Mid-April of the fourth year of Shenwu

In recent days, the cars of the governors and generals who came from all over the world have filled the streets of the Shendu, and even the clan kings from all over the domain have driven back from all over the country, just because it will be the Cold Food Festival in two days.

The Cold Food Festival is a big day for all dynasties, on this day, both the nobles and the common people will go to worship the ancestral tombs.

The origin of the cold food festival can be said to be very long, in the primitive society, the ancestors can only drill wood to make fire, the fire can be said to be hard-won, so changing the fire and exchanging for new fire has become a very important thing in the life of the ancients.

March is the season to change the fire, people do not arrive at the time of the new fire, to prohibit the fire, can only eat cold food, is also known as the cold food festival for the non-smoking festival, because on this day the people are not allowed to raise the fire, only the palace can be, and the palace in the fire is lit, and the fire is passed to the noble relatives and important ministers' homes, these noble relatives and important ministers can raise the fire, "change the fire" often have rituals, and is very exquisite, and in ancient times is often the more exquisite the festival is more important.

When the founding Taizu of the Great Zhou Dynasty arrived, every cold food festival would order people to drill wood to make fire, and give new fire to the ministers to show the emperor's grace, and the emperors of later dynasties followed suit and continued to this day

On the day of the Cold Food Festival, the emperor also personally led the royal family and the civil and military nobles to the Taimiao Temple to pay tribute to the ancestors.

Therefore, the princes and clan nobles who have heavy troops in their hands and shepherd one side must rush back to the divine capital on this day.

After the completion of the ancestor worship, the emperor will also hold a grand court meeting, this court meeting is called the "three major court ceremonies" with the Wanshou Festival and the winter solstice court, and it is one of the three grandest court meetings of the Great Zhou Dynasty every year.

There is an ancient record: "The princes report to the Son of Heaven, one does not degrade his lord, the second does not cut his land, and the third does not move the six armies." It can be seen that this kind of "great court meeting" is not only a kind of etiquette, but also a kind of constraint on the princes.

Especially in a country like the Great Zhou Dynasty, where there were many clans in the feudal regions, the feudal kings held local power, and it was even more difficult to control them, and the Great Dynasty Meeting was also a time for the king to test the loyalty of the feudal kings and their ministers.

Whether it is for the emperor or the princes and nobles, the Cold Food Festival is a major moment that cannot be ignored.

……

Today, Ma Jin has not gotten up yet, Xiao Nannan ran to Fengming Palace early in the morning to see Ma Jin and said that he was waiting for Ma Jin to listen to the story, and heard Zhou Qiang'er say that Ma Jin was still sleeping, and he pouted and muttered in his mouth, Ma Jin is really lazy, lazier than Nannan, and he can't get up at this time......

Seeing this, Li Feiya smiled helplessly at Zhou Qiang'er, Zhou Ehuang didn't care too much, she knew how much Ma Jin doted on this sister, so naturally she wouldn't say anything.

You must know that Ma Jinwei is really tired during this period of time, the Northwest War, Yangzhou Salt Reform, and the rebuilding of the Yellow Book of Fish Scales all make him have to devote himself to all his energy, not daring to slack off at all, and he has to be busy until late at night every day.

Tomorrow is the Cold Food Festival, the court will rest for two days, and it will be nothing for Ma Jin to sleep for a while, seeing that Ma Jin is so tired, Emperor Zhou E couldn't bear to wake ......him up. Zhou Qiang'er ordered someone to bring out some fruits and pastries to cushion Nannan's stomach.

"Your royal brother is still sleeping, and when we wake up, we will have breakfast."

"Okay......" Nan Nan rolled her big black eyes, and then reached out to grab the pastries on the fruit plate to eat, Li Feiya gently patted the back of her fleshy hand, so Nan Nan was a little aggrieved: "I washed my hands......" said pitifully stretched out her hand to Li Feiya, "I don't believe it, but it's clean......"

"Haha, child, it's okay to let her eat more." At this moment, Ma Jin turned out of the dormitory and said with a smile.

"Today is an important day, Your Majesty should dress solemnly!" Zhou Qiang'er looked helplessly at Ma Jin, who was dressed in a civilian robe, and said.

"What's this? Isn't it evening to feast kings? When the time comes, I have to change my clothes again, how troublesome is it? Ma Jin pursed his lips disapprenosantly and said.

"Let's eat......" Ma Jin sat down in front of his seat and instructed the palace maid who was waiting next to him.

"What did the queen mother say?" After Ma Jin waited for Zhou Qiang'er and Xiao Nannan to sit down, he suddenly asked Zhou Ehuang.

Zhou Qiang'er naturally understood what Ma Jin was asking, and hurriedly said: "The queen mother is naturally very happy, Nan Nan is the only heir of the first emperor...... " said and touched Xiao Nannan's head, making Xiao Nan Nan's face confused, until Li Feiya, who was standing on the side, guessed what Ma Jin meant, and was a little surprised, as long as the Queen Mother has no opinion, Xiao Nan Nan and her aunt can sit back and relax.

……

The sky is slowly getting dark, because of the fire ban of the Cold Food Festival, the people and officials are not allowed to light the fire and cook, because the entire god capital is a piece of black oppression, except for a little starlight, there is no light.

In the palace, the lights were bright, and countless palace maids and eunuchs were busy preparing all the needs of the palace banquet under the call of the steward eunuchs.

At a later time, the Xuanwu Gate slowly opened, and the frames of the clans that had been waiting outside the door for a long time were inspected by the Qianniu Guards and drove into the palace gate one after another

The banquet was scheduled to be held in the Ganlu Hall of Taiji Palace, which was a family banquet for the Ma royal family, and all the clans and their families in Beijing had to attend.

After Ma Jin, the Queen Mother and the harem concubines arrived, the clan relatives first knelt and shouted long live to Ma Jinshan, and then to the Queen Mother Mountain.

I saw a smile on Ma Jin's face, and kindly let these clan princes sit down, and then announced the opening of the banquet!

At this time, a team of palace maids in neon clothes and feather clothes danced in from outside the main hall, barefoot to reveal a pair of jade feet, dancing in the hall, only to see the red Ling flying, as if the gods descended to earth, the lotus root arm was lightly raised, and the slender waist was grasped, which looked very pleasing to the eye......

After the dance, Ma Jin stood up with a smile and said: "I have a happy event to announce today......" As he spoke, he glanced at the Empress Dowager Xiao who was sitting beside him, and saw the Empress Dowager Xiao smiling and bowing slightly, so he smiled and said: "That is, a few days ago, I finally found my long-lost sister, the only daughter of the emperor, and Ma Yi, the daughter of the Taishu Concubine Li."

As soon as Ma Jin's voice fell, everyone in the palace had no other idea except for the stunned emperor who would solemnly announce the return of the daughter of the former emperor during the banquet, after all, it had already spread outside the palace, and the past of Concubine Taishu and how the only princess of the former emperor came to know it to everyone.

Ma Jin glanced around at everyone in the hall, smiled, and said majestically.

"Wang Chengen!"

Wang Chengen, who was standing on the side, hurriedly walked to the front of the steps with the holy decree in his hand, saluted Ma Jin, turned around and looked at the sects, slowly opened the holy decree and read it:

"The horse still stepped forward to take the order!"

Xiao Nannan, who had been waiting for a long time, tried to maintain a serious expression on her face at this time, dressed in costume, and did not look left and right, but walked to the hall in a regular manner, knelt down on her knees, lowered her eyes, and waited there quietly, seeing that Xiao Nan was so sensible, the corners of Ma Jin's lips couldn't help but raise a smile

I only heard Wang Chengen read aloud:

Fengtian transported, the emperor said:

The king is harmonious with the nine clans, concord and all countries, the people are generous in the national style, the test is returned to the sister in Yixiang, the royal sister is still in quality, and she is graceful; Move to follow the rules of the history of the picture, and step in the festival of Henghuang. Six Jia preparations, one hundred taels have a period. , the seal of the concubine. With the tin of Changle. Qijiang analysis wood, Ye Yonghua. Barely won the seal of Tangyi. Bestow the title of Ma Shi is still the eldest princess of the Great Circumference, give the golden book, humble to hold the profit, benefit the dry of the Xingmen, expensive and thrifty, the voice of the room forever, do not replace the Lingyi, still slow Houlu, Qin this!

"My sister is grateful, may your majesty live long live, long live, long live." The little girl kowtowed in a crisp little voice and said.

After the ceremony, Ma Jin hurriedly beckoned the little girl to his side and asked her to salute the Queen Mother, who was naturally very happy to see that the little girl was so cute, and hurriedly pulled her to her side to ask for warmth.

Ma Jin saw the happy appearance of one big and one small, his heart must be in his heart, and he couldn't help showing a smile on his face, and his eyes turned to the kings of the clans in the hall, and when it came to Ma Jin's generation, he only had two younger brothers, Ma Zhou and Ma Yingqi, who were still young and had not yet reached the age of being crowned kings.

But the male heir is not good, he must be crowned before he can be canonized, and he may not necessarily be canonized as a prince, because the prince of the Great Zhou is a real powerful faction, which is related to the clan strategy pursued by the Great Zhou, namely:

The world is so big that it will build a Ping Domain, defend the country, secure the people's livelihood, pacify the Quartet, and continue to burn.

It is the princes and county kings of the Great Zhou Dynasty who can control a state of land such as Ma Lin, the former king of the Jin Dynasty, and a small one can also govern a county or several counties.

In the fourth year of Shenwu, there were five princes and eleven county kings in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the territory of the domain had reached as many as 24 counties.

Therefore, the emperors of all dynasties rarely canonized the princes, that is, the reign of the first emperor was too short, and in order to stabilize the situation, he had to canonize three princes in one go, becoming the emperor who canonized the most thrones in the past dynasties.

Therefore, in order to place the royal heirs, Taizu specially set up the five titles of Fengguo Lieutenant, Auxiliary Lieutenant, Zhenguo Lieutenant, Fengjie Lieutenant, and Lieutenant for the royal family.

That is to say, although you are a member of the royal family, if you are not a prince or a special hereditary, then you will be a commoner after five generations from your beginning, and you will have no privileges.

Speaking of this, we have to talk about the title system of the Great Zhou, in the Great Zhou, only the prince and the county prince are hereditary, and the fifth-class lieutenant, duke, marquis, and earl are all demoted, except for the special purpose, of course.

And among these tenth-class titles, the last eighth-class titles are only given to the food and not the domain, as for the prince and the county king! In the feudal territory, it is like a country within a country, except that you can't appoint or dismiss officials, you can do almost whatever you want, and it's a piece of cake to exercise any first night power or something.

Of course, these clan kings are also doing prestige in the domain, and they will never dare to blow up in front of Ma Jin.