Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 337 You guys really made me suffer!
Sun Wei said, "The kingdom established by the Heavenly Khan is more than three times larger than the original China. It should be reformed and renewed. Therefore, I believe that the name of the country should be 'Ming' or 'Yuan'."

"Between Ming and Yuan, I believe we should choose Ming. The Heavenly Khan wants to share the world with the Han and the Mongols. The Han are the sun and the Mongols are the moon, doesn't that fit the name of the country? It is very appropriate."

He was now in a relaxed mood, having been granted permission by Zhao Shuo to retire, and was the first to speak.

Zhenhai replied, "I also believe that we should choose between the Ming and Yuan dynasties, but I think it should be the Yuan, not the Ming."

"It's a very simple principle. Sun Wei just said that the Han people are the sun and the Mongols are the moon. Why is that? Why can't it be that the Mongols are the sun and the Han people are the moon?"

Sun Wei frowned and said, "The old prime minister is not a Mongol, is he? Why be so fixated on whether the Mongols or the Han Chinese are the Japanese? The Heavenly Khan treats Han Chinese and Mongols equally, so why make such a distinction?"

Zhenhai is not actually a Mongol, but a Uyghur, born into a wealthy Uyghur merchant family.

He shook his head and said, "Although I am not a Mongol, I have just been appointed as the Left Prime Minister of the Great Mongol Empire by the Heavenly Khan, and I must think of the Great Mongol Empire."

Then, he knelt down again and said solemnly to Zhao Shuo, "Heavenly Khan, the name of the Ming Dynasty, does indeed reflect the idea of ​​Han and Mongol people sharing the world. However, isn't the distinction between the sun and the moon created out of thin air? It actually conflicts with the original intention of the Heavenly Khan."

"Furthermore, the Heavenly Khan just said: 'Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever rivers flow, all belongs to the Great Ming. All nations under heaven are subjects of the Great Ming.' These words are indeed grand and domineering, but the four Mongol factions will probably feel uncomfortable hearing them, won't they?"

"Especially the Jochi Khanate, which has always followed your lead. Batu Khan, who has always considered himself the Great Khan's sworn brother. How come he has now become the Great Khan's concubine?"

"Therefore, I believe that the name of the Yuan Dynasty should still be: Great is the Qian Yuan, from which all things originate, thus unifying the heavens. It is both grand and majestic, yet not so domineering, thus preventing internal strife within the Great Mongol Empire. In addition, this also conforms to the traditional Chinese doctrine of the mean."

Zhao Shuo then looked at Zhang Yong and said, "What do you think?"

Zhang Yong said, "I am a rough man who only knows how to raise and breed horses. In the face of such important national affairs, how can I have the right to speak? However, if the Khan insists on hearing my opinion, I think it would be good."

Zhao Shuo asked, "Oh, why?"

Zhang Yong said, “I can’t quite explain the specific reasoning. To give an analogy, ‘Yuan’ is like the sky before dawn, all-encompassing and full of vitality. ‘Ming’ is like the midday sun, illuminating everything clearly, leaving no room for maneuver. I feel that the word ‘Yuan’ makes me feel more at ease.”

"Hmm, that makes some sense."

Zhao Shuo did not actually have a particular preference for either the Yuan or the Ming dynasty.

However, after Zhenhai and Zhang Yong said that, he did feel that from the perspective of uniting the four Mongol lineages, "Yuan" was still better.

What's this about the distinction between the sun and the moon?

Mongols, Han Chinese, and heroes of all ethnic groups in the world are all within this "Yuan".

Zhenhai's strong opposition to the name "Ming" for the country may not be entirely unrelated to his subconscious association with the Uyghurs.

Zhao Shuo said, "Yang Weizhong, draft an edict for me and send it to the Secretariat. Temporarily set the country name as Yuan and ask them what they think."

"According to the order."

Although there was no wireless telegraph, the speed of urgent message transmission over 800 li (approximately 400 kilometers) was still quite fast.
Five days later, Zhao Shuo received a reply from the Central Secretariat, which agreed to use Yuan as the new name of the country.

Then, the state apparatus of the Zhao Shuo Khanate was fully mobilized to prepare for Zhao Shuo's ascension to the throne.

Although Zhao Shuo had already ascended the throne once at the Kurultai, that time he was the Heavenly Khan of the Great Mongol Empire.

The enthronement ceremony for the Chinese emperor has not yet been held.

Now, the power of the "Heavenly Khan" or the Mongol Great Khan is nothing more than a three-point agreement between Zhao Shuo and the Mongol nobles. The original Zhao Shuo Khanate, now the Great Yuan Dynasty, is the true foundation of Zhao Shuo's power.

Even more importantly, the Chinese people and soldiers have been looking forward to Zhao Shuo's ascension to the throne for many years, hoping to bring glory to the Chinese emperor. How can we not hold an enthronement ceremony?
First and foremost, of course, is to quickly finish carving the imperial seal for Zhao Shuo's ascension to the throne.

The materials were prepared long ago.

It is decorated with seven metals: Hetian jade as the base, gold from Australia, silver from Japan, copper from Southeast Asia, iron from Mongolia, lead from Persia, tin from North India, and zinc, the highest achievement of metallurgy in China.

It symbolizes the vast territory of the Yuan Dynasty, unified as one.

Yelü Chucai did want to use the Lantian white jade used for the Imperial Seal of the State as a base, but by this time, Lantian white jade had been almost completely mined out, and there was no suitable jade material available.

It's Hetian jade, so it's Hetian jade. The key thing is the inscription on it.

This jade seal is quite large, and it has many characters engraved on it.

At the very center, the inscription reads in bird-and-insect seal script: "By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous."

It says "Emperor of all mankind" on it.

Below is written the Great Mongol Heavenly Khan.

The left side reads "Emperor of China".

The right side reads "Emperor of the Great Yuan Dynasty".

This jade seal became the national seal after the Yuan Dynasty. It was only used when the emperor ascended the throne and during the highest-level national ceremonies such as sacrifices to heaven and earth and ancestral temples.

The seals used in daily administration were known as the "Six Seals of the Emperor." According to regulations, the emperor had six or eight jade seals for daily use, each for different occasions.

Of course, new seals for daily use may be added in the future according to the emperor's preferences, and there is no strict limit on the number.

But without a doubt, this "national seal" is the most important.

Zhao Shuo didn't know how many years his newly established kingdom would last. He only hoped that when the new dynasty was established and obtained the imperial seal, its territory would not be less than that of the current Yuan dynasty.

Secondly, the production of new official robes was expedited.

From the perspective of Chinese tradition, establishing a new dynasty requires changing the colors of officials' clothing to show that it is different from the previous dynasty.

Humans are visual creatures, and nothing has a greater psychological impact than changes in what we see.

But then again, there's nothing to change; the world is just a few colors.

In the Tang Dynasty, officials of the third rank and above wore purple, those of the fourth and fifth ranks wore scarlet (red), those of the sixth and seventh ranks wore green, and those of the eighth and ninth ranks wore cyan.

The Song Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty were basically the same.

However, Tang Dynasty official robes were round-necked robes, paired with black leather six-section boots and fish-shaped bags as accessories; in the Song Dynasty, they were changed to spread-foot turbans (rigid, multi-faceted designs), and official robes were often worn with white silk stockings and black leather shoes, with the addition of accessories such as square-shaped curved collars.

The Yuan Dynasty established a new dynasty, and there was no need to change its color.

It was simply modeled after the later Ming Dynasty, with birds and beasts embroidered on official robes. Civil officials used birds to symbolize literary talent and virtue, while military officials used beasts to symbolize bravery and strength.

In addition, the black gauze hat replaced the turban worn during the Tang and Song dynasties.

Thirdly, the format of the memorials was changed. In fact, this involved adding punctuation marks designated by Zhao Shuo.

Although the concept of "punctuation" existed in ancient China, it was not used in formal official documents and memorials.

Zhao Shuo had long wanted to add punctuation marks to improve the efficiency of processing official documents and avoid ambiguity.

However, this is not an urgent matter, and it will face considerable resistance. Going forward with it previously would have been counterproductive.

Now that the Great Yuan Dynasty has been established and everything is renewed, it is the perfect opportunity to promote punctuation marks in order to show the difference from previous dynasties.

As a result, the Secretariat subtly hinted at its intentions, and memorials urging Zhao Shuo to ascend the throne, marked with punctuation, began to appear in Zhao Shuo's temporary residence like snowflakes.

On December 19th, Zhao Shuo's carriage finally arrived at the outskirts of Zhongdu.

Yelü Chucai led the civil and military officials of Zhongdu, along with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians, to welcome Zhao Shuo and once again urged him to become the Emperor of China.

The process of declining and refusing the position three times had long been completed, and Zhao Shuo had already become the Heavenly Khan. Of course, he didn't say anything pretentiously like "You have really made things difficult for me!" Instead, he issued a new decree: "Heaven has ordained me, the people support me, and it is the will of the people. I dare not refuse."

On the first day of the Lunar New Year in 1250, Zhao Shuo's enthronement ceremony was officially held in the southern suburbs of Zhongdu.

The temporary circular altar, nine zhang high, was built of yellow earth, symbolizing "the emperor residing in the center, communicating with heaven and earth." The altar was divided into three layers, each surrounded by imperial guards dressed in black armor and holding halberds. They stood like silent iron statues, gleaming coldly in the pale winter sun.

Beep~~
Beep~~
The deep, resonant sound of horns broke the silence of dawn, followed by the clear, melodious tones of chime bells and special chimes. The solemn and elegant music, like an invisible tide, swept across the entire wilderness.

From the distant palace to the altar, civil and military officials, members of the imperial family and nobles, dressed in the new official robes of the Yuan Dynasty according to their rank, stood solemnly with their heads bowed, lining both sides of the imperial road.

Behind these dignitaries were 100,000 selected commoners from the capital.

Zhao Shuo wore the imperial robes of the Chinese emperor, the upper garment symbolizing the dawn of heaven and the lower garment symbolizing the twilight of the land. His shoulders were embroidered with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, and insects, and his back was adorned with ancestral vessels, algae, fire, rice, and embroidered patterns. The twelve symbols of imperial authority gathered all the ultimate beauty and order in the world. Led by the chief officiant, Zhao Shuo slowly walked towards the altar for the sacrifice to heaven.

While official robes changed throughout history, the imperial robes of the Chinese emperor remained constant, symbolizing the continuity of Chinese civilization. Dynasties may rise and fall, but Chinese civilization endures.

This was the attire worn by all the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty, including Kublai Khan. The only exception was the Qing Dynasty.

"By the mighty Heaven, the Supreme God has bestowed a precious mandate, blessing and protecting the people... Your subject, Zhao Shuo, solemnly proclaims to Heaven... Alas! The mandate of Heaven has been fulfilled; the foundation has been established, and the people are beginning anew. What I have failed to do, all the civil and military officials, Han and Mongol peoples, have united as one to offer their assistance, however inadequate. I hereby proclaim this to all, hoping you will understand my sincere intentions!"

Zhao Shuo began to recite the prayer, his voice clear and steady, piercing through the elegant music and echoing across the wilderness. It was a declaration to the gods and spirits of heaven and earth, and to all people, that a new era had begun.

Then came the "Second Offering and Final Offering," and the three offerings were completed, with the music growing ever louder. The Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices presented the imperial seal and the edict of accession, which were held on a vermilion lacquer plate.

Zhao Shuo turned around and faced the forest of soldiers, civilians and common people below the altar of Heaven.

He held the Great Yuan Imperial Seal aloft with both hands, displaying it to heaven and earth, and to all the people.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Below the altar, civil and military officials and nobles knelt in unison, and shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" rose into the sky like a tsunami.

With this, the ceremony was completed, and Zhao Shuo officially became the Son of Heaven of China, the Emperor of the Great Yuan Dynasty.

However, instead of following custom to bestow titles upon his ancestors, empress, and crown prince, Zhao Shuo loudly proclaimed the imperial edict in person.

"I have ascended the throne in accordance with the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people. However, I know that establishing an empire is not easy, but maintaining it is even more difficult. Among my descendants, there will inevitably be unworthy ones who will ruin the foundation I laid for you. Today, I hereby issue three decrees to restrain myself and my descendants."

"Firstly, the emperor of our Great Yuan Dynasty has no taboo regarding his name. Even if he utters my name, he will not be punished! The world belongs not only to me and my descendants, but also to the Han people, the Mongols, and the heroes of all ethnic groups in the world!"

The taboo surrounding certain topics in Chinese culture has continued for over a thousand years.

For example, Wang Zhaojun of the Han Dynasty changed her name to Wang Mingjun to avoid the taboo of Emperor Wen of Jin, Sima Zhao. Later generations have habitually referred to her as "Mingfei".

For example, to avoid using the name of Li Shimin, the Ministry of Civil Affairs was changed to the Ministry of Revenue. Similarly, to avoid using the name of Li Yuan, the Longyuan Sword was changed to the Longquan Sword.

It has caused too much inconvenience to the people.

Later, in order to avoid disturbing the people, Song Dynasty emperors would change their names to rare characters before ascending the throne.

Zhao Shuo thought it was too much trouble.

He neither wanted to change his name nor wanted the character "朔" to be banned in public.

Besides, how many years has it been called the "Zhao Shuo Khanate"? If Zhao Shuo can govern his own people, how can he govern other countries?

Therefore, Zhao Shuo simply abolished the taboo completely.

Of course, no one would actually address Zhao Shuo directly as "Zhao Shuo." It was just that saying or writing the character "Shuo" in other contexts, or accidentally uttering the name "Zhao Shuo," would not lead to being investigated and punished by the court.

"Secondly, the construction of my mausoleum will only begin after my death and will be completed within a hundred days. My descendants should all follow this example. Otherwise, they are not my descendants!"

The construction of lavish mausoleums by emperors was an enormous drain on the nation's resources. Throughout history, shortly after ascending the throne, emperors would begin selecting sites and commencing construction of their mausoleums, a process that could last for years or even decades.

The Song Dynasty was an exception.

This dynasty learned from the lessons of the previous dynasty and stipulated that the construction of the emperor's tomb would only begin after the emperor's death, and strictly limited the time to seven months, hence the saying "burial after seven months".

During the Ming Dynasty, things reverted to the old ways, with emperors starting to build luxurious mausoleums as soon as they ascended the throne.

Why bother?
Wealth is something you can't take with you when you die, so it's better to leave it in the world. Zhao Shuo is quite open-minded about this.

Therefore, referencing the Song Dynasty's system, he limited the construction of the tomb to within one hundred days. With only one hundred days, how extravagant could one possibly be?

"Thirdly, all my descendants who have not been granted fiefdoms shall inherit their titles with a lower rank each generation. After seven generations, they shall be reduced to commoners. As the ancient saying goes, 'The blessings of a virtuous man end after five generations.' If my grace can protect my descendants for seven generations, it is already a great favor from Heaven. How can I be so greedy?"

This is to prevent the royal family from multiplying and becoming too burdensome for the country.

Zhao Shuo's voice was clear and firm, like the striking of a jade chime, echoing in the solemn and majestic wilderness. The three decrees, each more shocking than the last, struck the hearts of everyone present like three heavy hammer blows.

At first, there was a deathly silence.

Cancel the taboo against using the emperor's name? For thousands of years, "avoiding the taboo of addressing superiors" has been the cornerstone of etiquette and law, an invisible barrier maintaining the sanctity and inviolability of imperial power. Directly addressing the emperor by his name was a grave offense, punishable by death! Did Zhao Shuo really dismantle this wall himself to avoid disturbing the people?

A hundred-day period for building a mausoleum after death? Which emperor throughout history didn't consider his afterlife as important as his achievements in life? Those magnificent mausoleums were an extension of power into death, another form of "Long Live the Emperor." Even in the Song Dynasty, didn't the period last seven months? Zhao Shuo, in order to save state expenditure, preferred that the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty be buried simply!

"Seven generations were reduced to commoners." For the sake of the country's strength, Zhao Shuo treated even his descendants so harshly!

But then, cheers erupted.

"Your Majesty is wise! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The cheers of hundreds of thousands of people were like a tidal wave, a roar that echoed to the heavens!
(End of this chapter)