20demayo Chapter 8 The Princes Enter the Capital
Chapter 8 The Princes Enter the Capital
That night, King Wu died in the palace in Haojing.
Ji Dan knelt by the bed and cried for a while, then picked up the Crown Prince Song. The prince rested his head on Ji Dan's shoulder without saying a word, but his tears soaked Ji Dan's clothes.
Jiang Shang, leaning on his cane, slowly rose, walked to the bedside, took one last look at Ji Fa's face, turned and walked out, his steps faltering. Zhang Zhao knelt at the foot of the bed, remaining there for a long time.
The following morning, the bells of Haojing rang, and all the officials donned mourning clothes, deeply grieving.
Crown Prince Song ascended the throne, becoming King Cheng.
Ji Dan succeeded King Cheng in ruling the country and was known as the "Grand Chancellor".
Jiang Shang was appointed Grand Tutor to assist in governing, Zhang Zhao remained as Sima, Zhao Gongshi was promoted to Grand Protector, and Bi Gonggao remained as Minister of Justice, each performing their respective duties.
After Ji Dan assumed regency, fearing instability in the realm, he summoned all officials to the court and said, "The new ruler is young, so I will temporarily govern the country. All the friendly vassal states of the Great Zhou are requested to come to Haojing as soon as possible to discuss important national affairs together."
He then dispatched envoys to all directions to inform the feudal lords.
When the feudal lords of the east heard about this, some were doubtful and some were afraid, but none of them dared not to come.
On the third day after King Cheng ascended the throne, Ji Dan held a grand sacrificial ceremony in the ancestral temple.
He personally wrote the eulogy to comfort King Wen and King Wu: The cause of the Zhou dynasty has successors; the will of the former kings will surely continue.
The news reached Liang Kingdom ten days later.
Si Hao, accompanied by Zhang Chengsi, stood atop the city walls of Liangyi, listening to Zhang Ke read the letter from Haojing, and remained silent for a long time.
Zhang Chengsi was already five years old. He looked up and asked his mother, "When is Father coming back?" Si Hao bent down, picked him up, rested her chin on his head, and looked in the direction of Haojing without answering.
……
Whether they were high-ranking officials from the royal capital or feudal lords from all directions, they all came to Haojing with different intentions to pay homage to an eight-year-old emperor.
The inns in Haojing City, which were used to receive feudal lords, were bustling with activity. To Zhang Zhao's surprise, Si Hao and Zhang Chengsi also came.
Not long after Zhang Zhao returned home from the Sima's office, a servant suddenly came to report: "My lord, the lady and the young master have arrived."
He paused in his tea-drinking motion, looked up, thinking he'd misheard. "What did you say?"
"Madam and young master... are already outside the door."
Zhang Zhao paused for a moment, put down his teacup, and got up to leave.
He walked very fast and almost tripped at the door.
As soon as he stepped out of the house, he saw the familiar oxcart in front of the house, with several boxes on it, which Si Hao had brought from Liang State.
A woman was standing next to the car, dressed in a light blue robe.
The child next to them had grown up and was holding his mother's hand, standing in front of the house looking around.
Si has become very thin and dark-skinned.
The wind and sun of Liang Kingdom left a thin layer of red on her face, no longer the fair complexion she had in Haojing, but the gentleness in her eyes remained unchanged.
The moment she saw Zhang Zhao, her eyes welled up with tears, but she didn't cry. Instead, she lowered her head and whispered something in her son's ear.
Zhang Chengsi released his mother's hand and looked timidly at the strange man walking towards him.
He doesn't remember much about his father anymore; he was only two years old when they parted, and now he's five.
He only remembered his mother often unfolding a scroll of silk under the lamp and saying, "This was written by your father."
He didn't know what "father" meant; he only knew that it was someone very, very far away, so far that he could only live on in the lines of a silk scroll.
Zhang Zhao squatted down to be at eye level with his son.
"My son," he called softly.
Zhang Chengsi didn't respond, but shrank closer to his mother. Si Hao gently pushed his back and said softly, "Haven't you been asking when Father will come back? Father is right here."
Zhang Chengsi bit his lip, looked at his mother, then at the stranger in front of him with reddened eyes, and finally whispered, "Father."
Zhang Zhao's tears welled up instantly.
He reached out and pulled his son and wife into his arms, burying his face in Sihao's shoulder and crying like a child.
Si Hao didn't cry, but gently patted his back, just like she had patted Cheng Si, who was still in swaddling clothes, in the courtyard of Fengyi five years ago.
After a while, Zhang Zhao stood up and hastily wiped his face with his sleeve. He looked at Si Hao and asked with concern, "Why did you come? Did you encounter any danger? Are you injured?"
Sihao said softly, "Uncle said that Si'er is already five years old and has not yet seen her father. He said that Liang Kingdom will be guarding the capital so there won't be any problems, so he sent armored soldiers to escort us to Haojing."
Zhang Zhao was stunned, unsure how to respond. He looked at his wife in front of him; she was darker, thinner, and had changed a lot compared to before.
Five years ago in Fengyi, she knew nothing and asked no questions. All she knew was to stay home, take care of the children, and wait for him to return.
Five years later, she traveled all the way from Liang to Haojing with her five-year-old son.
"These past five years have been tough on you," Zhang Zhao finally said after a long pause.
"My lord, please don't say such things. I have said that whatever decision you make, I will follow you."
Zhang Zhao was speechless, only tears streaming down his face. He picked up his son with one arm and held his wife's hand with the other, and walked into the house.
……
Day two.
Zhang Zhao was ordered to arrive at the post station early to teach the feudal lords the etiquette of paying homage to the emperor.
Although they had previously implemented the Zhou rites among the various vassal states, the barbarian vassal states had never respected the king's rule. Their visit to the capital to pay homage to the emperor was merely due to the military force of the emperor's six armies and the eight divisions of Yin.
Everyone was talking about Ji Dan and Zhang Zhao. Neither of them were unknown figures. One was the son of King Wen and the younger brother of King Wu, and was known throughout the world for his wisdom and benevolence. The other was a former official of Chaoge who had served the Zhou dynasty and was a virtuous minister deeply loved by the people. They had heard of their great names, but rarely had the opportunity to meet them.
At this moment, inside the royal palace.
Ji Dan was carefully adjusting King Cheng's clothes, his face full of loving kindness.
"Your Majesty, this is your first time summoning all the feudal lords. You must remain calm. Do not worry, no matter what happens, I am here."
Hearing Ji Dan's words of comfort, King Cheng's tense heart calmed down slightly. "Uncle, I understand."
When the time was almost up, Ji Dan and King Cheng, surrounded by guards and palace maids, arrived at the place of the sacrificial ceremony. The feudal lords who had come to pay homage had been waiting for nearly a quarter of an hour.
When the two appeared, everyone stood up and bowed, with Zhang Zhao and Jiang Shang naturally at the head.
On the high platform, Ji Dan lifted King Cheng onto the high throne, then stood next to King Kang, facing the feudal lords.
Ji Dan, acting as regent, presided over the grand ceremony of worshipping Heaven and also offered sacrifices to the ancestral temples and the gods of mountains and rivers. The feudal lords who came to pay homage presented gifts to the emperor to express their loyalty and exchanged bows. Although the feudal lords had been exposed to the new etiquette, they all felt it was too formal and too troublesome.
Because of the armored soldiers guarding the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, the feudal lords could only suppress their discomfort and imitate the rituals in a perfunctory manner.
After all the ceremonies were over, the feudal lords came to the palace for a banquet.
This time, Zhang Zhao and his group have moved from the position of feudal lords to the position of the Six Ministers. In the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, they represented their respective states, but this time they represent the Six Ministers of the Zhou Dynasty, one of the key figures in all aspects.
After several rounds of drinks, Ji Dan put down his drinking vessel, and the feudal lords who had been watching him all knelt down.