The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

"Daibatsu, have you ever heard of someone in the palace named Feng Bao?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Dezhao thought for a moment and said, "There are many eunuchs in the palace, but I don't know anyone named Feng Bao. However, if Your Highness wants to find him, I can send someone to look for him."

"No need for now."

Ma Dezhao agreed, but he was thinking that he still needed to find this person, but he couldn't make a big fuss about it.

Zhu Zaizhen thought that Daban was certainly capable and loyal, but such a person needed to be kept by his side to take care of his daily life.

Zhang Xingtao is fairly loyal, but his abilities still need to be honed, and his natural talent means his potential is probably not very high. As for Feng Bao, let's leave aside his character for now; at least he has the talent and ability to make history. We should try to get him over.

However, we should wait a while. He has been in the limelight these past two days, so it's best to stabilize his position. Besides, nothing is more important than his health. Dying young or childless could completely deprive him of the opportunity to change the world.

He couldn't rely solely on the imperial physicians; he calculated that Li Shizhen, the "Sage of Medicine," should only be over thirty years old at this time, and his medical skills might not yet be fully mature.

However, Wan Mizhai, a renowned physician of equal renown, is over fifty years old. I will seek his treatment and care whenever I have the opportunity.

Zhu Zaizhen rested his head on his hands and crossed his legs. Ma Dezhao, seeing the Prince of Jing's appearance, held back for a while, but finally couldn't help but advise, "Your Highness, as a prince, how can you rest your head on your hands and cross your legs like a commoner? As a descendant of the dragon, you should set an example for all people and demonstrate your majesty."

Zhu Zaizhen laughed and said, "When family members are at home, there is no need to be bound by court etiquette. It's just that we are a little more relaxed in front of the Grand Chamberlain."

Liu, who brought over a bowl of soup, chimed in, "That's right, Father-in-law is too harsh. His Highness is very well-mannered when he's out."

Seeing that Ma Dezhao was still frowning, Zhu Zaizhen could only sit up straight, take the soup handed to him by the wet nurse and slowly savor it. Such peaceful days would probably not last much longer.

For more than a month afterward, Zhu Zaizhen only went to Xiyuan five times. On two occasions, he did not see the emperor. He just strolled around Xiyuan, chasing white deer, cranes, and climbing mountains.

On the few occasions they met, he managed to make Jiajing quite happy, and he received many rewards. His relationship with Huang Jin became closer, as Huang Jin was indeed an extremely kind person.

…………

Before long, it was time for the Crown Prince's coming-of-age ceremony. Two days ago, Crown Prince Zhu Zaiyi had already performed the imperial sacrifice at the Imperial Ancestral Temple on behalf of the emperor. After the ceremony, he would officially participate in state affairs.

The ceremony proceeded according to protocol, solemnly and orderly. The only shortcoming was that the emperor did not return to the palace, but only sent his close ministers Zhang Zhi, Li Ben, Mai Fu, Huang Jin and other close advisors to observe the ceremony.

Because the mourning period for Empress Hyolyeol was not yet over, the ceremonies were adjusted: for example, the inner court ladies were sent to inform the spirit tablet of Empress Hyolyeol in advance with the same level of ceremony as when offering sacrifices at the ancestral temple, and music was prohibited when visiting the sacrificial altar and paying respects to the birth mother, the imperial concubine, in order to show the solemnity of the mourning period.

Lu Bing, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, personally took charge of the guards. Officials from the Cabinet and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices entered the palace to serve. Cui Yuan, the crown bearer, walked out with the help of Xu Jie, struggling to stand up straight despite his old age.

Besides presiding over the entire ceremony, the crown-bearer also symbolizes setting an example with his own virtues and guiding adults to practice fine virtues such as filial piety, brotherly love, loyalty, and obedience. Such a senior member of the royal family is hard to find.

"Abandon your childish ambitions, and follow your virtuous example."

Say goodbye to childhood and take on the power to govern.

"Respect your dignity, cultivate your virtue."

They gained the right to participate in politics and the military.

"With all brothers present, their virtue is fulfilled."

Having the right to perform sacrifices signifies formal adulthood.

After his third capping ceremony, the Crown Prince received a sweet wine from the host and guests. After the wine ceremony, he went to Chengqian Palace to pay respects to his birth mother, presented her with dried meat, and performed four bows.

Although there was no grand ceremony or music, Imperial Noble Consort Wang was genuinely happy, her joy almost overflowing.

She was not born into a noble family, but she was fortunate enough to be chosen to be by the emperor's side and raise a prince as she wished. Now, her long-cherished wish has been fulfilled, and her son has become the crown prince. In the future, he will inherit the throne, and the world will be inherited by her bloodline and continue to be passed down.

The Crown Prince met his mother's tearful eyes and bowed solemnly. A son's status rises with his mother's, and a mother's honor is brought by her son; this has been true since ancient times.

After the Crown Prince presented him with dried meat, Lady Wang said, "Today you are being crowned, a momentous occasion for the ancestral temple and a profound favor from the Emperor. Now that you are crowned, you are the object of admiration for all the subjects of the world. You should respect Heaven and honor your ancestors, be filial to your sovereign and parents, carefully uphold the virtues of a crown prince, be diligent and frugal, cultivate virtue and character, and ensure that every word and deed conforms to propriety, and every action and stillness is in accordance with benevolence. Maintain moderation and righteousness, and serve as a model for all the people."

"Your subject will remember this."

The Crown Prince stepped forward and bowed. Lady Wang reached out and touched her crown, saying, "Never forget to respect His Majesty the Emperor. He is busy with countless affairs of state and works hard for the country. You should be mindful of His Majesty's heart, inquire about his well-being and meals, and fulfill your filial duties as a son. You must listen attentively to His Majesty's instructions, listen carefully and obey them wholeheartedly, and never be negligent for a single day."

The Crown Prince bowed four times to receive the order, and the Imperial Concubine shed tears, but her face shone with light: "From this day forward, you are not only my son, but also the heir apparent. I hope you will not fail His Majesty's expectations, nor Don't forget the instructions of today. Work diligently day and night, and if the dynasty is forever at peace, my heart will be comforted."

"Your subject will never forget."

In such a setting, the mother and son had nothing to say to each other. After the ceremony, the crown prince had to rush to the emperor to receive his admonition.

Zhu Zaizhen and Zhu Zaiji stood at the main ceremony site for two hours, and then bowed four times with the court officials when the crown prince was crowned. After that, they went to the West Garden with the crowd.

However, not all court officials had the honor of seeing the Emperor's face today. Officials below the fourth rank were kept outside the Western Garden, while high-ranking officials and nobles were granted permission to enter.

Only at this time could the nobles strut proudly in front of the civil officials. After all, they were the descendants of the founding heroes and meritorious officials who had fought in the Jingnan Campaign, and their titles and ranks were passed down with the nation. They were not comparable to these scholars who had gained power overnight and were now in the imperial court.

As Zhu Zaizhen entered the West Garden to await imperial decree, he observed the crowd with great interest. The most conspicuous one was undoubtedly the short, stout man with a short neck and a fat body who was following the Grand Secretary Yan Song. He wore a three-beam crown and a red silk robe.

Not only was he ugly, but one of his eyes was also obviously faulty. With such a physical appearance, he could not even meet the most basic standards for selecting officials, yet he was wearing the official robes of a fourth-rank official. There was no need to guess who this person was.

Yan Shifan keenly sensed that someone was watching him, and immediately glared back with a sinister look. When he saw that it was Prince Jing, he not only did not restrain himself, but his gaze became even more sinister.

The princes were nothing more than pampered pigs kept in captivity. Local officials were not afraid of them, and even lowly censors only used them as stepping stones, let alone him.

Right beside Zhu Zaizhen, he naturally saw Yan Shifan glaring at him with an arrogant expression, and quickly pulled Zhu Zaizhen back.

Zhu Zaizhen smiled at him and said, "Sir, you once said that those who wish to become officials must be able to speak, write, and judge without error. But today it seems that your words were wrong."

"Stop talking." Zhu Zaiji obviously didn't want to offend Yan Shifan for no reason. Even if there was no danger to his life, once he was enfeoffed, the Yan family's power would make things difficult for an unfavored prince like him.

Although Yan Shifan did not hear their words, he could guess that they were not pleasant. Seeing that Prince Yu turned away and Prince Jing was still smiling and looking him over, he was furious.

"East Building".

A soft call came.

…………