AWB Chapter 982 The Emperor's New Year Day 1 (Part 2)
Chapter 982 The Emperor's New Year Day 1 (Part 2)
The roar of the officials paying homage was so powerful that it made the beams and pillars of the palace vibrate.
Li Che sat upright on his throne, his expression calm, his gaze slowly sweeping over the dark mass of people below.
There was no thrill of wielding supreme power; I just felt the burden on my shoulders growing heavier.
Li Che was very clear-headed, knowing that apart from the imperial examination graduates and the loyalists of the state, the people below were not worshipping him as a person, but rather the dragon throne beneath his buttocks.
As long as it is in accordance with the law, even if a dog were tied to the dragon throne, these ministers would still be willing to bow down.
Even the most powerful person is different; power must be earned, not bestowed by status.
After the pilgrimage, envoys from various countries presented their gifts.
The Goryeo envoy presented celadon and ginseng, the governor of Luzon presented pearls and spices, and the Ross envoy was the stingiest, presenting furs and felt blankets.
Seeing the stingy manner of the Russian envoy, Li Che began to plot when to reclaim Siberia, which belonged to him.
When it was the turn of the leaders of the various tribes of the grasslands, they stepped forward, placed their hands on their chests, bowed deeply, and shouted in their broken Xia language:
"Happy New Year, Heavenly Khan! The grasslands are forever willing to be the Heavenly Khan's loyal hounds!"
The title 'Heavenly Khan' was somewhat abrupt and caused a stir among the envoys.
The Goryeo and Mohe peoples knew about Yueyun's "Fenglangjuxu" incident, but due to the isolation of ancient times, it was obviously impossible for the news to reach the whole world.
Upon hearing the title of Heavenly Khan, some envoys who had witnessed the prowess of the steppe cavalry couldn't help but show expressions of awe and exchange glances privately.
Soon, when several envoys from the Western Regions stepped forward, some even tried to mix up the honorifics "Your Majesty the Emperor" and "Heavenly Khan" in an attempt to build rapport.
Li Che nodded slightly, fully understanding all of this; it was a natural consequence of possessing martial prowess and prestige.
Li Che was unconcerned about the behavior of these envoys.
Daqing's strategy of attacking or siding with someone is not based on the attitude of the envoys, but on Daqing's own interests.
What concerned Li Che was that Tibet had not sent anyone over.
It really proves the saying that leaders don't care who gave gifts, but they remember very clearly who didn't.
Li Che sneered inwardly. They've really grown too big for their britches. Are they no longer going to respect Daqing as the Celestial Empire?
Etiquette between major powers is not as simple as a family wedding where relatives don't attend.
Daqing was a celestial empire, and the surrounding smaller countries, under its protection, were required to pay homage to it annually, forming a complete system of homage.
The fact that Tibet didn't come was a way of telling Daqing that they were no longer willing to be Daqing's subordinate.
What else would we be but a subordinate? China has never had any so-called allies... only enemies remain.
Li Che knew that this was not the time to think about such things, so he composed himself and continued to preside over the court assembly.
After the envoys paid their respects, the newly appointed top scholar stepped forward to present a New Year's greeting on behalf of all civil officials.
The top scholar's voice was clear and melodious, his writing style was elegant and ornate, comparing Li Che's achievements to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and describing the current prosperous era as a paradise on earth.
Li Che listened patiently, wearing a polite smile, but in his heart he was thinking that this article was definitely not written by Zhang Qian.
The grand court assembly lasted for nearly two hours, ending close to 9:00 AM.
Next was the state banquet, held in the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
The hall was decorated in a magnificent manner, with tables and chairs arranged in a forest, and a dazzling array of delicacies.
However, the meal was not easy.
Li Che sat high in the main seat, with his restrained ministers and envoys below him.
Although there were many dishes, they had long since lost their heat after the long morning assembly.
There was a huge gap in social status between the emperor and his subjects, and no one dared to speak or laugh loudly.
After Li Che symbolically raised his glass, they went up one by one to offer a toast, said a few auspicious words, and then retreated.
Looking at the somber scene below, Li Che couldn't help but recall the lively times he spent in Fengguo, eating large chunks of meat and drinking large bowls of wine with his civil and military officials, and felt somewhat dejected.
He noticed that Ma Zhong wanted to eat more steamed mutton, but dared not do so due to etiquette constraints.
They also noticed that Huo Duanxiao and Zhuge Zhe, two important officials in the court, were sitting apart and dared not speak to each other.
Li Lin, however, was carefree and sat at the head of the imperial clan, chatting loudly with several princes.
However, since he dared to be so presumptuous, no one dared to be presumptuous with him, making the members of the royal family uneasy.
Li Che couldn't help but sigh inwardly. The world is indeed balanced; you gain some things, but you also lose others.
Even he himself could only maintain the dignity of an emperor.
Occasionally, Li Che's gaze would meet Li Lin's.
Taking advantage of the moment when Li Lin raised his glass, he quickly winked at him, smirked, and made a face.
Li Che almost lost his composure and quickly picked up his wine glass to hide the smile on his lips.
Good grief, that bastard!
Only after all the formalities were completed and Li Che announced the end of the banquet did he finally breathe a long sigh of relief.
He stood up and, amidst another round of shouts of "Long live the Emperor!", left the Hall of Preserving Harmony and hurried towards the inner palace.
Only there can you find the true warmth and relaxation that belongs to the 'New Year'.
Sunlight streamed through the window lattice and fell on the tabletop covered with red brocade.
When Li Che stepped into the inner palace, he couldn't wait to take off his heavy robes and even his crown.
The laughter of children, the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, and the soft whispers and giggles of the concubines instantly pulled him back from the cold etiquette of the outer court to the warmth and humanity of the human world.
Without Huai En needing to inform her, Chang Xue Ning immediately greeted him with a gentle smile, and the children excitedly rushed over.
Xiaosong and Xiaotuan slowly got up and rubbed against Li Che's trouser legs.
"Alright, alright, keep eating."
Li Che rubbed Li Cheng's head and kicked Xiao Song's butt, then gestured for everyone to take their seats.
Chang Xuening sat to his left, while Yelü Xian sat to his right.
Yan sat next to Yelü Xian. Although she had been granted the title of Consort, she was more composed and knew her place.
She simply watched with a smile, occasionally whispering instructions to the palace servants to add tea and water.
Chang Xuening carefully placed a piece of fish meat, with the bones removed, into Li Che's bowl, and then asked, "When does Your Majesty plan to allow General Yang to enter the palace?"
Li Che remained calm upon hearing her words.
The whole affair between herself and Yang Xuan was common knowledge in the court and among the public, so it wasn't surprising that Chang Xuening knew about it; she had nothing to be ashamed of.
He was already the emperor; emperors don't have battlefields. What's wrong with taking a few concubines?
“We’ll have to wait a little longer,” Li Che replied in a deep voice. “She still needs to hand over her military duties.”
Chang Ningxue nodded and said, "Marshal Yang is away fighting, and she is alone at home. Why don't we bring her to the palace?"
Li Che hesitated for a moment, clearly somewhat tempted.
But he still shook his head: "Forget it, she is still a foreign official, and this is not in accordance with etiquette."
When Chang Ningxue heard Li Che say that, she didn't try to persuade him further.
His words were merely to show that he was not jealous and had no objection to the emperor marrying Yang Xuan.