Chapter 328: The Grand Court Assembly

The main hall of the Zhangtai Palace was called the "Hall of All Under Heaven United," situated at the commanding height of Dragon Head Plateau. This hall was extraordinarily magnificent; the load-bearing pillars supporting the dome alone numbered one hundred and twenty, each so thick it took two men to encircle it.

Its interior was equally resplendent, with fragrant and precious magnolia wood used for the roof beams and rafters, adorned with gilt bronze door-knockers. The straight rails and horizontal balustrades were carved with elegant and refined patterns, the open door panels bore jade ornaments, and the floor laid with apricot wood was spotless...

Hei Fu, as the Chief of the Inner Gentlemen of the Palace Guard, had patrolled the great hall four or five times from last night to this morning. When empty, it felt immensely vast and vacant; only when the wind blew in did the rows of bronze bell-chimes along the sides of the hall occasionally emit a sound.

But now, three hundred music officials clad in crimson robes had taken their places. The first to be struck were the tinkling bell-chimes, followed by the drums, se, qin, and reed pipes sounding one by one, as a grand ensemble began its overture.

Anyone with knowledge would know at once: this was the music of the "Greater Odes," reserved exclusively for court assemblies and ancestral temple rites.

As the majestic odes resounded through the hall, they proclaimed the formal commencement of the Grand Court Assembly.

"Enter the hall!"

Guided by the ushers, the assembled officials gathered outside the hall filed in order into the Hall of All Under Heaven United.

Since Lü Buwei's death, no one had been granted the privilege of wearing swords and shoes at court. Everyone surrendered their swords twenty paces from the forbidden gate, and upon reaching the hall entrance, they removed their shoes one after another, entering in only their clean white foot-wraps. If anyone had suffered from foot odor, the scene would have been very awkward.

For today's Grand Court Assembly, the entire Gentlemen Guard was mobilized. From the General of the Gentlemen Meng Yi down to the ordinary guardsmen, everyone had to form up in the banner and honor-guard formations inside and outside the hall. Hei Fu was no exception; he had the honor of leading a group of Inner Gentlemen and Shield-Bearing Gentlemen — men with swallow-like jaws and tiger-like heads, stalwart and mighty — to stand guard within the hall.

However, Hei Fu's hands were empty. The Gentlemen within the hall carried no weapons; the armed warriors outside were over a hundred paces away and could not ascend the hall without the Emperor's command.

If an incident occurred, the Gentlemen Guard could only use their bodies to block a fatal blow for the Emperor, and wield their fists to seize the assassin.

Hei Fu thought to himself, "No wonder when Jing Ke attempted the assassination, the First Emperor still had to rely on Xia Wuju's medicine bag to save himself in the crisis..."

Furthermore, the different positions within the hall represented different ranks and degrees of closeness to the Emperor. The General of the Gentlemen Meng Yi stood directly below the "Imperial Steps" — that is, at the foot of the imperial dais — while Hei Fu and Wang Li were only at the two sides of the hall, level with the officials' seats. Wang Li was on the right, and he was on the left.

This position was not bad at all; it allowed a clear view of everything happening in the hall.

At that moment, as the odes finished, the usher shouted again: "Advance!"

The officials at the rear of the hall immediately stepped forward, passing through the corridor formed by the Shield-Bearing Gentlemen, and arrived at the Imperial Steps.

The military officers lined up in order of rank and office on the west side, facing east. Hei Fu saw that from front to back, there were: Full Marquis Wucheng Marquis Wang Jian, Internal-Customs Marquis Wuxin Marquis Feng Wuze, followed by Grand Patriarch of the Masses Meng Wu, as well as the Commandant of the Guard, the Superintendent of the Gentlemen, and others, all clad in crimson robes and wearing brown-feathered caps.

The civil officials, headed by the Chancellor, likewise lined up in order on the east side, facing west. Ranked first was the Right Chancellor Kui Zhuang, followed by the Left Chancellor Wang Wan, the Imperial Secretary Feng Quji, the Commandant of Justice Li Si, and also the Minister of the Imperial Clan, the Grand Coachman, the Chamberlain for Dependencies, the Privy Treasurer, and other chief ministers.

Ye Teng, the Governor of the Capital whom Hei Fu had not seen for a long time, also appeared in the ranks. However, Ye Teng, who held absolute sway in Nan Commandery, could only stand in the middle and rear of the hall. The old man held his white jade tablet and stared straight ahead, as if he did not see Hei Fu standing solemnly at the Imperial Steps.

Unlike in films and television dramas, where ministers can chat and joke before the Emperor arrives, at this moment, there was not a whisper of discussion in the hall.

Qin was, after all, a feudal state that had stood for centuries, not a nouveau riche risen from the common folk. Though its rites and music were not as elaborate as those of the eastern states, it had its own rules. Throughout the entire process, law-enforcing censors constantly patrolled the sides, their eyes fixed on every person. If they discovered anyone whose deportment did not conform to ritual propriety, they would immediately escort them out of the great hall!

Under the gaze of so many eyes, that kind of treatment was certainly unbearable. So even before the Emperor arrived, the ministers were anxious and fearful, none daring to be careless.

"Even if you need to piss urgently, you just have to hold it in." Hei Fu felt some sympathy for those old ministers who looked to be quite advanced in years. Inside the Hall of All Under Heaven United, there was no public lavatory.

Fortunately, the Emperor was a diligent man and did not have the habit of making his officials wait long. The first to emerge were nine protocol officers. They walked in synchronized steps, passing the call along in relay fashion through "successive announcements," proclaiming the Emperor's arrival.

The Emperor sat upright on a hand-carried palanquin, borne into the hall by eight sturdy inner attendants, and carried directly up to the Imperial Steps.

This was the first time Hei Fu had seen the First Emperor again since arriving in Xianyang. There was no magnificent entrance; instead, what greeted Hei Fu was a startling simplicity.

The First Emperor sought change and novelty in everything, even overhauling the ceremonial robes. He abolished the dragon-robe and crown ceremony that had been passed down for centuries, replacing it with the simple "Jun Xuan." This was an all-black, one-piece robe, in line with Qin's new system of revering the Water Virtue and the color black.

Yet beneath the simplicity, there was no carelessness whatsoever. On his back he bore the Tai'a Sword, over three chi in length. After dismounting the palanquin, he knelt and sat upon the imperial dais, and at his hand was none other than the Imperial Seal carved from the Heshi Jade...

With the Emperor's appearance, Hei Fu and the other Gentlemen and guards all raised the banners in their hands and shouted "Caution!", leading the ministers to offer their congratulations in shifts according to their noble ranks.

"May Your Majesty live ten thousand years!"

"May Your Majesty live ten thousand years!"

The assembled ministers kowtowed and prostrated themselves. Hei Fu also dropped to one knee.

As the shouts rose from his mouth, he stole a glance at the First Emperor on the imperial dais. Due to the angle, he could not see the Emperor's expression; he only saw the Heshi Jade on the imperial desk, round and lustrous as water, reflecting the candlelight, as dazzling as power itself...

"The Imperial Decree states: We have heard that in high antiquity there were titles but no posthumous names; in middle antiquity there were titles, and upon death, posthumous names were assigned based on conduct. In this way, a son judges his father, a subject judges his lord. This is utterly meaningless — We shall not adopt it!"

After the Emperor waved for the officials to rise from their prostration, the first matter of the Grand Court Assembly was for the usher, wearing a tall mountain-shaped cap, to read the imperial edict aloud to the officials.

"Henceforth, the system of posthumous names is abolished. We are the First Emperor. Later generations shall be numbered, Second Emperor, Third Emperor, down to the ten-thousandth generation, transmitted without end!"

The assembled officials all sang their praises. Only the Erudites and Confucian scholars Zhou Qingchen, Fu Sheng, and others, who were permitted to audit the assembly from the rear of the hall, had their faces stiffen one by one. What Confucian scholars excelled at was mastering classical allusions and debating posthumous names, and with the Emperor abolishing the posthumous-name system, it was as if a major official function of theirs had been stripped away.

But this was the Emperor's will, and the Erudites dared not openly oppose it. They could only swallow their objections, for today, there was an even more important matter to report to the Emperor for his decision.

"That is the matter that truly concerns a hundred generations." Zhou Qingchen thought to himself, while shaking his head at the other Erudites, signaling them to stay calm for the moment.

In addition to abolishing posthumous names, the Emperor also posthumously honored King Zhuangxiang as Grand Emperor. However, he did not posthumously honor the Grand Empress. The reason was known to all, and no one dared speak of it.

Furthermore, it was formally proclaimed that Qin was of the Water Virtue, the year-name was changed to "The Twenty-Sixth Year of the First Emperor," the tenth month remained the beginning of the year, and robes, banners, pennants, and festival flags all took black as the superior color...

Hei Fu knew that in recent days, many Yin-Yang experts from Yan and Qi, summoned by Wang Wan, had been frequently entering and leaving the palace to have audiences with the Emperor. They expounded at length on Zou Yan's theory of the cycle of the Five Virtues, concluding that Qin was of the Water Virtue.

They also said that every dynastic change was accompanied by an auspicious omen, and Qin's auspicious omen was the black dragon that was rumored to have appeared on Dragon Head Plateau several hundred years ago. This was also the reason the Emperor held the assembly at Zhangtai Palace rather than Xianyang Palace.

His Imperial Majesty was deeply superstitious about yin-yang numerology and arts.

The usher read on: "Numbers shall be based on six: tallies and official caps shall all be six cun; carriages shall be six chi wide; six chi shall constitute one pace; the imperial team shall be of six horses..."

Hei Fu nearly failed to suppress a laugh.

This was the Yin-Yang experts' and the Emperor's mystical worship and strenuous pursuit of the "six-six number." But hearing it read aloud by the usher now made Hei Fu unable to hold back his amusement...

"His Imperial Majesty is shouting 'six six six six six' to the whole world?"

Hei Fu managed not to laugh out loud, or else his story might have come to an abrupt end today.

When the proclamation of the edicts was completely finished, the officials who had been standing for a long time were finally able to sit. The Emperor was still very humane towards his subjects; not only did they each have their own seats, but inner attendants were also sent to present them with "ritual wine."

Unfortunately, the Gentlemen Guard had no seats. Fortunately, back in the army, Hei Fu had very much enjoyed leading his men in standing at attention, and standing for several hours was no issue at all...

The main event of the day was just beginning. The assembled officials, in order of their official rank, offered toasts to the Emperor one by one, which was what was called "offering longevity."

Wucheng Marquis Wang Jian was the first to step forward. He rose and went to the center of the hall, raised his wine to offer a longevity toast, and then prostrated himself, saying: "Your Majesty did not disdain your old minister as useless, entrusting me with six hundred thousand troops to attack Chu. Even when I delayed for half a year, you never urged me, but instead granted me countless fields and estates every month. Now you have further raised my noble rank to Full Marquis. Your old minister is truly ashamed."

"Now your old minister is aged and has retired to his home. The one thing I cannot set my mind at ease about is my only son, Wang Ben. He is far away in Qi, a thousand li distant. If one day your old minister falls gravely ill and is near death, he would not be able to rush back to see my final moments. I earnestly hope Your Majesty can order Wang Ben transferred back to Xianyang, to see me off in death..."

Across from Hei Fu, Wang Li's face remained unchanged, but his breathing quickened slightly. Even Hei Fu could understand: Wang Jian wanted his son to also relinquish his military command, in order to set the Emperor's mind at ease.

The First Emperor, however, did not permit it. He toasted Wang Jian in return, saying: "General, why speak of being old? The old General Wang may yet have to expand our borders further for me, let alone the young General Wang? Qi has just been annexed, and a great general is needed to garrison it."

He also pointed at Wang Li at the Imperial Steps and laughed, saying: "When the new young General Wang can garrison the borders for me, then let Wang Ben return!"

Wang Li felt immensely honored, but Wang Jian quietly sighed. After bowing in thanks, he returned to his seat.

Next came the Right Chancellor, Kui Zhuang. Even older than Wang Jian, the old minister moved slowly and rambled on, all words of praise and flattery. The Emperor listened patiently, then had an inner attendant help him back to his seat, and even instructed the Censor that, should the old Chancellor show any signs of senility, he was not to be given a hard time…

The moment Kui Zhuang sat down, Left Chancellor Wang Wan could wait no longer and rose eagerly. At last, it was his turn!

"Your Majesty has swept the realm clean, captured and destroyed the six kings, and united all under heaven — a feat unseen since the time of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors!"

Wang Wan hailed from Shandong. In his youth, he had spent time at the Jixia Academy and was on good terms with Confucians and Yin-Yang scholars. It was he who had advised the Emperor to recruit Shandong scholars as Erudites, marking the Qin dynasty's first large-scale attempt to bring Shandong talent into the court.

This move had yielded decent results. Although some scholars stubbornly refused to come, men like Zhou Qingchen, Fu Sheng, members of the Qidiao clan, the Yuezheng clan, and Shusun Tong all entered Qin service one after another.

They played to their strengths, cataloguing the rites of the six kingdoms, selecting the best among them, and combining them with the established rites of Yin, Zhou, and Qin itself. Only then was the magnificent ritual and music of today's grand court assembly achieved.

In addition, some Yin-Yang scholars also came to Xianyang. The Emperor was far more interested in them than in the Confucian scholars. Fixing the Water Virtue and numbering all things by six were all their contributions.

And Wang Wan's contributions as well.

With the Right Chancellor old, frail, and unfit for affairs, Wang Wan believed that he, the Left Chancellor, would stand supreme in this new dynasty's founding, on this day when all rites were renewed!

And so, somewhat giddy from the Erudites' flattery, Wang Wan, after offering a toast extolling the Emperor's achievements, boldly ventured a proposal.

"Yet the realm is vast, the feudal lords have only just been crushed, and the people's hearts are not yet settled. In particular, places like Yan, Qi, and Jing are remote and distant; establishing commanderies and counties there may prove inconvenient. In ancient times, when King Wu of Zhou destroyed Zhou, he enfeoffed his sons to open up land and establish fiefs, securing the fields and boundaries. Thus the frontiers were pacified, and the barbarians came to court. Your Majesty has many sons — why not establish them as feudal lords to garrison the territories of Yan, Qi, and Jing? Your servant risks death to offer this counsel, and only hopes Your Majesty will graciously approve!"

Within the vast hall, silence reigned. Some looked toward Wang Wan, while those who had gotten word in advance turned their eyes to Qin Shi Huang.

The Emperor, however, showed no particular reaction, not even a hint of inclination on his face. He merely said coolly, "What do you, my ministers, think?"

As if by prior agreement, one minister after another stepped out from the civil officials' ranks and said, "Qin law decrees that members of the imperial clan without military merit cannot be entered into the clan register; this applies to all princes and royal grandsons. Now that Your Majesty has ascended to the imperial throne, every commoner within the passes has been granted one rank of nobility, yet your dozen-odd sons have received no enfeoffment. It would be better to follow the Left Chancellor's advice and enfeoff them. This would both honor the princes' status and garrison the frontiers. Would that not be splendid?"

The Erudites at the rear of the hall had been waiting for this very moment. They too began citing classics and expounding on how "King Wen and King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed their kin, allowing Zhou to endure for eight hundred years." Qin, having succeeded the traditions of Yin and Zhou, should likewise continue this practice…

Even among the military officials' ranks, aside from Wang Jian, who sat still with his eyes closed and said nothing, the generals who had been made High Ministers for their achievements also voiced their support one after another.

For a moment, the courtiers in the hall were mostly in agreement, all saying that enfeoffing sons and younger brothers was expedient.

Only Heifu lowered his head, sensing a hint of trouble for Wang Wan!

Sure enough, amid the chorus of approval, the long-waiting Commandant of Justice, Li Si, rose abruptly and strode to the center of the hall.

Holding his white jade tablet, he bowed deeply to the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, your servant believes that the Left Chancellor and the ministers' arguments for enfeoffment are all pedantic nonsense!"

At these words, the hall, which moments before had been buzzing with heated discussion, suddenly went cold.

Wang Wan had not expected that Li Si, who had voiced no objection when they sounded each other out beforehand, would now stand against him. Caught off guard, he felt a surge of anger.

The ministers' eyes widened. The Erudites cast hostile glares at Li Si, while some who had just voiced their agreement promptly shut their mouths and began retreating to their seats, ready to observe the situation further.

"Here it comes!"

Only Heifu clenched his fists. He had long anticipated this, but he had not expected that this struggle between commanderies and enfeoffment, this battle over state policy, would become so tense and drawn at the very first grand court assembly!

……

PS: When Qin, having been a warring state, assumed the Son of Heaven's position, it reduced ritual learning. The garments for suburban sacrifices were all of uniform black. — Book of Later Han, "Treatise on Carriages and Robes, Part II"

(End of Chapter)