Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 548 No one knows the danger of General Tian Ce better than I do.

The sky is bright.

Outside the Taiji Hall, high-ranking officials, generals, vassal ministers, and foreign envoys followed Li Shuang, and their carriages of all sizes drove out of the Changhe Gate and headed to the abdication altar outside the city.

One hundred thousand soldiers guarded the area around the altar of the abdication, densely packed, layer upon layer.

As the carriages filed in along the long road and headed towards the parking area, a large number of nobles dismounted.

Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai stepped off the carriage side by side, glanced at each other, and then looked at the towering altar in the distance.

From the Six Garrisons to this point, they have risen from lowly soldiers to become dukes, enjoying immense prestige.

But who can know the hardships along the way?

They may have grievances, but at this moment, their hearts are filled with more bitterness and hardship.

However, before they could say a word, they were swept away by the crowd.

The Duke would be a big shot anywhere else, but here he was inconspicuous.

Once the officials and nobles of Luoyang had lined up, Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai realized that they were not at the front of the line.

Further along the long road, there were also Dukes such as Yang Kan, Gao Ang, and Li Bi. Further ahead, there were Princes of the Yuan and Xiao clans and a Prince of the Li clan. At the very front, on the abdication altar, stood two emperors.

Looking further back, it was an even denser, dark mass.

These people did not rise to high positions through bloodline; they all endured countless ups and downs and battles in the chaotic world to finally stand here. Even those who were originally from noble families were not weaklings.

Even with their vast experience and long history, Gao Huan and Yuwen Tai couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings) at this moment.

The heroes of the world are like the crucian carp crossing the river.

At that moment, the sound of ceremonial music began.

Amidst much anticipation, today's protagonist took to the stage.

Dressed in a ceremonial robe with twelve symbols and wearing a crown with twelve tassels, Li Shuang, escorted by guards, slowly walked along the long road toward the majestic altar for receiving the abdication.

Today's Li Shuang is completely different from the past. Dressed in imperial robes, he exudes an indescribable charm, making it difficult to discern whether it is his own charm, the charm of the attire, or a combination of both that makes him even more extraordinary.

The heroes of the world, braving the scorching winter sun, listened to the distant, faint sound of the Yellow River's waves as they watched Li Shuang walk that long road toward the altar of enlightenment.

His gaze followed the distance, but he could only hastily lower his head.

This is a long road, and few people have walked it in the past, and few will walk it in the future.

But now, that man has already reached the foot of the altar of enlightenment, becoming one of the few beings throughout history to have completed the journey.

Everyone had their own thoughts, but no matter what they were thinking, the ceremony was carried out meticulously.

Li Shuang ascended the abdication altar and received the ritual vessels representing the legitimacy of their respective states from the Wei Emperor and the Liang Emperor.

Afterwards, he went up to the second floor again and received the Imperial Seal of the State!

The imperial seal bearing the inscription "By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous" appeared before Li Shuang. He smiled leisurely, took it, and then put it back.

Then, we went up to the third floor!
On the third level, there is a sacrificial cauldron.

Li Shuang took the prepared edict from the side, unfolded it, and read aloud:
"Since the end of the Han dynasty, the world has lost its order, and three hundred years have passed since then! Your subject, Li Shuang, was originally a commoner, but during this time of struggle for power, I rose up with vigor and military might, quelled the tyranny within the realm, and gathered heroes from all over the land to my side. Now, people both inside and outside the court have jointly urged me to ascend the throne, and the leaders of the barbarians from all directions have jointly supported Your Majesty. Thus, I have received the abdication from Wei and Liang, ascended the throne, established the name of the world as the Great Tang, and changed the era name to Shaoxia!"

As the imperial edict was thrown into the cauldron, a burst of smoke rose up. Li Shuang turned around and looked at the tens of thousands of people kneeling on the ground, their shouts echoing through the air.

"The Mandate of Heaven has been bestowed upon the Tang Dynasty. Your Majesty's virtue and grace extend to all corners of the world and all directions. We, your subjects, are deeply honored to witness this glorious era!"

……

In a single day, the flags of the entire city of Luoyang, and indeed the entire realm, changed. After the abdication ceremony was completed, everyone followed Li Shuang back to the Taiji Hall.

Li Shuang ascended the throne, looked at the assembled officials in the hall, and said:

"Today, the world is renewed and everything is renewed. You gentlemen should work together with me to bring peace to the world and bring all the barbarians from all directions back to the rule of the king."

"I obey your orders!"

After the ceremony of accepting the monks' orders was completed, the routine reward ceremony began.

Dugu Ru was made Empress, Li Heng was made Crown Prince, Yuan Mingyue, Liu Sixia, and Erzhu Ying'e were made the three consorts, and Gao Leling, Yuwen Yuanji, Hebazhen, and Xiao Erzhu were made concubines. All the sons were made kings and all the daughters were made princesses.

The military officers of the Tian Ce Mansion and the officials of the Qin Prince's Mansion were promoted and granted ranks, and entered the imperial court.

The princes of the Yuan and Xiao clans were all demoted.

After the ceremony concluded, the court session dispersed, and Li Shuang, along with Hou Jing, Zu Ting, and others, went to Xianyang Hall.

Taiji Hall was the place for holding grand court assemblies and ceremonies, while Xianyang Hall, located behind Taiji Hall, was the place for handling daily government affairs.

Li Shuang looked at the group of people and asked:
"What do you think is the first thing our dynasty should do?"

At this moment, Hou Jing stepped forward and declared firmly:

"I believe this palace should be renovated."

"Why?"

Hearing Li Shuang's words, Hou Jing found it difficult to speak.

This palace was built by the Northern Wei Dynasty. After the Hebei Incident, the Yuan Dynasty lost all its prestige, and the palace was turned into a racecourse.

The Erzhu clan and other horsemen here did countless unspeakable things.

Hou Jing felt a bit uncomfortable thinking about it.

"The sage said that all things should be renewed, so this palace should naturally be renewed as well, so as to show the grandeur of our Great Tang Dynasty!"

Zu Ting, having heard this, also came out. He naturally knew the details as well, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:

“A sage is a virtuous ruler; how can he be so wasteful as to rebuild the palace? In my opinion, we should expedite the construction of Chang’an and move the capital to the Western Capital as soon as possible.”

After Zu Ting finished speaking, the others also expressed their opinions.

Some suggested immediately marching south to annihilate the Xiao clan princes; others suggested reforming the imperial court's official system; still others suggested reforming the local prefecture and county system; and some even suggested reforming the tax system and manufacturing new Wuzhu coins...

The matters discussed encompassed politics, military affairs, and economics, extending to all prefectures and counties across the land, and involving scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants.

Li Shuang nodded, approving of everyone's advice, and then said:
“What you say makes sense, but you haven’t gotten to the point.”

Upon hearing this, all the ministers bowed and clasped their hands, saying:
"Please, Your Majesty, grant me this!"

"The most important task at present is to abolish the Tiance Mansion!"

The officials were all taken aback by these words, but then Li Shuang continued:
“When I was the General of the Heavenly Strategy, I felt that the drawbacks of this position were very obvious. However, at that time the country was in ruins and the state was in danger, so I had no choice but to take it. Now that the world is in a new era, the Heavenly Strategy Office should be abolished and its power distributed to the relevant officials so that the court can issue orders smoothly.”

After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in cheers as they looked at Li Shuang.

"Your Majesty is wise and sagacious; we admire you greatly!"

……

(End of this chapter)