Chapter 308 New Year's Court Meeting

In the spring of 650 AD, on the first day of the first lunar month, Li Chengqian presided over a grand court meeting. This was the first grand court meeting he held after ascending the throne. He would announce the change of the reign title at this grand court meeting. The Tang Dynasty would change its reign title.

He had discussed the reign title with ministers such as Changsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang, and Li Li, and finally confirmed it as Yonghui.

On the first day of the first lunar month, after three o'clock in the morning, countless lanterns were moving on the streets of Chang'an City. Today was the annual grand court meeting.

The civil and military officials of the court, the provincial governors and governors from all over the country were rushing to the Taiji Palace, preparing to attend the grand court meeting and pay homage to the new emperor.

Crowds of people from all directions on the streets of Chang'an began to gather towards the Taiji Palace. Servants led horses, holding torches or lanterns to help their masters move forward and illuminate the road ahead.

A team of Jinwu Guards in the palace marched in neat steps to the palace gate. The leader held half of the door deed in his hand, and only after it was combined with the other half of the door deed in the hands of the gate officer could the palace gate be opened.

After the inspection was confirmed, the door deed was divided into two halves. Two people stepped forward and inserted the two halves of the door deed into the corresponding holes, and then the palace gate was opened. The

palace gate slowly opened, and the ministers outside the gate had arrived one after another, and lined up according to the size of their official positions, ready to enter the palace.

In addition to the officials, there were also various princes, new and old dukes, envoys from other places, governors, provincial governors, and envoys from various ethnic groups, all gathered under the Beique Gate.

This time of year is the busiest time in the Tang Dynasty. Today, in addition to meeting the emperor, it is also a time to give gifts to the emperor in a fair and open manner to show loyalty.

No one wanted to fall behind.

At this time, the entire city of Chang'an was under strict security. In order to prevent accidents, the streets were full of armored and fully armed imperial guards. Yellow flags and various ceremonial weapons were spread throughout the palace. The

entire palace was guarded with the utmost strictness. Not even a mosquito could escape the eyes of the imperial guards and fly in through the heavy guards.

After going through layers of inspections, everyone finally arrived at the Taiji Hall under the guidance of officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Honglu Temple.

At this time, the atrium was the most strictly defended and the most alert place.

At this time, the Taiji Hall had been properly arranged. In addition to the guard tent, the positions of civil and military officials and guests were also set up.

Under the guidance of the etiquette officer, everyone entered the arranged positions according to their respective status. Civil

officials above the third rank were located on the right side facing the emperor, while the Duke Jie and the Duke Zun were located on the left side facing the emperor. Military officials above the third rank were located outside these people and slightly behind.

The governors and provincial governors from various states and counties were located on the left and right sides of the civil and military ministers above the third rank. The higher the rank, the closer they were to the front of the line.

Officials above the sixth rank were located on the right side of the main area, while those below the sixth rank could only stay in the corner.

Envoys from various vassal states were divided into visitors from the east, south, west and north according to the location of their countries, and were located behind the civil and military officials above the third rank.

Finally, some unimportant and even transparent royal relatives were located in the last row.

Everyone found their respective positions according to their respective identities, and then quietly waited for the emperor to arrive.

At this time, the minister would send someone to invite the emperor to the court and accept the worship of all those who came to attend the grand court meeting.

If the emperor did not come, this grand court meeting could not go on at all.

In Ganlu Hall, Li Chengqian was opening his hands and letting the palace maids put on the crowns one by one.

He was wearing a black robe and purple skirt embroidered with the pattern of twelve chapters, and the leather belt, big belt, sword, pendant, ribbon, etc., were put on Li Chengqian one by one.

After putting on the clothes, Li Chengqian was given a flat crown with gold ornaments, twelve tassels of white beads hanging from the front and back, a string as the same color as the ribbon, black silk as the ears, and jade hairpins as the guide.

The crown ranked second among the emperor's clothes, second only to the big fur crown.

After getting dressed, Li Chengqian, with the help of the eunuchs, walked out of Ganlu Hall, sat on the sedan chair that had been prepared long ago, and set off for Taiji Hall under the driver of the Shangche Fengyu. Li Chengqian

got off the sedan chair, walked into Taiji Hall, sat on the throne, facing south, and during the grand court meeting, the Shangche Bureau would be set up in the courtyard.

The emperor's ten carriages would stop outside Taiji Hall during the grand court meeting.

At this time, Fu Baolang, who was in charge of managing the emperor's seals, would place the divine seal of the state and the imperial seal representing the divine right of the emperor in front of the emperor.

"Everyone kneel down to worship the prince of the Tang Dynasty! Shout!" Everything was ready, and with Wang Quan's shout, the grand court meeting on the first day of the first lunar month was about to begin.

This was the first time that Li Chengqian sat on the throne and accepted the worship of officials, envoys from various countries, governors, provincial governors, and royal relatives.

In the past, he followed everyone to worship his father, the late Emperor Taizong Wen. Today, he finally had the opportunity to experience the feeling of being worshipped by so many people. "Greetings, Your Majesty

! Long live the emperor!" All those attending the grand court meeting knelt on the ground and shouted long live the emperor. "Stand up!" Wang Quan shouted, "Bow!" Everyone stood up immediately, and with a bow, everyone knelt on the ground again. "Hurry!" "Long live the emperor!" "Stand up and bow !" "Hurry again!" "Long live the emperor!" After the last shout, everyone stood up and the collective kneeling ceremony was completed. Next, it was the turn of the prime ministers to kneel down to the emperor individually and send New Year's greetings. This represents the respect of the people for the emperor. Whether it can really represent the people of the world is actually not important at all. After the kneeling ceremony is completed, the attendant walks forward to the left front of the emperor and announces "There is a rule!" The group kneels again. As the emperor, Li Chengqian should say at this time: "The celebration of taking office is the same as yours." Everyone expressed their gratitude. Once a collective worship was held, with three cheers of "Long live the emperor" and the last kneeling, the worship finally ended. If everything goes well, the next step can be taken, and everyone will give gifts to the emperor. This is probably something that all emperors like to see. After all, this day is the time when the emperor can openly and brazenly accept gifts. The happiest ones were the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites, because the emperor would only select a few items that he liked, and the rest would be kept and used by them. In order to show their loyalty this time, everyone racked their brains. The envoys from various places presented carefully prepared gifts, but Li Chengqian could only hear the names at most. In fact, they were all nice-sounding names, but they were just for show.

If the ceremonial officer calls something a unicorn, don't think it's really a unicorn. It's just an animal covered in gold foil and given a fancy name. It's just a lie.

As for the unicorn, it's only a legend and a fictitious product. If the ceremonial officer calls it a jade unicorn, it means it's a unicorn carved out of jade. Anyway,

it's just for the sake of sounding good. The thing can be ordinary, but the name must be high-end and classy, ​​otherwise it can't highlight the emperor's dignity.