Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 168 Jiang Qing, why haven't you arrived in the capital yet?
When the king passed away, the palace was draped in white, and the whole country was in mourning.

Since ascending the throne in the first year of the Qianxing era, the old emperor Zhao Zhen ruled for more than forty-five years.

Looking through historical records, apart from Emperor Zhao Zhen, there are very few emperors who ruled for forty years.

Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, reigned for fifty-four years.

Emperor Shengzong of Liao, Yelü Longxu, reigned for forty-nine years.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, reigned for forty-four years.

Liu Shan, the last emperor of Shu Han, reigned for forty years.

There are only a few of them.

As a monarch who ruled for forty-five years, his merits and demerits throughout his life naturally attract attention.

The sixth year of the Jiayou era was almost the turning point in the evaluation.

From the first year of the Qianxing era to the sixth year of the Jiayou era:

To recuperate and nurture the people, and to implement benevolent governance, is a meritorious act.

The Battle of Haoshuichuan, the Qingli Peace Treaty, the Imperial Concubine's interference in court affairs, the tribute paid for peace, and the lack of a crown prince were all mistakes.

If he had stopped there, he would probably have been an ordinary ruler who maintained the status quo, inheriting the legacy of his ancestors, ensuring stable policies and a peaceful life for the people, with only occasional minor mistakes.

But that's not all!

Starting in the sixth year of the Jiayou reign, Zhao Zhen changed his previous style, selected virtuous and capable officials, and vigorously promoted military achievements, thus becoming the first monarch in the history of the dynasty to have made achievements in expanding the territory.

As a result, the evaluations are naturally quite different.

This was a monarch who possessed both literary and military talents. He endured humiliation and hardship for nearly forty years, and finally made a name for himself in his later years, expanding his territory and opening up new frontiers.

In terms of literary talent, he carried on the legacy of Emperor Taizong.

In terms of martial arts skills, he inherited the legacy of the founding emperor.

Judging solely on merit, he is at least the leader of ZTE!

Such a monarch, who died of illness, is naturally missed.

Whether in literary circles or official circles, there was no shortage of praise for it.

Even some literati during the mourning period composed poems and lyrics to express their grief and remembrance.

The literature and poetry are vast and numerous, including many famous works that have spread throughout the world and are praised by all.

Some scholars even believe that the late emperor's civil and military achievements were comparable to those of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing, making him a truly "superior" ruler.

For a time, the sounds of mourning filled the air from top to bottom.

Funing Hall.

The gilded lamp flames flickered and burned long.

Inside, there is a coffin about seven feet long and three feet wide, painted in vermilion and carved with cloud and dragon patterns, cast from golden nanmu wood.

The coffin was placed in the center, with an incense table about ten feet long, on which were offered jade tablets, crowns, and golden books, as well as ritual vessels such as tripods, gui vessels, and dou vessels, and sacrificial offerings of cattle, sheep, and pigs.

Directly above, a "memorial banner" is hung, inscribed with "The Deceased Emperor," serving as a guide for his soul.

Centered on the coffin, there are small ebony pillars about an inch long placed around it, adorned with embroidered curtains, pearls, and tassels, and eternal lamps burning brightly, symbolizing eternity.

The palace, stretching over ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) long, was filled with imperial guards standing at attention, spears and swords at their sides, without making a sound. There was an indescribable tranquility, an extraordinary solemnity and dignity.

To the left, there is a seven-foot-wide side door leading to a small side room about ten feet in size.

Inside, there was a wooden table with some memorials and documents on it.

The new emperor, Zhao Ceying, dressed in plain clothes, held a vermilion brush and carefully read and commented on the imperial edicts.

When the old emperor passed away, according to custom, the mourning period was 27 days, which was equivalent to 27 months.

Among them, the three days are called the "Crying Retreat," during which all officials weep to show their grief.

For the rest of the days, I will simply observe mourning and live a low-key and simple life.

As a new emperor, in order to seize power as quickly as possible, he often had to simultaneously observe mourning and govern.

He was in mourning while handling government affairs.

In order to balance funeral rites and government affairs, the only way to conduct official business was to hold a ceremony before the coffin, also known as "listening to government affairs in the spirit world".

Upon receiving the memorial, Zhao Ceying glanced at it twice, his brush paused, and his expression darkened slightly.

When Emperor An of Han ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Deng ruled, and the Han dynasty was prolonged; more recently, Empress Zhangxian Mingsu ruled, and the Dazhong and Xiangfu eras brought peace and prosperity.
Your Majesty, heeding Bian Que's admonition that "a miraculous cure is necessary for treating incurable diseases," has temporarily lifted the restrictions, thus allowing Your Majesty to shine upon the realm.

It's quite long, about a thousand words.

The meaning is clear: they hope the Empress Dowager will rule from behind the curtain!

Zhao Ceying glanced at it, feeling extremely annoyed. There were more than just one or two such memorials.

In the past few days, at least twenty or thirty memorials have been submitted.

The content, specifications, and reasons are almost identical, making it impossible for anyone to have any desire to read it.

With a wave of his hand, he tossed the memorial into the corner of the wooden table, and Zhao Ceying sighed silently.

The lineage of the founding emperor ascended the throne without any foundation, making it extremely difficult for them to take the lead.

She faced external remonstrances from the empress dowager and internal worries about the imperial guards.

From the very beginning of the secret succession law, the lineage of Emperor Taizu was considered to be "running alongside" others. This was a tactic employed by the late emperor to win over Emperor Taizu's lineage and ease the tension between the lines of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong.

Nobody believed that the lineage of the founding emperor had any chance of ascending the throne!
But the fact is, the late emperor didn't care about the bloodline of his successor.

He, Zhao Ceying, took advantage of his abundant martial virtue to ascend to the throne.

However, the fact that the late emperor did not care about his ancestral bloodline does not mean that others did not care.

In particular, the descendants of Emperor Taizong were very hostile towards him.

The root cause of this disaster lies in the seeds sown by our ancestors, the Taizu and Taizong.

The story of candlelight and axe shadows is truly a timeless tale!
For seventy or eighty years since Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, the lineage of Emperor Taizu was the target of attacks.

Now that the late emperor has passed the throne to the lineage of Emperor Taizu, it has naturally caused concern among the lineage of Emperor Taizong, who fear it will lead to a "great purge".

Therefore, the Zhao family members of the Imperial Clan Court jointly submitted a petition, hoping that the Empress Dowager would rule from behind the curtain.

As a revered figure, the Empress Dowager remained silent.

Zhao Ceying frowned and shook his head.

The Empress Dowager!

This seniority is too high!

As the new emperor who was adopted by the King of Wei, he adhered to the principle of "filial piety" and had to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager every day without fail, for fear of being impeached and accused of "forgetting his roots".

A single greeting takes at least half an hour, which is simply torture.

The occasional reprimands from the Empress Dowager only added to the frustration.

Who would have thought that the emperor would actually get a scolding?

The difficulty lies in the fact that he dares not express any dissatisfaction.

The Empress Dowager and the members of the Zhao family of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs both held significant political importance and had to be handled with utmost care.

Otherwise, the seeds of disaster will be sown, and future generations will not be able to secure their thrones.

Besides the advice to "rule from behind the curtain," the problem of the imperial guards was even more distressing.

The secret designation of an heir meant that the emperor had no solid foundation.

In contrast, the Empress Dowager was the daughter of a military family. Her grandfather was Cao Bin, a famous general who helped found the country, and her father, brother, and nephew all had considerable influence.

Many of his relatives and friends were even members of the Imperial Guard.

Many of the minor officers among the Imperial Guards were people affiliated with the Empress Dowager.

How could this not cause concern?

Even after ascending the throne, Zhao Ceying felt constantly monitored and insecure.

I feel completely insecure!
"Ugh!"

With a soft sigh, Zhao Ceying picked up a new memorial.

Sighing is one thing, but life goes on.

"Retire?"

After just one glance, Zhao Ceying couldn't help but nod.

He picked up the pen and wrote the following instructions:

[Approved! One hundred acres of fertile land granted.]

Sun Bian, the Minister of Rites, was seriously ill and requested leave to return to his hometown to recuperate.

No one knows for sure whether the illness is truly serious.

In any case, there must have been an intention to make room for the Duke of Lu to hold an official position.

As the vermilion brush touched the paper, Zhao Ceying stood up, gazed into the distance, and sighed deeply.

Jiang Qing, why haven't you arrived in the capital yet?
(End of this chapter)