After making proper arrangements for reorganizing the Six Ministries, restoring the imperial court, and suppressing the remnants of the Great Xin regime, Chen Huai'an, who had declared himself emperor, did not linger in the Jinling imperial city but rushed back to Longcheng, the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin.
He wanted to return to his hometown to pay homage to his ancestors as soon as possible, and to inform the late King Chen Polu and the ancestors of the Chen family of the news that the world had been unified under the Jin dynasty.
The important task of guarding Jinling City was handed over to General Wang Jian.
With Wang Jian in charge of Jinling, Chen Huai'an could rest assured.
Chen Huai'an returned to his fiefdom of Longcheng three days later. This time, he traveled light and simply, and even the family members of the Prince of Jin's residence did not know that he had returned to Longcheng.
On this day, Consort Xu Ruoyun of the Prince of Jin's residence was strolling and chatting with her two daughters-in-law, Liu Shujun and Yue Qiluo, in the back garden of the residence when a sudden "Mother" made Xu Ruoyun freeze in place.
"Mother!"
After a moment's hesitation, Xu Ruoyun suddenly turned around, her gaze landing squarely on the travel-worn Chen Huai'an.
Liu Shujun and Yue Qiluo, who were standing on either side of Xu Ruoyun, also saw Chen Huai'an. After a moment of surprise, the two of them bowed to Chen Huai'an almost simultaneously: "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Jin!"
Hahaha!
Chen Huai'an laughed heartily and nodded in response to the two of them. Then he quickly walked to his mother, Xu Ruoyun, and asked, "Mother, don't you recognize your son?"
Pfft!
Xu Ruoyun finally smiled, patting Chen Huai'an on the back as she asked with loving concern, "Why didn't you tell your mother before you came back?"
"So that Mother Empress can lead the family members of the Prince's Mansion out of the city to welcome you!"
Faced with his mother's "reprimand," Chen Huai'an did not respond immediately. Instead, he naturally took his mother's arm from the hands of the two prospective daughters-in-law of the Prince's Mansion and supported her.
Liu Shujun and Yue Qiluo followed closely behind Chen Huai'an and his mother.
The rest of the servants from the Prince's mansion tactfully withdrew from the garden, leaving the space to the Prince of Jin and his mother, who were reunited after a long separation.
As Chen Huai'an accompanied his mother on a walk, he said with a smile, "Mother, the reason I suddenly returned to the palace is actually to report a message to you."
oh?
Upon hearing this, Xu Ruoyun raised an eyebrow and said, "Let Mother guess, for His Highness Prince Jin, who is so busy with state affairs, to personally come and deliver a message, this matter must be extraordinary."
As she spoke, Xu Ruoyun suddenly stopped and looked at Chen Huai'an, asking, "Has the Longcheng Jingnan Army already breached Jinling City?"
Ha ha!
Chen Huai'an laughed heartily again and said, "Your Majesty is wise. As they say, no one knows a son better than his mother. Indeed, nothing can escape Your Majesty's discerning eyes!"
"but--"
Chen Huai'an then changed the subject, adding, "Taking over Jinling City is only one aspect;"
"Secondly, from today onwards, the rules and regulations of our Prince Jin's residence should be changed."
Um?
Xu Ruoyun looked at Chen Huai'an with a blank expression, and even Liu Shujun and Yue Qiluo, who were following behind the two, looked at each other in bewilderment.
Cough cough!
Chen Huai'an coughed twice, cleared his throat, and said solemnly, "Empress Dowager, I was enthroned in Jinling three days ago, and the coronation is tentatively scheduled for the first month of the lunar calendar."
"Do you think it's time to change the rules and regulations of our Prince Jin's residence?"
brush!
Upon hearing this, the three ladies of the royal family present were all shocked, their eyes revealing disbelief as they looked at Chen Huai'an with complicated expressions.
Although the family members of Prince Chen Huai'an's household were fully aware of the fact that Prince Chen Huai'an had ascended the throne as emperor, it was a foregone conclusion.
However, when the day actually came for Chen Huai'an to become emperor, everyone was still quite surprised.
Finally, it was Xu Ruoyun, who had unknowingly become the Empress Dowager of the new dynasty, who was the first to react. She immediately ordered, "Shujun, Qiluo, you two sisters may leave now. I have something to say to the Emperor."
"By the way, go and tell the kitchen to prepare. The Prince of Jin's residence is going to hold a grand banquet for the soldiers and civilians of Longcheng. The Prince of Jin is going to become emperor and he wants to celebrate with the people!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Liu Shujun and Yue Qiluo were quick-witted; they immediately changed their address for Xu Ruoyun to "Empress Dowager."
Before parting, the two glanced back at Chen Huai'an, their eyes filled with affection and a hint of deep meaning.
Soon, only Chen Huai'an and his mother remained in the vast back garden of the Prince's Mansion.
Xu Ruoyun cut to the chase: "Son, you've just declared yourself emperor in Jinling City. What about the Lingwu Emperor of the Great Xin Dynasty, and the false emperor Hongxi supported by the treacherous minister Qin Ruhui?"
Chen Huai'an replied, "Mother, Emperor Lingwu publicly claimed that he committed suicide by drowning, but in reality, I have already adopted him as my godson, and Zhao Lingwu has changed his surname to Chen Lingwu."
"By now, he should have arrived in Jiaozhou City. After the Longcheng naval fleet has wiped out the Japanese pirates entrenched in the Yellow Sea and the Goguryeo Peninsula, I plan to send him and his mother to Goguryeo to live as wealthy men."
"As for the false emperor Zhao Lingzhan, he died on the day the Longcheng Jingnan army broke through Jinling City, at the hands of the treacherous minister Qin Ruhui, who has also been executed."
Hearing Chen Huai'an's words, Xu Ruoyun nodded repeatedly, and then asked again, "Son, have you gotten your hands on the Imperial Seal of the State?"
"certainly!"
Chen Huai'an smiled and said, "It is precisely because I have obtained the Imperial Seal that I have decided to spare the lives of Emperor Lingwu and his mother."
"After all, I have no reason to make things difficult for an orphan and a widow, or for a three-year-old emperor!"
Um!
Xu Ruoyun nodded, seemingly tacitly approving of Chen Huai'an's decision to spare Emperor Lingwu's life.
Afterwards, the mother and son chatted for a while about the establishment of the new dynasty, eventually leading to the purpose of Chen Huai'an's return to the Prince of Jin's residence.
Chen Huai'an said, "Mother, I have two purposes for secretly returning to Longcheng this time;"
"Firstly, to pay homage to the spirit of our late father, and to inform him that the empire has now been unified under the Jin dynasty, so that he can rest in peace in the afterlife."
"Secondly, we want to determine the empress before the coronation ceremony. We can't really do what Mother said and set a precedent in history by establishing empresses for the East and West Palaces, can we?"
After a pause, Chen Huai'an added, "Even if we establish empresses for the East and West Palaces, we can't avoid the struggle for the crown prince in the future. Deciding who to appoint as the crown prince will be a real headache!"
Um!
Xu Ruoyun nodded and said, "My son, what you said is indeed a problem. Let's put aside the matter of establishing an empress for now and go to your father's mausoleum to pay our respects to him!"
"The Empress Dowager thinks that the late Emperor in the afterlife would be very happy to hear the news of your ascension to the throne."
“Your father, he failed because of his lack of loyalty and righteousness. If it weren’t for that, the throne would have belonged to our Chen family thirty-two years ago. How could it have fallen into Zhao Mang’s hands?”
“If your father had been more ruthless, he wouldn’t have ended up dying far from home. If it weren’t for my son Huai’an having the emperor’s mandate and divine assistance, the hundreds of family members of my Prince Jin’s mansion would probably have died tragically on the way to Beihai to be enfeoffed.”
As she spoke, Xu Ruoyun's eyes reddened, and she continued, "Well, no matter what, God has finally opened his eyes. What belongs to the Chen family has finally returned to the Chen family's hands!"
That afternoon, news spread throughout his fiefdom of Longcheng that Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin had proclaimed himself emperor in Jinling City and that he was to ascend the throne in the first month of the lunar calendar.
As soon as the news spread, the 500,000 soldiers and civilians in the entire city of Longcheng were in an uproar!
This Dragon City is the stronghold of the Prince of Jin, the base that two generations of Princes of Jin have painstakingly built up over many years. The soldiers, civilians and people in the city are all loyal to the Prince of Jin. When they learned that Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin had declared himself emperor, they were naturally excited and their blood was boiling.
On that day, all the restaurants in the city were booked by the Prince of Jin's mansion, and a three-day banquet was held in Longcheng to celebrate the Prince of Jin's ascension to the throne.
Inside the Prince of Jin's residence, it was also brightly decorated and bustling with activity.
Chen Qingzhi, the deputy marshal of the army stationed in Longcheng, along with a group of former generals of the Longcheng Polu Army, as well as envoys from the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions and Tibet stationed in Longcheng, gathered at the palace to sing, dance, drink, and make merry, celebrating the Jin King's ascension to the throne.
The following day, led by the new emperor Chen Huai'an, accompanied by hundreds of family members from the Prince of Jin's residence, and escorted by the Longcheng Polu Army from within the city, the grand procession departed from Yongding Gate of Longcheng and proceeded to the mausoleum of the late emperor Chen Polu to hold a grand sacrificial ceremony.
Chen Huai'an intends to personally posthumously confer the title of Emperor upon his father, Chen Polu, today.
The mausoleum of the late King Chen Polu is located on Fengming Mountain, facing Longshan Mountain across the river, which forms a strategic point between them.
The mausoleum chamber faces the Longshan Camp, implying that the late King Chen Polu, even in the afterlife, can still look out over and watch over the Polu Army Camp, for which he devoted all his heart and soul in his life.
The entire mausoleum covers a vast area and is magnificent. The mausoleum is filled with exquisite stone tigers, stone elephants and other stone sculptures. Tall and lush pine and cypress trees are planted all around, symbolizing that the late King Chen Polu rests here and lives as long as heaven and earth.
Chen Shi (7-9 AM).
The royal entourage, led by the new emperor Chen Huai'an, entered the mausoleum of the late king Chen Polu as the morning light pierced through the morning mist.
Inside the ancestral hall, the spacious square had been carefully arranged in advance. A thick red carpet had been laid on the bluestone path in the center, and tall dragon and phoenix flags were erected on both sides of the road, fluttering in the wind.
The auspicious time has arrived, and the sacrificial ceremony officially begins.
The sound of drums and music gradually rose, deep and solemn, like the long notes of history echoing above the tomb of the former king.
Following them were the royal family members and officials of the fiefdom, dressed in magnificent robes, carrying jade tablets and incense burners, who lined up in order on the solemn ancestral worship square.
Finally, the new emperor, Chen Huai'an, dressed in a well-tailored bright yellow five-clawed dragon robe, walked steadily and powerfully towards the altar in the center of the square.
The altar was already filled with various offerings, fine wines and delicacies, as well as grains symbolizing a bountiful harvest.
In the very center of the altar, there is a memorial tablet and portrait of the late King Chen Polu. Incense smoke curls in front of the tablet, and the portrait shows the late King Chen Polu with a dignified yet kind face.
Upon ascending the throne, Chen Huai'an faced the altar, before which were the memorial tablet and portrait of his father, Emperor Chen Polu.
He knelt down slowly with his hands clasped together, bowed his head and silently recited a eulogy, expressing his respect and remembrance to his father, Emperor Chen Polu.
Immediately afterwards, Chen Huai'an personally offered sacrifices to his father, Emperor Chen Polu, and toasted him three times with wine to show his respect and gratitude.
Subsequently, led by Chen Huai'an, the royal family members and accompanying civil and military officials who came to participate in the sacrificial ceremony stepped forward one by one to pay homage to the late King Chen Polu and offer their own sacrificial offerings.
The entire process was long and solemn, with everyone immersed in reverence and remembrance for the late King Chen Polu.
As the sacrificial ceremony reached its climax, the surrounding drums and music rose again, and the rhythm became even more generous and passionate.
The new emperor, Chen Huai'an, raised his wine cup once more and, in front of all the civil and military officials, loudly recited the sacrificial text, praising the achievements of the late King Chen Polu throughout his life.
Finally, Chen Huai'an declared in a powerful voice: "I was enthroned on the 19th day of the seventh month of the second year of the Lingwu reign of the Daxin era in the old calendar, in the Imperial City of the capital. I ascended the throne in the first month. I hereby offer this sacrifice to my father and the ancestors of the Chen family;"
"Furthermore, to highlight my father's achievements in the new dynasty, I have decided to officially posthumously confer upon my late father, Chen Polu, the title of Emperor Gaozu of my new dynasty, effective today!"
With Chen Huai'an's decisive announcement, posthumously honoring the late King Chen Polu as the founding emperor of the new dynasty, the entire sacrificial ceremony reached its climax.
All the civil and military officials participating in the sacrifice knelt down and paid their respects to the late emperor.
The entire ancestral worship ceremony lasted until noon. With the completion of all the sacrificial rituals, this grand ceremony finally came to a perfect end.
All of this was observed by Dongfang Xiao, the old monk in black robes who had returned to Qixia Temple on Fengming Mountain for secluded cultivation.
Three days earlier, Dongfang Xiaoye observed the celestial phenomena and saw the imperial star move northward, thus deducing that Prince Chen Huai'an of Jin had already proclaimed himself emperor in Jinling City.
However, the old monk Dongfang Xiao, who claimed to have seen through the secrets of heaven, did not take the initiative to go to the Prince of Jin's residence to congratulate Chen Huai'an on his first ascension to the throne.
Chen Huai'an, tacitly aware of this, did not send anyone to Qixia Temple to disturb Dongfang Xiao.
This can be considered a tacit understanding between the two!
At this moment, Dongfang Xiao, standing in the Fengbo Pavilion outside Qixia Temple, looked in the direction of the tomb of the late King Chen Polu, stroked his gray beard, and muttered to himself, "Your Highness, back then this humble monk was ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth, and actually dared to dream of presenting Your Highness with a white hat;"
"Now it seems that this white hat has been placed on Your Highness's head, and that is the true beginning of Your Highness's tribulation!"
"The road ahead is long, Your Highness, please take care on your journey, Amitabha!"
After speaking, Dongfang Xiao put his hands together and silently bowed in the direction of the tomb of the late King Chen Polu.
Achoo—
Achoo!
Almost simultaneously, Chen Huai'an, who had already completed all the ancestral worship ceremonies and was on his way back to the Prince's Mansion, also sneezed several times without warning.
Seeing this, Xiao Po, the commander of the Imperial Guards, said, "Your Majesty, would you like to make a detour to Qixia Temple?"
Chen Huai'an glanced in the direction of Qixia Temple and seemed to see a familiar black figure in the Fengbo Pavilion halfway up the mountain.
He couldn't help but recall the scene when he first stood with Dongfang Xiao in Fengbo Pavilion, pointing out the landscape.
Chen Huai'an also remembered the merit of Dongfang Xiao, who was stationed in Longcheng at the beginning of his uprising and assisted Prince Chen Longxiang in handling the affairs of his fiefdom.
Little did anyone know why this old monk suddenly chose to retire at the height of his power, just as he was about to become emperor.
Otherwise, Chen Huai'an wouldn't mind handing over the position of Prime Minister in Black to Dongfang Xiao.
But now, he didn't want to disturb the old monk who was focused on his secluded meditation.
Chen Huai'an waved his hand and said, "Never mind, let's head back to the Prince's Palace!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
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