Fengtian Hall.
The ceremonial place of enthronement of crown princes in the Dayu Dynasty, not only standing there was the majestic grand hall, but also a plaza that could hold thousands of people.
At this moment the civil and military officials were standing, the imperial guards gathered, and the royal family with the surname Zhu came together.
The official in charge of conferring regalia, the official reading the decree, the official holding and presenting the regalia, and so on were all standing in their respective positions.
Chang Feng, Xu Mo and others were also gathered with the other members of the Crown Prince's residence.
Outside Feng Tian Gate, standards and banners fluttered and ceremonial guards were heavily guarded.
The Son of Heaven dressed in ceremonial robes and hats walked slowly down the passage supported by the Wu Steward, and sat down on the dragon throne.
Everyone in the audience cheered, "Paying respects to His Majesty, may our Emperor have good fortune forever."
The Son of Heaven did not speak, he just waved his hand, signaling to observe the sun.
Steward Wu sighed and turned around, "The auspicious time is about to arrive, let the enthronement ceremony begin."
The prepared drums and music sounded, thick and high-pitched tones progressed together, sharp and low tones sounded together.
The east gate of Fengtian Hall was opened, and the Crown Prince dressed in orange formal attire finally revealed his true self.
He walked slowly but steadily, led by the attendants, stepping on the crimson carpet, and walked step by step through Feng Tian Square, arriving at Fengtian Hall.
The civil and military officials looked at him with smiles, his brothers and sisters gazed at him eagerly, his former competitor Zhu Changhong looked melancholy, only Zhu Changyu remained as calm as still water.
When Chang Yan walked past, he still smiled foolishly.
As if he was still the honest and dull Second Brother, willing to lend a helping hand to his young brother.
Not now, nor last year.
It was a long long time ago.
Perhaps the road through Feng Tian Square was too long, Chang Yan was distracted for a moment, thinking of some past events that he had almost forgotten.
In fact, he and Second Brother had interacted before.
It must have been when he was three or four years old that little Chang Yan who had always thirsted for fatherly love but never got it liked to sit by the pond and feed the fish with leftover crumbs.
He was young and small in stature, hidden behind trees and hard to find, he could always hear some secrets of the harem.
Things like several imperial consorts competing for favor, which caused Consort Ju to miscarry and lose her fertility, His Majesty was furious and had the consorts beaten and confined, it was the Empress who reluctantly pleaded for them to avoid turmoil of the previous dynasty.
Things like Second Prince was a stubborn kid, with a dull and unpleasant personality like a rock, the little eunuchs who got into trouble with their master would find ways to torment Second Prince to get even.
While getting even they would yell, "No matter who's the master, the master still has to be beaten by the servants."
Once they made a racket to the edge of the pond, little Chang Yan heard it, swayed and struggled to stand up, glared and said, "What are you doing!"
Although he was also not favored, although his mother did not have power, after all she was an empress.
The little eunuchs were so frightened that they kneeled and begged for mercy, "This slave has done nothing, this slave is helping the Second Prince smooth his muscles and bones, this slave means well, Second Prince can testify for this slave."
Little Chang Yan looked over in confusion, he only saw Zhu Changyu's bruised face.
"Second Brother, is this true?" He tried to make himself sound less childish.
How old was Zhu Changyu then, at the age of seven or eight, Zhu Changhong was still only able to act coquettishly in his parents' laps, but he had already learned to face this world with indifference.
Including indifferently answering, "Yes."
Without any hesitation, without any doubt.
The little eunuch cried with joy, his back straightened even more, "Fifth Highness, you heard it, this slave really did mean well, this slave is serving the Second Prince."
Little Chang Yan was stunned for a moment, he did not understand why Second Brother would lie, he could only watch the two walk away helplessly.
Later he snuggled in his mother's arms and quietly asked her this doubt.
His mother stroked his sideburns and said gently, "Because you can protect him once, but you can't protect him many times."
Out of sight of the Heir Apparent, the little eunuchs would only become more vicious, and even retaliate manifold.
To Zhu Changyu, it was a losing deal.
So this is what children without fathers and mothers are like, Chang Yan felt fortunate for the first time that he still had his mother's love. In his young age, he thought about it over and over again, and finally plucked up the courage to plead with the Empress, "Let's help him."
Those who are most easily willing to lend a hand are often similarly pitiful people.
Yan Empress hesitated for a long time, but eventually still used the power of the Yan family to drive away the punching and kicking little eunuchs.
Zhu Changyu's life got a respite, although he still had to live on scraps, although he still had to listen to insults from time to time, living in the corners of the imperial city like a sea worm.
A long time after that, little Chang Yan had no more news of Second Brother, until one day when he fell to the ground chasing after his father's steps, a gloomy teenager emerged from somewhere, picked him up from the ground, dusted off his clothes and then left without turning back.
Later, little Chang Yan gradually realized that he would not get his father's love, he gave up chasing his father's steps and sat quietly by the pond feeding the fish.
That was the end of the interactions between the two.
Ten years later, one became the hardworking and capable, taciturn Second Prince, while the other was the sickly Fifth Prince who could barely leave his residence.
They were both equally lacking in paternal and maternal love, they were both determined to inevitably obtain the throne.
They passed each other on this Feng Tian Square.
Chang Yan woke up from his reverie and looked hard at the teenager in his memories who was gloomy but would pick him up, as he stepped onto the stairs.
The Announcing Officials stood on both sides of the stairs, shouting in unison, "Bow down."
Chang Yan bowed solemnly.
It was the turn of the Confirming Official to call out, "We confer."
The Announcing Officials immediately said, "Kneel."
The youth in orange formal attire knelt down on both knees to listen to the official enthronement.
He didn't know how long passed before the Announcing Official stepped forward two paces to help the Crown Prince stand up and guide him into the hall.
The Interior Attendants inside came forward to receive him, chanting, "Kneel."
Chang Yan knelt down again, listening to the Official Holding the Decree kneel down before the desk to formally present the decree to the Official Reading the Decree.
The Interior Attendant announced in a loud voice for the reading of the decree, the Official Reading the Decree knelt down to read out the decree, and after finishing reading it, passed the decree to the trembling Old Minister Sun's hands. Old Minister Sun slowly knelt down, holding the decree with both hands up presenting it, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, receive the decree."
Receiving this decree signified his legitimate status as crown prince of the dynasty.
Perhaps at first Chang Yan only competed for the throne in order to live better, but at this moment, as the golden decree fell into his palms, he had a sense of undertaking the responsibility and bearing the mission of the people.
He would be the emperor of this dynasty, he would love the people like his children, he would press forward bearing heavy burdens.
Chang Yan stood up with tears brimming his eyes, passing the decree to the Treasurer, walking slowly out of the great hall to the chanting of the Announcing Officials.
The decree should be placed into the decree case by the Interior Official, he still had to bow facing heaven and earth four times on the stairs.
After straightening up his waist and returning to the hall, the Son of Heaven on the dragon throne was already smiling.
The fatherly love that he had futilely chased after for years was fully bestowed upon him in this moment.
"My son must not forget, the mission of a ruler, history's bloody lessons passed down, a lord cannot be too impetuous, nor too cowardly. As the leader of all under heaven, you must lead by example."
"The people under heaven are all your subjects."
After the man on the dragon throne finished speaking this sentence, he took a deep breath.
Steward Wu turned pale with fright, urging in a low voice, "Your Majesty, let's go back to rest, let's go back."
"No, we can't." The Son of Heaven shook his head. "The Crown Prince has not yet made offerings in memory of the Empress, the various princes have not yet been granted their fiefs. Come, announce for the imperial princes to pay their respects."
