Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin finally held up the Imperial Seal of the State, which he had long dreamed of, and examined every detail of it as if it were a fine work of art.
The jade seal is square in shape, about four or five inches on each side, thick and solid, as if bearing the ambition and vicissitudes of emperors over thousands of years.
In the world before Chen Huai'an's transmigration, the Imperial Seal of the State had already been lost during the dynastic changes. The Imperial Seal used by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, to ascend the throne was recast by craftsmen in later generations, which was a great regret.
At this moment, what Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin was holding in his hands was the very Imperial Seal of the State, which was cast after the First Emperor Ying Zheng unified the six kingdoms.
The jade seal was carved from the priceless He Shi Bi jade. Its soft luster resembles the brightest star in the night sky, shimmering with a mysterious and captivating brilliance.
On the surface of the jade seal, a majestic dragon is carved. The dragon has a strong and agile body, distinct scales, and bright eyes, as if it is ready to take off into the sky at any time.
The dragon's body coils around the seal face, forming a graceful arc that divides the seal face into two parts;
The dragon's head is raised high, holding a dazzling pearl in its mouth, symbolizing the supreme imperial power and the prosperity of the country.
On the other side of the seal face, eight powerful seal characters are carved with extremely fine carving techniques: “By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous!”
Chen Huai'an stared intently at the eight large characters, and inexplicably felt his blood begin to boil.
Throughout history, countless heroes and great men have devoted their entire lives to the pursuit of these eight words, only to ultimately succumb to their allure.
Even Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin could not escape this custom.
Look, look.
Chen Huai'an seemed to see the eight characters "By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous" appearing as if they had been given a life of vitality, exuding a solemn, sacred, and inviolable aura.
At this moment, even without the imperial robe, Chen Huai'an still felt a sense of pride, thinking, "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the people, all people are subjects of the king."
After a long while, he finally calmed his barely concealed excitement and began to re-examine the final details of the Imperial Seal.
At the bottom of the jade seal, on that relatively flat surface, there are intricate and exquisite cloud patterns carved, which look just like clouds floating in the sky, light and graceful, giving people a sense of loftiness and mystery.
Among the cloud patterns, tiny gemstones are cleverly inlaid, shimmering in the sunlight and adding a touch of nobility and splendor to the Imperial Seal.
It is hard to imagine that such an exquisite object was made by Qin artisans a thousand years ago.
Finally, Chen Huai'an's evaluation of the Imperial Seal of the State was that it is not only an exquisite work of art, but also a symbol of imperial power and a witness to history for thousands of years.
Every detail of the Imperial Seal embodies the painstaking efforts and wisdom of ancient craftsmen, and every subtle carving silently speaks of the majesty and solemnity of imperial power.
Chen Huai'an held the Imperial Seal of the State for at least the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, while Xiao Po, the commander of the Imperial Guards, knelt on one knee with his head down, waiting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
It wasn't until His Highness Prince Jin came to his senses that he slowly said to Xiao Po, "Xiao Po, go and bring Emperor Lingwu and Empress Dowager Su up here. I wish to personally meet the Emperor and Empress Dowager!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Xiao Po immediately accepted the order, got up, and hurriedly retreated, dragging his legs which were numb from kneeling.
Chen Huai'an then raised the Imperial Seal of the State once more, examining it in the sunlight streaming through the cabin window, and muttered to himself, "Now that I have the Imperial Seal of the State in my hand, how far away is it for me to achieve the unification of the world?"
"My life has been like walking on thin ice, but in the end, I will still ascend to the throne!"
"At the beginning of the new dynasty, should it be called the Jin Dynasty or the Ming Dynasty?"
hehe!
Chen Huai'an smiled and said, "This is truly a happy problem!"
"Report—"
"Your Highness Prince Jin, Empress Dowager Su of Lingwu has arrived!"
Just as Chen Huai'an was pondering whether the new dynasty should be called Jin or Ming after unifying the world, Xiao Po's announcement suddenly rang out from outside the cabin.
It was he who brought up the captured Emperor Lingwu and Empress Dowager Su!
Upon hearing this, Chen Huai'an carefully put away the Imperial Seal and loudly ordered, "Xiao Po, please invite Emperor Lingwu and Empress Dowager Su in to speak!"
Soon, the distraught Empress Dowager Su Wan'er appeared in Chen Huai'an's cabin, carrying the young Emperor Lingwu, Zhao Lingwu.
This was the first meeting between Chen Huai'an and Empress Dowager Su Wan'er.
At this point, Su Wan'er had long lost the aura she once had as the Crown Princess, Empress, and Empress Dowager; she was now just an ordinary mother who wanted nothing more than to protect her child's life.
As soon as the two entered, Chen Huai'an took the initiative to greet them, saying, "Your subject, Prince Chen Huai'an, pays respects to Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!"
Of course, Chen Huai'an merely cupped his hands and clasped his hands in greeting to Empress Dowager Su Wan'er, without performing the kneeling ceremony that ordinary officials would do when meeting the emperor and empress dowager.
He inherited the title of "One-Word Parallel King," and not having to bow when entering the court was one of the privileges of a "One-Word Parallel King," which was perfectly reasonable.
This was the first time Empress Dowager Su Wan'er had met Chen Huai'an, the enemy who had caused her "family's destruction and death".
She had thought that when she saw the traitor Chen Huai'an, she would lose control of her emotions and would want to kill him as soon as possible.
But when Su Wan'er actually met Chen Huai'an, she found that she suddenly didn't seem to hate him as much anymore.
Deep down, I felt a sense of gratitude.
She was grateful to Chen Huai'an for ending her days of wandering and being at the mercy of others.
The marriage between Su Wan'er and Zhao Gan, the second emperor of the Xin Dynasty, was a product of political alliance.
As the beloved daughter of a wealthy merchant family in the prosperous Jiangnan region, Su Wan'er had little political acumen or shrewdness. Even after ascending to the position of Empress as the Crown Princess, she was mostly just a figurehead for Zhao Gan in the court.
Even after Zhao Gan's death, Su Wan'er, who became the Empress Dowager of the Great Xin Dynasty because of her son and had the right to rule from behind the curtain, still could not escape her status as a puppet who could be manipulated by others.
How could she, a mere newcomer to the court, possibly be a match for Qin Ruhui, the treacherous minister who had dominated the court for over thirty years?
Even after being driven out of the capital and leading a life of wandering with Emperor Lingwu, Su Wan'er remained a mascot manipulated by Fang Tianyao, the King of the Four Seas.
During the time that Xiao Po took her to the "Destroy the Japanese" treasure ship and held her captive, Su Wan'er also figured things out and came to terms with it.
Even though she returned to Jinling with General Wu Sanjia last night, she still couldn't escape being manipulated by others. It's just that the people who manipulated her changed from Qin Ruhui to Fang Tianyao, and now to Wu Sanjia!
Therefore, being captured by Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin was perhaps the best outcome for her and her son Zhao Lingwu.
Thinking of this, Su Wan'er smiled sadly and said, "Your Highness Prince Jin, tell me, how do you plan to deal with the Emperor and me?"
Um?
Upon hearing this, Chen Huai'an frowned slightly and said with a puzzled look, "Aren't Emperor Lingwu and Empress Dowager Su already dead?"
"He died on the day the Jingnan Army of Longcheng broke through the Daxin Navy camp, throwing himself into the river and committing suicide!"
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