Chapter 176: Being Emperor Isn't Easy

Succeeding to the throne before the coffin went off without a hitch—almost too smoothly. Yet Liu Chengyou felt no dreamlike bewilderment or weak-kneed trepidation; on the contrary, he was calm, as if it were only natural.

Liu Zhiyuan may not have been an outstanding emperor, but he was certainly a loving father. Compared to the "orphan" treatment in the original history, in this life Liu Zhiyuan had already paved the road for Liu Chengyou smoothly enough. Add to that his own thorough preparation, and he had ample confidence and conviction to hold the realm in his grasp. Otherwise, setting everything else aside, he would have been unworthy of the praise Liu Zhiyuan had given him in his testamentary edict.

Without any pretense, under the homage of the civil and military officials, the "composed" Liu Chengyou accepted it with equanimity. Ceremonial refusal was a matter for later. The mourning hall was not a place for prolonged disturbance, so in the eastern corridor of Wansui Hall, Liu Chengyou once again received the officials' obeisance, emphasized the relationship between sovereign and subjects, and spoke some conventional words of mutual encouragement.

Thereafter, the imperial city was unsealed, and the officials returned to their respective duties. For over two months now, the courtiers had grown accustomed to a situation without an emperor managing affairs, but even so, some confusion was still unavoidable this time.

After all, a new emperor brings new ministers—the impact of a new sovereign's accession was always greatest on these old officials, and it was truly hard not to feel anxious. As for governance, although Liu Chengyou had supervised the state as Crown Prince and done a decent job, a crown prince was, in the end, only a crown prince—the gap was still considerable. Where the Great Han's fortunes would now head, and with what outcome, remained unknown.

Regardless of what thoughts ran through the upper and lower ranks, the news that imperial power had been smoothly transmitted and Liu Chengyou had succeeded to the throne was soon proclaimed throughout the realm in the form of an imperial edict. At the same time, mourning was observed both within and without.

After moving to Chuigong Hall, Liu Chengyou's first act was to summon the generals of the Eastern Capital's imperial army before him—no matter the time, the military was always the most important.

In the hall were Shi Hongzhao, Liu Xin, the maternal uncles of the Lady Li clan, Shang Hongqian, Zhou Hui, and other senior generals of the Imperial Guard Command. Amidst them, Liu Chengyou did indeed appear somewhat "weak" on the surface. However, upon closer inspection, one could clearly discern that even these veteran generals and meritorious officials harbored no contempt for this young Son of Heaven who had succeeded less than half an hour ago. Of course, to claim they felt much awe would be nonsense.

The greatest difference between Liu Chengyou and his predecessor was that he already had a foundation and influence in the military—and not an insignificant one.

Sweeping his gaze across the hall, Liu Chengyou was already quite familiar with these veteran generals—he couldn't help but be. How to replace them, who to replace first, and with whom—he had long since entertained some ideas in his mind.

Seeing these men from a changed identity, Liu Chengyou felt a different sentiment within. He let out a slight breath, had the generals sit, and said with great amiability: "All of you present are founding heroes who followed the late emperor, blazing trails through thorns and brambles to establish the Great Han. You are all my uncles and elders."

"We dare not!" Since Liu Chengyou had lowered his posture so much, even these military men, however low their emotional intelligence, knew how to respond.

Still, this flattery from Liu Chengyou pleased them considerably. Everyone knew Liu Chengyou was stern, rigid, and earnest—now that he had become emperor, he had clearly grown. His attitude toward them alone was enough to set their minds at ease.

Among the generals, there were quite a few imperial relatives. After Liu Chengyou's speech, the atmosphere quickly relaxed. Were it not for the period of national mourning, smiles might even have been visible.

"The Great Han was just established, through many twists and turns. The barbarians harass our borders, and fierce bandits lurk in wait. The late emperor's passing is truly a cracking of the earth and a splitting of the sky. I am young and weak, and others think lightly of me. I fear only that petty villains will make trouble and rebels will plot chaos. The Shu army in Guanzhong has not yet been repelled, and with this national mourning upon us, at this time the realm cannot afford further disorder. From here on, the Great Han's fortunes require the joint support of all you uncles and elders. Chengyou here first offers his thanks with a bow!" Having said this, Liu Chengyou rose and gave a solemn bow.

Seeing this, the assembled men dared not be remiss and quickly rose to return the bow.

Liu Xin even said to Liu Chengyou in a carefree manner: "Second Lad, no need for such courtesy. The late emperor already instructed us to protect the young sovereign and defend the realm. Rest assured, with your uncle here, I'll make sure you sit securely on the throne!"

At these words, the corner of his eye twitched, yet Liu Chengyou actually smiled at Liu Xin: "With my uncle and all of you here, I am reassured!"

This was perhaps the first time the generals and commanders present had ever seen Liu Chengyou smile.

"By the late emperor's testamentary edict, military and state affairs continue as before. At this time, we must ensure the stability of the court and the Eastern Capital, and the foremost priority is guaranteeing the steadiness of the imperial army. The hundred-thousand-strong imperial army of the Eastern Capital is under the command of you uncles and elders. During this period, I ask that you all bear some extra hardship—lead your officers, calm the soldiers, and settle the morale of the troops, ensuring no disorder arises!" Liu Chengyou continued in a courteous tone.

"Yes!"

Wearing a benevolent face, he soothed these senior commanders with kind words. Only after they had withdrawn did Liu Chengyou let out a slight sigh of relief. One could not simply trust these men just because many were relatives and their attitudes were good.

Liu Chengyou could clearly sense that Liu Xin, for instance, was already getting a bit carried away. His earlier speech had been full of modest refusals, but after all, Liu Chengyou was the emperor—and Liu Xin had dared to address him as "Second Lad." Was he emphasizing that he was his uncle? Perhaps Liu Xin lacked the depth or intent for that, but his conduct had already overstepped the bounds—and this within half an hour of Liu Chengyou's accession.

Still, even so, Liu Chengyou had no intention of making any major moves. At a time of transition between old and new, stability trumped everything. Better to change nothing at all than to act rashly and invite unnecessary calamity. Liu Chengyou's foundation was "deep," but it only sufficed to let him succeed smoothly.

Apart from the previously appointed "Three Commissioners" to ensure the safety and calm of the imperial city, Liu Chengyou had no intention of changing anything in military or state affairs—he didn't want to make even the slightest move. He didn't even intend to budge Yang Bin or Shi Hongzhao from their positions.

In a word: there would be plenty of days ahead.

Accompanied by Li Chongju, Liu Chengyou personally inspected each gate of the imperial city, impressing upon the palace guard soldiers the new Son of Heaven they were protecting. Without resting, he then proceeded back to Wansui Hall...

He hadn't accomplished much, but he had worried too much. Only at dusk did Liu Chengyou finally rest for a while in Chuigong Hall. If he kept burning the candle at both ends, he feared his body would give out.

When he woke, the first thing to meet his eyes was the beautiful face of the elder Lady Fu, leaning by the side of the couch, gazing at Liu Chengyou.

"Your Majesty, you're awake." Seeing Liu Chengyou open his eyes, the elder Lady Fu perked up, reached out to help him sit up, and naturally changed her form of address.

"You've come." Liu Chengyou responded, glancing at the robe draped over him and his shoes, which had been removed at some point, and asked: "What time is it?"

"It's already the third ke of the Xu hour!" said the elder Lady Fu.

Rubbing his eyes and looking outside, sure enough, the sky had darkened. Liu Chengyou immediately summoned a waiting palace eunuch and rebuked him directly: "Did I not tell you to wake me at the You hour?"

Seeing Liu Chengyou angry, the man was immediately frightened. It was the elder Lady Fu who stepped forward, stroking Liu Chengyou's chest, and said softly: "It was I who instructed him to let Your Majesty sleep a while longer. You have not slept for a long time—you must not exhaust your body!"

The elder Lady Fu's hand seemed to possess a kind of magic. Feeling the gentle motion on his chest, Liu Chengyou's anger subsided. He knew Lady Fu meant well for him, though that palace eunuch had nonetheless landed directly on Liu Chengyou's blacklist.

The elder Lady Fu had prepared some congee for Liu Chengyou, paying careful attention to detail—it was not too thin.

Just as he was filling his stomach, Chief Minister Li Tao requested an audience. The moment he saw Liu Chengyou, he spoke of the matter as grave: "Your Majesty, if this is not stopped, the Eastern Capital will descend into chaos!"

Liu Chengyou was bewildered by his words, his heart instantly alert, and he immediately asked: "What has happened?"

"An official has reported that since the late emperor's passing and the court's edict of mourning, the common folk of the city have shown little reaction. Chief Commander Liu has sent troops into the wards, going door to door, forcing the people to wear mourning garments and wail in lamentation for the great departed emperor. Any who refuse are beaten, berated, and subjected to punishment..."

Liu Chengyou didn't need Li Tao's detailed description to imagine what a scene that must be. He cursed inwardly and asked: "When did this happen?"

"It has been half an hour already!" Li Tao replied.

"The late emperor issued a clear decree that funeral and burial matters must not disturb the people!" Liu Chengyou stood up and directly commanded: "Transmit my edict: order them to withdraw their troops back to camp. Not a single soldier of the Eastern Capital's imperial army may privately enter a civilian dwelling. Violators will be dealt with by military law!"

"Yes!" Having received Liu Chengyou's order, Li Tao immediately took his leave and hurried off to transmit the command.

After he withdrew, Liu Chengyou took a deep breath, slammed the imperial desk heavily, and growled in a suppressed voice: "Sending troops to force the people to wail—how did he even come up with that!"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" Seeing Liu Chengyou's expression turn wrong, the elder Lady Fu immediately drew close and gently advised: "My uncle may have acted out of love for his brother, in a moment of impulse. As long as the harm is stopped in time to prevent the disorder from spreading, it is not too late..."

"This emperor business is hard to do!" At the advice, Liu Chengyou muttered a small complaint.

But the elder Lady Fu said: "I believe Your Majesty will surely overcome all difficulties."

"Let's hope so!"

Recovering his spirits somewhat, Liu Chengyou went to Lady Li's quarters, intending to pay his respects.

His thoughts were somewhat heavy. Though Liu Xin was currently Deputy Chief Commander of the Imperial Guard's cavalry and infantry, through subtle suppression he had in fact usurped the leading role, overpowering Shi Hongzhao. But as things now stood, if Liu Xin truly became the commander of the imperial army, he would be no better than Shi Hongzhao—perhaps even worse, using his status as "imperial uncle" to act with even greater recklessness.

This gave him not a moment of transition to react—it was truly vexing.

Liu Zhiyuan had passed away on the night of the twenty-seventh. On the twenty-ninth, the officials submitted memorials requesting Liu Chengyou to take charge of governance. Then followed the necessary ritual of performance: the edict declined, and only after four refusals did he consent.

When Liu Zhiyuan had first ascended the throne in Taiyuan, the ceremony had been exceedingly crude—like a makeshift stage troupe putting on a play.

Now that they had entered the Central Plains, though barely a year had passed, Liu Chengyou's accession could not be too slipshod. Even if done hastily and simply, the proper rites still needed to be performed.

On the first day of the second month, a xinsi day, Liu Chengyou ascended the throne at Chongyuan Hall.