Chương 507: Conferring the Title of Crown Prince

These words immediately caused an uproar among the military officers, who rubbed their hands together, whispering amongst themselves:

"Great! Finally, we have a clear rank! Before, even as a general, I didn't know what rank I was, but now I know!"

"I want to go to the northern frontier! To fight the Xiongnu! Back then, fighting the Xianbei alongside His Majesty was so exhilarating!"

"I'm going to the southern border! To teach those unruly barbarians a lesson! I heard that the tribal chief in the mountains there has even declared himself king; I'm going to go and teach him a lesson!"

Zhang Fei shouted at the top of his lungs, startling everyone around him: "Your Majesty! I, Old Zhang, want to be the commander of the war zone! Let me guard the northern border! I guarantee that the Xianbei will not be allowed to cross the Yellow River! Anyone who dares to come closer, I'll pierce them through with my spear!"

Guan Yu stroked his long beard, nodded slightly, and looked on with anticipation in his phoenix eyes.

Although he didn't say anything, he was already thinking about it: Which war zone should I go to? Northern Xinjiang is good, Western Liang is also fine, as long as I can fight.

Liu Ce smiled and waved his hand, silencing the crowd's commotion: "Don't rush, the division of war zones and the appointment of generals will be announced in a few days. Let's finalize the system today. And the most important Imperial Guard, I've specifically divided it into two major sections, the Southern Office and the Northern Office, to keep an eye on each other and prevent anyone from making any underhanded moves."

He pointed to the middle part of the organizational diagram: "The Southern Imperial Guards are the Sixteen Guards. The Twelve Guards remotely command the Zhechong Prefectures, which are responsible for guarding the capital and the Imperial City. The other four guards—the Left and Right Gate Guards—are in charge of the palace gates, and the Left and Right Thousand Ox Guards are in charge of my ceremonial guards and personal protection, but they do not command the guards."

"The Northern Imperial Guards are my private army, consisting of the Left and Right Dragon Cavalry, the Left and Right Feathered Forest Guards, and the Left and Right Dragon Martial Guards, a total of six armies. They are best equipped, have the highest pay, and obey only my orders. Their salaries are 30% higher than those of the Southern Imperial Guards, but the requirements are also higher. Only those with impeccable backgrounds and outstanding military achievements can be selected.

Anyone who dares to lay a hand on the Northern Imperial Guards is committing treason."

The military officers began to discuss among themselves, some wanting to go to the Southern Office to lead troops, and others wanting to go to the Northern Office to serve as personal guards.

Dian Wei was the most straightforward, saying directly, "I'm not going anywhere; I'll stay right by His Majesty's side!"

Xu Chu nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, we are the imperial guards, so we must follow His Majesty."

"There's another important rule..." Liu Ce raised a finger, "From now on, all officers must have a military academy diploma to be promoted. Those who haven't attended a military academy can only reach the rank of brigade commander at most. If you want to become a division commander, corps commander, or theater commander, you must go to a military academy for further studies."

These words caused another stir among the military officers.

Dian Wei scratched his head and said, "Your Majesty, I can't read. Can I still attend military academy?"

Liu Ce laughed and said, "If you can't read, then learn. Military academies have academic classes. If you can't learn them, don't even think about getting promoted."

Dian Wei grimaced, thinking: "Oh no, I'll have to attend classes with those lowly soldiers from now on. How embarrassing!"

Looking at the excited crowd below, Liu Ce smiled and said, "I know you all want to fight and make a name for yourselves. Don't worry, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. But remember, the army belongs to the nation, not to any one person's private army. No matter who it is, without the order from the Privy Council and my tiger tally, not a single soldier is to be mobilized. Anyone who dares to mobilize troops without authorization will be punished for treason!"

All the military officers bowed in unison, their voices resounding and powerful: "Your Majesty, we obey!"

"Alright," Liu Ce nodded.

"The system for local governments and the military is settled. Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui, you should quickly write down the detailed rules and distribute them nationwide tomorrow."

Li Jing and Li Ji, you are in charge of the reorganization and training of the army. Within three months, you must adjust all troops to the new structure. I will inspect the troops in three months, and anyone who fails to do so will be punished.

"Your Majesty, we obey!" the crowd responded in unison, their voices echoing throughout the Deyang Palace.

...

Sunlight streamed in obliquely through the skylight in the roof, illuminating the golden bricks in front of the throne.

"Lead the Crown Prince into the palace—" The attendant's voice was clear and resonant, echoing in the spacious hall.

Bells and drums resounded, and the chime bells and stone chimes played solemn and elegant music.

Five-year-old Liu Chen was dressed in a crimson court robe and wore a travel hat, his small body standing straight.

He walked into the main hall step by step, his steps were still immature, but he was unhurried and steady.

The child walked steadily, his eyes clear yet without a trace of fear, across the steps to the throne, where he stood quietly, facing north in accordance with etiquette.

The hall fell silent instantly.

All the officials turned their gazes to the young crown prince, their eyes filled with reverence—with the foundation of the nation established, the country would be secure, and this marked the beginning of the Han dynasty's succession.

Many people nodded in agreement: Although the Crown Prince is young, he has an extraordinary demeanor and is worthy of being the son of His Majesty and the Empress.

Xun Yu stepped out from the ranks of officials, holding a scroll written on silk, and walked to the northwest side of the Crown Prince, standing facing east.

He cleared his throat and began to read the imperial edict of investiture in a loud and clear voice, word by word:

"On the day of Renshen in the first month of the first year of the reign of Emperor Shenwu, the Emperor said:"... Sweeping away the dust from the world, restoring the legacy of Emperor Gaozu, and continuing the reign of Emperor Guangwu. Thanks to the blessings of Heaven and the ancestral temples, the wars have been somewhat quelled, and the people have finally found peace.

According to the principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals, the eldest son of the legitimate wife should be established, so as to uphold the ancestral temple and stabilize the state. Crown Prince Chen, my eldest son, is the son of Empress Cai. He is virtuous and talented from a young age, gentle, respectful, filial, kind, forgiving, and wise...

Now, we hereby appoint Chen as Crown Prince to succeed the ancestral temple and rule over all nations. May he be diligent and undisciplined, and forever secure the Emperor's blessings.

This proclamation is hereby issued to the world, so that all may know.

Liu Chen lowered her head, her small hands tightly gripping the jade belt around her waist.

He could feel countless gazes upon him, and his back was slightly sweaty, but he remembered his mother's instructions: "Chen'er, stand still, don't lower your head, don't be afraid."

He didn't dare to move an inch, not even blinking.

After the imperial edict was read aloud, the Grand Attendant stepped forward carrying a gilded lacquer tray.

On the plate lay a gold seal with a tortoise-shaped knob and a vermilion ribbon, the crown prince's seal, which gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight.

The Grand Attendant, facing east, handed the imperial seal and ribbon to Liu Chen with both hands.

Liu Chen stretched out his hands and solemnly accepted the imperial seal. The golden seal was heavy and larger than his hands, but he held it steadily without trembling.

Then he turned around and performed the most solemn three-bowing salute to Liu Ce on the throne.

Although his movements were clumsy, they were meticulous. He touched his forehead to the ground, paused for three breaths, then rose and bowed again.

The moment his forehead touched the ground, he heard his father's gentle voice from above: "No need for formalities."

"Your Highness, I, the Crown Prince, thank you for your great favor!"

The attendant loudly proclaimed "Yes, Your Majesty!", and the middle attendant, representing the emperor, declared, "Granted!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the officials bowed to Liu Ce and Liu Chen, saying, "Your Majesty, we congratulate you! Your Highness the Crown Prince! The foundation of the nation is now established; the world is fortunate indeed!"

They echoed in unison, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

The sound was so loud that the glazed tiles on the roof of the palace seemed to tremble slightly.

Liu Ce looked at his son kneeling below, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.

He recalled that when he was five years old, he was still climbing slides and eating popsicles in a modern elementary school, and had no idea what responsibility was.

His son, at the age of five, would stand in this grand hall, receiving the homage of all the officials and bearing the future of the entire empire on his shoulders.