Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 430 Reward
"Roar~~~" Just as everyone was immersed in the fact that Emperor Zhu Zhanhe of Longwu had completed the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven and officially announced his ascension to the throne, a deafening dragon roar suddenly resounded throughout the heavens and earth! It seemed to have come specifically for this event!
Upon hearing the sound, everyone on and around Dragon Head Peak looked up at the sky and saw a terrifying alligator dragon leaping up from the surging Dragon River. After drawing a graceful arc in the sky, it descended directly from the sky towards the altar of Emperor Zhu Zhanhe of Dragon Martial!

With a loud bang, the alligator dragon that fell from the sky crashed heavily onto the yellow earth altar on Dragon Head Peak!
Behind the dragon was a group of civil and military officials, led by Lady Xia, who was dressed in a phoenix pendant and a rosy crown, as well as the observation team!
Seeing the ferocious yet majestic dragon descending from the sky, everyone present was stunned into silence!
Apart from a few malicious individuals who were filled with horror, everyone else's eyes were filled with deep shock!
Then, to the astonishment of everyone on and around Dragon Head Peak, the colossal, seemingly endless alligator dragon suddenly leaped up again before the earthen altar, soaring towards Emperor Zhu Zhanhe, the Dragon Martial Emperor, enshrined on the altar!

Emperor Longwu stood tall before the altar, which was engulfed in raging flames, while the alligator dragon soared towards the figure of Emperor Longwu, Zhu Zhanhe! All of this seemed so smooth and strangely harmonious.

Then, to the astonishment of the crowd below the altar, who watched as the dragon, over thirty feet long, gradually and completely merged into the body of Emperor Zhu Zhanhe of the Dragon Martial Sect!

Even though some people at the foot of Dragon Head Peak couldn't see it clearly from a distance, everyone could clearly see the massive figure of the alligator dragon suddenly disappear; there was no faking it!

In an instant, the enthusiastic atmosphere on and around Dragon Head Peak reached its peak once again!

Countless people gazed with fervent eyes at the living dragon standing proudly atop the altar! He was so majestic, so inviolable! Even unbearable to look directly at!

Slowly opening his eyes, Zhu Zhanhe's eyes once again revealed those ferocious yet majestic vertical pupils!
At this moment, even the civil and military officials far below the nine-zhang altar felt an inexplicable majestic imperial aura emanating from it! It made them want to prostrate themselves in worship!
"I, the Emperor..."

The Great Dragon of the Nation~
"Jian Yuan ~ Long Wu!" With a rhythmic white nictitating membrane, Zhu Zhanhe swept his ferocious vertical dragon eyes over the group of civil and military officials and soldiers below the platform. Then, with his hands behind his back, he repeated the phrase to the officials below the platform in a wild dragon's roar.

In an instant, it seemed as if the majestic words of a true dragon echoed from the vast sky above and below Dragon Head Peak!

The next moment, the enthusiastic atmosphere on and around Dragon Head Peak directly obscured the brilliance of the sun in the sky!
"Long live the king!"

Hooray!

Long live the King!!

"Long live the king!"

Hooray!

Long live the King!!

"Long live the king!"

Hooray!

Long live the King!!

"."

One enthusiastic shout after another echoed through the sky. Even a white cloud hidden in the sky seemed to be shattered and vanished without a trace!
In the blink of an eye, the sacrificial ceremony at Dragon Head Peak came to an end! At this moment, in the Fengtian Hall of the Imperial Palace in Longdu, Zhu Zhanhe sat on the dragon throne, while Xiao Xizi stood by his side holding the imperial edict, proclaiming the decree.

"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said:

I, the Emperor, in accordance with the harmonious union of Heaven and Earth and the flourishing of civilization, and by the benevolent decree of the Empress Dowager, hereby establish Lady Xia as Empress!

You should be sincere and filial in serving the inner palace, and respectful and frugal in leading the concubines.
"Respectfully." Holding the imperial edict, Xiao Xizi read aloud the edict appointing Xia Shi as Empress, who was standing in the center of the hall.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great favor!" Dressed in a phoenix-embroidered crown, Lady Xia knelt deeply before her husband upon hearing the imperial edict. From this moment on, she was no longer a princess, but the Empress, the mother of the nation!
"Rise," Zhu Zhanhe calmly told his wife to get up. At the same time, to everyone's astonishment, Zhu Zhanhe also stood up from the dragon throne, holding a white jade ruyi, and walked towards the empress below the stage.

"Your Majesty, I obey the decree!" At this moment, Xia Shi, who was kneeling on the ground, was unaware of her husband's actions. She still politely thanked her husband before gracefully rising from the ground.

The moment she looked up, Empress Xia was surprised to see her husband, the high and mighty emperor, standing right in front of her.

Furthermore, a white jade ruyi scepter, handed to her by her husband, was displayed before her.

Inside the Fengtian Hall, countless civil and military officials watched the scene unfold, yet no one dared to utter a word of questioning! After all, the Emperor was supreme! The Emperor's rules were the rules!
Looking at the white jade ruyi handed over by her husband, Empress Xia stretched out her jade hand with eager eyes, tightly grasped the other end of the white jade ruyi, and followed her husband's steps with her head held high and chest out, and came to the high platform where the dragon throne was placed!
And then, when Zhu Zhanhe held Empress Xia's hand and faced the assembled officials!
"Your Majesty, we pay our respects! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

"Your Majesty, we pay our respects! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress!" In an instant, the deafening shouts echoed throughout the entire Fengtian Hall!
After the Empress's decree was accepted, a similarly grand sacrificial ceremony began at the ancestral temple on the other side.

After establishing their dynasties, emperors would bestow titles upon their ancestors, but Zhu Zhanhe did not need to go through such trouble!
Because the people Zhu Zhanhe needed to bestow titles upon already had existing titles, the arrangement of the ancestral temple was very simple; all that was needed was to bring over the names of several ancestors from the Ming Dynasty!
According to custom, after the founding of the nation, the emperor was required to posthumously confer the title of emperor upon four generations of his ancestors, including his father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather.
But for Zhu Zhanhe, there were simply not so many troublesome things!
Zhu Zhanhe's great-great-grandfather was Emperor Chun, posthumously honored by Emperor Hongwu (Zhu Yuanzhang) as Emperor Renzu (Zhu Shizhen).

Zhu Zhanhe's great-grandfather was Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the Hongwu Emperor!
Zhu Zhanhe's grandfather was the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di, the Taizong Emperor of the Ming Dynasty!

Zhu Zhanhe's father was Zhu Gaoxu, the Prince of Han in the early Ming Dynasty! His posthumous title was Prince Zhuang of Han!
However, even though King Zhuang of Han was nominally deceased, he was still posthumously honored in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Zhu Zhanhe immediately changed his father's posthumous title from Prince Zhuang of Han to Emperor Zhuang of Long Shizu!

By doing this, Zhu Zhanhe was, in name, giving his father, who had fought his whole life, a recognized identity by the world!
Furthermore, Zhu Zhanhe was the grandson of Emperor Hongwu, who bestowed upon him the titles of Grand Ancestor Zhu Chuyi, Grand Ancestor Xi, and posthumously honored him as Emperor Yu.
His great-grandfather, Zhu Sijiu, was honored as Emperor Yizu and given the posthumous title of Emperor Heng.
His great-grandfather, Zhu Bailiu, was honored as Emperor Dezu and given the posthumous title of Emperor Xuan.
The three ancestors were also invited to the Imperial Ancestral Temple!

Faced with Zhu Zhanhe's practice of inviting so many ancestors to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, none of the court officials in the Dragon Kingdom objected. In fact, they applauded his actions, because everyone would only praise the emperor's benevolence and filial piety!

As for his mother, Lady Wei, there was no question about it. Zhu Zhanhe directly bestowed upon her the title of Empress Dowager! Otherwise, the imperial edict required for the investiture of an empress would have been quite difficult to write!
Zhu Zhanhe did not mistreat his younger brothers either, directly granting them titles of kings based on their fiefdoms! For example, his second brother, Zhu Zhanqi, was directly granted the title of King of Ryukyu, and so on, up to his tenth brother!

Zhu Zhanhe's sisters were also directly granted the title of princess. As for the princess's title, it was directly granted by the title of county princess. For example, the eldest sister was Princess Yushu, etc. All seven sisters were directly granted the title of princess!
Even days later, the grand ceremony of bestowing rewards continued.

(End of this chapter)