Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

On September 6th, the sun rose, and the weather was fine and sunny.

The newly promoted officials in the Imperial Observatory are quite capable; they've chosen an excellent date, and the weather is clearly an auspicious sign.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau deserves a reward!

The first ceremony was to offer sacrifices to Heaven at the Circular Mound Altar in the southern suburbs (Note 1). The ministers once advised against it, saying that the ceremony could be held in the southern part of the city.

After all, there are some dangers outside the city. Even before the Oirat Mongols have entered, there might be rioters outside the city. Moreover, if the city gates are opened, the people in the capital might rush to the gates and escape. If blood is spilled, then this coronation ceremony will become a joke.

Some officials even suggested canceling the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, saying that Emperor Renzong did not go to the southern suburbs to offer sacrifices to Heaven when he ascended the throne, and that he could simply wait until the first day of the new year to go to the southern suburbs to offer sacrifices to Heaven. Such a suggestion was clearly ill-intentioned.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qiyu decisively rejected it. Emperor Renzong succeeded his father to the throne through normal succession, which was completely different from Zhu Qiyu's appointment in a time of crisis. Since he did not report to Heaven, he lacked the blessing of divine mandate.

At this moment, Hu Ying sided with Zhu Qiyu and agreed with Zhu Qiyu's suggestion, advising him to simplify the ceremony but insist on going to the southern suburbs to offer sacrifices to Heaven.

The officials could not dissuade Zhu Qiyu and could only acquiesce to this move, directly dispatching all the Embroidered Uniform Guards and city defense troops to maintain order.

At the Circular Mound Altar in the southern suburbs, the smoke of incense rises gently, and the first sounds of ritual music begin.

The officials stood in rows below the altar, bowing solemnly.

Zhu Qiyu ascended the altar, washed his hands, burned incense, knelt and bowed, and then read the prayer aloud:

"The nation is in peril, my elder brother the Emperor is in disgrace, the heir apparent is too young to carry on, and the state is in grave danger. Your subject, Qi Yu, for the sake of our ancestors, the people, and our vast land, has no choice but to assume this throne. I pray that Heaven will bless us, vanquish the foreign invaders, stabilize our nation, and protect our people. If I am unworthy of this position, I pray that Heaven will punish me, but not harm the people!"

This was the congratulatory text prepared by Hu Ying. Zhu Qiyu originally did not like it, but he had no choice but to accept it.

When the emperors of the Ming Dynasty ascended the throne and offered sacrifices to Heaven, they were either the founding emperors, or they were appointed to the throne in a time of crisis, or they obtained the throne through illegitimate means. For example, Emperor Taizong, after the Jingnan Rebellion, immediately offered sacrifices to Heaven to declare himself the legitimate ruler. The sacrificial text offered to Heaven had to clearly explain the reasons for his succession.

After the ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven was completed, sacrifices were then offered at the ancestral temple, and the imperial carriage returned to the city.

A soft golden glow fell upon the double eaves and glazed tiles of Fengtian Hall.

The crowds inside and outside the Fengtian Hall were already layered upon layered.

Civil and military officials, nobles and relatives, a pitifully small number of envoys from all directions, and some elders and gentry stood according to their status and rank. Due to the large number of people, the square from Dan Chi to Fengtian Gate was a sea of ​​heads.

The Imperial Guards stood in layers, their defenses impenetrable.

The bell tolled nine times, its sound echoing throughout the palace.

Zhu Qiyu, dressed in imperial robes and wearing a crown, emerged from the east wing under the guidance of officials from the Court of State Ceremonial, and slowly ascended the jade steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Standing on the steps, he turned and looked at the enormous crowd. Everyone bowed, and the hall was completely silent; one could even hear each other breathing.

Zhu Qiyu felt a surge of emotion welling up inside him, and he could clearly hear his heartbeat. Only now did he realize the greatness of this person.

"Proclaim the imperial edict!"

The task of proclaiming the imperial edict fell to Chen Xun, who put in all his effort and delivered a thunderous voice.

"Unexpectedly, my elder brother's carriage was mistakenly trapped in the enemy's court. My Holy Mother, the Empress Dowager, in order to comfort the hopes of the people, has been concerned for me. The imperial relatives, dukes, marquises, earls, as well as the civil and military officials in the court, the soldiers, the people, the elders, and the envoys from the four barbarian tribes, together with the fact that the throne cannot be left vacant for long, have jointly requested that a major plan be made as soon as possible."

"The Empress Dowager then ordered me to rule the world. At that time, an envoy returned from the barbarians and conveyed an edict from my elder brother, the Emperor: the rites of the ancestral temples should not be neglected for long. My younger brother, the Prince of Cheng, is older and more virtuous, and should succeed to the throne to perform the sacrifices. Although I declined repeatedly, I could not obtain his consent. Therefore, on the sixth day of the ninth month of the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign, I ascended the throne and granted a general amnesty. The barbarians brought the retired Emperor back to the capital and ordered me to continue to perform the rites of the suburban temples and continue the great throne as before."

After discussing with Hu Ying, Zhu Qiyu decided to have Zhu Qiyu read the contents of the edict himself, so the copy left by Empress Dowager Sun would not need to be read; having it would suffice. As for the phrase "the enemy escorts the retired emperor back to the capital," Zhu Qiyu initially wanted to omit it, but Hu Ying repeatedly dissuaded him, implying that even if he did not want the retired emperor to return to the capital, he could not say it openly.

One act in public, another in private—it's all up to you. However, the act in public must be done with utmost courtesy, since welcoming back the retired emperor is the wish of many officials. Having their own emperor still in enemy territory is an extremely humiliating thing no matter how you look at it.

After the edict was read aloud, the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial did not keep Zhu Qiyu waiting long before loudly announcing, "Ascend the throne!"

Zhu Qiyu retreated to the throne, where bells tolled and whips cracked.

Upon receiving the command, the vast crowd knelt down in unison.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully request that you ascend the throne!"

Whether they had rehearsed it beforehand or not, their voices were remarkably synchronized, their booming voices almost shaking the entire palace and reaching the heavens.

Zhu Qiyu suppressed his joy and slowly sat down. He felt the softness of the throne and his breathing became slightly rapid. Now he was rightfully the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty!

Upon seeing this, the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial announced, "All officials bow in salute! The new emperor has ascended the throne! Hooray!"

All the officials knelt down in unison, their shouts shaking the earth: "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Upon hearing this enthusiastic response, Zhu Qiyu felt that the person who invented this method was a genius. Although it was somewhat exaggerated, it made people feel comfortable. In the words of later generations, it was very exciting.

The Master of Ceremonies of the Court of State Ceremonial then announced, "Five bows and three kowtows!"

This was the highest level of audience with the emperor in the Ming Dynasty. In the past, Zhu Qiyu had not thought much of it, but today there were too many people, and their movements were so uniform that the sound of their kowtows could be clearly heard. The sound was like several heavy hammer blows that opened Zhu Qiyu's heart, and a feeling of "I am the only one who is supreme" arose spontaneously.

After the ceremony was completed, Zhu Qiyu quickly regained his composure, suppressed his inner fervor, and calmly said, "All of you, rise!"

The master of ceremonies then announced, "Rise!"

Everyone bowed again, and the official from the Court of State Ceremonial announced, "Announce the imperial edict!"

Chen Xun was once again entrusted with an important task.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Our Great Ming Dynasty, through the reigns of its sage emperors, established a dynasty and established a lasting rule, its benevolence extending far and wide to the four seas... In the autumn of the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign, the barbarian chieftain Esen defied Heaven and invaded our borders..."

Chen Xun continued his rambling explanation, which gave Zhu Qiyu a headache. It was nothing more than the powerful enemy pressing in from the north and constant rebellions in the south. Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty's tax revenue was still relatively good, otherwise it would be a complete mess. This dampened Zhu Qiyu's previously unusually excited mood.

This was followed by preferential treatment for the imperial princes, tax reductions and exemptions, and a general amnesty. Zhu Qiyu was quite critical of the tax reductions, saying, "That's my money."

Fortunately, it wasn't a complete reduction or exemption, but rather a targeted one. In short, the poor areas received reductions, while the wealthy areas received no reductions at all. Otherwise, if the Ming Dynasty's treasury were emptied, it would have to rely on willpower to govern the country.

Then came nearly twenty new policies, which were essentially just following the old rules and not much different from before. Hu Ying had previously proposed restoring the recommendation system, but Zhu Qiyu rejected this proposal outright.

In times of national crisis, it was only as a matter of expediency that the ministers recommended officials to fill vacancies in the capital. However, this practice must be stopped in the future. If the recommendation system were implemented, official positions would become tools for officials to exchange favors privately, which is not what Zhu Qiyu wanted to see.

When the reign title was set as "Jingtai," Zhu Qiyu did consider changing it. However, Zhu Qiyu refused to believe in such a thing and thought that there was nothing wrong with facing difficulties head-on. He believed that there was endless joy in fighting against fate, and if he didn't even have this much ambition, wouldn't he have come to the Ming Dynasty in vain?

Chen Xun read for a full half hour before finally getting to the last sentence.

"From the day of this imperial edict, all, near and far, shall be informed. It shall be proclaimed throughout the land and beyond, so that all may know. This was decreed by imperial decree on the sixth day of the ninth month of the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign!"

After the imperial edict was read, the crowd cheered again. Zhu Qiyu couldn't help but slowly rise up, looking at the kowtowing crowd, and the surge of emotion in his heart rose once more.

Great Ming Dynasty, your most esteemed emperor has arrived!