Chang'an is good

When the sky was not yet completely bright, the numerous palace gates opened one after another, and the solemn sounds of bells and chimes floated in the air, calling for the white clouds to emerge from the mountains and the morning sun to rise into the sky.

In the Ganlu Palace, the windows were wide open and palace maids and eunuchs came in and out one after another.

In the inner hall, after burning incense and bathing, the woman was dressed in a fine silk bright yellow middle garment, with her black hair like a waterfall. She stretched her arms in front of the mirror, and seven or eight palace servants helped her put on the grand formal robe.

The top is a black robe with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, and Chinese insects painted on it;
The lower part is the skirt, on which are painted Zong Yi, Zao, Huo, Fen Mi, Fu, and Fu;

There are twelve patterns in total, each with a different meaning. They are only allowed to appear on the emperor's robes at the same time, symbolizing the emperor's supremacy.

The lights in the hall had not yet been completely extinguished, and a ray of skylight had already poured in. As the lights and skylight blended together, the magnificent and solemn twelve-chapter pattern shone brightly.

Yao Ran stood respectfully aside, looking at the person in the imperial robe, and suddenly remembered that when she first arrived in Jiangdu, she and a group of female soldiers including She Cai surrounded the young girl in the governor's official uniform, praising her by saying "beautiful, beautiful". At that time, she was also standing aside like this, but an abrupt voice inexplicably popped up in her heart - maybe she can be even more beautiful.

At that time, Yao Ran was shocked by herself. She didn't know where she came from such a rebellious and shocking delusion. She felt that she was a lunatic at heart.

But at this moment, her crazy delusion came true.

Yao Ran was distracted by this, and when she came to her senses, she saw that her loose black hair had been tied into a neat bun by the palace maids.

Yao Ran took the crown with twelve tassels and presented it respectfully.

The ceremonial guards and ministers were already waiting outside the Ganlu Palace.

Wei Shuyi is the chief priest of today's Taimiao sacrifice and is preparing everything in the Taimiao.

The one waiting outside Ganlu Palace with his ministers was Cui Jing.

The young man, wearing a purple robe, stood quietly in the morning light, like a painting.

Hearing the sound of eunuchs singing in the hall, Cui Jing raised his hand and bowed, welcoming the person respectfully.

Then, he accompanied the black figure, left the Ganlu Palace, entered the Chengtian Gate, and went all the way to the Taimiao to offer sacrifices.

The journey was solemn and peaceful, without any unexpected events. It seemed that even the breeze had its own order, being gentle and clear.

In the Taimiao, Tianjing stood beside the altar with a whisk in his hand, looking around at the pure and peaceful atmosphere between heaven and earth, feeling a sense of emotion in his heart.

Most people in the world only know the results in front of them, but few people really know where the new emperor came from and what kind of disaster she has prevented for the world.

She reversed the trend of the world's fortune, and what she did was worthy of the position of the Emperor of Man, so there was such a pure and harmonious atmosphere between heaven and earth.

Tianjing looked at the woman who was slowly stepping onto the altar. She was wearing black clothes, but there was a clear light all around her. This clear light illuminated the sky, earth, and rivers, as well as countless dust particles.

Tianjing smiled and looked at Wu Jue who was standing beside him.

Wu Jue rarely showed emotion on his face - at that time, his thoughts were simple, he just wanted His Highness to come back.

Li Suining stepped onto the altar, holding three sticks of green incense, and first worshipped heaven and earth.

Among the women of the clan, Wei Miaoqing quietly looked at the new emperor on the altar and couldn't help being a little dazed. Although there had been two empresses in Da Sheng before, and she had seen one, the new emperor in front of her still gave people a completely different feeling.

It was difficult for Wei Miaoqing to describe her clearly enough, but at first glance, she felt that she was a female monarch full of vitality.

Before the ceremony, an elderly official indirectly reminded the new emperor who was about to ascend the throne that the emperor was just the emperor, and that appropriately blurring the gender distinction would be more conducive to ruling the hearts of the people.

There are many ways to blur gender distinctions, from transcending gender through the theory of reincarnation of gods and Buddhas, to concealing a woman's true appearance through external aspects such as clothing, manners, tone of voice, and description.

But the new king on the altar did not hide her feminine features. She had a clear temperament between her eyebrows, bright eyes, white teeth, a beautiful nose and thin lips. She had fair skin because she had lived in the palace for several months. She was in a good mood and did not pretend to be solemn, showing a light air.

She had enough strength to support herself, so the luxurious and complicated crown and robes became light on her body, and were not enough to trap or cover up her original self.

She stood there in her true female form, calm and forthright, as if it was natural that a woman born with the power of creation should be a goddess dominating everything.

She is an emperor, a monarch, a saint, and herself.

She completely identifies with herself and is in charge of herself.

She will also be recognized by the world and rule the world.

The music of peace resounded throughout the imperial city. After the new emperor had offered sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth, he went to the Hanyuan Hall.

Li Suining stepped into the magnificent Hanyuan Hall.

The jade beads on the emperor's crown and the jade stones hanging on the left and right sides of his robes moved slightly, casting tiny specks of light on the mirror-like gold bricks under the sunlight. As the new emperor walked, every step was shining, as if he was walking on the stars and the Milky Way.

Amid the ministers' greetings, Li Suining stepped onto the imperial steps.

The person who presented the seal to the new emperor was Zhu Hui, the teacher of the former Crown Prince Li Shang.

Taifu Chu entered the Hanyuan Hall in a carriage. At this moment he could only stand up with difficulty, but his resolute and clear character remained unchanged.

He was going to do something which was many years late: he was going to confer the emperor's seal on his students.

When the emperor's seal was handed over, the old man saw the hands half-hidden under the wide black robe. They were white and slender, with distinct joints, but engraved with many tiny scars that could not be completely eliminated no matter how much care was taken.

There was a glimmer of tears in the old man's eyes, which were always upright and stern. He had always believed that no one in the world was more worthy of inheriting the seal than his student.

After the seal-granting ceremony was over, Master Chu took up the pen and solemnly wrote the student's name on the emperor's jade book, stroke by stroke.

The historian was also writing down everything that happened today.

Crown Princess Li Suining inherited the orthodox Li family and followed the will of heaven, earth and the people. She was granted the emperor's seal in the Hanyuan Hall and ascended the throne as the emperor, becoming the new monarch of Dasheng and establishing the reign title of Changhua.

Hua means creation and nurturing.

The heaven and the earth created all things because of creation. The sun and the moon shine for a long time because of the help of heaven. The four seasons change and things can last for a long time.

Therefore, the laws of sages change with the times, and their rituals change with customs.

This young female monarch used this opportunity to announce to the world that she would not be a conservative emperor.

She wanted the world to be integrated in her hands, to foster new opportunities, to build a long-term peace through constant changes, and to achieve long-term governance.

Li Suining sat on the dragon throne, and all the officials bowed to him and bowed again.

Amid the roar of the mountains, the eunuchs, palace servants and imperial guards outside the palace followed suit and bowed. Above the golden palace and under the sky, white cranes circled, and in the distance, the sounds of eagles and elephants seemed to echo.

Heaven, earth, humans and all living things coexist in harmony, creating an auspicious atmosphere.

This energy is both invisible and visible. Along with the sound of bells, it wafts out of the imperial city and flows into thousands of households.

The city was bustling with noises, and in the palaces, people sang and danced. The Dunhuang dancers beat drums and scattered flowers, their clothes spinning and flying. The wine was in golden cups, and poets chanted and sang poems.

As the sky gradually darkens, lights are lit everywhere to extend the day, and the lights in thousands of households are connected, weaving a colorful scene across the city.

When the new emperor ascended the throne, there was no curfew in the capital for one month. He celebrated with the people and issued a general amnesty.

The edict of accession to the throne was quickly spread to various places by fast horses.

Luoyang, Henan Province, and Huainan Province all celebrated.

The city of Jiangdu was even more bustling than before - businesses headed by the Jiang family set up colorful tents everywhere to congratulate the new emperor on his ascension to the throne, held banquets for the locals, performed dragon and lion dances, and selected sites to build charity halls and schools.

In the afternoon, Jiang Hai was climbing the ladder to clean the plaque, and the accountant was holding the ladder below with the account book tucked under his armpit.

Jiang Hai wiped it carefully for a full half a minute before he was willing to get off.

The accountant sighed and counted with his hand: "Boss, today alone, you have wiped it eight times!"

"Just now we set off firecrackers here, and there was smoke and dust everywhere. How can we not wipe it?" Jiang Hai threw the rag to the clerk beside him and walked happily into the store: "Eight times? This number is auspicious. It shows that His Majesty the Emperor blesses our Jiang family store..."

The accountant didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He took out his account book and started to settle the accounts with his boss. The more he calculated, the more painful it became: "Boss, please stop... If you keep on giving congratulations like this, you'll have drained out all the gold in the world!"

Previously, your Majesty was fighting in the north and the host suffered a heavy loss.

Afterwards, His Majesty came to the capital. The boss was worried that the treasury in the capital was empty, and that the Crown Princess would not be able to help due to the huge consumption of resources in a long battle, so he spent some money again.

This time, Your Majesty ascended the throne, and the East family came again... No, this is not bleeding, how can there be so much blood, this is simply cutting flesh!
The accountant couldn't help but think of the man who had just arrived in Jiangdu and took up the post of governor. He accompanied his employer to show his "filial piety" and his employer must have felt very painful at that time.

How come the pain keeps coming...has the boss become addicted to it?

The Jiang family was the head of the salt merchants in Huainan Road. As such a large family, they used to deal frequently with government offices. When encountering years of disaster, they would also express their gratitude to the government to show their loyalty to the court - but this was the first time they had expressed it to this extent!
When the accountant said this, Jiang Hai was not happy to hear it. How could it be the same?

Which emperor in the past gave him a calligraphy work? Which emperor opened a workshop in Jiangdu to build a ship and went out to sea? And which emperor started his career in Jiangdu?
Jiangdu is now considered a place where dragons rise. As the golden rooster of this land, what's wrong with him gritting his teeth and laying a few more eggs? That's what he should do!
It doesn't matter if he suffers a little at this time. Your Majesty is a great man and knows the accounts clearly. Would you let him suffer in vain?

The workshop will not move away, and the business at sea will continue. The good times are yet to come, and this requires a long-term approach.

The accountant was just hurt for a moment, but after hearing his boss's open-minded attitude, he stopped talking and continued his boss's "dragon's birthplace" statement, saying, "But Hezhou says that it is the place where the emperor's fortune began..."

Jiang Hai, who had been keeping a stable mood, suddenly exploded: "That's bullshit! Where did you hear that?"

Your Majesty had saved them and the state and helped them fight off Xu Zhengye, but that was all! How could he take away the temple and the people after being saved? This was simply greedy!

The accountant explained the source of the news: "It's the group of salt merchants who came from Hezhou to discuss business..."

Jiang Hai was about to go out and argue with this group of people.

"The boss can't finish his defense!" The accountant stopped the man and said, "There are also people in Bianzhou. They said that your majesty became famous because he killed Xu Zhengye in Bianshui..."

"And Xingyang! What are you talking about? Your Majesty prayed there and it worked... It was in Xingyang that you received the approval of God!"

"Oh, Taiyuan too. It is said to be the place where His Majesty returns to his ancestral home..."

Jiang Hai glared: "Taiyuan was originally the birthplace of the Li family! Why do you want to snatch this too?"

The accountant stroked his beard and said, "No one would have too much of such a good thing..."

Jiang Hai was so angry that he snorted, "Let them show off. Your Majesty has only been an official in Jiangdu. Based on this, no one can take away our dragon energy."

So he didn't go looking for those Hezhou salt merchants: "I have nothing to do with these people..."

Instead, he asked someone to prepare a gift: "Let's go have a drink with Steward Shen later!"

The Manager Shen that Jiang Hai mentioned was Shen Sanmao, who was in charge of the Jiangdu workshop.

Li Suining was originally a little hesitant about the arrangement for Shen Sammao, so she asked Yao Ran to ask Shen Sammao about his own wishes, whether he was willing to return to the capital and work in the Ministry of Works.

Shen Sanmao seemed to have thought about it a long time ago, and shook his head at Yao Ran with a smile.

Even if he joined the Ministry of Industry and was in charge of construction, he still entered the officialdom. Shen Sanmao believed that although he was very good at currying favor with others, he was already quite old and had no experience in being an official - not in dealing with people, but in being a good official. He might have taken a wrong step, worn out his will, and would have been doomed to fail. He would have lost this God-given opportunity and ruined his relationship with His Majesty.

He commented on himself to Yao Ran: [Although I am skilled in technology, I have no moral integrity and am definitely not a person who can govern a country.]

He wanted to stay in Jiangdu and continue to concentrate on developing his workshop and manufacturing business.

Besides, putting aside other things, Jiangdu is now a real money bag, what will happen if everyone leaves? He wanted to help His Majesty keep this money bag safe to prevent the money from leaking out.

In terms of self-knowledge, Shen Sanmao and Zheng Chao are somewhat similar. Although they each have their own strengths, neither of them thinks they are suitable for officialdom.

In Wuer Courtyard, Zheng Chao was drinking tea and chatting with two gentlemen.

Zheng Chao was in a good mood and laughed heartily from time to time.

What he has always sought is to enlighten the world and promote the way of teaching. Today, the world is about to usher in a new atmosphere, and the opportunity he wants is finally coming.

As they chatted, a gentleman said with a smile, "The master of the academy did not attend the ceremony of the new emperor's enthronement, but when the emperor gets married in the future, the master of the academy can't not go, right?"

Zheng Chao laughed: "Of course I'll go!"

A new king ascended the throne, and this was a state affair. As a scholar, it naturally made no sense for him to get involved.

But the emperor's wedding is his family affair, and marrying off his nephew is a top priority. How can an uncle not go to show his support?
Zheng Chao and a few others were drinking tea and chatting here, while the other teachers in Wuer Academy gathered together to express their dissatisfaction with the literati in Hezhou - that group of people were the first to write a lot of poems exaggerating the relationship between Hezhou and Your Majesty, which was simply outrageous!
They're not the only ones with pens!

The gentlemen agreed that it was time to motivate students to write poetry.

In the following days, the students of Wuer College did not forget to reflect on themselves every day: Did they eat? Did they study? Did they write poetry?
As a result, the city of Jiangdu was filled with literary spirit, and the sound of poetry overwhelmed the chirping of cicadas. (End of this chapter)