The next day, the sun rose and the sky was bright.
Although this is a ceremony for the crown prince to leave the palace, in essence, it is a ceremony to announce to the world the identity of the crown prince of the East Palace.
Especially when matters were urgent and the crown prince's canonization ceremony had not been carried out, the arrangements for the crown prince's appointment this time were all based on the canonization ceremony.
To be honest, when the Ministry of Rites handed over the etiquette note at first, I was a little nervous, thinking that it was a bit too grand.
After all, although everyone in the government and the public hopes to have such a grand ceremony to announce the crown prince's residence to the world, after all, the current situation of the emperor's family is special, and many ministers feel that from the emperor's point of view, the prince should leave the cabinet. The more low-key the better.
However, Mr. Hu said it was okay and handed it over.
As expected, in terms of understanding of the emperor, these officials below are not at the same level as Mr. Hu.
They were worried that the ceremony was too grand and would displease the emperor, but it turned out that when the ceremony was actually handed over, the emperor not only did not feel it was too grand, but felt that it was not grand enough.
Ming Dynasty now has two customized sets of ceremonies for canonizing princes.
One set was set at the founding of the People's Republic of China, and was mainly used during the Hongwu period. It is grand and vast, difficult to describe, and demonstrates the nobility of the prince and the majesty of the heir apparent.
The emperor's Fengtian Palace conferred on the crown prince a treasure book, and all civil and military officials, envoys, monks, and elders all stood outside the Fengtian Gate. Chariots, BMWs, precious elephants, tigers and leopards, drums, ceremonial guards, and armored men all had their own places. , strict etiquette and dignified bearing.
At that time, the Zhongshu Province had not yet been abolished. Under its system, the emperor issued edicts, the crown prince was granted a title, the prime minister knelt down and enshrined the jade gui, the gold book, and the gold treasure. The crown prince held the gui and was in the throne, and was congratulated and welcomed by hundreds of officials. It was prosperous. Extremely.
This set of regulations can be called the most grand event in the whole government, and its level of complexity is even higher than that of the enthronement ceremony.
Of course, this is not because the canonization of the crown prince is more important than the enthronement ceremony. The biggest reason is that the enthronement ceremony of Jufan is more often held shortly after the death of the late emperor.
To express filial piety, although it is important and complicated, it should not be too grand. Secondly, a country cannot be without a king for a day. If the previous emperor dies and a new emperor is not established, the government will inevitably be in turmoil. In this case, the enthronement ceremony is more like Naturally, the preparations for the ceremony will not be too complicated.
But the canonization of the crown prince is a purely joyous event, and basically the emperor has been on the throne for several years. After the situation has been stabilized, he has enough time to prepare. Therefore, it is understandable that it is grand and complicated.
This set of canons was used from Hongwu to Yongle. Although the Zhongshu Province was later abolished, the canonization of crown princes and emperor grandsons in the past dynasties was still done according to this method, but it was slightly modified due to the abolition of the Zhongshu Province.
So far, among the crown princes in the past, the only one who has not been canonized using this system is the Supreme Emperor.
This is also the origin of the second set of codes.
The canonization ceremony formulated by Emperor Taizu can certainly demonstrate the respect of the Crown Prince's status and the grand authority of the Crown Prince to the greatest extent.
However, there is only one shortcoming, that is, there are many areas that require the Crown Prince's cooperation.
Logically speaking, this is not a difficult task. With the guidance of the guide, all the crown prince has to do is to perform the ceremony according to the ceremony, hold the ceremony and receive congratulations.
But it was this part that became difficult at the time.
Not long after he ascended the throne, the late emperor was delighted with the birth of his eldest son, and he excitedly wanted to be crowned the crown prince. However, the emperor at that time had just turned one year old, his name had just been written on the jade plate, and he could not walk steadily. He was also used to half-climbing and half-walking. , but at that time the late emperor was in a hurry, which embarrassed the elders of the Ministry of Rites.
In such a solemn and grand ceremony, the crown prince, who is the protagonist, cannot just stand and lie down.
So, at this time, Mr. Hu, who had just been promoted to Minister of Rites, stood up and suggested to the late emperor that a new canonization ceremony could be formulated.
Although many people at the time felt that doing so was against the old system, Mr. Hu has never been a sloppy person.
After obtaining the permission of the late emperor, the crown prince's canonization ceremony was drastically revised.
Among them, the most important change was that instead of the crown prince going to the palace to receive the treasure, he ordered Chijie to go to the Wenhua Hall to receive the treasure.
In this way, what the Crown Prince has to do is very simple, just sit on the seat in the Wenhua Palace in an orderly manner.
The remaining matters will be taken care of by other ministers.
With this successful precedent, the Ministry of Etiquette also handled the ceremony this time. However, when the emperor came to see him, he felt that it was inappropriate to do so.
You must know that this new set of rituals is a simplified version made to adapt to the original special form.
Although it is simple and easy to implement, it is not grand enough to demonstrate the status of the prince as the foundation of the country.
When he was first canonized, the crown prince was too young and could not walk steadily, so he could only feel so 'wronged'.
However, the current crown prince, even if calculated carefully, is already three and a half years old. Not only can he walk, but he also knows etiquette, can read, and can completely hold ceremonies according to the old system.
For this matter, the Ministry of Rites discussed it again for a long time. Finally, Uncle Hu Dazong made the decision again and took Shen Shangshu from the Ministry of Husband to the palace to understand it with reason and emotion.
Uncle Hu Dazong said that the prince was still young, and after all, he was leaving the cabinet, not conferring a title, and it should not be too grand. Shangshu Shen was crying and wallowing pitifully on the side (crossed out), and finally persuaded the emperor to change his mind.
However, the two finally made compromises. After all, the prince was not young anymore, and it was impossible for him to sit completely still like before.
What's more, there is a key issue in the middle. It is the position of the Supreme Emperor.
Whether it is canonization or leaving the cabinet, receiving an imperial edict is only a part of it, not the end.
According to the procedure, after receiving the imperial edict, the crown prince must pay homage to the Holy Mother, the Queen Mother, the Queen of the Middle Palace, and the biological mother and princess. After that, he will leave the palace, receive congratulations from the kings, civil and military officials, and receive the records of the kings and hundreds of civil and military officials. It's considered a ceremony.
This brings up another problem, that is, in the palace today, there are two empress dowagers, two empresses, and a supreme emperor.
Judging from the succession of the throne, after the crown prince receives the imperial edict, it is indispensable for him to express his gratitude to the Queen Mother of Jingyang Palace and the Queen of the Middle Palace.
However, if we count it from the perspective of bloodline inheritance, it cannot be omitted to pay tribute to the Empress Dowager Cining Palace, the Supreme Emperor, Empress Duanjing and the biological mother, the Imperial Concubine.
You should know that Wenhua Palace is in the southeast of the Imperial City, Cining Palace is in the southwest of the Imperial City, Kunning Palace is in the north of the Imperial City, and Jingyang Palace is in the northwest of the Imperial City.
Moreover, the most terrible thing is that greetings are not based on geographical location or whichever is more convenient, but in order of superiority and inferiority.
Therefore, even if we don’t mention the process of receiving an imperial edict, just looking at the process of paying thanks, if it is really done according to the regulations, the process will be like this.
The crown prince first received the imperial edict at the Wenhua Palace in the southeast of the imperial city, then went to the Cining Palace in the southwest of the imperial city to express his gratitude to the Queen Mother, and then to the Jingyang Palace in the northwest of the imperial city to express his gratitude to the empress dowager.
After completing this circle, we will head to the Nangong Palace without stopping, first to the Chonghua Palace to pay homage to Emperor Xie Tai, and then to the Yanchun Palace to pay homage to Queen Xie Duanjing.
After finishing this, they went back to the imperial city, went to Kunning Palace to pay homage to the Empress Xie Zhonggong, and then circled back to the Nangong Palace to pay homage to Xie’s biological mother, the imperial concubine.
Not to mention, after paying your respects, you have to go back to the Wenhua Hall to receive congratulations from the clan, civil and military officials.
After such a journey, let alone one day, two days may not be enough to finish it.
In this regard, at the time of the late emperor, because the crown prince was too young, he directly issued an edict not to congratulate him.
However, with today's idea of thinking about big things, it is naturally impossible to omit it.
Therefore, at the end of the discussion, we considered the issue of time. Of course, the most important thing was to consider that although His Highness the Crown Prince was only three and a half years old, after such a process, I was afraid that the Crown Prince would have to be replaced on the spot. .
As the head of the Ministry of Rites, Uncle Hu Dazong, who has always been known for balancing all parties, came up with a new trick to combine two different rituals.
Since the Crown Prince is old enough to support less complicated ceremonies, there is no need to be so economical. After all, every ritual is to establish the Crown Prince's status and identity.
But on the contrary, because after all, I am leaving the cabinet to study, it is not considered a formal canonization. Moreover, due to various reasons of time and energy, it does not need to be so grand.
Since the process cannot be saved and His Royal Highness cannot run away, it is better to just merge some links.
So in the end, the Ministry of Rites simply placed the exit ceremony in the Fengtian Hall. In order to save time and avoid having the crown prince go back and forth, they simply invited the empress dowagers of the two palaces, the Supreme Emperor, and the queens of the two palaces to the inner hall on the day of leaving the cabinet. , congratulations together.
Although from the perspective of etiquette, it is inappropriate to let the Queen Mother, the Supreme Emperor and the Queen accommodate the Crown Prince, but the advantage is that it saves worry and effort, and it can be regarded as a temporary solution.
The most important thing is that the ceremony can be performed according to the emperor's wishes and the ceremony can be carried out smoothly.
So, all parties were happy and the matter was settled.
Early that morning, hundreds of civil and military officials, noble relatives, envoys from all over the barbarians, and elders from all over the world lined up in sequence and waited outside the palace gate.
What is different from usual is that in this ceremony, all the ministers are not wearing the usual and familiar supplementary clothes, but the most formal court clothes.
The upper body is a red Luo Yi, with a green collar and white gauze middle singlet underneath. The lower body is a red Luo Shang with a green collar and a red waist covering the knees. A large red and white silk belt, a leather belt, a large ribbon, and a beam crown on the head. Holding a wat board in hand.
The ministers stood solemnly, and when the hour came, the bells rang loudly, and the palace door opened wide. Civil and military officials of third rank or above, and noble relatives with titles, under the guidance of the guide, entered from the left and right, and crossed the Neijinshui Bridge. , came outside Fengtian Hall.
At this moment, on the Danqi in front of the Fengtian Hall, under the yellow umbrella, there is a large throne. On both sides are the imperial edict case, the treasure case, the pavilion for registering treasures, and the incense pavilion. Surrounded by the imperial guards in armor, wearing drag strips. Sa's royal guards lined up one after another.
At the same time, the civil and military ministers below the third rank, envoys from various barbarians, elders from all sides, and military guards lined up again, waiting for orders outside Zuoshun Gate.
They are connected from front to back, echoing the procession of ministers inside the palace gate, and are extremely majestic.
The first ray of sunshine in the morning shone generously on everyone, accompanied by solemn music. On the Danqi, the tall, handsome, and loud-voiced deacon carefully selected by the Ministry of Rites spoke loudly.
"Please ascend to the palace!"
As a result, the door of Fengtian Hall was slowly pushed open, and loud voices like echoes came from the hall.
"Please ascend to your seat!"
From the left and right side doors of Fengtian Hall, a team of attendants including Shang Baosi, the seal official, the ceremonial supervisor, the eunuch, the ceremonial guard, and the driving officer filed out, surrounding the emperor as he slowly came out and came to the throne. Sit down.
This grand ceremony is not only for the ministers, but also for the emperor.
Before the palace gate was opened, the imperial eunuch asked the emperor to enter the Jinshen Palace and change the imperial uniform.
The emperor on the throne wears a Jinbo Mountain Sky Crown, with twelve jade cicadas attached to it, and a jade hairpin to guide it. He wears a deep white gauze robe inside, a crimson gauze robe outside, a soap-colored square heart-shaped collar, embroidered with dragon-shaped dark patterns, and a jade pendant hanging from his waist. It is tied with a jade leather belt and decorated with a white fake belt, which is solemn and solemn.
When the great joy stopped, three whips were fired, and the sound was clear and echoed throughout the square.
The ministers bowed five times and kowtowed three times, and the mountains shouted long live, and the sound shook the sky.
Then, the deacon spoke again.
"The Crown Prince enters!"
When the great music started, the Huiji Gate opened, and a group of people also filed in, surrounded by the Prince's Yi Chai, and passed by the east side of Fengtian Gate before stopping.
Under the watchful eyes of the ministers, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was only three and a half years old, was also dressed in extremely complicated court attire, wearing a gold beam crown on his head, and holding a jade gui. Under the service of the eunuch, he got out of the car.
In fact, according to etiquette, this is inappropriate. In theory, the crown prince should walk from Huiji Gate to Fengtian Gate under the guidance of the guide.
However, considering the actual situation, the Ministry of Rites still made an accommodation and ordered His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to come on a ceremonial ride.
Although officials from the Ministry of Etiquette and the eunuchs in the palace had repeatedly taught him, it was the first time he faced such a big scene. Zhu Jianshen's face tensed up, and his little hand holding Yu Gui turned red.
In this kind of occasion, there is no place for palace maids, so Wan Zhen'er, whom he is most familiar with, is not accompanying him. The only ones following him are Niu Yu and Liang Fang.
After getting out of the car and looking at the large group of people in clear lines in front of him, Zhu Jianshen was still a little scared subconsciously and wanted to hide in the direction of Liang Fang, even though he had been warned repeatedly.
However, before he could make any move, Niu Yu glanced at Zhu Jianshen gently, and Zhu Jianshen immediately retracted his steps.
Although he was still a little scared in his heart, he still stepped up his short legs as he had practiced many times before, and under the leadership of the conductor, he came to the middle position of His Majesty Dan.
Great joy stopped. Under the command of the deacon, Zhu Jianshen completed the three bows, and then the deacon shouted loudly.
"Under restraint, kneel down!"
This time, both the Crown Prince Zhu Jianshen and all the civil and military officials present, as well as nobles and relatives, all knelt on the ground.
Immediately afterwards, the eunuch Shang Baosi above Danqi, after receiving the emperor's permission, respectfully picked up the imperial edict from the edict table on the side, but he did not declare the edict.
In this kind of ceremony, the identity of the person announcing the decree is naturally not ordinary.
The eunuch held the imperial edict and walked down Danqi. He stood in front of Hu Hu, the Minister of Rites. Mr. Hu, who had been prepared for a long time, raised his hands high and took the edict. Then he stood up carefully, turned to face the ministers, and unfolded He read the imperial edict aloud in his hand.
"The emperor is destined to be carried by heaven, and he is said to be..."
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
My eyes are going blind when I check the information o(╥﹏╥)o
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