Chương 477: Era Name: Divine Martial

Jingyuan: To pacify distant lands and extend one's might to the four seas. Li Jing said this was good, as it matched the martial prowess of the Han Dynasty.

Dingshuo: To pacify the northern deserts. Su Lie said this was good; the northern barbarians had all been subdued by our lord.

Yangwei: To spread the nation's prestige throughout the world. Xu Da said this was good, as the lord's fame had already spread throughout the land.

"Divine and mighty: Sacred and valiant, his achievements will last for a thousand autumns." Guo Jia, waving his feather fan, said with a grin, "This is the best; it's both sacred and valiant."

Yong'an: May there be eternal peace and no more war. Chen Gong said this was good, as the people wanted peace most of all.

Xiuming: This means allowing the people to recuperate and for the government to be well-governed. Xu Shu said this was good, as the empire had just been pacified and needed time to recuperate and for the people to thrive.

Chunhua: To educate and cultivate virtue, and to govern the country with morality. Ju Shou said this was good, as education is the foundation of governing the country.

Kangtai: May the world be at peace and the nation prosperous and its people at ease. Shen Pei said this is good; national prosperity and peace are the best aspirations.

Mingzhang: Bright and illustrious, meritorious and renowned. Cheng Yu said this was good; the lord's achievements should be remembered.

"Qinghe" means that a clean and honest government leads to harmony throughout the land. Xun You said this is good; a clean and honest government is of utmost importance.

"Yongshuo: The beginning of all ages, may the empire be forever secure." Jia Xu said in a sinister tone, "That's good. A forever secure empire is everyone's wish."

Jingning: Bright and peaceful, a life of tranquility. Shen Pei said this is good; peace is the best blessing.

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, throwing out one year after another, making it more lively than an argument.

Some people said this was good, some said that was good, some said this was too vulgar, some said that was too unrealistic, and after arguing for a long time, there was still no conclusion.

Finally, everyone turned to look at Liu Ce.

Liu Ce chose Shenwu as his reign title.

He stood up, walked to the map, and slowly explained:

"Divine Martial: The monarch is divinely ordained, wise and sagacious, and secures the state and governs the country with might and martial prowess."

It possesses both the sacred legitimacy of imperial power and the illustrious military achievements of pacifying the world, while also implicitly emulating the ancient sage kings' ideal of "being powerful without killing and subduing the world with virtue."

The words "divine and mighty" are both a summary of the past and an expectation for the future.

He paused, then continued, "The word 'god' signifies the sacredness of imperial power, meaning that the monarch is divinely ordained, a sage of extraordinary wisdom, whose wisdom is in tune with the ways of heaven and whose insight into the world is like that of a god. It is the core symbol of the divine right of kings."

The character '武' (wu) corresponds to the core military strategy of an emperor's "civil and military achievements," meaning to quell chaos, subdue all directions, and bring peace to the world; it refers to the illustrious military exploits of expanding territory and suppressing rebellions.

"I, Liu Ce, started my rebellion in Youzhou and pacified the world in two years. Domestically, I quelled the Yellow Turban Rebellion, eliminated Dong Zhuo, subdued the warlords, and unified the thirteen provinces; externally, I destroyed the Wuhuan, defeated the Xianbei, pacified Goguryeo, and subjugated the southern barbarians. The extent of my military achievements is unprecedented in the four hundred years of the Han Dynasty. The title 'Divine Martial' is truly fitting and appropriate."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and no one objected.

This reign title is indeed very fitting for Liu Ce's achievements.

"Our lord is wise!" everyone exclaimed in unison.

The reign title has been decided.

...

With the reign title decided, everyone began discussing the various arrangements and preparations before ascending the throne.

The procedures of the enthronement ceremony, the sacrificial text for the heaven-worship ceremony, the style of the imperial robes, the etiquette for the court audience, the scope of the general amnesty... everything, big and small, was discussed one by one.

"Regarding the procedures for the enthronement ceremony, I suggest we refer to the old system of the previous dynasty, but simplify them appropriately." Xun Yu, an expert in this field, began to list the procedures one by one.

"Sacrificing to Heaven, reporting to the temple, ascending the throne, issuing edicts, granting amnesty, and bestowing titles and rewards—none of these can be omitted."

"The altar for the Heaven-worship ceremony needs to be built in the southern suburbs, which requires advance preparation. The prayer to the temple should be made to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, which is still under renovation, so we need to hurry," Du Ruhui added.

"A general amnesty is necessary, but the scope of the amnesty must be carefully considered." Cheng Yu frowned.

"Those aristocratic families who have committed numerous evils should not be pardoned."

Liu Ce nodded and said, "A general amnesty is possible, but only for minor offenses. Those who embezzle, pervert the law, or oppress the people will not be pardoned."

Fang Xuanling opened a thick booklet and read aloud: "According to the rites, there are many things that need to be prepared for the enthronement ceremony. First of all, there are the sacrificial vessels for worshipping Heaven, such as jade discs, jade tablets, and jade pendants... none of them can be missing."

Liu Ce was overwhelmed: "So many?"

Fang Xuanling said in a serious tone, "That's still considered a small amount."

Liu Ce waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, you guys handle it. I'll just be responsible for getting dressed and standing there; you guys take care of the rest."

Everyone laughed.

Du Ruhui continued, "And then there's the imperial robe. The crown has twelve tassels, each with twelve jade beads, for a total of one hundred and forty-four. The upper garment is black, and the lower garment is red, embroidered with the twelve imperial symbols, including the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, and pheasants. This set of clothes will take at least three months to complete."

Liu Ce laughed and said, "Then what should I wear? I can't just go naked, can I?"

Guo Jia smiled and said, "My lord, rest assured, we are already working on it. We are using the finest Shu brocade and Jiangnan silk, ensuring that when you wear it, you will look majestic and awe-inspiring."

Cheng Yu continued, "And then there was the ceremonial procession on the day of the coronation. The grand procession, the drums and trumpets in front, the yellow banners, the white spears, the Vermilion Bird banners... all these ceremonial guards added up to nearly two thousand people."

Liu Ce's eyes widened: "Two thousand people? Is this a coronation or a military parade?"

Cheng Yu said in a serious tone, "According to the rites, a minimum of two thousand people is required for the emperor's ascension to the throne. When Emperor Guangwu ascended the throne, he used three thousand people in his entourage."

Liu Ce waved his hand: "Fine, fine, you guys decide. I'll just stand here and not leave, okay?"

Everyone laughed again.

Xun Yu added, "The court robes for all civil and military officials also need to be made in a standardized manner. Civil officials will wear court robes, and military officials will wear armor, all according to their rank. This is a considerable amount of work and will take at least two months to complete."

Liu Ce nodded and said, "Then let's get on with it quickly. It would be a laughing stock if I were wearing the dragon robe while the people below were still in civilian clothes."

Fang Xuanling cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, we have made all the arrangements. We are working day and night to ensure that everything is ready before the first day of the Lunar New Year."

Liu Ce then asked, "Is there anything else that needs to be prepared?"

Guo Jia thought for a moment: "There is one more thing. On the day of the enthronement ceremony, the edict of accession will be read. This edict must be written in a grand and majestic style, which should include both remembrance of the late emperor and expectations for the future. We have already drafted several drafts. Your Majesty, please take a look and see which one is suitable."

Liu Ce took the draft edict, glanced at it, and said with a smile, "It's well-written, this will do. But add one last sentence—'From this day forward, I will dedicate myself to the common good, keep the people in my heart, and serve the public day and night without ever slacking off.'"

Fang Xuanling's eyes lit up: "The world belongs to all! Excellent! These four words are more effective than any flowery language!"

Du Ruhui nodded and said, "My lord's words are worthy of being praised for a thousand years!"

Liu Ce waved his hand with a smile: "Alright, alright, stop flattering me."

The group discussed for a long time, going over every detail of the coronation ceremony, from the offerings for the heaven sacrifice to the paper used for issuing the edict, from the order of the officials paying homage to the security for the people watching the ceremony. Everything was arranged clearly and meticulously.

Finally, Liu Ce stood up, smiling, and said, "Alright, that's enough for today. Get your preparations for the coronation done quickly. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, we'll officially establish the nation and declare ourselves emperor in Luoyang!"

The crowd responded in unison, their voices shaking the rafters of the council chamber.