Reborn: The Search for the Pearl (Dongzhu Fanfiction)

On the twenty-first day of the fifth month in the fourteenth year of the Dali era, Emperor Daizong of Tang, Li Yu, passed away. Following the late emperor's edict, the crown prince Shi ascended the throne before the coffin and became Emperor Dezong of Tang.

Dezong issued an edict: "A king serves his father with filial piety, and thus serves Heaven with reverence; he serves his mother with filial piety, and thus serves Earth with care. Therefore, in serving Heaven, nothing comes before honoring one's father, and in serving Earth, nothing is greater than showing respect to one's mother. I have humbly received Heaven's mandate to rule the realm. I hold the jade tablet and bi disc to serve the Supreme Deity, and my ancestors are worthy of being honored alongside Him. Their tombs shall endure forever. Yet the inner court stands empty, lacking the rites of asking after one's mother's well-being. Grief weighs upon my heart, and sorrow has lingered throughout the year. I long to travel by carriage and boat to seek news of her, but the heavy burden of this throne permits no more than deep anguish. Therefore, I look to ancient rites and reverently confer an exalted title. Let the ministers and officials consult the precedents and bestow upon the Supreme Empress Dowager the title of Empress Dowager."

Emperor Dezong ruled for twenty-five years. He issued repeated edicts seeking his birth mother, Lady Shen, but never found her. In the eleventh month of the first year of the Jianzhong era, he honored Lady Shen from afar as Empress Dowager. The ceremonies were held in the courtyard of Hanyuan Hall, following the rites for the winter and summer solstices.

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