Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 234 The fourth god number, full map vision!
The first day of the first lunar month in the forty-first year of the Jiajing reign.

According to court etiquette, on the first day of the first lunar month every year, all officials in Beijing should go to the outside of the Hall of Supreme Harmony to pay homage to the emperor.

However, since the "Renyin Palace Change" in the 21st year of Jiajing, when palace maids collectively plotted to assassinate the emperor, the emperor moved out of the Forbidden City and lived in the Western Garden.

Since the emperor was away, the ritual of worshipping the emperor in the Hall of Supreme Harmony on the first day of the lunar month was abolished.

This day instead became the day for the emperor to set up an altar and hold a ceremony in the Western Garden.

Last year we missed a year of meditation and prayer for snow, so this year’s worship ceremony will be even more grand.

The main hall of Okhuigung Palace, which was occasionally used as a place for the cabinet and the Imperial Household Department to discuss state affairs, was converted into a temple today.

Above the altar hung a banner made of bright yellow brocade with a black silk border, on which was embroidered a line of large characters that read "The True Man of the Nine Heavens, who is in tune with the universe, has come to the world to present the True Scripture of Peace for All Generations, the Luotian Grand Ceremony."

In front of the altar, there is a huge Xuande copper incense burner filled with smoke.

However, the altar on the north wall is still empty, with neither a tablet nor a real statue.

The main door of the hall was open, and banners and flags were arranged in two rows from the hall door along the procession path all the way to the palace gate in the distance.

Zhu Houcong had his hair in a Taoist bun, and wore a vanilla crown. He was wearing the Taoist robe embroidered with Laozi's 5,000-word sutra that was presented to him by Concubine Li. He was sitting upright on a cushion and practicing Taoism.

Standing on the left side of the imperial desk was Lu Fang, who was also wearing a vanilla crown on his head and holding a large bowl filled with warm water in his hand.

Huang Jin stood on the right side of the imperial desk, looking solemn.

Zhu Houcong slowly opened his eyes.

"Welcome His Majesty to come out of seclusion." Lu Fang knelt down holding the bowl.

"Invite the God! Give the title to His Majesty."

Huang Jin bowed deeply to Zhu Houcong, walked to the altar of the temple, took a tablet with both hands, walked in front of Zhu Houcong, knelt down, and held the tablet high.

Lu Fang also walked to the altar of the temple and knelt down in front of Zhu Houcong.

Zhu Houcong washed his hands in the clear water in the bowl.

After Lu Fang took the bowl away, he picked up another bowl of cinnabar from the altar, walked in front of Zhu Houcong, and knelt down again.

Zhu Houcong pulled out a golden hairpin from his Taoist bun with a vanilla crown, stretched out his left middle finger, and pierced it with the hairpin. Blood oozed out and the blood from his fingertips dripped into the cinnabar bowl.

Zhu Houcong put on a golden hairpin, suddenly picked up the cinnabar brush on the imperial desk, dipped it in cinnabar, and began to write on the ancestral tablet in Huang Jin's hand.

On the ancestral tablet, the words "Qingxu Yuanmiao Zhenjun" were written in bright red regular script.

In addition to the three titles of "Lingxiao Shangqing Tonglei Yuanyang Miaoyi Feiyuan Zhenjun", "Jiutian Hongjiao Puji All Living Beings, Zhangyin Merits and Demerits Ziji Immortal Yiyang Zhenren Yuanxu Yuanying Kaihua Fumo Zhongxiao Emperor", and "Taishang Daluo Tianxian Ziji Changsheng Shengzhi Zhaoling Tongyuan Zhengying Yuxu Zongzhang Wulei Dazhenren Yuandujing Wanshou Emperor", Zhu Houcong also had another title!
system.

The fourth divine number has already appeared, but it is still in a dim and unactivated state. This is because the ceremony has not yet been completed.

Zhu Houcong could not hide his excitement. This proved that as the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he could claim the title of god without the need for Taoist ordination.

Huang Jin stood up holding the divine tablet in his hand and shouted, "Play the immortal music! Respectfully welcome the True Lord Qingxu Yuanmiao!"

In the main hall, bells and drums rang out, and celestial music sounded!
Huang Jin walked in front holding the god's tablet in his hand, and walked steadily towards the hall outside.

Zhu Houcong walked alone to the altar of the temple and bowed down towards the cauldron of incense.

The one being worshipped is oneself.

After three bows, Zhu Houcong stood up and walked out of the hall.

Everything had been prepared long ago. Two young eunuchs assisted Huang Jin in placing the tablets of the gods on the altar under the banner in the main hall and on the main wall above the rosewood altar.

At this time, Zhu Houcong came out, and Lu Fang and Huang Jin knelt on both sides of the altar.

Zhu Houcong walked to the prayer mat in front of the altar and knelt down in front of his own tablet.

The sound of bells and drums, and chanting of incantations are loud!
After Zhu Houcong finished his worship, he stood up, turned around and sat cross-legged on the cushion under the altar.

The gods seemed to have taken shape.

The sounds of bells, drums and chanting of incantations came to an abrupt end.

Zhu Houcong closed his eyes slightly, a wisp of true energy rose from his dantian, and the fourth divine number of the system lit up. The power of the divine number was pure and free, and then it emerged on his divine body.

The sounds of bells, drums and chanting of incantations became louder again!
For an instant.

Zhu Houcong seemed to have arrived above the sky. One moment he was still in the capital, and the next moment he was at the end of the world in Lingnan. The next moment he was at the frozen grassland for thousands of miles.

"The water hits three thousand miles, and the force surges up ninety thousand miles."

Zhu Houcong understood clearly in his mind that all the territories of the Ming Dynasty, including his soul and body, could be reached with just a thought.

Outside the territory of the Ming Dynasty, half of the islands in the Japanese sea were lit up. Those were the lands controlled by the Jinyiwei.

In the Indochina Peninsula bordering the Ming Dynasty, a small part of the land was also recognized by the system. Zhu Houcong "saw" that his third son, the only existing prince of the Ming Dynasty, His Royal Highness Prince Jing, Zhu Zaizhen, was enjoying the New Year's food from the Kingdom of Annan with the thousands of Ming Dynasty soldiers he brought with him.

New Year's rice dumplings, stewed meat and eggs, Annan kimchi...

Among the fifteen unconquered countries of the Ming Dynasty, Champa was located just south of Annan.

It is located in the southeastern part of Indochina Peninsula, starting from Hengshan Pass in the north and ending at Panlang and Panli areas in the south.

The king's capital was Indrabura.

Ancient Chinese books called it Xianglinyi, or Linyi for short. During the Tang Dynasty to the end of the Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Huan Kingdom.

During the Five Dynasties, it was also called Champa.

The former homeland of the Zhan people was Xianglin County of the Rinan Prefecture established during the Han Dynasty.

In the second year of Yonghe in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Qu Kui (also known as Qu Da or Qu Lian, also known as Shi Limala), the son of Gongcao of Xianglin County, killed the county magistrate, proclaimed himself king, and began to establish the Champa Kingdom.

From the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms to the Yuan Dynasty, Champa became the main target of territorial expansion by the King of Annan.

In the second year of Jianwen, Annan seized the two states of Champa, Chamdong and Gulei, and pushed the territory of Annan to the present-day Guangnan and Guangyi areas.

In the seventh year of Chenghua, King Le Thanh Tong of the Later Le Dynasty personally led an expedition to Champa, captured the capital, "captured alive" the Cham king Tra Quan, set up the Quang Nam Road, and expanded the territory of Annan to the Qui Nhon area.

The Champa Kingdom existed in name only.

When Champa was invaded, it asked for help from its suzerain state, the Ming Dynasty, countless times. However, the fourth year of Jianwen and the seventh year of Chenghua were times of internal turmoil in the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty was unable to offer any assistance, and even its subsequent efforts to make up for it by conquering Annan could not help Champa recover its independence.

The Champa Kingdom only held the territory of the Bintonglong area.

After Zhu Zaizhen entered the Indochina Peninsula, he approached the current Champa King Poa and launched a counterattack against the Champa area controlled by Annan in the name of restoring the Champa nation.

Although Zhu Zaizhen had not yet completed the restoration of control over the Indochina Peninsula, he had taken a big step towards expanding territory.

Perhaps it was the connection between father and son, Zhu Zaizhen actually looked towards Zhu Houcong's "void of existence".

Zhu Houcong silently withdrew his attention from the Indochina Peninsula and looked at the last "bright spot" in the system.

Deposed Prince Yu, Zhu Zaihou.

A long sigh.

When it comes to disappointing people, Zhu Zaihou never disappoints them...

(End of this chapter)