Love and Crown

The Sixth Year of Delun

On the first day of the first lunar month, Xiao Huan was born.

The Seventh Year of Delun

Xiao Qianqing was born.

The Ninth Year of Delun

Du Tingxin was born.

The Tenth Year of Delun

On the tenth day of the second lunar month, Ling Cangcang was born.

The Eleventh Year of Delun

On the sixteenth day of the fifth lunar month, Ying was born.

The Thirteenth Year of Delun

Ling Xuefeng became Chief Grand Secretary and brought Ling Cangcang, who had been fostered in the countryside, to the capital.

The Fifteenth Year of Delun

In spring, Xiao Huan encountered Ying, who was being raised by palace maids.

In autumn of the same year, Xiao Huan and Ling Cangcang met for the first time at the Hailuo Hunting Grounds in the auxiliary capital.

In winter of the same year, Duke Wei Du Ruhe and his wife passed away one after another, and Du Tingxin entered the palace.

The Sixteenth Year of Delun

Xiao Qianqing’s father, Xiao Danyan, was enfeoffed as the Prince of Chu and departed for the Chu region, with Xiao Qianqing accompanying him and leaving the capital.

Ling Cangcang was designated as the Crown Princess Consort.

The Seventeenth Year of Delun

In winter, Emperor Ruizong Xiao Yu passed away, and Xiao Huan ascended the throne, changing the era name to Virtuous Blessing (Deyou), with the following year being the first year of Deyou.

Ling Xuefeng monopolized power as the Emperor’s tutor and father-in-law.

The Seventh Year of Deyou

Xiao Huan and Ling Cangcang met in Jiangnan.

The Eighth Year of Deyou

Xiao Huan held his grand wedding and assumed personal rule, with Ling Cangcang becoming Empress.

On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month of the same year, Empress Dowager Liu issued an edict declaring the death of Emperor Deyou, seized control of the court, and sought to enthrone Prince Yu Xiao Qianhong.

The Ninth Year of Deyou

On New Year’s Day, Empress Ling successfully staged a coup with the aid of troops borrowed from the Jurchen vassal state beyond the frontier. Empress Dowager Liu was defeated and imprisoned. The Prince of Chu, Xiao Qianqing, holding Emperor Deyou’s imperial edict, was unanimously acclaimed as Regent Prince, an event historically known as the "Guichou Palace Coup."

The Tenth Year of Deyou

Emperor Deyou, who had been missing for over a year, returned to court. The Prince of Chu led the officials to await him outside the Great Martial Gate, personally kneeling to return the Imperial Jade Seal, earning widespread praise for his virtue.

In summer of the same year, Xiao Lian was born and enfeoffed as Crown Prince.

The Eleventh Year of Deyou

In winter, the second imperial son, Xiao Yan, was born.

The Thirteenth Year of Deyou

In autumn, the Evil-Warding Princess Xiao Zai was born.

The Eighteenth Year of Deyou

In spring, the third imperial son, Xiao Ran, and the fourth imperial son, Xiao Can, were born.

Emperor Deyou fell gravely ill, remaining unconscious for several days. Empress Ling, accompanied by Crown Prince Xiao Lian, oversaw state affairs for over a month.

In autumn of the same year, the case of Qi Chengliang came to light, and Emperor Deyou resumed governance.

Also in autumn, the Tatars invaded the borders. Datong fell, and the capital was besieged. The Jurchen vassal state of Great Wu dispatched troops to aid. In a three-way battle, the Tatars were decisively defeated and retreated to the Hanghai Mountains. Great Wu reclaimed the lost Hetao territory, and the Tatars never again had the strength to invade the borders. Great Wu and the Jurchens formed a century-long alliance.

The Nineteenth Year of Deyou

In the new year, Emperor Deyou elevated Regent Prince Xiao Qianqing to First-Rank Prince, leaving him in the capital to oversee governance.

In autumn of the same year, Emperor Deyou relocated to the Azure Retreat Palace, where he primarily governed for the following years.

The Twenty-Eighth Year of Deyou

In autumn, Emperor Deyou, exhausted from overwork, fell unconscious in the Spring Awakening Hall of the palace. His condition worsened again, gradually rendering him unable to govern. The eighteen-year-old Crown Prince Xiao Lian assumed governance on his behalf.

The Twenty-Ninth Year of Deyou

In spring, Emperor Deyou issued an edict abdicating in favor of Crown Prince Xiao Lian and retired with Empress Ling to the palace. The following year, the era name was changed to Dexin, marking the first year of Dexin.

The First Year of Dexin

In winter, Emperor Deyou, who still occasionally advised Emperor Dexin on governance from the palace, grew increasingly frail.

That December, Emperor Dexin personally led the officials in offering sacrifices to Heaven to pray for his father’s health. However, Emperor Deyou’s illness had persisted for decades, and his fate was beyond remedy.

The Second Year of Dexin

In autumn, Emperor Deyou’s condition deteriorated further, defying all medical treatment. Even Li Mingshang, the former Chief Physician of the Imperial Hospital renowned as a miracle healer, was powerless.

In winter, Emperor Deyou lay critically ill and passed away in the outskirts of the capital. Empress Ling also passed away on the same day.

When the news reached the Forbidden Palace, Emperor Dexin wept openly before the officials, then rose and knelt facing southeast, remaining prostrate for a long time. At that time, an unending snow blanketed the capital, turning the land silver-white, as if Heaven and Earth mourned together.The Virtuous Blessing Emperor assumed governance upon reaching adulthood and for twenty years toiled day and night. With a frail constitution, he suppressed rebellious ministers domestically and repelled formidable enemies abroad, repeatedly saving the empire from peril. Under his reign, the Great Wu Dynasty flourished in peace and prosperity, producing numerous renowned officials and enriching the common people—truly a golden age. Yet his life was cut short, his vitality exhausted, and he passed away. Posthumously, he was honored as the Great Virtue Supreme Revered Sage-Emperor with the temple name Mingzong. Historians praised him as "a lifetime of clarity and wisdom."

Fifth Year of Virtuous Renewal

With the realm at peace and the court in perfect order, the Prince Regent Xiao Qianqing relinquished his political duties and retired to the lands of Chu, never to return to public office for the rest of his life.