In the court meeting, Zhu Yijun glanced at the officials' faces expressionlessly. At this time, the officials all knelt on the ground.
Their purpose was also very obvious. They hoped that Zhu Yijun would go to worship the gods and ancestors, and conveniently announce it to the world.
To put it bluntly, they wanted to show off their achievements and establish their prestige. Of course, if the Mount Tai Pilgrimage hadn't been ruined, Zhu Yijun would definitely go to Mount Tai Pilgrimage.
"Everyone, I know what you want!" Zhu Yijun said slowly, "All of you may rise!"
When all the officials stood up, Zhu Yijun said, "Since you are so determined, I won't refuse. The cabinet and the Ministry of Rites, prepare for this event."
At this time, Zhu Yijun couldn't refuse anymore, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain it to them.
Things were settled in this way. Zhu Yijun began the ceremony of worshipping the gods and ancestors. From the beginning to the end, it would take two months.
Zhu Yijun didn't know why the Ministry of Rites made this thing. Anyway, it was made. It was grand and the ceremony was complicated.
He didn't know if it was to show their existence, but the Ministry of Rites put in a lot of effort this time.
These years, the Ministry of Rites didn't exist very much. This time, it seemed that they were going to move back. The whole ceremony cost 400,000 taels of silver, but the plan was rejected by Zhu Yijun.
It was too expensive. Although they had money now, they shouldn't spend it like this. They should reduce expenses.
The Ministry of Rites and the cabinet worked quietly. Of course, some officials couldn't stand it and wrote to persuade the emperor.
It was wrong for the emperor to be so thrifty. What could he save?
However, these opinions were ignored by Zhu Yijun.
What a joke. Nothing was more important than saving money. 400,000 taels of silver? Stop it. In the end, Zhu Yijun approved 100,000 taels of silver. The originally grand ceremony was reduced by more than half.
Zhu Yijun was satisfied. He spent less money, and the process was not so complicated. He could also relax.
While Zhu Yijun was busy worshipping the gods and ancestors, the others were not idle. Daming had started a new round of development.
The Ordnance Division was researching new equipment, and the rear-loading cannon and steam engine were being researched diligently. Li Shizhen's pharmaceutical factory had also begun construction. Although the scale was not large, it was truly a synthetic pharmaceutical factory. Its status and historical role were immeasurable.
While Daming was developing rapidly, a group of people arrived at the entrance of the capital.
This group of people was none other than the Japanese Empire's diplomatic mission. The leader was the younger brother of the current Japanese Empire's Emperor, who was also the younger brother of Emperor Houyang Cheng.
In this era, the emperor of the Japanese Empire was basically a decoration, a completely useless existence.
During the Warring States Period, the wars were chaotic. Everyone was loyal to their masters, and no one cared who the emperor was.
The Warring States Period in Japan was similar to the Spring and Autumn Period in ancient Huaxia. The status of the emperor was really low, and he could not even afford to eat.
The emperor of the Japanese Empire was the same. His life was miserable, and he was not at all like the majestic "descendants of all generations" of the later generations.
After Oda Nobunaga ascended to the throne, in order to stabilize his rule, he swept the emperor's family out of the waste pile.
To raise the emperor's status, he played the trick of controlling the emperor. This was probably the reason why the people of the Japanese Empire liked the Three Kingdoms. They could learn a lot from it.
After the incident at Honnoji, Toyotomi Hideyoshi ascended to the throne. In order to consolidate his rule, Toyotomi Hideyoshi paid more attention to the emperor's family. He gave them more money and began to worship the emperor's family as a memorial tablet.
Because Toyotomi Hideyoshi was of low birth, he needed the emperor's glory to add some points to himself, so he was more respectful.
In history, during the Tokugawa Shogunate era, Tokugawa Ieyasu did not respect the emperor's family as much anymore.
The Tokugawa Shogunate published 17 articles of the "Laws of the Forbidden Imperial Family", which restricted the power and actions of the emperor and the nobles in detail.
The "Laws" clearly stated that the emperor "prioritized knowledge" and did not need to concern himself with state affairs.
The appointment of court officials, the emperor's clothing and accessories, and the emperor's inspection tour, etc., all had to be approved by the shogunate.
The only article in the "Laws" that retained the emperor's power was the eighth article: The emperor had the right to decide the era name according to the "previous rules of the dynasty".
Therefore, whether in form or in reality, the power of the imperial family was completely taken away by the shogunate.
It looked like a constitutional monarchy, but it was not the case at all. The shogunate was hereditary, and it was essentially a feudal monarchy. However, the emperor referred to the shogunate of the Tokugawa family, not the emperor's family.
In this life, the emperor's situation was similar. After the Japanese Empire was defeated by the Daming, the emperor of the Japanese Empire was once again in an awkward situation.
The current emperor of the Japanese Empire was far less powerful than in the future, and they were also afraid that the Daming would kill them. This time, the envoy was led by Prince Hachijō Miya Tomohito. Accompanying Prince Hachijō Miya Tomohito was Tokugawa Ieyasu.
It was fine for anyone not to come, but Tokugawa Ieyasu had to come, because the Emperor Daming had named him.
Whether it was Tokugawa Ieyasu or Prince Hachijō Miya Tomohito, they were all shocked by the Daming's power along the way.
Not to mention how much they had traveled along the way, what they had seen and heard along the way was beyond their imagination.
The four-wheeled carriage on the road and the smooth cement floor showed how many cities they had passed through. There were countless people in each city, and there were peddlers everywhere. There were all kinds of goods, some of which they had seen before and some of which they had never seen before. All of this made the two's hearts sink to the bottom of the valley.
When the team arrived at the capital, the mood of the two instantly became very complicated.
Forbidden City, Wenhua Palace.
"Imperial Majesty, the envoy of the Japanese Empire is here!"
Zhang Jing came to Zhu Yijun with a booklet and said respectfully, "This is the name list of the envoy."
Zhu Yijun nodded and reached out to take the name list of the envoy of the Japanese Empire. After taking a look, Zhu Yijun raised his eyebrows. There were a few acquaintances on the list.
This Prince Hachi Miya Tomohito was an acquaintance!
It should be known that he was a person who almost became the emperor, and Emperor Houyang Cheng almost gave up the throne to him.
When Zhu Yijun saw that it was Prince Hachi Miya Tomohito, Zhu Yijun thought of another thing, that is, whether it was Oda Nobunaga or Toyotomi Hideyoshi, they both liked to adopt the emperor's son as their adopted son.
Tokugawa Ieyasu married off his daughter. Anyway, it was all to control the emperor. Zhu Yijun did not have this idea. His idea was more direct and powerful, because Zhu Yijun was going to establish a shogunate in the Japanese Empire. Yes, it was a shogunate, but it was not the shogunate of the emperor of Japan, but the shogunate of the Daming Empire.
The Daming General stationed in the Japanese Empire was the Great General of the Conquest of Barbarians. He was conferred the title by the Daming and the Japanese Empire. On the one hand, he was the Admiral of the Japanese Empire stationed by the Daming, and on the other hand, he was the Great General of the Conquest of Barbarians of the Japanese Empire.