Chapter 1361

The officials of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the numerous court ministers, arranged in two rows, shouted in unison: "As the sun and moon shine upon us... the Son of Heaven ascends the throne!"

In an instant, the ceremonial eunuchs accompanying the dragon carriage along the route reached into the flower baskets they carried and scattered gold foil into the air.

Under the illumination of the rising sun, the golden light filled the sky like a golden waterfall.

The hour of Si had arrived; it was time to offer sacrifices to Heaven and announce the event to the ancestors.

The Minister of Ceremonies raised the ancestral sacrificial document, wrapped in yellow silk, which he had received from the Director of the Imperial Observatory, and handed it to Liu Bian, who had stepped down from the dragon carriage.

He then led Liu Bian toward the stairs beneath the Nine Temples.

On both sides, the Three Excellencies, the Nine Ministers, and the civil and military officials all knelt down in unison.

With the enthronement ceremony reaching this stage, the next step should have been for Liu Bian to ascend the Nine Temples alone, then begin burning incense to announce the event to the ancestors.

But upon reaching the foot of the Nine Temples, Liu Bian did not immediately ascend the stairs; instead, he cast his gaze toward the sides.

"Minister Yang, please invite the Prince of Liang."

Liu Bian said slowly: "The Prince of Liang supported me as I emerged from the tiger's den and propped up the Great Xia when it was about to collapse; it is only right that he should support me as I ascend the Nine Temples."

The Minister of Ceremonies, Yang Qi, who was kneeling on the ground, was slightly stunned.

This...

This was somewhat contrary to ancestral tradition.

But since the new Emperor had already spoken, Yang Qi could not say anything more.

He immediately rose and said: "As you command."

As Yang Qi turned around, an imperial decree summoning the Prince of Liang, Duan Yu, was issued.

A moment later, Duan Yu, clad in Dragon-Scale Gilded Armor and holding the Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd, arrived at the foot of the Nine Temples.

At this moment, Duan Yu was no longer the Marquis of Ji of yesterday, but the Prince of Liang.

After three refusals and three requests, Duan Yu had accepted the title of Prince.

And he was named the Prince of Liang, using the single character for the Liang region of Liangzhou.

"Your Majesty."

Arriving at the foot of the Nine Temples, Duan Yu cupped his hands and bowed to Liu Bian.

In private, Liu Bian called Duan Yu 'Master'.

But on formal occasions, Duan Yu also had to respectfully address Liu Bian as 'Your Majesty'.

Liu Bian extended his arm toward Duan Yu and said: "Please, Prince of Liang, accompany me to the sacrificial altar to announce this to our ancestors."

Duan Yu straightened his back, a smile appearing on his face.

He knew this was a gesture of sincerity from his student.

But he could not accept this gesture just like that, because it was against ancestral tradition.

Yet he could not refuse directly either.

"Your Majesty, please go first. I shall hold my halberd behind Your Majesty, guarding you all the way as you ascend the sacrificial altar." Duan Yu raised his head and looked at Liu Bian.

At this moment, the civil and military officials below the stairs of the Nine Temples all nodded secretly at the scene that had just unfolded.

Holding the ancestral sacrificial document wrapped in yellow silk in one hand and resting the other on the Sword of Gao Zu, Liu Bian slowly ascended the stairs of the Nine Temples.

Behind him, Duan Yu followed closely, holding the Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd.

The Dragon-Scale Gilded Armor on his body reflected the golden light, and the patterns embroidered on his bright red cloak, resembling a map of ten thousand miles of blood-stained mountains and rivers, fluttered in the breeze.

After ascending the ninety-ninth step, Duan Yu stopped, turned around, and looked down from a high vantage point at the civil and military officials below the Nine Temples and the people of Changancheng in the distance, who looked like a black ocean.

Behind him, Liu Bian, holding the ancestral sacrificial document, arrived at the Mountain and River Cauldron in the center of the sacrificial altar.

A raging fire was burning inside the Mountain and River Cauldron.

Around him, a hundred shaman-priests danced the music of the Cloud Gate, circling Liu Bian as they performed.

When Liu Bian threw the sacrificial document in his hand into the bronze cauldron engraved with the map of mountains and rivers, the flames soared into the sky, and the blue smoke rose straight up.

Liu Bian, slowly lifting the hem of his dragon robe, knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the Mountain and River Cauldron.

"I, the successor Son of Heaven, Liu Bian, dare to use a dark bull to announce to Heaven and Earth: The mandate has fallen upon me, and I dare not decline this heavy responsibility!"

"Now that I have succeeded to the throne, I shall strengthen the mountains and rivers, comfort the state, stabilize the realm, promote the Han house, pacify the people, expand the territory, devote myself to state affairs, and emulate my ancestors. I hereby announce this to Heaven and my ancestors, seeking their protection!"

Above the stairs of the Nine Temples, Duan Yu raised the Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd, its tip pointing straight at the firmament.

In an instant, the crimson-robed officials below the stairs of the Nine Temples prostrated like a tidal wave, and three shouts of "Long live!" shook the heavens and the earth.

With this, the ceremony was complete.

At the second quarter of the hour of Wu, inside the Xuanming Hall.

Twelve shark-silk curtains hung between the golden nanmu dragon-coiled pillars.

The red-gold floor tiles made the hall shine as brilliantly as a galaxy.

Liu Bian sat on the dragon throne.

Below the hall, the civil and military officials and the hostages from over fifty Western Regions states, led by Duan Yu, offered their congratulations in the main hall.

The imperial desk in front of Liu Bian was filled with delicacies and fine food.

A eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial poured wine as clear as jade into the wine vessel in front of Liu Bian using exquisite wine sets brought from the Western Regions.

Liu Bian picked up the golden goblet engraved with nine dragons soaring through the clouds, and the hall below instantly became as quiet as a deep valley.

"Prince of Liang, please drink."

"Ministers, please drink!"

At the end of the hour of Wei, outside the main gate of the Weiyang Palace.

Countless commoners were crowded outside the palace gate.

In front of the palace gate, three thousand Imperial Guards in golden armor stood holding golden spears.

On the palace wall, the Seal-Holding Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial took out a yellow hemp imperial edict and stood on the wall, facing the crowd of commoners outside.

"His Majesty has ascended the throne, inheriting the mandate of Heaven and showing compassion for the common people. All those sentenced to death shall have their sentences reduced, and those in exile shall be allowed to return to their hometowns."

"His Majesty and the Prince of Liang, mindful of the suffering of the people, hereby grant a one-year tax exemption and a one-year corvée labor exemption to the people of Guanzhong."

"Upon the Son of Heaven's ascension, rewards are granted to all the people of Chang'an: three sheng of rice, one dou of wine, one jin of meat, one hundred coins, seeds for early spring planting, and clothing to keep warm this winter."

In an instant, the people of Changancheng outside the Weiyang Palace erupted in cheers like a mountain collapse and a tsunami.

The new Emperor has ascended the throne, granted a general amnesty, rewarded the people, and the whole world celebrates together!

At the third quarter of the hour of Shen, at the time of lighting the lamps.

While the people of Changancheng were celebrating the new Emperor's ascension, receiving the court's rewards, and celebrating in their homes, taverns, and streets.

Suddenly, lanterns resembling stars began to drift up from within the Weiyang Palace.

The people in Changancheng exclaimed and looked toward the Weiyang Palace.

Inside the Weiyang Palace, eunuchs lit lantern after lantern, then released them, and the lit lanterns drifted and floated toward the night sky.

And the officials who were at the night banquet in the Xuanming Hall clearly saw this scene as well.

The corners of Duan Yu's mouth lifted slightly.

These Kongming lanterns shouldn't be called Kongming lanterns anymore.

"Prince of Liang... what is this?"

Liu Bian, sitting on the dragon throne, asked curiously as he watched the Kongming lanterns flying outside.

Duan Yu smiled and said: "Your Majesty, these are bright lanterns I created when I was playing with my family in Liangzhou. The paper used to make these lanterns is painted with patterns of auspicious grain, mythical beasts, and dragons and phoenixes, signifying the auspiciousness of the new dynasty."

The hundreds of court officials below the hall all nodded secretly upon hearing this.

The new Emperor's era name had been decided: Jian'an.

It carried the meaning of building a new peace, and also the sentiment of remembering Cao Cao.

It also signaled that a new chapter was about to begin.

Watching the rising Kongming lanterns, Duan Yu's thoughts also drifted into the distance.

This was already almost the fourth year since he had transmigrated.

The longer the time, the stronger his sense of integration into this era became.

Sometimes Duan Yu even felt that perhaps the twenty years before his transmigration were the dream, and everything happening right now was the reality.

The enthronement ceremony was complete; this moment signified that a brand-new chapter was about to begin.

"Your Majesty, gentlemen... please drink!"