NCCnovel Chapter 840 Honor the Emperor
Chapter 840 Honor the Emperor
In late spring, the bronze crane clock in the Hanyuan Hall of the Daming Palace had just struck the fifth drum.
Before the morning light reached the Danfeng Gate tower, the clatter of boots could be heard on Chengtian Street.
Civil and military officials filed in according to their rank, the jade buckles on their waists clashing with their leather belts, creating tiny sounds in the silence.
Officials of the third rank and above walked up the bluestone steps of Longwei Road, and looking up they could see the golden plaque of "Hanyuan Hall" faintly visible in the mist under the eaves of the palace. This was the seventh year since Emperor Li Zhi issued an edict to build the Daming Palace. This new palace, which was six times larger than the Taiji Hall in the Taiji Palace, had finally held a grand ceremony to celebrate the imperial court at the winter solstice last year and had become the new power center of the Tang Dynasty.
The Hanyuan Hall is eleven bays wide and four bays deep, with a base as high as four zhang. Looking out from the railing, the entire city of Chang'an spread out at your feet like a chessboard.
Inside the hall, seventy-two giant vermilion-lacquered pillars stand tall, with gilded bronze dragons wrapped around the pillars, their heads raised as if ready to fly. The dragons hold lampstands with tassels made of eight treasures hanging down from them, and before the candles are lit, they emit a faint light in the draft.
The officials on duty had already lit camphor incense in front of the imperial desk. The green smoke passed by the screen, casting the figure on the dragon throne into a half-light and half-darkness.
As all the officials prostrated themselves, a very light cough was heard from behind the imperial desk.
Li Zhi stood up with the help of a stool. The patterns of the sun, moon and stars on his black robe and purple skirt rose and fell with his movements, and the jade belt buckle at his waist hurt his hip bones - this body had been tortured by wind disease for several years, and now it took him half an incense stick of time to put on the crown with twelve patterns.
He looked at the sea of court robes on the steps and suddenly remembered what his brother had said: "Zhi Nu, the throne of the Son of Heaven is as heavy as a thousand pounds."
Although the Taiji Hall at that time was not as grand as the Hanyuan Hall, it was filled with his admiration for the legacy of the Zhenguan period.
But now, as the territory of the Tang Dynasty extended to the Ussuri River in the east and Constantinople in the west, the number of officials attending court meetings increased from 300 in the Taiji Hall to 1,200, and the crampedness of the old hall became a hidden pain.
"Everyone loves you."
The moment the words fell, the nine-fold red screen at the back of the hall made a slight sound.
The scarlet gauze curtain was lifted three inches by a palace maid with a jade hook, revealing Wu Meiniang sitting on a low couch behind the screen. She was wearing a phoenix robe and a gold-woven wide-sleeved shirt. The golden hairpins on her temples trembled slightly with her movements, but her appearance was less magnificent than the phoenix crown of an ordinary queen.
According to the rules, the Queen Mother had to place a gauze screen beside the throne when she held court, but the Taiji Hall was small, so in the past she could only place the screen behind the throne.
Now that the Hanyuan Hall was spacious, Li Zhi had allowed her to move to the side, but she personally moved the gauze curtain back to its original place during the first court meeting.
"Your Majesty is in poor health, so I will be carrying the memorial on your behalf."
Her voice was clear and sharp through the gauze curtains. "Today's court meeting will begin with the Ministry of Rites."
When the Minister of Rites stepped out, the sound of his tablet hitting the ground startled the sparrows on the eaves.
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince..." The old minister's voice trembled, "It has been over thirty-seven days since his death. We must now discuss the ceremony of posthumous honoring."
The hall suddenly became so quiet that one could hear the soft sound of incense ash falling into the Boshan furnace.
Li Zhi's fingertips gripped the edge of the imperial desk. Li Hong's handwriting remained between the pages. His strokes were childish but neat. Next to the line "The ruler is a boat; the people are water," he wrote in small characters: "My son should think of the people and live up to his father's teachings."
The eldest son, despite being praised for his "benevolence", became an eternal pain in Li Zhi's heart.
"Posthumously confer... Hong'er the title of Filial Piety to the Emperor."
Li Zhi's voice was tinged with the sweetness of his throat. "He was buried in Gongling Mausoleum according to the rites of the Son of Heaven. The mausoleum will be named 'Xiaojing'."
As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers below the stairs began to whisper.
Since the Han Dynasty, there has been no example of a crown prince being posthumously conferred the title of emperor before he ascended the throne, not to mention that Li Hong was still the crown prince when he died.
Shangguan Yi, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, looked up at the shadow behind the gauze curtain, but saw Wu Meiniang's fingertips gently stroking the "Shaoyang Zhengfan" on the table - that was the state governance book she personally compiled for the prince. At this moment, the gold-woven pattern on the cover was shining coldly in the morning light.
"Your Majesty is benevolent, and the Crown Prince's benevolence and virtue are worthy of the title. It is truly a blessing for the Tang Dynasty."
Wu Tianyan was the first to step out, the peacock patch on his court robe swaying as he moved. "However, the country cannot be without an heir for a single day. Your Majesty, your health is strong..."
He suddenly paused, stole a glance at Li Zhi's suddenly tense jaw as he sat on the throne, and said, "Your servants are honored to be in the imperial court, and we only hope that the country will be entrusted with our duties."
These words were like a stone thrown into the water, causing everyone in the hall to echo them.
"How could I not know?"
Li Zhi rubbed his swollen temples, his headache starting to throb again. "But how can we be careless in choosing a crown prince?"
His eyes swept across the ministers and fell on the ranks of the Li clan princes - Li Xian was upright and courageous, Li Xian was smart and lively, Li Dan was kind and humble, but in his eyes, no one of them could compare to Hong'er's gentleness and dignity.
Suddenly, the sound of turning pages was heard from behind the gauze curtain.
Wu Meiniang's fingertips ran across the annotation "Be close to virtuous ministers and stay away from villains" in "Shaoyang Zhengfan", and she looked up at her husband's pale face on the throne - since Xianheng, his rheumatism has become more serious, and sometimes he even needs her to write the imperial comments for him.
Last night, he leaned on the dragon bed, looked at the waning moon outside the window and sighed: "Mei Niang, if I am gone, this vast country..."
"Why did your Majesty say this?"
She tucked the quilt in for him, her fingertips feeling the pulse on his wrist, weak and rapid. "Although Hong'er is gone, there are still Xian'er and Xian'er..." Then he suddenly grabbed her hand, his palms wet with sweat. "I'm afraid... I'm afraid they can't bear it. Do you remember?"
"My brother said that a ruler must distinguish right from wrong, but now... even choosing a crown prince is so difficult for me."
The midday sun finally reached the ridge of the palace, illuminating the gilded coiled dragon on the dragon throne with dazzling light.
Li Zhi looked at the ministers arguing endlessly on the steps and felt his temples throbbing.
The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Personnel were arguing over the etiquette for posthumously conferring the title on the crown prince. The Minister of Punishment took the opportunity to report the rebellion of private coinage in Jiannan Road. However, what bothered him most was still the vacancy of the crown prince's position.
When Li Jingye, the grandson of Li Ji, mentioned that "Li Xian is virtuous and talented and can inherit the throne", the sound of a teacup knocking on the table suddenly came from behind the gauze curtain.
He turned his head and looked through the scarlet gauze curtain, and could see Wu Meiniang lowering her eyes and fiddling with the pearls on her armor.
Since Hong'er's death, she rarely cried in front of others, but she often sat facing the East Palace for half a day.
"I have taken everything you have said to heart." Li Zhi raised his hand to stop the ministers' arguments. "However, the question of the crown prince will be discussed with the Empress. Today's court meeting ends here—"
"Your Majesty, please wait."
A clear female voice came through the gauze curtain. Wu Meiniang raised her hand and waved lightly, and the palace maid immediately brought a roll of yellow silk.
She stood up and walked to the screen, the hem of her phoenix robe sweeping across the blue bricks, her skirt embroidered with phoenixes flowing across the ground like flowing clouds. "This is the 'Edict to Encourage Agriculture' drafted by the Crown Prince before his death. Although it hasn't been promulgated, every word of it concerns people's livelihood."
She unfolded the imperial edict, her fingertips pausing at the part about "reducing Luoyang palace labor and exempting Henan from rent and taxes." "This palace believes that while posthumous honors are a solemn ceremony, it would be better to carry out the Crown Prince's last wishes, so as to live up to his love for the people."
"Approved." He suddenly felt his eyes tingling. "Instruct the Ministry of Revenue to implement the imperial edict and ensure that the Crown Prince's legacy reaches the people."
"As for the Crown Prince..." He paused, looking towards the sky outside the palace, "Three days from now, the Empress and I will visit the Eastern Palace and personally offer sacrifices to the Crown Prince."
"We'll discuss it then..."
When the bells and drums for the end of court rang, the ministers left the Hanyuan Hall one after another.