At the end of the year, the cold wind was howling, but the palace was as warm as spring, because the heat of the fiery charcoal spread from the charcoal mouth along the sandwich wall, warming the whole palace. Li Zhi and Empress Wu sat by the bronze gilded smoke cage to warm up and chat.

Li Zhi said: "It should be changed in the first month of next year, I will be the new queen, and Vientiane will be renewed!" Empress Wu said: "The ceremony of canonizing the crown prince should also be speeded up. ”

"Of course." Li Zhi said: "What era name should Yonghui be changed to? The queen is a master of changing her name and number, have you thought of any suitable name? ”

Empress Wu replied: "Once upon a time, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty hunted in Shanglin Yuan and caught a unicorn, thinking that auspicious luck fell from the sky, so he built Yuan Yuan Hunting. Later, a three-legged Baoding was dug out in Fenyang, so it was changed to Yuan Yuanding. ”

Li Zhi listened attentively. Empress Wu continued: "The meaning of Yonghui, according to the interpretation of the "Erya Commentary", should be to perpetuate the good governance of Zhenguan and establish good merits. During the Yonghui period, His Majesty strictly followed the instructions of the first emperor, diligent in government affairs, one day, the border of the Tang Dynasty was stable, the people were in Fu'an, there was no storm in the sea, there was no sorrow in the child, there was a chastity view of the legacy, and the internal and external dynasties praised the rule of Yonghui! ”

Li Zhi put his beard in his hand, nodded and smiled: "Well said, keep talking!" Empress Wu said: "Your Majesty has completed the mission of Yonghui, and by establishing an empress to get rid of the control of the Guanlong nobles, promote the scholars of the Han family, and implement his own ideas, this is a remarkable manifestation of goodness and beauty, isn't it worth celebrating?" ”

Li Zhi said happily: "Of course I should celebrate!" Empress Wu said: "So the name of the year is called Xianqing, which is very appropriate, Your Majesty changes the Yuan Xianqing, and the heavens will descend auspicious!" ”

In a blink of an eye, on the sixth day of the first lunar month, the Tang Dynasty held a grand ceremony to crown the crown prince, and Li Zhi erected Li Hong, the acting king, as the crown prince, and demoted Li Zhong to the king of Liang and the assassin of Liangzhou. Li Hong is still young, less than four years old.

The next day, Li Zhi personally ascended the Chengtian Gate Tower, announced an amnesty for the world, changed the yuan to Xianqing, and the nine grades of civil and military affairs have been on and the five products have been the father of the latter, and the commander was transferred. Three days of drunkenness.

Li Zhong, the king of Liang, was thirteen years old, and he had already taken the Canadian dollar dress in February last year and performed the adult crown ceremony, marking that he was an adult and sensible! was supposed to study hard under the guidance of the three teachers and three young teachers, and was ready to take over, but he was unexpectedly retreated to the mansion, and his heart was infinitely melancholy.

Li Zhong and his mother, Mrs. Liu, were about to leave the East Palace and move to the original Chen Wangfu to live, but the original officials and subordinates of the East Palace fled and hid in fear of crime, and no one dared to say goodbye to Li Zhong.

Mrs. Liu comforted Li Zhong and said: "Hey, there are unforeseen circumstances in the sky, and people have good and bad luck. People in the world like to be inflammatory, and they are not willing to send charcoal in the snow, the end of the song is scattered, and people go to tea and cool, since ancient times! ”

The two walked through the Mingde Gate, and suddenly saw a person coming forward, weeping and bowing: "Li Anren, the prince's left concubine, greets His Royal Highness and his wife!" His Royal Highness suffered an accident from time to time, and the minister was grateful for the past, and was heartbroken, so he came to say goodbye, hoping that His Royal Highness and his wife would take care of themselves! After speaking, he choked up and burst into tears.

Li Zhong helped Li Anren up and said: "Mr. Li, please get up, Xiao Wang is offended, the tree is scattered, look around, the only person who dares to take the risk to say goodbye is Mr." Thank you, sir, for your farewell! ”

Mrs. Liu was also very emotional, and the three of them said goodbye.

The people of the East Palace quickly reported this touching scene to Empress Wu, thinking that Empress Wu was going to be furious again, blaming these three people like Wang and Xiao.

Who knew that Empress Wu smiled and said: "The monarch and the minister, but they don't even dare to say goodbye, where is the backbone of those humble gentlemen who read poetry and books?" I often hear them say that the rich and the rich cannot be lewd, the poor and the lowly cannot be moved, and the mighty cannot be bent, which is called a big husband! Unexpectedly, when things came to the end, they all became shrunken turtles, and they were just some people who tended to be inflammatory, and they sought benefits and avoided disadvantages! However, this Li Anren does not avoid suspicion, is generous and sad, and has the style of Wei and Jin, which is worthy of praise! ”

Empress Wu went to the Wude Hall to meet Xu Jingzong, and ordered him to send someone to praise Li Anren's spirit of loyalty and righteousness, not only to let the pro-martial faction follow suit, but also to let other factions know the queen's measurement, choose to stand in line, and take refuge in the queen's door.

Soon, the government and the opposition knew about Li Anren's deeds and praised him for his loyalty. Li Zhi took advantage of the situation to promote Li Anren to the history of Hengzhou Assassin as a commendation.

Empress Wu thought to herself that Li Zhi acquiesced to her first and then played for him, so she had to further expose the crimes of Wang and Xiao and unify the harem thinking in order to consolidate her legitimacy as the queen. Not only to let Wang and Xiao die, but also to make Wang and Xiao notorious.

Empress Wu sent Liu Zichang, the supervisor of the internal counselor, to inform the internal officials to convene a meeting of the six Shang and the 24 divisions and the five bureaus of the internal service province.

The meeting was held in the Qianqiu Palace, Xu Jieyu gave an opening speech, Gao Zhaoyuan made a speech, and Empress Wu made an important speech. The twenty-seventh woman and the eighty-first royal lady attended the meeting as observers.

Empress Wu pointed out in his speech that the harem concubines and the vast number of palace maids and eunuchs should conscientiously study and comprehend the spirit of Li Zhi's edict, take the case of Wang and Xiao Mou's poisoning as a mirror, learn lessons, and reflect deeply.

Everyone should take good study notes and write an experience, and when the time comes, Xu Jieyu will organize a special class for evaluation and evaluation, and conduct assessment and evaluation of various departments and bureaus, and the scoring results will be linked to performance salary.

The female historians carefully studied the contents of Li Zhi's abolition of Wang, Xiao's edict and the edict of Liwu, opened the package, took out the pen curtain, ink box, and Shu paper to take notes, and unanimously expressed their resolute support for everyone's decision, and resolutely supported everyone's serious handling of the Wang and Xiao Mou's poisoning case in accordance with the law and regulations.

In the end, the meeting voted by a show of hands, with unanimous votes in favor and 0 votes against, and passed the decision on amending Wang's to Python's and Xiao's to Xiao's. All the participants resolutely supported the correct decision of the Empress Wu and unswervingly maintained a high degree of consistency with the Empress Wu in thought and action.

After the meeting, Empress Wu summoned Xu Jingzong and asked him to hold a propaganda work promotion meeting in the foreign dynasty to implement the decision to change the Wang family to the python family and the Xiao family to the Xiao family.

After this day, the living records, schedules, palace affairs and palace histories recorded in the female history were renamed Python and Xiao. Zhongshu, Menxia, Secretary Province and other departments reviewed and checked the transcription, Lubu, table, Shizhi, etc., and those involved in Wang and Xiao were also renamed Python and Xiao.

After dealing with this matter, Empress Wu set her sights on the children of the Xiao clan. Xiao gave birth to two daughters and a son, Princess Yiyang is 10 years old, Princess Xuancheng is 7 years old, and Yongwang Li Sujie is 8 years old.

Before the princess got married, she belonged to the inner wife and was in charge of the queen. The Xiao family was executed, and the second princess also belonged to the family of sinners, and was confiscated into a remote place in the palace and kept under the care of the female official Cui Curtain, but they enjoyed much higher treatment than other female prisoners.

Empress Wu was in the middle palace, and Li Sujie, the king of Yong, of course, could no longer live in the palace, and was demoted to the history of Shenzhou and went out of Beijing to serve. In the second year, he was renamed King Xun.

At this point, the Empress Wu has cleaned the harem and dominated the rivers and lakes.

The people of the harem fully realized the firm determination and clear attitude of the Empress Wu to adhere to the comprehensive and strict management of the palace, consciously maintained a high degree of consistency with the Empress Wu in terms of position, direction, principle and road, worked honestly, behaved innocently, was an upright official, resolutely obeyed the command of everyone and the Empress Wu, and made unremitting efforts to build a clean, honest and efficient harem.

Li Zhi was very pleased with the remarkable changes in the imperial court and harem, and of course he became more and more appreciative of Empress Wu, the key figure who promoted these changes.

One day, he received a recital from Tian Renwang, the secretary of Sinong Shaoqing, about the damage to the palace in Luoyang Prefecture, and Li Zhi showed it to Empress Wu.

After research, it was suggested that Li Zhi build the Qianyuan Hall and Zetianmen on the site of the old palace, and improve the treatment of Luoyang Prefecture officials, and change Luoyang Prefecture to the eastern capital for further construction. Li Zhi readily agreed.

Qingming Festival is approaching, coincidentally, the Qingming Festival and Shangsi Festival in the first year of Xianqing are the same day, both on March 5. And March 17 is the day of Zhongsi, and according to the ritual system, the queen should worship the silkworm clan.

Previously, Empress Changsun had personally worshipped silkworms in the first year of Zhenguan and March of the ninth year of Zhenguan. In March of the third year of Yonghui, Queen Wang did not worship the silkworms, because at that time, Li Zhi favored Concubine Xiao Shu and Ah Wu, and Queen Wang was snubbed.

Empress Wu understood that the importance of silkworm pro-silkworm was to inherit the tradition and encourage agriculture, so without waiting for Li's edict, he took the initiative to request the worship of silkworms in the northern suburbs.

The northern suburbs are fourteen miles north of Miyagi, and there are sacrificial places such as the square mound altar, the first silkworm altar and the mulberry picking altar. Li Zhi was overjoyed, and ordered the Ministry of Rites, Taichang Temple, and Liushang to formulate ritual procedures for worshipping silkworms with reference to the previous six processes.

According to the etiquette procedures, the Empress Wu dispatched troops, carefully deployed, and carefully arranged to ensure the smooth development of the silkworm worship activities.

First, send the inner attendants, the inner permanent attendants, the internal affairs, and the internal counselors to enter and leave the palace to publicize, and notify the following three series of personnel to participate in the silkworm worship activities on time:

(1) Internal women and persons below the sixth rank;

(2) Foreign-appointed wives (mainly the wives of mothers with more than 5 grades of Beijing officials);

(3) The eldest princess, the eldest princess, and the princess or below.

From March 12th to 14th, Empress Wu wore a hairpin dress and fasted in the apse, and fasted in the main hall on the 15th and 16th.

During the fasting period, the Shangshe was sent to the royal and the Shangshe to the northern suburbs to lay the throne, seats, and curtains, and Taile ordered the palace to be set up in the wall of the silkworm altar.

The inner confessor sets up the royal seat, the Wangqi position, the canonical position, the Sizan position, the Si Le position and the internal and external women's positions, and also sets up the royal mulberry picking is located on the mulberry picking altar, and the inner and outer women are located under the mulberry picking altar.

He also ordered the left and right Jin Wuwei to lift the curfew, and the left and right prison guards to open the gate of the garden, so that the foreign women could walk to the first silkworm altar at night and arrange them in turn.

In the early morning of March 17, Taiguan ordered the slaughterer to lead the slaughterer to slaughter livestock with a luan knife, and Zhu Shi used beans to pack hair blood and sent it to the kitchen to cook for sacrifice. The division is set up on the altar of the first silkworm and sets up the throne of the first silkworm. Si Yu put the sake into the basket, and the female history wrapped the coin. The eunuch ordered the cooked offerings to be packed into sacrificial vessels such as baskets, beans, fangs, gui, and figurines, and handed them to the confessors to be sent to the curtains.

At this time, the palace was brightly lit, and the three drums were beaten for the three stricts, and Sibin guided the women and the six Shang to enter the courtyard of the main hall to welcome the military queen.

The inner servant ordered the car to be tired of Zhai outside the pavilion, and the people were in charge. Everything is ready, Shang Yi played: "Foreign Affairs Office." ”

The Empress Wu wore a bow robe, its color was like a yellow mulberry leaf, and she rode out of the main hall on a red silk with a hanging shoulder, followed by a canopy and a guard as usual.

After the martial arts boarded the tired Zhai car, Shang Gong, the division system into the offering of mulberry hooks and bamboo baskets, tired of the Zhai car started to move forward, the guards, Yi Wei before and after the supervision as usual, the inner woman and the six Shang also took the car and then followed.

When the car arrived outside the gate of the palace in the northern suburbs, Shang Yi came to the car and knelt down and said, "Shang Yi's concubine Jiang, please descend the car." After that, he returned to his seat. Empress Wu got off the tired Zhai car and entered the palace to rest.

After resting for half a moment, Si Yan and Shang Gong guided Empress Wu into the east gate and stood to the west of the plate. Shang Gong prelude: "Please say goodbye." "Goodbye to the martial arts. Si Zan said loudly: "Farewell to the officials." "The rulers who stand outside and the wives who are inside and outside bow down again.

At this time, the musician knelt down and raised the flag, and the musician played the music of eternal harmony, and when the flag was put away, the music was stopped. Shang Gong guided the Empress Wu to ascend the silkworm altar from the south and stand on the north side of the throne. The musician plays the music of harmony. Shang Yi dedicated the coin to the Empress Wu, and the musicians played the music of peace with the song.

Shanggong led the queen to progress, kneeling in front of the first silkworm throne in the north, and then walked down the first silkworm altar from the south and returned to the plate. The female wished Shi Fengdou to ascend to the altar, knelt in front of the throne of the first silkworm under the guidance of Shang Yi, and then returned to the throne. The musicians played the music of Yonghe, and the food was served to the altar, which was displayed in front of the ancestral silkworm shrine under the guidance of Shang Yi.

Shang Gong guided the Empress Wu to wash, and Si Yan knelt down to take the plate, scarf, and knight for the Empress Wu to wash. Then the Shang Palace guided the Empress Wu to ascend to the silkworm altar from the East Majesty, and the supreme wine was offered and drunk. The musician played the music of longevity.

Shang Yi held the version on the right side of the throne of the first silkworm clan, and knelt down to read the blessing in the east: "In the middle of March in the first year of Wei Xianqing, the queen Wu dared to announce to the first silkworm clan, only the god Zhaoxing silkworm weaving, and the merit of Qianli. When choosing Jiashi, the style obeys the order, and I would like to sacrifice the coins and sacrifice the goods, and recommend them to God. Enjoy! ”

After the martial arts worshiped the first silkworm god seat, Shang Yi used the lord to drink the blessing wine to offer the martial arts, and then the martial queen bowed to the knight and knelt down to the first silkworm god seat to offer wine. Then, Shang Gong guided Empress Wu from His Majesty's Altar in the South and returned to the plate.

After the first gift of Empress Wu, the next step was to guide Concubine Wei to make a gift, Gao Zhaoyuan to make a final gift, and after the three gifts were completed, Si Zan sang loudly: "Give it." The applause sang: "All the officials worship." "All those in office bow down.

Shang Gong guided the Empress Wu to the position of Wang, Shang Yi carried the bamboo fence to the front of the first silkworm shrine to take the coin, and then went down to the altar to the camp, and placed the coins in the camp. Sizan sang loudly, "It's a stump." "Four people from the east and the west filled the stump with earth.

Shang Gong guided the Empress Wu to the mulberry altar to pick mulberry position, and stood in the east. Mulberry trees are planted around the mulberry picking site. Shanggong offered a mulberry picking golden hook, and the pawn carried a bamboo basket to prepare to receive mulberry leaves. The martial queen held a golden hook and pulled close to the mulberry branches to pick mulberry leaves, and a total of three mulberry leaves on the branches were picked before the ceremony was completed.

After the martial arts pick mulberry, the four women inside and outside the order to pick mulberry in turn, the female history carries a bamboo basket to pick mulberry leaves, the first lady to pick five mulberry leaves, the second and third grades of the lady to pick nine mulberry leaves to finish the ceremony.

After the mulberry picking ceremony, Sibin guided the internal and external women to return to their positions, and led Xu Jieyu to the silkworm room next to the mulberry picking altar to feed the silkworm baby. Shang Gong led the canonical and female history of the bamboo basket into the silkworm room, handed over the mulberry leaves to the silkworm mother, and the silkworm mother handed it to Xu Jieyu, who sprinkled mulberry leaves to feed the silkworms.

After feeding the silkworms, the Shang Palace guided the Empress Wu to return to the Palace to rest, and Sibin and Neidian guided the internal and external wives to go back to the venue to rest. A moment later, the Empress Wu changed into a hairpin dress and went out to take a tired car back to the palace. After returning to the main hall, the chamberlain played: "Please relieve the strictness." "The soldiers return to their place.

The next day, the Empress Wu set up a grand banquet in the Qianqiu Palace, and invited the internal and external women who followed the silkworms yesterday to the banquet to perform the wine ceremony.

The women inside and outside were a little tired after yesterday's hard work, only the Empress Wu was full of energy and spirits, and talked and laughed with Concubine Wei, Concubine Yan, Mrs. Zhou Guo and others about the past in Taizong's palace. Mrs. Daiguo and Mrs. Korea also sat on the upper seat and enjoyed the noble courtesy.

After the wine ceremony, the entire silkworm ceremony is over.

This grand ceremonial ceremony of worshipping the ancestors mobilized all the internal and external women in Beijing and the female officials of the six and twenty-four divisions of the harem, which shocked the inside and outside of the court. The officials of the pro-martial faction actively mobilized their mothers and wives to participate in the grand meeting, and the officials of the Taiwei faction also had to send their wives to participate, only the eldest grandson Wuji did not send his wife to participate.

Li Zhi has been paying close attention to the whole process of the Martial Queen's operation of the Silkworm Ceremony, and is full of praise for the Martial Queen's organizational ability, coordination ability and demeanor and temperament. Since March, Li Zhi has not been fortunate with other concubines, and has only lingered with Empress Wu every night, and Empress Wu soon became pregnant again.