Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 72: Ascends the throne and the treasury is empty

After the preliminary ceremonies that began in mid-November, the Ming Dynasty held the coronation ceremony in the snow before the arrival of the twelfth lunar month, welcoming its new master.

Around the three main halls in the Forbidden City, snow was falling heavily at the ceremony site and the sky was dark.

Zhu Changluo was wearing the emperor's crown and standing behind the screen in the Huangji Hall. The snow was still falling.

Only the bases of the three main halls remain, and the surrounding palaces are now covered with snow.

"The Emperor's decree: All officials are exempt from congratulations and are only required to perform the five bows and three kowtows ceremony."

"All the ministers have lined up, the emperor is ascending the throne!"

Zhu Changluo walked out from behind the screen and looked at the throne in front of the screen.

There was already a thin layer of snow on top.

He looked at the ministers and envoys on the Yuntai and under the Danchi, and saw that the whip-blowing was in progress according to etiquette.

When the Imperial Observatory reported the time, Zhu Changluo, led by an official from the Ministry of Rites, sat on the cold throne, looking ahead through the crown tassels and snowflakes.

"Long live my emperor! Long live! Long live!"

Zhu Changluo had already paid homage to Fengxian Hall and Fengci Hall, and then met with the Supreme Emperor Zhu Yijun in Cining Palace to receive orders and all the imperial seals.

After five bows and three kowtows, the ceremony concluded and he became the official master of the Ming Dynasty.

"The foreign envoys come to see His Majesty and congratulate him!"

This is an extra step added this time. In the past, foreign envoys only watched the ceremony, presented congratulatory messages and knelt down.

Leading the tribute was Gwanghaegun Yi Hun, the second son of King Yi Sun of Joseon.

Zhu Changluo knew the purpose of Korea sending him here: they hoped that he could show his face in front of the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty and see if he could get the Ming Dynasty to recognize his status as the crown prince.

This is a story about the Korean War. Zhu Changluo does not care about this now, nor is he prepared to acknowledge his status as the crown prince. He only treats him as an envoy.

His gaze rested on Nurhaci, who was now 42 years old.

Seeing that the new Ming emperor showed no interest in him, Li Hun could only nervously lead the others in kneeling and congratulating him: "Ministers from the vassal states, we respectfully congratulate His Majesty the Emperor of the Celestial Empire on inheriting the throne..."

Although Nurhaci behaved extremely respectfully, when he looked from afar just now, he found that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was staring at him.

This bit of cold weather was nothing to Nurhaci, who had lived in Changbai Mountain for generations.

But the look from the Ming Emperor just now made him feel a little cold in his heart.

What kind of look is that? Insightful, playful...

The key point is that among so many envoys from vassal states and tribes, he only focuses on himself!

There was nothing else to say at the ceremony. Zhu Changluo was the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and there was no need for him to say anything special to them on this occasion.

This is the majesty of the emperor of the Celestial Empire. These people came to kowtow and kneel down to show their submission and obedience.

If I want to meet him in private again, it will be after I ascend the throne. Let them wait.

After that, all the officials left one by one and waited outside Chengtian Gate to hear the edict of enthronement.

"Please use the treasure!"

In front of him was the first edict that Zhu Changluo would issue with his imperial seal, which was also his first official imperial decree.

"Use the seal."

When he spoke, it was an order.

After the imperial edict is issued and the seal is used, the officials of the Honglu Temple will request the imperial edict to be issued.

Afterwards, the imperial edict was handed over to the Ministry of Rites by an official from the Hanlin Academy.

Today, it was the Minister of Rites Zhu Guozuo who personally carried the imperial edict to the cloud canopy set up by the Jinyiwei and Luanyusi who were waiting outside the Meridian Gate.

Tian Ergeng was there.

The next step was the final part of the ceremony: the enthronement edict was solemnly carried outside Chengtian Gate and read, then promulgated throughout the country:

【Emperor Fengtian Chengyun】

[The edict said]

【Our imperial Ming dynasty is prosperous and its foundation is solid. The great calendar is glorious and the saints are passed down. The Supreme Emperor has ruled the people for 28 years. He has the power in his hands and the people are prosperous. The affairs of the nations are numerous and he is worried and tired. He has entrusted me with the great plan and entrusted me with the divine instrument of command. 】

[I obey the will of the Supreme Emperor and follow the repeated requests of the ministers and common people. I will not refuse the important matters of the nation.]

[On the 28th day of the 11th month, I hereby inform the Heaven and Earth, the Ancestral Temple, and the State that I will take the throne. At the beginning of the battle, I am cautious and prudent, as if I were crossing an icy abyss. I will continue to follow the example of the civil and military officials, the virtuous, and the whole heart, and I will follow the laws of the country. Next year will be the first year of Taichang...]

Starting today, the Ministry of Rites will send personnel to various provinces to read the first edict of the new emperor, so that the entire Ming Dynasty will know: the empire has a new master.

Zhu Changluo, in his official capacity as emperor, went to meet the people he should meet again.

Holy Mother Empress Dowager, the Supreme Emperor, Holy Mother Empress Dowager, Holy Mother Imperial Concubine…

Zhu Yijun will live with Empress Dowager Li in the Cining Palace, while Empress Dowager Wang and Consort Wang will live in the Renshou Palace to the east of Fengxian Hall.

"...Your Majesty, please excuse me." Empress Dowager Li looked at her grandson, who was dressed in a royal robe and full of vigor, with a complicated mood: "There is no need to say more to Grandmother... Go and see your father."

"Yes……"

Zhu Changluo walked to the back of the Buddhist hall.

The Cining Palace is not small. In addition to the Buddhist halls in the main hall and the rear hall, there are two small courtyards on the north side.

Zhu Yijun is now recuperating in one of the courtyards. In the past few months, Queen Mother Wang lived in another small courtyard.

Arriving at Zhu Yijun's current bedroom, Zhu Changluo calmly ordered: "Everyone go down, let me talk to my father."

"Your Majesty's order..."

These words naturally fell into the ears of Zhu Yijun who was lying on the bed not far away.

Zhu Changluo walked to the couch and looked at the anxiety in Zhu Yijun's eyes.

"It snowed today." Zhu Changluo said softly, "It was all white, and it looked very clean. Father, the prince has ascended the throne. No matter what you think of the prince, let him go."

Because he had been bedridden for several months, Zhu Yijun's muscles had probably begun to atrophy.

Even if his vitality is very strong, if he lies in bed unable to move for a long time, how long will he have left?
Zhu Changluo didn't want him to die soon, because that would mean a lot of things to be done: ceremony, burial, mourning...

It's a waste of time and costs a lot of money.

So he took the handkerchief himself and wiped Zhu Yijun's face.

"Your Highness will have many state affairs to attend to in the future, so I'm afraid I won't be able to come and greet you every day. Your Highness also knows that your father probably doesn't want to see you all the time."

Zhu Yijun's eyes followed his movements, and there was suppressed fear in his eyes.

Zhu Changluo wiped the saliva from the corners of his mouth, and then wiped the saliva that flowed down his neck. "Forget it, I can only say that it is fate. I will not make you sad or worried, so please take good care of yourself. I can only use my last efforts to clean up the right and wrong under the snow. Father, I will take my leave."

The white snow conceals the numerous holes in the Ming Dynasty, but the knot between the two generations of emperors is difficult to untie.

Watching his son leave in the dragon robe, Zhu Yijun, who had lost his power, had dull eyes.

He was just a patient in the Forbidden City, and now the Forbidden City has a new owner.

Zhu Changluo went to Renshou Palace again, and also sent people to Yinghua Palace, Xian'an Palace, Longde Palace and other palaces where Zhu Yijun's other concubines were housed.

When he returned to the newly decorated Qianqing Palace, this central area in the back half of the Forbidden City was completely clean.

The Kunning Palace and the Twelve Palaces of the East and West are all waiting for new owners; only the Qianqing Palace is busy at the moment.

"Your Majesty, I bow to you! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long, long live Your Majesty!"

Tian Yi, Chen Ju, Cheng Jing, Wang An, Ma Tang, Sun Long, Zou Yi and other eunuchs paid homage to him again in the main hall of the Qianqing Palace. This was a servant meeting his master.

Two "criminal slaves" were mixed in among them.

"Get up. There will be a banquet tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, and the emperor will hold court on the first day of next month. There are many things to be arranged. Ma Tang, Sun Long, you two stay."

Zou Yi also stayed in the Qianqing Palace. He was now the imperial eunuch and was always ready to handle various chores ordered by the emperor.

Ma Tang and Sun Long were very nervous.

"I will continue to use you because one of you is familiar with the affairs on the Caohe River, and the other is familiar with the affairs in Jiangnan." Zhu Changluo looked at them, "I want to know the details of the Caojun dispatch, Jianghuai salt and tea, Anhui and Zhejiang merchants, and Jiangnan nobles. Tomorrow I will host a banquet for the meritorious officials, and I also want to know the depth of their relationship with it!"

"...I obey your order..."

One of them led a tax protest by tens of thousands of people in Linqing, while the other returned to the capital before causing the Suzhou uprising and leaving behind the deeds recorded in the so-called "Inscription on the Tombstone of Five People".

Although they only went out to make money on behalf of Zhu Yijun, they did step into the deep waters of Ming Dynasty's industry and commerce.

The Ming Dynasty had many problems that needed to be solved, but in the end all problems came down to money.

Everyone was waiting for the new emperor to share the cake, but Zhu Changluo had nothing.

When such an edict of enthronement is announced to the world, public outcry should immediately arise.

I'm afraid we don't need anyone to encourage us this time.

The long-awaited court meeting will be held on the first day of December, and it is expected to be quite lively.

But before that, the new emperor would host a banquet for royal envoys and nobles on the 29th, and for civil officials on the 30th.

After that, the captives were presented on the second day of December.

Many major policies for the first year of Taichang will be determined in the first half of December.

Including the resolution of the Shanhaiguan uprising and the replacement of important officials in Liaodong, the final results of the replacement of vacancies had already been ordered.

This includes financial issues, rewards for the Bozhou campaign, response from border troops, expenses for retraining the Beijing camp, and the new stage after the removal of mining supervisors and tax collectors. How to increase revenue besides cutting costs?
At Tian Le's home, he looked speechlessly at Liu Jing who was bending down to thank him.

"…It's not me who appreciates your bravery, but your Majesty!" Tian Le's scalp tingled, "Did you escape a disaster and then be ordered to personally escort the bandit chieftain to surrender the captives? Don't you learn your lesson again?"

Liu Jing grinned: "The Grand Marshal is also my benefactor! I am not stupid. The Grand Marshal asked me about Liaodong before. If you want to tidy up Liaodong, I can be a quick knife!"

"..."

On the eve of a grand court meeting after a long absence, you went to visit the Minister of War at his home. Aren't you stupid?
(End of this chapter)