lovenovelstory Chapter 19 Main Hall
Chapter 19 Main Hall
The court session ended, and all the officials withdrew.
Zhu Yuanzhang, however, called out to Zhu Biao and Zhu Mu:
"Biao'er, Mu'er, you two come with us."
The father and his two sons did not go to the imperial study, but instead walked through the palace gardens and headed straight for the place where the princes and grandsons studied.
Main hall.
Before we even got close, we could hear the sound of reading aloud coming from inside.
"...What Heaven ordains is called human nature; to follow one's nature is called the Way; the cultivation of the Way is called education..."
Zhu Yuanzhang slowed his pace and gestured to his two sons to be quiet.
They quietly walked to the window and peered inside.
Inside the main hall, a group of teenagers sat upright, swaying their heads as they followed an elderly man with white hair in reciting scriptures.
The leading teacher was none other than Song Lian, a renowned Confucian scholar of the time, who was hailed as the "foremost Confucian scholar of the founding of the dynasty."
Zhu Mu watched with great interest, his gaze sweeping over his younger brothers.
Third brother Zhu Shuang, fourth brother Zhu Gang, fifth brother Zhu Di...
Zhu Mu looked on with some surprise and whispered to Zhu Biao with a smile:
"Big brother, look at these little guys, they're all putting on quite a show. I remember before we left the capital last time, Fifth Brother was hung up and beaten by Father for skipping school."
Zhu Biao suppressed a laugh and replied in a low voice:
"He wasn't faking it; he was genuinely scared."
"A few days ago, Father made a surprise inspection and found that they were reading vernacular novels wrapped in the covers of the Doctrine of the Mean. Father was so angry that he gave each of them a beating on the spot. They all behaved themselves after that."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's face immediately darkened again.
He gave a soft snort, clearly recalling the scene of his anger that day.
"Hmph! A bunch of troublemakers!"
Zhu Yuanzhang complained irritably.
"We hired the best teachers in the world for them, and used the finest writing materials, but what happened? Very few of them were genuinely studying hard!"
"They're all thinking about sneaking out to fight crickets and play with slingshots; they're nothing like their fathers!"
Upon hearing this, both Zhu Biao and Zhu Mu fell silent.
The two exchanged a silent glance, their eyes filled with complex and indescribable emotions.
Doesn't that sound like a guilty conscience?
Back then, Zhu Yuanzhang was barely literate, and he had to rely on Li Shanchang and others to read military documents to him.
Only later did he begin to cram for cultural knowledge with great fervor, even resorting to extreme measures like hanging his head from a beam and pricking his thigh with an awl.
If we're talking about someone with a background in illiteracy, who in the entire court can compare to him?
Of course, they only dared to think these words in their hearts and would never dare to say them out loud.
Zhu Biao could only cough dryly and earnestly offer his consolation:
"Father, please calm your anger. My younger brothers are still young, and their playfulness is in their nature. As long as they are strictly disciplined by Elder Song Lian, they will surely become pillars of the nation in time."
Zhu Mu echoed this sentiment:
"Yes, Father, I see that they are very serious now, which shows that Father's teachings are still very effective."
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression softened slightly after hearing the words of his two most capable sons, but he still couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"If they all had half of Biao'er's composure and half of Mu'er's quick wit, we'd be burning incense in gratitude!"
With that, he put his hands behind his back and strode into the main hall.
The sound of reading aloud in the hall stopped abruptly, and all the princes stood up at once, bowing respectfully.
"Your subject greets Your Majesty!"
Zhu Di, who had just been looking serious, suddenly brightened up when he saw Zhu Mu following behind. However, with his father in front of him, he dared not act rashly and could only secretly wink and mouth "Second Brother" to himself.
Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze swept over his sons, finally settling on Song Lian, and his tone became very respectful:
"Mr. Song, thank you for your hard work."
Song Lian returned the greeting tremblingly:
"It is my duty to instruct the princes of the royal family."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, casually picked up a book from his third son Zhu Shuang's desk, and asked:
What did you learn today?
Zhu Shuang, with his neck stiff, answered loudly:
"Father, I have learned... 'The Way is something that cannot be departed from even for a moment!'"
Zhu Yuanzhang flipped through the book, then suddenly turned to Zhu Di:
"Fifth brother, then tell me, what is the meaning of 'A gentleman is cautious when he is alone,' which we learned the other day?"
"Well……"
Zhu Di's forehead began to sweat, and he looked at his eldest and second eldest brothers for help.
Looking at his embarrassed younger brothers and his father, who looked at him with disappointment, Zhu Mu couldn't help but smile.
……
After leaving the main hall, Zhu Mu and Zhu Biao followed in Zhu Yuanzhang's footsteps, passing through the corridor and heading towards the Kunning Palace.
As soon as I stepped into the courtyard of Kunning Palace, a series of light and cheerful footsteps came towards me.
"Big brother! Second brother!"
With a few clear calls, several small figures ran over like swallows returning to their nests.
Leading the group was the ten-year-old eldest daughter, Zhu Jingjing. She wore a light purple palace dress, and although she still looked young, the dignity of a royal child was already faintly visible.
She is the future Princess of Lin'an.
Following behind her were six-year-old Zhu Yingrao and four-year-old Zhu Wanning.
They are the future Princess Ningguo and Princess Chongning, respectively.
Looking at these vibrant faces before him, Zhu Mu felt the tension in his heart, which had been taut due to the war, completely ease.
Having been an orphan in his previous life, he had an extraordinary longing for family. Even now, with imperial power pressing down on him, he knew that his younger brothers and sisters were his most precious bond in this strange world.
He smiled and opened his arms, and Zhu Jingjing rushed into the arms of this brother who was the best to her.
Zhu Yingrao and Zhu Wanning then hugged Zhu Biao from either side.
Upon seeing the imposing Zhu Yuanzhang behind them, the children immediately released their hands and bowed respectfully.
"May Father Emperor be well."
"Get up, all of you. You are at home; there is no need for formalities."
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, his fatherly tenderness was more evident when facing his daughters than when facing his sons.
At this moment, Empress Ma and the favored Consort Sun came out of the palace to greet them.
In their arms, they each held two-year-old Princess Zhu Chang'an and Zhu Funing.
Consort Sun, with her graceful bearing, led her two young princesses forward to pay their respects.
"This humble servant greets Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, and Your Highness the Prince of Chu."
Zhu Yuanzhang offered a token of support:
No need for formalities.
The group moved into the hall and took their seats according to their assigned positions.
Empress Ma and Zhu Yuanzhang occupied the main seats, Consort Sun sat beside Empress Ma, while Zhu Jingjing obediently sat next to Zhu Mu.
The atmosphere was harmonious and joyful. Zhu Yuanzhang chatted casually with his two consorts about the children's recent studies and other trivial matters.
Meanwhile, Zhu Biao, Zhu Mu, and Zhu Jingjing took advantage of the gaps in the adults' conversation to huddle together and whisper among themselves.
Zhu Jingjing raised her head, her bright eyes looking at Zhu Mu, and asked softly:
"Brother, I heard from Mother today that she wants to find you a princess consort. Do you have a woman in mind?"
Zhu Biao watched with a smile and interjected:
"What, Jing'er, do you have some good candidate in mind?"
Zhu Jingjing blushed slightly and covered her mouth with a soft laugh:
"Brother Crown Prince, I have a good friend named Liu Wanyan. She is two years older than me, and her father is Liu Bowen."