PFC Chapter 8 Li Chengqian: What's the point of a coming-of-age ceremony? I'll enjoy myself fo
Chapter 8 Li Chengqian: What's the point of a coming-of-age ceremony? I'll enjoy myself fo
The 16th, morning.
The Golden Palace.
The weather was fine and the sun was shining brightly.
Today is the day Li Chengqian undergoes his coming-of-age ceremony.
The civil and military officials were dressed in brocade robes: those wearing purple were officials of the third rank or above, those wearing scarlet robes were officials of the fourth or fifth rank or above, and those of the sixth or seventh rank wore green robes.
The color of the robes indicated the official's rank.
The civil and military officials arrived at the scene early.
The music played in unison, and the drums and gongs resounded, creating a festive atmosphere.
After fasting and bathing for several days, Li Chengqian changed into a robe that Empress Zhangsun had personally sewn for him, making him look noble and elegant!
Su Wan came along with her father, Su Dan, because such a grand occasion was a once-in-a-century event, especially since the person undergoing the coming-of-age ceremony was the Crown Prince.
She walked up to Li Chengqian and said with a smile, "Your Highness, you look quite handsome today."
"Stop fooling around, all the civil and military officials are watching."
"Is there anything I can help you with next?"
"No, let's talk after the ceremony."
Su Wan pouted and said, "Okay then."
At this moment, Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun also arrived.
Li Shimin wore a yellow fur-trimmed ceremonial robe, while Empress Zhangsun wore a black ceremonial robe embroidered with exquisite pheasant patterns, which made her appear noble and dignified.
When the civil and military officials saw the emperor arrive, they knelt on the ground and shouted "Long live the emperor!"
Li Shimin, looking radiant and beaming, said: "My beloved ministers, you may rise and dispense with formalities."
Li Shimin looked intently at Li Chengqian and nodded slightly.
In fact, he also loved his eldest son very much and had high hopes for him.
Li Shimin said loudly, "Chengqian is thirteen years old this year. Under the careful care of his teachers, he has grown up healthily and is taller than me."
The time for the coming-of-age ceremony has arrived. Today is an auspicious day, suitable for all activities. I cordially invite all my beloved ministers to come and witness the Crown Prince's coming-of-age ceremony.
"Congratulations to the Great Tang Dynasty! Congratulations to His Majesty!" the civil and military officials exclaimed.
"Next, the master of ceremonies, King Yue, will preside over the ceremony."
Li Tai strode heavily up into the hall.
With every step this guy took, the entire Golden Palace trembled three times.
He looked a little nervous: "Father, Mother, Crown Prince, ministers and generals, I am honored to be invited by my elder brother to preside over this ceremony. However, I have little experience and I ask for your forgiveness if I am impolite."
Upon hearing this, everyone thought that the young man had finally learned to be humble.
"Next, please welcome the Crown Prince's tutor, Kong Yingda, to give a speech."
In order to strengthen Li Chengqian's education, Li Shimin specially invited two Confucian masters, Lu Deming and Kong Yingda, to teach him when the crown prince was very young.
In particular, this Mr. Kong is a descendant of Confucius, highly respected and learned.
Kong Yingda, with his white hair and beard, came to the hall, first bowed to Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun, and then coughed twice: "Your Majesty has entrusted me with the important task of serving as the Crown Prince's teacher together with Lu Deming."
Since assuming the post, I have been filled with trepidation, working tirelessly day and night, for fear of delaying the Crown Prince's studies.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince was intelligent and diligent in his studies. Now, he has achieved great success in his studies and is proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as the works of various philosophers.
There was nothing wrong with how he handled government affairs.
I am deeply gratified by this.
Today, the Crown Prince undergoes his coming-of-age ceremony; this is a blessing for the Tang Dynasty and a boon for the nation.
"Teacher, you've worked hard!" Li Chengqian bowed to Kong Yingda.
Moved to tears, Kong Ying said, "Now, I will read aloud several articles written by the Crown Prince..."
As expected, the Crown Prince's article was beautifully written, full of insightful words, logically sound, and its analysis of the issues was incisive and relevant to the times.
After hearing this, Wenwu praised it highly.
In fact, this Mr. Confucius also had his own ideas. In this way, at least it could prove that he did not mislead students and take the court's salary for nothing.
More than an hour had passed by the time the old man Confucius finished his rambling.
Li Chengqian felt a little dizzy standing below.
Li Tai went up to the palace again and invited Master Kong down from the stage: "Here, on behalf of my imperial brother, I would like to express my gratitude to Master Kong for his hard work! Without the careful cultivation of all of you teachers, there would be no such outstanding Crown Prince."
Next, please welcome Minister of Rites Chen Shuda to deliver a congratulatory speech.
This Chen Shuda was no ordinary person. He was the seventeenth son of Emperor Xuan of Chen and the younger brother of Emperor Houzhu of Chen. He was also a senior figure in the court.
Before Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji joined forces to constantly slander Li Shimin in front of Li Yuan, so Li Yuan planned to punish Li Shimin.
Chen Shuda advised Li Yuan: "Li Shimin has made great contributions and has done nothing wrong. He should not be punished. Moreover, Li Shimin is of a strong and unyielding nature. If he is humiliated, he may not be able to bear it and may do something extreme. By then, it will be too late to regret it."
Li Yuan then abandoned his idea of punishing Li Shimin.
In the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Shimin executed Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji.
Li Yuan was so angry that he vomited blood. Chen Shuda tried to persuade him, saying that the Tang dynasty was established by Li Shimin, and Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji had no merit. However, they were jealous of Li Shimin and now they wanted to rebel. Li Shimin should put righteousness above family ties and make Li Shimin the crown prince.
Therefore, Li Yuan agreed to make Li Shimin the crown prince, and two months later he abdicated in favor of Li Shimin, becoming the retired emperor.
Later, Li Shimin appointed Chen Shuda as Minister of Rites and said to him, "You helped me back then, and today I thank you."
Chen Shuda replied, "I am not just helping you; I am considering the fate of the Tang Dynasty and the well-being of its people."
Therefore, Li Shimin also held Chen Shuda in the highest esteem.
After Chen Shuda entered the palace, he naturally couldn't help but sing praises and eulogies.
"Crown Prince Li Chengqian is handsome, intelligent, and kind-hearted. Since he was appointed Crown Prince at the age of eight, his behavior has been appropriate and he is deeply loved by the civil and military officials of the court..."
It's about ten pages long!
Li Chengqian was so tired from listening that he was almost falling asleep. He hadn't expected that the coming-of-age ceremony would be so troublesome. He was exhausted, especially since he had a problem with his left foot.
Su Wan came to his side, tugged at his collar, and lowered her voice: "Your Highness, don't sleep yet, it'll be over soon."
Li Chengqian opened his eyes and looked at her: "Don't cause trouble, I'm going to take a nap first."
"What are you squinting for? Everyone's watching you. The climax of the coming-of-age ceremony is about to begin; your father is going to personally put the crown on your head."
"How much longer?"
"How would I know? About half an hour."
"Alright, I'll hold on a little longer."
Finally, Chen Shuda finished reading his congratulatory message.
Li Tai stepped forward again and said, "Thank you for the congratulatory message from the Minister of Rites. It was very comprehensive and detailed. Now, please let Father Emperor crown the Crown Prince."