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Chapter 2555 Divine Authority and Imperial Authority

News of the defeat of King Changxin and the annihilation of the Northern Jurchen cavalry spread throughout the land, and the remaining forces in various regions submitted to him.

No one dared to fight anymore.

The reputation of Suning's 200,000 black cavalry swept across the land like a hurricane. Everyone knew that going against Suning meant certain death.

He Jingyuan led his army and waited for Su Ning in the capital for a week.

When Su Ning returned from the Northwest, He Jingyuan had already set everything up for the coronation ceremony in the Fengtian Hall.

As soon as Su Ning entered the capital, he was blocked at the city gate by He Jingyuan.

He Jingyuan led all the civil and military officials to kneel on the ground in unison, a dark mass of people.

He Jingyuan knelt at the very front, his voice booming and carrying far, "My lord, the world cannot be without a ruler for even a day. Please ascend the throne and bring peace to the land!"

Wei Qilin knelt beside him and said, "My lord, please don't refuse. You conquered this empire; if you don't become emperor, who will?"

The civil and military officials behind them shouted in unison, "Please, my lord, ascend the throne and become emperor! Bring peace and stability to the land!"

Su Ning, mounted on his horse, looked at the people kneeling on the ground, remained silent for a moment, and then shook his head. "No. What virtue or ability do I, Su Ning, have to presume to usurp the throne? This world was won by everyone together, not by me alone. I beg General He to ascend the throne, and I, Su Ning, will gladly serve as your subject."

He Jingyuan became anxious and stood up, saying, "My lord, aren't you slapping me in the face? I know my own limitations. Without you, I couldn't even conquer Fengzhou, let alone the capital. Only you can be the emperor; no one else can."

Wei Qilin also stood up, pulling on Su Ning's horse reins and refusing to let go. "My lord, please don't refuse. If you become emperor, we will follow you. If you don't become emperor, who can keep order in this world? Although the Prince of Changxin has been destroyed, the Northern Jurchens are still here, and the remnants of forces in various places are still here. Without you in charge, chaos will break out again in a few days."

Suning shook his head again and turned to leave.

He Jingyuan grabbed the reins, and Wei Qilin grabbed the other side, the two of them pulling the horse so tightly that it couldn't move.

"My lord, if you don't agree, we'll stay kneeling here and won't get up." After saying that, He Jingyuan knelt down again.

The civil and military officials behind them also knelt down, and everyone in the street knelt down, even the common people on the side of the street.

Seeing this situation, Su Ning knew that if he didn't agree, he wouldn't be able to leave today.

He sighed. "Let me think about it."

Three days later, He Jingyuan arrived again with his civil and military officials.

This time it wasn't at the city gate, but at the palace gate.

Su Ning still declined, saying that he lacked the virtue and ability to become emperor.

Three days later, He Jingyuan came to invite him for the third time.

This time, he brought even more officials, as well as representatives of gentry and commoners from the capital, a large group of several hundred people, who knelt at the palace gate from morning till night, and none of them were willing to get up.

Standing atop the palace tower, looking down at the dense crowd kneeling below, Su Ning knew that he had no choice but to become emperor.

He understood the rule of declining three times and refusing three times.

This is for the world to see. It's not that Su Ning wants to be emperor; it's that the world insists he be emperor.

Three pushes are enough.

At this moment, Su Ning couldn't help but sigh with a face full of frustration, "Alas! You have really made things difficult for me!"

Upon hearing this, He Jingyuan jumped up from the ground and shouted, "The enthronement ceremony shall begin immediately!"

……

The enthronement ceremony was held in the Fengtian Hall.

Su Ning put on the emperor's crown, with twelve strings of jade beads hanging in front of him, jingling as he walked.

The dragon robe was black, embroidered with a golden five-clawed dragon, which shimmered in the candlelight.

He sat on the dragon throne, looking at the civil and military officials standing neatly below, and felt an indescribable sense of emotion.

He Jingyuan stood at the front, holding the Imperial Seal of the State in his hands. He walked step by step up the steps, knelt in front of Su Ning, and raised the seal above his head with both hands.

"Your Majesty, please accept the Imperial Seal. From this day forward, you shall be the ruler of the world."

Suning accepted the jade seal; it was heavy and cool to the touch.

He glanced down at the jade seal, which was inscribed with the eight characters "Received the Mandate of Heaven, May Your Life Be Long and Prosperous".

He raised his head, looked at the officials below, and said loudly, "Today I ascend the throne, and establish the country as Dayong, with the reign title Minxing. May all the people of the world prosper and live in peace, no longer suffering the pain of war."

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" the officials shouted in unison, their voices echoing throughout the Fengtian Hall, shaking the dust off the roof beams.

The first thing to do after the coronation ceremony was to appoint an empress.

Su Ning issued an imperial edict, officially naming Wei Changyu as Empress.

Wei Changyu is Fan Changyu, and he has now reverted to his original surname, Wei.

The investiture ceremony was held in the Fengtian Hall.

Wei Changyu wore a bright red phoenix robe and a golden phoenix crown on his head, so dazzling that it made people dizzy.

When she entered the main hall, she was filled with excitement.

She went from being the daughter of a butcher in a small town to becoming an empress overnight. The change was so great that she still couldn't believe it.

Su Ning sat on the dragon throne, watching Wei Changyu walk over step by step, feeling a warmth in her heart.

From the day this girl brought him food, the leading lady of the show belonged to him.

Wei Changyu knelt before Su Ning, head bowed, her voice trembling slightly: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

Su Ning stood up and personally helped her up. "Changyu, from this day forward, you are my Empress. This empire belongs to us."

Wei Changyu raised his head and looked at Su Ning, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid I won't do a good job."

Su Ning laughed, "You did a good job. You've never made a mistake when you were collecting money and keeping accounts at the butcher shop. Is managing the harem harder than managing a butcher shop?"

Wei Changyu was amused by him, and her nervousness lessened a bit.

Wei Changning was also brought into the palace.

She is only nine years old now and doesn't understand anything about being an empress. She only knows that her older sister became empress, her brother-in-law became emperor, and she moved into a very, very big house with many people serving her.

She runs around the palace every day like a carefree little rabbit, and the palace maids and eunuchs can't catch up with her.

Su Ning looked at this sister-in-law with great affection, often picking her up and lifting her high in the air, making her giggle.

Wei Changning hugged Su Ning's neck and said in a childish voice, "Brother-in-law, you're the emperor now and you still lift me up high? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?"

Su Ning laughed and said, "Let whoever wants to laugh, laugh. Brother-in-law isn't afraid." "Brother-in-law, when Changning grows up, she will marry you and become your imperial concubine."

"Haha, great! Brother-in-law is waiting for you to grow up."

……

After ascending the throne, Su Ning began to implement sweeping reforms to the official system.

He summoned He Jingyuan, Wei Qilin, Li Huai'an, and others to the Imperial Study for a meeting.

Su Ning pointed to the new official system chart hanging on the wall and explained, "The old official system was too chaotic. The prime minister had too much power and could do whatever he wanted, which the emperor could not control. Wei Yan is an example. He was a prime minister who turned the court upside down. I have decided to abolish the prime minister system and establish the Privy Council, the Grand Secretariat, and the Six Ministries."

He Jingyuan asked, "Your Majesty, what does the Privy Council manage? What does the Grand Secretariat manage?"

Su Ning said, "The Privy Council is in charge of military affairs. All military power in the country is under the unified control of the emperor, who also serves as the Privy Councilor. Several deputy Privy Councilors are appointed to assist the emperor in handling military affairs. Without the emperor's order, no one may move a single soldier."

Upon hearing this, Wei Qilin's eyes lit up: "Your Majesty, is the Deputy Privy Councilor in charge of military affairs?"

Su Ning nodded: "Yes. I appoint you as one of the Deputy Privy Councilors to assist me in managing the military forces of the realm. Besides you, there are several other veteran generals who are also Deputy Privy Councilors."

Wei Qilin immediately knelt down to express his gratitude: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness!"

Su Ning added, “The cabinet is in charge of government affairs. The Grand Secretary is the head of all officials, responsible for handling daily government affairs and overseeing the six ministries. The Grand Secretary serves a six-year term, after which he is replaced and cannot be reappointed. This is to prevent anyone from holding power for a long time and repeating the mistakes of Wei Yan.”

He Jingyuan asked, "Your Majesty, who will be the Grand Secretary?"

Su Ning looked at him and smiled: "Minister He, you shall be the first Grand Secretary.

He Jingyuan was taken aback for a moment, then quickly waved his hand: "Your Majesty, I, Minister He, am but a mediocre person. I am only good at managing Jizhou and fighting wars, but I am not capable of governing the whole country. You should find a scholar to take over."

Su Ning shook his head: "Minister He, you have followed me all the way from Jizhou. You understand the suffering of the people and you know how officials bully them. I am at ease with you as the chief minister."

He Jingyuan's eyes reddened, and he quickly knelt down and kowtowed: "Your Majesty trusts me so much, I will work myself to death to govern the country well."

Su Ning helped him up and patted him on the shoulder. "It's not up to you to manage this alone. There are other cabinet ministers in the cabinet, and ministers and vice ministers in the six ministries. We all need to discuss and decide together; it's not up to one person to make the decisions."

Suning then went on to explain in detail the responsibilities of the six departments.

The Ministry of Personnel was in charge of the appointment, removal, and evaluation of officials; the Ministry of Revenue was in charge of money, grain, and taxation; the Ministry of Rites was in charge of sacrifices and education; the Ministry of War was in charge of the logistics and equipment of the army; the Ministry of Justice was in charge of justice and prisons; and the Ministry of Works was in charge of engineering and construction.

The six ministries each performed their duties without interfering with each other, and any matters were discussed with the cabinet.

After listening, He Jingyuan said with emotion, "Your Majesty, your system is far superior to the old one. It's no wonder that problems arose when the Prime Minister made all the decisions. Now that the roles are separated, those in charge of the military manage the military, and those in charge of administration manage the administration. No one can suppress the other."

Wei Qilin nodded: "In the past, Wei Yan held great power, and even the emperor was afraid of him. Now it's much better. The military power is in His Majesty's hands, and the cabinet manages the government affairs. No one can rebel even if they want to."

Su Ning smiled and said, "It's not over yet. I have something else to announce."

He Jingyuan and Wei Qilin both looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

Su Ning stood up, walked to the window, looked at the sky outside, and slowly said, "From now on, I am the only true god in the world. All gods, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and immortals are false gods. The people of the world are only allowed to worship my longevity tablet, and are not allowed to worship any other gods or Buddhas."

He Jingyuan and Wei Qilin looked at each other, wondering why Su Ning had said that.

Su Ning turned around, looked at them, and said seriously, "Think about it, in the past, when ordinary people believed in this god or that Buddha, was it useful? They still starved to death, and they were still bullied. Now that I have the throne, I want to tell the people that what can protect them is not those illusory gods and Buddhas, but me, the army of Dayong, and the court of Dayong."

He Jingyuan thought about it and agreed, nodding, "Your Majesty is right. If those gods and Buddhas were truly powerful, those bastards in the court would have already been punished. Why would we need to lift a finger?"

Wei Qilin also said, "What do ordinary people believe in? Believing in His Majesty is better than believing in those clay idols."

Su Ning continued, “Issue an imperial decree that temples be built in every prefecture and county throughout the country to enshrine my longevity tablet. People may come to burn incense or kowtow as they wish. No money will be charged for incense offerings; it is voluntary, and sincerity will suffice. I do not want their money; I want their hearts.”

He Jingyuan asked, "Your Majesty, what will happen to those original temples and Taoist monasteries?"

Su Ning said, "Tear it down. Smash all the Buddha and god statues. Monks and Taoist priests who want to return to secular life can do so, those who want to farm can farm, and those who don't want to return to secular life can be sent to work in the mines. From now on, there will only be the Great Yong Dynasty and me in the world, there will be no gods or Buddhas."

Grand Secretary He Jingyuan received the order and went to carry it out.

……

When the news spread, the world was shaken.

Some people say that Suning is too domineering, and doesn't even allow people to believe in gods and Buddhas.

Some people say that Suning is right: those gods and Buddhas have never protected ordinary people, so what's the use of believing in them?

Most people don't care; life goes on as usual, so what difference does it make who they believe?

Temples were built one after another in various places.

The temple was small, just one room, inside which was enshrined the longevity tablet of Su Ning, with the words "Longevity Tablet of Emperor Da Yongminxing" written on it.

Ordinary people came and went; some went in to burn incense, some went in to kowtow, and some bowed as they passed by.

An old man finished burning incense in the temple and came out to say to the people next to him, "I have lived most of my life and worshipped the Bodhisattva my whole life, but the Bodhisattva has never protected me. The lord became emperor and reduced our taxes and distributed land to us. This is the real god."

The person next to him nodded: "That's right. In the past, you could worship those Bodhisattvas, but they wouldn't say a word. But our lord is a living, breathing person, sitting right here in the capital. If you have any grievances, go to the capital and find him; he will truly stand up for you."

The old man laughed: "Then I'll worship His Majesty from now on. As for other gods and Buddhas, I don't care who they are."

The incense in the temple burned brighter and brighter, and the people regarded Suning as their true guardian deity.

It wasn't because he possessed magical powers, nor because he could summon golden rain, but because he genuinely served the people.

Tax cuts, land redistribution, road construction, land reclamation, and the redress of wrongful convictions—the people saw and remembered each and every one of these achievements.

Su Ning sat in the imperial study, reviewing memorials.

Wei Changyu walked in carrying a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup and placed it beside him. "Your Majesty, take a rest. You've been approving documents all day."

Su Ning put down his pen, rubbed his eyes, picked up his bowl and took a sip. "Changyu, tell me, did I do something wrong? Forcing the people to believe in me and not allowing them to believe in Buddhism or Taoism, wasn't that too domineering?"

Wei Changyu thought for a moment and said, “Your Majesty, it doesn’t matter who the people believe in. What matters is who can make their lives better. In the past, they believed in the Bodhisattva, but the Bodhisattva didn’t let them have enough to eat. Now they believe in Your Majesty, and Your Majesty makes sure they have enough to eat. That’s enough.”

Su Ning looked at her and smiled, "When did you become so eloquent?"

Wei Changyu also smiled: "I learned it from His Majesty."

Su Ning put down his bowl, pulled her into his arms, and hugged her. "Changyu, I promised you that once the world is at peace, I would spend every day with you. But look, I'm busier than ever now."

Wei Changyu leaned against his chest and whispered, "Your Majesty is a man destined for great things, and I don't blame you. As long as Your Majesty has me in your heart, that's enough."

Su Ning hugged her tightly without saying a word.

He picked up the charming Wei Changyu and carried her to the inner palace behind the palace.

...(End of this chapter)