World-Ending Demon Emperor
Chapter 923 - 431: Blood of the Demon! Put Zhi Li to death!

Chapter 923: 431: Blood of the Demon! Put Zhi Li to death!

The coronation of a king in this world possesses a blend of Chinese and Western elements.

The first step takes place at the Council Hall of the palace.

Firstly, the civil and military officials along with nobility deliver their final memorial to earnestly entreat the new king to ascend the throne! Once more, the new king refuses, with various potential reasons such as waiting for the mourning period of the former king to end or that there might be a more suitable candidate, etc.

Then, the ministers kneel and remain prostrate, using all means to compel the new king to take the throne.

Having no choice, the new king must comply with the will of heaven and the people, ascending to kingship!

The second step takes place at the Dragon Tower.

After the new king agrees to ascend, he must lead the queen and the assembly of officials and nobles to the Dragon Tower to perform sacrifices to the heavens and the divine dragon.

For conducting sacrifices to heavens is a prerogative of the sovereign, and once he presides over the ritual, it signifies to the heavens and the divine dragon that the rule of this nation has changed hands and seeks continued divine protection for the prosperity and peace of the kingdom.

The third step occurs at the Dragon Throne Hall of the palace.

The civil and military officials present congratulations, wishing the new king a prosperous reign!

These three steps, despite incorporating the Dragon Temple, bear semblance to the coronation of ancient Chinese emperors and are thus relatively Sinocentric.

But the fourth step appears decidedly Western—the coronation ceremony.

A king cannot crown himself; instead, the Dragon Temple must perform the crowning. As for who crowns the king, in a hegemonic empire like the Flame Empire, naturally, it is done by the Sky Harmony Priest.

Even though the East Li Kingdom is quite indifferent to the Dragon Temple, every time a new King of Dongli ascends the throne, the Dragon Temple proactively dispatches a Sky Harmony Priest to attend. Not to crown, but to observe.

Of course, the Rage Wave Kingdom does not enjoy such a privilege.

When the previous Zhi Bian ascended the throne, the Dragon Temple merely sent a Holy Priest to crown him.

After the Dragon Temple crowns the king, the king will bestow a smaller crown upon the queen.

After the coronation ceremony concludes, the fifth step begins.

This fifth step then becomes wholly Sinocentric again. The new king writes his first decree, seals it with the Jade Seal, and then it descends slowly from the sky.

It signifies that the power of the king derives from the divine dragon of the heavens.

The issuance of this first imperial edict officially represents that the new king has fully assumed the supreme authority of the nation.

After five steps, the entire coronation ceremony concludes!

...

Zhi Li, accompanied by Fang Qingzhuo, entered the palace.

As expected, the Forbidden Army did not dare impede and directly opened the palace gates.

Zhi Li’s personal guards of the Minor Treasury immediately entered the Council Hall and took over its defense.

In the Council Hall, the scene of ministers earnestly petitioning was once again enacted. Everyone presented their memorials, pleading on their knees for Zhi Li to ascend the throne.

Once again, Zhi Li tactfully declined, with the reason being the death of the former king had left his heart shattered, and he would wait until the mourning period concludes before ascending.

Consequently, the ministers and nobility cried out hysterically, beating their foreheads till they bled. They threatened either to dash themselves against the golden columns to death or strangle themselves with their belts.

Hence, left with no choice, Zhi Li had to conform to the will of the people and heaven, ascended to be king!

Then, eunuchs and palace maids led Zhi Li and Fang Qingzhuo to change their clothes.

Previously, Zhi Li wore the attire of a Junior Lord, while Fang Qingzhuo dressed as the Crown Princess Consort.

This time, they must officially don the robes of the king and queen, only without the crowns.

...

After changing into the dragon robe of the king, Zhi Li felt his body tremble slightly as if surrounded by a powerful force, truly as if he were the dragon-descended emperor, embodied by the divine dragon.

Dressed in the dragon robe, Zhi Li, holding Fang Qingzhuo by the hand, led the officials and nobles with the vigor of a dragon and the strides of a tiger, towards the Dragon Tower to perform the sacrifices.

The ceremony to sacrifice to heaven should be the day’s most solemn and sacrosanct moment.

With a paramount authority, Zhi Li stood aloft the high Dragon Sacrificial Platform, reciting the sacrificial oration.

The several-thousand-word oration, imbued with dragon power, was resonant and powerful, spreading throughout the Sacrificial Square.

It must be said that, judging purely by appearance and the sound of his voice, Zhi Li indeed possessed the grandeur of a majestic ruler.

The full two hours of the sacrificial ceremony had Zhi Li actually very anxious about unforeseen mishaps occurring that would be taken as inauspicious.

Such as the sky suddenly thundering, or a sudden deluge, since today was not particularly chosen as an auspicious day.

But it seemed as though heaven particularly favored Zhi Li; the sky was clear for miles, not to mention torrential rain, not to mention thunderous roars, there wasn’t even a wisp of a cloud, not even a breeze blew by.

Originally, Zhi Li did not believe in these matters, but such divine favor bolstered his confidence immensely, making him believe that he truly was the ruler by divine right.

When he came for the sacrifice, his heart still harbored some unease, but after departing from the Dragon Platform, his confidence was a hundredfold stronger.

With each step towards the palace, he felt his power growing continuously.

When he once again approached the palace by the afternoon, and after entering the Dragon Throne Hall, Zhi Li already felt an invincible might, as if he were host to a divine dragon, impervious to blades and spears!

...

What followed was the third step of the coronation ceremony, with ministers submitting their congratulations.

There were simply too many officials and lords; it was not feasible for every official to read out their congratulatory address.

Hence, only the notable nobility and officials had the privilege, and with Duke Turing Tuo absent, the first to read the address was of course Prime Minister Yan Wuji.

And the second to read an address, surprisingly, was Marquis FuE of BaiHuo City!

Marquis FuE had chosen to flee the battlefield alongside Duke Turing Tuo, but after entering Baiyun County, he discerned that Duke Turing Tuo harbored thoughts of allying with Suo Lun, and so resolutely parted ways with Turing Tuo and escaped back to the royal city.

Duke Turing Tuo, at a critical juncture, made a clear distinction from Zhi Li, who would have expected that at this moment Marquis FuE would still align with Zhi Li?