The First Uncle of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 60: Please Confer the Titles on the Kings
Outside Fengtian Gate, banners are waving. People still have to go to work and participate in the grand court ceremony during the New Year.

Ma Xun, who was a little excited and a little nervous, suddenly felt that this world was just a huge makeshift team.

I was nervous when I attended court for the first time, and I was worried that I would be impeached if I coughed or spoke in a low voice.

Looking at it now, I think too much.

But now the situation is just like that of old men and women rushing to grab free eggs in the supermarket, it is chaotic.

Everyone wears a black hat and a round collar. Ma Xun is wearing a red and purple official robe. Who knows if you are a first-rank or fifth-rank official? Those who wear a red robe are fifth-rank or below.

The ranks were unclear, but the civil and military officials were divided into classes, with civil officials on the left and military officers on the right.

Many officials were also very curious and puzzled. They had arrived outside the Meridian Gate as early as three in the morning and were waiting. Now a tall and thin man suddenly appeared. Which family did he belong to, and why did he come so late?

Look at the belt around the waist, it’s actually a jade belt?
However, some people knew Ma Xun and began to discuss in low voices.

Just when Ma Xun was still looking for some acquaintances, he suddenly heard the sound of drums, and then saw officials rushing towards the Meridian Gate like a tide.

The young eunuch said quickly, "My Lord, you must follow me. Enter through the left or right side doors. You don't need to go through the main gate with officials below the fourth rank."

The Meridian Gate was the main gate of the palace. Only the emperor and empress passed through the central gate. Only dukes, marquises, prince consorts, civil officials of the third rank, and military officials of the fourth rank and above were allowed to enter and exit through the left and right side gates. Other officials could only enter through the two Que Gates and exit through the two Ye Gates.

They rushed into the Meridian Gate so hard that the queue was already in chaos, and the civil and military officials hurriedly walked towards the Jinshui Bridge.

"Uncle!" Ma Xun's eyes lit up and he greeted him quickly, "You don't have to send me off, I'll go over."

The young eunuch quickly dodged, and Ma Xun trotted to Liu Bowen.

Liu Bowen was also a little surprised to see Ma Xun, "He also said that he hadn't seen you in the past few days."

"I'm in the palace." Ma Xun asked with concern, "How are you doing recently?"

Liu Bowen smiled and said, "I am fine, and Shuning is also fine."

The other officials were still hurrying towards the Jinshui Bridge. Ma Xun and Liu Bowen were not slow either, chatting as they walked.

"Brother Liu." An official with a goatee stepped forward quickly, "Wait for me."

Liu Bowen smiled slightly, "Brother Yang."

Yang Xian glanced at Ma Xun and pretended not to know him, "Brother Liu, who is this?"

Liu Bowen could only introduce him, "This is the Right Commander of the Grand Commandery, the Emperor's uncle."

Yang Xian looked as if he had suddenly realized something, and said, "Greetings, my uncle. I am Yang Xian, the Vice Minister of the Secretariat."

The Vice Prime Minister is of the second rank, so there is nothing wrong with him calling himself a lower official.

"Uncle of the Emperor." The enthusiastic greeting startled many people. Li Shanchang, who was busy retiring, came over with a smile, "Uncle of the Emperor, Happy New Year!"

Many people looked over. Is that tall and thin guy the emperor's uncle?

Ma Xun also smiled and greeted, "Prime Minister, how are you these days?"

A middle-aged man immediately stepped forward with a smile and took the initiative to speak, "I am Hu Weiyong, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and I am honored to meet the Emperor's uncle."

Li Shanchang is now retiring and is determined to promote Hu Weiyong to the Secretariat. However, Yang Xian and Li Shanchang have a bad relationship and can even be said to have a grudge against each other.

While Ma Xun was still thinking about how to play along, Chang Yuchun came towards him and said, "I've been looking for you for a long time. Did you fall asleep and miss the time?"

Ma Xun immediately stepped forward quickly, "No one called me, and I almost missed something important."

"You are a military commander, what are you doing with a civil official?" Chang Yuchun seemed to realize that he had said the wrong thing, "Prime Minister Li, we don't count, we are all old acquaintances."

Li Shanchang said with a smile, "Duke E is too kind. My uncle is in charge of the Imperial College."

Chang Yuchun smiled and responded, "That's just an assignment. My uncle is the right governor of the Grand Governor's Office, and I am still the Minister of State Affairs!"

The Minister of the Secretariat is now a first-rank official, and three generals, Chang Yuchun, Liao Yongzhong and Hu Mei, also hold this title.

Patting Ma Xun on the shoulder, Chang Yuchun walked forward with a smile, and Ma Xun hurriedly followed.

"Those people have been eyeing you for a long time." Chang Yuchun said in a low voice, "They have been looking around early on, wanting to have a fight with you."

Ma Xun asked, "Is it because of Prime Minister Li?" "It's almost the same. Prime Minister Li has to step down now." Chang Yuchun replied, "Before he stepped down, he wanted to let Hu Weiyong join the Secretariat. You can't beat these old foxes, so stay away from them."

Ma Xun understood what he meant and followed Chang Yuchun forward, when he suddenly realized that something was wrong.

Chang Yuchun stood at the head of the group of military generals, and the second one was his uncle-in-law. There were also many other generals, and their official positions were not low either.

"You are the general guarding the country, so stand here." Chang Yuchun said with a smile, "If you hadn't been taken to the palace, I would have arranged for you to get together with the brothers long ago."

Ma Xun smiled and joked with the group of people around him, and briefly introduced himself. It was as noisy as a vegetable market.

Not only the military generals were talking about this, but the civil officials as well. There weren't so many rules in the early years of the Ming Dynasty.

It was not until the drums sounded that those who were chatting shut up and walked towards the Fengtian Hall holding their tablets.

This was Ma Xun's first time to visit the Fengtian Hall, one of the three main halls of the imperial palace. The one in Peiping was built based on the blueprint of the one in Nanjing.

Li Zhen had already arrived in the hall and whispered to Ma Xun, "When you report later, you must speak loudly and recite it aloud."

The sound of grand ceremonial music rang out, and Zhu Yuanzhang also went up to the hall to accept congratulations from all officials.

Zhu Biao went out to face all the officials and read out, "It is the first day of the year, the three Yangs are inauspicious, and all things are new."

After all the officials joined in the congratulations, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "I share the joy of Li Duan with you all."

The next thing that came naturally was cheers of "Long live the emperor".

Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to be in a good mood just after the three cheers of "Long live the emperor". "My dear ministers, do you have anything to report?"

If it were in the past, we would definitely have to report the matter, but today is New Year's Day and the Chinese New Year, so who would have time to report the matter?

Ma Xun stepped forward and said, "I have a report to make!"

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and asked in a friendly manner, "Uncle, what do you want to say?"

Ma Xun took out the memorial and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I think that this dynasty only appointed the crown prince and did not appoint the prince. Since the foundation of the country has been established, there is a foundation but no support. The second prince of the emperor is already fifteen years old, and the title of king should be announced to the world."

The others were also very surprised. Wasn't it said that the emperor's uncle was a country boy? How come he wasn't stage-frightened at all?

Many people looked at each other in surprise. This uncle of the emperor dropped a bombshell on the first day of the third year of Hongwu.

This is to force the emperor to enthrone other princes as kings, and directly cut off the other princes' desire to compete for the throne.

Although many people know that the emperor favors the prince, there are inevitably some people who feel that the risk is high and the reward is high.

For example, the second prince Zhu Chong was only one year younger than the crown prince, and he had a reputation for intelligence when he was young, which some people thought was a good opportunity.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked with a straight face, "Who else seconded the motion?"

Li Zhen and Chang Yuchun stood up immediately and said, "I second the motion."

Li Shanchang and others also left the stage immediately. For a moment, the voices in Fengtian Hall were unanimous, "Your Highness and I second the motion."

Zhu Yuanzhang said loudly with a stern face, "No, let's discuss this matter later!"

No, but I didn’t agree to it outright.

To discuss it further means that we have to seriously discuss the issue of enthroning the other princes as kings.

Ma Xun finished his work, closed his eyes and began to daydream.

After leaving the court, Chang Yuchun said with some regret, "I will be going to war in two days and will miss your big wedding."

Ma Xun's eyes lit up and he said, "Then I wish Brother Chang success in driving Wang Baobao out!"

There was breaking news at the beginning of the third year of Hongwu.

The first was that the king's uncle asked for titles for the kings, and the second was that on the third day of the first lunar month, the emperor ordered Xu Da to be the general in charge of conquering the enemy, Chang Yuchun to be the deputy general in charge of conquering the enemy, and Li Wenzhong, Feng Sheng, Deng Yu, and Tang He to be deputy generals, and they attacked in different directions.

The purpose this time was very clear, which was to destroy Wang Baobao who was entrenched in the northwest.

(End of this chapter)