Chapter 1 The First Clash

Wei Zhonghe and Lu Bing knelt there.

This was, in fact, the first conflict between the new ruler and the old order.

For the two of them, what they needed to do was to uphold their loyalty to the late Emperor and their affection for Great Yan, to ensure that the transition of the Dragon Throne was completed smoothly.

If it were any other request, any other imperial decree, they would have carried it out without fail. However, this particular decree made them hesitate, because this move would cause twists and uncertainties in the otherwise smooth transition of the throne.

However, even though Lu Bing usually referred to himself as a subject, he was, in reality, just like Wei Zhonghe, a family slave of the Emperor.

This identity meant that they could not be as staunch as the outer court officials. It wasn't a weakness of character, but rather, when facing imperial power, they wouldn't have the integrity to die rather than flatter.

Their bottom line,

was actually determined by the Emperor;

and when the new ruler showed a kind of persistence,

their only choice was the only one left.

"This subject obeys the decree."

"This servant obeys the decree."

Ji Chengjue nodded in satisfaction, stood up,

and said:

"Continue to change my clothes."

...

Zheng Fan wandered around the imperial garden for a while and saw the Emperor's carriage coming out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Ji Chengjue was sitting on it, and the black dragon robe on his body gave him a sense of bewilderment.

It was as if time had turned back to five years ago, when he first met the late Emperor.

Resembling his father, not only in terms of temperament, personality, and methods, but the most direct and straightforward meaning was that the father and son looked very alike.

In fact, Marquis Zheng himself knew very well that being "buddies" with the Emperor was like walking a tightrope, but he quite liked the feeling of feeding a lion, it was very exciting;

At the same time, he also knew that Ji Chengjue probably also liked this kind of excitement.

Learning from history, everyone knew, but they were confident that they would be the special one. This was a kind of self-satisfaction, and the former could improve one's quality of life. After all, the two of them had long been free from worries about food and drink.

The carriage stopped, Ji Chengjue looked at Zheng Fan and cleared his throat.

Zheng Fan ignored him.

Ji Chengjue sighed and waved his hand to signal the carriage to come down, and he got down himself.

"Let's go, the eldest is waiting ahead."

"Mm."

Beneath the main hall, the First Prince stood there. When he saw Ji Chengjue walking over in his dragon robe, a smile first appeared on his face, then he knelt down:

"This subject greets Your Majesty, long live the Emperor, long live, long long live!"

Although they were brothers, from today onwards, they were ruler and subject.

When the First Prince performed the ceremony, Zheng Fan moved to the side.

Ji Chengjue stepped forward and personally helped the First Prince up:

"Brother, from now on, we brothers should continue to support each other and create a better situation for Great Yan."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, for the sake of Great Yan, for the sake of Your Majesty, this subject will not hesitate to die!"

Ji Chengjue patted his elder brother's hand.

A set of procedures was completed between the two brothers.

Then,

Ji Chengjue walked in front, with Zheng Fan and the First Prince following on either side behind him.

Wei Zhonghe let out a long cry:

"Silence!"

The originally somewhat noisy Golden Hall instantly fell silent.

Immediately afterwards,

Ji Chengjue led the two Marquis into the hall together.

The officials and nobles standing on both sides had joy in their eyes, some had surprise, some had disbelief, and some breathed a sigh of relief, finally, the situation was stable.

However, what they were thinking at this moment was actually no longer important.

Yanjing City was already firmly in the hands of the Sixth Master Party.

This was the case in both the military and political aspects;

Even the Crown Prince was standing there obediently, without saying a word. Now that the Crown Prince had already conceded defeat, no matter how dissatisfied the Crown Prince's party was, they would not be able to stir up any more waves.

Moreover,

In terms of the power of the court, the Sixth Master Party had already surpassed the Crown Prince's party.

The Dragon Throne in the Golden Hall was larger and more majestic. Under Wei Zhonghe's guidance, Ji Chengjue ascended the steps, turned around in front of the Dragon Throne, scanned the bottom, and then sat down.

The officials had no reaction.

It wasn't that they were starting to show a bad attitude to the new ruler, in fact, at this time, the subjects no longer had the power to show a bad attitude.

From the perspective of an ordinary official, first, they were long used to the struggle between the Crown Prince and the Sixth Master for the throne, and it was not surprising who lost, who won, or who took the position;

Secondly, the two Kings of the North and South were still in the capital. With those two sea-stabilizing needles there, who could cause chaos?

At the same time, before the tolling of the bell yesterday, the Grand Secretariat had already issued an edict, though it didn't directly say that the Emperor was about to die and the new ruler was about to succeed, but reminded the officials that there would be a court meeting tomorrow;

This kind of reminder was like a guilty person protesting their innocence;

After the bell rang today, it was hard not to think that this was actually a pre-arranged step;

Since everything had already been arranged, what could go wrong? Who would dare to create trouble?

The pool of water in Yanjing had always been very clear.

Zhao Jiulang stepped forward and said:

"Everyone, now proclaim the late Emperor's imperial edict."

All the ministers and nobles stood up straight;

The Crown Prince walked out with the imperial edict in his hand, unfolded it,

and read:

"By imperial decree of the Emperor, who has received the Mandate of Heaven, the Crown Prince Cheng Lang, is the eldest son, who should be the successor. However, he indulges in wickedness, keeps righteous men at a distance, selects men of ill-repute as his teachers and protectors, and appoints corrupt officials to his palace. I had hoped that he could improve himself, but his nature is unyielding, and he is like a gnarled tree that cannot be shaped. I have long suffered from illness, and worried about his removal. He accepted heretical ideas and disobeyed my orders, harbored dissent and suspected his brothers, harmed propriety and shocked both eyes and ears. How can he inherit the ancestral temple and bear the weight of the throne? Cheng Lang is hereby deposed as a commoner. His position as Crown Prince is revoked. This is my decree."

The Crown Prince himself finished reading the edict deposing himself,

Then,

He first handed the imperial edict to Zhao Jiulang, then took off his hat and clothes;

Finally,

Dressed in white, he knelt in the Golden Hall.

The ministers of the Crown Prince's party, who had been celebrating a few days ago, were stunned,

This, this, this is a defeat?

The ministers of the Sixth Master's party, who had been downcast a few days ago, were also stunned,

This, this, this is a victory?

The fierce struggle for the throne, which had lasted for two years, ended so simply that even the officials of Great Yan were caught off guard.

But, the truth, was right there.

The Crown Prince had not been coerced, the Crown Prince was here, the Grand Secretary was here, Duke Wei was also here, everyone who should be here, was here. The Jingnan Army in the palace, the officials had seen when they entered the palace, but they had come in later.

Everyone present knew that this was not a bloody coup, nor was it a scene where the court officials were forced to accept their fate by force.

On the contrary, what the imperial edict said, everyone actually didn't care about. They had all experienced ups and downs in the officialdom, and naturally knew that edicts were just words on the surface, to be said and heard, and that was it.

The reason for deposing the Crown Prince was nothing more than that he was not good at his studies, did not love his brothers, and was close to villains and distant from virtuous men;

They wouldn't say that the Crown Prince wanted to rebel, or that the Crown Prince was so badly damaged by his brother's party that he couldn't continue, or that the Emperor simply didn't like the Crown Prince and wanted to depose him.

Then,

Zhao Jiulang took out another imperial edict.

Everyone knew what the content of this imperial edict was. Didn't they see that the main character had already put on the dragon robe and sat on the Dragon Throne?

"The late Emperor's posthumous edict!"

Everyone didn't kneel when the edict deposing the Crown Prince was issued earlier.

This time,

All the officials knelt down.

Marquis Zheng, who was standing on the platform below the Dragon Throne, with the First Prince Ji Wujiang on either side, couldn't help but sigh at this scene. The ability to read the wind of these officials who could enter the Golden Hall was truly amazing.

Zhao Jiulang opened the edict,

and read:

"By imperial decree of the Emperor, who has received the Mandate of Heaven, since ancient times, emperors who have succeeded Heaven and ruled the world must establish an heir to strengthen the foundation of the country, in order to ensure the endless prosperity of the dynasty. I have inherited the great cause and have been diligent day and night. I look up to the glorious achievements of my ancestors. Entrusting the heavy responsibility of continuing the lineage lies in a virtuous heir.

The Sixth Prince Ji Chengjue, is extraordinary in appearance and has a pure and beautiful natural talent. I hereby inform Heaven, the ancestral temple, and the altars of the soil and grain, and grant the Sixth Prince Ji Chengjue the imperial seal and investiture. He is established as the Crown Prince. He is enthroned in the Eastern Palace, to emphasize the unity of the myriad years and to unite the hearts of the four seas. This is my decree."

This was not an edict proclaiming who was established as the new ruler, but an edict establishing the Crown Prince.

First depose the original Crown Prince,

Then establish a new Crown Prince.

This seemed a bit like taking off one's pants to fart, but in fact, it was full of the Yan Emperor's protection for his successor.

How could there be an Emperor who suddenly deposed the Crown Prince before his death and appointed another prince to succeed?

It was either a coup or the old Emperor was crazy;

If it was written like this in the history books, even if there was nothing there, it could be suspected of being full of ghosts.

It should be that the original Crown Prince was deposed first, then a new Crown Prince was established, then the Emperor died, and then the new Crown Prince succeeded, which was justified and the procedure was above board.

In the history books, it could also be done cleanly.

After Zhao Jiulang finished reading the imperial edict,

He then raised the imperial edict,

and shouted:

"The late Emperor has passed away. According to the ancestral system of Great Yan, we must first determine the new ruler before we can manage the state funeral. As the saying goes, the country cannot be without a ruler for a day.

Fortunately, the foundation of the country is here, so that the divine artifact can be replaced, the sun and moon can rotate in an orderly manner, and the country can be peaceful for ten thousand years.

All the ministers,

Follow this Prime Minister,

To pay homage to the new ruler."

As he said this,

Zhao Jiulang knelt down to Ji Chengjue on the Dragon Throne.

The officials below shouted in unison:

"We pay homage to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor, long live, long long live!"

"We pay homage to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor, long live, long long live!"

Even Marquis Zheng and the First Prince, who were standing on the platform below the Dragon Throne, all knelt down and shouted long live at this time.

Marquis Zheng also raised his head slightly,

But unexpectedly discovered that,

Clearly, the new Emperor of Great Yan, who was accepting the homage of the officials at this moment,

Was deliberately lowering his gaze,

Looking at him.

It seemed that seeing himself kneeling down made him feel more comfortable than the homage of the officials.

Oh well,

Today,

He'll just let him have his way.

After today, no matter whether the new Crown Prince gives him the grace of not having to kneel before the Emperor or not, he, Zheng Fan, will never kneel again.

It's nothing to kneel when you're young, but now that he's getting old, his back is not good, and he can't kneel anymore.

After the officials finished paying homage,

Ji Chengjue raised his hand,

and said:

"All my beloved subjects, rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

Everyone got up.

Ji Chengjue pointed to Duke Wei standing beside him,

Duke Wei stepped forward,

"By order of His Majesty, Ji Cheng Lang, a commoner, is His Majesty's close relative, and has contributed to the country and benefited the people. Therefore, he is granted the title of Marquis Min'an, with a fief of eight hundred households, and appointed Grand Minister of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs. This is my decree."

Ji Cheng Lang, dressed in white, who was kneeling below, kowtowed and said:

"This subject thanks Your Majesty for your grace!"

The civil and military officials were fine, but the nobles in the hall all sighed.

The Crown Prince was deposed and then given an honorary title, which was only natural. Everyone was not surprised by this. Political struggles must leave a bit of dignity in the end.

But it should be known that in those years, the Emperor's brothers were basically Princes before the old Emperor died. After the Emperor ascended the throne, his brothers would resign from the title of Prince, but it would only be reduced by one level to Duke.

The previous Emperor, that is, the late Emperor, had directly become a Marquis.

Alright,

The new ruler was even more ruthless, and directly became a Count.

This seemed to be a suppression of his own brothers, but in fact, it was a bellwether for the entire royal family and nobles. Combined with the coldness of this father and son, the royal family knew that everyone's days were probably going to be difficult.

At this time, Zhao Jiulang took out another imperial edict, which was the late Emperor's edict of self-reproach.

In fact, according to Great Yan's tradition, every Emperor would have an edict of self-reproach after his death, but this edict of self-reproach was basically not the original Emperor's own intention, but through the method of "politics ends with death", it allowed the successor to have a justified opportunity to change the mistakes. Because if nothing unexpected happened, the successor would be the late Emperor's son. It would be unfilial and unjustified for a son to overthrow his father's policies, so he would pretend to be the "late Emperor", denying himself, criticizing himself, and correcting his mistakes.

This was also giving the country an opportunity to correct itself.

But this time's edict of self-reproach was clearly written by the Yan Emperor himself before his death.

Was it sincere?

Probably not sincere, after all, the Yan Emperor was such a proud person, how could he sincerely admit his mistakes and bow his head?

But in order for his successor to have better prestige and better performance, he was willing to let himself bear all the infamy.

"The late Emperor's edict of self-reproach."

The Grand Secretary opened the edict.

The officials knelt down again.

If the Emperor issued an edict of self-reproach, as a subject, one would not have the face to continue standing.

The Emperor would not make mistakes. Even if the Emperor made a mistake, it was because you, the subject, had not been able to advise him well. Everyone was guilty, and no one was clean.

However,

At this moment,

The new ruler, sitting on the Dragon Throne, spoke:

"Grand Secretary."

Zhao Jiulang stopped his proclamation, turned to look at the new ruler on the Dragon Throne, and bowed:

"Your Majesty."

"The edict of self-reproach, there is no need to read it."

"Your Majesty, this is one of the late Emperor's posthumous edicts, and this subject must proclaim it."

In terms of both sentiment and reason, the late Emperor was greater than the new ruler.

"I said, there is no need to read it."

"Wei Zhonghe."

"This servant is here."

"Bring the late Emperor's edict of self-reproach here."

"This servant... obeys the decree."

Wei Zhonghe walked down the steps and came to the Grand Secretary.

Zhao Jiulang did not hesitate and handed over the edict.

Wei Zhonghe took the edict and walked up the steps again, delivering it to Ji Chengjue.

Ji Chengjue reached out and grabbed the edict,

Got up from the Dragon Throne,

His gaze, looking at the subjects who were still kneeling below,

Spoke:

"The late Emperor, in his life, first used his cavalry to trample on the aristocratic families, opening the way for the commoners;

Then he pacified the lands of the Three Jins, opening up territory for Great Yan;

He attacked Qian, and his military forces reached the bottom of Shangjing City, and he burned down Yingdu in one fell swoop when he attacked Chu;

The Snow Plains surrendered, and the barbarians lowered their heads,

Making Great Yan, the vassal of all sides!

He was diligent and conscientious throughout his life, and deserved the name of a sage ruler;

If the late Emperor was guilty,

Then it was that he did too much, and did too well.

This edict of self-reproach was issued by the late Emperor for my sake;

But,

As a son, why should the father tarnish his holy name to seek protection?

As a ruler, why should he kneel down to seek the benevolence of the new dynasty?

The Son of Heaven of Great Yan,

The Emperor of Great Yan,

Should have the courage to carry on the past and open up the future, and also bear the weight of the country and the world.

Although the sages have said, the merits and demerits of a thousand years, let them be said in a thousand years;

But today,

I will make it clear to you, my ministers,

The merits of the late Emperor can illuminate the sun and the moon;

The virtues of the late Emperor can suppress the stars;

If you don't have the courage to recognize the merits of your predecessors,

How can you have the spirit to inherit the ambitions of your predecessors?

This edict of self-reproach,

I accept it,

I will place it in my bedroom, and contemplate it day and night;

The late Emperor left only one instruction to the descendants of the Ji family and the people of Yan:

All my people of Yan, do not forget the unification of the Xia!

Here,

I and my ministers, encourage each other!"

In the next moment,

The officials knelt down, and even Zhao Jiulang gave a wry smile and knelt down:

"We are willing to follow Your Majesty and unify the Xia!"

"We are willing to follow Your Majesty and unify the Xia!"

...

The court session was over;

But, it was only the beginning.

The upcoming state funeral and various matters of the new ruler's official ascension to the throne were bound to be a huge project;

And the personnel changes that would inevitably follow were also a major event.

The people of the new ruler's party during the struggle for the throne would inevitably be rewarded and promoted. Not to say that they would deliberately suppress the former Crown Prince's party, but they would definitely take advantage of this momentum to make some official appointments in order to shape the new court order that the new ruler hoped to see.

Blind Man Zeng had said that the death of the Yan Emperor, no matter who the new ruler was, would cause a real decline in the external influence of the vassal towns.

This was inevitable;

But the imperial power in this capital city could still take advantage of the late Emperor's remaining prestige to occupy an absolute advantage. After all, the new ruler was not an easy character to deal with when he was a prince, and his political ability was extremely strong.

The ministers, each with their own thoughts, walked out of the hall like a tide, heading towards the palace gate.

As Marquis Zheng was walking out, he saw Grand Secretary Zhao Jiulang standing there.

When Marquis Zheng walked over, Zhao Jiulang nodded slightly to Zheng Fan.

Marquis Zheng smiled and said;

"Grand Secretary."

"Marquis Zheng."

Zhao Jiulang smiled and said: "The late Emperor is gone, but this official is still full of confidence in the future of Great Yan. His Majesty is a dragon among men, and he has Marquis Zheng as a handsome and talented hero to assist him. Our Great Yan is as solid as a rock!"

"Grand Secretary, you are too kind. Serving the Emperor is just sharing his worries."

"Good, this official is going to the Imperial Study to discuss some regulations with His Majesty again. In a few days, this official would like to invite the Marquis to my residence for a talk. This official would like to know more about the situation in Chu."

"As you order, this junior will be at your beck and call."

Zhao Jiulang turned and walked towards the other side of the hall.

Marquis Zheng looked at Zhao Jiulang's departing figure,

The smile on the corner of his mouth still remained;

"In a few days, in a few days?

Will the sun of tomorrow,

Be seen?"

Marquis Zheng, below the main hall,

Opened his arms,

Stretched greatly,

Naturally, no one dared to accuse him of losing his manners in the palace;

Sensing a burst of crisp sounds from his joints,

In his mind,

The white hair of Old Tian appeared;

The country is forever solid, and the society is stable,

As far as I'm concerned, it's a load of crap!

You care,

I don't care.

Marquis Zheng's gaze immediately sank,

Looking back at the hall on the steps behind him,

"Alright, your affairs are over."

Rubbed his wrist,

Turned his neck again,

and said:

"It's my turn."