Chương 776: The Great Ceremony of Inner Meditation

He sighed reluctantly, a look on his face saying, "I was forced into this," and accepted the petition to join the party.

"Since the Emperor's decree has been made, and you gentlemen have offered such advice..."

"I... I'll... accept it."

The tone was so heavy, as if the speaker was about to be executed.

All the officials bowed in unison and shouted, "His Highness the Crown Prince is wise!"

The scene was quite touching.

That evening, the young eunuch of the Eastern Palace saw...

His Highness the Crown Prince tossed his resignation letter aside, munching on something, and said to Crown Princess Xu Jingxian:

"Finally finished performing. If I had performed for two more days, my knees would have been worn raw."

You know what, kneeling is actually quite tiring.

Xu Jingxian laughed and covered her mouth, saying, "Husband, be mindful of your image, or someone might overhear us."

"What's there to be afraid of? This is the Crown Prince's Palace." Liu Chen said nonchalantly, taking another bite of his pork knuckle.

"Besides, my dad is even less cooperative than me. If he's not afraid, why should I be?"

..................

On March 15th, before dawn, the entire city of Luoyang was already bustling with activity.

As dawn broke, martial law was imposed on the streets, with the Imperial Guards standing guard along the streets, stretching from the palace gates all the way to the city gates.

People got up early and crowded on both sides of the street to watch the excitement. The crowds were as big as during the New Year.

"It's here! The coronation ceremony is today!"

"I heard His Majesty is going to become the Retired Emperor!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince is finally going to ascend the throne! That's wonderful!"

"Our great Han Dynasty is about to embark on a new chapter!"

The people in the palace were extremely busy.

Liu Chen was dragged out of bed at dawn.

The palace maids surrounded him as he dressed in his formal attire, layer upon layer.

That set of imperial robes was incredibly heavy, embroidered with the twelve symbols of the heavens, including the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, and pheasants; it was as heavy as armor.

It took Liu Chen a full 35 minutes just to fasten the belt, making it so tight he could hardly breathe.

"Alright, alright, that's enough." Liu Chen looked utterly hopeless.

"I'm going to strangle you. Today's ceremony will be turned into a funeral."

The palace maids suppressed their laughter and moved their hands a little lighter.

After finally finishing dressing, Liu Chen stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself.

Very handsome.

The officials had already gathered outside the Taiji Hall.

Dressed in heavy court robes, they stood in the early spring wind, shivering from the cold, yet all were in high spirits, their faces filled with excitement.

This is the Great Treatise on Inner Meditation!

You'd be lucky to see someone like that even once in your life!

I was able to witness it with my own eyes; even the ancestral graves were emitting auspicious smoke.

The auspicious time has arrived.

"Thump—thump—thump—" Bells and drums rang out in unison, and music filled the air, with solemn and elegant music resounding throughout the entire palace.

Liu Ce, dressed in a dragon robe with twelve imperial symbols, slowly walked up to the dragon throne in the Taiji Hall.

As he sat down, he quietly rubbed his lower back...

This dragon throne is very hard; he's been sitting on it for forty years, and he's really tired of it.

It hurts my butt.

A huge crowd of people knelt below, stretching from inside the hall to outside, completely silent.

There were hundreds of people, but not a single cough was heard; it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The official who proclaimed the imperial edict stood on the steps, holding the edict in his hand, and read it aloud in a drawn-out tone: The decree stated: For forty years I have ruled the world, working diligently day and night, never daring to be negligent or idle.

Thanks to the blessings of the ancestral temples and the assistance of the ministers, the four directions were roughly stabilized, the foundation of the country was gradually strengthened, peace prevailed throughout the land, and the people lived in peace and happiness.

Now that my blood and energy are waning, I am no longer able to make decisions on countless matters daily.

Crown Prince Chen is wise, kind, and capable of shouldering responsibilities. He has long overseen the administration of the country and enjoys the support of the people.

Now, in the main hall, the ministers are gathered to perform the abdication ceremony, and the throne is passed to Chen.

I hereby call myself the Retired Emperor, and will reside in a separate palace to enjoy my remaining years.

A new ruler should appoint virtuous officials, accept advice, focus on the fundamentals and the well-being of the people, and forever safeguard the ancestral temples and the state.

All officials and ministers should respectfully perform their duties and assist in the proper governance.

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

The official's voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the Taiji Hall, and even the officials in the square outside the hall could hear it clearly.

After the imperial edict was read, the entire hall fell silent for a second.

Immediately, all the officials kowtowed and shouted:

"Your Majesty is wise! May the Retired Emperor live a long and prosperous life!"

The sound was so loud that the roof beams trembled.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Liu Ce looked at the vast crowd below, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Forty years.

From having nothing to possessing a vast empire.

From chaos and strife to peace and prosperity throughout the land.

He did it.

He delivered a satisfactory answer to this era.

He picked up the imperial seal and weighed it in his hand.

He'd had this thing for forty years; it was very heavy.

Now, it's finally time to hand it over.

He turned to look at Liu Chen, who was standing below the hall, and waved:

"Chen'er, come up here."

Liu Chen took a deep breath and walked up the steps one by one.

He was dressed in the emperor's crown robes, his face was calm, and his eyes were firm.

He walked up to Liu Ce and knelt down respectfully.

Liu Ce looked at him and smiled:

"Boy, the empire is yours to inherit."

"Work hard, don't embarrass your father."

"Your subject... obeys the decree." Liu Chen's voice was choked with emotion, and his eyes were red.

Liu Ce handed the imperial seal to him.

Liu Chen accepted it with both hands; it felt heavy, as if he were receiving the entire vast empire.

He held the imperial seal, respectfully performed the kowtow, and kept his forehead pressed to the ground, remaining there for a long time.

This bow is a tribute to the grace of passing on the throne, a tribute to the bond between father and son, and a tribute to the forty years of prosperous achievements.

After the ceremony, Liu Chen rose, turned around, and faced the assembled officials.

He stood beside the dragon throne, his posture upright and his gaze steady.

The officials below bowed to Liu Chen and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Han Dynasty!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Han Dynasty!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Han Dynasty!"

Three loud shouts, their sound shaking the heavens and echoing throughout the entire capital city of Luoyang.

Liu Chen stood on the high place, looking down at the officials below, at the palace in the distance, and at the vast land beyond.

He took a deep breath and slowly began to speak:

"All of you, rise."

His voice was deep and powerful, carrying the majesty of an emperor.

At this moment, he officially became the second emperor of the Han Dynasty.

Following the coronation ceremony was the handover ceremony for civil and military officials.

This was something Liu Ce had arranged long ago.

The older generation of heroes are all getting old; those who should retire should retire, and those who should enjoy their retirement should enjoy their retirement.

A new generation of officials stepped up, took over the responsibilities, and continued to move forward.

The generational change and the continuous cycle of life are the right path.

In the Taiji Hall, the first batch of retiring officials was announced: Xun Yu, at the age of seventy, served as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. Upon retirement, he was granted a mansion, a thousand taels of gold, and ten thousand bolts of silk...

Fang Xuanling, at the age of seventy, served as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Upon retirement, he received numerous rewards...

Du Ruhui, at the age of seventy, served as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Upon retirement, he received numerous rewards...

Guo Jia, 63 years old, Privy Councilor, retired...

Xi Zhicai, 68 years old, Deputy Privy Councilor, retired...

......

On the side of the military generals: Guan Yu... Commander of the Central Theater Command, retired, and received numerous rewards...

Zhang Fei... Commander of the Central Theater Command, retired...

Zhao Yun... Commander of the Central Theater Command, retired...

Qin Qiong... Commander of the Central Theater Command, retired...

Cheng Yaojin... Commander of the Central Theater Command, retired...

Xu Da... Commander of the Northern Theater Command, retired...

......

In total, more than forty veteran officials officially retired.

They were all founding fathers who followed Liu Ce in conquering and governing the country, and they made great contributions.

After the list was read aloud, the veteran officials stepped forward and bowed to Liu Ce.

Xun Yu stood at the very front, his hair and beard white, his voice steady:

"Your Majesty, we thank you for your great kindness!"

We have followed the Emperor Emeritus for decades, and today we retire without regret!

May the Emperor Emeritus enjoy good health, and may our Great Han Dynasty endure forever!