Lord: Start with a book of Water Margin

Chapter 658: Sacrifice to Heaven and Ascend the Throne (Additional chapter for 1000 monthly tickets in April)

Now that the officers and generals in the military of various prefectures and cities have just been relocated, it is not appropriate to make further adjustments and the status quo should be maintained.

A group of officials came here and after learning about the changes, they were all excited to participate in such a major event as founding a country.

Zhao Zhen originally only wanted to marry Gao Ji so that he could rely on the State of Gao in the future. He never thought that one day he would become the ruler of a country.

On the first day of November, the ministers requested that Zhao Zhen ascend the throne and become king, and Chai Jin requested a sacrifice.

The second day of the eleventh month is the winter solstice, and both the sacrifice to heaven and the enthronement ceremony are on the same day.

Tao Zongwang personally led people to build a three-story, 72-story earthen platform outside the south city. The top of the altar was 30 meters in diameter, and it was facing north and south, with a yellow mattress for the "Haotian God". Zhao Zhen personally offered sacrifices to the heaven, the earth, and the ancestral community, and told them that he was entrusted with the mission by heaven and his ancestors.

On this day, the silver-armored cavalry led the way, followed by ten elephants covered in brocade, with golden threads and golden bridles on their heads, and gilded lotus thrones on their backs. On their backs were Bai Zhi, Jin Cui Lian, Chu Yan, Chu Yuan, Hu San Niang, Liu Hui Niang, Chen Li Qing, Tu Qiao, Ji Ming Han, and Ji Ming Dan. Each of them wore embroidered robes, cloud shoulders, and skirts embroidered with gold thread. They wore gold hairpins and tourmalines, their hair was disheveled, their sleeves were white, and they were graceful, just like fairies.

Behind the elephant team were the personal attendants in brocade clothes, holding high flags, large fans, painted halberds, and long spears. The flags were painted with dragons, tigers, mountains and rivers, and the long weapons were decorated with leopard tails and ribbons. The guards of honor were dressed in colorful armor. Behind them were the personal attendants carrying axes and shields, swords and sticks, wearing blue, black, red, and ochre clothes, as guards. There were thousands of chariots and horses, and the carriages and horses were like dragons.

Zhao Zhen put on the Taiping crown, dragon robe, jade belt, white jade gui, and worry-free shoes made by Hou Jian, the weaver and embroiderer, and went to the altar. Under the altar were monks and Taoists such as Gongsun Sheng, Bao Daoyi, Yuantong, and Yuanguang, who kept chanting scriptures and praying for blessings, and there was an endless stream of rituals, music, singing and dancing. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians bowed in worship and shouted long live the emperor.

There were also white foxes, black pheasants and white pheasants appearing on the altar. In the sky, there were flocks of white-naped cranes circling around the altar and flying to the north after a quarter of an hour.

Afterwards, Zhao Zhen returned to Baishi Manor, which was renamed Qingcheng Palace, and sat on the throne in the main hall wearing royal robes and crowns. He accepted congratulations from civil and military officials, pledged his loyalty and made reports, thus establishing the distinction between the monarch and his subjects.

Zhao Zhen issued an edict of accession to the throne and announced that the reign title would be changed to Jingze.

All the prefecture and county officials, commanders, supervisors, and militiamen were given a brocade jacket, a gold belt, a branch of green leaves and golden flowers, and five to ten linings of colorful satin. On that day, Liangshan was full of music, dancing, bells and drums, and banquets to celebrate.

Liang followed the Song system, and the official uniforms were purple for those above the third rank, red for those above the fifth rank, green for those above the seventh rank, and blue for those above the ninth rank. The uniforms had curved collars with large sleeves, a horizontal sash at the bottom, tied with a leather belt, a fu hat, and black leather boots. From the King of Liang to the minor officials and scholars, everyone wore the same uniform.

According to the rules, the seventh-rank county magistrate wore green, and the fifth-rank prefectural magistrate wore red. Zhao Zhen gave extra rewards, allowing those wearing green to wear red, and those wearing red to wear purple, to show the emperor's great grace and reward the founding officials.

At night, an Ao Mountain was built in front of the Qingcheng Palace, with two red and yellow paper dragons coiled on it. A lamp was lit on each scale, and clean water was sprayed from their mouths.

In Liangshan City, lantern fences were set up in front of the restaurants, and lanterns were hung. There were golden lotus lanterns, jade plum lanterns, and a piece of glazed glass; lotus lanterns, hibiscus lanterns, and thousands of brocades. There were double dragons playing in the water, a single crane facing the sky, and everything else. There were countless lanterns in Liangshan City.

The most outstanding thing was that Taoist Dong built a mountain called Aoshan in front of the Lingguan Temple, with a white dragon coiled on it and countless lights on all sides.

In the Qingcheng Palace, there was also a Jade Shed Exquisite Nine-Flower Lantern made by a lantern maker found by Feng Xi, the judge of folk songs [Treasure Hunter] in Laizhou. The Jade Shed Lantern was hung up, tied with ribbons on the four sides, and there were a total of 9981 lanterns hanging down to the ground.

The Qingcheng Palace was splendid and magnificent. This lamp, although made of ordinary mulberry bark and supplemented with ox horn, was actually a first-class item. After seeing this, Zhao Zhen transferred these eight lamp makers to the [Back Garden Workshop] to make lamps specifically for the royal family. After the celebration, the officials and officers of the prefecture returned to the government in batches. The news of the establishment of the Liang State spread throughout the world, and the people were convinced.

In Qingcheng Palace, Wu Yong, Chai Jin, Xiao Rang, Pei Xuan, Liu Guang, Cheng Wanli, Hu Cheng, Chen Xizhen, Shen Shou, Huan Yi, Feng Xi, Bao Daoyi and others were discussing matters with Zhao Zhen, who had just ascended the throne of Liang Wang. However, the matters they were discussing were not state affairs, but matters concerning Zhao Zhen's harem.

Cheng Wan'er, Tong Jiaoxiu, Fang Jinzhi and Ji Qingwan all had supporters, and everyone argued endlessly about who should be the queen.

Zhao Zhen was also a little troubled by this. Seeing Zhao Zhen frowning, Feng Xi suddenly said, "Everyone, the king has no children yet. Why don't you follow the example of the Tang Dynasty and make Empress Cheng, Empress Tong, Empress Fang, and Empress Ji the four concubines? The one who has children first among the four will be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort and temporarily take charge of the harem affairs. When the country is stable, the king will choose one of the Imperial Noble Consort and the four concubines as the queen to consolidate the foundation of the country."

Wu Yong listened and praised: "Judge Feng Caifeng is right. Liang has just been established, so there is no need to rush to establish a queen. It is also a good idea to establish a Royal Consort as a transitional position."

"In addition, in addition to the four concubines, namely, the Imperial Concubine, the Shu Concubine, the De Concubine, and the Xian Concubine, there are nine concubines, namely, Zhaoyi, Zhaorong, Zhaoyuan, Xiuyi, Xiurong, Xiuyuan, Chongyi, Chongrong, and Chongyuan; nine concubines, nine beauties, nine talented women; twenty-seven concubines, twenty-seven Baolins, twenty-seven imperial ladies, and twenty-seven imperial ladies, making up the eighty-one imperial wives. When they first enter the palace to serve the emperor, they are given the title of County Lady and are given the Hongxiapei."

After hearing this compromise idea, everyone nodded in agreement.

At present, in order of priority, Cheng Wan'er is the Imperial Concubine, Ji Qingwan is the Virtuous Concubine, Tong Jiaoxiu is the Virtuous Concubine, and Fang Jinzhi is the Virtuous Concubine.

Under them, Ji Xuan was given the title Zhaoyuan, Hu Sanniang was given the title Xiuyi, Liu Huiniang was given the title Xiurong, Chen Liqing was given the title Xiuyuan, and Tu Qiao was given the title Chongyi.

Baizhi, Minghan and Mingdan were given the title of Jieyu, followed by Fanqi, Jincuilian, Jinlebo and Xiulebo, and Guihua, Bohe, Fushou and Meigui. After the decision was made, the emperor naturally issued an edict to give titles to the people in the harem.

Of course, in addition to their titles, the people in the harem are still in charge of their own affairs, and the six ministers and twenty-four departments are also slowly selecting personnel to fill them. As for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it is not set up at present. After the Liang Palace is completed, the palace will be filled with female officials. The chief stewards Zhao Xing and Zhao Yuanli, as well as the servants in the palace, will no longer stay in their positions, but will go to the various warehouses in the inner palace to take charge of the keys to the treasury.

As there was still some time before the fog invaded, after the harem was settled, Zhao Zhen, Wu Yong and others were slowly setting up various government offices.

For example, the Medical Department was renamed the Hanlin Medical Officers Institute, which was in charge of the important functions of providing medicine to the court, dispatching imperial doctors, selecting talents, and compiling medical books. Its subordinate institutions included the Shang Pharmacy (responsible for all imperial medicines and preparations in the palace), the Imperial Pharmacy (the imperial pharmacy, in charge of the purchase, storage, processing and production of medicines in the palace), and the Imperial Medical Bureau (medical school).

The ranks of imperial physicians were also set at 22 levels, from high to low: the sixth rank He'an Doctor, Chenghe Doctor, and Cheng'an Doctor; the seventh rank Chengquan Doctor, Baohe Doctor, Bao'an Doctor, and Hanlin Good Doctor; the seventh rank He'an Lang, Chenghe Lang, Cheng'an Lang, Chengquan Lang, Baohe Lang, Bao'an Lang, Hanlin Medical Zheng, Hanlin Medical Officer, Hanlin Medical Effectiveness, and Hanlin Medical Recovery; the eighth rank Hanlin Medical Recovery, Hanlin Medical Certificate, Hanlin Medical Diagnosis, and Hanlin Medical Wait; and the ninth rank Hanlin Medical Doctor.

[Divine Doctor] An Daoquan was a sixth-rank Imperial Medical Bureau Supervisor, Imperial Pharmacy Director, and He'an Doctor. Bai Duo was a seventh-rank Imperial Medical Bureau Professor and He'an Lang. Bai Zhang was an eighth-rank Imperial Medical Bureau Doctor of Medicine and a Hanlin Medical Certificate. Bai Li was the Imperial Pharmacy Director, and Bai Zhi also served as a Shangyao Bureau Medical Assistant and a Hanlin Medical Consultant.

He also issued an imperial decree to recruit imperial physicians to fill the 100-strong staff. All the posts in the Imperial Physician Academy were held concurrently by imperial physicians.

In addition to treating Zhao Zhen, the concubines and maids in the harem, and the ministers of the court, the Imperial Medical Bureau in Liangshan City also treated the common people. The Imperial Medical Officers took turns to treat patients, and at the same time, the Imperial Medical Officers of the rank of Baoanlang and above were required to teach the medical students of the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Medical students who passed the examination were granted the qualification to practice medicine. In the future, the Imperial Medical Bureau would even go to various prefectures to treat the people, collect medical records, and compile medical classics.

(End of this chapter)