mtl008 Chapter 555 Liu Bei Ascends the Throne
Chapter 555 Liu Bei Ascends the Throne
The seventh day of the eleventh month of the twenty-sixth year of Jian'an was an auspicious day, suitable for celebrations, and a propitious day for Liu Bei's ascension to the throne.
At dawn, all government offices began their operations, and countless soldiers, under Guan Yu's command, took to the streets and formed human walls on both sides of the street.
In the middle of the human wall, a red carpet stretched from Liu Bei's royal tent directly to the altar outside the city. Around the altar, armored soldiers stood like a forest of swords and spears, their battle-hardened aura radiating fierceness. They stood straight as javelins, guarding their king and waiting for him to appear.
At exactly 9:00 AM, Liu Bei, dressed in a dragon-embroidered robe and wearing a twelve-tassel crown, walked out of the royal tent surrounded by all the civil and military officials, and stepped onto the red carpet to head to the altar.
The procession of civil and military officials stretched for miles, all dressed neatly with solemn expressions, looking incredibly dignified from afar.
Liu Ba, who was in charge of the coronation ceremony, was already waiting at the altar. When he saw Liu Bei arrive at the foot of the platform, he immediately knelt down and shouted, "The auspicious time has arrived. Please, Your Majesty, ascend the altar to offer sacrifices to Heaven."
Liu Bei looked up at the bronze cauldron placed in the center of the altar, slowly stepped onto the altar steps, and walked towards the top of the altar with very powerful strides.
As I moved forward, Liu Bei's tumultuous early life flashed through my mind like a movie replay.
Although Liu Bei was a member of the Han imperial family, thanks to Emperor Wu of Han's edict of grace, by his grandfather Liu Xiong's generation, he was only a minor official, the magistrate of Fan County. Before his family could inherit the position, his father died early and could not enter the officialdom to pave the way for him. As a child, he had to rely on his mother for survival, making a living by weaving mats and selling shoes.
Fortunately, he had a kind uncle, Liu Yuanqi, who not only sponsored his schooling but also used his connections to get him to become Lu Zhi's apprentice, which gave him the opportunity to change his fate.
But it was just an opportunity. In an era dominated by powerful clans, someone of his background had almost no hope of rising to prominence. That's why he resolutely joined the ranks of those who fought against the Yellow Turbans after the rebellion. He was fearless on the battlefield and always took the lead in battle, trying to exchange his military achievements for a better future. But what was the result?
He fought hard but only got the position of county lieutenant of Anxi County. He also had to suffer the exploitation of the despicable inspector. He went through many twists and turns and served as the assistant magistrate of Xiami County and the magistrate of Gaotang County, but he was forced to wander after not serving for long.
What impressed Liu Bei the most was that during his time as magistrate of Gaotang County, the people praised him as a good official who was rare in a thousand years, which made him feel very ashamed because he did nothing during his time as magistrate and just lazed around every day.
So he couldn't help but ask the elderly people in the county, asking them why they claimed to be good officials when they hadn't done anything, and whether this was against their conscience.
As a result, the old man said that it was precisely because he had done nothing that the common people had a chance to breathe. The previous county magistrates had been extorting and exploiting them in various ways, making it almost impossible for them to survive.
It was only at this point that Liu Bei realized that the Han Dynasty was already rotten to the core, and that the Yellow Turban Army was not necessarily going against the court, but was simply unable to survive.
It was at this moment that Liu Bei conceived the idea of making a change, but his status was too low and his power too weak. He could only wander among the various warlords, hoping to meet a wise ruler who could save the people. But look at what kind of people the warlords of the world are.
Later, when Dong Zhuo seized power and deposed the emperor, Cao Cao issued a forged edict calling on the warlords to attack Dong Zhuo. He went without hesitation, but none of the arrogant warlords treated him like a human being. The brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu humiliated him to the extreme, but he had no choice but to endure it.
Later, he accepted Tao Qian's entrustment to serve as the governor of Xuzhou. He thought that he finally had territory and people and could do great things. However, he was betrayed by the Xuzhou gentry in various ways. Only then did he realize that the world must be fought by himself. What others give can also be taken away. In this world, no one can be relied on except himself.
But by then it was too late. Cao Cao had already risen to power, while Cao Cao was still wandering around like a lost soul. By the time he finally managed to get Zhuge Liang to come out of seclusion and had his own base of influence, Cao Cao had already unified the Central Plains.
Cao Cao was a powerful figure whom he both feared and resented, yet also respected. Over the years, he had been carrying the immense pressure that Cao Cao had placed on him every day, and the hardships and toil he had endured were all tears in his eyes.
Fortunately, he survived and outlived Cao Cao, becoming the most promising warlord to contend for the throne.
Unfortunately, all the other feudal lords of his time had died, leaving him the only one left. This made him somewhat depressed, as he had achieved great success but had no one to boast about it to.
If the eighteen warlords who fought against Dong Zhuo were still here, how wonderful it would be! If they were, he would definitely invite all of them to Jiangling to attend his coronation ceremony and ask them if they ever thought that Liu Xuande would have this day when they humiliated him back then.
Liu Bei walked forward slowly with heavy steps, and all the officials below the stage stared at his back without blinking or moving.
Although his eyes didn't move, the look in his eyes as he looked at Liu Bei was more complex than ever before.
These officials included both those from humble backgrounds and those from aristocratic families. Regardless of their origins, they all held a certain degree of disdain for someone who came from a humble background and sold mats and shoes.
Thinking of Liu Bei's origins, and looking at his towering figure, which moved forward with unwavering determination like a high mountain, the officials' eyes were filled with admiration.
Many of them came from good families and backgrounds, starting from a point that most people could not reach even after a lifetime or even several generations of effort. They had ample resources but could only struggle to survive in the chaotic world. In contrast, Liu Bei, a weaver of mats and seller of shoes, fought his way to his current position without any help. How can such ability and perseverance not be admirable?
Only such a person is qualified to become the true emperor of the Han Dynasty, and even surpass the previous emperors, leading the Han Dynasty to an unprecedented peak.
As long as you keep moving forward in life, no matter how slow you go, you will eventually reach the end.
Liu Bei finally ascended the altar, burned incense and prayed to heaven, then accepted the sacrificial text handed to him by Liu Ba and read it aloud in a sincere tone:
"On the day of Bingwu in the winter month of the twenty-sixth year of Jian'an, the emperor's subject Bei dared to use a black bull, and solemnly proclaimed to the Heavenly Emperor and the Earthly Gods:"
"The Han dynasty has ruled the world for countless generations. Previously, Wang Mang usurped the throne, and Emperor Guangwu, in his fury, executed him, thus restoring the dynasty. Now, Cao Cao, with his unbridled and cruel nature, has slaughtered the emperor and his descendants, his actions utterly destructive and disregarding divine will. Cao Cao's son, Cao Pi, has inherited this wickedness and usurped the imperial power. The ministers and generals believe the dynasty is in ruins, and I, Liu Bei, should restore it. Following the example of Emperors Wu and Wu, I have carried out divine punishment. Although I am unworthy, I fear unjustly accept the imperial throne. I have consulted the common people and even the chieftains of the barbarians, who all agree: 'Heaven's mandate cannot be ignored, the ancestral legacy cannot be abandoned for long, and the world cannot be without a ruler.' The hopes of the entire land rest on me alone. I fear the mandate of Heaven and the impending demise of the Han dynasty. Therefore, I have carefully chosen this auspicious day to ascend the altar with my officials, receive the imperial seal and insignia, perform the ritual of burning and burying offerings, and make this offering to the gods. May the gods accept this offering and grant the Han dynasty eternal prosperity to the world."
After reading it aloud, Liu Bei personally lit the sacrificial text to Heaven and threw it into the cauldron. Only after watching the text burn out did he turn around to face the officials, raise the temporarily made jade seal above his head, and shout again: "I, Liu Bei, ascend the throne today. In the future, I will surely lead my army to the north to sweep away the traitor Cao and unify the world."
All the officials bowed and kowtowed at the same time, shouting in unison, "Long live Your Majesty! Long live the Han Dynasty!"
"Rise, my beloved ministers." Liu Bei raised his hands in a gesture of respect, inviting the officials to rise. He was about to descend from the altar to offer sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple and report his ascension to the throne to the previous emperors of the Han Dynasty when a soldier rushed over, knelt on one knee, and shouted, "Your Majesty, the Japanese envoy, Inoko Takagawa, has come to pay his respects."
The name "Dog Slave Kingdom" is really unpleasant, so Liu Bei decided to change the envoy of Dog Slave Kingdom to the envoy of Japan. As for Yamatai Kingdom, which can truly represent Japan, get out of here. Who told you not to come to pay homage?
Sun Quan promptly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and the fact that Japan has sent envoys to pay homage is sufficient proof that the Mandate of Heaven rests with the Han."
All the officials present knew the purpose of the Japanese envoy's delay in paying homage until today, but they all pretended not to know and flattered him, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations!"
Liu Bei was overjoyed and shouted, "Bring the Japanese envoy here!"