Now the Qingyang Palace suddenly became very busy. After days of preparations, the ceremony for the appointment of the second crown prince of the Jin Dynasty was ready. In fact, while Prince Sheng himself was still on the way, Huo Zheng had already begun to hint at the court. The ministers began to prepare for the ceremony of instituting the new crown prince, but the edict has not been officially promulgated, and no one knows who the real master is? It wasn't until Gongzi Sheng rushed back to Beijing from the fiefdom and took over the East Palace that everyone in the government and the public understood who would become the next heir to the empire.
The winter is warm and sunny, cloudless, and the sky is blue and pure. The heavy snowfall for many days has long since stopped, and the inside and outside of the palace are still covered in silver.
At this time, in the East Palace, Mu Sheng put on the prince's crown robe and walked out of the East Palace slowly under the service of the palace servants. The prince's cavalry had already been parked outside the palace. The prince's ceremonial guard stood solemnly on both sides of the cavalry. There were guards holding gorgeous round fans, Hundreds of golden melons, umbrellas, and prince guards with bright armors guarded both sides.
There is definitely a gap between the standards of the prince's ceremonial guard and that of the emperor's ceremonial guard. However, the prince's ceremonial guard is much grander than the general ceremonial guard of princes and generals. It is just under the emperor's ceremonial guard and belongs to the ceremonial guard of kings. Therefore, Most princes claim to be lonely or widowed.
His Royal Highness Mu Sheng, the second crown prince of the empire, took the eight-character step and sat on the chariot. The prince's chariot was carried by eight people, and the emperor's ceremonial chariot was carried by at least 16 people and at most 28 people. Different statuses could not be used. Transgression.
The prince's ceremonial guard was vast, passing through many palaces all the way to the Great Hall of the Four Seas. Mu Sheng himself sat on the chariot, swaying, thinking of what he had experienced in these years, he sighed in his heart, things have changed and people have changed, he has never He didn't have any thoughts about fighting for the position of prince. Even if he did, he wouldn't dare to think about it. He knew very well that his chances were slim, but now he really never thought that he would become the real prince one day? It’s so unpredictable!
The prince's guard of honor passed by the huge golden statue in the square and finally arrived at the Four Seas Guiyi Hall. Mu Sheng got off the chariot and slowly entered the hall. Now the hall was full of civil and military officials, big and small. In the hall, the bells and drums were beating together, and the melodious music Ancient music shows that the entire ceremony of establishing the crown prince is quite solemn and solemn.
When Mu Sheng entered the main hall, the civil and military officials from all over the court bowed slightly forward, saluted the prince and said, "I pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Thousand Years Old Prince."
Mu Sheng naturally wanted to return the courtesy to the ministers. After the ceremony, he walked forward to the emperor's throne in the center of the hall. Next, he had to kowtow to the empty throne to thank Heaven. The crown prince was originally appointed, but the emperor was For those who want to be present, the emperor is now seriously ill and unable to govern, so he can only complete the ceremony in front of the empty throne.
Standing on the left and right sides of the emperor's throne are Prime Minister Huo Zheng on the left, Prime Minister Wang Yi on the right, and Chang, the emperor's personal attendant. Yang Jin, the chamberlain's general manager, is temporarily acting as his deputy. He is holding a wooden plate in his hand, and in the plate is the prince's seal. Once the ceremony is completed, he will hand it over in person. To His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
At this time, the left prime minister Huo Zheng, as the head of the auxiliary ministers, carefully opened the gold cabinet, took out the emperor's imperial edict on appointing the crown prince, and handed it to the eunuch for reading. It was exactly the same as the edict that day, but today's reading was a formal occasion... …
"In response to Tian's favorable timing, I received your order and the edict reads: Now the emperor's fourteenth son, Mu Chen, is the first heir of the clan and is destined by God. I hereby strictly abide by the initial edict... I sincerely inform heaven and earth, the ancestral temple, and the country to confer a book of treasures and establish him as emperor. The Crown Prince, who is currently enthroned in the East Palace, has maintained his authority for tens of thousands of years, and has the heart to spread all over the world. I have been suffering from a long-term illness, and I think that all the plans in one day cannot be left alone for a long time. I hereby order the Crown Prince to ascend to the palace with a seal, be in charge of the common government, and oversee the army. In the country, all matters reported by the hundreds of ministers will be decided by the crown prince, and the official announcement will be made at home and abroad.
After the emperor's edict was read out, the saluting officer led the crowd to come out. He came to the prince's side and sang loudly: "Crown Prince Mu Sheng receives the seal."
Upon hearing this, Yang Jin stepped forward and respectfully presented the prince's seal on the tray to Mu Sheng. Mu Sheng took the jade album and seal respectfully.
The worshipers among the saluting officers continued to sing: "Bless you."
Mu Sheng knelt down and knelt before the empty throne and said: "The Jin Dynasty has been prosperous for ten thousand years. My son Mu Sheng kowtows to thank Heaven for his kindness. Long live my emperor, long live, long live."
The worshipers among the saluting officers sang loudly: "We are worshiping."
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince bowed three times and kowtowed three times.
The audience among the praising officials sang loudly: "The ceremony is completed, and all the ministers are paying homage."
Yang Jin stepped forward to help His Royal Highness, guide him to stand next to the emperor's throne, turned to face the courtiers, and accepted the courtesy of all the ministers.
The ministers under the throne and the prime ministers on the left and right bowed ninety degrees and paid homage to the emperor's throne: "The great Jin Dynasty will last ten thousand years. I see your majesty. Long live my emperor, long live, long live."
After the ceremony, all the ministers turned to pay homage to Mu Sheng and said, "See you, Your Highness the Crown Prince, a thousand years old."
In the absence of the emperor, no one dared to say that the beloved minister was alive. All he could do was to sing the praises of the saluting officials: "The ceremony is over..."
After hearing this, all the ministers stood up straight and returned to their seats.
The Prime Minister on the left, Huo Zheng, came to His Majesty the former Emperor and said: "Your Majesty has decreed that the Crown Prince be established, the country will be in peace, and the world will be amnesty. The envoys of Xian will hear about it."
All the ministers bowed slightly and said in unison: "The Jin Dynasty has lasted for ten thousand years, and my emperor has been benevolent."
The audience among the saluting officials sang loudly: "I respectfully send His Royal Highness to the East Palace..."
Mu Sheng followed suit, holding the crown prince's ribbon and seal, and slowly exited the hall.
All the ministers in the palace bowed slightly again and said in unison: "Bear your highness to the crown prince."
The prince bowed slightly in return and slowly exited the hall.
After completing this series of procedures, the ceremony of establishing the crown prince was completed, and Mu Sheng was the official successor of the empire from today on.
Today's ceremony to establish the crown prince and the edict were also announced, which is equivalent to publicly admitting that the emperor is now in poor health and cannot even participate in the ceremony to establish the crown prince. The ministers in the hall also have their own thoughts. They understand that the new crown prince who just left the hall may not be able to wait. How long will it take to inherit the throne soon? It is not as tragic as the former crown prince Bai, who survived for more than ten years and was finally defeated and died...
The prince's honor guard returned to the East Palace. Mu Sheng touched the prince's seal and jade album in the tray. As if in a dream, he picked up the small prince's seal and played with it in his palm. He sighed in his heart, what he saw in front of him was... real? It’s really unbelievable that he managed to become the crown prince out of nowhere?
Even at this time, the ceremony of appointing the crown prince had not officially ended. After dinner in the afternoon, the regular officials were ordered to come and ask Mu Sheng to get in the prince's car and drive to the ancestral temple to worship the ancestors of the Jin Dynasty. Mu Sheng came out of the East Palace. , sighed in his heart and got into the car.
As the carriage rocked, he couldn't help but think of the time when he first came to this world many years ago. At that time, he attended the palace moving ceremony of his father. How high-spirited the former prince was at that time? Nowadays, things have changed and people have changed, and he can't help but sigh in his heart.
This incident reminded him that even if he now sits on the throne of the prince, it is not safe. Only when he truly reaches the highest position can he be considered safe. He kept reminding himself in his heart that he should still be low-key, low-key, and low-key. .
The prince's ceremonial guard arrived at the ancestral temple. There were already many officials waiting here, and the royal family members in the ancestral temple were also present. The current ceremonial guard standards were those for the emperor's trip. Originally, the prince accompanied the emperor to worship at the ancestral temple. Now " "The emperor is seriously ill." His Royal Highness can only temporarily perform the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven on behalf of the emperor.
All the clan members of the royal family saw His Royal Highness the new crown prince entering the ancestral temple in full imperial robes. Then Wu Xinjun, the clan representative, took the lead and came forward to greet him and said, "See His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
He was none other than the sixth uncle Wu Xinjun, Gong Ziqing, who had won a bet on his chariot at the Ali Mutai Conference. Now, as the younger brother of the emperor's mother and the only clan member serving in the imperial court, he came to see the new crown prince.
Wu Xinjun is not very powerful, and cannot be compared with Prime Minister Huo and other important officials of the court. He only works as a part-time job in Zongzheng Mansion, specializing in managing the children of the royal family, so his prestige among the Mu clan is still quite high.
Mu Sheng's mind changed. Although he was the prince now, his time as prince was too short and he was alone. Wu Xinjun was his uncle, so he should show his kindness to him more. Although the dynasties had tried to prevent royal clan clan. The clan covets the throne, and the clan has almost no actual power, and their influence in the court is almost negligible. They are basically a bunch of freeloaders, but some support is better than nothing.
Mu Sheng thought of this and went up to salute: "Uncle Six, long time no see. How are you?"
Lord Wu Xin nodded slightly and said, "It's okay, it's okay. I'm a martial arts practitioner. I also followed His Majesty in the wars in the north and south. I'm very strong."
Mu Sheng said: "Sixth Uncle, I believe this. Your old Lord Wu Xin's title as king is real. It's not like my father's favor, which was in name only. In my heart, I still respect you very much, Sixth Uncle." "
After hearing this, Mr. Wu Xin felt warm in his heart and waved his hands repeatedly: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, you are so complimentary. This little contribution of mine is not worth mentioning. Your Highness, I have always been responsible for the management of the ancestral temple. Now that the time has come, I will take your Highness to pay homage to Lieutenant General." Ancestors, right?"
When Mu Sheng heard this, he nodded and said, "Then I'll help my sixth uncle."
Wu Xinjun accompanied the prince for a while but hesitated to speak.
Seeing this, Mu Sheng asked, "Uncle Liu, do you have anything to hide?"
Lord Wu Xin said: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is aware that I heard that Your Majesty is seriously ill and I am a little worried. Your Majesty, you know that Your Majesty and I are from the same mother. We have had a deep relationship since childhood, so I ask this question."
After hearing this, Mu Sheng lamented: "Sixth Uncle, I understand your mood. In fact, I just rushed back to Beijing from the fiefdom. To be honest, I have never seen my father until now. I heard that my father He has been living in Changle Palace and is under the personal care of the imperial master. I heard from Huo Xiangguo that my father's physical condition is indeed not good, and I am not very clear about the rest. No one is allowed to visit the inner palace without Huo Xiangguo's order."
When Wu Xinjun heard this, he sighed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for informing me."
Then the group passed through many palace gates and saw the huge tablets on the altar table in the ancestral temple, indicating the ancestors of the Jin Dynasty since the founding of the country. The tablets were so densely packed that it was impossible to see the end at a glance.
The Jin Kingdom was established during the reign of King Yu Weilie of the Dayu Dynasty, and it has been passed down for more than 800 years. The memorial tablets of the ancestors of the past dynasties are filled with ancestral temples.
The first person to be worshiped is the original ancestor, the leader of the Jiang clan, Zhuang Zong. He was once a general under King Wu, the founder of the Yu Dynasty. He was later named a doctor for his outstanding military exploits. He was also the earliest ancestor of the Jin Kingdom in this different world in recorded history. , almost one of the founding fathers of the previous Dayu Dynasty, Mu Sheng knelt down in front of the memorial tablet of Zhuang Zong, offered incense and bowed respectfully, bowed three times to the memorial tablet of his ancestors, and offered sacrifices.
After worshiping the original ancestor, Gongzi Qing and a group of permanent officials led His Royal Highness to solemnly worship the founding king Jiang Boyong. He was the direct ancestor of the Jin royal family and the most important ancestor who established the country's inheritance. The ceremony The level of grandness is no less than offering sacrifices to the original ancestor Zhuang Zong.
Mu Sheng knelt down in front of the memorial tablet of Jiang Boyong, the founder of the country, offered incense and bowed respectfully. He bowed three times to the tablet of his ancestors and offered sacrifices. The ceremony was the most solemn.
When worshiping the tablet of his ancestor Liang Boyong, he remembered the life story of this legendary ancestor and the origin of the Jin State. It was Liang Gong Jiang Boyong who was the founding ancestor who laid the foundation of the present Jin State.
More than 800 years ago, a descendant of the Jiang family's Zhuang clan passed down to Jiang Ji's generation. Hereditary commoner Chang Jishi, the second doctor, was the lowest official in the Yu Dynasty. Jiang Ji was originally a hereditary official at the bottom of the Yu Dynasty. , was talented in both civil and military affairs when he was young.
During the reign of King Yu Zhaowei, Jiang Ji, the founding ancestor of the country, assisted the emperor to expand the territory and conquered the barbarians. He expanded the land thousands of miles away and was awarded the title of count for his great contribution. The emperor was canonized in Liang. The country was named Liang, and Jiang Ji received the title. His name was Liang Bo, and the country could only be encircled by a small area of a hundred miles.
After Liang Bo, the Liang Kingdom passed down to China for nearly 273 years, and the country gradually became stronger. Several generations of Liang Kingdom kings worked hard to expand their territory, and their strength was incomparable. Finally, the Liang Kingdom was transformed from poverty to middle peasants, and became a landlord. Among the princes, Zhongshou had a little say in the matter until the eighth generation king Liang Mugong came to power, and the Liang Kingdom entered its heyday. The Mugong era was also the golden age of the Liang Kingdom.
After paying homage to the ancestors of the past dynasties in turn, the next person to be solemnly worshiped is the tablet of Mu Zigao, the 14th generation monarch of the Liang Kingdom. He is the most direct blood ancestor of the Jin Dynasty royal family. If he had not originally planned The imperial court usurped the throne and took away the throne of Duke Ai of Liang. How could the Mu family be in the current situation if they were born as a bastard of the Duke of Liang? The Jin State also developed from the Liang State.
Mu Sheng raised his head and glanced at Mu Zigao's tablet, and secretly sighed in his heart about the life and deeds of this late king.
The 13th generation monarch of the Liang Kingdom, Liang Aigong Jiang Wu, died in a palace coup. The throne of the Liang Kingdom was usurped by the powerful minister Mu Zigao.
Mu Zigao, a powerful official of the Liang Kingdom, was originally named Jiang. His great-great-grandfather, Jiang Pang, was the eighth generation king of the Liang Kingdom. He was the son of Mu Gong Jiang Yan. Because his great-grandfather admired Mu Gong’s civil and martial arts, he took the posthumous name of Liang Mu Gong as his surname. From then on, The Mu family is actually a descendant of Liang Guogong, but his ancestor was a commoner and was not qualified to inherit the throne. He could only serve as a hereditary minor official in the court.
Until Mu Zigao, the great-great-grandson of Jiang Pang, usurped the throne as a high official of Liang Guoqing and was known as Liang Huigong in history. Because there was a vendetta within Liang Guo's palace to fight for the throne, the descendants of Liang Guo were regarded as usurping the throne of the direct line.
Hui Gong Mu Zigao was originally a descendant of Mu Gong's line. After Zigao usurped the throne, he did not arouse fierce opposition from the Liang ministers. Basically, Mu Zigao killed all the ministers who strongly opposed it. At that time, he was catching up with the Yu Dynasty. During the period of decline, the emperor had too much time to care for himself and was unable to interfere in Liang's domestic affairs. With the support of the Song Dynasty, the overlord of the Central Plains, Mu Zigao had no scruples in killing all his direct bloodline and took advantage of the situation to secure the throne of Liang.
After Liang Huigong reigned for seven years, he moved the capital to Bocheng and changed the country's name to Jin. After Mu Zigao's death, his posthumous title was changed to Jin Huigong. Although the country's name was changed and the capital was moved to Bocheng, the name of Jin Huigong in the history books is not the same. Records still mostly use Liang Huigong as his title.
After the complete decline of the Yu Dynasty, in this era of broken rites and music, the king was not a king, and the ministers were not ministers. When the various princes attacked each other, the family was actually not peaceful. It was difficult to guard against domestic thieves. In this era, everywhere The princes either usurped the throne because of relatives of the same family, or powerful ministers with foreign surnames. Liang Huigong Mu Zigao was one of the representatives of relatives of the family usurping the throne. At least the blood of the Jin Dynasty was still in the Jiang family, so it was reasonable to do so reluctantly.
With the rise of the Jin State, the Duke of Jin was renamed the Queen of Jin. Historical books sometimes record that the previous kings of the Jin State were the kings of Liang. This is also a trace of the origin of the Jin State in the past.
At this moment, the Crown Prince Mu Sheng of the Jin Dynasty, under the patient guidance of his uncle Wu Xinjun and Gong Ziqing, paid homage to all the famous ancestors in history. After completing the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the ancestral temple, he got on the carriage and went to the outskirts of Qingyang City. The emperor presided over the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven.
