The palace banquet was over, the snow stopped, and when I came out of the hall, the sedan chair had been waiting for a long time.
Princess Kangren and Xiao Ming'er followed the dowager concubine into the sedan chair. Jiang Changning looked back at Prince Jin and Prince Qing standing on the white jade steps.
It was unknown what the two were talking about, both had the same fake smile on their faces.
The fireworks, which flickered from time to time, shone on the two people, giving people a gloomy and weird feeling, making people afraid to approach them and retreat.
There was indeed no one within a distance of ten steps between the two of them, so even if they wanted to go down the stairs and take a sedan chair, they had to stay away from them.
A gust of wind blew and Prince Qing sneezed.
Prince Jin said with concern: "The weather is cold, and Uncle Wang is not young anymore, so you'd better not stay outside for too long. If you catch a cold and become ill, it will be troublesome."
"Are you cursing me?" Prince Qing said with narrowed eyes.
"Uncle Wang, how could you misunderstand me like this? I was just reminding you to take care of yourself." Prince Jin smiled and bowed. "My princess is waiting for me, Uncle Wang, let's talk another day."
After saying that, he strode down the stairs. When he stepped on the last step, Jiang Changning extended his hand to him.
Prince Jin immediately held it and said, "My hands are a little cold, where is the hand warmer?"
"My mother's hand warmer went out. As she was about to leave the palace, she didn't want to trouble the palace maids, so I gave mine to her." Jiang Changning explained.
"You are so considerate of them, but they don't necessarily appreciate your kindness. Instead, they freeze themselves."
"It's just for a moment, it's not cold." Jiang Changning said with a smile.
The sedan chair came over, and the King of Jin helped her sit steadily before sitting down beside her. He held her in his arms and said, "I will be your hand warmer."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Jiang Changning said with a smile.
"Princess, you are too polite. This is what I should do." Prince Jin said seriously.
Time always flies quickly. Winter turns to spring, and after New Year’s Eve, it’s a new year again.
In the spring, when flowers bloom, you can hold various flower-viewing parties, garden parties, tea-tasting parties, and painting viewing parties.
Princess Kang Ren received a large stack of invitations, which made her feel annoyed.
"You don't have to go to all of them, just pick a few that you want to go to." Jiang Changning said with a smile.
"I don't want to go." Princess Kang Ren was close to Jiang Changning, and her true nature was revealed in front of her.
"Kang Ren, although you should be on guard against others, you should not go too far and keep people at a distance. There are bad people and good people in this world. You just need to choose good friends."
"Bo Ya and Zi Qi, high mountains and flowing water."
Jiang Changning laughs, "Fairy Friendship"
"Aunt, please help me choose." Princess Kang Ren spread out the invitation.
Jiang Changning flipped through several posts and found the one sent by Grand Tutor Fang. "Does this art viewing require you to bring a painting each?"
"um, yes."
"Do you want to go?" Jiang Changning knew that Grand Tutor Fang was an honest official and neutral in the court, and was the kind of person who could be won over.
Princess Kangren nodded, and Jiang Changning smiled and said, "Go to the storeroom and pick out a painting you like."
"Thank you, Auntie."
"Silly boy."
The aunt and nephew picked and chose, and selected twelve from twenty-five posts.
It’s not that I don’t want to choose more, but the dates of several of them conflict with each other, and they are open on the same day.
On the same date, of course, you would go to visit people you are familiar with, or people with a decent family background.
In the following days, Jiang Changning stayed at home to take care of her pregnancy, Princess Kangren was busy attending banquets in various mansions, and Prince Jin was fighting with Prince Qing in the court.
However, no matter how busy Prince Jin was, he never forgot to educate his son.
He invited Zhang Xuanweng, a famous scholar in the capital, to be Xiao Ming'er's teacher. Jiang Changning frowned and said, "It's not necessary. It's a waste of talent."
For a three-year-old child, it is enough to find a scholar to enlighten him.
"This brat is so smart, we need to find a powerful teacher to look after him." Prince Jin did not mention that Xiao Ming'er was the prince of the royal palace and had a noble status.
"Don't keep calling him a brat."
"He was a stinky boy."
Prince Jin reached out and touched her belly, "Please help me give birth to a sweet little girl this time."
"If I say I will give birth to a son, and if I say I will give birth to a daughter, then I am not the Princess of Jin. I am the Goddess of Childbirth."
Prince Jin smiled and hugged her, "It's better for you to be the Princess of Jin."
On the tenth day of February, an auspicious day, the Prince of Jin's Mansion held an enlightenment ceremony for the young prince Helian Yuming.
"Master, please straighten your clothes." The chief historian of the palace acted as the master of ceremonies.
Family members including the invited Zhou brothers, Gu brothers and Yan brothers were spectators.
The little guy was wearing a brand new blue robe and a small jade crown on his head. He walked up to Zhang Xuanweng with a stern face and said, "Student greets you, sir."
"Dress properly, behave properly, distinguish right from wrong, and know honor and disgrace." Zhang Xuanweng solemnly adjusted his clothes and jade crown for him, indicating that he was willing to accept this little disciple.
"The student will remember your teachings." Xiao Ming'er replied.
"To perform the ritual of washing."
The servant brought a basin of warm water, and Zhang Xuanweng said, "Put your hands in the basin and wash them. Clean your hands and mind, remove impurities and retain your essence. I hope that in the future, you will concentrate on your studies and not be distracted."
Xiao Ming followed his request, washed the palms and backs of his hands, and dried them with a clean towel.
"Worship the Holy Master." said the Chief Secretary.
The holy teacher is Confucius, and his statue hangs on the east wall.
"Dress neatly." said the chief secretary.
Xiao Ming lowered his head to adjust his belt, then looked up at the statue of Confucius.
"With sincerity, please hold my hand and bow."
Xiao Minger did as he was told and bowed to the statue of Confucius.
"Set your mind on heaven and earth, worship, and rise."
"To establish a mission for the people, worship and rise."
"To carry on the lost knowledge of the ancient sages, I bow and rise."
"To bring peace to the world for eternity, I bow and rise."
Pay homage to the Holy Master and the Confucian Master.
"My parents gave me life, my teachers taught me. I respect my teachers, and they listen to me with wisdom and insight, and explain my doubts to me and make me understand my principles."
As the prince of a royal family, Xiao Ming'er only knows how to kneel down and kowtow to his teacher.
He asked a candidate to be his tutor, but the candidate did not dare to accept his gift.
After the ceremony of paying homage to the teacher, the next step is to present six gifts and a bundle of tuition fees.
The six gifts are: celery, which symbolizes diligence and love of study; lotus seeds, which symbolize painstaking education; red beans, which symbolize great ambitions; red dates, which symbolize early admission to high school; longans, which symbolize enlightenment; and dried lean meat strips to express the disciple's intention.
Zhang Xuanweng's return gift was four things: The Analects, green onions, celery and firewood.
"Cinnabar opens up the mind." said the Chief Secretary.
The servant brought a brush and cinnabar. Zhang Xuanweng took the brush and applied cinnabar, then dotted a cinnabar mole on Xiao Ming'er's forehead.
Xiao Ming'er has a fair and tender face to begin with, and after having the cinnabar mole applied on him, he looks even more like the Jade Wealth Boy under the seat of Guanyin.
"Trace the red and start writing."
Zhang Xuanweng brought Xiao Ming'er to the table, held his hand, and taught him to write the character "人" (person), "Study and learn to be a person."
Zhang Xuanweng recited the opening verse of The Great Learning, "The way of the Great Learning is to manifest the bright virtue, to love the people, and to abstain from the highest good."
After the enlightenment ceremony, Xiao Minger began his formal studies.
Note: I couldn’t find complete information about the enlightenment ceremony, so I compiled it myself by piecing together several pieces of information. I hope those who are researching don’t mind.
(End of this chapter)