The sixteenth year of the Zhengei era.

January 15th.

At the annual New Year's Day celebration, Emperor Zhengyong appeared in person to celebrate with the people.

That night, the entire capital city kept its doors open, lights were on all night, and people celebrated all night long.

The entire capital city and its people were immersed in a sea of ​​joy.

But on the second day, an imperial edict was issued by the cabinet.

The Emperor, Fengtian Chengyun, proclaims: I am blessed by the heaven and rule the world. I work hard day and night to carry forward the legacy of my ancestors. The prince Chengji is intelligent, upright, benevolent, filial, and has a long-standing reputation. Now, as the eldest son, I am appointed as the crown prince and will rule the East Palace.

The Crown Prince, now that he has been appointed, should put the country first. I have specially appointed the Crown Prince to supervise the country and manage the military and national affairs, so that the government is in harmony with the people and the world is at peace. The Crown Prince should respect the Heaven and follow the ancestors, be kind to the people and love all things, be humble and accept advice, and be diligent in governing the country.

However, the great affairs of the state cannot be without wise and capable assistants. Xu Mujun, Zheng Zongbing, Zheng Zongxian, Zheng Xuanyue, Li Changfeng, Kong Xiangsi, Wang Anshi, etc. are all loyal and upright people with both talent and virtue. I have entrusted them with the task of advising the emperor. You should assist the prince with all your heart, perform your duties conscientiously, correct the mistakes, and ensure the eternal stability of our country and the long-term peace of our country.

This is it.

The sixteenth day of the first lunar month in the sixteenth year of Zhengei.

This imperial edict not only appointed Zheng Chengji as the crown prince, but also ordered him to be regent.

The most important thing is that the imperial edict appointed seven ministers of state.

This kind of order and configuration is exactly the imperial decree that the late emperor would issue before his death.

Many ministers and common people were bewildered.

He was having fun with the people last night, and I even heard that he summoned more than ten nobles in one night.

Why do you want to entrust your child to someone else's care in just one night?
It is obvious that Emperor Zhengyong is less than 40 years old now, and is in good health and full of energy.

Since he ascended the throne, he has put down the rebellion of King Tang and the rebellion of Yang Xiang. Later, he put down the rebellion in the north, the unrest of the kings, the rebellion of the aristocratic families, expelled the Wu State, and expanded the territory.

His prestige and fame are enough to rank him among the top three among the more than 20 emperors of Dayu.

How come... you're entrusting your orphan to someone else right now? !
This imperial edict caused so much discussion in the court and among the people.

Many loyal and righteous people in the court even speculated that it was the Lu family who joined forces with the Xu family to imprison the emperor and control the government, which caused countless rumors.

But no matter what, after the imperial edict was issued, the entire court, under the guidance of the cabinet, began to gradually transfer power to Zheng Chengji.

Hall of Supreme Harmony.

"The Emperor, in accordance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: I am blessed by Heaven and rule the world. I work hard day and night to carry forward the legacy of my ancestors. The prince, Chengji, is intelligent, upright, benevolent, and filial. He has a long-standing reputation. Now, as the eldest son of the royal family, he is appointed as the Crown Prince and will rule the East Palace."

A fair-complexioned and handsome young eunuch who looked less than twenty years old held the imperial edict and read it aloud.

Perhaps because of nervousness, his voice was a little trembling.

But after all, he was a eunuch trained by the Lu family, and he grew up with Zheng Chengji since childhood and they had a very good relationship.

Zheng Chengji, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and a golden crown on his head, walked towards the dragon throne with dignity and solemnity.

Now he is still just the prince.

Although he could also wear a bright yellow brocade robe, he could only wear a python robe, not a dragon robe.

His eyes revealed a hint of determination and composure. Under the guidance of the officials from the Ministry of Rites, he sat on the dragon throne...a small chair on the left side.

This chair is very similar to the dragon throne, with the same carvings of dragons and phoenixes.

But compared to the dragon throne, it is undoubtedly much smaller.

He subconsciously glanced at the dragon throne. For some reason, he felt that the tall chair was more attractive than this small chair.

However, he quickly remembered the reminders from his mother and uncles and dared not look at it again.

Under the guidance of the official from the Ministry of Rites, he turned around and sat on the chair.

Under the main hall, civil and military officials, led by Xu Mujun, Zheng Xuanyue and others, saluted Zheng Chengji one after another.

"Your Highness... pays respect to His Majesty the Crown Prince!"

"My Lords... Stand up!"

Zheng Chengji's voice was somewhat crisp and soft, but he was a prince before after all, and now he is the crown prince.

With the support of the Lu family, I gradually felt more stable.

The atmosphere in the palace was solemn and dignified, with melodious music playing. The palace maids and eunuchs stood in silence with their heads bowed, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

Sitting under the dragon throne, he could still overlook the people below, and an unprecedented sense of pride and responsibility surged in his heart.

He knew very well that from this moment on, he would shoulder the future of the country and the well-being of the people.

At the same time, he also obtained the greatest power in the Dayu Dynasty from his father.

imperial power……!
"Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

The minister stood up and saluted respectfully.

It was exactly the hour of Mao, the sun was high in the sky, and the light shone through the hollow window lattices onto Zheng Chengji's body, as if he was covered with a golden halo.

He subconsciously looked into the distance.

Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, many eunuchs, palace maids, guards, etc. were lined up in several rows, their expressions even more respectful.

Only at this moment did he remember what his mother and others had said before.

"Ji'er, when you become the crown prince, you will understand why your father is so respected."

"And you will become the most powerful person in my Great Yu Dynasty, and the future crown prince..."

Even his uncles became more respectful after learning that he would become the crown prince.

At this time, the official from the Ministry of Rites winked to the left.

Lu Xin, the young eunuch who had served Zheng Chengji since childhood, stepped forward and took out another eunuch, saying loudly:
"The emperor is destined to be carried by heaven, and the edict says:"

"I have established a crown prince to govern the country. However, important state affairs cannot be achieved without wise and capable people to assist us."

"Xu Mujun, Zheng Zongbing, Zheng Zongxian, Zheng Xuanyue, Li Changfeng, Kong Xiangsi, Wang Anshi, etc. are all loyal and upright people with both talent and virtue. I have entrusted them with the task of protecting my country. You should assist the crown prince with all your heart, perform your duties conscientiously, correct the mistakes, and ensure the stability of our country and the prosperity of our country."

"Appreciate this!"

Xu Mujun, Zheng Zongbing, Zheng Xuanyue, Li Changfeng, Kong Xiangsi, and Wang Anshi all stepped out and said respectfully, "We accept your order and thank you!"

Among the seven regents, Zheng Zongxian is still stationed at Heishan Pass, but after receiving the order, he resigned and returned immediately.

It will take at most half a month to return to the capital.

As the only innate realm expert in the Dayu royal family, Zheng Zongxian's arrival can further strengthen the power of the royal family.

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

Seeing this, Lu Xin said again: "If you have the money, please report it early. If you don't have the money, please leave the court~!"

Xu Mujun was the first to step forward and said, "Your Highness, the Emperor is now in retreat, and has ordered you to be the regent. All political affairs will be decided by the cabinet after consultation with you."

Thinking of his mother's instructions, Zheng Chengji said quickly, "Xu Qing, I... got it. Before my father left, he also told me to learn from the adults."

Xu Mujun nodded and said, "It is undoubtedly the best idea for the Crown Prince. We will definitely assist His Royal Highness and live up to His Majesty's trust."

Zheng Chengji asked, "I wonder if Mr. Xu has anything important to report?"

"Your Highness, all important matters of the court are handled by the cabinet. However, there are two matters that require your decision."

Zheng Chengji became interested: "What's the matter?"

"Weiguo."

Xu Mujun said: "Years ago, the King of Wei passed away, but his son was forced by the Third Prince and his powerful officials to flee to Dayu."

"At that time, His Majesty ordered Lord Cai Dashi and General Qu Bo's Second Army to enter the capital to quell the rebellion."

"Now General Qu Bo's Second Army has already entered the territory of Wei State, defeated seven armies of Wei State in a row, and is less than a hundred miles away from the capital of Wei State."

"Now the third prince of Wei State has surrendered and is willing to give up the throne of King Wei, only wishing to save the life of his family."

Zheng Chengji asked carefully: "What does the cabinet think about this matter?"

Xu Mujun did not speak. Zheng Xuanyue stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, your majesty's idea is that... the fake Wei King is a traitor and has usurped the throne. His surrender must not be accepted." "His entire family is also considered traitors and must be exterminated!"

Zheng Chengji nodded slightly and said, "Is that so? It seems that Father wants to support the Prince of Wei?"

"Cough cough..."

Zheng Xuanyue coughed dryly and then said, "Your Highness, General Qu Bo reported that when the war was going well half a month ago, the prince of Wei suddenly became interested and went hunting in the mountains."

"But at this time, the mountains were covered with snow and wind, and the prince of Wei's horse was much better than the guards who accompanied him, so he actually disappeared."

"The mountain was covered with snow at the time, so the soldiers were unable to search. They could only search again after the snow stopped."

"Finally, we found the Prince of Wei in a valley...but unfortunately, he had passed away."

"After examination by the accompanying military doctor, it was found that the prince of Wei was stabbed in the abdomen by a ferocious beast such as a wild boar. He bled excessively and did not receive timely medical treatment, so he died."

"what?!"

Zheng Chengji was surprised and asked, "The Prince of Wei has also passed away?"

"Then why did Father want to exterminate the clan of the Third Prince of King Wei?"

"If so, doesn't that mean there is no one to succeed the Wei Kingdom?"

As soon as he finished speaking, no one in the hall responded. All of them looked at him with strange eyes.

Zheng Chengji immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing and subconsciously looked at Xu Mujun.

Seeing this, Xu Mujun said softly: "Your Majesty, there is no successor to the Wei State, so it is time for us, Dayu, to take over the Wei State."

Zheng Chengji suddenly realized what his father and the cabinet meant.

This is the achievement of expanding territory!
Wei State is located in a bitterly cold place, but at least it is close to the East China Sea and has abundant resources.

At the very least, the land area is much larger than that of Nanyue County.

In time, among the Thirteen States of Dayu, perhaps a new state, Weizhou, will emerge!

Thinking of this, he quickly changed the subject and asked, "Then Xu Qing, what about the second thing?"

Xu Mujun said: "When your majesty was alive, he issued an order to establish military districts in the thirteen states of Dayu and station garrisons in the local areas."

"The Cabinet and the Ministry of War have already made a preliminary plan based on the situation of the garrisons and border troops in each state. All that remains is to stamp the seal and announce it to the world."

"Oh? What military regions are there?"

Xu Mujun took out a memorial and said:

"The Central Military Region is stationed in the capital, radiating to Bingzhou, Qingzhou, and Jizhou."

"The Northern Military District is stationed in Binzhou and radiates to Binzhou, Youzhou, and Haizhou."

"The Southern Military Region is stationed in Jiangzhou, radiating to Yunzhou, Jingzhou, Jiangzhou, and Nanyue County."

"The Eastern Military Region is stationed in Haizhou and radiates to Haizhou, Xuzhou and other places."

"The Western Military Region is stationed in Yongzhou and radiates to Yongzhou, Shuzhou and other places."

"In addition, we will establish the Beiyang Navy and the Nanyang Navy to jointly guard the sea borders of Dayu."

Zheng Chengji was a little confused for a moment. He didn't know much about the Thirteen States of Dayu and these military regions.

However, he still nodded and said, "I wonder who is in charge of these five major military regions... and the South and North Seas? What is their status?"

Xu Mujun said: "Each military region has a chief general, three deputy generals, and several other officials stationed in various places."

"At the same time, in order to ensure that the major military regions do not form a warlord separatist situation, the commanders of the military regions will be replaced every five years."

Xu Mujun said in a strange tone: "This matter was promoted by your majesty, and it cannot be abandoned."

"Your Majesty is the commander-in-chief of the five major military regions and the two naval forces. Any appointment of officers and soldiers must be decided by Your Majesty."

"Among them, the Central Military Region is commanded by me, and I am the general who protects the country."

"The Eastern Military Region is commanded by General Cui Xiawu, who is given the title of General Zhendong and is a first-class military commander."

"The Western Military Region is commanded by General Miao Xiu, who is given the title of General Zhenxi, a first-class military commander."

"The Southern Military Region is commanded by General Guanshan, who is given the title of General Zhennan and is a first-class military commander."

"The Northern Military Region is commanded by General Xu Qilin, who is given the title of General Zhenbei and is a first-class military commander."

"These four people are the commanders of the five major military regions appointed by His Majesty. They are ranked first rank and are in charge of all military affairs in their respective states and counties. They are independent of the state and county administrative systems."

"In addition to being the general of the Central Military Region, I am also the first principal of the Dayu Military Academy, which is mainly responsible for training military officers for Dayu."

After hearing so much in confusion, Zheng Chengji had some understanding of the five major military regions.

"Hey, that's not right, General Xu."

Zheng Chengji suddenly asked: "Didn't you say before that in addition to the five major military regions, there are also the Beiyang and Nanyang navies? What about them?"

Xu Mujun replied: "The commander of the Beiyang Navy was originally General Meng Guang."

"But at this moment, he is still stationed in Yunmengze and cannot split himself in the short term."

"As for the Nanyang Navy, it has not yet been established."

"Your Majesty's intention is to draw naval talents from the Beiyang Navy and go to Nanyang to establish the Nanyang Navy."

"The Nanyang Navy's base, according to preliminary investigation, can be established near the sea in Nanyue County."

"As for the position of the commander of the Nanyang Navy, the cabinet is still discussing it."

"It can then be submitted to the Crown Prince for your decision."

Zheng Chengji nodded and said, "I understand..."

Afterwards, after discussing some things, Zheng Chengji, who was only eight years old, felt a little sleepy.

After seeing this, Xu Mujun and the cabinet and others tactfully stopped reporting government affairs.

"Retreat~!"

Amid Lu Xin's loud shouts, Zheng Chengji's first court meeting as regent ended.

On the way back to the palace, Zheng Chengji finally calmed down, rubbed his temples and said, "I am so tired from attending court. No wonder my father wanted to go to the Tianshou Mountain Palace for seclusion~"

Lu Xin said cautiously: "You are so majestic today, my Lord. So many officials are kneeling before you!"

Zheng Chengji also laughed and said, "I am the crown prince and the future emperor, so of course they have to kneel down and worship me!"

"Your Highness is so majestic~!"

Lu Xin patted the horse again and said, "But this servant discovered something during the morning court today."

"what's up?"

"I've discovered that the civil and military officials in the court seem to respect General Xu more~"

Zheng Chengji frowned and said, "General Xu has made great contributions to the country and the people. Even if my father were alive, he would have great trust in him."

"All civil and military officials should respect the general, that's as it should be~"

Lu Xin patted her lips lightly and said carefully: "It is my fault for talking too much. I hope Your Highness will forgive me~!"

"Forget it, you are doing this for my own good. Don't talk too much in front of outsiders in the future."

"Here~!"

Lu Xin said with a smile, but she didn't care in her heart.

It won't work once or twice, but over the years, it will definitely change Zheng Chengji's mind and ideas.

By then, he will have completed the order given to him by the Lu family.

"I have ordered the palace maids to boil some hot water. Your Highness, please take a bath after we return to the palace. I will personally give you a massage to help you get rid of your fatigue."

"Xin Ge'er did a good job~" (End of this chapter)