A few days later.
Inside Fengtian Hall, the imperial clan had gathered.
It could be said that, apart from Zhu Di and Zhu Shuang, who were imprisoned in the Imperial Clan Court, every other member of the Zhu imperial clan was present.
The New Year was just around the corner, and Zhu Yuanzhang had specifically summoned the imperial clan to hold a banquet together.
In the twenty-eighth year of the Hongwu Era, the Ming Dynasty had achieved tremendous development. Naturally, Zhu Yuanzhang wished to celebrate properly.
Seated in the places of honor within Fengtian Hall were still Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, and Zhu Ying—the three generations of grandfather, father, and grandson.
Zhu Yuanzhang sat in the central imperial seat, with Zhu Biao and Zhu Ying seated on either side.
This seating arrangement was enough to reveal the current distribution of imperial power within the Ming Dynasty.
Three dragons held court, solemn and imposing.
After these members of the Zhu imperial clan entered Fengtian Hall, they each paid their respects to Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, and Zhu Ying.
Although some of the feudal princes were senior to Zhu Ying in generation and were essentially his uncles, Zhu Ying was, after all, His Highness the Imperial Grandson of the Ming Dynasty. Naturally, those princely uncles had to pay him their respects as well.
Soon after the greetings were over, palace maids began bringing in exquisite dishes and fine wine.
Since the Ming Dynasty's territory was now immensely vast, the food at the banquet naturally came in a wide variety of styles.
There were Anhui dishes that Zhu Yuanzhang enjoyed, Shandong cuisine favored for state banquets, roasted lamb from the Northern Frontier, and many beautifully presented seafood dishes as well.
Once all the dishes had been served, Zhu Yuanzhang deliberately rose from the