Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

During their stay at Fengle Post Station, the eunuchs around Lu Chen gathered a lot of information every day.

During this period, Lu Chen actually kept a very low profile. When the emperor did not summon him to the city, he stayed at Fengle Post Station to cultivate himself.

Now that the Jiajing Emperor has acknowledged him, there is no need to do anything more. Conferring the title of Prince is a major event and will always take some time.

Lu Chen himself remained calm, but his subordinates were anything but.

In order to curry favor with their new master, these eunuchs used their connections to gather information. They were originally part of the people who accompanied the emperor on this southern tour, and they were very familiar with the palace servants who were still serving the emperor. They were very well-informed.

The issue of Lu Chen's placement has been discussed several times with the court officials in the Longfei Hall of Chengtian Prefecture.

Emperor Jiajing's initial idea was to have his younger brother inherit the title of Prince Xing and be enfeoffed in Chengtian Prefecture, but this was met with unanimous opposition from his ministers and he had to abandon the idea.

Two days later, Yan Song, the Minister of Rites, submitted a relatively feasible proposal: to enfeoff the Prince of Ying and select a wealthy prefecture near Chengtian Prefecture as his fief.

Chengtian Prefecture was formerly known as Yingzhong. Zhu Dong, the twenty-fourth son of Emperor Taizu, was once enfeoffed as the Prince of Ying, with his fief located in Anlu Prefecture. In the twelfth year of Yongle, Prince Zhu Dong died and was posthumously honored with the title "Jing". Zhu Dong had no sons, so the title of Prince of Ying was abolished and remained idle.

Although the title of Prince of Ying had been used before, it was from a long time ago, and Zhu Dong did not leave any members of the original Prince of Ying lineage, so there was no unavoidable problem in reusing it.

Using this title, one can at least be considered to be somewhat related to the original Prince Xing, without being too sensitive.

Yan Song proved to be adept at understanding the emperor's intentions, and the Jiajing Emperor quickly adopted his suggestion.

However, choosing which prefecture adjacent to Chengtian Prefecture to serve as the fiefdom of the Prince of Ying became the next difficult problem.

Chengtian Prefecture borders Xiangyang Prefecture, De'an Prefecture, Jingzhou Prefecture, and Hanyang Prefecture, but none of these four prefectures are suitable as fiefdoms.

Xiangyang Prefecture had the Prince of Xiang, Jingzhou Prefecture had the Prince of Liao, and De'an Prefecture had the Prince of Shou. Only Hanyang Prefecture did not have a prince.

However, Hanyang was also unsuitable for enfeoffment, because Wuchang, just across the river, was the vassal state of the King of Chu.

The Chu Kingdom was the fiefdom of Zhu Zhen, the sixth son of Emperor Taizu. It was the most powerful vassal state in the Huguang region and remains a strong vassal state with a guard even today.

Regardless of how many guards are missing or how much combat power they still have, at least in theory, including the royal guards, the Chu vassal state still has more than 6,000 troops.

Although Hanyang Prefecture was not a fiefdom of the Chu vassal state, it was actually within the Chu vassal state's sphere of influence.

Yan Song then proposed that the Prince of Ying should remotely govern De'an Prefecture, but not take up the post immediately, and instead temporarily reside in Chengtian Prefecture.

This suggestion actually makes some sense. The Prince of Shou of De'an Prefecture is different from the Prince of Liao and the Prince of Xiang, who have a long-standing lineage.

Prince Shou, Zhu Youzhi, was the ninth son of Emperor Xianzong. He was born in the seventeenth year of the Chenghua reign. Zhu Youzhi had no children and was already fifty-eight years old this year. He was nearing sixty and could not possibly have any more offspring. Once he passed away, the kingdom would surely be abolished.

At that time, De'an Prefecture can be transferred to the Prince of Ying.

However, this proposal was met with opposition from the court officials, led by Xia Yan.

The reasons for the opposition are also quite valid. Although it is a foregone conclusion that the Shou family will be extinct and the state will be abolished, the Prince of Shou is still alive. To make the decision in advance at this time would be considered "unfilial and disrespectful to his elders".

Emperor Jiajing was very concerned about his reputation for filial piety and brotherly love, so Yan Song's proposal was rejected.

It wasn't until three days ago that Yan Song finally came up with a new plan, suggesting that the Prince of Ying's fiefdom be located in Yunyang Prefecture.

Although Yunyang Prefecture does not border Chengtian Prefecture, and is separated by Xiangyang Prefecture, it is still within the Han River basin, making it convenient to travel back and forth by boat.

More importantly, Yunyang Prefecture was established during the Chenghua era to accommodate the millions of refugees who had long gathered at the junction of Huguang, Henan, and Shaanxi provinces, and it has never had any vassal kings.

This proposal still faces opposition from many ministers.

This time, the tide has turned. Yunyang Prefecture is too barren, with many mountains and dense forests, and rampant banditry. It would be too unkind to settle the emperor's only younger brother there.

However, this time the Jiajing Emperor overruled the objections of others and supported Yan Song's suggestion, thus making the decision.

Lu Chen didn't really care about the news the eunuch had inquired about.

Although Yunyang Prefecture was poor, it was not without its advantages.

When he first transmigrated to this world, he woke up in Fang County, Yunyang Prefecture, a place filled with undeveloped deep forests, which Lu Chen had witnessed firsthand.

Even in later generations, the entire Yunyang Prefecture, except for the Han River and its tributaries, remained largely undeveloped and in its original state.

This place is perfect for building workshops that require strict secrecy.

. . .

After Lu Chen's princely entourage entered the city, they first waited in the east wing outside Longfei Gate, where officials from the Court of State Ceremonial guided them and gave them a final lesson on etiquette.

The investiture ceremony officially began at noon.

Three cracks of the whip silenced the hall and its surroundings.

When the Jiajing Emperor ascended the throne, an official from the Court of State Ceremonial led Lu Chen through the Dragon Flying Gate to the east side of the Danbi (Imperial Steps) to pay his respects.

After the fire at the Weihui Imperial Palace, Lu Chen finally saw the Jiajing Emperor again.

This time, however, the distance between the two was more than ten meters.

Mai Fu, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, arrived before the imperial edict and presented the edict.

By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:

I, the Emperor, believe that Heaven has blessed us with a life of kinship and that ancestral traditions have been established, thus placing great importance on the division of land among relatives.

My esteemed younger brother, Houyu, is of pure and gentle nature, and filial and fraternal in heart. Having ascended the throne, I rely on you as my pillar of support. Recognizing your virtuous character, you are deserving of a high honor and posthumous title.

Now, I am deeply troubled by the fact that the construction of the Xianling Mausoleum is incomplete and my filial piety cannot be fully expressed.

I hereby appoint you as the King of Ying, bestow upon you a golden book, and establish your fief in Yunyang. You are granted an annual stipend of ten thousand shi (a unit of dry measure), half of the original amount, to be permanently established.

However, the construction of Xianling is now a major national project, and the spring and autumn sacrifices are a grand ceremony.

I hereby appoint you as Imperial Envoy to oversee the construction of the Xianling Mausoleum, to lead all the workers, to meticulously examine the regulations, and to act with utmost piety and reverence, so as to appease the spirits of my late father, Emperor Ruizong Xian, and my late mother, Empress Zhangsheng Jiang. I further appoint you to preside over the sacrificial rites on my behalf, to frequently visit the Xuan Palace, to offer pure sacrificial offerings, and to express my deepest sorrow and remembrance.

I govern the world with filial piety, and you should assist me with filial piety. Strive to do so!

He is hereby granted two thousand hectares of farmland in Chengtian Prefecture and one thousand five hundred hectares of farmland in De'an Prefecture, to be used perpetually for annual stipends, as a sign of his great favor.

You are still permitted to travel between Yunyang and Chengtian prefectures by express courier. All matters concerning engineering projects and sacrifices may be carried out by express courier. The prefectures and cities you pass through shall respectfully provide you with fodder and provisions without delay.

Considering that the construction of the new Yunyang Prefecture has taken years, and its palaces and city walls cannot be completed quickly... You may temporarily reside in Chengtian Prefecture, using your old residence as a temporary residence, so as to oversee the construction of the mausoleum and also perform seasonal sacrifices.

Alas! The kindness of one's parents is something I have always upheld; filial piety is the way to govern; you should all diligently praise and support it. Respectfully yours!

After the imperial edict was proclaimed, an imperial messenger carried out a golden book and a golden seal from the table.

Lu Chen knelt to receive the gift, handed it to the eunuch, returned to his seat, and then performed four more bows.

After the ceremony concluded and the whips were cracked, the emperor returned to Qingyun Palace, and Lu Chen, escorted by officials from the Court of State Ceremonial, proceeded to Xianling to pay his respects.

Lu Chen has only been in this world for about ten months, but his identity has already undergone earth-shattering changes.

From an unregistered person with no identity, he transformed into a formally appointed prince of the Ming Dynasty!