Chapter Ninety-Two: The Legend of Zhen Huan - An Lingrong 2

Hall of Mental Cultivation —

"Your Majesty, I have come to congratulate you on the acquisition of another beautiful woman."

The Empress, dressed in a yellow embroidered peony gown, bowed in greeting, a perfectly measured smile on her face, her every movement exuding grace and nobility.

"Why does the Empress say such a thing?" The Emperor, dressed in a red casual robe, leaned back on the couch, fiddling with the Buddhist prayer beads in his hand.

The Empress explained, "It has already spread throughout the palace that the Emperor was delighted with today's selection of consorts."

"Among the mediocre, there are at least a few with decent talent." Although the Emperor said this, he was actually quite satisfied.

"Not just passable, Your Majesty, I have heard that Shen Zishan's daughter is dignified and quiet, with the demeanor of Consort Jing in her prime. And Lady An is as beautiful as a fairy, charming and touching, truly a beauty."

"And that Zhen family, she's exactly..." The Empress didn't finish her sentence, but her implication was spot on.

"It's just that their eyebrows and eyes are somewhat similar." After understanding, the Emperor's expression changed, but he still explained with a smile.

"It's already quite remarkable that they bear even a slight resemblance. Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but what rank does Your Majesty intend to bestow upon Lady Zhen, and also Lady An?"

The Empress bowed slightly and asked, "I've heard from my aunt that An Lingrong's beauty is even more stunning than Rou Ze's back then."

But perhaps because they had never met before, they weren't very wary of each other and were more concerned about Zhen Huan, only mentioning An Lingrong casually.

“Let’s bestow the title of Noble Lady Zhen as a fifth-rank official, and the title of Lady An as a sixth-rank official, with the title of Shu, meaning ‘gentle and kind, virtuous and prudent in conduct’.”

Without hesitation, the Emperor said that Zhen Huan, who bore a resemblance to Rou Ze, was more attractive to him, especially since her rank could be promoted later.

As for the title, the emperor felt that it was somewhat unfair to An Lingrong. When he wanted to choose a title, he subconsciously thought of the character "Shu" (淑), which is the same as the "Shu" in "a graceful and virtuous woman, a gentleman's good match" (窈窕淑女，君子好逑).

This character was used to bestow a title upon An Lingrong, but the poem used the phrase "终温且惠，淑慎其身" to explain which character it referred to.

"Noble Lady, Consort Shu." The Empress looked at the Emperor with a smile, her words carrying a hidden meaning, "Very well, apart from Lady Fuca, who is in front of the full military banner, you are a Noble Lady."

"The Borjigit clan of the Mongol Banner is also a noblewoman, and there are also two noblewomen among the Han Banner's selected women."

The Emperor asked in confusion, "What's the other one?"

The Empress replied, "Noble Lady Shen is the daughter of Shen Zishan. Shen Zishan's official position is higher than Zhen Yuandao's."

"Although the Emperor values ​​the Han Banner Army, intermarriage between Manchus and Mongols is an old custom. The Han Banner Army has two nobles. Wouldn't this be too conspicuous?"

The Empress's brows furrowed with worry, as if she were genuinely concerned about this matter.

"Then let's give Zhen the rank of a sixth-grade official. She's from the Han Banner Army, so her rank shouldn't be too high when she enters the palace. I'll also bestow a title upon her."

Since the matter involved state affairs, the Emperor was quite cautious and demoted Zhen Huan's rank.

"Does Your Majesty have a suitable title in mind?"

The Empress knew that the Emperor had decided on An Lingrong's title on the spot and did not want to give her the honor alone, so she did not mention having the Imperial Household Department draft the title.

The Emperor smiled faintly, clearly the Empress had guessed correctly; the Emperor already had a satisfactory title in mind.

The Emperor beckoned the Empress to his side, took her hand, and wrote the character '莞' on her hand.

"Wan." The Empress seemed to be thinking. "I remember there is a line in Tang poetry, 'The willow branches are lush and yellow, and the flowers are drooping in a misty haze.'"

The use of "菀" and "莞" was not because the Empress couldn't think of a poem with "莞" in it and used "菀" instead. Rather, it was because Empress Chun Yuan's nickname was "菀菀".