Chapter 174: The wedding of Prince Jin, the royal decree, the marriage of a commoner, the ninth-rank official uniform and phoenix coronet are allowed!

The next day.

An imperial decree was issued to the whole world.

"The Empress of the Great Ming Dynasty decrees: From now on, all the children of the Great Ming Dynasty are my children. Regardless of whether they are rich or poor, noble or humble, when they marry, they can wear the royal wedding dress, phoenix crown and red bridal robe, and ten miles of red makeup."

"Then the man can wear the ninth-rank official uniform and be the groom. Respect!"

The meaning is: When a commoner gets married, he is allowed to wear the uniform of a ninth-rank official.

This is a gift from the Ming Dynasty.

It is also the origin of the groom in later generations.

Today in Yingtian Prefecture, although there is heavy snow, it is still unusually lively.

Moreover, under the instruction of Zhu Yuanzhang, the entire capital of the Ming Dynasty was filled with a joyous atmosphere.

Especially the Palace of Prince Jin and the Palace of Marquis Yongping, which were luxurious and honorable.

The four city gates are all decorated with lights and colors, symbolizing a festive atmosphere.

Even in front of the main gate of the imperial palace, there was a banner hung.

Letter: I wish the Prince of Jin and Princess of Jin to live in harmony and hand in hand for a hundred years.

At the same time, all the major provinces of the Ming Dynasty, and even the provincial governors, wrote letters to congratulate Prince of Jin Zhu Gang on his wedding on this day.

The ceremony was almost as grand as the wedding of Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

"Pass on our imperial decree. A grand banquet will be set up on the ten-mile-long street outside the palace. All the people of Yingtian can come and eat. Our royal family will celebrate with the people."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the lights and decorations in front of him and couldn't help but grin and waved his hand.

"According to the order!"

The young eunuch standing beside him responded and immediately went down to draft the imperial edict and read out the summons.

"Dad, do we really want to set up a buffet? If the street is ten miles long, I'm afraid the imperial chefs in the palace may not be able to handle it."

Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, who was rarely generous, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

As a brother, he naturally would not have any thoughts about the fact that Zhu Gang's wedding was more grand than the wedding of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, but wasn't his father being a little too hasty in his handling of the matter?
"this."

Zhu Yuanzhang paused for a moment, and his face froze as he came to his senses.

"If there are not enough imperial chefs, then we should have them work overtime and be busier. Other palace maids and eunuchs who have some cooking skills can also help."

When Zhu Yuanzhang came to his senses, he felt a little heartbroken.

After all, he had been used to being frugal all his life, and he just issued the order in a fit of anger.

But since the imperial edict had been issued, Zhu Yuanzhang had to carry it out no matter what.

After all, when the imperial edict was not issued, he could be Zhu Yuanzhang.

But since the imperial edict has been issued, he is the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, and he has to go ahead with it no matter what.

"How about this, Chongba, you issue another imperial decree to recruit chefs of various snacks in Yingtian Prefecture."

"Let them join us and help prepare the buffet for our royal family."

Queen Ma walked out from behind in her gorgeous attire.

"It has to be our sister. Yes, the food made by the imperial chefs in the palace is not particularly delicious. It is not as good as the duck blood soup in Yingtian Prefecture."

Zhu Yuanzhang's brows relaxed and he spoke with a smile.

"Since this is our royal family affair, the money should come from the treasury of my Jinwang Mansion. It's not good to use the money from the national treasury."

Zhu Gang, who had changed his clothes, also came out and shook his head helplessly.

After all, it's his wedding, and father and son should settle the bill clearly. The money should come from him. A banquet along the ten-mile-long street sounds like it will cost a lot.

But in reality, in this era of abundant and cheap labor, the main expense is still food.

Staff don’t actually cost much, so the actual expenses aren’t that high.

After all, it was just inviting the people of Yingtian Prefecture to have a meal.

"Tian'er, what are you talking about? We are the ones who issued the imperial decree, how can we let you leave the Prince of Jin's Mansion?"

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up straight, a look of dissatisfaction on his face.

"Dad, when you say this, can you please close your grinning mouth?"

Zhu Gang rolled his eyes.

"You brat, you ask for a beating, don't you?"

The smile on Zhu Yuanzhang's face froze and he reached out to touch his belt.

"Okay, Chongba, stop bluffing here. If you dare to hit the Third Brother on his wedding day, I'll beat you up. Do you believe it?"

Empress Ma reached out to stop him and glared at Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Let's forget it. This won't happen again."

Zhu Yuanzhang withdrew his hand. Just as Empress Ma said, he was just bluffing.

In order to ease the awkward atmosphere, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't want to fight Zhu Gang. Even if he really wanted to fight, he wouldn't do it today. As for the result, it was even more embarrassing.

"Cough cough!"

"In that case, I'll have someone help the third brother find a snack chef in Yingtian Prefecture. Fourth brother, you come with us."

Zhu Biao coughed twice, glanced at Zhu Di who was peeking at the side, and said to Zhu Di.

"Brother, why don't you just go by yourself? Why are you dragging me along?"

Zhu Di had no idea that the atmosphere was wrong and kept shaking his head like a rattle.

"Ugh!"

Zhu Biao sighed lightly, turned and left.

"Old Four, what are you doing here? Have you done your homework?"

As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang saw Zhu Di, he rubbed his hands.

"Homework? What homework?"

Zhu Di was slightly stunned. For a moment he couldn't think of what homework he needed to do today.

"So you haven't done it yet? Come here, let me test you."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled kindly and benevolently at Zhu Di.

It was not until this time that Zhu Di finally realized that the situation was not right and immediately planned to withdraw.

"Ah, Dad, I just remembered that I still need to go find the snack chef with my big brother. Big brother, wait for me!"

Zhu Di took a step back and said.

"come over!"

Zhu Yuanzhang glared and went straight to the inner room. Something was on his mind today that made him feel embarrassed and he wanted to beat his son.

"I…"

Zhu Di's face was full of bitterness, but he dared not disobey and could only follow Zhu Yuanzhang into the inner room.

Zhu Di: I have behaved myself, please let me go.

Soon, Zhu Di's shrill screams were heard from the inner room.

"Mom, aren't you going to save the fourth child?"

Hearing Zhu Di's screams, Zhu Gang couldn't help but twitch his lips. Zhu Yuanzhang's three-piece set: attending court, killing people, and beating Zhu Di!
In the current Ming Dynasty, Zhu Biao and Empress Ma are still alive, and Zhu hardly kills anyone.

However, Zhu Gang was no longer surprised by the intrigues among court officials and the attacks on Zhu Di.

"After all, the Yan land where Lao Si comes from is still a bit cold and harsh, so it's better to be tough. Lao Si can also endure more hardships when marching and fighting, so he won't collapse."

Listening to Zhu Gang's words, a trace of heartache flashed across Empress Ma's eyes.

Zhu Gang:.
This can be considered as, eating without suffering, right?

The guests from Prince Jin's Mansion also arrived one after another at the buffet, and the guards greeted them at the door.

People gradually gathered around the banquet on the ten-mile-long street.

"Sir, is this feast really for us peasants?"

Some people spoke cautiously to the official in charge.

Although most of the banquets on the ten-mile-long street were prepared by snack chefs from Yingtian Prefecture who were recruited by Zhu Biao, their quality was not as good as the banquets in the Prince of Jin's Palace.

But even for the common people in the imperial capital, it was not easy to eat meat. Although meat was not the majority of the food in the buffet, there was still a lot of it.

This gave the people a feeling of unreality.

After all, it has only been a few years since the Mongol Yuan Dynasty, and the people have long been accustomed to the fact that the scholar-officials are high above them.

When will the royal family's affairs be given to them to enjoy at the banquet?

"Your Majesty has issued an imperial decree. Anyone can eat at this buffet. His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin is very happy. Your Majesty wants to celebrate with the people."

"But we can't do that now. The chefs haven't finished cooking the dishes yet, and His Royal Highness Prince Jin's wedding banquet hasn't officially started yet. We have to wait for the right time."

"Also, let me be frank with you. You can eat, but you can't steal. And you certainly can't pack it up and take it away."

"If anyone dares to cause trouble, don't blame me for being merciless!"

The official in charge spoke coldly.

Zhu Biao did not mention these things when he made the arrangements, but even though Zhu Biao did not say them, those who were in charge had to set the rules.

Otherwise, if Zhu Yuanzhang's buffet banquet was ruined, he would lose his head.

"Thank you, sir. Don't worry, we, the common people, dare not cause trouble at the wedding of Prince Jin. Your Majesty is wise!"

The commoner who had spoken earlier smiled apologetically to the official.

"Your Majesty is wise! Your Majesty is benevolent! Your Highness the Prince of Jin is magnanimous!"

"I heard that when recruiting masters, the money from the Jin Palace was moved out in boxes."

"And the Queen Mother said that in the future, when ordinary people like us get married, we can also give the bride a phoenix crown and a red robe, and the groom can wear a groom's official uniform."

"If a scholar hadn't read the notice posted by the court, it would have been unbelievable."

Someone sighed.

"Oh! You speak better than you sing. How much does a phoenix coronet and bridal robe cost? Who among the common people can afford it?"

Someone stuffed the cloth bag he had brought with him into his arms, quietly hid in the crowd, and said in a sarcastic tone.

"Don't you have a brain? If you can't afford it, can't you rent one from a tailor shop? You are such a ruthless person! Are you going to ask the Queen to make clothes for you?"

Before the official in charge could even say anything, someone grabbed the weirdo who had hidden in the crowd.

Then the people around started to punch and kick the man.

This made the responsible official, who was about to ask the soldiers to drag the uncensored person away, take his hand back.

After all, it is not appropriate to see blood on the day of Prince Jin's wedding. As for whether he can see the sun the day after tomorrow, it depends on how fast he runs after being interrupted. After all, there are more than just ordinary people in the crowd.

Otherwise, just for mocking Queen Ma, this guy would deserve ten heads.

After all, officials of the Ming Dynasty all knew that if you offended Zhu Yuanzhang, you might be fine if Empress Ma spoke for you.

But if you offend even Empress Ma, Emperor Hongwu Zhu will definitely scatter your ashes.

"Your Highness the Prince of Jin is truly worthy of being the pillar of our Great Ming. You are young and promising, and your demeanor remains the same. You are becoming more and more charming. I hope you will treat my daughter well in the future."

Xie Cheng, dressed in gorgeous clothes, walked in from outside and laughed.

Although Xie Cheng had some complaints about the previous affair between Zhu Gang and Xie Yuer, now that he had let it go, he was able to let it go and was smiling happily on his wedding day.

"No way? I have only achieved a little, unlike Uncle Xie who followed my father to conquer the world and made great contributions."

Since his father-in-law said this, Zhu Gang naturally had to give face back and started a round of business flattery.

"Your Highness Prince Jin, well, I will not linger at the door any longer. I will present the gift first so as not to affect my colleagues' entry."

Xie Cheng said to Zhu Gang.

"Yongping Hou Xie Cheng, give me a piece of Hetian jade!"

Li Heng, the prince's eunuch who came to help, thanked Cheng for the gift and shouted.

"Right Prime Minister Hu Weiyong, send us a Qi beast from Southern Xinjiang!"

Immediately afterwards, Xie Cheng and Li Heng's calls were heard again. It turned out that Hu Weiyong in eastern Zhejiang had rushed back and presented a rather strange gift.

"Strange beast?"

Upon hearing this gift, even Zhu Gang was slightly stunned. He did not expect that Hu Weiyong would actually send such a gift.

"Haha. His Highness Prince Jin is extremely capable. Taiyuan Prefecture is the richest in the Ming Dynasty."

"I thought it was too vulgar to give gold, silver and treasures. It happened that when I was carrying out government affairs, a merchant from Southern Xinjiang gave me a rare beast. Today, I will borrow the flower to offer to His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin."

Hu Weiyong walked up with a smile and greeted Zhu Gang.

"Prime Minister Hu is also thoughtful."

Zhu Gang said to Hu Weiyong with a forced smile.

"Where? Where? This strange beast is ferocious by nature and has an astonishing appetite. It is getting thinner and thinner here. The only one in the entire Ming Dynasty who can keep it well is probably His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin."

Hu Weiyong said to Zhu Gang.

Hearing this, Zhu Gang sneered in his heart.

This set of operations not only showed his intentions but also did not reveal his wealth. Instead, he appeared very honest in front of Zhu Gang and also praised Zhu Gang's governance ability.

Hu Weiyong was worthy of being the prime minister. He had a very smart mind. If he had not been so obsessed with power and forming cliques for personal gain, I am afraid that Zhu Yuanzhang would not have been willing to kill him in the original trajectory.

"Then please have a seat, Minister Hu. The issue of the land tax in East Zhejiang will require your attention."

Zhu Gang said to Hu Weiyong.

"This is my duty. Since Your Majesty and His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin have entrusted me with this important task, I will do my best."

Hu Weiyong bowed to Zhu Gang.

The tax burden was distributed according to the amount of land, which offended many people, but Hu Weiyong had to continue to do his job meticulously. Hu Weiyong knew very well that if Zhu Gang and Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to get rid of him, they would not even need to do anything. As long as they withdrew the court's protection of him, those powerful families would tear him to pieces.

This is also the reason why Hu Weiyong did this. If Hu Weiyong could suppress those powerful families this time, his status in the court would be further improved and he would become the real top official in the court. However, if he wanted to do a good job on Zhu Gang's side, he could not doubt him in any way.

"Being smart."

Looking at Hu Weiyong's departing back, Zhu Gang murmured.

Strange beasts are probably not something that can be obtained by chance. Hu Weiyong probably didn't get much money from his business, but he probably got a lot of benefits. At least some of the powerful families should have compromised with him and could be used by him.

Zhu Gang's eyes flickered, he had been waiting for an opportunity. Hu Weiyong would be eliminated sooner or later. This man's character destined him to desperately cultivate and expand his party and power once he reached a high position. Zhu Gang was waiting for an opportunity that would not affect the reform plan and allow the aristocratic families to successfully devour Hu Weiyong.

After all, it is not easy to do something like crossing a river and then destroying the bridge. If it can be done with the help of a powerful family, it would be even better.

(End of this chapter)