People in the early Tang Dynasty: I compete with Wu Zhao for the throne

Chapter 1512: Reading the Imperial Edict, the Crown Prince Ascends the Throne

The first year of Hongdao, the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Suitable for: transactions, collecting money, praying, bathing, burial, sacrifice, coffining, repairing graves, and moving coffins.

Taboo: getting married, buying a house, moving to a new house, starting a business...

……

In the early morning, the morning light paves the road, as grand as a sword.

Inside Chengtian Gate, white banners stood in rows and white silks hung around the beams.

It was a sad and solemn scene.

Li Xuan, dressed in a black brocade robe, a black nine-beam crown, and a white linen mourning dress, and Lin Renji, who was dressed in the same way, followed the eunuch Fan Yunxian with solemn expressions and walked towards the palace gate.

The guards guarding the palace gate had already covered themselves with white linen mourning clothes, holding long spears with their eyes lowered.

Fan Yunxian raised her hand slightly, the guards bowed, and then the palace gate opened.

Outside Chengtian Gate, countless court officials were already wearing the same mourning clothes, holding tablets in their hands, and looking towards the palace gate with solemn expressions.

Among them were Li Xuan’s father-in-law Liu Rengui and uncle Ouyang Tong.

Fan Yunxian walked out quickly, while Li Xuan and Lin Renji walked outside the palace gate and stood on both sides of the gate.

Fan Yunxian flicked her whisk and said loudly, "In the first year of Hongdao, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, the emperor passed away, and all the ministers paid tribute to him."

"Here!"

All the ministers bowed at the same time and followed the prime ministers, chancellors, princes and generals with sad faces as they walked towards the palace.

Among the ministers, there were no Prince Xiang and Princess Taiping because they had already entered the palace early.

Li Xuan walked in front of the ministers with a sad face, and he and Lin Renji led the ministers around the Qianyang Palace and walked towards the Zhenguan Palace.

The emperor died of illness in the Zhenguan Hall, and his body remained in the Zhenguan Hall before being put into the coffin.

According to Tang Dynasty customs, when an emperor died of illness, he would be bathed and changed clothes that night and put into the coffin on the third day.

The night of the emperor's death, the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, was counted as the first day.

Today is already the second day.

All the ministers paid homage and the new emperor ascended the throne.

……

In the Zhenguan Hall, Empress Wu stood on the left side of the imperial couch, dressed in white linen mourning clothes.

Crown Prince Li Xian, Prince of Xiang Li Dan, and Princess Taiping knelt down under the imperial couch, sobbing softly.

The Crown Princess, the Princess of Xiang, the Prince Consort Xue Shao, and all the descendants of the families all knelt on the left side of the imperial couch, crying quietly.

Li Xuan led the ministers to their respective seats, and then he and Lin Renji stepped forward at the same time, clasped their hands, and bowed with heavy expressions.

Standing above, King of Han Li Yuanjia, Minister of Rites Wei Daijia, and Minister of the Central Secretariat Pei Yan bowed to Empress Wu at the same time.

Empress Wu looked at Fan Yunxian.

Fan Yunxian immediately stepped forward, swung the whisk in his hand, and shouted loudly: "All ministers pay homage to the late emperor, kneel!"

Inside and outside the palace, countless ministers knelt down at the same time, and then cried out three times: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

Countless court officials couldn't help but shed tears, looking extremely sad.

Fan Yunxian shouted again: "Announce the late emperor's will."

In a word, all court officials, including Li Xian, Li Dan, Princess Taiping, and all the princesses and their husbands, fell silent at once.

Pei Yan stepped forward, took out the emperor's will from his sleeve, and said loudly to the ministers: "In the first year of Hongdao, on the 24th day of the twelfth month of the year Renwu, the emperor said:

Yu Xi!

I have heard that the Imperial Supreme Being is the most impartial in the world, and the sacred artifact is the greatest treasure in the land. Unless one is blessed by the heaven and earth, and has the calendar in his hands, it is not easy to visit the Phoenix Residence, and it is difficult to control the Dragon Map. Therefore, the green of the Ying River is interlaced, showing the symbol of getting one; the red book of the warm Luo River is written, and the table of the three is written..."

Li Xuan kowtowed solemnly. Although he heard Pei Yan's voice in his ears, in his mind, it was the emperor who was reciting in plain language.

"…My holy ancestor, the divine ancestor, descended the stars and rainbows and received the telegrams from the central government; he took advantage of the time to soothe the destiny, and when the chaos was boiling, he made the mountains roar… He re-promoted the nine worlds, stopped the unicorns from fighting and cleared the sun and moon; he re-pacified the eight poles, stopped the dragons from fighting and calmed the storms.

It has been sixty-five years since then.

The people are free from the alarm of beacons and enjoy farming and digging.

Raise children and grandchildren, beat the earth and puff up your belly.

"Whose power is it that makes the world so peaceful?"

Li Xuan took a deep breath, breathing heavily.

It has been sixty-five years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. Although there have been some twists and turns in the middle, it has been successfully passed down to this day.

……

"I, with my humble body, have inherited the great legacy. I look up to the heavens, solemnly guard the temple, heed the wise decrees, and uphold the ancient ethics.

I praise the virtuous scholars and officials for their diligence in governing the country; I encourage them to think of their fear of the ice and the fear of the dragon, and to be as diligent as the crowing of a rooster in doing good.

Fortunately, Rong and Xia are at peace, and China and the world are blessed.

The moon is full of stars and the calendar is in sync, and the sun is shining on the city walls and mixed with the books.

The posture is upright and without any worries, and the hanging clothes are well-cut.

It is God's will, not human affairs.

Whenever he guided the people and corrected the times, he promoted courtesy and humility.

With leniency in punishment and light penalties, he restored the country to the state of benevolence and longevity.

If I hear that the nine agricultural products are not doing well, I will cut off my meals to share my worries; if I see that one thing is not in order…”

Li Xuan's forehead was pressed tightly against the ground. The will described in detail Li Zhi's life achievements.

There is no doubt that he was an excellent emperor.

He knows exactly what to do and is trying his best to do it.

But unfortunately, he was ill.

“…When the sage first passed away, he became ill due to grief.

The patient has suffered from tuberculosis for a long time, and the guilt is due to aging.

Recently, his condition has suddenly become seriously worse.

It is hard to expect recovery the next day, and it is rare to receive the blessing of a new year.

But survival and destruction are the darkness and brightness of man, and life and death are the morning and evening of things.

Only saints can understand what is stuck in common feelings, and they can escape from all directions without much regret..."

After hearing this, some of the ministers in the hall could not hold back their tears. In the end, the emperor came to terms with his illness.

This kind of open-mindedness made the ministers feel infinitely sad.

Empress Wu stood beside the imperial bed and clenched her fists tightly.

Although the emperor's last edict contained a lot of formal words at the beginning and end, the parts in the middle were all dictated by him personally.

This kind of emperor is no longer the emperor that Empress Wu knew.

……

"…The Crown Prince Xian, holding the mourning shoes, is kind and devoted to Qi. He has long been a model of heaven and man, and has long been a model of the Emperor.

All the princes, dukes, ministers and officials should be sincere and respectful to the prince, continue the great cause, glorify our seven hundred foundations, and fulfill the wishes of the millions. "

After death, the funeral will be held on seven days.

The world is vast, and the clan society is of utmost importance.

The succession to the throne must not be interrupted for a moment. The crown prince can ascend the throne in front of the emperor.

The severity of their clothing should follow the Han system.

Replacing the month with the day is appropriate for the matter.

The system of gardens and mausoleums must be frugal.

If there are any undecided matters on military or national affairs, the Empress Dowager will be consulted for advice.

Each king was granted an additional 100 households, and each princess an additional 50 households.

All civil and military officials, both inside and outside the court, and officials above the ninth rank will be promoted one rank, and officials below the third rank will be given one level of nobility.

Since the Yonghui period, all those who were fifty years old and had joined the army were released from the army.

All common people over the age of fifty were exempted from taxes and labor service, and the Wanquan, Fanggui and other palaces were abolished.

Admire this. "

After Pei Yan finished reading, he looked at the ministers with a heavy face.

All the ministers in the palace bowed their hands at the same time and said, "We accept your order. The late emperor is extremely merciful."

"Everyone, please stand up." Empress Wu spoke, raising her head slightly.

This time, the ministers bowed and said, "Thank you, Queen."

Empress Wu looked at the ministers and said calmly, "The emperor has a will, appointing Zhongshu Ling Pei Yan as the assistant minister and the head of the Political Affairs Hall, Pei Qing."

"Empress!" Pei Yan bowed to Empress Wu, then looked at Li Xian who was kneeling in front of the imperial couch and bowed, "Please ask the Crown Prince to come forward."

All the ministers looked at Li Xian at the same time.

Li Xian suppressed his sadness, looked up at Pei Yan, looked at the imperial edict in Pei Yan's hand, and then looked at Empress Wu.

Empress Wu nodded slightly.

Li Xian finally stood up, took a deep breath, walked in front of Pei Yan, then turned around and looked at the ministers with a solemn expression.

……

Li Xuan looked at Li Xian calmly.

Although Li Xian had gained some weight, it was precisely because of this that he was very similar to the emperor of that time.

Looking at it, Li Xuan seemed to see the emperor standing in front of him.

Pei Yan held the will in his hand, looked at the ministers with a stern gaze and said, "According to the will of the late emperor, the prince will ascend the throne before the spirit appears. All the ministers bow and salute."

As soon as Pei Yan finished speaking, Empress Wu, Li Dan, and countless soldiers inside and outside the palace all looked at the ministers at once.

No one hesitated at this time.

The next moment, everyone knelt on the ground, including Li Dan, who turned over and knelt towards Li Xian.

Pei Yan also knelt down at the same time, and then took the lead in saluting: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty live a long and healthy life."

"Your Majesty, we pay our respects to you. May your Majesty live forever." The resounding voices of the ministers echoed in the hall.

Li Xian pursed his lips slightly, his expression relaxed, and a hint of uncontrollable joy flashed in his eyes.

He raised his hand gently and said, "Everyone, please stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The ministers kowtowed again, then slowly stood up and looked at Li Xian with a hint of awe in their eyes, even Li Xuan felt the same.

Li Xian became emperor.

Everything is different now.

The emperor's authority has been added to him.

Even though he is a somewhat weak person, after becoming emperor, his every word and action will have great power.

His character will undergo a huge change as a result.

Not only that, there are too many emperors in history who acted cowardly before ascending the throne, but revealed their true colors after ascending the throne.

The most famous one is probably Hu Hai.

Before he ascended the throne, he was gentle, respectful, frugal and modest. After he ascended the throne, he killed his brothers and sisters, framed his ministers, and was cruel and inhumane.

Another is Emperor Guangwu of Han, Liu Xiu.

Liu Xiu's elder brother Liu Yan was killed by Emperor Gengshi Liu Xuan, but Liu Xiu suppressed his grief, kept a low profile, and endured the heavy burden. He even said that it was his own fault that his brother was killed. He did not dare to mourn for Liu Yan, and ate, talked and laughed as usual.

Emperor Gengshi was initially a little ashamed of himself for seeing Liu Xiu being so humble, and finally appointed Liu Xiu as the General Who Breaks the Enemy and Marquis of Wuxin.

In the end, Emperor Gengshi was killed by the Red Eyebrow Army.

Most of the emperors of the Later Han Dynasty were young before they ascended the throne, but it was not uncommon for them to rise up and become powerful after they grew up.

The most recent one is none other than their late emperor.

Before he ascended the throne, he was still gentle, respectful, frugal and even a little cowardly, but after he ascended the throne, he had great ambitions.

What kind of emperor Li Xian is will be revealed little by little in the future.

Li Xuan was suddenly stunned. He suddenly realized that Li Xian at this moment was actually the most powerful.

Because no one knows what will happen after he becomes emperor?

Strangeness, secrecy, and the unknown, coupled with the emperor's authority, are enough to shock people.

Thinking of this, Li Xuan's mind began to turn slightly.

This is also an opportunity.

……

Li Xian turned around and bowed solemnly to Empress Wu, then turned to look at Pei Yan and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Pei, read the funeral rites for the late emperor."

"As you wish." Pei Yan bowed solemnly, then looked at the ministers and said, "The late emperor's coffin will be kept in the Zhenguan Hall for seven days. After seven days, the coffin will be moved to the Xuanzheng Hall."

"Yes!" The ministers bowed.

Pei Yan continued, "According to the late emperor's will, all officials will mourn for 27 months, with days replacing months. During the 27th day, officials above the fifth rank will cry and worship every morning and evening. After the 7th day, they will cry and worship once every morning when they wake up."

"I'll wait for the order." The ministers handed over their hands again.

"According to the late emperor's will, frugality is the key to funeral arrangements. Governors, provincial governors and local officials who are in their localities do not need to come to the funeral. They can just follow the local regulations and offer condolences."

"Here!"

"If the nobles of the court have family members in Luoyang, they don't have to travel a long distance to Luoyang to mourn. They can just stay at home to pay their respects."

"Here!"

"Generals stationed in border states should focus on suppressing the local situation, so they can offer sacrifices remotely; the people of the country should mourn for 27 days according to the rules."

"Here!"

Pei Yan's voice became solemn, and then he said in a deep voice: "The Minister of Rites Wei Daijia."

"I'm here." Wei Daijia stepped forward solemnly.

Pei Yan turned around and looked at Li Xian and Empress Wu, and said, "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I would like to propose a posthumous title for the late emperor."

Li Xian turned sideways and looked at Empress Wu with a bow.

Empress Wu nodded slightly, looked at Wei Daijia and asked, "What do the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Academy think?"

"Reporting to the Queen Mother, I have discussed with the Minister of the Ministry of Rites that if a saint is known to all, he is called Xuan; if he is good at asking questions and is able to reach all directions, he is called Xuan; if he is sincere and has a broad mind, he is called Xuan; if he is righteous and has a broad mind, he is called Xuan; if he is able to spread his virtue, he is called Xuan; if he is generous and has virtue, he is called Xuan; if he exerts his strength to all directions, he can be called Xuan Emperor."

Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Emperor Wu of Tang, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Wen of Tang, Li Zhi, Emperor Xuan of Tang.

"Not right, continue."

"Can it be for Huan..."

(End of this chapter)