The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 241 Becoming Emperor
In midsummer, the capital city was adorned with imperial robes. A gentle breeze blew through the palace, and beneath the white jade steps, soldiers stood in a formidable array of armor.

Zhang Fu helped Zhu Gaochi up the steps, his heart filled with emotion.

How can I describe how I feel right now?
Zhang Fu felt his heart pounding and asked himself the same question.

In the past few decades, only when the late Emperor Jingnan succeeded in his campaign against the Japanese invasion, and when he rode into Nanjing with the late Emperor, could his emotions be compared to those of today.

With two generations of emperors serving as heirs, the Duke of England's mansion had secured a truly secure livelihood.

Even if their descendants are unworthy in the future, as long as they do not commit any major acts of rebellion, the emperor will always remember the favor shown to them today and grant them some dignity.

After Zhu Gaochi entered the Fengtian Hall, he did not go directly into the hall, but stood in front of the hall and looked up at the plaque hanging above the emperor's throne inside the hall.

The inscription, “By the Mandate of Heaven,” is written in bold strokes and was personally penned by Emperor Taizu Gao.

Whether in Nanjing or Beijing, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty received the homage of their officials in this Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Gaochi was filled with endless emotions.

Countless memories flooded his mind. Fengtian Palace was not a pleasant place for him. He had groveled there, living in fear and trembling under the emperor's power. Twice, he almost lost his position as crown prince.

But today, he came here again. The previous owner had passed away, and he had become the owner of this place.

Only now does Zhu Gaochi understand what it means to have only one sun in the sky and only one ruler among the people.

Only when he stood here did he understand what his father had been thinking.

The imperial family, father and son, are both the closest and the most distant!
Countless thoughts raced through his mind as Zhu Gaochi stepped across the threshold into the hall, turning his head to look at Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo, "Duke, will there be any problems with the capital's military camp?"

Zhang Fu replied in a deep voice, "Your Highness, with your regent's warrant in hand, none of the generals dare to disobey, and the camp is already under your control."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaochi gave Zhang Fu a deep look. His father-in-law was truly a discerning and sensible man, a breath of fresh air among military generals.

He was naturally highly respected among the civil officials, but he had no prestige among the military generals. Otherwise, how could his younger brother, the Prince of Han, have dared to compete with him for the throne?

Zhu Gaochi thought to himself that he would definitely have to give Li Xianmu an important position in the future, so he could not let Zhang Fu really control the military and serve in the Five Military Commands.

Zhang Fu could serve as the future pillar of the Ming Dynasty, be granted the title of Grand Tutor, exert influence over the court, and participate in state affairs.

In the blink of an eye, the arrangements for Zhang Fu were largely completed. Zhu Gaochi nodded and said no more.

Yang Rong rushed to the cabinet, summoned the officials in the capital to the palace, and read out the imperial edict.

The cabinet members were naturally shocked by his sudden return to the capital, and upon hearing of His Majesty's death and the edict that the Crown Prince would be made emperor, they were both surprised and delighted.

They all knew that their political careers were about to blossom. After years of cultivating their reputation in the cabinet, they had finally waited for this moment!
The officials, bewildered, flocked to the palace, completely unaware of what had happened that had prompted the Crown Prince Regent to summon them in this manner.

After all, according to past practice, the Crown Prince would only see them on the days of formal court sessions. With such a grand display today, wouldn't His Majesty be worried that this would arouse suspicion again?
There must be a demon in the abnormal situation.

Those with quick wits have already made some bold guesses that it is highly likely that something went wrong with the northern expeditionary army, which led to the crown prince's astonishing actions today.

Upon entering the palace, they were filled with menacing armor, which made them even more terrified. Something seemed really wrong.

This was the Ming Dynasty. If it were the Tang Dynasty or even the Northern and Southern Dynasties before that, an era of mass killings and frequent changes of the throne, some people might not even dare to enter the palace.

When they stepped into the Fengtian Hall and saw Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, almost everyone breathed a sigh of relief, as long as the Crown Prince was alright.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen. After the rest of you have entered the palace, there will be an important announcement."

Zhu Gaochi's twenty years of cultivating his reputation finally paid off at this moment. The people were so panicked that the ministers calmed down as soon as they saw him and went to stand in the hall.

Then everyone saw Duke Zhang Fu of Yingguo standing fully armored and holding a sword in front of Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi to the left, his eyes sharp as a sword.

After most of the officials had entered the hall, they couldn't help but wonder what important matter the Crown Prince had to attend to today.

They actually invited Zhang Fu, the Duke of England, and made such a big show of it.

As the three bells rang out, a person who surprised everyone appeared in the hall—Grand Secretary Yang Rong!

boom!
Almost the instant Yang Rong appeared, a huge uproar suddenly erupted in the hall. Everyone knew that Yang Rong had accompanied the Northern Expedition, and his sudden appearance here meant that something big had happened to the Northern Expeditionary Army.
"quiet!"

The clanging of weapons instantly drowned out the surging noise. Zhang Fu repeatedly shouted for silence, and the hall fell silent once more.

Holding the imperial edict, Yang Rong faced the assembled officials, took a deep breath, and then proclaimed in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear: "The late Emperor passed away in Yumu River during his triumphant return journey. Before his death, he summoned his grandson, Minister of War Li Xianmu, Minister of Personnel Jian Yi, and Grand Secretary Yang Rong."

"The Crown Prince has ordered his subordinates to take the imperial edict back to the capital first. All officials, kneel!" Yang Rong's words were like a thunderbolt from the heavens, leaving the officials in the hall stunned and unable to believe what they were hearing. The emperor had passed away?
He died of illness in Yumuchuan on his way back to the army.
This is too sudden. Throughout history, how many emperors have died while on campaign?
Countless questions piled up in the minds of the ministers, leaving them confused and unable to think at all.

It wasn't until Yang Rong let out a long, drawn-out "Kneel!" that everyone was jolted awake, followed by a series of thuds as they knelt on the ground.

Zhang Fu knelt in the hall with his sword in hand, while only Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi and Yang Rong, who held the imperial edict, stood.

"Crown Prince Gao Chi is the eldest son of the imperial clan and of noble character. After my death, the Crown Prince shall ascend the throne."

"Your Majesty, we obey the imperial decree!"

Zhang Fu stood up and shouted, "All ministers, step forward and pay homage to the new emperor!"

As was customary during court sessions, the officials shouted "Long live the Emperor!" three times and kowtowed to Zhu Gaochi, saying, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Zhu Gaochi's fist, which had been tightly clenched, finally slowly relaxed. From this moment on, he was the true emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

You may call yourself "朕" (Zhen, the imperial "I").
The will designated the crown prince as the successor, which was expected by everyone. At this moment, many people understood why Yang Rong suddenly appeared in the capital to read the will.

The late emperor passed away in the army, where the Prince of Han and the Prince of Zhao were still present. If there were any mishaps, the throne of the Ming Dynasty would be in jeopardy. Therefore, it was necessary to return to the capital first to establish the relationship between the emperor and his subjects. Once the relationship between the emperor and his subjects was established, many people would have to reconsider.

Moreover, the Crown Prince has the Duke of Yingguo by his side, an emperor with a legitimate relationship of loyalty to the emperor, plus the Duke of Yingguo, who is currently the most prestigious military figure in the Ming Dynasty. Even the Prince of Han has no chance of winning.

Regardless of whether they were civil or military officials, they all prostrated themselves on the ground, expressing absolute submission. Zhu Gaochi finally showed his usual warm smile again.

Yang Rong and Zhang Fu supported his plump body on either side. Zhu Gaochi, with his hand on his belt, sat on the throne and then said loudly, "All of you, rise!"

The officials then rose from the ground, and the vast majority of them wore expressions of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection) at the arrival of a new era.

The second son of the Prince of Han was pale. He had no idea what was happening in the army. Why did his father seem to know nothing about his grandfather's death?
"The late Emperor has just passed away, and the whole world is filled with grief, even in the capital!"

"Chen is here!"

Wang Cheng, the Minister of Rites, stepped out from the ranks. Although he was not a member of the Crown Prince's faction, he was still quite happy about the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne, at least much more so than the Prince of Han.

"The late emperor's coffin has not yet returned, but all matters need to be handled first. You are in charge of the Ministry of Rites, so please come up with a plan."

"As ordered!"

"Ministry of Justice, Court of Judicial Review."

The Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review stepped out from the ranks.

"The late Emperor has passed away. A general amnesty should be granted. You two should discuss and decide that the ten most heinous crimes will not be pardoned. The rest of you should be dealt with."

"As ordered."

Zhu Gaochi then made arrangements for all the other matters.

With his instructions, the panic in the hall had completely disappeared.

This wasn't because Zhu Gaochi's arrangements were particularly brilliant, but rather because these actions proved that the court was still operating according to the old order; it was just that the emperor had changed.

For Zhu Gaochi, this was a test of obedience. When ministers such as Zheng Huan accepted his orders, the source of power changed, shifting from Zhu Di to Zhu Gaochi.

You are loyal to whomever you are ordered to do so; that is the rule of politics!

The new emperor's voice resounded throughout the Fengtian Hall, and no one dared to utter a dissenting voice. Even the son of the Prince of Han bowed his head in submission. Everyone, whether willingly or unwillingly, was swept up in the surging torrent and moved towards a new era for the Ming Dynasty!

After the routine arrangements were completed, Zhu Gaochi finally addressed the core issue facing the court: "With the Minister of War absent, the Vice Minister of War and the Minister of Rites should draft a plan and submit it to Grand Secretary Yang Shiqi of the Inner Cabinet, outlining the protocol for welcoming the triumphant army, the rewards for the soldiers, and the dispatch of messengers to the army to inform them of the new emperor's ascension to the throne."

The ministers in the hall felt a chill run down their spines. The army outside the palace now numbered 100,000, including the three most elite battalions of the court. If a mutiny were to occur, it would be a fierce battle, and it might even repeat the events of the late emperor's Jingnan campaign, when Nanjing was destroyed.

What's most unsettling is that the Prince of Han, who has always coveted the throne, is right here in the army!

Everything we've done today, whether it's Yang Rong returning to the capital or the Duke of England supporting the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne, isn't it all in response to the threat posed by the Prince of Han?
A swan flies high outside the palace.

A bright blue sky with a sun shining down, and white clouds drifting by.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the twenty-fourth year of the Yongle reign, the emperor died at Yumu River. At that time, the Prince of Han coveted the throne, and Emperor Renzong (Li Xianmu) was deeply worried. He concealed the emperor's death and remained in the army to secure the overall situation. He secretly sent Yang Rong, a Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, back to his residence in the capital to handle important matters. Zhang Fu, the Duke of Yingguo, entered the palace with a fierce spear, and Emperor Renzong ascended the throne in the Fengtian Hall. —From *History of Ming Dynasty, Biography of Li Xianmu*

(End of this chapter)