Diqin Designer

Chapter 439 From this day forward, Fusu shall be the Crown Prince!
But His Majesty's willingness to let him stand before the other princes undoubtedly proves his identity.

Just as the ministers were wondering where Fusu had gone after disappearing for more than a year and why he had become so dark, a voice announced, "The auspicious time has arrived, ministers, come to pay your respects!" The people waiting outside the hall immediately perked up. The civil officials were led by Prime Minister Wang Wan, the military generals by Wang Jian, and the princes of Qin by Fusu, and they entered Zhangtai Palace in turn.

The process was the same as last year. Everyone waited outside the hall and was then summoned to the hall to congratulate the First Emperor. However, there were more people this year, mainly envoys from the Western Regions.

Liu Ji's alliance plan in the Western Regions was initially successful. The Western Regions states that wanted to join the alliance sent envoys to the Qin Dynasty, while those Western Regions states that had objections to the alliance and were not so keen on joining also sent envoys.

Even if you don't want to join the alliance, you can take this opportunity to see just how powerful the Qin Dynasty is. Besides, the Qin people said that the cannons are for sale, so you should definitely go. If you go too late, all the Qin people's cannons will have been bought up by other countries, which would be terrible.

This has resulted in a significant increase in the number of foreign envoys who came to pay homage to the First Emperor for the New Year compared to last year. Last year, there were envoys from various foreign states, including the Xiongnu, Baiyue tribes, Wusun, Donghu, and Yuezhi. This year, there are envoys from dozens of states.

The Western Regions are characterized by a single country with many tribes, but many of these countries are small, with some consisting of only a single city and a few thousand people.

The court ceremony differed from last year in one aspect: Wang Wan and Wang Jian led the civil and military officials of Qin to pay homage to the First Emperor first. The two men, representing the civil and military officials of Qin respectively, delivered congratulatory messages to the First Emperor. Afterwards, Fusu led the princes of Qin to deliver congratulatory messages to the First Emperor.

Last year, Fusu and the other young masters were not in Xianyang and therefore could not participate.

This year, all the princes except Hu Hai, who was nowhere to be seen, returned to Xianyang. Naturally, they needed to attend the New Year's court ceremony, and the First Emperor arranged their order of attendance after that of the Qin civil and military officials.

Except for the addition of the princes paying homage, everything else is the same as last year.

After all the representatives and delegations had finished their congratulations, the First Emperor, seated high on the dragon throne, said: "Today marks the beginning of the new year for the Great Qin Dynasty, and also the third year of my reign as Emperor. On this joyous occasion, I would like to announce to you all a great event for me and for the Great Qin Dynasty, and celebrate it with you all!"

Upon hearing the First Emperor's words, the ministers and princes who remained in the hall all thought to themselves, "Here it comes!" His Majesty (Father) was most likely to announce who would be the heir apparent today, but who would it be?

Wang Wan, Wang Jian, and others remained calm and collected. As members of the "listening to the history of later generations" group, they already knew who the First Emperor would choose as his heir. Ministers such as Li Si and Wei Liao were also at ease, as it didn't matter who His Majesty chose as his heir; it wouldn't have much impact on them.
Although Zhao Gao was anxious, he did not show it outwardly. On the contrary, he appeared very happy, as if he was genuinely delighted to hear that the First Emperor wanted to establish an heir!
The First Emperor glanced at everyone in the hall, observed their reactions, and then said, "My eldest son, Fusu, is resolute and brave, trustworthy and inspiring, benevolent and wise. He is fit to be the heir apparent of Great Qin, the Crown Prince of Great Qin!"

Upon hearing the words "My eldest son, Fusu," many princes' expressions darkened. As expected, their father had chosen Fusu's elder brother as the crown prince. They seemed to have a chance, but in reality, they had none. Fusu's elder brother had too many advantages. As long as he didn't mess things up, the crown prince position would surely belong to him!
When Zhao Gao heard that the First Emperor had made Fusu the crown prince, his anxiety finally died. With Fusu becoming the heir apparent, given the conflict between him and Fusu, how could he possibly have a good outcome?

But Zhao Gao dared not show it. Instead, he put on a happy face, saying, "I support Prince Fusu as the crown prince. Prince Fusu is the one everyone wants."

The First Emperor's gaze fell upon Fusu, and he said, "Fusu, listen to my decree!"

Fusu knelt respectfully, and the First Emperor said directly: "From this day forward, you are the Crown Prince of Qin. You must fulfill your responsibilities as Crown Prince, and not let down the expectations of me, the court officials, and the people of Qin. Be honest and upright, and do things with sincerity!"

Although the appointment of the Crown Prince of Qin could be decided with a single word from the First Emperor, the matter was not actually over. There were still procedures to follow. Although the Crown Prince was not yet the Emperor, he was already above the other princes and was practically a monarch. Naturally, relevant ceremonial systems had to be established to distinguish him from other princes and ministers. These included the bestowal of the black crown and robes, the specifications for the use of various utensils, and the appointment of officials under the Crown Prince.

Fusu solemnly promised, "Fusu accepts the decree. Fusu will certainly live up to the expectations of the Emperor, the court officials, and the people. I will be a good crown prince and do my best for the Qin Dynasty to become stronger and more prosperous!"

The First Emperor said, "Get up!"

Fusu stood up. Although he was still wearing the robes of a prince, his status had changed from this moment on, and he had been promoted from the eldest prince to the crown prince of Qin.

After Fusu rose, Wang Wan and Wang Jian led all the civil and military officials of Qin to bow to Fusu and congratulate him in unison: "Your subject pays respects to the Crown Prince!"

The other young masters also bowed in greeting. Although they were brothers, their statuses were now different. "Your subject greets Your Highness, and congratulates Your Highness!"

The sound traveled from inside the palace to outside. The envoys from the Western Regions who had retreated outside the palace after paying their respects hurriedly asked the translator. Upon learning that the Qin Emperor had established a crown prince, they were astonished. The Qin Emperor had actually established a crown prince today, and the powerful Qin state had determined its future successor.

Shouldn't they congratulate this crown prince and present him with some gifts?
Inside the main hall, looking at the crowd bowing and congratulating him, Fusu calmly said, "Rise, everyone! I am fortunate to be named Crown Prince by my father today, but I still have many shortcomings. I hope you will all be kind enough to guide me in the future!"

The crowd also politely replied, "We are willing to serve the Crown Prince!"

After all the ministers paid their respects, Fusu, the Crown Prince of Qin, was officially established.

At this moment, the First Emperor glanced at Li Nian and gave him a look. Li Nian immediately understood what the First Emperor meant. He was saying to him: I have already established a crown prince. My Great Qin will not be like the Great Qin you described, where four emperors of the ages could not find a complete crown prince. I will not be among them!
In reality, none of the four great emperors in Chinese history could produce a crown prince, except for the First Emperor, because he never designated an heir.

Although Emperor Wu of Han's crown prince Liu Ju died, he still made Liu Fuling the crown prince. Emperor Taizong of Tang did the same; although Li Chengqian was deposed, he made Li Zhi the crown prince. As for Emperor Hongwu, he also had a crown prince, but Zhu Biao died, which was completely different from the situation of the First Emperor.

Receiving a signal from the First Emperor, Li Nian thought to herself: The First Emperor's competitive spirit is truly strong!
As in the previous year, a banquet followed the court ceremony. However, today, with Fusu appointed as the crown prince, the First Emperor ordered him to entertain the officials on his behalf.

The news that the First Emperor had made Fusu his heir apparent was not kept secret; instead, it was spread throughout the land, and the people of Xianyang were the first to receive the news.

Today is the first day of the new year, a statutory holiday in the Qin Dynasty. The city of Xianyang is filled with a festive atmosphere. The people of Qin in Xianyang are wearing new clothes that they have prepared long ago. Even those who have not prepared new clothes have changed into clean and tidy clothes.

The streets were swept very clean. It wasn't the court that sent people to clean them, but rather the Qin people in the city who did it spontaneously. They also believed that it was a new year, and there should be a new beginning. Why not clean up the streets to welcome the new year?

Moreover, today is the anniversary of His Majesty's ascension to the throne. As people of Qin, they cannot disgrace His Majesty!

Many houses were decorated with festive red lanterns and Qin-style Chinese knots, and New Year pictures with phrases like "May you have abundance every year" and "Peace and joy" were pasted on the doors. The lantern and New Year picture business made the imperial court a fortune before the New Year, because paper was still a rare commodity in Qin, and only the government could make and sell it. Naturally, lanterns and New Year pictures made of paper were also sold by the government.

These New Year paintings were of course created by Li Nian. He only provided the ideas and then had people make and promote them. Therefore, the New Year paintings of the Great Qin Dynasty have a strong style of later times. They often depict a chubby, fair-skinned, and adorable baby sitting on a lotus flower, holding a large red carp in his arms.

In addition to lanterns, Qin-style Chinese knots, and New Year pictures, there are also Spring Festival couplets this year. Many houses have Spring Festival couplets pasted on them, written in simplified Chinese characters.

Seeing all this, if a modern Chinese person came to Xianyang, they probably wouldn't feel like they had traveled to the Qin Dynasty; they would think they had entered some ancient costume film and television base.

Many shops in the city were closed today, but it didn't feel deserted at all. Instead, it was bustling with activity unlike any other day. The aroma of food wafted from all over the city: the corn at this shop was ripe, the meat stew at that shop was ready...

Suddenly, the sound of gongs rang out in the city. Before the people who heard the gongs could come out of their houses to see what was happening, a loud voice announced: "Great news! Great news! His Majesty has today appointed Prince Fusu as Crown Prince! Prince Fusu has been appointed Crown Prince! All the people of Great Qin are invited to celebrate!"

Upon hearing the contents of the voices, many people rushed out of their houses: What? Today is the first day of the new year, and His Majesty has appointed a crown prince today? From this day forward, the Great Qin Dynasty has a crown prince!

Those who came out of the house saw a Qin official holding a bronze gong, striking it once and then shouting, clearly intending to tell them the news.

One of the people who knew the Qin official well asked, "Old Zhang, are you telling the truth or lying?"

Just as the Qin official struck the gong and was about to announce something, he looked at the person who had asked the question and smiled, "How could this be false? It was specially sent from the palace. His Majesty wanted everyone to know this good news and share the joy with everyone."

Ordinary Qin people had no idea about the conflict between the First Emperor and Fusu. They often heard about Fusu's virtuous reputation, and many were happy to hear that Fusu had been made crown prince.

One person said, "It would be good to establish Prince Fusu as the crown prince. I have heard that Prince Fusu is kind and wise. If Prince Fusu is the crown prince, our Great Qin will surely become stronger and more prosperous."

The others echoed his sentiments. The fact that His Majesty had not designated an heir had worried many Qin people. They were afraid that something might happen to His Majesty one day, and what would become of the Great Qin? Would their hopeful days continue?

Although we shouldn't think that way, His Majesty will surely live a long and healthy life, but I'm afraid that if His Majesty establishes a crown prince, even if some unexpected events occur, the people of Qin will still have a backbone and won't be afraid of losing their direction.

Moreover, the one chosen is the virtuous and wise Prince Fusu. That's wonderful! Prince Fusu will surely be able to lead them and their descendants to make Qin more prosperous and their lives better, just like Your Majesty.

Another person exclaimed excitedly, "This is a joyous occasion, a momentous occasion! We should congratulate His Majesty and Prince Fusu!"

Once this person started it, others around him joined in the shouting, and this kind of thing is contagious between people.

Soon, many people joined in the shouting, but the person who started it, "Congratulations to Prince Fusu!", changed it to "Congratulations to Crown Prince Fusu!" The shouts spread throughout the area, drawing in even more people.

In the Imperial Palace of Qin, at the Imperial Banquet Garden, Fusu, who was entertaining the guests on behalf of the First Emperor, also heard the voices. Hearing that they were shouting "Congratulations to His Majesty, congratulations to Qin, congratulations to Crown Prince Fusu!", a multitude of complex emotions welled up in his heart.

This must be because his father sent someone to inform the people of Xianyang that he had been made the Crown Prince of Qin. His father truly loved him, and he could not let his father down. The people of Xianyang were willing to celebrate for him after learning that he had been made the Crown Prince, which made him feel that he must govern Qin well in order to be worthy of these people.

Unlike Fusu, the other princes, upon hearing this shout, knew that as long as Fusu didn't make any serious mistakes, they would find it difficult to compete with him. This was clearly their father paving the way for Fusu.

The envoys from the Western Regions were surprised that the newly appointed Crown Prince of Qin was so prestigious among the Qin people. They wondered if he would become the Qin Emperor and be a wise and virtuous ruler. They did not know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing for the Western Regions.

According to regulations, people could take a five-day holiday during the New Year. However, given the current level of development in the Qin Dynasty, it was impossible for the vast majority of people to take such a long holiday. They had to get back to work after the first day of the New Year. This was true not only for ordinary Qin people but also for Qin officials.

The day after Fusu became the crown prince, he was summoned by the First Emperor again. Now that he was the heir apparent, certain secrets could be further disclosed to him.

Looking at Fusu wearing the Qin-style crown prince's robes, the First Emperor nodded in satisfaction. The First Emperor in the history that Li Nian mentioned did not have time to make Fusu the crown prince, so he naturally did not see what Fusu looked like in the crown prince's robes, but he did see it!

After bowing to the First Emperor, Fusu asked, "Father, why have you summoned me?"

When he entered the hall, he found Li Nian there as well, and she bowed and greeted him.

The First Emperor glanced at Li Nian before speaking to Fusu: "You've always been curious about Li Nian's background. Now that you are the Crown Prince, I can tell you. But you must remember that this matter is a top secret of the Qin Dynasty. Even if Xi Man and Qi Le want to know, you must not tell them without my permission!"

Hearing the First Emperor speak so sternly, Fusu felt a chill and solemnly replied, "Father, please rest assured. Without your permission, even if it costs me my life, I will never reveal a single word!"

Fusu became increasingly curious about Li Nian's origins: the events recorded in the secret scroll must have been told to his father by Li Nian. They were events that were destined to happen in the future. Based on this, he speculated that Li Nian might be able to foresee the future. Could he be a disciple of an immortal, or perhaps he himself was a banished immortal?

Otherwise, how could one know what the future holds!
But there's a problem with that. Predicting the future doesn't mean the future has already happened. However, his father had told him that the events described in the secret scroll had actually happened somewhere.

So, Li Nian came to the Qin Dynasty from "somewhere"?

(End of this chapter)