Chương 492: The Psychological Activities of the Founding Heroes

After reading it, Xu Da handed the document to the eunuch beside him.

The eunuch knelt before Cai Yan and presented the document with both hands.

Cai Yan knelt down, took the document with both hands, and handed it to the female minister behind her.

The female minister carefully held the document in her arms and stepped aside, as if she were holding some rare treasure.

"Give the Queen the Seal and Ribbon!"

Situ Fang Xuanling stepped forward carrying a gilded tray. On the tray was a bright yellow brocade, upon which lay a white jade seal with a dragon-tiger knob. The four seal characters "Seal of the Empress" were clearly visible. A crimson ribbon was wrapped around the seal, as vivid as blood.

The eunuch took the tray and knelt down again to present it to Cai Yan.

Cai Yan held the seal in both hands, her fingertips trembling slightly as they touched the cool white jade.

She handed the imperial seal to the female minister, who carefully placed it on her waist.

The red ribbon hanging down, contrasting with the dark blue robe, made him appear even more solemn.

"The Empress bows!"

Cai Yan knelt down again and performed the kowtow ceremony.

This was the highest level of etiquette for women in the Eastern Han Dynasty; her forehead lightly touched the ground, and her voice was clear and firm.

"Your Majesty, I, Cai, thank you for your great kindness!"

"prosper!"

Cai Yan slowly rose, remaining in the position to receive the investiture, her gaze lowered.

"All the officials bowed!"

Before the master of ceremonies had finished speaking, all the officials in the hall and courtyard knelt down at the same time and performed the kowtow.

The voices of hundreds and thousands of people converged and resounded through the sky:

"Long live the Empress! Ten thousand years!"

"prosper!"

All the officials rose, and Grand Commandant Xu Da stepped forward again to raise a toast on behalf of the officials:

"The Empress reigns supreme in the central palace, a model of virtue for the nation. We, your humble servants, respectfully offer this toast to Your Majesty, wishing you and Your Majesty a long and prosperous reign, and that the Han Dynasty may endure forever!"

Liu Ce nodded slightly and raised the jade cup on the imperial table.

Cai Yan also raised the wine cup handed to her by a female official and drank with the emperor from afar.

At the opportune moment, the music master waved his sleeve, and the chime bells and stone chimes resounded together. The music of "Deer Cry" slowly rose in the hall, with the zither and lute playing in harmony, and the bells and drums playing in unison, solemn and elegant.

"The ceremony is complete!"

The officials performed the final kowtow and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

Liu Ce rose and rode his carriage out of the east room.

A court attendant stepped forward to guide the Empress: "Please enter Changqiu Palace, Empress."

Cai Yan turned slightly, nodded to the officials in the hall, and then, surrounded by female officials, slowly withdrew from the west gate of the hall.

Her silhouette was dignified and composed, her dark blue robe gradually disappearing outside the palace gate.

The officials exited Deyang Hall in order of rank, bathed in sunlight, each with a solemn expression on their face.

From this day forward, the Han Dynasty has a new emperor and a new empress.

Changqiu Palace will welcome a new master.

And a brand new era has begun.

...

in the afternoon.

In the North Palace, the eaves of the Deyang Hall gleamed with a golden light under the sun, the halo spreading out in layers, as if gilding the palace with an auspicious glow.

Outside the palace, on the red steps, the yellow banners stretched from the palace gate all the way to the Vermilion Bird Gate. The banners fluttered, the armor was bright, and more than two thousand guards holding long halberds stood motionless, like two rows of cast iron sculptures.

The civil and military officials had already stood solemnly on the steps according to their ranks, their black court robes forming a deep, dark sea.

The area stretched from the Vermilion Bird Gate all the way to the front of the Deyang Hall, a dense mass of people, yet it was so quiet that not even a cough could be heard.

Everyone bowed their heads and lowered their eyes, their hands clasped in front of their chests, with only the rustling of their clothes in the morning breeze.

Inside the hall, on the east and west sides, 120 eunuch musicians, holding sheng, xiao, drums, and horns, stood holding their breath in anticipation.

The bronze chimes and stone chimes gleamed with a warm luster in the morning light, arranged neatly, each instrument polished to a spotless shine.

On the incense table before the throne, neatly arranged documents wrapped in blue silk were placed, next to a gilded seal box and a blue lacquered box containing five-colored soil, gleaming solemnly in the sunlight.

The five-colored soil was transported from all over the country; the five colors—green, red, white, black, and yellow—symbolized the vast land of the Han Dynasty.

Below the western steps of the palace, the meritorious officials who were about to be conferred titles had already taken their places.

Everyone's face was filled with barely concealed excitement, yet they remained steadfast in their court etiquette, motionless.

But if you look closely, you'll notice that their fingers, eyes, and even the corners of their mouths are trembling slightly. After all, this is a moment of glory they earned with eight years of blood and sweat. Who wouldn't be excited?

At the very front of the six dukes' procession, Guan Yu stood like an iron tower with a face as red as a jujube, his phoenix eyes slightly closed, his long beard hanging down to his chest, and his hands behind his back, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Only those who knew him well knew how turbulent his heart was, and how long he had been waiting for this day.

I've been looking forward to this ever since the jujubes were sold in Zhuoxian County, and now they've finally arrived.

...

Zhang Fei, however, could not contain his excitement. His burly body swayed slightly, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists until his knuckles turned white.

He would steal glances at the throne every now and then, then quickly look away, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he were swallowing.

He swallowed hard, thinking to himself: "Old Zhang, I've finally met my match! Back when I was slaughtering pigs and selling meat, who would have imagined this day..."

...

Zhao Yun stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his gaze calm as he looked ahead, only his slightly trembling fingertips betraying his true feelings.

He was the most composed of the group, but even someone as steady as Zhao Yun couldn't help but feel his heart pounding on this day.

He was silently telling himself: "Calm down, calm down. What storms hasn't Yun weathered with his elder brother? It's just a title..." But his fingers just wouldn't obey his commands and kept trembling.

...

Dian Wei was the most robust of them all, making Qin Qiong next to him look smaller.

He scratched the back of his head, grinning foolishly, his mouth stretching almost to his ears.

Qin Qiong couldn't help but nudge him with her elbow, and he calmed down a bit, but he couldn't hide his smile, as if he had secretly eaten honey.

He had only one thought in his mind: when he goes back to his hometown, he must brag to his fellow villagers!

...

Qin Qiong's expression was calm, his hands were folded in front of him, and his eyes were full of emotion.

He recalled the scene when he first met Liu Ce in Zhuojun. Who could have imagined that he would be standing here one day?

Fate is a truly unpredictable thing.

...

The most dishonest of them all was Cheng Yaojin.

He secretly rubbed his hands together, occasionally tiptoeing to peek at the imperial seal on the incense table, then nudging Qin Qiong in front of him, muttering to himself:

"Second Brother Qin, do you think that golden seal will be heavy? I heard it's pure gold and must weigh several pounds! My son will have something to play with then..."

Qin Qiong ignored him, only giving him a slight glare.

Cheng Yaojin immediately shrank his neck and stood obediently, but his eyes kept darting around like a weasel stealing chickens.

He was already starting to think about whether to wear the golden seal on his waist to show off or lock it in a box to keep it safe.

...

The queue behind was also rife with undercurrents.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui stood side by side, their faces calm, occasionally exchanging a glance, everything understood without words.

Civil officials are expected to remain calm and composed even in the face of a collapsing mountain.

But look at Du Ruhui's hands, he kept secretly rolling up his sleeves, and he didn't even realize it until the sleeves were almost wrinkled from all that rolling.