Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 424 National Name and Era Name

In the eyes of Concubine Mu, the desire for a daughter had become a real worry for her prince!

I've even heard that the prince brings this up every time the sisters serve him in bed! Even when he's just idling around, the prince still talks about it all the time, just like he does now!

Concubine Mu was already used to this!
"Your Highness, stop fooling around~."

"Later, I'll serve you with Sister Ke, okay?" Suddenly, Concubine Mu noticed her husband's restless hand starting to climb up her waist again. Immediately, she shyly pressed down on her husband's mischievous hand, looked around to make sure no one was watching, breathed a slight sigh of relief, and then said to her husband with shy eyes.

However, Concubine Mu soon discovered that her pleas were completely ineffective! Her husband was still causing trouble!
"Your Highness, the people from the Clothing Bureau will be having us try on the clothes we wore for the coronation ceremony in a little while."

And even your older sister is currently busy personally examining the various clothes you wore during your coronation!

"In a little while, I also need to go to my sister's place to try on clothes. Your Highness, please have mercy!" Seeing that her simple pleas for mercy had no effect, Concubine Mu had no choice but to look at her husband with pleading eyes, while holding down her husband's hand that had already succeeded in causing trouble, and bringing up Princess Xia.

After all, in the entire Prince's mansion, apart from his mother, Lady Wei, only his elder sister, Lady Xia, could keep the Prince somewhat in line!

However, Mu Ping'er was very happy that she was still favored by her husband after giving birth! After all, Mu Ping'er knew that her prince was not the kind of person who would get tired of the old and crave the new.

In fact, their prince is quite philanthropic! He likes all kinds of beautiful women! Even his wives and concubines, who are already past their prime and no longer able to sleep with him even in ordinary wealthy families, are never disliked by their husband; on the contrary, he dotes on them even more!

This delighted the ladies of the Prince's mansion! After all, they were all women, and even those who were a little older, who didn't want their husband's affection?
"Alright. I'll let you off for now!" After hearing Consort Mu's words, Zhu Zhanhe looked smug and slightly regretful as he pulled his hand out of Consort Mu's clothes, deciding to let her go for the time being.

Seeing that she had finally stopped her husband from acting recklessly in broad daylight, Concubine Mu was slightly disappointed, but mostly she breathed a long sigh of relief.

Before Mu could speak again, a sudden sound came from outside the door.

"Your Highness!"

"Lord Xia, Lord Mu, and Lord Huang of the Cabinet request an audience!" Just then, as Zhu Zhanhe was raising his hand to savor the moment, he suddenly heard Xiao Xizi's voice calling from outside the main hall.

"Your Highness, a cabinet minister has come to see me; it must be of great importance. I shall take my leave now!" Hearing that someone was requesting an audience, Consort Mu astutely chose to withdraw. After all, Consort Mu knew perfectly well that even if she was favored by the emperor, she could not delay His Highness's important business!
"Alright, go ahead!" Upon hearing Consort Mu's request to leave, Zhu Zhanhe gently patted her hand, nodded in satisfaction, and dismissed her. After all, it was best for the harem not to get involved in some court affairs!

"Come in." Seeing his concubine leave through the side door behind the screen, Zhu Zhanhe immediately straightened his posture before letting the cabinet ministers in. Zhu Zhanhe knew he was about to become emperor; a little indulgence when no one was around was fine, but if he acted recklessly in public, he would definitely be criticized!

Even though Zhu Zhanhe wasn't afraid of these things, he still didn't want to listen to the nagging of those censors!

A moment later, Xia Yuanji and the other two lined up and quickly walked in from outside the door.

"Your subject, Xia Yuanji~"
Mu Sheng~
Huang Zhong~
Greetings, Your Highness!

"Your Highness, may you live a thousand years!" Upon entering, Xia Yuanji, Mu Sheng, and Huang Zhong knelt down naturally and respectfully, kowtowing to Zhu Zhanhe, who was sitting in the main seat in the center of the hall.

It's never wrong to be overly polite, especially to someone about to ascend the throne! They deserve even more respect!
"Get up!" Zhu Zhanhe said softly, looking at the three cabinet ministers kneeling before him. "Thank you, Your Highness!" Xia Yuanji and the others stood up and bowed respectfully to Zhu Zhanhe, expressing their gratitude.

"With the grand ceremony imminent, why are the three of you not preparing at the front? What brings you here to me?" Zhu Zhanhe asked calmly, despite feeling a little uneasy, as he looked at the three cabinet ministers staring at him with serious expressions.

"Your Highness, we still need to confirm the agenda for the enthronement ceremony with you once again." Xia Yuanji, with his white beard, stepped forward, holding a memorial in his hand, and respectfully addressed Zhu Zhanhe.

"The agenda and other matters have been well drafted by the cabinet and the Ministry of Rites officials. I have also reviewed them and there are no problems."

"This can be done!" Regarding the agenda for the enthronement ceremony, Zhu Zhanhe had actually received the memorials from the Ministry of Rites and the Cabinet a few days earlier. After reading them, he felt there were no problems and approved them directly.

However, it now appears that there are some objections within the cabinet!

"Your Highness, the standard coronation ceremony has a total of twelve steps."
First, the Emperor personally or by dispatching officials to inform Heaven, Earth, the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and the Altar of the Land and Grain.
2. On the day of the ceremony, the infantry commander led his troops to guard the various gates of the Forbidden City;
Third, the Grand Secretariat, together with officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial, set up the table for holding the Emperor's jade seal in the center south of the throne in the palace, set up the table for holding the memorials presented by the officials in the south of the east room in the palace, set up the table for holding the Emperor's edicts in the north of the east window in the palace, set up the table for holding the writing brush and inkstone in the west of the palace, and set up another table in the center.

Fourth, the officers and soldiers of the Imperial Guards would display the imperial procession and ceremonial guards in front of the palace, the palanquins outside the Taihe Gate, the imperial carriage outside the Meridian Gate, trained elephants to the south of the imperial carriage, ceremonial horses on the left and right sides of the central path of the Danchi (Red Steps), and yellow canopies and cloud-shaped ornaments inside the Danchi.

Fifth, the music department set up the Zhonghe Shaoyue Orchestra under the east and west eaves of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Danbi Dayue Orchestra inside the Gate of Supreme Harmony, and the Daoying Yue Orchestra, as well as the Dragon Pavilion for carrying imperial edicts and the Incense Pavilion for carrying incense burners outside the Meridian Gate.

VI. Officials of the Ceremonial Office, Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet, and Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet shall place the memorial, imperial edict, writing brush, and inkstone on the memorial table, imperial edict table, and writing brush and inkstone table, respectively.

7. The Grand Secretary led the Cabinet Academicians to the Qianqing Gate to retrieve the Emperor's Jade Seal. The Academicians carried it, and the Grand Secretary accompanied them, and they delivered it to the table in the center south of the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

8. All civil and military officials, dressed in court attire, lined up on both sides of the steps, awaiting the emperor's arrival.

9. Once everything was ready, the official in charge of the Ministry of Rites requested the emperor, dressed in white mourning clothes, to respectfully receive the mandate before the spirit tablet of the late emperor inside the Qianqing Gate and perform the three kneelings and nine kowtows ceremony (at this time, a curtain was lowered at the central gate of the Qianqing Gate, signifying that the funeral was temporarily suspended).

10. The Emperor exited through the left side gate of the Qianqing Gate and proceeded in his palanquin to the Zhonghe Hall. Along the way, he was guided by officials from the Ministry of Rites, accompanied by ten Grand Ministers of the Interior, the Leopard Tail Guards, and armed guards.

11. Upon arriving at the Hall of Preserving Harmony, the Emperor descended from his carriage and, at the request of the Minister of Rites, ascended the throne in the Hall of Central Harmony. Officials from the Court of State Ceremonial guided the officials of all ranks who were in charge of the ceremony to perform the Three Bows and Nine Kows Ceremony. After the ceremony, the officials went to their respective positions in the outer court.

12. The Minister of Rites kneels and requests the emperor's ascension to the throne. Xia Yuanji solemnly recounted the proper procedures for the grand enthronement ceremony to the seated Zhu Zhanhe.

"Prime Minister Xia, is there a problem?" Zhu Zhanhe asked Xia Yuanji with a surprised look. After all, in Zhu Zhanhe's view, there was nothing wrong with the above procedures! They were all normal procedures! After all, Zhu Zhanhe knew very well that, through several dynasties, the agenda for these emperors' enthronement ceremonies had long been fixed! As long as they copied it, it would be fine!
"Your Highness, the above procedure is the normal procedure for an emperor's ascension to the throne."

But this time, it is the beginning of the prince's founding of the country!

Therefore, the matters of praying to Heaven, Earth, the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and the State must be performed personally by His Highness! Faced with Zhu Zhanhe's question, Xia Yuanji replied earnestly to his son-in-law. Involving his son-in-law's ascension to the throne, Xia Yuanji could not allow the slightest negligence!

(End of this chapter)