Chaos of the Three Kingdoms Summons

Chapter 2806 Extra: The Crown Prince Ascends the Throne and Changes the Era Name to Taihe
The grief over the sudden death of the old emperor Li Xiang, like a heavy gloom, enveloped the entire imperial city of Luoyang.

The death of the emperor at the age of ninety-five, though expected, still brought tremendous shock and sorrow.

However, a country cannot be without a ruler for even a day.

After the entire nation was draped in mourning and eighty-one bells rang to announce the passing of the late emperor, the imperial power machine, in a somber yet orderly atmosphere, once again began its established and stable operation.

The crown prince, already middle-aged at thirty-six and having served as regent for many years, wept bitterly before the coffin to fulfill his filial duty, then suppressed his grief and quickly took on the heavy responsibility of stabilizing the situation.

While presiding over the unprecedented state funeral ceremony, he also comforted the anxious civil and military officials and the people, demonstrating the refined demeanor of a crown prince honed through years of overseeing the country.

Or rather, starting from the twenty-seventh year of Tianchen, Crown Prince Li Yan, although he did not have the title of emperor, already had the power of an emperor.

The emperor at that time had moved to the Luoshui Villa and, unless something extremely important happened, he basically no longer concerned himself with state affairs, leaving the affairs of the court to the then Crown Prince Li Yan.

The first thing a new emperor does upon ascending the throne is to establish the legitimacy of his rule, announce it to the world, and change the era name.

Shortly after the death of the late emperor, an auspicious day was chosen, and the new emperor held his enthronement ceremony.

Although the ceremony was scaled down due to the national mourning period, the ceremony remained solemn and dignified.

The Crown Prince, or rather, Li Yan, who was now the new emperor, dressed in hastily made imperial robes and crown, stepped onto the supreme imperial steps amidst the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" from the officials, and sat on the dragon throne that he had been gazing at and waiting for for so long.

My elder brother, the Crown Prince, waited for decades but never got this position.

Even he, who was officially made crown prince in the twenty-fourth year of Tianchen, has been here for more than a decade now!

How many dozen years or so does one have in a lifetime?
Fortunately, he was not the former crown prince!
He was young enough compared to his father and his elder brother, the former crown prince.

His youth was also his greatest advantage, giving him ample time to wait, to wait patiently until that day arrived. When he stood in that position, he understood his late elder brother, the Crown Prince.

Having such an emperor as a father is too much of a despair for his descendants!
After ascending the throne, the first important edict he issued was to change the era name.

On this day, Wang Cong, the newly appointed Hanlin Academician and grandson of Wang Meng, the first Minister of Personnel of the Great Jin Dynasty, received the imperial edict, held the neatly copied edict in his hands, stood below the steps, faced the civil and military officials, and read it aloud.

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I have inherited the mandate of Heaven and succeeded to this great cause. I admire the late Emperor's holy virtue and divine achievements, which shone upon the four corners of the earth, benefited all people, and allowed him to enjoy the country for ninety-five years, creating a golden age that is unprecedented in history."

"Now that the Emperor has passed away, my heart is broken and my grief is boundless. However, the fate of the nation is paramount, and the imperial regalia cannot remain vacant for long. Though I am deeply grieved, how could I not obey?"

"Now, in accordance with the late emperor's will and in accordance with public opinion, I hereby ascend the throne. I wish to continue the legacy of my predecessors and bring lasting peace to the people. Therefore, I hereby promulgate new regulations to accord with the will of Heaven. Thus, on the first day of next year, I hereby change the era name to 'Taihe'. This proclamation is hereby issued to all within and outside the capital, so that all may know. This is my decree!"

Li Yan changed the dynasty name to "Taihe," meaning "national prosperity and peace, and harmonious governance."

This name of the dynasty not only reflected the Second Emperor of the Great Jin's hopes for a well-governed future, but also implied a smooth transition and a desire to mitigate the potential turmoil caused by the passing of the old emperor.

After the imperial edict was read aloud, all the officials kowtowed again and shouted in unison.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live peace and prosperity!"

The reign title "Taihe" spread rapidly throughout the capital and to every corner of the empire following the issuance of the imperial edict.

It symbolizes the end of one era and the official beginning of another.

From then on, following the reign of Emperor Tianchen, the prosperous and peaceful era created by Emperor Taizong of the Great Jin Dynasty finally began.

In later generations, the two great golden ages of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Taizu were sometimes linked together and referred to as the Chenhe Golden Age.