After the death of an ancient Chinese emperor, the heir would automatically become the new emperor by legal provisions. However, the actual coronation ceremony was held after the observance of mourning, which was in accordance with ancient etiquette systems. The new emperor had to wait until the end of the mourning period for the old emperor before the coronation ceremony could be officially conducted.

According to ancient mourning customs, ordinary people or officials were required to observe mourning for three years after the death of their parents. This regulation, however, did not apply to emperors. As the head of the state, emperors had to attend to national affairs and could not put aside their duties for three years to mourn for the old emperor. Therefore, the emperors of the Qing dynasty only needed to observe mourning for twenty-seven days.

During or after the mourning period, specialized officials were responsible for arranging the funeral of the old emperor. The etiquette for the emperor's burial was very complicated and took some time to complete. Therefore, the process began with the new emperor ascending the throne before the funeral arrangements were made, and the formal coronation ceremony was conducted at the end.

For ancient emperors, power was of utmost importance. From the moment the old emperor died, the transfer of power and the complete mastery of imperial authority took precedence over all other matters. Other matters of interest were placed after the observance of mourning and funeral arrangements. This was because in ancient China, filial piety was considered the supreme value, and even emperors had to abide by this rule.

In conclusion, the inheritance and coronation ceremony of ancient Chinese emperors followed strict legal and etiquette procedures. Although the emperor had to temporarily delegate some of their duties to specialized officials during the observance of mourning and funeral arrangements, they still needed to maintain control over national affairs. Ultimately, they would undergo a formal coronation ceremony during or after the mourning period to demonstrate their complete mastery of imperial authority.

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