Delun Era
6th Year of Delun
– First day of the first month: Birth of Xiao Huan
7th Year of Delun
– Birth of Xiao Qianqing
9th Year of Delun
– Birth of Du Tingxin
10th Year of Delun
– Tenth day of the second month: Birth of Ling Cangcang
11th Year of Delun
– Sixteenth day of fifth month: Birth of Ying
13th Year of Delun
– Ling Xuefeng becomes Grand Chancellor, brings Ling Cangcang from the countryside to the capital
15th Year of Delun
– Spring: Xiao Huan’s chance encounter with Ying, who was being raised by palace maids
– Autumn of the same year: First meeting between Xiao Huan and Ling Cangcang at Hailuo Hunting Lodge in the secondary capital
– Winter of the same year: Duke and Duchess of Wei State, Du Ruhe, and his wife, pass away; Du Tingxin enters the palace
16th Year of Delun
– Xiao Danyan, father of Xiao Qianqing, is granted the title of Prince of Chu and departs for Chu territory with Xiao Qianqing
– Ling Cangcang is designated as the future Crown Princess
17th Year of Delun
– Winter: Emperor Ruizong Xiao Yu passes away; Xiao Huan ascends to the throne, establishing a new era named Deyou (the following year becomes the first year of Deyou)
– Ling Xuefeng holds sole power as Imperial Tutor and father of the Imperial Consort
Deyou Era
7th Year of Deyou
– Xiao Huan and Ling Cangcang meet in Jiangnan
8th Year of Deyou
– Xiao Huan’s grand wedding and assumption of personal rule; Ling Cangcang becomes Empress
– Twenty-third day of the twelfth month: Empress Dowager Liu declares Emperor Deyou’s death, seizes control of the government, attempts to install Prince Yu, Xiao Qianhong, as emperor
9th Year of Deyou
– New Year’s Day: Empress Ling successfully stages a coup with borrowed troops from Jurchen vassals beyond the frontier; Empress Dowager Liu is imprisoned
– Prince of Chu, Xiao Qianqing, holding Emperor Deyou’s last edict, becomes Prince Regent with popular support; historically known as the “Guiyou Palace Coup”
10th Year of Deyou
– Emperor Deyou returns to court after being missing for over a year
– Prince of Chu leads all officials to welcome the emperor at Great Martial Gate, personally kneels to return Imperial Seal
– Summer of the same year: Birth of Crown Prince Xiao Lian
11th Year of Deyou
– Winter: Birth of Second Prince Xiao Yan
13th Year of Deyou
– Autumn: Birth of Princess Xiezei Xiao Zai
18th Year of Deyou
– Spring: Birth of Third Prince Xiao Ran and Fourth Prince Xiao Can
– Emperor Deyou falls gravely ill, unconscious for several days; Empress Ling and Crown Prince Xiao Lian serve as regents for over a month
– Autumn: Qi Chengliang case exposed; Emperor Deyou resumes governance
– Autumn: Tartar invasion of borders; Datong Falls, capital besieged
– Great Martial State’s Jurchen vassals send relief forces
– Three-way battle results in major Tartar defeat; they retreat to Hanghai Mountains
– Great Martial State recovers lost territories in Hetao
– Tartars lose power to threaten borders thereafter
– Great Martial State and Jurchen form a hundred-year alliance
19th Year of Deyou
– New Year: Emperor Deyou elevates Prince Regent Xiao Qianqing to Prince of First Rank, leaves him to oversee governance in the capital
– Autumn: Emperor Deyou moves to Daiyu Palace; and governs from there for several years
28th Year of Deyou
– Autumn: Emperor Deyou collapses from overwork in Xunchun Hall of the temporary palace
– Illness worsens; gradually unable to govern
– Eighteen-year-old Crown Prince Xiao Lian serves as regent
29th Year of Deyou
– Spring: Emperor Deyou issues an edict transferring the throne to Crown Prince Xiao Lian
– Retires with Empress Ling to a temporary palace
The following year becomes the first year of the new Dexin era.
Dexin Era
1st Year of Dexin
– Winter: Emperor Deyou, still advising Emperor Dexin on governance from the temporary palace, grows increasingly weak
– Twelfth month: Emperor Dexin personally leads officials in a heaven-worship ceremony praying for his father’s health
– Emperor Deyou’s illness of several decades reaches the heaven-ordained limit, beyond recovery
2nd Year of Dexin
– Autumn: Emperor Deyou’s condition worsens; medicine ineffective
– Even renowned physician Li Mingshang, former Chief of Imperial Medical Bureau, is powerless
– Winter: Emperor Deyou is critically ill, and passes away in the capital outskirts
– Empress Ling passed away the same day
– News reaches forbidden palace; Emperor Dexin breaks down in grief before officials
– Kneels facing southeast, refuses to rise
– Capital experiences continuous heavy snow; mountains and rivers turn silver-white as if heaven and earth share the grief
– Emperor Deyou ruled from young adulthood
– Twenty years of diligent governance
– Despite weak health, suppressed internal rebellion and external threats
– Several times saved the nation from crisis
– Achieved Great Martial State’s prosperity and peace
– His reign saw the emergence of famous ministers, common people’s prosperity
– Truly a golden age
– Heaven granted short life; exhausted himself serving the state
– Posthumously titled “Most Virtuous, Supreme Holy Enlightened Emperor”
– Temple name “Emperor Mingzong”
– Historical records praise his “Lifelong Clarity and Wisdom”
5th Year of Dexin
– Realm peaceful, court orderly
– Prince Regent Xiao Qianqing returns government authority
– Retires to Chu territory
– Never returns to official service for rest of life