Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 746, the Seven Hundred and Forty-Three Fengshan Ceremony (The Finale)

In the sixteenth year of Yongwei, in the fourth month, the locust tree was in its regency.

Luoyang, Ziwei Palace.

Wensi Hall.

Zhang Daxiang, dressed in a deep scarlet robe, hurriedly entered the Wensi Hall, holding a memorial in his hand.

His gaze swept quickly across the hall. At the entrance to the west hall, the newly appointed second-place scholar Yang Jiong and the newly appointed third-place scholar Wang Bo sat behind two low tables, rapidly copying documents.

Upon seeing the two boys who looked no more than fifteen years old, a hint of admiration flashed in Zhang Daxiang's eyes. They were the second and third place winners in the imperial examination of the sixteenth year of Yongwei.

Both were born in the second year of Emperor Yongwei's reign, both took the imperial examination for the first time this year, and both immediately passed and became Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest level of the imperial examination). Moreover, they ranked among the top in the palace examination, and it happened to be the year when the emperor performed the Fengshan ceremony. These two are truly auspicious omens!

When they were in Chang'an, the court officials all suggested choosing one of the two as the top scholar in the imperial examination, with more people leaning towards Yang Jiong.

Yang Jiong's literary talent was even stronger and more profound. If it weren't for the turmoil in the Yang family that delayed him for a few years in his early years, he might have become the top scholar in the imperial examination long ago.

It was precisely because of that experience that he became more composed and steady in his conduct.

In comparison, Wang Bo was more youthful and spirited.

A child prodigy, auspicious omens descend from heaven.

The Tang Dynasty never had a genius who passed the imperial examination at the age of fifteen, and it wasn't the "child prodigy" examination, but the proper "Jinshi" examination.

This amazed everyone who saw them.

Even the emperor struggled for a long time before awarding the top scholar title to another person in the same class, Yuan Wanqing.

Although Yuan Wanqing was not a child prodigy like Yang Jiong and Wang Bo, his writing was more mature, and he showed a better grasp of people's livelihood in some details.

There are even some amazing aspects that amazed Li Chengqian.

Yuan Wanqing was a true descendant of the Tuoba clan of the Later Wei Dynasty. His grandfather was Bai Ze, the county magistrate of Xin'an County, who served as the governor of eleven prefectures including Liang and Li during the Wude era.

In fact, given Yuan Wanqing's family background, he did not need to participate in the imperial examinations. However, because the emperor has placed increasing emphasis on the imperial examinations in recent years, a large number of scions of prominent families have begun to enter officialdom through the imperial examinations rather than through family connections.

While the gatekeeper system was quick, it didn't attract as much attention as the imperial examinations.

Moreover, judging from the resumes of many close ministers of the emperor, the more outstanding the scion of a noble family was, the more attention they received from the emperor after entering officialdom through the imperial examination.

Moreover, the emperor has not given any special treatment to those who have inherited their positions over the years; everything has been done in accordance with the regulations of the court.

Given the current scrutiny of officials by the Secretariat, the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review, it is not easy for those with connections to powerful families to find a convenient path.

Therefore, countless talented individuals, such as Yuan Wanqing, Wang Bo, and Yang Jiong, began to participate in the imperial examinations.

The emperor appointed Yuan Wanqing as the top scholar in this imperial examination, partly because he was a bit older. Young geniuses are often envied, and standing out from the crowd is not always a good thing.

However, after the imperial examination, Yuan Wanqing was appointed as a proofreader in the Crown Prince's Chongwen Hall, while Wang Bo and Yang Jiong were appointed as proofreaders in the Wensi Hall.

The Wensi Hall Proofreader was a member of the Palace Secretariat, and it was rare for someone to be directly promoted from among the successful candidates in the imperial examinations. However, Wang Bo and Yang Jiong were truly exceptional talents.

This is the emperor's most secret place; nothing that happens inside can be said to the outside world.

Zhang Daxiang strode into the West Hall, then walked past the two men. The voice of Li Baiyao, Minister of Rites, came from ahead: "The Fengsi Altar on the southern slope of Mount Song, the Dengfeng Altar on the summit, and the Jiangchan Altar on Mount Shaoshi have all been completed under my supervision..."

……

Li Chengqian heard footsteps, glanced at Zhang Daxiang, who then bowed and stood aside.

Li Baiyao paused briefly before continuing, "On the ninth day of the fifth month, His Majesty offered sacrifices to the Supreme God of Heaven at the Feng Altar, with Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong as his consorts, and read the 'Songshan Jade Register'; on the tenth day of the fifth month, His Majesty ascended to the summit of Songshan and sealed the Jade Register at the Dengfeng Altar, completing the Feng ceremony; on the same day, the Empress, at the Jiangchan Altar, led the ladies of the six palaces in performing the Yaxian ceremony, with Empress Taimu and Empress Wende as her consorts; on the eleventh day of the fifth month, His Majesty received the congratulations of his ministers and envoys from vassal states at the Chaojin Altar and granted a general amnesty."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly. The Fengshan ceremony he was performing in his reign was different from the one he had held for his father, Emperor Taizong.

The biggest difference is that the empress was alive, so she directly participated in many of the Fengshan ceremonies.

"After the Fengshan ceremony, Your Majesty should go to Qufu to worship at the Temple of Confucius, then to Bozhou to visit the Temple of Laozi, and finally return to the capital in July." After Li Baiyao finished speaking, he handed over the memorial in his hand.

Li Chengqian glanced at the memorial, nodded, and said, "Let's do it this way."

"Yes!" Li Baiyao cupped his hands and then stood to the side.

Li Chengqian looked up at Zhang Daxiang and asked, "Is there something you need, Minister Zhang?"

"Your Majesty!" Zhang Daxiang came to his senses, cupped his hands and reported, "Your Majesty, news from Xuanque Prefecture has arrived."

Li Chengqian couldn't help but stand up, take Zhang Daxiang's memorial, and then open it to read it carefully: "...traveling north without end, to the land of eternal night, there is an icy sea, vast and boundless, so a stone tablet was erected to record it, and then returned south, to the north where the sea is located, accompanied by a hundred horsemen, but only five returned."

An inscription was erected to commemorate this.

Li Chengqian's eyes narrowed.

From the northernmost point of the sea to the Arctic Ocean, the entire territory belonged to Xuanque Prefecture, which was nominally part of the Tang Dynasty. This meant that the entire territory of the Tang Dynasty extended directly into the Arctic Ocean.

“The tribes traveled five thousand li north from the sea, and the cavalry took more than four months to make the round trip. Almost all of their warhorses were killed or wounded. It was truly a difficult journey.” Li Chengqian looked up at Li Baiyao and said, “Issue an imperial decree that the five men who returned be granted the title of Earl, their sons be granted the title of Viscount, and their grandsons be granted the title of Baron. If they make any further contributions, their titles will be increased accordingly.”

"Yes!" Zhang Daxiang solemnly cupped his hands in greeting.

According to the regulations of the Tang Dynasty, the founding titles were hereditary and could not be replaced. For those not founding titles, the titles were downgraded in each generation, but there were no rules for those downgraded.

Some people inherited their titles in descending generations, while others lost their titles entirely after one generation. The method of inheritance was related to meritorious service.

These five people will have titles for up to three generations, and they can be promoted if they make contributions.

This is the most generous gift ever received in the history of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Chengqian handed the memorial to Zhang Daxiang and said, "Now we must speed up the completion of the map of the Tang Dynasty's territory. Xuanque Prefecture, Jinwei Prefecture, and Youling Prefecture must be completely connected, and the northern territory must be brought under control."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Zhang Daxiang cupped his hands in greeting, then quickly turned and left.

Li Chengqian watched Zhang Daxiang's retreating figure and breathed a slight sigh of relief. Now, all that was missing for the Fengshan ceremony was this item from Xuanque Prefecture.

Su Xu's Tianxia Academy and Xu Jingzong's "Hundred Family Surnames" have both been completed with the combined efforts of the entire nation.

With the combined efforts of the entire nation, it was not difficult to accomplish; the only difficult task was the Arctic Ocean project, which is now complete.

The final preparations for the Fengshan ceremony are about to be completed.

……

In early May, as the Fengshan ceremony was approaching, more than a hundred governors, commanders, and protectors from all over the country, as well as the rulers of various foreign states, envoys, and retired officials, all gathered in Luoyang.

For a time, Luoyang was at its peak.

At this time, the return of a key figure to the capital once again drew the attention of the world to the Ziwei Palace.

Su Dan, Chief Secretary of the Yangzhou Grand General's Office.

The Empress's biological father, the Emperor's father-in-law, the Crown Prince, the Prince of Yong, the Prince of Dai, Princess Yongkang, and Princess Yongle's maternal grandfather have returned to the capital.

Especially during this period, there have been frequent reports that Changsun Wuji is about to retire, which has made people pay more attention to the next leader of the Guanlong aristocratic families. Su Dan, the emperor's father-in-law, may eventually become the person who replaces Changsun Wuji.

Inside the Zhenguan Hall, Li Chengqian and Su Shu sat on the imperial couch, with plates of exquisite delicacies laid out on the table in front of them.

Su Xu and Su Dan, along with their families, sat on the left, while the princes and princesses, including the crown prince, sat on the right.

Li Chengqian put down his wine cup, then looked at Su Dan and said seriously, "For many years, the Imperial Household Department has been developing mulberry fields in Hangzhou, Suzhou, Huzhou, and Yuezhou, producing a large amount of silk to supply the court with rewards, as well as facilitating trade between the north and south. It is truly not easy for my father-in-law to manage all of this."

Over the years, although Li Chengqian has gained widespread power, he has actually done many things behind the scenes.

The biggest secret was organizing a large amount of manpower and resources to improve textile technology, which was also entrusted to Su Dan from the very beginning.

Over the years, they have secretly helped Li Chengqian amass a great deal of wealth.

This gave him enough confidence to fight in the north and south.

“After the Fengshan ceremony, the Prince of Jiangxia will retire. Father-in-law, you should be transferred to the position of Governor of Luozhou and go back to Luoyang to rest properly.” Li Chengqian smiled and said, “Mother-in-law can also stay in Luoyang. The Empress and I will make an eastern tour to Luoyang every year. It would be a wonderful thing for the whole family to reunite then.”

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Su Dan bowed respectfully, but a slight sense of relief lingered in his eyes. He was the emperor's father-in-law, and because of this important position, the emperor had not previously intended to allow him to return to court.

The reason is that once he returns to the court, he is very likely to clash with Changsun Wuji. At that time, Su Dan will not be a match for Changsun Wuji.

That would be more troublesome; it would be better to stay outside and gain experience.

The current Governor of Luozhou is a second-rank official, even above the Attendant-in-Ordinary and the Grand Secretary, and only below the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel.

Of course, he was not qualified to enter the Council of State and become prime minister.

Even so, this is already the limit that Su Dan can reach. As for going any higher, even Su Dan himself dares not think about it.

“I know that my father-in-law is very capable in dealing with the people’s livelihood in Jiangnan. Now that the Governor of Luozhou is in charge of the whole of Jiangnan, he should carry out the reforms that need to be carried out.” After a slight pause, Li Chengqian said, “It’s not that the affairs of the world don’t need to be done after the Fengshan ceremony. In fact, the Fengshan ceremony is just another starting point for the affairs of the world.”

"Your Majesty, we will respectfully obey your instructions." Everyone in the hall bowed in unison.

Just then, Zhang Anan appeared silently in front of the palace gate.

Li Chengqian waved to Zhang Anan.

Zhang Anan stepped into the hall and respectfully bowed to Li Chengqian, saying, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has reported that the map of the Tang Dynasty's territory has been completed."

Li Chengqian's breathing suddenly became heavy. He slowly stood up and said softly, "All preparations for the Fengshan ceremony are complete."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty."

Li Chengqian gently closed his eyes and murmured, "Let's begin the Fengshan ceremony."

……

The ninth day of the fifth lunar month.

The weather is clear and clear.

Wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and a white jade crown, Li Chengqian led the princes and all the civil and military officials to worship at the Imperial Ancestral Temple at dawn.

Then they set off from Ziwei Palace, along Dingdingmen Street, towards Mount Song.

Inside Luoyang, countless people knelt on both sides of the long street, not daring to look up at the emperor, whose expression was solemn and divine.

Li Chengqian sat alone inside the imperial carriage, gently closing his eyes.

He was the only person inside the entire imperial carriage.

Sitting in front of the imperial carriage, driving for Li Chengqian, was Su Qingjie, the son of Su Dingfang.

It wasn't Shangcheng Fengyu Changsun Jing, nor Su Gui, or anyone else, but Su Qingjie. He represented Su Dingfang and the army. The Tang Dynasty finally established itself through military merit.

Although Li Chengqian valued education, he also clearly understood that scholars were the most prone to alienation, and only the soldiers in the army were truly loyal to him.

Pulling his chaotic thoughts back, Li Chengqian couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Fengshan, oh Fengshan.

Li Chengqian couldn't help but smile.

After all these years, he has finally reached the point of performing the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Song.

His gaze fell upon the swaying carriage curtain, where countless people bowed and murmured, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

A dense cacophony of sounds continuously entered Li Chengqian's ears, and for some reason, it finally calmed his previously uneasy heart.

Left and Right Guards, Left and Right Golden Guards, Left and Right Valiant Guards, Left and Right Mighty Guards, Left and Right Thousand Bull Guards, Left and Right Martial Guards, Left and Right Leading Army Guards.

In addition to the left and right gate guards, 30,000 cavalrymen from the sixteen guards of the Tang Dynasty were mobilized at the same time, their numbers densely packed and spreading directly from Dingding Gate to the foot of Mount Song.

Upon arriving at Mount Song, Li Chengqian glanced back gently.

The crown tassels swayed.

The dense procession for the Fengshan ceremony still stretched as far as the eye could see, and one could even vaguely make out people emerging from the gates of Luoyang.

Seeing this, Li Chengqian's expression immediately became solemn.

Although the cost of the Fengshan ceremony, jointly undertaken by Changsun Wuji and the Ministry of Revenue, was expensive, Li Chengqian could still accept it. However, he suddenly realized that this was only for the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Song, which was the most convenient location right next to Luoyang.

If we were to perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai in the future, it would cost a fortune...

Thinking of this, Li Chengqian felt a chill run down his spine for no apparent reason.

No, he will never perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai in the future. Such an act would cause too much harm to the world. Even if he were to perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Song again, he would never do so at Mount Tai.

Not only that, he will also pass this down as an ancestral precept.

His descendants, and all the descendants of the Tang Dynasty, were never allowed to perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai. Even if Mount Song were to replace Mount Tai as the sacred site for the Fengshan ceremony in the future, they would never perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai.

Taking a deep breath and looking at the summit of the southern foot of Mount Song, Li Chengqian's expression became increasingly solemn. He glanced at the densely packed Imperial Guards standing on both sides of the mountain path, and then stepped forward up the stairs.

Behind him, the crown prince, princes, and officials followed slowly.

Li Chengqian didn't care about those things; he just kept climbing the ranks step by step.

He felt something was off all day long.

And now, this problem has completely erupted.

As he climbed higher and higher, everything in his life was laid bare before his eyes.

From the moment he regained consciousness and then froze Hegan Chengji to death, everything in his life began to rapidly get on track.

Li Tai and Li Zhi were both forced by him to rebel and seize the throne step by step, but all of them ended in disastrous failures.

There were also several high-ranking officials in the court who died because of the struggle for the throne, such as Hou Junji, Zhang Liang, Du Chuke, and Liu Ji, and those successive coups.

A thousand schemes, countless calculations.

And those hundreds of days and nights, the stinging pain after his leg was broken, and the brutal pain of reattaching it—all of it ultimately helped him retain his position as crown prince.

Later, when his father launched an eastern expedition against Goguryeo, Li Chengqian played a clever trick, doing everything in his power to help his father on the expedition.

After conquering Liaodong, they advanced on Goguryeo, but were injured by the freezing cold of Goguryeo, and then faced countless struggles after returning to the capital.

Time and again, Li Chengqian eventually succeeded in secretly forcing his father, the emperor, to abdicate.

The images of countless ministers, such as Cen Wenben, Yang Shidao, Wei Zheng, Gao Shilian, Xiao Yu, and Liu Dewei, flashed through his mind.

His methods were not exactly honorable, but he had a clear conscience before Heaven.

It's all just about self-preservation.

It was merely self-preservation in the struggle for imperial power.

What Li Chengqian truly felt was without shame towards the people and the entire Tang Dynasty.

In his new life, numerous improvements to farming tools, rice harvesters, and planting methods were quickly put into practice and applied in the fields.

In recent years, the food supply for the people of the Tang Dynasty has developed rapidly.

This can be indirectly proven by the large increase in the population of the Tang Dynasty, not to mention the large increase in taxes every year.

At the same time, numerous measures were taken, such as suppressing powerful families from seizing land and hiding people, cracking down on illegal money, relocating people from Hebei and Jiangnan to border areas, and making frequent eastern tours to Luoyang, which greatly reduced the loss of grain in the country. These measures greatly eased the conflicts among the people, allowed them to make a living, and enabled the entire Tang Dynasty to flourish and develop.

Finally, he conquered Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla in the east, the Khitan in the north, the Western Turks, the Western Tuyuhun, and Tibet in the west, quickly stabilizing the borders of the Tang Dynasty. For the next twenty years, the people of the world no longer had to worry about any threat of war or pay extra taxes due to war.

He can use various excuses to exempt a place from taxes from time to time.

To allow the people of the world to better recuperate and thrive, and to enable the entire Tang Dynasty to move towards a golden age.

Over the years, he has made numerous improvements to production tools.

Not only agricultural tools, but also a large number of spinning machines, horse-drawn carriages, boats, and so on, all of which propelled the world's productivity forward by leaps and bounds.

The world is vast. Twenty years from now, with the massive increase in population, people from the Tang Dynasty will be found in many countries, from the South Seas in the south to the Arctic Ocean in the north, from Japan in the east to Persia, Arabia, Rome, and even India in the west.

He did his best to preserve the Guanzhong lineage, including Changsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang, Wang Fangyi, and Liu Shi, to prevent the Tang Dynasty's national strength from being severely damaged.

In addition, a large number of people, including Zhang Daxiang, Dai Zhide, Liu Yingdao, Liu Rengui, Pei Xingjian, Di Renjie, Zhang Jianzhi, and Lou Shide, have been promoted and given important positions. These people will be able to ensure the stability and progress of the Tang Dynasty for the next twenty or even fifty years.

That's enough, that's enough.

Perhaps he didn't resolve some of the conflicts, and more conflicts will inevitably arise in the future. But by then, the Tang Dynasty's national strength will be sufficient to withstand them and allow it to recover in a very short time.

Most importantly, he taught Li Xiang a great deal.

His crown prince.

Although Li Xiang's aptitude is somewhat inferior, it is better than Li Zhi's, and he will certainly govern the country better than Li Zhi in the future.

As Li Chengqian looked at the increasingly approaching altar for the imperial sacrifice, the image of his father, Emperor Taizong, appeared in his mind.

Father, at least Qingque and Zhinu are still alive.

Father, I have done right by you.

I have done right by all the people under heaven.

Oh, Heaven!
……

Wearing a crown and a reddish-yellow dragon robe, Li Chengqian knelt on the altar of the imperial sacrifice and bowed three times deeply to the heavens.

Below the altar of the imperial sacrifice, the crown prince, the princes, and all the civil and military officials kowtowed in unison.

Countless imperial guards stood solemnly all around, spears in hand, banners waving in the wind.

Li Chengqian looked up and saw Li Baiyao, the Minister of Rites standing to the side, handing him three sticks of incense.

Li Chengqian then got up, lit the incense sticks, and finally inserted them into the incense burner in front of him.

Before the incense burner, a scroll depicted the entire territory of the Tang Dynasty. Next to it were thirteen memorials from the ten provinces and the provinces of Andong, Anxi, and Lhasa regarding the construction of schools, as well as a thick stack of books recording the population, grain, and population of the hundred surnames of the Tang Dynasty.

Three items were placed in front of the other offerings.

Before these three things was a thin jade book.

Li Chengqian bowed and stood up, his expression solemn and dignified.

Wang Bo and Yang Jiong walked up from both sides and threw two torches into the large black cauldron in the center of the altar.

In an instant, the cauldron burst into flames.

Countless sacrifices, including jade, silk, and other offerings, were thrown into the incense burner by officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

The swirling smoke immediately shot into the sky.

At the same time, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Pei Xingjian, Wang Fangyi, Duan Baoxuan, and Liu Shenli, each dressed in red robes and golden armor, walked to the large cauldrons in the four corners and quickly lit the various offerings inside, causing wisps of smoke to immediately rise into the sky.

Li Chengqian bowed slightly, and Li Baiyao picked up the jade book and respectfully handed it to Li Chengqian.

Li Chengqian took the jade book, raised his head, looked at the large cauldron in front of him, and followed the green smoke straight to the sky.

At the same time, he opened the jade book, faced the heavens, and loudly proclaimed: "Your subject Chengqian, the successor to the throne, dares to proclaim to the Supreme God of Heaven."

The Sui dynasty was at its zenith but in a state of turmoil, its fate sealed, its people suffered greatly, and its dynasty perished.

Emperor Gaozu used the yellow battle-axe to save the common people and bestowed the jade tablet to rescue those who were drowning.

Emperor Taizong's achievements were as great as refining stones, establishing the realm with his banners once more, his accomplishments comparable to breaking a giant tortoise, and he drank from the vast ocean before taking his last breath.

Your humble servant has inherited the legacy and received the accumulated blessings, thus enabling the burning of Kunlun Mountain to cease and the raging waves of the sea to be quelled.

Although the family's business is prosperous and the ancestral temple is thriving, it is truly the divine spirit descended from the heavens.

I now respectfully announce the completion of Mount Tai and attribute the credit to the Shangyuan Festival.

May the great treasure be cloned, its foundation everlasting, its descendants blessed with prosperity, and all people enjoying good fortune.

As he finished speaking, Li Chengqian's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

Beneath the altar, all the ministers solemnly and forcefully clasped their hands and proclaimed in unison, "May the Great Emperor be restored, his foundation be everlasting, his descendants enjoy abundant blessings, and all people be blessed."

The sound soared straight to the heavens, shaking the azure clouds.

Suddenly, the sky was vast and the sea was wide. A golden beam of light pierced through the clouds and fell straight down, shining directly on Li Chengqian.

To Li Chengqian's astonishment, Xia Chuan draped her shoulders, radiating brilliance.

Sacred and solemn.

(End of this chapter)