The prince is more stable

Chapter 842 Ascending the Throne and Becoming Emperor (Part 2)

The new emperor offered sacrifices to Heaven, and all his ministers bowed their heads.

Before the altar of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the emperor and his ministers were all solemn. Zhang Yi, the Minister of Rites, read the sacrificial text in a melodious voice. After reading the long and elegant parallel prose, a faint rumble of wind and thunder seemed to rise between heaven and earth.

Zhao Xiaoqian silently gazed at the altar before him. Before the cast bronze cauldron, wisps of smoke rose straight up into the sky.

After a series of elaborate sacrificial rites to Heaven, the emperor and his ministers rose to their feet as Zhang Yi chanted.

Zhang Yi walked up to Zhao Xiaoqian and whispered, "Your Majesty, please move to the Daqing Hall. The ceremony is not yet over."

Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly said, "Everything has to follow the procedures, right?"

Zhang Yi was taken aback, then said, "Of course we have to follow the procedures. We cannot deceive heaven, earth, or the gods."

Zhao Xiaoqian remained silent for a moment, then said, "I do not deceive Heaven and the gods. I will only slightly modify the procedure and let me enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple alone."

Zhang Yi looked troubled: "This..."

Before he could reply, Zhao Xiaoqian had already stepped into the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

The assembled officials below erupted in uproar, whispering amongst themselves, wondering what the new emperor was going to do, as this ceremony was not part of the official protocol.

All eyes turned to Zhang Yi.

Zhang Yi couldn't explain in this situation, so he could only shrug and give a wry smile.

However, many important officials in the State Council and the Privy Council narrowed their eyes slightly.

Today is the coronation ceremony, but this new emperor has done something unexpected and doesn't care about other people's opinions. Obviously, this young man is very opinionated and has a strong personality. He will not be easily swayed by others. In the future, we should probably try to be more respectful when dealing with this emperor.

Ignoring the whispers of the thousands of court officials behind him, Zhao Xiaoqian walked alone into the Imperial Ancestral Temple, looking up at the memorial tablets of the emperors of the Song Dynasty in the center of the temple, as well as the portraits of each emperor.

From Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, all the way to Emperor Shenzong, and finally to the newly hung portrait of Emperor Zhezong.

Before the portrait of Emperor Zhezong Zhao Xu, Zhao Xiaoqian stopped and stared intently at the familiar features in the portrait, remaining motionless for a long time.

After a long while, Zhao Xiaoqian lowered his eyelids and sighed softly, "I'm sorry, I still ended up like this..."

"I also want to thank you. If you hadn't deliberately left some room for maneuver back then, I probably wouldn't be in such an easy situation today."

"I will help you achieve your ambitions in the future."

"The Song Dynasty needs to change; it's in terrible shape. I hope that before the end of my life, I can deliver a satisfactory result to the emperors of the Song Dynasty, so that I can be worthy of being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple and receiving incense offerings from future generations."

After speaking, Zhao Xiaoqian bowed deeply to Zhao Xu's portrait.

The officials waited for a long time in the square outside the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Zhang Yi, the Minister of Rites, was sweating profusely. The ceremony was getting out of control, which made Zhang Yi very anxious.

If something serious happens during today's ceremony, others may not dare to blame the Emperor, but the Minister of Rites will be held accountable.

After some hesitation, Zhang Yi decided to go into the Imperial Ancestral Temple to invite Zhao Xiaoqian out. Fortunately, just as he was about to go in, Zhao Xiaoqian came out on his own.

Zhang Yi breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes almost pleading as he looked at Zhao Xiaoqian.

Hey, stop messing with me, okay?
"Your Majesty, please move to the Daqing Hall," Zhang Yi said, bowing.

Zhao Xiaoqian's expression revealed nothing; no one knew what he had just done in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded slightly in response to Zhang Yi's plea and stepped forward.

The ceremony was finally back on track, and Zhang Yi was so grateful that tears welled up in her eyes.

When the emperor and his ministers arrived at the Daqing Hall, Zhao Xiaoqian looked at the brand-new dragon throne on the jade steps in front of him, a position that countless princes and ambitious people throughout history had dreamed of.

From today onwards, this position belongs only to him.

Empress Dowager Xiang waited inside the hall, her seat positioned to one side of the dragon throne. At this moment, she watched Zhao Xiaoqian walk step by step toward the dragon throne with a smile in her eyes, her gaze full of doting affection.

In any case, today's result is the best it can be for her.

Having survived that upheaval and still able to remain in the position of Empress Dowager, what more could she ask for?

The dragon throne was custom-made, and even Zhao Xiaoqian's imperial robes and crown were brand new.

Zhao Xiaoqian resolutely refused to use the imperial robes and crown that Zhao Ji had once worn, as well as the dragon throne that Zhao Ji had damaged.

It wasn't that he lived a luxurious life and didn't want to use secondhand goods, but rather that Zhao Xiaoqian disliked the fact that they had once been worn by Zhao Ji, considering them unlucky.

Zhao Xiaoqian stepped onto the jade steps, first bowed to the Empress Dowager, then sat on the dragon throne, facing the assembled officials.

Zhang Yi continued to preside over the enthronement ceremony, and the courtiers cheered and performed the three kneelings and nine prostrations.

Then Zhang Yi took out a couplet for worshipping ancestors and the late emperor. After reading it, the officials bowed again.

Palace attendants filed into the hall, carrying banners, ruyi scepters, golden gourds, screens, and other items representing the emperor's regalia. They lined up on either side of the dragon throne, and the courtiers once again performed the three kowtows and nine prostrations. Next, envoys from various countries entered the hall, representing the neighboring vassal states of the Great Song Dynasty, knelt before the Great Song Emperor, and presented their official letters.

Zheng Chunhe went down the steps to receive the letter of state, then turned back and handed it to Zhao Xiaoqian.

Zhao Xiaoqian took the official letter and glanced at it hastily. In fact, the so-called official letter was full of clichés and nothing interesting. Zhao Xiaoqian only opened it and glanced at it in front of the ministers for the sake of etiquette.

After closing the letter, Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at the envoys from Liao and Western Xia. He didn't recognize them, but judging from their expressions and attitudes, they were all very respectful, especially the Liao envoy, who always maintained a half-bow posture, just like Zheng Chunhe.

The Liao envoys of previous years were not so respectful. When they arrived in the Song Dynasty, even when they met the Song emperor, their attitude was extremely arrogant and domineering. Their arrogant demeanor back then was completely different from their respectful appearance now.

Zhang Yi's request was ultimately denied; Zhao Xiaoqian had pulled another stunt.

Handing the letter of state to Zheng Chunhe beside him, Zhao Xiaoqian stared at the Liao envoy and suddenly laughed, "Does the Liao Kingdom still want the annual tribute from our Great Song? It's been two or three years since you last asked. Have you forgotten?"

The coronation ceremony was a brutal act of killing someone and destroying their spirit.

The courtiers in the hall were all astonished, then someone burst out laughing, and the courtiers in the hall joined in the laughter.

The laughter was filled with blatant mockery and an inexplicable sense of triumph.

Among them, Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze laughed the loudest and most unrestrainedly.

That's right, this is the familiar look of the commander of my Yan Yun border army. He not only kills people like flies when fighting against the Liao Kingdom, but he can also infuriate people with his words.

The laughter of everyone in the main hall today is the source of our confidence, built up by the Emperor leading us through these past few years!

The Liao envoy, who had been specifically named, listened to the laughter filling the hall, his face turning pale and uncertain, unable to tell whether it was anger or fear.

After a long pause, the Liao envoy bowed and said, "The Great Song Dynasty is powerful and prosperous, and its army is strong. It has been a brotherly state with our Great Liao for a hundred years. Talking about tribute would only damage the harmony between our two countries."

Zhao Xiaoqian then looked at the Western Xia envoys and tentatively asked, "You don't want the annual tribute either?"

During the reign of Emperor Shenzong, the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia Dynasty had a border conflict. Both sides suffered losses and casualties, and the battle was barely considered a draw. However, the Liao Dynasty intervened forcefully, clearly favoring the Western Xia Dynasty and threatening and coercing the Song Dynasty. In the end, the Song Dynasty had no choice but to send tribute to the Western Xia Dynasty.

That's right, the Song Dynasty was indeed that incompetent.

Today, Zhao Xiaoqian's question at the enthronement ceremony was another blow to the heart.

The laughter of the courtiers in the hall grew even louder, and even the usually serious Zhang Dun couldn't help but show a hint of a smile.

Compared to the Liao envoy who dared to show some anger, the Western Xia envoy was undoubtedly more docile. He didn't even dare to show anger, and his demeanor was quite composed.

"In the second year of the Shaosheng era of the Great Song Dynasty, the Song and Xia states signed a peace treaty. Our Great Xia state is willing to submit to the Great Song Dynasty and become its vassal state forever. How dare a small, barbarian vassal state accept the annual tribute from its suzerain state? Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty is joking."

Zhao Xiaoqian hummed in agreement, then suddenly said, "In previous years, the Song Dynasty paid a considerable amount of tribute to the Liao and Western Xia. Although the sums were not large, it was ultimately not a respectable matter for the Song Dynasty. The Liao and Western Xia should perhaps provide an explanation for this..."

"You keep talking about brotherly states and suzerain states, but there's no reason for brothers to extort each other, is there? Not to mention that a suzerain state pays tribute to a vassal state, it's a joke. Even the historians of our Great Song Dynasty don't know how to write this passage. What do you two envoys say?"

The envoys from both countries felt a sudden unease, sensing something was amiss.

Is he trying to settle old scores, or is he looking for a pretext to wage war against his own country?
To dare to say such things at the coronation ceremony, one must have given it considerable thought, right?
The rulers of Liao and Xia were quite shocked that Zhao Xiaoqian had managed to seize the throne; they never expected him to succeed.

However, for both the Liao and Xia dynasties, Zhao Xiaoqian becoming the emperor of the Song Dynasty would be a difficult situation for both.

None of them had forgotten the painful memory of Zhao Xiaoqian leading the elite Song army to crush and humiliate both countries.

At today's enthronement ceremony, the envoys were originally just going through the motions, but Zhao Xiaoqian was so impatient that he started to make trouble for the envoys of the two countries during the ceremony.

This young emperor of the Song Dynasty is truly a man of few words!
The envoys from both countries were astonished, and the officials in the hall were even more astonished.

Everyone looked at Zhang Yi, the Minister of Rites, and asked him with their eyes if this part was part of the enthronement ceremony.
Zhang Yi's face was pale, and he gave a silent, bitter laugh.

I don't know, don't ask me, I'm innocent.

A murmur of discussion arose within the palace. The assembled officials looked at Zhao Xiaoqian, whose face remained calm, with surprise and suspicion. Some of the conservative and old-fashioned officials were already showing displeasure and were hesitating whether to come out and stop the newly enthroned emperor.

Such a grand and solemn enthronement ceremony, yet you act like you're collecting a debt. This is utterly disgraceful. If word gets out, won't it become a laughing stock? What will become of the dignity of the Song Dynasty?
Zhao Xiaoqian disregarded the feelings of his ministers. He did not see anything wrong with it. On the contrary, giving the foreign envoys a show of force at the enthronement ceremony, washing away the past humiliations of the Song Dynasty, and boosting the morale of the Song people was beneficial and without any drawbacks.

As for the occasion, it doesn't matter.

The creditor has the confidence to collect debts in any situation; the right to claim debts is divinely ordained and a matter of course.

The two envoys were in a dilemma, and their expressions grew increasingly grim.

After carefully observing Zhao Xiaoqian's expression, the Liao envoy cautiously asked, "What explanation does His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song require?"

Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly, "Go back and tell your king that every penny of the tribute that the Great Song Dynasty sent in previous years will be returned. Since we want to live in peace, we need to settle the old debts."

"You keep talking about being brothers and good neighbors, but you took advantage of the Song Dynasty so much in the past, which makes me very uncomfortable. If you mention 'brothers' or 'sect leader' again, I will feel that you are mocking me and mocking the Song Dynasty for being a great victim."

"I need the help of both countries to resolve this issue, otherwise I will feel uneasy."

(End of this chapter)