitter and numb, even dogs won't drink it!" Concubine Chong was filled with disgust. She had a hundred kinds of fine wine, why would she abuse herself?
It’s no longer like the long-lasting drought.
~~
After a simple breakfast, mother and son went out together. It was still dark yet.
Concubine Hu Chong is going to Kunning Palace to pay New Year greetings to the Queen, while His Highness King Chu is going to Qianqing Palace to find his father.
After paying New Year's greetings to his father, Boss Zhu led his twelve sons, as well as the emperor's eldest grandson, who was in his arms, and headed toward the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
Rather than going to worship his ancestors, it was more like going to show off to his parents.
Zhu Zhen followed the fifth brother step by step, and when he looked back at his little brothers, he was also shocked.
The youngest in the main hall is Lao Ba, but behind him there are also the ten old Lu Wang Zhu Tan, the eleventh lao Zhu Chun, the twelfth lao Zhu Bai, and the thirteenth lao Zhu Gui.
The youngest among them, Zhu Gui, is only three months older than the eldest grandson of the emperor...
I have to admire my father for finding the time to give birth to so many children even though he has to work hard at night and day, even though he has to deal with all kinds of things.
"We have so many younger brothers..." the fourth brother also sighed with emotion.
Zhu Zhenxin said, half of our brothers are still unborn...
"Yes, yes. I can't remember the name anymore." The second brother also said with emotion.
"Then you can call me brother." Zhu Di gave him some advice.
"Good, good idea."
"Five hundred." The third brother rolled his eyes at the two of them.
~~
When they arrived at the Ancestral Temple, the emperor, the prince and the emperor's eldest grandson were in front, and the King of Qin led his ten younger brothers behind him. They knelt down, kowtowed incense and offered offerings to the tablets of their ancestors.
Zhu Zhen took a sneak peek and saw the four late emperors receiving offerings in the Xiang Hall, namely——
Emperor Renjoshun tabooed the May Fourth Movement, this is his grandfather.
Emperor Xi Zuyu named Chu Yi, his great-grandfather.
Emperor Yi Zuheng’s taboo is Sijiu, his great ancestor.
Emperor Dezuxuan's taboo is 160 years old, his fifth generation ancestor.
When I think about my father’s original name, Chongba, this name really has family characteristics.
~~
After worshiping his ancestors, Zhu Yuanzhang took his children and grandchildren back to Fengtianmen Square to hold the New Year's Day ceremony.
This is the most solemn court meeting of the year, and the ceremony is of the highest standard. Four elephants were even brought out to feast the eyes of the little princes who have never seen the world. A few babies who have not yet been crowned kings are still babbling.
I want to go up and touch it.
The brothers quickly picked up the baby to avoid being swept away by the elephant's trunk.
Except for this small episode, the greeting etiquette is still very solemn. The ceremonial guards are majestic, the officials are in order, and the envoys from various countries are respectful, showing the atmosphere of a great country!
In addition, there are fellow villagers from Fengyang who, on behalf of the people of Li, pay New Year greetings to His Majesty the Emperor.
As the music played, Zhu Yuanzhang climbed up to the curtains of the golden stage with steady steps, sat upright on the golden lacquer dragon chair, and accepted the New Year's worship from all nations and people!
But he is no longer as intoxicated with the sense of accomplishment brought by these grand ceremonies as he was in the first few years when he became emperor.
Looking down at the thousands of courtiers kneeling in front of him, he remembered the spring when he was sixteen years old...
In less than a month, four of Zhu Yuanzhang's family of eight starved to death, leaving him, his second brother, his sister-in-law and his nephew to be separated and flee...
