Chapter 116 Becoming Queen
Guan Zhiwei, with a rare moment of conscience, spared Guan Huaihuai, but not entirely. She told Guan Huaihuai to go to school and learn to read and write, and that he could come back to work for her when he grew up.
As for the remaining two, each was given a set of female official attire and was bestowed the title of Lady of the State. Guan Liuliu came to plead for the Jiang family, and Guan Nannan came to plead for the Guan family. Neither of them uttered a word; they were spinning like tops, so busy that they didn't even have a chance to see Guan Zhiwei.
I'm really busy right now because I'm facing the biggest thing ever: my coronation.
The deposed emperor's entire staff had to leave. Guan Zhiwei had people to fight, but there was really no one left in the harem. Before Eunuch Yan moved out with the deposed emperor, they had to hurry up and learn how to manage the harem. There were thousands of palace maids and eunuchs in total, and how to run it would be a test.
Despite how fiercely the nobles opposed Guan Zhiwei at the beginning, their attitudes changed one by one once she ascended the throne.
The coronation ceremony should be a grand affair!
The highest political ceremony must be used to confirm her divine right of kings and establish a new order.
Guan Zhiwei's achievements laid the foundation for her ascension to the throne, which was accepted by the officials. Gao Huan's creation of auspicious omens and prophecies to demonstrate the shift in the Mandate of Heaven also won the hearts of the people.
The fact that the Great Zhou Emperor declined the offer three times, and that Guan Zhiwei went to offer sacrifices to Heaven and the gods again, is enough to prove that she "did not usurp the throne but obeyed it".
This is destiny!
This process is somewhat tedious and troublesome. It involves offering sacrifices to Heaven, the God of Soil and Grain, the God of Land, and the God of Grain in the southern suburbs, symbolizing control over the country and the people's livelihood.
Guan Zhiwei, dressed in a magnificent black robe, looked up at the sky and said, "I curse God every day, do I need to worship Him to prove that I am the rightful heir?"
"Your Majesty, Heaven has been unjust to you. Why don't you wear fine robes and show off your power to the heavens?"
"That makes sense."
Gao Huan coaxed and tricked her into completing the process, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He was really afraid that Guan Zhiwei would pull out a knife during the worship ceremony and shout, "Come and chop me up!"
He knew very well that Guan Zhiwei was rational and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the situation, as that would bring no benefit.
But there's a certain unpredictability about her; she might startle you at any moment, giving you a sense of dread.
"Gao Huan, what if I secretly run away at this time, and the emperor suddenly disappears? Wouldn't the world descend into chaos?"
"Please," Gao Huan pleaded, her face falling, almost on the verge of tears.
Guan Zhiwei looked at him strangely: "I was just joking with you, you didn't take it seriously, did you? I just saw that you were always tense and not relaxed enough, so I wanted to help you relax. If you're always so tense, you won't live long."
"Your Majesty, if you tell fewer jokes, I'll live to be a hundred years old."
"Hey, I'm not that good." Guan Zhiwei took it as a compliment.
"..."
The rest can be resolved within the palace.
First, the country's name, capital, and reign title must be chosen during the morning court session.
The country was named Jing, which was nothing special; Guan Zhiwei simply drew a lot from among the country names proposed by the ministers.
The reign title implies a new era of governance, and it was she who chose it: "It's about martial spirit, and I hope everyone will be full of martial virtue in the future."
With these key details settled, the most important coronation ceremony took place.
She was to receive congratulations from officials and courtiers in the palace.
In front of the Liangyi Hall, the ceremonial guards of the officials were displayed, and the officials, dressed in court attire, were arranged according to their rank.
The eunuch read out the imperial edict of succession, announcing the change of dynasty, granting a general amnesty, and rewarding meritorious officials.
The officials paid homage with solemn expressions, kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" accompanied by ceremonial music, pushing the atmosphere to a climax.
As Guan Zhiwei stood there, she pondered to herself, "The power and prestige of being an emperor is far greater than that of being an empress."
Based on age, status, and position, Chen Wen was chosen to crown His Majesty.
After Chen Wen was crowned, he was to present the imperial seal to His Majesty.
Guan Zhiwei refused Xi Shou, saying, "This is fake. The real one is in my room."
Chen Wen's face turned pale, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, please take it first, just to make an appearance."
Guan Zhiwei then took it; the fake didn't feel as good as the real thing.
Facing her court officials, wearing her imperial crown and holding the Imperial Seal, she held the reins of power.
Actually, there's another process involved, which is posthumously honoring ancestors.
Guan Zhiwei skipped over it completely. Who is she trying to disgust? My generation, starting with me.
She claimed that she had no parents and was born from a crack in a rock.
It's a pity for those who wrote the history books. They pieced together bits and pieces from here and there, and later generations spent a long time digging through their records, but they still couldn't piece together a complete history of Emperor Jingwu's rise to power. They could only curse these historians for being so incompetent.
Given the lack of sufficient official historical records, unofficial histories have become quite effective.
Once these procedures are completed, she will be the true emperor.
She picked the fruit, and now it was time to distribute it.
He has been granted the title of a meritorious official.
She first sent a letter to Zhifang, asking him to come to the capital to receive his official title, and offering to promote him to the rank of Grand Commandant.
Zhifang refused again, making up another excuse.
She wasn't angry; she simply turned around and blocked others.
Gao Huan appointed him as a Palace Attendant, a third-rank official, with the power to review and reject proposals. This meant that any plans made by high-ranking officials like Chen Wen needed to be submitted to Gao Huan for review; if he deemed them inappropriate, he would reject or alter them. He had the right to participate in joint discussions among the officials and make decisions on important military and national affairs. He accompanied the emperor on his travels and carried the imperial seal during sacrificial ceremonies.
The Zhai brothers were appointed Left and Right Generals, responsible for patrolling the city and commanding 30,000 troops. They were also enfeoffed as Marquis of Ping and Marquis of An, with a salary of "two thousand shi" (a unit of grain), effectively sidelining the original Commandant of the Guards.
Zhang Xiao was appointed Commandant of the Guards, in charge of the troops stationed at the palace gates, responsible for the day and night patrols and security of the entire imperial city. In short, he was in charge of protecting Guan Zhiwei, although she didn't really need anyone's protection.
Others who surrendered to Guan Zhiwei also received rewards to varying degrees.
Only you, Zhijun, have been left behind.
He was filled with anxiety, fearing that His Majesty would think he was not loyal enough.
But what good is his loyalty if his father is disloyal?
He hadn't been eating or sleeping well for several days, and he had lost a lot of weight.
After Guan Zhiwei finished dealing with all sorts of messy things and left him hanging for a long time, she finally summoned him to the palace. She was surprised and said, "You've lost so much weight. Your round face has become a pointed chin, and your eyes seem even bigger."
Zhi Junyuan knelt on the ground, looking pitiful, and said, "Your Majesty, is Your Majesty still angry with my father? So angry that you don't even want to see me."
"Oh dear, how could that be with someone as broad-minded as me?"
Guan Zhiwei said gently, "Everyone else received a reward except you. Do you know why?"
Zhi Junyuan knelt on the ground, looking like a wilted eggplant, and said weakly, "Because my father betrayed His Majesty, and His Majesty said he would forgive and forget, he still did not come to surrender."
Guan Zhiwei shook her head. "No, because I feel that none of the official positions in the previous dynasty are suitable for you. I want you to become my empress."
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