Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 584: Imperial Edict
Listening to Zhang Shou's voice, the emperor could not help but feel slightly dazed. He could vaguely hear the stereotyped and even somewhat dull voice of the Grand Tutor who crowned him that year: "On an auspicious day of the month, I will be crowned with the first year's formal attire. I wish you a long life and good health, and great fortune."
When he came back to his senses, he saw that Zhang Shou had already put the black cloth crown on Lu Sanlang. Thinking that since ancient times, the emperor's first dress was only for the coronation, and there was no second or third ceremony, he couldn't help but mutter to himself: "It's just the words for the crown of a scholar in the rites of passage. I thought Zhang Shou would come up with a few auspicious words himself, or use the four-sentence blessing speech simplified from the rites of passages."
"How can Shou be so free?" Zhu Ying complained directly in the emperor's ear, "He had to give a lecture yesterday, and before that he also had to teach students in the Jiuzhang Hall of the Imperial College, and the Third Prince. Uncle, do you think he is supernatural? He is simply too busy to handle it. He only had time to urgently review the chapter on the coming-of-age ceremony of scholars in the rites of passage, and just memorized all those sentences by copying them!"
At this time, Zhu Ying, who used to like to praise Zhang Shou, complained about Zhang Shou's last-minute preparation. Although she was not familiar with the ceremony of coming of age, she felt that it was quite similar to the ceremony just by looking at the strict procedures. However, she still did not think that Zhang Shou would not make any mistakes, so she simply said it in advance to prevent the emperor from finding fault.
In response, the emperor smiled. Seeing that Minister Liu and other guests who came to watch the ceremony were all cautiously looking at him, he swallowed his words of provocation. He came here today not only to give face to the little fat man of the Lu family, but also to take a good look at this ceremony.
You know, these days, the ceremony of capping is no longer considered as a major event in life, just like a wedding, as it was in the Qin and Han dynasties, and it is not as popular as the Tang and Song dynasties, when it was performed by officials and the common people. Nowadays, only the royal family and some officials who particularly follow the ancient rituals will hold the ceremony of capping, and as for ordinary people, not many of them will go through the motions, let alone ordinary people.
For example, his crowning ceremony was very grand because it was a rare ceremony for the emperor to enter his first years of service. The crowning ceremonies of the eldest and second princes were also held in a grand manner because the empress attached great importance to them. However, according to what he heard from Ge Yong and others, his father, Emperor Ruizong, had a very simple crowning ceremony, and Emperor Yingzong was lame at the time and was also shabby.
The emperors before him, such as Emperor Taizu who did not attach importance to etiquette, had a hasty coming-of-age ceremony for Emperor Taizong, while Emperor Gaozong's coming-of-age ceremony was very grand when he was emperor, while that of Emperor Sejong was mediocre... As for the princes, their coming-of-age ceremonies were even more humble and varied.
As for why he suddenly wanted to come and watch the coming-of-age ceremony of the little fat man from the Lu family, and compare it with his own and his predecessors, the reason was very simple. Today he had thrown another heavy burden on the Ministry of Rites that would make them extremely entangled.
After conferring the title of Crown Prince on October 15, he planned to hold a ceremony for the crown prince, the third prince, on October 16. But before that, he needed to decide on the scale and who would be the guest of honor for the crown prince's ceremony.
Of course Zhang Shou didn't know that the emperor who came to observe Lu Sanlang's coming-of-age ceremony today actually had such an idea in mind.
Because there had been no rehearsal beforehand, and he was only going to face some of the Lu family's relatives and friends, at most Lu Wan's relative, Minister Liu of Works, he was not nervous at all. But with the addition of the emperor, he had to recall in his mind the various procedures of the ceremony of coming of age, while paying attention to his words and actions, at least not being too careless.
First, he put on the black cloth crown, second, he put on the Jinxian crown, third, he put on the Juebian, and he gave three congratulatory speeches. He had no intention of introducing new ideas, and he used the original words from the Shi Guan Ci. He had finally found time to study the procedures of the Guan Ceremony carefully, but he couldn't even understand it thoroughly. He was still thinking of some unique congratulatory speech. Did he think he was not busy enough?
"Teacher, you are going to be the guest of honor at Senior Brother Lu's ceremony this time. When I have my ceremony someday, can you also come and crown me?"
Suddenly he remembered what the Third Prince had asked him quietly two days ago. Zhang Shou was tying a tassel and setting a hairpin for Lu Sanlang with the rhinoceros horn hairpin that the Emperor had awarded him. He was startled for a moment, then smiled. When others saw his smile, some were fascinated, some were intoxicated, some were jealous, and some were annoyed.
But he himself didn't care about the reactions of the people around him. Zhu Ying still said that it was a little less. He read not only the "Book of Rites", but also the "Book of Regulations", so he had a general idea of the specifications of the coming-of-age ceremony for people at all levels, from the highest to the lowest.
The emperor's coming-of-age ceremony was presided over by the Grand Tutor and the Grand Commandant, while the crown prince's coming-of-age ceremony was usually presided over by either the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor or other high-ranking officials of the same rank, never his turn. The most important thing was that there was one thing that was agreed upon, and that was the age of the person who was coming-of-age.
This fat boy, Lu Sanlang, is already seventeen years old this year, but the Third Prince will only be ten years old in the new year. It is too early for him to be crowned! This is not because the emperor is seriously ill or the young prince ascends the throne, and he needs to be crowned urgently to calm people's hearts... Bah, this is really unlucky! Considering that the emperor has always been pretty good to him, he really hopes that this emperor can live a hundred years so that he can enjoy the prosperity and peace in peace.
Wait, if the emperor wanted to show that the appointment of a crown prince was a well-thought-out decision and wanted to hold the coming-of-age ceremony for the third prince early, that would also make sense!
Zhang Shou thought so in his heart, and couldn't help but glance at the emperor again, wondering if the emperor came here today, in addition to joining in the fun, to see how Lu Wan organized the ceremony for the fat boy? If so, the emperor would probably be disappointed.
Today he was the main guest, the sponsor was the fat man's elder brother Lu Dalang, and the host was Lu Wan. Among the three, Lu Wan and Lu Dalang were said to have performed the capping ceremony in the past, but it was just a formality in their own ancestral temple, and he was even more confused, he became an official at the age of sixteen, and he had already worn the Jinxian crown, so it was impossible for Ge Yong to crown him.
Thinking of this, Zhang Shou couldn't help but be distracted for a moment. He should have waited until after the final banquet, when Lu Sanlang went to see his mother and came out, to say the words of enthronement, but for some unknown reason he said it at this moment.
"Now that the rituals are ready, I will choose an auspicious day in the right month to announce your name. Your name is Kong Jia, which is suitable for a gentleman. It is suitable for you during the holidays, and you will be protected forever. Say..." Zhang Shou recited the words to this point in a serious manner, and then he realized that he had made a mistake.
If someone else suddenly made such a big mistake in front of the emperor, they would naturally be extremely nervous and embarrassed. However, Zhang Shou had already felt that he would definitely make a mistake today, it was just a matter of how much. Now that he had said everything, he just paused slightly and then returned to his normal state.
"Lu means high and flat land. It is vast and boundless, and one can see the sky and the distance. Zhu means five-stringed music, which is suitable for both the common and elegant. It fits your temperament of being ordinary on the outside and elegant on the inside. When your father named you in the past, it was very meaningful."
The little fat boy's face turned green when he heard this. My father gave me such an ugly name, and you still praise him for it? Is this a shame or not ? If you also give me such an ugly nickname, I will fight you... Well, I don't think I can do that. If it's really ugly and you have to follow me for the rest of my life, I might as well go to Shichahai to dance!
Of course, other people couldn't tell from Lu Sanlang's complex psychological activities on his face, but Zhu Ying knew that the fat boy resented his name, so she whispered to the emperor: "What kind of courtesy name did Ah Shou give Lu Sanlang? He even refused to tell me and kept it secret."
"In fact, wouldn't it be better if we could bring it out earlier for everyone to discuss? I heard that Grandpa Ge gave Shou several courtesy names and let him choose one. If this one doesn't sound good, with Fatty Lu's character, he might explode on the spot."
The emperor had never heard that Ge Yong gave Zhang Shou a courtesy name and let Zhang Shou choose it himself, so he couldn't help but ask with interest. But before Zhu Ying could explain it in an exaggerated way, he heard Zhang Shou speak again with a smile.
"In the past, everyone thought you were mediocre, but you didn't give up on yourself or indulge in depravity. Instead, you made great progress. Therefore, everyone said that you were a prodigal son who turned over a new leaf. Most of the credit was attributed to me, but they ignored your talent and your hard work in places that others couldn't see. How can a sparrow understand the ambition of a swan? Since you have lofty ambitions..."
After another slight pause, Zhang Shou smiled and said, "From today on, you are Gao Yuan of the Lu family."
His courtesy name is Gaoyuan, Lu Gaoyuan! Lu Sanlang, who had just been feeling anxious, suddenly felt relieved and was delighted. Zhang Shou's praise really touched his heart. He bowed without thinking and said loudly: "I am not smart, but I will always be grateful to you! I am lucky to have met you, my teacher. A good horse will never miss a good horse!"
Zhang Shou bowed with a smile and heard a burst of discussion around him. People were either amazed or mocking Lu Sanlang's arrogance of comparing himself to a thousand-mile horse. He breathed a sigh of relief.
As for the wrong etiquette, he was too lazy to care about it anyway, and just said what was in his mind. Many people often say that a certain teacher has a good teaching method and a keen eye for talent, but they don’t think about the fact that a real wooden-headed person is someone that a teacher can’t teach even if he works himself to death, because he is hopeless from the inside. However, some people are talented but are buried, and this is why a good horse needs a good horse trainer to find one.
While thinking about this, Zhang Shou glanced at Zhang Chen, who had already been crowned, and other students whose identities he didn't know whether they had been crowned or not. Of course, no one who could come here was hopeless, but he couldn't say for sure how many talented people there were.
But just as he was thinking this, he found that many people's eyes were shining, and they looked at him with extremely fiery eyes. After the initial surprise, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous, and thought of a very tricky thing.
Of course, it is impossible for all of these students to be as wealthy as the Lu family, who could hold a grand ceremony for their coming-of-age ceremony. Even illegitimate sons like Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu, who were born into noble families, could not do that. Otherwise, how could their stepmothers treat them equally? However, even if they had courtesy names, what if they wanted him, their teacher, to give them another courtesy name? If everyone really had to have one, his head would definitely explode!
After all, it's not enough to just be a two-character courtesy name. You have to at least explain to people the meaning behind your two characters! Moreover, it's not enough to have just one of these things. Lu Sanlang has racked his brains for this one. If he has to come up with more than a dozen, it will cost his life!
Therefore, he immediately looked at Lu Wan and said with a smile: "Lu Jijiu is highly respected, and he is a Jinshi who passed the imperial examination twice. He was the former Minister of War and the current Jijiu of the Public School. Originally, I shouldn't teach him how to choose a courtesy name. After all, most people's courtesy names were chosen by their fathers themselves."
What Zhang Shou said was certainly correct. When people at that time went through the coming-of-age ceremony, their fathers or other elders would think of a courtesy name in advance, and then ask the host to give the name during the ceremony. Even if they had already decided to let the host pick the name, they would still find out in advance.
However, Lu Wan did not ask in advance, and did not even raise his eyelids when he found out that Zhang Shou made a mistake. Hearing Zhang Shou's words, he smiled and said, "Dr. Zhang is too modest. You just described Lu Zhu's character very accurately, and the courtesy name you gave him is a great encouragement. How can I think of anything better..."
The emperor couldn't help but laugh secretly - as the host, Lu Wan took the initiative to cooperate with Zhang Shou, who had made a mistake in etiquette, and was no longer planning to follow the unchanging ritual system?
Also, as teachers and fathers, you are praising each other like this in public... do you have any shame?
Zhang Shou was born with a handsome and elegant appearance. Although he was no longer a real teenager after two lives, he sometimes liked to show off in front of others. Lu Wan was even more so. The former Shangshu and current Jijiu loved to show off the most in his life. So, since Zhang Shou was willing to praise him for naming Lu Sanlang well, he would of course also praise Zhang Shou for the wonderful character he chose!
As for the emperor, Lu Wan had forgotten about him - because he was so satisfied with the two words "Gao Yuan" that Zhang Shou gave to Lu Sanlang!
The host and the guest of honor were both unreliable, and this kind of thing was not uncommon in other capping ceremonies. Thanks to the fact that Emperor Taizu had adopted many adopted sons and was particularly fond of giving people courtesy names, many different records of capping ceremonies were left by the emperors and ministers of previous dynasties. However, Zhu Ying, who was just watching the fun, had the time to observe the reactions of others, and even slipped out while Zhang Shou and Lu Wan were exchanging compliments.
When she found Ah Liu waiting outside, she immediately waved to him. When Ah Liu came over, she whispered, "Ah Liu, go outside and see if the person who was summoned to the capital by the emperor and is proficient in astronomy and numerology has come. If he has, have them come over and disrupt the situation."
Otherwise, people would definitely laugh at A Shou’s mistake during the coming-of-age ceremony!
Ah Liu knew without asking that something must have happened during the coming-of-age ceremony, but since Zhu Ying was there, he didn't ask any further questions. He just nodded and left in a hurry.
When Zhu Ying slipped back into the room, she saw Lu Wan had already started inviting everyone to the banquet. Naturally, the emperor, "Mr. Zheng", was given a separate seat. The emperor was not satisfied with this arrangement at all. He frowned and said unhappily, "It's boring to sit alone. Yingying, why don't you come with Zhang Shou?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw everyone's eyes fell on him. After a moment of shock, he realized that this feast was also a part of the ceremony of crowning. As the main guest, Zhang Shou had not yet completed the procedure! However, he was already impatient and had no interest in continuing this. He tapped the table with his fingers and wanted to interrupt. But at this moment, there was a commotion outside the door.
"Mathematics can reveal the depths of the universe, the rise and fall of the sun and the moon, and the mysteries of ghosts and gods. Therefore, Chinese mathematics has always been unrivaled in the world. May I ask Dr. Zhang and Master Lu, in your eyes, is mathematics like this?"
