Chapter 011 Crown Prince
Ancestor worship is a big gathering of the Song family. As the eldest son of a concubine, Song Boxian's father should not be late. What's more, as the heir of Qin Guogong, his uncle will not allow his younger brother to be neglectful. The only way The reason that makes sense is that something big happened.
Sure enough, just as the banquet was about to start, Song Anmin entered the lobby with a young man, and behind him there were many young men in suits with short crew cuts and tall men. One look at them and they knew that this guy was something special.
"Brother, isn't that the current Holy Emperor's only son, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
Song Boxian was reminded by the sharp-eyed Song Borong. He squinted his eyes and looked carefully. His eyebrows jumped. If he wasn't the Crown Prince, who could he be?
Emperor Changping had only two sons for many years, and the remaining seven were all princesses. The eldest son Chen Shunkang was named the crown prince after Emperor Changping came to the throne. According to the etiquette of the court, he guarded Nanjing in his capacity.
Ever since Emperor Shengwu Chen Cao initiated the policy that the emperor resides in Beijing and the crown prince resides in Nanjing, it has been circulating for more than 600 years and has not changed until now.
Although Chen Shunkang is only 19 years old, according to the news from the nobles, this crown prince is famous for his romantic temperament. If it were not for the rules of the clan and the status of the royal family in the minds of the people of Ming Dynasty, he could do anything. A scene of hand-to-hand combat with a woman in broad daylight.
"Last time I heard Zhang Shuqi say that she saw the prince entering and exiting the brothel on the Qinhuai River... ugh..."
Song Borong never spoke without thinking. As soon as these words came out, Song Boxian was so frightened that he quickly reached out to cover her mouth, fearing that this guy would say some offending nonsense again: "Shut up."
"Why is His Royal Highness here?"
Song Bozhao was beside Song Boxian. He had heard about what Song Borong said before, so he smiled and said softly: "Old Seven, you have forgotten that the current Empress Dowager is our great-aunt."
Song Boxian suddenly realized that he might have really forgotten this. Emperor Changping's biological mother was the biological sister of the 12th generation Qin Duke Song Linden, and the 90-year-old Empress Dowager Song is still alive today, although she is now his The grandson became emperor, but the imperial family and the Song family were still related.
Song Boxian later learned that Emperor Shengzu had personally arranged for the royal family to marry the Zhao and Song families. It was stipulated that if the queen of this generation was a daughter of the Song family, the imperial concubine must be a daughter of the Zhao family. In the next generation, the two families would swap, and a daughter of the Zhao family would As the queen, the Song family woman is the imperial concubine.
Therefore, the Zhao and Song families have been prosperous for more than 600 years.
Thinking of this, Song Boxian did the math. Emperor Changxing's empress was the Song family, so Emperor Changping's empress was the Zhao family. The crown prince was now 19 years old. According to the royal family's regulations, when the crown prince reaches 20 years old, it will be a coming-of-age ceremony. The Crown Princess and the Concubine.
"I see..."
No wonder his father was late on the day of ancestor worship. It turned out that he was going to greet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and stopped by the Song family's house to see who he would marry.
The episode of the Crown Prince's arrival dissipated after the banquet. Song Boxian's family had an independent courtyard in Nanjing, located in the first alley of Chang'an Street on the west bank of the Qinhuai River, relatively close to the Imperial City.
Back home, Song Boxian took his sister to greet his father Song Ankang and saluted him, and then the family sat down to talk. His mother, Lou Jiajia, whose natal family is the Marquis of Huai'an, was not low-income, dignified and beautiful, and walked in with a fruit plate. Living room: "Did you two behave well when your parents were away?"
"Mom, you know I'm the best..."
Lou Jiajia said angrily: "Shut up, I can't believe what you say, Baekhyun, how is life at school?"
Just as Song Borong was about to speak, Song Boxian stepped on her and then said with a smile: "Mom, don't worry, it's no problem for me at all."
Song Boxian was worried that his old sister would say something that shouldn't be said, so he quickly changed the subject and said, "Dad, did His Highness the Crown Prince come to the uncle's house to choose a bride today?"
Song Ankang didn't have the airs of his elder brother, but he still had the aura of a noble family. He was quite satisfied with his son's success, so his attitude now was much gentler than before. He put down his teacup and looked thoughtfully. Nodding: "However, I see that your uncle is very worried..."
"Dad, are those tall and handsome guys who came with the prince today from Nanzhen Fusi?"
Song Ankang couldn't handle his somewhat rebellious daughter: "Yes, why is the prince's security low when he travels? There was a martial law outside the Duke's Mansion, and no vehicles of the common people are allowed to pass through the street."
Song Boxian felt that his sister's concerns were not in the same line as his, so he asked again: "Uncle, are you worried about the prince's reputation?"
Song Ankang was silent, and Lou Jiajia also sat down and said earnestly: "Outsiders and common people don't know, but no one in the elite class doesn't know the prince's temper. He is almost a VIP on the 18th floor of Qinhuai River."
"Oh..." Song Borong interrupted: "The prince's body is fine..."
"No nonsense," Song Ankang scolded with a frown. Song Borong immediately stopped and did not dare to say anything more.
"Dad, the prince... he won't catch those unclean diseases..."
Hearing this, Song Ankang's face turned green. Even he himself was not too sure: "Probably...no way..."
Lou Jiajia glanced sideways at her husband and said, "Why, have you been there?"
"Nonsense..." Song Ankang felt a little uncomfortable, but Song Boxian knew that his father had once been to a brothel in Qinhuai River with local dignitaries in Nanjing. How dare he say such nonsense now that his mother asked him about it.
"The eighteenth floor is under the jurisdiction of the Jiaofang Division, and 70% of the income is owned by the treasury. The Jiaofang Division will give those Chu women physical examinations every year. If the crown prince gets sick because of this, do the people of the Jiaofang Division still want to live? "
"Hey, Lao Song, you are quite well-educated..."
Being teased by his wife again, Song Ankang's face slowly started to turn red. Song Boxian felt that the situation could not progress to the point where his father would be scolded, so he immediately said: "Dad, who does the prince like?"
Lou Jiajia said: "Your uncle's four daughters, your third sister has been promised to the Tongcheng Marquis Mansion, and the fourth sister just got a student from the Imperial College this year. It is a free love, and only the fifth sister and your ninth sister can choose. "
"Jiu Mei?" Song Boxian said, "I think Jiu Mei is not happy."
As a woman, Lou Jiajia can naturally participate in the affairs of these children in the Duke's palace: "Your fifth sister is not bad at birth, and she is also dignified and decent. She has the intention, but she is two years older than the prince, so your uncle They still think Jiumei is the most suitable."
The prince's reputation was notoriously bad in the upper class circles. If he hadn't been the future emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the noble families might not have been willing to marry their daughters to such a person.
"The son of the Zhao family is not a good person. I think the prince's current situation is probably because of the instigation of that boy from the Zhao family."
The Duke of Chu, the Zhao family, was one of the top nobles of the Ming Dynasty like the Song family, and had been in charge of the Jinyiwei, the most important royal spy agency of the Ming Dynasty for generations.
The power of Jinyiwei commanders in the past dynasties was second only to the Song family in charge of the Dingwu Army.
In contemporary times, Zhao Zhennan, the eldest son of Zhao Puying, Duke of Chu, is appointed as the governor of Nanzhen Fusi Town. He has a high and powerful position, and he also has another special identity, the director of the Crown Prince's Office.
Therefore, Song Boxian can also understand why his father made such a conclusion.
If the crown prince ascends the throne at that time, Zhao Zhennan will be the next commander of the Jinyi Guards.
In order to please the prince, Zhao Zhennan chose a place where he could indulge in women.
"I think it may not take too long. The prince will be 20 at the end of the year. According to the rules, the royal family should send someone to your uncle's house to collect gifts and ask for his name during the twelfth lunar month."
"Dad, when are you leaving?"
Song Ankang thought for a while: "Recently, Xizhou has not been peaceful either. There has been a rebellion in a province of the Ottoman Empire that is adjacent to our Xizhou. A large number of refugees have poured into our Iranian province. The local garrison is facing a formidable enemy... ."
Song Boxian had paid attention to this news a few days ago, but after all, it was far away from the mainland of Ming Dynasty. At that time, he happened to be recuperating after being beaten, so he took it as entertainment news.
"Will it affect our business?"
Song Ankang nodded: "Our business with the Ottoman Empire is not small, and it has a certain influence."
After that, the family continued chatting and went back to their rooms to sleep after ten o'clock.
The couple set off early the next morning, and the brother and sister were left at home in Nanjing. After breakfast, Song Boxian called Song Borong and said, "There are still a few days left in the holiday. I plan to stay in Nanjing. How about you?"
Song Borong opened her sleepy eyes and said, "Where can I go..."
After that, he fell back to sleep.
Song Boxian couldn't do anything to her. After putting breakfast in the dining room, he asked the nanny to help take care of it before going out.
The nobles in the inner city of Nanjing, just like when the Zhu family came to power hundreds of years ago, all used the popular saying at that time, "The princes are as numerous as dogs, and the land is full of nobles." To this day, this sentence is still a standard in Nanjing.
Unlike Beijing, which is at the feet of the emperor, Nanjing has become a place where nobles of the Ming Dynasty are willing to settle down due to its special geographical location. After Song Boxian went out, he first took a taxi out of Chang'an Street, but found a traffic jam. He had no choice but to You can ride a shared motorcycle slowly out of Jubaomen and go to your destination, Jubao Mountain Yuhuatai.
The construction of Jubao Mountain began during the lifetime of Emperor Shengzu. During the Nanjing War, the battle on Jubao Mountain was extremely fierce. The enemy and we fought fiercely. The mountainside and foot of Jubao Mountain were basically plowed with artillery. Chen Cao simply built the Yuhuatai Qingliang Palace on the top of Jubao Mountain. , as a summer resort for the royal family, and in his later years, the Yuhuatai Heroes Pavilion was opened to the common people, allowing the whole people to pay tribute to the heroes who made outstanding contributions to the re-establishment of the Ming Dynasty.
Of course, starting from 1900, if people want to enter Jubaoshan, they have to buy tickets...
However, as nobles, they do not need to buy it. Another thing is that as long as there is an ancestor in the family who is enshrined in the Gongchen Pavilion, the descendants can enter the Jubaoshan Scenic Area for free with their identity cards.
