My father is Jiajing

Li Fang, the eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, tightened his fox fur coat and walked quickly through the corridor of the Forbidden City, heading towards the Western Garden.

Li Fang is now nearly fifty years old and is no longer young, but compared to Huang Jin, he is still considered a young junior and has unlimited potential in the future.

After all, the power of the Silijian did not become transparent because of Zhu Zaigui's regent and Emperor Jiajing's seclusion. On the contrary, over the years, the Silijian became more and more important in some aspects.

For example, in the area of ​​intelligence gathering, the power and influence of the Imperial Household Department are much stronger than before. Even with the Jinyiwei under the charge of Prince Jing, they cannot change this trend.

After all, Prince Jing's management of the Jinyiwei was just an exception and a stopgap measure. Sooner or later, when Prince Jing was no longer in charge of the Jinyiwei, the leadership of the Jinyiwei would have to be handed over to the Silijian for control.

And this is the reality, and it cannot be changed by the will of others!
After all, it is more reassuring to use a household slave who can control life and death at any time to take care of these important matters than to use someone who is unlikely to know everything about you.

Li Fang hurried to the Wanshou Palace in Xiyuan. He paused for a moment to check whether he was appropriate, then respectfully entered the temple.

At this moment in the Jingshe, Emperor Jiajing was also reviewing the manuscript of "Yongle Encyclopedia Jiajing Supplement" sent by Zhao Zhenji. Although these manuscripts had just been compiled and had not been finalized, Emperor Jiajing could not help but express his concern and anxiety.

Therefore, as long as Zhao Zhenji finished the manuscript of "Yongle Encyclopedia Jiajing Supplement", he would present it to Emperor Jiajing for his personal review.

"Emperor, I am back."

Li Fang walked into the temple and gave a reminder in a low voice.

When Emperor Jiajing heard Li Fang's voice, he couldn't help but look up, then continued to look at the manuscript of "Yongle Encyclopedia Jiajing Supplement", and continued to read the contents of the manuscript carefully.

Li Fang continued to report: "The Great Monk of Xueyu and the immortals of Longhu Mountain and Wudang Mountain all prayed for the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince also rewarded them according to the Emperor's previous wishes."

When Emperor Jiajing heard this, he also hummed, "This shows that they are quite sensible. You should continue to keep an eye on this matter."

Li Fang bowed and said, "Yes, I will obey your order."

Then he quietly left the abode, leaving Emperor Jiajing alone to continue reviewing the manuscript in the abode.

After Li Fang left, Emperor Jiajing finally couldn't help showing an excited expression. He put down the manuscript in his hand, took off his crystal reading glasses and put them aside.

Emperor Jiajing suddenly called out again, "Huang Jin!"

Huang Jin, who was outside, heard the voice of Emperor Jiajing and hurried into the abode. She bowed to Emperor Jiajing and said, "I am here."

Emperor Jiajing stood up and looked at Huang Jin and said, "Go to Wuying Hall again and tell San'er to have that Living Buddha perform the same initiation and blessing ritual that the Yuan Dynasty's Imperial Master Phagpa performed for Kublai Khan. I want San'er to become the legitimate ruler of the Snow Region!"

Huang Jin couldn't help but be shocked when he heard this. He didn't expect that Emperor Jiajing would be so anxious about this matter.

Because according to the previous plan, this matter should have to wait until after the Chinese New Year.

But now Emperor Jiajing is anxious to make a conclusion on this matter, which shows how important this matter is in the heart of Emperor Jiajing!
Huang Jin immediately bowed and said, "I obey your order."

After hearing what Huang Jin said, Emperor Jiajing nodded with satisfaction and waved his hand, "Go."

Huang Jin immediately went to Wuying Hall. When he arrived at Wuying Hall, Zhu Zaigui had already prepared a banquet to entertain the Living Buddha monk and the abbots of Longhu Mountain and Wudang Mountain.

When Zhu Zaigui saw Huang Jin coming, he calmly sent Meng Chong to receive him.

Then he found a suitable reason to temporarily withdraw and go to a side hall, leaving the officials from the Honglu Temple to continue accompanying the Living Buddha and others.

In the side hall, Huang Jin saw Zhu Zaigui coming and immediately bowed and said, "Your servant Huang Jin pays respect to the Crown Prince."

Zhu Zaiqi raised his hand and said with a smile: "Please excuse me, eunuch. Why are you here at this time? Does His Majesty have any decree?"

Huang Jin smiled and said, "No one is more wise than the Crown Prince. The Emperor has an order, but it is not for Your Highness, but for the Living Buddha and the others."

Zhu Zaigui uttered an "oh" in a trance, and then asked people to call the Living Buddha monk and the immortals from Wudang Mountain and Longhu Mountain to listen to the holy teachings.

When the three of them arrived at the side hall, Huang Jin did not exchange pleasantries and directly said, "The Emperor's decree. Since the three religious masters have been rewarded by the prince, they should repay them immediately. The three religious masters are ordered to give the prince a crown abdication and blessings today to show his honorable position."

After hearing Huang Jin's instructions, the Living Buddha, the Taoist Priest of Longhu Mountain, and the Taoist Priest of Wudang Mountain all looked at each other, but then they all bowed and said, "I obey your orders."

Zhu Zaigui was also listening to Huang Jin's words. He did not expect that Emperor Jiajing would be so anxious.

According to the original plan, shouldn't we wait until after the Chinese New Year to choose a good day and then formally have these people receive initiation and blessings?

Why do they have to get ready so quickly now?
Zhu Zaiqi glanced at Huang Jin, who then came to Zhu Zaiqi's side and whispered, "Your Highness, maybe the Emperor has other plans."

Zhu Zaigui nodded slightly and didn't ask any more questions.

Then Zhu Zaigui took them back and continued to entertain them at the banquet in Wuying Hall.

Two days later, the Living Buddha's initiation ceremony for Zhu Zaigui was finally ready.

The Forbidden City was decorated with lights and a solemn and sacred altar was built in front of the Huangji Hall.

Important officials in the court and officials in charge of the Daolu Si and the Senglu Si were also all present.

After some tedious preparations, the initiation ceremony finally began.

The Living Buddha who presided over the ceremony was dressed in golden robes, wearing a five-Buddha crown on his head, holding a vajra and a bell in his hands, and slowly ascended the throne.

At the same time, Zhu Zaigui, wearing specially made Dharma King costumes, walked into the Dharma City with a solemn expression and sat cross-legged on the high-topped lotus platform.

Master Hu Fu looked at the solemn Zhu Zaigui who had taken his position. He took a deep breath, stood up, walked to Zhu Zaigui, put his hands together and bowed respectfully.

Then he said solemnly: "The heavens are in great bliss, and the ten directions are witnessing. In the name of the Buddha Shakyamuni, with the blessing power of successive generations, and with the supreme secret yoga, I crown the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty with an initiation and pray for blessings. I officially recognize the respected and honorable Ming Dynasty Crown Prince as the reincarnation of our Buddha, the Great Dharma King, the incarnation of Manjusri Bodhisattva, and the leader worshipped by 180,000 households in the Snow Region!"

Following the solemn declaration of the Living Buddha, as holy water representing holiness was sprinkled from the golden bottle, and as many lamas around the Dharma City chanted scriptures, the Living Buddha also respectfully placed the Dharma crown representing wisdom and power in front of Zhu Zaigui. Zhu Zaigui looked at the Dharma crown, stood up, stretched out one hand, and put it on his head.

Originally, the Living Buddha monk was supposed to help him put on the Dharma crown, but Zhu Zaigui felt it was inappropriate.

Since he is the reincarnation of the great Dharma King and the incarnation of Manjushri Bodhisattva, how could he let others crown him?
Therefore, Zhu Zaigui changed the etiquette of this step to have him stand up and put on the crown on his own initiative, while the Living Buddha monk could only stand respectfully in front of him and present the crown to him!

As Zhu Zaigui stood up and put on the Dharma crown, bells and drums rang all around the Dharma City. A group of lamas prostrated themselves on the ground with great respect, bowing down to Zhu Zaigui on the top of the Dharma City and acknowledging his leadership.

When the officials watching the ceremony saw this scene, they couldn't help but show a hint of excitement.

They all knew that the completion of this ceremony marked that the Ming Dynasty's legal rule over the Snowland had reached an unprecedented height!
At that time, the imperial court can use this level of status to exert more political influence on the snowy plateau.

In this way, ethnic conflicts around the Ming Dynasty will also be eliminated, and replaced by a completely unified sense of self-identity.

As the ceremony came to an end, the Cabinet promulgated the "Regulations on the Reincarnation Certification of Living Buddhas in the Snowland" in the name of the court.

It is clearly stipulated that all future reincarnations and certifications of living Buddhas must be supervised by officials sent by the imperial court, and a golden urn drawing must be conducted. The results must then be reported to the central imperial court and finally confirmed by the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty before they can be considered true reincarnations of living Buddhas!
Otherwise, they will be treated as illegal cults and will be jointly eradicated by the imperial court and other living Buddhas on the snowy plateau to maintain the purity and sanctity of the snowy plateau!

Time flies. From the time Zhu Zaigui received the initiation from the Living Buddha monk to now, another half a month has passed.

This day was exactly the day when Emperor Jiajing died in history - December 14, the 45th year of Jiajing.

On this day, snowflakes began to fall again in Beijing, making the city seem particularly holy.

Huang Jin, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, was holding an imperial edict with wet ink on it, his hands shaking uncontrollably as he headed towards the Cabinet.

The old eunuch who had served Emperor Jiajing for nearly fifty years could never have imagined that the emperor in his twilight years would suddenly make such a decision - to abdicate!
Huang Jin didn't dare to say a single extra word along the way and went to the cabinet holding the imperial edict.

After entering the cabinet, Huang Jin's voice was trembling, "My fellow ministers, there is an order."

Li Chunfang, Gao Gong, Zhao Zhenji, Hu Zongxian, Guo Pu and others who were handling official business in the cabinet could not help but look up at Huang Jin.

When they saw the imperial edict that Huang Jin was holding, and the strange emotions that Huang Jin himself could not help but express, they were also shocked.

Li Chunfang, Gao Gong and others quickly put down their government affairs and came to Huang Jin together. None of them dared to accept the order first.

"What's wrong? Eunuch Huang."

Li Chunfang asked tentatively first.

Huang Jin glanced at Li Chunfang, and then he tried to calm down his excitement. "Don't blame me, elders. It's not a bad thing. I'm just old. I left too hastily when I came here, and I'm sorry to make you laugh."

When Li Chunfang and others heard Huang Jin's words, they couldn't help but feel relieved. They were afraid that something might happen.

Especially when the Chinese New Year is coming soon, what these people want most now is to spend the New Year in peace.

"I'm really scared. Please announce the decree, eunuch."

Li Chunfang and others immediately arranged their seats in order and asked Huang Jin to go to the top seat in the cabinet hall to announce the decree.

They bowed respectfully, ready to listen to the imperial edict.

Huang Jin took a deep breath and opened the imperial edict in his hand.

"The Emperor, in accordance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: Since ancient times, the Heavenly Dao governed the heavens, and civilization controlled the calendar; the great treasure is called the throne, and the emperor is in a high position. In the past, the meritorious officials did not prosper, so they followed the etiquette of abdication and sought to test the calendar. Since the Three Dynasties, the world has been a family, and the succession of the body and the foundation has been passed down. Therefore, they can be filial to the ancestral temple, predict the longevity of the world, and bring happiness to future generations, and continue the throne. I have received the mandate and will hold the map and explain the throne."

"The Crown Prince Zai'e has been a man of great virtue for a long time. He has a distinguished appearance and is gifted with divine power and wisdom. Now I wish to pass the throne to the Crown Prince Zai'e. The relevant departments shall prepare the ceremony and confer the title of Emperor on him in due time. The ministers and officials, the governors of the four directions, the senior officials, and even the common people should all respectfully serve him and show my will."

Li Chunfang and others were listening to the imperial edict. When they heard half of it, several of them stared in disbelief.

When they actually heard that Emperor Jiajing was going to abdicate the throne to the Crown Prince, they looked up in disbelief, as if they were dreaming.

Huang Jin continued to read: "Governance should be flexible and appropriate; the benefits should be based on the people and the righteousness should be appropriate. If the rules and regulations are not suitable for the times, they should be changed according to the circumstances without hesitation. In the past, the first emperor of the Han Dynasty put an end to the chaos and made great achievements. He was supported by the ministers and was honored by the emperor. He served his father with respect and held court every five days. He was honored and called the Supreme. I am now relaxing my mind and calming my mind. I am bowing and saluting without action. I am following the ancient constitution and the etiquette of addressing people in accordance with the Han Dynasty. The solidity of the ancestral society will be endless; the period of heaven's blessing will be eternal and unchangeable. Announce it to the world and let everyone know!"

When he finally finished reading the edict, Li Chunfang came back to his senses in shock, "This is..."

Huang Jin looked at Li Chunfang, Gao Gong and others, and he also said: "At first, I didn't dare to believe it, but this is the emperor's personal letter. You elders should quickly receive the order and then prepare to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Li Chunfang stood up and took the imperial edict as if in a dream, still somewhat unable to believe it.

The second in command Gao Gong, who was following behind him, was so anxious that he was scratching his ears and cheeks. He wished he could grab the edict and read it again himself!
The same was true for Zhao Zhenji, Hu Zongxian, Guo Pu and others. They did not expect such an exciting event to happen!
Seeing Li Chunfang still in a daze, Gao Gong became really anxious.

He could not help but turn around and said to the secretaries in the cabinet: "What are you still standing there for? Immediately send your Majesty's copy to the Six Departments and have it circulated throughout the country through the Ministry of Public Administration!"

At this time, the secretaries in the cabinet also reacted. Li Chunfang also came back to his senses excitedly and bowed deeply to Huang Jin, "We will go to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince right away!"

Then, when Li Chunfang, Gao Gong and others took the abdication edict to find Zhu Zaigui.

The secretaries of the cabinet had already started moving, and they hurried to the six ministries that they were responsible for.

Then in less than half an hour,
The news that Emperor Jiajing was going to abdicate the throne to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince spread throughout the capital like wildfire.

The officials from the six ministries and nine departments who were still on duty in their respective yamen also came out and gathered outside the Meridian Gate to prepare for an audience.

It seemed as if at this moment they were also witnesses and participants of a major historical event!
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Ask for monthly ticket~~(End of this chapter)