Chương 510: The New Era

Du Xiuniang took the silver seal, her lips curving slightly upward; Zou Yu's eyes reddened slightly, and she secretly wiped her eyes; when Zhen Tuo took the silver seal, she almost dropped it, and Zhen Dao next to her quickly helped her hold it steady.

Mi Zhen and Gan Mei exchanged a glance, both seeing a smile in each other's eyes.

When they came from Xuzhou, they never imagined they would have this day. Yin Ying and Feng Yu accepted the silver seals in turn, bowing respectfully and without arrogance.

"Cai Wan is hereby granted the title of Jieyu, Qiao Ying is hereby granted the title of Jieyu, Qiao Qian is hereby granted the title of Jieyu, and Cai Zhenji is hereby granted the title of Jieyu. They are all granted bronze seals and ink ribbons."

Four people stepped forward, knelt down, and received their titles.

Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao knelt together. Xiao Qiao secretly tugged at Da Qiao's sleeve and whispered, "Sister, we are Jieyu, a third-rank concubine!"

Da Qiao quickly glared at her: "Don't talk, behave yourself!"

Xiao Qiao stuck out her tongue and obediently shut her mouth.

Cai Wan accepted the bronze seal, her heart filled with emotion: From Jingzhou to Luoyang, from the eldest daughter of the Cai family to a concubine, this journey has been so worthwhile.

Cai Zhenji was the last to receive the bronze seal, her hands trembling.

She was Cai Yan's younger sister. Back in Youzhou, she used to pester Liu Ce with questions every day. Now that she had finally become his concubine, she felt both excited and shy.

After all the investitures were completed, the concubines straightened their clothes and entered the main hall of Changqiu Palace in turn.

Cai Yan sat regally on the phoenix throne, her expression gentle yet dignified. The golden seal bearing the inscription "Empress's Seal" adorned her waist, gleaming warmly in the candlelight.

Her gaze swept over each of the concubines who entered, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"Your humble servants pay their respects to Your Majesty the Empress!"

Led by Zhang Ning, all the concubines knelt down and performed the kowtow, their voices echoing in unison throughout the hall.

"My dear sisters, please rise and take a seat." Cai Yan raised her hand, her voice gentle.

"From now on, Changqiu Palace will be our common home. I hope that all of you sisters will be of one mind and one heart, serve His Majesty together, and maintain harmony in the harem. We are all sisters, there is no need to be estranged because of our different ranks."

Zhang Ning stood up and was the first to laugh, "Don't worry, sister, we all know what we're doing. If anyone dares to cause trouble, I'll deal with them first!"

Zhen Jiang smiled and nodded, "Sister is right. We all came from hard times with His Majesty, so there's nothing to fight over."

Zhen Mi spoke softly, "Your Majesty, I will follow your teachings."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally sincere.

Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Your Majesty, we obey!"

Cai Yan nodded in satisfaction, her gaze sweeping over each of the concubines in the hall.

Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating everyone in the hall, including the "Empress's Seal" at Cai Yan's waist, reflecting a soft yet resolute light.

This light shone into everyone's heart and illuminated the future of the harem.

Cai Yan looked at her sisters below and sighed inwardly: Back in Youzhou, there were only her and Zhang Ning, and now the harem was growing larger and the responsibilities were becoming heavier. But she was not afraid. With Liu Ce's support and her sisters' help, she was sure she could manage the harem well.

Sitting on the throne of the Imperial Concubine, Zhang Ning felt a surge of joy: "From now on, I'll be an Imperial Concubine, and I'll have to help my sister, the Empress, with some of her duties."

Sitting on the throne of Consort Shu, Zhen Mi thought to herself: I should interact more with my sisters from now on, instead of staying cooped up in the courtyard like before. My elder sister, the Empress, once said that harmony should prevail in the harem, and jealousy and rivalry should be avoided.

Ren Hongchang and Zhen Jiang were also lost in their own thoughts, and the atmosphere in the hall was peaceful.

...

The fifteenth day of the first month of the first year of Shenwu.

The Deyang Hall of the Luoyang Imperial Palace.

The finest ambergris incense burned in the gilded bronze crane incense burner, its wisps of smoke rising slowly around the nine golden dragons coiled around the roof, casting dappled golden shadows in the morning light.

The nine golden dragons, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws, were so lifelike that they seemed ready to soar into the clouds at any moment.

The bronze bell outside the hall had just struck three times, and its lingering sound still echoed among the palace walls, buzzing like bees buzzing in one's ear.

The civil and military officials were arranged on the left and right according to their rank, with the civil officials in front, wearing tall hats and wide belts, their faces covered by tablets, their expressions solemn, each standing like a wooden stake.

The scepter was made of ivory, polished to a smooth, glossy finish. When placed in front of the face, it obscured any expression.

The generals stood behind, their iron armor clanging, the swords at their waists clashing with a crisp sound, their fierce eyes fixed on the young emperor on the dragon throne.

Military officers weren't as disciplined as civil officials. Zhang Fei secretly yawned. He had gotten up too early today. He had to wait outside the palace gates before dawn, which was more tiring than fighting a war.

Cheng Yaojin went even further, actually hiding a steamed bun in his sleeve and secretly taking a bite when no one was looking. He was glared at by Qin Qiong next to him, so he quickly stuffed the bun back in and pretended nothing had happened.

On the dragon throne, Liu Ce sat upright, wearing a black dragon robe with twelve symbols. Twelve strings of jade beads from his crown hung in front of him, swaying gently with his slight movements.

He exuded the composure and majesty of an emperor, with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, conveying a sense of "everything is under control." His fingers lightly tapped the armrest of the dragon throne, a habitual gesture he made when he was thinking, a gesture he had started when he was the governor of Zhuojun. Only back then he tapped the chair, and now he tapped the dragon throne.

The hall was completely silent; even breathing was deliberately kept to a minimum.

The military officers held their breath, the civil officials gripped their tablets, and even Cheng Yaojin, standing at the back row, stood ramrod straight, not daring to move.

Everyone knew that today's court assembly was not an ordinary report, but rather a meeting to determine the military landscape of the Han Dynasty for the next hundred years, and also to decide the final fate and power of these founding heroes who had followed the emperor in conquering the country.

Whether we go to the northern frontier to starve or to the south to eat lychees, it all depends on today.

Liu Ce slowly raised his hand, and the Yellow Gate Attendant standing in the hall immediately announced loudly: "If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

"No need," Liu Ce said, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable penetrating power that clearly resounded throughout the entire hall.

"I have important matters to announce today, so all of you need not present your reports. Any matters that need to be reported should be postponed for one day."

Everyone turned to look at him, waiting for what he would say next.

Liu Ce cleared his throat and first said something that had nothing to do with fighting but was very important:

"From this day forward, the calendar system will be divided into two categories: the major calendar and the minor calendar. The minor calendar is the imperial calendar; we are currently in the first year of the Shenwu era. The major calendar is the first year of the Han calendar; that is to say, the first year of the Shenwu era is equivalent to the first year of the Han calendar. From this day forward, these systems shall not be changed!"

After these words were spoken, there was a slight commotion in the hall, but it quickly quieted down again.

The officials immediately nodded in approval. It was a good idea, as it had both the legitimacy of the emperor's reign title and the historical significance of the Han dynasty.

Several old scholars pondered it silently in their hearts and felt that there was nothing wrong with it; in fact, it was quite meaningful.

It retains the tradition of imperial chronology while also marking a new beginning, carrying profound implications.

In the future, when history books write "a certain year in the Han calendar," you'll immediately know it's the beginning of a new era.

After Liu Ce finished speaking, no one objected. On the contrary, they felt that this was a good thing with profound meaning.

Several senior officials even nodded secretly, thinking that His Majesty's consideration was thorough.

...