Jiuxi

Chapter 992 990 [King of Qin]

The 14th day of the 12th month, the 2nd year of Yongning in the Great Qi Dynasty.

The first quarter of the morning.

Huai'an Prince Lu Chen, accompanied by Duke Rong Xiao Wangzhi, Right Prime Minister Xu Zuo, Marquis Anlu Liu Shouguang, Marquis Yongding Zhang Xu, Grand Councilor Tong Shiyuan, Minister of Rites Kong Yingdong, Minister of Works Zhu Heng, Prefect of Shuntian (Heluo) Chen Xun and other civil and military officials, as well as dozens of powerful generals such as Pei Sui and ten thousand elite soldiers, marched ten miles out of the east gate of Heluo to welcome the emperor and the civil and military officials who had come from Yongjia in South Zhili.

When the two groups met, there was naturally endless sighing and lamenting, and they couldn't help but feel proud.

After the extremely complicated yet necessary ceremony, something happened that was expected by all the officials and which made them feel mixed emotions after witnessing it with their own eyes.

Empress Dowager Ning personally issued an edict, ordering the Prince of Huai'an to ascend the emperor's carriage and share today's honor with the royal family, in recognition of his efforts to turn the tide several times and his great contributions to the Great Qi over the years.

Lu Chen naturally refused to accept it, but Queen Mother Ning was very determined and finally asked the two prime ministers to come in person to invite him.

Seeing the two prime ministers, who were renowned for their integrity and uprightness and respected by scholars all over the world, giving him serious advice, and with all the civil and military officials in the court watching, Lu Chen had no choice but to accept the order and express his gratitude.

So the people of Heluo who came to welcome the emperor today saw this scene: on the majestic and luxurious emperor's carriage, the empress dowager of the current dynasty was holding the young emperor's hand and greeting them with a smile, while the young prince whom they had long been familiar with stood solemnly at the side and behind, as if he wanted to keep a low profile.

The cheers continued.

I just don't know how many of them are directed at the Tian family mother and son, and how many are directed at Lu Chen who deliberately stood behind.

However, all the civil and military officials in the court realized one thing: in such a long and enthusiastic cheer, there was no particularly obvious "Long live the emperor". In fact, this can explain a lot of problems.

Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo looked at each other, the former with a deep gaze and the latter with a calm expression.

The high-ranking officials of various ministries, headed by the Minister of Personnel Yao Chong, naturally did not show their emotions on such occasions. No matter how they viewed the reactions of the people of Heluo at the moment, they maintained a smile as warm as spring breeze on their faces.

Those young officials do not have such good skills in cultivating their qi.

Some people frowned, some looked serious, and some were talking in a low voice with like-minded colleagues around them.

Generally speaking, the atmosphere on the civil officials' side was more restrained, while that on the military officials' side was obviously much more lively.

Song Shifei looked at the emperor's carriage in front of him, touched his forehead, and said with a smile: "Do you think that the prince standing on it looks like a painting?"

Everyone looked at him sideways, and Duan Zuozhang joked, "Song Lengzi, do you also know how to paint?"

"Who says I don't understand?"

Song Shifei smiled proudly and lowered his voice slightly, "They are clearly a family!"

Everyone was stunned, and then looked up. The Queen Mother was holding the young emperor, and Prince Lu was standing on the other side. From their point of view, it really looked like a man and a woman, with a child standing in the middle...

Pei Sui couldn't help but turned his head and cursed: "Shut your bird mouth!"

Song Shifei has always been afraid of Lu Chen and Xiao Wangzhi, but he also knows that Pei Sui is the undisputed elder brother among their group of Huaizhou military heroes, so he said angrily: "I just said it casually, are you guys going to tell on me?"

Duan Zuozhang patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't worry, we won't tell the prince. We'll tell the princesses tomorrow and tell them that you, Old Song, think that the people up there are a family."

In the cold winter, Song Shifei broke out in a cold sweat and begged for mercy: "I won't talk nonsense anymore, brothers, please forgive me!"

"Okay, stop making trouble."

Pei Sui scolded with a headache, then turned his head to look at the emperor's carriage in front of him, sighed softly in his heart, and said silently: "Your Majesty, at this time, you can't retreat a single step, otherwise these old friends may not survive."

Lu Chen naturally didn't know these details, but he could probably guess the reactions of various forces. He didn't seem to have any emotional fluctuations, and his handsome face was always filled with a warm and respectful smile.

Under the guidance of the imperial guards and the ceremonial music team, the emperor's carriage finally arrived in front of the Heluo Palace after an absence of 20 years.

Empress Dowager Ning looked at the magnificent imperial city, her eyes slightly reddened, and then she took Li Daoming down from the carriage, followed closely by Lu Chen.

Behind these three people were the civil and military officials of the court.

Empress Dowager Ning and the emperor entered from the main gate of the Meridian Gate. This time Lu Chen stopped in time and entered from the east gate with other officials.

After passing Chengtian Gate, there is a wide square in front of you, and what comes into view is Chengtian Hall, the first hall of the Da Qi Dynasty with a history of more than 180 years.

It received the mandate of heaven and ruled over all directions, so it was named Chengtian Palace.

More than 180 years ago, Li Zhongjing, the first emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty, held his enthronement ceremony here.

Seeing this majestic palace that has gone through so much vicissitudes of life, many veteran officials were already in tears.

Queen Mother Ning took a deep breath, held Li Daoming's hand tightly and stepped forward.

The civil officials were headed by the left prime minister Xue Nanting, and the military officials were headed by Huai'an County Prince Lu Chen, who went up from the auxiliary roads on both sides.

When the solemn music sounded, Queen Mother Ning and Li Daoming ascended the throne, and all the civil and military officials stood in two shifts.

Yuan Yuji, Junior Supervisor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, officially announced in a trembling and high-pitched voice that the Great Qi had returned to its homeland and its territory had been restored.

All the ministers shouted "Long live the emperor".

After the ceremony, Queen Mother Ning calmed down her thoughts and said with emotion: "Twenty-one years ago, Heluo fell into the hands of the Jing thieves. The country was in turmoil, the people were separated and in chaos, and there was a worry of overthrow. Fortunately, the wise Emperor Gaozong revived the country, and there were Li Wenzhenggong, Dongyang County Prince, Zhongyi County Prince and thousands of loyal people who sacrificed their lives for the country, so that we can resist the strong enemies outside and protect the people inside. And all of you in the court today, if it weren't for your hard work day and night, how could the Great Qi return to the old capital and recover the beautiful land north of the Yangtze River?"

"I am a man of limited talent and low moral character, and the emperor is young and immature. Fortunately, I have the support and protection of all of you, my beloved ministers, so that I can live up to the trust of the emperors of the Great Qi Dynasty."

"Therefore, on behalf of the Li royal family, I would like to express my gratitude to you all."

After saying this, she slowly stood up and bowed slightly to all the officials.

This move immediately caused shock and panic among the civil and military officials in the court. Some civil officials even burst into tears and kowtowed repeatedly.

After a lot of noise, the hall gradually calmed down.

After Empress Dowager Ning sat down, she slowly said, "Loyalty is not divided into high and low, but merits are always different in size. Rewards and punishments should be clearly determined in order to be the right path for the court. The Prince of Huai'an has made great contributions to the present state of the Great Qi. I and the Emperor should reward him with prestigious titles and vessels from the court."

She turned her head to look at Yuan Yuji who was standing solemnly beside her. The latter then walked to the edge of the steps holding a scroll of imperial edict.

"The Emperor, in accordance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: Those who are virtuous and have great achievements will be rewarded, and those who govern the country will be rewarded, and those who are wise and have long been taught by the emperor. Therefore, the magnificent dragon emblem is a rare merit in the world; the jade relative Zhu Gan is a noble minister. The Minister of Military Affairs and the Commander-in-Chief of Jiangbei Military Affairs, Huai'an County Prince Lu Chen, is a man of great character, wise and resolute, and personally led the bears, captured the flag and killed the general, cleared the area, and was loyal and filial."

His slightly sharp voice echoed throughout Chengtian Hall, and all the civil and military officials in the court listened in awe.

"Rebellious bandits robbed the homeland, and bandits disturbed the country. Lu Chen was ordered to fight and repeatedly pacified the evil. He resisted the aggression and repelled the enemy. The court had great trust in him. He appointed him because of his merits and virtues. He truly looked forward to the support of his virtuous people. The three armies were reorganized and the victory was won in one fell swoop. His military prestige spread far and wide, and the nine encirclements were peaceful. His great achievements were admired by the court and the people, and he was granted a special honor. It is truly unanimous."

This imperial edict was full of praise, but no one thought it was inappropriate, because from the 12th year of Jianwu to the present, Lu Chen's military achievements had been countless.

The capital and ten states in Jiangbei were recaptured under his command, which can be regarded as a great achievement in rebuilding the country.

"It is appropriate to honor the order of the emperor, to rank high among all the officials, and to give him cultural relics, which are beyond the normal number. He should be appointed to an official post, and his achievements should be recorded according to his deeds, and his good name should be bestowed, and his achievements should be used to show his great achievements. Lu Chen is hereby specially conferred the title of King of Qin, and he is the Prime Minister of the Military Affairs Office, and is granted the power to open a government office and a government office. He is also awarded 10,000 households, a golden carriage, a robe, a pair of jade bi, nine kinds of music from the front and back drums, and forty swordsmen."

The whole hall was silent.

Under the close watch of countless eyes, Lu Chen walked out of the class with steady steps, walked to the front of the emperor, and bowed respectfully, saying: "Your Majesty and the Emperor, thank you for your grace!"

Yuan Yuji stepped forward and handed the imperial edict to Lu Chen.

Queen Mother Ning smiled and said, "Prince Qin, please stand up without further ado."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Lu Chen stood up slowly, his demeanor becoming increasingly solemn.

In the military honor column, Xiao Wangzhi had a smile on his face, Zhang Xu lowered his head, Liu Shouguang, Shen Yulai and Tong Shiyuan had different expressions, and the military generals who were awarded the titles of marquis and earl at the back were full of joy, forming a sharp contrast with the solemn civil officials on the other side.

Empress Dowager Ning took in all the reactions below and immediately spoke up, "According to the previous proposal, the Military Academy will be changed to the Grand Council, which will be responsible for handling all military affairs. I quite agree with this. Currently, there are five Grand Councilors in the Grand Council, namely the Prince of Qin, Marquis of Anlu, Marquis of Yongding, Shen Yulai, the commander of the Imperial Guards, and Tong Shiyuan, the former governor of Chengzhou. I would like to add one more person."

Lu Chen's heart moved, and he bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, please give your instructions."

Queen Dowager Ning smiled and said, "I prefer the Marquis of Linjiang. He is currently stationed at the border, but I think with his qualifications and talents, he is qualified to serve as the Minister of Military Affairs. What do you think, King Qin?"

Lu Chen said without hesitation: "Your Majesty is wise, I have no objection."

"it is good."

Empress Dowager Ning secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Since Lu Chen declined the proposal to govern the country, it was inevitable that Chen Lanyu would be included in the military affairs council.

She looked at the civil officials on the right, her eyes resting on the left prime minister Xue Nanting, and said solemnly: "Prime Minister Xue, I have decided to leave the capital on the 19th of this month to worship the imperial tomb with the emperor to comfort the spirits of the emperors of all dynasties. Please make proper arrangements."

Xue Nanting bowed and said, "I obey your order."

Queen Mother Ning looked at Lu Chen again and said gently, "The Grand Council is in charge of all military affairs of Daqi. I hope the King of Qin can draft a rule as soon as possible on how to allocate power and responsibilities among the Grand Council ministers. It will become a fixed rule after I seal it."

Lu Chen replied: "I obey your order."

Empress Dowager Ning immediately raised her voice and said, "Except for the Grand Council, all other departments of the court should follow the old rules and perform their duties. I hope that you will work diligently in governing the country and not let down the people."

All the ministers responded in unison.

At this point, the first court meeting in the old capital came to an end.

(End of this chapter)