More than ten days have passed since we paid homage to Yongchang Mausoleum. The official Zhao Kuo neither returned to Lin'an nor to Bianliang, but stayed in Luoyang temporarily.
When Zhao Kuo said the word "pass the position" in public, Guo Mo was confused.
Even though he knew that this day would come sooner or later, he even received similar reminders from Xue Ji and Huang Yaoshi respectively.
It is said that when the official family goes north to Bianliang, the throne will be passed to him, and Zhao Kuo will retire and become the Supreme Emperor.
Unexpectedly, on the day of ancestor worship, in front of the tomb of Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Kuo said the words to pass on the throne.
Now that the matter has been discussed in public, it is natural to proceed according to the inherent process.
Zhao Rushu, the Crown Prince's Taifu, has already rushed to Bianliang City with relevant people, and gathered with Cheng Jue, the Crown Prince's Taibao and Minister of Rites, to fully prepare for Guo Mo's ascension to the throne.
Guo Mo stayed with Zhao Kuo and learned how to handle government affairs throughout the process.
In fact, there are not many things that really require the emperor to make a decision. Most of them are the ministers below who have already drawn up the regulations, and the emperor just makes a decision or judgment.
Xue Ji, the prince's grand master, fully acted as the master. He almost took the memorials presented to him step by step and analyzed them one by one.
Governing a big country is like cooking small dishes. There are many things that once you sit in that position, you will completely lose the mentality of an "angry youth". This is the case with Guo Mo now.
When Guo Mo gradually got used to it, Lao Zhao Kuo actually became more playful and went out incognito to visit the scenic spots near Luoyang, and even went to Zhongyue Songshan Mountain.
Zhao Kuo knew that his achievements were completely beyond the scope of Mount Tai's enshrinement, so he simply went to Mount Song for a walk.
This was all within Henan Prefecture, so there was no need to worry about safety. Even so, Guo Mo still asked "Iron Palm Ruthless" Lu Pingsheng, Wu Nantian and Haji to follow them with a hundred "Jin Yi".
The day when Guo Mo ascended the throne was set at the end of the year, and the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month was said to be the best day in recent months.
As soon as the New Year was over, Zhao Kuo came back like crazy.
This trip lasted for more than two months, and the old man became more and more energetic as he ran. He looked more like an official of a country, and more like a wealthy man in the world.
"Haha, Xiao Qi, I finally understand why you always like to float around in the rivers and lakes. When you travel around, if you really encounter something rough on the road, it feels so good to draw a sword to help."
Zhao Kuo was beaming as he spoke, while Lu Pingsheng, Wu Nantian and others beside him were dumbfounded.
Fortunately, the place where they wandered was only in Henan.
There are no mafia giants, nor is it a poor place. Some of the scoundrels encountered are dismissed by people with their own "jinyi".
"Father, you've had a good time. These past few months have exhausted me."
In fact, Guo Mo was not tired, but he felt very uncomfortable after staying in the palace all day. The two apprentices around him were also sent out, and there was no one to practice martial arts with him.
On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Huang Rong was about to ascend the throne in Bianliang. Huang Rong and her eldest son Guo Yi had already rushed directly to Bianliang City, but the other children still stayed on Peach Blossom Island.
After all, Bianliang City was not the final capital in Guo Mo's mind. It was just a coronation ceremony. Guo Mo felt that it was not worth the trouble for his children.
However, "Dongxie" Huang Yaoshi, Feng Heng and his mother Li Ping still followed Huang Rong on the road, leaving Li Mochou behind to take care of the children at home.
As the New Year approaches and there is no war in the world, several major economic and strategic envoys under Guo Mo, as well as the chief and deputy commanders of several powerful forces, also rush to Bianliang City.
Even Zhao Xiguan, Dali's strategic and pacification envoy, was among them, but Guo Jing, the commander of the "Jingnan Army", failed to receive Guo Mo's notice because he went on the expedition to Japan with Tuo Lei more than a year ago.
The twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Bianliang Palace.
After more than a year of renovation, there is no trace of the Jurchens in the entire Bianliang Palace, and it has basically restored its appearance during the Northern Song Dynasty.
However, the names of many palaces in the Lin'an Imperial Palace were inherited from the Bianliang Imperial Palace. Now that the Bianliang Imperial Palace is being renovated, the names of some major palaces have to be adjusted.
For example, the most important hall was originally called "Daqing Hall", but now it is renamed "Taiqing Hall". It is the main hall where government affairs are discussed and it is also the place where Guo Mo will ascend the throne.
"Fushou Palace", Zhao Kuo's residence, has a large wax as thick as an arm that illuminates the interior of the "Fushou Palace" as bright as day.
Almost all the important civil and military ministers in the court were present, such as Xue Ji, the Minister of Personnel, Zhao Rushu, the Minister of Punishment, Cheng Jue, the Minister of Rites, Hu Ju, the Minister of War, Yue Ke, the Minister of Hubu, Wei Jing, the imperial censor, Meng Zongzheng, the minister of the Ministry of War, Song Ci, the minister of the Ministry of Punishment, etc.
.
Even under Guo Mo, there were Wei Liaoweng, the economic pacifier in Guanzhong, Du Gao, the economic pacifier in Henan, Liu Kezhuang, the economic pacifier in Hebei, and Zhao Xiguan, the Dali economic pacifier.
Meng Gong, the palm print of the "Dunwu Army", Yue Ao, the palm print of the "Yue Family Army", Yu Jie, the palm print of the "Zhongshun Army", were also invited. Even Shi Miyuan came, but Guo Mo himself was not seen.
"Everyone, tomorrow is the crown prince's enthronement ceremony. I have invited you here tonight. I have something to discuss with you."
Zhao Kuo looked at everyone with a smile. Half of them were old people who had followed him for many years, and most of them had grown up under Guo Mo's hands.
"Official, if you have anything to do, just give it to me as soon as possible. Why do you need to discuss it?"
Cheng Ju, who was sitting closer to the front, spoke first. For more than a year, he had been in charge of daily affairs in Bianliang City, and he had more affection for this city and this palace than anyone else.
"Haha, Lao Cheng is still so quick-tongued. What I want to say is that I hope that after the prince succeeds to the throne, he will no longer call him 'official' but call him 'emperor' and 'your majesty'. What do you think?"
Zhao Kuo was still smiling, but almost everyone present could feel the hope and determination in his eyes.
Everyone's heart was filled with emotion.
During the Song Dynasty, courtiers called the emperor "Guan Jia", but the title Guan Jia was not unique to the Song Dynasty.
As early as the Han Dynasty, there was the title "official family". "The benefits of the official family were better than those of the three generations, and the tyranny of the powerful was so cruel that it destroyed the Qin Dynasty."
The word "official" represents the imperial court, government, and public affairs, but it has undergone certain changes later.
Since the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the official family has had the meaning of the emperor. It is said that "the three emperors govern the world and the five emperors govern the world."
It is worth mentioning that two emperors, Song Taizong Zhao Guangyi and Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng, also asked their ministers why they called themselves "official family"?
In fact, in the Song Dynasty, the emperor was called "official", which weakened the authority of the emperor's position.
During the turmoil of the feudal rule at the end of the Tang Dynasty, during the fifty-three years, the Central Plains rotated through five dynasties, with eight surnames and thirteen monarchs. At that time, as long as the soldiers and horses were strong, they could establish themselves as kings.
"Emperor" became so common that if a plaque fell down, it would kill a whole group of people.
"Would princes, generals, and ministers rather have their own kind?" The concept of "divine right of kings" began to waver among the people.
At the beginning of the founding of Zhao and Song Dynasty, the local guards had great power, and they formed gangs called "Ten Brothers".
Zhao Kuangyin first became emperor through the "yellow robe", and later used "a cup of wine to release military power" to regain power. These things seemed to come a little lightly.
However, if he wanted to convince his former brothers, he had no choice but to show the "generosity" of a king.
For this reason, Zhao Kuangyin did not call himself "Emperor", but called himself "Guan Jia" according to the habits of the common people.
Firstly, it seems more approachable, and secondly, through this title, it conveys to the ministers that the emperor is willing to "rule the world together" with all officials.
Therefore, almost all the emperors of the Song Dynasty were restrained by their ministers. There were endless powerful ministers who had all the power for a while, and the emperors all felt aggrieved.
Nowadays, Guo Mo's sudden emergence has even overthrown the entire Kingdom of Jin and brought Dali into the territory of the Song Dynasty. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that it is only a matter of time before Xixia is captured.
The territories Guo Mo established were completely comparable to the territories of the Song Dynasty. This was definitely a powerful monarch of his generation.
Therefore, Zhao Kuocai summoned the ministers and put forward his thoughts.
Xue Ji, Cheng Jue, Zhao Rushu, Wei Jing, Hu Ju and others all bowed their heads and remained silent.
It was a big event now. To say the least, it would shake the foundation of the Song Dynasty. It directly violated the basic national policy of the Song Dynasty when it was founded.
These old ministers are often not lonely people. Behind them are large families or interest groups. To a large extent, they can only play the role of spokespersons in the court.
"Officials, I completely agree with the official's statement. I forgive my sin of speaking nonsense, but I am foolish enough to see that the achievements of His Highness the Crown Prince today are comparable to the founding of the country by Taizu."
"Furthermore, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is still less than 30 years old. In such a huge world, there is no telling whether His Highness's military might surpass the Han and Tang dynasties."
Yue Ke, the Minister of Household Affairs, was the first to stand up and support Zhao Kuo's point of view.
"Meng Zongzheng, the minister of the Ministry of War, agrees with the official statement——"
"Song Ci, the Minister of Criminal Affairs, agrees with the official statement——"
"We all agree with the official statement——"
The three major economic and strategic appeasement envoys and the governors of the three major powerful forces also stood up and supported Guo Mo to go to the "official family" and call him "Emperor" and "Your Majesty".
Zhao Kuo had expected this situation a long time ago.
He would not blame those veterans for this, because he knew that these veterans also wanted Guo Mo in their hearts, but they couldn't help themselves on such matters.
However, Zhao Kuo was very pleased to see those people who stood up to support Guo Mo. These are his son's die-hard supporters.
Zhao Kuo dared to raise such a topic because of Guo Mo's great contribution and the powerful force with hundreds of thousands of people at his disposal.
You, the head of the Great Jin Kingdom, can call you "Your Majesty". Does it mean that if my son destroys you, he will not be qualified to call you "Your Majesty"?
Zhao Kuo raised his eyes and saw an aloof person.
"Uncle Tong, you are well-informed and have a broad mind. What do you think of my proposal?"
As soon as Zhao Kuo said these words, everyone's eyes were focused on that person, the current "Guoguo Gong" Shi Miyuan.
"Haha, don't you think it's a bit too much for an official to ask me, an idle person, about such a big matter? But since the official asked this, I also want to express my opinion."
"When the Song Dynasty was first established, the emperor was called 'official family'. This was due to the specific circumstances at that time. Hundreds of years have passed, and the word 'official family' has changed its flavor."
Shi Miyuan paused. It seemed that only he could say this, or he was the only one present who dared to say this.
"A few years ago, the people of the Song Dynasty were rich but the country was weak. It was the emergence of His Highness the Crown Prince who turned the tide and set off the martial arts trend in the Song Dynasty."
"Let's not discuss first whether it is appropriate to change the title of 'official'. Just imagine if His Highness the Crown Prince conquers the territory, can he proclaim himself emperor?"
Yes, the Dali Kingdom plus the Jin Kingdom, and probably the Daxia Kingdom, the territory and heritage of these three countries are much stronger than the Song Dynasty.
Even if His Highness the Crown Prince does not need the territory of the Song Dynasty, he can call himself "Emperor" on his own. If it is a hostile force, it is normal for him to destroy the Song Dynasty.
At that time, is it still necessary to discuss whether to call him "official" or "emperor"?
"Haha, okay, okay. As expected of my uncle, he is a person who has been the murderer of a country. This matter is settled. There will definitely be trouble. If the prince can't even deal with this trouble, then he himself will have to live.
It’s time to be called back to the ‘official family’ again.”
In the end, Zhao Kuo made the final decision and everyone left one after another, but Zhao Kuo was so excited that he couldn't sleep.
"Guan Jia, it's late at night and you should take a rest. There are still many things to be busy with tomorrow."
The old eunuch who was waiting on the side didn't seem to have aged at all over the years. His eyes seemed to be brighter, but his waist was a little stooped.
"Haha, old man, you don't know how excited I am now. Tomorrow I will pass the throne to Xiao Qi, and the Song Dynasty will become more prosperous and powerful in his hands!"
The old eunuch could tell that the official family was really excited, as if he was even more excited than he was the night before he ascended the throne.
The next day, the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, everything will be suitable and all poisons will not invade.
Early in the morning, Guo Mo was woken up by Old Cheng Jue. It was still dark outside in this winter.
"Your Highness, have you remembered the etiquette that my veteran told you yesterday?"
The Song Dynasty was a very strange dynasty. There were four emperors. This was the most emperors in all dynasties.
Not to mention, after Zhao Kuo ascended the throne, he created a Supreme Emperor. Unexpectedly, he would also become the Supreme Emperor now.
Generally speaking, no one who sits on the throne of the emperor would think of giving up this position voluntarily. Although the emperors of the Song Dynasty worked harder than other dynasties, there are so many emperors who have become emperors, which still makes people feel
Very unexpected.
Zhao Dun, Guangzong of Song Dynasty, was said to have mental illness, and the civil servants teamed up with Song Gaozong's wife to oust him from power.
The wife of Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, the Empress Dowager Wu, came forward and without Zhao Dun's knowledge, directly abolished his throne, nominally called "Nei Chan", and promoted her son Zhao Kuo to the throne, allowing Zhao Dun to
Became the Supreme Emperor.
Decades later, Zhao Kuo gave up the throne to his son, which was completely sincere.
It is not that he is afraid of not managing the country well, but that he is unwilling to attribute too many historical achievements to himself. This can not but be said to be a different kind of strange thing.
First, we went to the Ancestral Temple to worship our ancestors and formally report to our ancestors. Today we will hold a Zen Ceremony.
Zhao Kuo prepared a large Zen speech in advance. The old man did not choose to read it in the "Taiqing Hall", but stood high on the "Xuandemen" tower.
Facing tens of thousands of subjects outside the palace, Zhao Zhan loudly recounted Guo Mo's journey and achievements over the years.
Many subjects knew about Guo Mo's deeds. When he was appointed as the crown prince, the Yushitai and the imperial newspaper publicized it vigorously.
Now, I heard it said from Zhao Kuo's mouth again. While it was certified by the authority, it also added a bit of legend.
His eloquent manuscript was interrupted more than ten times by tens of thousands of listeners. Almost every time he heard about Guo Mo's feats, he was praised and cheered by the people in the city.
In the "Taiqing Hall", Zhao Kuo personally put on Guo Mo's tassel hat symbolizing the emperor.
Yes, it is the "tassel hat". The "tassel hat" was invented by Qin Shihuang back then. There is a row of bead curtains on the front of the hat.
The tassel blocked the emperor's face, making him look particularly majestic. At the same time, it also made the courtiers feel awe.
Instead of the "long-winged hat" worn by officials in the Song Dynasty, it was the kind with two long horizontal bars on the left and right sides of the hat.
This move made many ministers in the "Tai Qing Palace" whisper.
Guo Mo didn't think much about it. He was exhausted from all kinds of etiquette all morning, and now he was given a "tassel hat" and he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
After all, he had seen hats like this many times in later movies and TV dramas, and even the Jade Emperor seemed to be wearing one.
On the contrary, Guo Mo was still very dissatisfied with the hats worn by officials in the Song Dynasty and the "winged hats" worn by civil servants. He always found them funny when looking at them.
Zhao Kuo personally helped Guo Mo onto the golden platform. After Guo Mo sat down, he sat on a soft seat behind Guo Mo.
"I will see your Majesty—"
Yue Ke, Meng Zongzheng, Song Ci, Wei Liaoweng, Du Gao, Liu Kezhuang, Meng Gong, Yue Ao, Yu Jie, etc. were the first to stand up, knelt on the ground, and called "Your Majesty"!
Amid more stunned ministers, Xue Ji, Zhao Rushu, Cheng Jue, Hu Ju, Wei Jing, etc., after a slight hesitation, also walked out of the class and knelt down on their knees.
"I will see your Majesty—"
The situation is stronger than the people. These veterans are also talented people. The king in front of me is not comparable to other kings in the Song Dynasty.
Even Song Taizu was unable to do his best due to the constraints of the current situation.
These important ministers of the court have all knelt down, and other ministers of the fourth, fifth and even sixth rank can no longer stand.
"I will see your Majesty—"
Among this third wave of people, the loudest and most excited one was undoubtedly Yelu Chucai, the prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture.
Yelu Chucai was bought by Guo Mo in exchange for 300,000 shi of grain. He first served as the magistrate of Xuzhou for more than half a year, and then served as the magistrate of Kaifeng Prefecture for more than a year.
Now that Guo Mo has ascended the throne in Bianliang City, the status of the prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture has undoubtedly increased.
Yelu Chucai was proficient in Sinology and had experienced the Jin and Song Dynasties, so he naturally knew the difference between "your majesty" and "officials".
These three waves of "ministers and others visiting His Majesty" also allowed Yelu Chucai, who stood in the middle of the civil servants, to see more clearly the pattern of the DPRK.
However, in any case, this "Your Majesty" is what he, Yelu Chucai, has been looking forward to. He had had such an idea a long time ago, but it is a pity that he is a man of few words.
Now, seeing this scene happen with his own eyes made Yelu Chucai's heart surge even more.
At this time, Guo Mo seemed to notice the names of the ministers, and looked at his father Zhao Kuo beside him with some confusion.
Zhao Kuo smiled at him and nodded, and motioned to him to quickly get the ministers to their feet. Everyone was still kneeling.
"All the ministers are equal——"
When Guo Mo said these words, he seemed to feel a "bang" sound in his body, and the power that had not been given to him for a long time was inexplicably loose.
"Di Kun Jue", the earth is endless, from south to north, and it seems to be within a glance.
Sitting on the dragon chair, facing south and back to north, looking around, the warm sun was shining brightly, but the thick palace wall blocked Guo Mo's sight.
However, he knew that beyond the palace walls, there was a wider land, then the Huaihe River, then the Yangtze River, then the Qinling Mountains, and even the distant seaside.
On the other side of the sea, there are several continents, and on the vast sea, there are many islands, inhabited by various ethnic groups.
It has been said in China since ancient times that the sky is round and the earth is round. However, Guo Mo clearly knew that what he lived in was a sphere.
Quite the opposite? It’s just that the conditions cannot be met.
"Earth and Kunjue"?
What about after death?
"Thank you, Your Majesty——"
This time, among all the civil and military officials in the "Tai Qing Hall", only one voice appeared, and this "Your Majesty" seemed more sonorous and powerful than the previous calls.
"Report——"Jingnan Army" is in charge of the capital, and "Jingbian Marquis" Guo Jing is outside asking for an audience——"
At this moment, a voice of "Hu Ben Army" sounded from outside the "Tai Qing Hall".
After Guo Mo ascended the throne as emperor, the "Hu Ben Army" naturally became the imperial army to protect the monarch, but the number has not changed yet.
Big brother finally came over?
"Please come quickly——"
Maybe it was because Guo Jing was his eldest brother, or maybe Guo Mo hadn't gotten used to his status as emperor yet, so he actually said "Invite" as if he were a guest instead of "inviting him to the palace."
It wasn't long before I saw the travel-worn Guo Jing, dressed in military uniform, striding up to the "Taiqing Hall".
"The last general of the 'Jingnan Army' is in charge of Guo Jing, see the official family——"
Because today is the big day for Guo Mo's enthronement, Guo Jing is meeting him for the first time, and he also kneels on his knees.
"Haha, Guo Dutong, now that the emperor has ascended the throne, he will be called 'Your Majesty' from now on."
Old Cheng Jue reminded him kindly from the side.
Guo Jing was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then his eyes showed deep joy.
As early as when Guo Mo was still King of Yan, Guo Jing took a position in the army and gradually learned and exercised his ability to handle government affairs.
Of course, he also understood the difference between "your majesty" and "officials". He first nodded gratefully to Cheng Ju and then bowed to him again.
"The last general of the 'Jingnan Army' is in charge of Guo Jing. See Your Majesty——"
"Brother, get up quickly. You're finally here. Otherwise, second brother, I always feel like there's something missing."
To others, Guo Mo might behave like a king, but facing Guo Jing, he only had brotherly love.
"Your Majesty, the last general heard about the day of Your Majesty's accession to the throne in Kaicheng of the Great Dynasty. He didn't even return to Hejian Mansion. He directly rode the 'His Wind' and came here at starry night. He spent four days and three nights without sleep, and finally caught up.
Already."
Although Guo Jing was tired of life, he could not hide the excitement in his heart.
"Your Majesty, I have a gift to offer -"
After speaking, Guo Jing took out something from his arms, which looked like a roll of silk.
Guo Mo didn't know why, so he stood up from the dragon chair, walked up to Guo Jing himself, first pulled his elder brother up from the ground, and then took the things in his hands.
"This is?"
Guo Mo was a little surprised.
Of course he knew the stuff. It was a map, which impressively included seven state capitals including Zhongdu City, Fengsheng Prefecture, Xijin Prefecture, and Dading Prefecture.
These are also part of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, but their names are somewhat different from those hundreds of years ago.
It's just that Guo Mo doesn't understand that these places still belong to Mongolia and are under the jurisdiction of Tuolei.
"Haha, the final general helped Tou Lei pacify the four Japanese islands. It is really a good place, but the local natives are too bad."
Perhaps because he thought of those ridiculous dwarfs on Dongying Island, Guo Jing didn't stop laughing.
"In order to reward the general and the 'Hu Ben Army' for their contributions, Tuo Lei asked the general to present this map as a congratulatory gift after hearing that today is His Majesty's enthronement ceremony."
"From now on, the land of the Seven Prefectures on this map is the territory of our Song Dynasty. The last general has already made the decision without authorization and asked the 'Jingnan Army' to go and recover these lost lands."
Guo Jing's voice was very loud, and he was even suspected of being disrespectful to the emperor. However, everyone understood that the Song Dynasty was expanding its territory again.
"Hahaha, okay, this is great news. Father, please come and take a look at this map."
Guo Mo turned around and handed the map in his hand to Zhao Kuo, who was walking over.
From then on, among the sixteen states of Yanyun, only several states outside Juyongguan and north of Hebei Road were still in Wokuotai's hands.
"Well, yes, it's really good news. It adds a lot of color to my son's enthronement today. Guo Dutong has made great contributions to the gift and can be promoted to the title of 'Jingbian Duke'——"
Well, in one sentence, "Jingbian Hou" became "Jingbian Gong", not only for the sake of regaining lost territory, but also because this is Guo Mo's eldest brother.
"Report to your Majesty, Chen Dutong is back, just outside the main hall, but..."
Commander Chen, the only one who can call the "Tiger Ben Army" Commander Chen is "Bronze Corpse" Chen Xuanfeng.
"But what? Come on, tell me——"
Guo Mo was a little anxious.
"However, Commander Chen was seriously injured and was already dying..."