Crown Prince begins mandatory military service, shaves hair
20 November 4492, 2nd year of the Ruyi Era
Left: The Crown Prince, August; Right: The Crown Prince today, during his enlistment.
NORTHERN ANLE, Anle Province: The Sacred Son of Indrala, Crown Prince Luzhen has enlisted with the Imperial Army to complete his mandatory military service. This is atypical, as Crown Princes' have historically opted for civil service as opposed to military service due to their indispensability to the foundation of the Indralan state. Additionally, the Imperial Armed Forces regulatory haircut poses a particular issue for members of the Imperial Clan, who tend not to cut their hair in accordance with their deeply-held religious beliefs. As is written in the Classics,
The body, hair and skin, all have been received from the parents, and so one doesn’t dare damage them—that is the beginning of filial piety.
Nonetheless, seeking to fulfil his civic responsibility, the Crown Prince followed in the footsteps of his great-granduncle Prince Jianhao by spending the last few weeks begging for the permission and forgiveness of his parents, the Empress Kim and the Ruyi Emperor, and of his grandmother, Empress-dowager Yi. The Crown Prince presented the Son of Heaven with a silver sword for which to cut his hair with, and then kneeled before the Emperor until he cut off the Crown Prince's top-knot. After this symbolic step, Palace staff shaved the Crown Prince's hair in accordance with Imperial Army regulations.
The Crown Prince formally enlisted today at the 2nd Infantry base near Dawei Village in Northern Anle Province along with fellow conscripts from all walks of life; all Indralan males are required by law to serve two years of civilian or military national service before their 30th birthday. The Crown Prince appeared bashfully sheepish as his arrival spawned a large crowd of onlookers. As the Crown Prince disappeared behind the base gates, the crowd cheered: "Long Live the Sacred Son, Long Live Crown Prince Luzhen!"
The enlistment of Crown Prince Luzhen has also caused a number of imperial observers to question the future of the rumoured relationship between the Crown Prince and the Princess of Hanzen, Jintana. As has been reported, Princess Jintana's frequent trips to Indrala have raised some eyebrows; the Imperial Household has not replied to any requests for comment regarding the speculation. Nonetheless, it is not a secret that the Crown Prince shares a close relationship with both Jintana and her brother, Prince Sonchai of Hanzen, all of whom were personally tutored by the Tianxing Emperor during their childhood.
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