The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Zeng Mansion,

I heard someone outside the door asking for an audience, but I didn't expect it was the prince who came to deliver a betrothal gift. The prince always behaved in an unruly manner. Zeng Jian didn't care, but instead asked, "Why did His Highness leave the palace?"

Zhu Houzhao presented it carelessly, "This is my betrothal gift. It's still warm. Take a look. It won't look good after it dries up."

Zeng Jian was stunned after seeing the calligraphy and looked at it for a long time.

Isn't this Li Dongyang's calligraphy? His Highness left the palace and asked for a calligraphy specifically for him? He was immediately touched.

Zhu Houzhao stared at Zeng Jian straight in the eyes. He felt a little embarrassed that Lao Gao had come up with such a bad idea. A calligraphy and painting was not worth much money.

"I thank you for your gift, Your Highness!"

Zhu Houzhao smiled and said, "Keep it well. I'm going back to the palace."

"I'll take Your Highness back."

"No need. I have a sedan chair."

Zeng Jian hurriedly followed him out, only to see Zhu Houzhao get on a broken and old sedan chair. He felt uneasy and ordered several servants to escort him back to the palace.

In Fengtian Palace,

Emperor Hongzhi was holding a book. He was a little tired from reading, so he put it down and asked, "Is the prince in the East Palace?"

Mou Bin hurriedly said, "I just came back from outside the palace. I first went to Yan's house, then to Lord Li's house, and finally to Lord Zeng's house. It seems that I asked Lord Zeng for a calligraphy as a betrothal gift."

Dowry?

Emperor Hongzhi frowned. Since giving birth to Zhu Houzhao, there have always been surprises in his life.

The Ministry of Rites has already given a betrothal gift to the Zeng Mansion. This kid also gave it. After thinking about it, it was also filial, so he didn't care.

"The prince's wedding is imminent, so stop the lecture and let the Ministry of Rites teach the prince etiquette. Don't embarrass him." Emperor Hongzhi always felt that Zhu Houzhao would make a fuss, so he gave a warning.

There are many etiquettes for the prince's wedding, and Zhu Houzhao certainly doesn't understand them.

Today, Yan Chengjin went to the iron smelting factory outside the city. He heard that Song Jing's big furnace was built, and he didn't know if it would be completed.

Here, many workers are carrying ore.

The Ming Dynasty also opened up ore mining to the private sector, and the commercial tax was still 30% tax.

After the iron tools were exported, there was suddenly a huge demand for private smelting, and the fire in the iron smelting factory was not extinguished every day.

It also absorbed some refugees.

Yan Chengjin saw a huge vertical furnace, with iron ore and coke poured into the top of the furnace, a blazing fire underneath, and workers working hard to pull the bellows.

It should be the newly built big furnace.

Zhou Yu commanded furiously, asking the workers to work harder and not let the furnace temperature drop.

Song Jing saw Yan Chengjin: "How did you know that I was here?"

Song Jing didn't know that he had sent the note.

"Can it burn?"

Song Jing was a little ashamed: "I ruined a furnace, and I improved it again. This time, it finally burned."

It really burned. No wonder Zhou Yu didn't come to him to ask for money even though the furnace was ruined.

The first person to benefit from this technical improvement was Zhou Yu.

The amount of iron ore that can be put in at one time has increased several times. I don't know how much iron can be smelted, which is far more than other folk smelters, even the official smelters of the court.

After many discussions between the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory, they jointly decided on an auspicious date for the prince's wedding.

It was May 4th.

All departments listed this matter as an important item and put it on the agenda.

Fu Han, the Minister of Rites, came to the East Palace to personally teach Zhu Houzhao all kinds of red tape.

What to do on the wedding day, what to say to His Majesty and the Queen, and the order of worshiping the heaven, earth and the four directions.

"Your Highness can't do this... Your Highness is wrong, you are wrong... Look at me..."

Various voices surrounded him.

Even Master Wang from the Zhanshi Mansion stretched out his feet and gestured. Zhu Houzhao looked like he had eaten fly shit, with a bitter face.

There was no imperial lecture these days, and he couldn't see Lao Gao.

"I have to go to the toilet."

"Your Highness just came back."

"I have a stomachache."

"Go, go, don't stay too long, come back early." Han Wen hurriedly ordered.

Zhu Houzhao turned a corner and ran to Hanyuan. When he saw Yan Chengjin, he complained: "Lao Gao, I want to cancel the engagement, you give me some advice."

The people in Hanyuan were like five lightning bolts hitting their heads, and they suddenly turned black.

"The Crown Princess is gentle and virtuous, why is Your Highness dissatisfied again?" Yan Chengjin asked.

"It's not that I'm dissatisfied. There are too many etiquettes for a wedding. Even if it's not a wedding, I can let her come to the East Palace to sleep with me."

Scumbag...

However, it is normal in the Ming Dynasty.

Many children of wealthy families have completed enlightenment when they were young. People like Yan Chengjin, who came from a poor family and have not yet been enlightened, are abnormal.

Wang Shouren deeply agrees: "The wedding is indeed too complicated."

Yan Chengjin said: "Your Highness knows that this is impossible. His Majesty has already announced it to the world. How can he take it back?"

Not long after Zhu Houzhao ran away, Han Wen ordered people to chase him and invited Zhu Houzhao back.

The days in May are warm and cold.

As early as a few days before the wedding, there was a festive atmosphere in the capital.

Zeng Jian couldn't help but burst into tears. He was tired of being impeached by the censors. It was just a bombing of Wang Gongchang. As for impeaching me for two months? Now there is finally a happy event to dispel the bad luck.

The prince's wedding will be held according to Zhou Li.

Two days later, the Crown Princess was married into the palace. The scene was grand, which showed the importance of Emperor Hongzhi.

Empress Zhang's mother, Jin, was also brought into the palace to share the joy of having a grandson.

Emperor Hongzhi sat at the head of the seat, while Empress Dowager Zhou and Empress Zhang sat on both sides.

Yan Chengjin was lucky enough to get a free meal by virtue of his status as a lecturer in the Imperial Academy and the prince's teacher.

Everyone had a smile on their face.

The Empress Dowager was pleased: "Now the prince has also married. Although the daughter of the Zeng family is not from the common people, I believe that Zeng will be able to be like the queen in the future and be the mother of the country."

Emperor Hongzhi nodded.

Empress Zhang smiled: "The Zeng family is prosperous, and I also like the princess."

Empress Zhang's biological mother Jin also smiled and nodded.

The Zhang brothers standing behind Jin looked bitter as if Emperor Hongzhi owed them money.

Han Wen, the Minister of Rites, breathed a sigh of relief. The prince has always been a troublemaker. The wedding day can pass so peacefully, which can be regarded as completing the task of the Ministry of Rites.

Yan Chengjin stood near the palace door and saw a eunuch running towards this side desperately.

He ran too fast, his hat was tilted, and he ran into the palace like a flutter, destroying the happy atmosphere.

Emperor Hongzhi frowned: "What's the matter!"

"Your Majesty...just now, the side hall of Kunning Palace caught fire." The eunuch said in panic.

Emperor Hongzhi was shocked. The bedroom of me and the queen caught fire?

All the officials took a deep breath.

Could it be that Zhu Houzhao set it?

Yan Chengjin thought it was impossible. Although Zhu Houzhao's style of behavior was weird, he was very smart and would never be so stupid as to burn his parents' bedroom.

The eunuch said again: "Fortunately, the palace maids discovered it in time and put out the fire."

"How did it burn?" Emperor Hongzhi asked.

"It was a maid from the Shangyijian who lit incense and accidentally set the palace on fire."

Yan Chengjin thought that the matter might not be that simple.

You are blind to think that lighting incense can set the palace on fire, and today is Zhu Houzhao's wedding day, and there is no burning of the house during the wedding.

If he could think of it, then so could Emperor Hongzhi and his ministers.

Emperor Hongzhi looked solemn: "The Imperial Guards will thoroughly investigate this matter."

"Yes!" Mou Bin's forehead was covered with sweat. The Imperial Guards were in the palace, yet such a thing happened.

Chapter title difficulty... Sorry, this chapter is late again