Chapter 226 Establishing the Crown Prince and Crown Princess

The imperial palace, with its magnificent golden hall, exudes solemnity and majesty. The civil and military officials stand solemnly on both sides.

The emperor, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, walked out with an air of nobility and majesty.

The ministers hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"

The Emperor sat majestically on his dragon throne, looking at everyone in the hall, and said in a deep voice, "My beloved ministers, rise."

"Long live the Emperor!" The ministers rose and returned to their positions, the ranks were orderly, and the officials were especially cautious.

"In recent years, the Great Zhou has often been harassed by neighboring countries. General Su guards the border, and General Qin is stationed at Yulin Pass. Wars have broken out everywhere, and the wars of the Great Zhou have never stopped. I have exhausted myself to protect the Great Zhou, and even felt powerless. The battle with the Hu tribe has made the Great Zhou proud, and I am very gratified."

Grand Commandant Qiao said, "His Highness Prince Heng has made a great contribution in defeating the barbarian Hu tribes. This not only enhances the prestige of our Great Zhou Dynasty, but also deters other countries from invading. It is truly gratifying."

The ministers echoed, "His Highness Prince Heng is mighty!"

Xie Shang cupped his hands and stepped forward, saying, "I dare not take credit. It is all thanks to everyone's concerted efforts. If any other country were to invade again, I would be the first to protect the people of my Great Zhou and secure its territory." He even wanted to expand the territory.

The Emperor said directly, "Therefore, I have an important announcement to make today. I have decided to establish Prince Heng as the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Grand Commandant Qiao, please read my imperial edict!"

Grand Commandant Qiao stepped forward to receive the imperial edict and read it aloud, announcing, "Prince Heng, receive the edict."

The Empress had previously informed Xie Shang of the news, and he calmly knelt down, saying, "Your subject receives the decree."

Immediately afterwards, all the ministers knelt down and prostrated themselves on the ground.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Since I ascended the throne by the will of the Retired Emperor, I have diligently performed all important duties of the state, upholding discipline and laws, employing officials and administering the country, without ever becoming weary or idle… Prince Heng, the fifth son of the Emperor, Xie Shang, is kind-hearted and filial, and is favored by Heaven. Therefore, in accordance with the initial decree, following proper rites, and respecting public opinion, I hereby solemnly inform Heaven, the ancestral temples, and the state, and bestow upon him the imperial seal, establishing him as the Crown Prince, to assume the position of Eastern Palace… From this day forward, the Crown Prince is hereby ordered to ascend the Taihua Hall with the imperial seal, to manage all affairs of state, to command the army and oversee the nation, and all matters reported by the various departments shall be submitted to the Crown Prince for decision…"

Halfway through the reading, Grand Commandant Qiao froze.

The Emperor said in a deep voice, "Continue reading."

"Yes," Grand Commandant Qiao said respectfully. "Princess Consort Jiang is virtuous, generous, gentle, kind, and outstanding in both character and appearance. The Empress and I are very pleased to hear of her. Now that the Fifth Prince Xie Shang has been named Crown Prince, his first wife Jiang Fenghua has been named Crown Princess..."

As soon as the imperial edict was read, the civil and military officials were astonished. Looking back at the imperial edicts of their ancestors, they realized that no crown princess had ever appeared on the same edict as the crown prince. This showed how much the emperor valued Jiang Fenghua.

Xie Shang had not expected the Emperor to bestow titles upon the Crown Prince and Crown Princess in this way, but he was very happy. The imperial edict would be permanently sealed, and it would be a memorable event to look back on in the future.

Grand Commandant Qiao looked at Prince Heng as if he were his grandson-in-law, and he also knelt down in front of Xie Shang, saying, "Your Highness, please accept the imperial decree!"

Xie Shang accepted the imperial edict and kowtowed three times to the emperor, saying, "Your subject accepts the edict and thanks Your Majesty."

The Emperor nodded. "Rise! From now on, all the affairs of state, both inside and outside the Great Zhou Dynasty, will be entrusted to you. I can finally rest."

"Your subject will certainly live up to your father's expectations." He thought the emperor had never liked him, but unexpectedly, he was eventually made crown prince.

Immediately following, there were shouts of obeisance: "Your subjects pay homage to His Highness the Crown Prince, may he live a thousand years!"

At this moment, Xie Shang said, "Your Majesty, I wish to establish the Eastern Palace in Chenxi Palace. After the great war, I do not want to burden the people and waste a lot of money to build the Eastern Palace. Although Chenxi Palace is small, I am used to living there."

"You can decide these trivial matters yourself. The Crown Prince's palace has been in disrepair for many years, and it will indeed take some effort to move in. I did not choose the wrong Crown Prince!"

The emperor seemed tired; he had been growing increasingly weary lately. He yawned and said, "If there are any political matters to be handled by the Crown Prince, Jiang Huai will serve as the Crown Prince's tutor."

Before anyone could react, the Emperor said calmly, "Court is adjourned!"

With the crown prince established, the taut string in the emperor's heart seemed to collapse instantly. Since his ascension to the throne, he had been working tirelessly. The palace was like a cage, trapping not only the concubines in the harem, but also him. He was trapped in the imperial study and never dared to be willful and skip court or government affairs for a day.

The ministers then said, "Respectfully seeing off the Emperor."

Xie Shang entered the Taihua Palace to assist in government affairs, and even asked the Grand Tutor to teach him how to be a wise emperor. In fact, being the Crown Prince was not easy either.

The Jiang family should be the biggest beneficiaries. Jiang Fenghua is the Crown Princess, her father is the Crown Prince's tutor, and Jiang Jinyan is the Vice Minister of Revenue, but he also received the title of Marquis for his meritorious service.

The Jiang family suddenly became a hot commodity in Shengjing. Jiang Huai still dared to keep a low profile. The Jiang family did not hold any banquets before he took office. Every day he carried books into the palace and left the palace carrying books, just like a real schoolteacher.

On the other hand, the official who delivered the decree naturally had to read the imperial edict appointing the Crown Princess to Jiang Fenghua again.

After that, the officials of the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory will be busy. The imperial edict has been delivered to them, but the investiture ceremony will still be a lot of work. The Crown Prince will have to take the Crown Princess to the Xie Clan Ancestral Temple to pay homage and perform a series of other ceremonies.

Jiang Fenghua had gone through it once before, and she knew all the procedures. The difference was that she was now more than eight months pregnant with twins, and the ceremony was complicated with many rules and etiquette, including kneeling and bowing, which made things a bit difficult for her.

The key point is that the Imperial Observatory and the Imperial Clan Court calculated that the investiture ceremony would be held exactly one month later, which would be before her delivery date. Once such an important date is calculated, it cannot be changed, as it is all for the sake of good luck. Therefore, Jiang Fenghua must overcome any difficulties that may arise.

Jiang Fenghua accepted the arrangement. This month was the most tiring, because there was only one month to make the investiture robes for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, which kept the palace maids in the weaving bureau very busy.

Because of her large belly, making clothes was even more difficult. They had to be both beautiful and elegant, and fit her perfectly. Fortunately, Jiang Fenghua only gained weight in her belly during her pregnancy, and her face and body didn't gain any weight. No matter what she wore, it didn't affect her beauty and slender face.

The palace maids dared not neglect them and flattered them all.

Jiang Fenghua and Xie Shang are still living in the Heng Prince's Mansion. Since Chenxi Palace needs some simple repairs, and there is a saying that one should not undertake major construction during pregnancy, she will probably give birth at the Heng Prince's Mansion.

That's good too. When she gives birth, the Jiang family and her friends can come to the Prince Heng's mansion to accompany her. She doesn't want to be all alone in the palace.

Thinking of this, no matter how much the palace maids in the weaving bureau tormented her while she tried on clothes, she was no longer sad.