Chapter 228

Chapter 228

Can a strategist not ascend the throne? Volume 7: Eight Hundred Qin Rivers, Occupying Guanzhong Chapter 228: Liu Yu’s Ascension

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Can a strategist not ascend the throne?

Chapter 228: Liu Yu’s Ascension

While others’ activities at nineteen are not worth mentioning, Qiao Yan’s nineteenth year has already seen her reach the pinnacle of officialdom.

When the courtiers gathered outside the Gui Palace, few could match her status as both a marquis and a position not inferior to the four generals, thus deserving the gold seal and purple ribbon, whether considered by rank or office.

Although, according to etiquette, Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song, who had promoted her, and nominally held higher positions, should stand before her, when Qiao Yan arrived outside the Gui Palace accompanied by Cheng Yu and Lu Yuan, everyone inevitably focused their gaze on her first.

The auspicious robes worn by the officials for Liu Yu’s ascension ceremony were indeed hastily made.

However, after Qiao Yan mobilized the textile craftsmen from Bingzhou into Guanzhong, these tailor-made robes showed no signs of haste or roughness.

Considering that after the ceremony in the Zichen Hall of the Gui Palace, everyone would need to travel to the outskirts, Qiao Yan had a layer of cotton padding sewn into the robes to prevent the courtiers from catching cold during the subsequent sacrificial rites.

This had another benefit.

Lu Zhi whispered to Huangfu Song, “This has the effect of rounding out the figure, making it look more dignified.”

For the disaster-ridden years of the late Han, being able to gain weight could be considered a blessing.

Lu Zhi’s jest was not wrong.

Most of the old ministers who went to Chang’an to maintain the Han rule had lost weight over the past two years.

They had been rising early and retiring late due to Dong Zhuo’s control of the Son of Heaven and tossing and turning over the hardships of the people of Chang’an.

Fortunately, with the new year, or rather, since the end of last year, Chang’an had shown signs of a new scene.

Huangfu Song responded to Lu Zhi’s words by gesturing towards Qiao Yan.

Whether the auspicious robes made others look rounder is hard to say, but on Qiao Yan, they still had a light and airy feel, at most appearing heavier due to the combination of black and red, yet it made this young prodigy look tall and graceful, with a divine aura.

As she moved, the patterns of cliffs and sea on the robe’s hem seemed to flow and surge, exuding a majestic air.

Lu Zhi, seeing this, laughed, “It’s rare to see her properly wearing the Tiger Guard crown.”

Qiao Yan usually only tied her hair with a small purple-gold crown for convenience.

But today was the ceremony for Liu Yu’s ascension, so she had to be more formal, wearing the Tiger Guard crown, which belonged to the military headgear.

This crown also had another name, the Pheasant Feather Crown, as it required a pheasant feather to be inserted.

The pheasant is a bird known for its courage and combativeness, hence it became a symbol of hope for military officers during the Qin and Han periods.

She truly lived up to such expectations.

During the casual conversation between Lu Zhi and Huangfu Song, Qiao Yan had already walked up to them and bowed to these two who had promoted her in the past.

If it weren’t for these two upright individuals commanding troops during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Qiao Yan wouldn’t have had the opportunity to act as she did, nor could her military achievements have been truthfully reported to Emperor Ling of Han.

Today, reaching the point of supporting the Son of Heaven, the assistance of these two elders was indispensable to her, hence her bow was sincere.

However, the underlying meaning in this bow was probably not something the two before her could comprehend.

They only saw in her, who had grown another year older, the hope of new talents supporting the family in the waning days.

The evaluation of her as the great Han’s royal assistant and a key minister had finally come to fruition today.

The three did not reminisce for long before they heard another drum signal from within the Gui Palace, followed by the call for the court assembly from Xianyu Fu, the commander of the Jinwu Guards.

Hearing this, Lu Zhi stopped wanting to praise Qiao Yan a few more words and, according to the order of officials, stepped into the palace walls first.

The Zichen Hall of the Gui Palace was also rebuilt when Qiao Yan led the re-planning of Chang’an City, far less grand in form than the Luoyang palace of old, but fortunately, Qiao Yan’s aesthetic sense was much stronger than Dong Zhuo’s.

Although the palace was simple, as they moved from the south to the north of the Gui Palace, the morning light from the southeast enveloped the palace in a glow, still revealing the splendor embedded in the city’s bones.

A hint of inexplicable emotion flashed in Qiao Yan’s eyes.

But what was reflected more clearly in her eyes at this moment was the scene before her.

This was her first time witnessing an emperor’s ascension ceremony in person.

Liu Hong need not be mentioned, and Liu Xie’s ascension was completed under Dong Zhuo’s support, so she naturally did not see it.

This rare scene, though she was not the protagonist but a behind-the-scenes mover, still stirred emotions in her heart for a moment.

As she stepped into the hall, Liu Yu was already seated facing north in the twelve-chapter ceremonial robe.

According to the standard procedure, the Grand Commandant should ascend the eastern steps to announce to the courtiers, but here arose a problem.

Who was the Grand Commandant?

Dong Zhuo had once appointed himself as the Grand Commandant, later calling himself the Chancellor, appointing Huang Wan as the Grand Commandant, and after the warlords opposed Dong Zhuo, he abolished Huang Wan’s position, never appointing another Grand Commandant until his defeat and death.

Li Jue, after seizing Dong Zhuo’s power, wanted to appoint himself to this position, but before he could stabilize the situation and make such a choice, he had already been forced to flee.

When the courtiers discussed the ascension procedure, they finally decided that the person who would take over the position of Grand Commandant would perform this duty.

Thus, it was Lu Zhi who ascended the steps at this time.

He slowly unfolded the edict in his hand.

In the edict, he first gave a relatively objective evaluation of the past of the two former emperors, Liu Hong and Liu Xie.

However, as the merits and demerits of the former were hard to assess, he could only mention the establishment of the Hongdu Gate School and the supervision of the Xiping Stone Classics as achievements, while the latter, under Dong Zhuo’s coercion, seemed difficult to say much about, at most praising his pure filial piety.

Fortunately, the following words were easier.

“The Governor of Youzhou, Marquis Xiangfen Yu, is a descendant of the Prince Gong of Donghai.”—This is the legitimacy of Liu Yu’s ascension by bloodline.

“During his governance of Youzhou, he pursued lenient policies, encouraged and supervised agriculture, opened the benefits of the Hu market in Shanggu, and enriched the salt and iron of Yuyang, pleasing the people and achieving abundant harvests, with grain at thirty stones per dan.”—This is praising Liu Yu’s virtues.

“With chaos in Chang’an, there needs to be one who embodies virtue and education to reside above; with changes in the world, there needs to be one who holds majestic virtue to shine upon the four seas.”—This further elaborates on the rationality and necessity of Liu Yu’s ascension.

After these three steps of progression, the conclusion in the edict is that Marquis Xiangfen Liu Yu is worthy of “judging the affairs of the Han state, holding the balance,” and should ascend the throne as the Son of Heaven, hoping he will diligently cultivate himself to rectify his position.

The disappearance of the Imperial Seal in Luoyang prevented Lu Zhi from following the standard procedure of granting it to the new emperor from the east.

But since no one else had the Imperial Seal, it was as if it had been lost in the chaos of war.

Before the ceremony, those in charge of the rites had already had a new jade seal carved from jade.





As a symbol of imperial authority at this time.

And in response, after receiving the imperial seal, Liu Yu bestowed the jade and pearl upon Lu Zhi.

In fact, during this bestowal ceremony, the pearl should have been a treasure on par with the Suihou Pearl, signifying the emperor’s high regard for his important ministers.

However, when simplicity is the order of the day, there’s no need to be so particular.

Just like the next step after Lu Zhi received the precious pearl and jade, Qiao Yan stepped forward and took the side sword from Liu Yu’s hands.

In the enthronement ceremonies of the Han emperors, the “sword” used in the sword-bestowing ritual was always the sword that Emperor Gaozu claimed to have used to slay the serpent and rise in rebellion. Even though the original is long lost, a replica of similar design is often made. But the design of this sword was also lost in the turmoil of Luoyang, so Liu Yu’s side sword had to be used as a substitute.

But whether it’s the serpent-slaying sword or Liu Yu’s side sword, the meaning behind the act of bestowing the sword is the same:

The military officials and important ministers of the court are to act on behalf of the emperor to intimidate the four directions with martial prowess.

This duty could only be in Qiao Yan’s hands.

If she weren’t so young, the important process of reading the imperial decree should have been entrusted to her.

Qiao Yan held the sword and bowed, and in the next moment, the hall resounded with cries of “Long live Liu Yu.”

Accompanying this was the proclamation of a general amnesty.

After this investiture ceremony, the ancestral temple was to be worshipped.

Paying respects at the ancestral temple is one of the important processes of the emperor’s enthronement ceremony, its importance not much less than the bestowal of the imperial seal.

For example, Liu He, the Prince of Changyi deposed by Huo Guang, also known as the Marquis of Haihun, was deposed for the reason that “the ancestral temple is more important than the ruler, and Your Majesty has not received the mandate from the high temple, and thus cannot inherit the heavenly order.”

The ancestral tablets of the Han Dynasty in Luoyang had been moved to Chang’an, but before the high temple could be rebuilt, they were temporarily merged into the Hall of Enlightenment.

Amidst the announcement of “The Son of Heaven is proceeding to the Hall of Enlightenment,” the gates of Gui Palace opened once again.

Those present could not see that as this palace gate opened, the southern gate of Anmen, facing the inner street, also opened simultaneously.

To ensure the safety of the new emperor’s enthronement, this city gate was not to be used by the people of Chang’an for entry or exit today.

But as the imperial carriage and the officials following step by step proceeded down the long street, densely packed onlookers had already gathered on both sides of the street. Only the Jinwu Guards and the soldiers from Liang and Bing, stationed on both sides of the road, could restrain and block these people.

Qiao Yan looked towards one side of the street and indeed saw Zhaoji, who claimed to have come to gather material for the Leping Monthly Report.

Hearing that Zhaoji was coming, Lu Lingju also reported to Qiao Yan, wanting to come as a guard to experience the sights of Chang’an.

Thinking it wouldn’t hurt to let them see the world, Qiao Yan immediately approved.

She also had them bring along potential talents like Zhuge Liang and Huang Yueying, who were over ten years old.

Now these children stood in the crowd under the watchful eye of Dian Wei.

Faced with such a once-in-a-decade spectacle, they all showed expressions of amazement.

Lu Lingju, holding Huang Yueying’s arm, asked, “How do you think such a scene will be recorded in Sister Cai’s writings? If it only praises the grand occasion of the new emperor’s enthronement, it seems our lord lacks grandeur, but if it only mentions our lord wielding the sword to subdue rebels, it seems a bit presumptuous.”

Huang Yueying, withdrawing her gaze from Qiao Yan, replied to Lu Lingju, “If it’s hard to write like that, why not portray it from the side of Hongwen Hall?”

Seeing that Lu Lingju still seemed a bit confused, Huang Yueying explained, “Although Hongwen Hall has been established and the four hall masters have been selected, don’t you think that, given the number of scholars coming and going in Chang’an, it has only accommodated a very small group?”

Lu Lingju thought about the scene she had seen and nodded.

“Because the emperor has not yet ascended the throne, and the positions of the ministers have not been settled, those who arrive first may not gain anything in advance. Instead, they might be overlooked due to the numerous preparations for the enthronement. It would be better to wait until the enthronement ceremony is over and come to Hongwen Hall to offer their services, awed by the emperor’s majesty.”

“The news of Chang’an having a ruler, the new emperor’s enthronement, and scholars rising through Hongwen Hall being recorded in the monthly report, how would the Leping students responsible for copying it think?”

Lu Lingju suddenly realized, “They would have to learn more to compete with them! At least not to fall too far behind those who have already served the central government!”

This is how to motivate the students in the academy.

But while thinking about this, Lu Lingju also pondered another question.

At the beginning of this new year, shouldn’t our lord’s new Victory Coin also be issued?

What design will it have this year?

She is eager to be officially appointed, not least for this reason.

Every year she delays, she has to wait another year to start collecting the New Year’s Victory Coin, missing out on one design compared to others.

This is also a source of motivation.

Anyway, since Lü Bu is still guarding Suiyuan City, she’ll keep this Victory Coin for now.

Regardless of what these onlookers think, under the gaze of thousands, Liu Yu, Qiao Yan, and others have already left Chang’an City and headed straight to the ancestral temple in the Hall of Enlightenment.

Due to the modest size of the Hall of Enlightenment, its exquisite construction far surpasses that of Gui Palace and Weiyang Palace, making it worthy of the ceremonies held here.

Liu Yu first entered the ancestral temple to pay respects to the ancestors of the Han Dynasty, then outside the Hall of Enlightenment, he burned offerings to announce to heaven, signifying the six ancestral temples and the hope for the gods’ favor.

This further declared the legitimacy of his succession.

By this step, the enthronement ceremony was almost complete.

Since Liu Xie was only missing and not deceased, the ministers did not need to change into mourning clothes, only to complete the subsequent welcoming and sending of the emperor back to Chang’an.

After this long and complex process, when they returned to Zichen Hall, Liu Yu’s presence was no longer that of a candidate for the throne “granted” imperial authority, but the true ruler of the Han Dynasty.

With the emperor on the throne, just as the officials were divided in the Ye City court, so too were they in the Chang’an court.

Of course, the first thing announced to the public was the change of era.

From the first day of the first month of this year, the Chang’an court changed the era to Jian’an, signifying the establishment of peace and eternal joy in Chang’an.

Interestingly, the Ye City court also changed its era name at this time, calling it Yonghan.

But which Han is the legitimate Han Dynasty will ultimately be decided by the struggle between east and west winds, far from being determined by era names alone.

In the palaces of Chang’an, Liu Yu had already ordered the reading of the appointments for the court officials.

Among the Three Excellencies, Lu Zhi was appointed as the Grand Commandant, Wang Yun as the Minister over the Masses, and Huang Wan as the Minister of Works.

But before the military generals’ appointments could be read, everyone saw Qiao Yan step forward first. “Your subject has something to report.”

This was clearly not a proper way to present a report, but considering her importance to the Chang’an court, such an action was not entirely inappropriate.

After Liu Yu gestured for her to speak, Qiao Yan said, “Although Guanzhong is now stable, the world is not yet at peace. Among the governors and marquises of the four directions, those of Yizhou and Jingzhou are relatives of the Han imperial family and should be appointed to court positions to show that the Han is in Chang’an.”

“In the past, Dong Zhuo appointed Liu Yizhou as the Grand Marshal, but this position ultimately had the air of presumption. It would be better to entrust him with the position of Grand General, to foster goodwill between Guanzhong and Yizhou.”

As soon as Qiao Yan spoke, Liu Yu’s close attendants holding the appointment edicts were startled.

Grand General?

In the appointments, that position was clearly hers!