The Great Tang General

"Crown Prince Li Xuan accepts the mandate of heaven and protects the common people... I abdicate now. The country cannot be without a ruler for a day. From February 11th, the sixteenth year of Tianbao, Crown Prince Li Xuan will inherit the throne!"

Liu Shan also "requested" Li Longji's edict, declaring that Kaiyuan Tiandi Dabao Shengwen Shenwu Xiaode Zhengdao Emperor Li Longji officially abdicated the throne.

Li Xuan became the new emperor of the Tang Dynasty under the witness of civil and military officials in the meeting hall of the Secretariat.

He stood in the center of the hall, walking with the gait of a dragon or a tiger, and took the imperial edict from Liu Dan's hand.

At this moment, Li Xuan straightened his back and stopped bowing.

As if destiny had been bestowed upon him in an instant, although Li Xuan was wearing a dark prince's robe, his temperament had undergone a drastic change.

His eyebrows were slanted into his temples, and there seemed to be stars in his eyes.

That iconic short beard exudes a unique charm.

Every time he raises his hands and steps, he exudes a temperament that embraces the world and looks down on the world.

Including Liu Shan, all the civil and military officials straightened their clothes and bowed to Li Xuan: "Your Majesty, long live the emperor, long live the emperor, long live the emperor!"

After they finished the ceremony, they shouted "Long live" three times to congratulate Li Xuan on becoming the eighth emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

This year, Li Xuan was thirty years old.

For a man, this is the prime of life.

For example, Li Shimin and Li Longji both ascended the throne when they were nearly 30 years old.

Since the second year of Tianbao, Li Xuan has made great achievements almost every year.

His military exploits are unmatched throughout history.

Although he was appointed prime minister in the middle of his term and his political achievements were outstanding, it was still far from a prosperous era.

Now that the rebellion has ended, everything needs to be rebuilt. Li Xuan wants to launch an attack on the prosperous era that has lasted for a hundred years.

"Everyone is safe."

Li Xuan raised his hand to signal the civil and military officials to stand up.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Even if the civil and military officials who were able to enter the meeting hall of the Secretariat were not sure about Li Xuan's plot to usurp the throne, at least they were in step with each other.

"I have received the mandate of heaven and ascended the throne. I must work hard to rectify the government and make the country peaceful and prosperous. I must respect heaven and follow the example of my ancestors, be diligent in government, accept loyal advice, and avoid idleness. I hope to rule with great virtue and set an example for future generations. I will not let down the trust of the ancestral temples and the people, and the expectations of the common people..."

Li Xuan expressed his feelings of victory to the civil and military ministers.

"We, your Majesty, will do our utmost to assist you in restoring the Tang Dynasty!"

The civil and military officials bowed again, expressing their joy.

This is an era in which people all over the world should strive for success.

This is an era where those with aspirations are gearing up for success.

This was an era when scholars and literati were full of excitement.

It was Li Xuan who lifted the Tang Dynasty out of danger, eliminated its ills, and brought it to a new life.

Many ministers firmly believed that they could usher in a prosperous era again.

Because of Li Xuan, the Tang Dynasty became famous, the palace was opened in the sky, and people from all over the world dressed in formal attire and bowed to him.

They hardly have to worry about border invasions, and can focus all their efforts on internal development, improving administration, and governing the country and maintaining peace.

"According to the system, the coronation ceremony will be held on the second day after the new emperor ascends the throne."

"The Secretary General will immediately notify all the nobles and foreign envoys above the ninth rank in the capital, and organize 300 prestigious elders around Chang'an to participate in the event at the Taiji Palace tomorrow. There is no need to waste money..."

Li Xuan also announced the time of the coronation ceremony.

Unlike the Han Dynasty, the coronation ceremony of the Tang Dynasty did not choose an auspicious day, but was usually held on the second day after the emperor's death.

Or maybe the day after the emperor abdicated.

Tomorrow is February 12th, the day when Li Xuan ascends the throne.

"I will obey your orders!"

The ministers bowed their hands. Although he had been proclaimed emperor today and the coronation ceremony was completed, he was now legally considered the emperor.

Before Your Majesty ascended the throne, you prohibited extravagance and set an example of frugality.

Due to the reserves before the war, the wealth confiscated from the Yang family and rebel generals such as An Lushan and Shi Siming, the wealth obtained from the looting of Luoyang City, the huge tributes from Tubo, Huihe and other countries, the contributions from powerful families, etc., there are now innumerable gold, silver and jewelry in the left treasury and inner treasury of the two capitals, but Li Xuan only rewarded his meritorious officials.

I will never reward someone just for a flattering word from them.

I will not squander money just because of my hobbies.

Li Xuan wants to use the best steel on the blade.

"Since Emperor Gaozong, the emperor has had the custom of calling himself a saint. But I have just taken over the throne and have no established virtues. The court and the people do not deserve to call me a saint."

Li Xuan also instructed the ministers about this matter.

Saint is undoubtedly the highest title of this era.

In name the emperor is the greatest, but in consciousness the saint is superior.

Since ancient times, emperors have had the custom of worshiping saints.

Li Tang claimed to be the descendants of Laozi, so starting from Emperor Gaozong, they inherited Laozi's title of saint.

Ministers called the saint "Your Majesty" in private and "Your Majesty" in the court.

But Li Xuan believed that none of the emperors of the Li Tang Dynasty could be called saints, and they would only be laughed at by future generations.

The word "saint" is sacred. In the long history of China, there are only a handful of recognized saints.

Before a person is judged, everything may turn around. Li Longji is the best example.

Even if Li Longji died before the 24th year of Kaiyuan, it would not be convincing to call him a saint.

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, no longer calling him a saint. From now on, in private, they could only call him the Supreme.

"Please take your seats, everyone. We will discuss matters concerning tomorrow's coronation ceremony."

"It has been sixteen years since Tianbao. An Lushan rebelled during Tianbao, the Yang family caused chaos during Tianbao, and people's lives have been in decline during Tianbao. This is not auspicious! I want to change the era name. If you have any suggestions, please let me know."

Li Xuan returned to his seat, motioned for all civil and military officials to sit down, and proposed the matter of changing the reign title.

When a new emperor ascends the throne, it is inevitable to change the era name.

The reign title has significant and sacred symbolic significance.

Throughout history, when choosing a reign title, emperors would place their political expectations or send out certain political signals in the name.

You must never give yourself an abrupt name that is out of date.

For example, there were three reign titles during Li Longji's reign. Although the first reign title lasted only less than three years, it reflected Li Longji's political intention to seize power.

Xiantian comes from the Book of Changes, Qian Gua: "A great man is one who has the same virtue as heaven and earth, the same brightness as the sun and the moon, the same order as the four seasons, and the same good and bad luck as ghosts and gods. If he follows the innate nature, Heaven will not violate him; if he follows the acquired nature, he will obey the time of Heaven. If even Heaven does not violate him, how much more so will man? How much more so will ghosts and gods?"

To explain it means a flying dragon in the sky, it is beneficial to meet a great man.

As we all know, Li Longji was the third son to inherit the throne. He named his reign title Xiantian, which means that it was God's will and could not be forced.

Therefore, Xiantian only took three years to change the era name to Kaiyuan.

The meaning is simple and clear. Li Longji, who holds power, wants to usher in a new era and show his grand ambitions to the court and the public.

But in the late Kaiyuan period, all kinds of bad things happened one after another. Li Longji's brothers died one after another. In addition, local officials made up a story that the Jade Emperor appeared and presented a talisman to wish Tianbao a thousand years, so the reign was changed to Tianbao.

The most obvious implication of Tianbao is that Li Longji felt that all the major tasks had been accomplished and began to enjoy the results.

However, the law of the country is that everything that prospers must decline. If there is no reform during its heyday, it will inevitably go downhill.

Tianbao was not a successful reign title.

"Your Majesty, the Tianbao era was plagued by disasters and wars, and the people suffered terribly. I think that the people long for peace, so we can choose Taiping as the reign title. Tai means tranquility and peace; Ping means peace and justice. It means that the world is peaceful and the people live and work in peace..."

While the civil and military officials were in deep thought, Pei Zunqing stood up, bowed to Li Xuan, and recommended his own reign title.

He was a relatively lenient minister, and recommended an era name with a relatively plain meaning, focusing mainly on developing people's livelihood.

"Taiping is good, but I am famous for my military achievements. This era name lacks some sharpness."

Li Xuan shook his head slightly and did not accept this reign title.

He liked era names like Kaiyuan, and didn't like the sound of a prosperous era.

"Your Majesty is a man of great virtue and wisdom. You should use the reign title of Shenwu to highlight your achievements in both civil and military affairs."

Zhang Xing, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War who had just returned from Shu, was outspoken and said whatever he thought.

In his heart, Li Xuan's martial arts reputation is worthy of the word "divine and martial".

"Your Majesty, you can't do that. Not to mention that the reign title of Shenwu is too sharp and has an empty meaning. The thief An just used the reign title of Shengwu, which is directly called Shenwu. And Shenwu is the honorific title of the previous emperor, and it cannot be imposed."

Chief Censor Yan Gaoqing refuted the reign title proposed by Zhang Xing on the spot.

A reign title can hide one's military achievements. It does not necessarily have to be too sharp, such as "Shenwu".

The world is peaceful now, and Your Majesty is obviously going to create a prosperous era that surpasses the Kaiyuan period.

If the reign title has other meanings, it can be changed in the middle.

There was no war. The first one to come was mighty and powerful, without any intention.

"I was not thoughtful enough. I admit my mistake."

Although Zhang Xing was well-versed in history books, he did not do much research in this area.

He is a person who can take it and let it go, and has the courage to admit his mistakes.

"That's fine. You don't have to worry too much. Just speak your mind like Minister Zhang."

Li Xuan nodded. He would not use a name that obviously carried a martial connotation.

The one who proposed the reign title to the emperor must be someone who is well versed in history. If the reign title used by previous dynasties was used, it would appear unprofessional.

So Li Xuan gave civil and military ministers time to consider.

He had several favorite reign titles in mind.

Yongle, Tianqi, etc.

Like Taiping, Yongle expresses very good political implications, but the expression is too peaceful.

As for Apocalypse, we also need to wait and see.

"Your Majesty has won great successes in civil and military affairs. You have inherited the throne with the support of the people. Your Majesty is in power and intends to change the world. You can use Qixin as the reign title. Qi means creation and Xin means atmosphere. This means that Your Majesty will usher in a brand new era and implement new policies. The country will surely be full of vitality, prosperity and strength as a result."

Yan Gaoqing stated his own reign title.

After he finished speaking, some civil and military officials nodded frequently.

They felt that Qi Xin could represent a new atmosphere, combining both civil and military elements.

"The reign title proposed by Yan Zhongcheng is good. Let's put it aside for now. You gentlemen can come up with a more meaningful reign title."

When Li Xuan heard Yan Gaoqing's explanation of innovation, he felt that it was in line with his reform.

"Your Majesty, the Qian Gua in the Book of Changes has four virtues, namely Yuan, Heng, Li, and Zhen. Zhen is placed in the front and Yuan in the back, so the reign title is changed to Zhenyuan. Zhen means righteousness and firmness, and Yuan means beginning and origin. This reign title implies that after the country has suffered a major change, a new era has begun and vitality has been restored; it also means reforms that break the old and establish the new, so that the country will prosper."

Shangshu You Pushe Li Xian proposed an era name with deeper meaning than Qi Xin.

More ministers nodded.

Li Xuan also shelved this reign title.

"Your Majesty, I think that the world is in a state of disarray. The decline of the world is due to the loss of virtue. From top to bottom, we should revive virtue. We should change the reign to Qiande, and use the strength and aggressiveness of Qian to combine strength and softness with virtue to show a new look for the country."

Jingzhao Yin Lu Huan attached great importance to moral conduct.

Although his reign title had good meaning, few ministers responded to it.

They are not fools.

Li Xuan did not think that he was immoral, but he did snatch the throne from Li Longji, so it would be better not to include the word "de" in the reign title.

However, he also shelved the reign title of Qiande.

Several ministers also offered reign titles, including Hengzhi, Shenghua, Taichang, etc., all of which had good meanings.

Before Li Xuan finalized the reign title, the ministers naturally had some debate, as no one wanted to give up this opportunity to increase their reputation.

After the civil and military officials successively mentioned the reign titles of Qiande and Zhenyuan, Li Xuan thought of the reign title of Qianyuan.

If you think about it carefully, the reign title Qianyuan is not a bad idea.

In history, the reign title of Qianyuan was also used during the An-Shi Rebellion, but because Li Tang himself was not up to the task, this reign title seemed a bit empty.

"What do you think of the reign title of Qianyuan?"

"Qian is one of the eight trigrams in the Book of Changes, representing heaven, symbolizing strength and masculinity. Yuan means beginning and starting point. It implies being as strong as heaven. From reform to prosperity; from expectation to completion; from a gentleman's transformation to a magnificent scene, all are in Qian Yuan."

"As Heaven moves with vigor, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement. I hope to share weal and woe with you all, work together as one, and through strong decisiveness, complete the Qianyuan era of prosperity." Li Xuan mentioned the Qianyuan era name when the civil and military ministers were arguing endlessly.

"Qianyuan..."

After listening to Li Xuan's explanation, all the civil and military officials praised him highly.

Qianyuan also means opening a new era.

Compared with Zhen, Qian is a little sharper, which is in line with Li Xuan's great martial arts.

"I agree that the country should adopt Qianyuan as the reign title."

As prime minister, Li Xian was the first to express his opinion.

The emperor often has priority in choosing the reign title.

Even if the emperor did not consult with his ministers, it would be reasonable for him to change the era name by picking up an era name from the Book of Changes.

Using Qianyuan as the reign title can indeed convince the people.

"I agree to change the reign title to Qianyuan..."

Ministers such as Pei Zunqing, Lu Sigong and Wei Jiansu also agreed.

Naturally, no one would object.

"Okay, the Secretary General will write this matter in the imperial edict, and change the reign title to Qianyuan Yuanzai tomorrow."

Li Xuan asked the Secretary General Wang Wei to draft the edict for the enthronement ceremony.

Nowadays, the years are still recorded in years. Li Xuan thinks there is no need to change it.

Just like in the first year of Tianbao, the state was changed into a county.

Historically, it was changed back immediately after Lee Heng ascended the throne.

Over the past decade or so, the people have finally adapted to the county, and there is no point in making trouble.

Counties are more geographically recognizable than single-named states and have more profound meanings.

For example, the four counties of Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan and Dunhuang on the Hexi Corridor.

Wuwei, where Huo Qubing expanded China's territory, commemorates his fame for his military exploits.

Zhangye, the arm of Zhang State, leads directly to the Western Regions.

Jiuquan, there is a golden spring under the city, its water tastes like wine, hence the name.

Dunhuang, "Dun" means big; "Huang" means prosperous, implying that there is a grand and splendid city like a pearl on the desert oasis.

There are many counties like this.

Between Yongle and Qianyuan, Li Xuan chose the latter.

He would give the title of Yongle to his eldest daughter Li Zhenzhen as a beautiful title.

Apart from the meaning, I hope she will always be happy.

"According to the order!"

Wang Wei received the order.

"Although the new era has been decided, it is very inconvenient to record and compile historical records by reign titles. I have decided to set the Yellow Emperor's calendar as the official calendar of the Tang Dynasty, before the reign titles. I will also change the Yellow Emperor's calendar to the Chinese calendar. Today is the 3454th year of the Chinese calendar..."

Li Xuan dropped another bombshell news.

China must have a calendar system that is used throughout the country.

This can increase the cohesion of the country and nation, and can continue even if dynasties change.

As descendants of Yan and Huang, the Yellow Emperor's calendar is the only choice.

The Yellow Emperor's calendar was created by Emperor Huangdi after he defeated Chiyou and unified the world.

It is said that Huangdi's birthday is on the third day of March.

According to calculations by later generations, Huangdi was born 3,454 years ago.

The Chinese calendar has 3454 years, which seems to have a long history.

However, when Zhang Shoujie calculated the Yellow Emperor's calendar during the Kaiyuan period, it was more than 180 years later than what Li Xuan knew.

Zhang Shoujie was a well-known scholar in the heyday of the Tang Dynasty. He wrote annotations for the Records of the Grand Historian, entitled "Shiji Zhengyi", which was highly recognized by scholars. Unfortunately, he has passed away now.

He is very knowledgeable in this area, but due to limited information, he cannot make accurate deductions.

The Yellow Emperor's calendar proposed by Li Xuan left the ministers confused.

Every profession has its own specialties, and there are not many officials who study the calendar.

Of course, there were many officials who knew the Yellow Emperor's calendar, but they just didn't know how to calculate it.

Moreover, Li Xuan actually put the Chinese calendar, which was derived from the Yellow Emperor's calendar, before the year name.

This means that in the future, historical records, notices, imperial examinations, etc., the Chinese calendar will be used first.

Seeing that none of the ministers could explain, Li Xuan then used Zhang Shoujie's name to relay the information to Zhang Shoujie's friends during his lifetime, explaining the Chinese calendar and its deduction.

The achievement of deduction in 3454 was attributed to Zhang Shoujie.

As the ancestor of human civilization, it is most appropriate for the day of Huangdi's birth to be the first year of the Chinese calendar.

After all, this was the first emperor of China, and he established the prototype of the country.

It laid the foundation for the Chinese civilization of later generations.

After Li Xuan finished his explanation, even Prime Minister Li Xian and the experienced old minister Pei Zunqing were confused.

The pattern is very large.

From one dynasty, it expanded to the entire Chinese civilization.

Let the scholars of the world explore and pursue their own roots, and let the flower of civilization that they are proud of take root and sprout in their hearts.

Therefore, Li Xuan believed that the Chinese calendar should come before the emperor's reign title.

But it is very difficult to get people to accept new things.

"Tomorrow's enthronement decree must have the Chinese calendar first."

Li Xuan instructed Wang Wei.

The officials of the Secretariat have already written down the introduction and deduction basis of the Chinese calendar.

He must promote the Chinese calendar.

Li Xian saw that the long-term promotion of the Chinese calendar would shake the status of the Tang Dynasty in the hearts of some people.

He looked at Li Xuan with wisdom, and it was obvious that Li Xuan also knew it.

As long as the rulers of the Tang Dynasty work diligently for the people and reform the shortcomings, it doesn't matter.

If the time has come for a ruler to run out, it is time for another ruler to take over.

Once the Chinese calendar becomes popular, it will not be easy to abolish it.

He hoped that the Chinese calendar could become the calendar of the whole world, replacing the calendar based on the birthday of a certain god.

First, it will use the influence of the Tang Dynasty to promote it to the Persian region.

Wang Wei accepted the order, but Li Xian and other ministers did not try to persuade him further.

We need to go back and study the details of the Chinese calendar.

Your Majesty has designated this year as the 3454th year of the Chinese calendar, as if it were an imperial decree.

Then, they discussed granting a general amnesty.

Li Xuan didn't want amnesty.

Because of the general amnesty, except for the "Ten Evils", all criminals, regardless of whether they are minor or serious, can be pardoned. Prisoners can return from the frontier.

This will certainly affect social trends.

But since ancient times, when a new emperor ascends the throne, he will definitely grant amnesty and reduce the pressure on the government.

The number of prisoners in the world is currently at a relatively high level.

In the end, Li Xuan decided to establish three unforgivable crimes in addition to the ten unforgivable crimes.

The many rebel prisoners captured by the Tang army will certainly not be pardoned, as rebellion is among the ten unforgivable crimes, and they must contribute to the construction of the Tang Dynasty.

The three newly established crimes that are not subject to pardon are: one is raping women; two is intentional homicide or causing disability to others; and three is highway robbery.

This is a very serious crime besides the ten evils.

It is proven that people who have committed crimes are more likely to commit crimes again than ordinary people.

Li Xuan stipulated that all future prisoners would be exiled to the northwest and the Loess Plateau to plant trees, and were allowed to return after six years.

He also issued a strict order that no amnesty would be granted easily. For example, no one could persuade the emperor to grant amnesty to the whole country, such as changing the reign title, appointing a crown prince, or appointing a queen.

When Li Xuan was the crown prince, some people advised him to grant amnesty to the whole country, but he rejected the suggestion.

The law does not have to be strict, but it must be detailed, comprehensive, and constantly absorb cases to learn from each other's strengths and overcome their weaknesses.

The "Six Codes of Tang" currently in use has many flaws.

Li Xuan also issued an edict to exempt the people of the country from rent and labor service this year.

Although the tax exemption is far less than that for people in Henan and Hebei, it can make people all over the world feel the grace of the new emperor.

If nothing unexpected happens, we can carry out a campaign to eliminate meanness and promote virtue this year.

"Although I am the emperor, I still hold the titles of General of Heavenly Strategy and Minister of Chancellery. You are aware of this."

At the end of the discussion with ministers, he emphasized the reminders to all civil and military officials.

This is to prevent them from thinking that once I ascend the throne, the Tiance Mansion will be disbanded.

It's impossible. Tiance Mansion will be the future army headquarters and needs to be restructured.

As the Minister of the Chancellery, Li Xuan also had good intentions. He wanted to establish the executive status of the six ministers.

Reform requires a strong executive branch.

The Shangshu You Pushe will become the chief prime minister.

No civil or military official dared to covet these two positions.

They were just surprised that the emperor held multiple official positions.

However, some ministers speculated that Li Xuan wanted to retain the Tiance Palace and strengthen the power of the Shangshu Province.

The meeting was over and all civil and military officials withdrew. They temporarily stopped handling government affairs to digest what Li Xuan said and prepare for tomorrow's ceremony.

In Chang'an City, the news that General Li Longji of the Imperial Guards abdicated and Li Xuan ascended the throne spread to the east and west cities and every street and alley.

Let the people know that the prince will be enthroned tomorrow.

After confirming the news, the people sang and danced in ecstasy.

Li Xuan is the new emperor, and the common people accept the will of heaven the most.

They seemed to see the sun rising, bringing light to the world.

During the time when Li Xuan was in Chang'an, officials at all levels performed their duties conscientiously, and rogues dared not show up. The price of rice fell again.

The people hoped that the price of rice would fall to the level during the Kaiyuan period.

The current price of rice is thirty-five cents, which is still high compared to the past.

The main reason is that Luoyang Hanjia Granary has to give priority to transporting grain to the disaster-stricken areas, and the new grain has not yet arrived.

There was not much food in Chang'an.

There were almost no forests on the Loess Plateau, which led to serious soil erosion in Guanzhong. As the political center of the Tang Dynasty, Gyeonggi Province had a registered population of more than three million, not to mention the large number of slaves, palace maids, eunuchs, Hu people, monks, Taoists, troops, and so on.

This once abundant land is now overwhelmed.

Since the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Chang'an has never been without a food shortage problem.

Li Xuan has to think of other ways.

Some large families that were hostile to Li Xuan no longer had any intention of confronting Li Xuan.

They went to pay a visit to Li Shizhi, Pei Fan and others, and met with ministers, and their intention to surrender was obvious.

Those ministers who are stubborn and take advantage of their seniority cannot cause any trouble at all.

This day is a moment that will go down in history.

When the situation in Chang'an was turbulent, Li Xuan returned to the Prince's Mansion for the last time...

(End of this chapter)