Chapter 453 Back to the Palace

"I love eating what the Empress personally feeds me," Xie Shang shamelessly replied. "I will love eating it from now on for the Empress's sake."

Jiang Fenghua was now in a bind, so she personally scooped up a glutinous rice ball and fed it to Xie Shang, asking, "Does Your Majesty find it sweet?"

"Sweet." Seeing that she finally smiled, Xie Shang added, "The glutinous rice balls made by the proprietress are indeed sweet and fragrant. I will designate them as the imperial desserts."

With the reputation of being the emperor's favorite pastries, the owner of this teahouse became rich.

Jiang Fenghua never looked at Zhu Yiyi from beginning to end. After eating and drinking her fill, she took Xie Shang's hand and returned to the carriage.

Only after everyone had slowly left did the teahouse owner and his wife come to their senses and say, "Respectfully seeing off the Emperor and Empress."

To commemorate his love with the Empress, Xie Shang also promoted the local wedding customs throughout the country, but that's another story.

Zhu Yiyi stood there, stunned. Zhang Jingjing stepped forward and called out to her, "Miss Zhu is leaving." All her efforts were no match for a single glance from the Empress to the Emperor. It seemed that Zhu Yiyi would never enter the harem, and even the other concubines in the harem had become mere decorations.

Inside the carriage, Jiang Fenghua sat upright, still looking serious and unsmiling. Xie Shang pulled her directly into his arms, saying, "Ruan Ruan is still angry with me!"

"Your Majesty, I dare not be angry with you."

She didn't avoid his touch. Recalling the flutter in her heart just now, Xie Shang became even more unrestrained and kissed her face. It was only because Jiang Fenghua was not available at the moment, otherwise, given his flamboyant manner, he would have taken her right there in the car.

Jiang Fenghua pushed his face away. "Does Your Majesty really like Zhu Yiyi?" She seemed to still be jealous.

"I don't like it," Xie Shang said.

"Then why is His Majesty still being so affectionate with her?"

Xie Shang stared at her face. "Where did I show affection to her? I only show affection to Ruan Ruan. She is at most a pawn."

He helped Jiang Fenghua sit up, his eyes no longer tinged with jest, and handed her a memorial, saying, "Ruan Ruan, take a look!"

After Jiang Fenghua took the memorial and read it, she said, "At this time, he said he had found the murderer who helped Su Xuan transport gunpowder. Does His Majesty believe what Imperial Censor Zhu said? Isn't it too much of a coincidence?"

Xie Shang took her hand and said earnestly, "Ruan Ruan, I will not let anyone hurt you. If Zhu Song dares to harm you and the child, or even the Jiang family, I will never forgive him. Right now, neither I nor Ruan Ruan have any evidence to prove that Zhu Song helped Su Xuan. He has also caught the murderer. I believe it is not a coincidence. It is possible that someone is deliberately plotting against us. Even if I were to purge the Great Zhou Dynasty again, it would not be at this time. Our situation is not as optimistic as it seems. The enemy is strong and we are weak. Killing one or two corrupt officials is not enough to stand up for the people. It can only have a deterrent effect. We must gradually become stronger."

Jiang Fenghua understood that the successive elimination of the Qin and Su families had caused turmoil in the court. As a new emperor, any further action might damage the very foundation of the dynasty.

"Then may I stay with Your Majesty forever, okay?" She knew that Xie Shang would achieve great things, and that she would eventually reach the top with his help.

She leaned against his chest and said magnanimously, "Now that Zhu Zhenzhen's innocence has been ruined, if Your Majesty wants to use Zhu Yiyi to enter the palace to restrain Imperial Censor Zhu, I will arrange for her to enter the palace as soon as I get back."

Xie Shang said, "When did I ever say I would let her enter the palace?"

“Every move the Emperor makes indicates that he wants her to enter the palace. She even said that His Majesty wants her to stay by His Majesty’s side.” She also wanted to test who was in his heart.

"I only want Ruan Ruan to stay by my side. Ruan Ruan is my wife, my empress, and the one I love." Xie Shang was much calmer now. "After returning to the capital, I will hold a wedding ceremony for Ruan Ruan and remarry you as my empress."

"Ruan Ruan must be very upset that we didn't drink the nuptial wine together, didn't tie our hair together, and didn't eat glutinous rice balls. I will make it up to you when I return to the capital."

"I'm already a mother of three. If Your Majesty wants to marry me again, that means I'll have to remarry. What will my status be when I marry again?"

"You used to marry me as the Princess Consort of Heng, but I missed that opportunity... Now you will naturally marry as the Empress. Leave everything to the officials in charge of the ceremony. Ruan Ruan, please focus on your pregnancy."

Jiang Fenghua smiled. "A pregnant bride."

"Preparing for the wedding will take several months. By then, the baby will be born, and Ruan Ruan won't have to work so hard."

Jiang Fenghua never imagined she would get married again in her lifetime. She should be happy that Xie Shang had this intention, but did he mean to postpone the coronation ceremony? Compared to a more grand wedding, she wanted the coronation ceremony even more.

In the end, Xie Shang insisted on marrying her again because they did not complete the full wedding ceremony according to the proper etiquette. Xie Shang said many hurtful things to her on the day she got married, and he felt sorry for her and wanted to make amends.

Furthermore, Jiang Fenghua's pregnancy was not stable, and after returning to the palace, he only wanted her to take good care of herself and give birth to the child safely.

On the eve of the New Year, the imperial procession returned to the capital and arrived in Shengjing City. The streets were bustling with carriages and people, and the city was deserted as cheers continued.

They should have returned much earlier, but Xie Shang slowed down the convoy because he had to consider Jiang Fenghua's pregnancy.

Jiang Fenghua's belly is now quite large, and it's rounder than before.

Xie Shang sent people to search for Su Qingqing's whereabouts, but there was still no news. However, on the day Jiang Fenghua returned to the palace, she suddenly saw Qin Yunyan's figure in the palace again.

She quietly sent someone to follow her.

Dressed as a palace maid, she roamed the palace with impunity. This girl could bribe people to come and go as she pleased; the Qin family's wealth hadn't been completely confiscated yet! Perhaps it was Consort Su's help; after all, she had many connections in the palace after more than ten years.

Now that Kunning Palace has been vacated, she could have moved there directly. However, the coronation ceremony has not yet been held, Kunning Palace has not been fully renovated, and she is heavily pregnant, so she is temporarily staying in Chenxi Palace. Xie Ziyan and Xie Hongyou have gotten used to living there, and she is too lazy to move.

Xie Shang became busy again, but he had moved to the Qianqing Palace and his office had been moved from the Taihua Hall to the Imperial Study, all according to the emperor's etiquette and standards.

The emperor's enthronement ceremony was scheduled for the eighth day of the first lunar month, and the empress's investiture ceremony could also be held on the same day, so that the whole country could celebrate together. However, the emperor issued a new decree, ordering the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department to rush to make new wedding clothes for the empress and to select another auspicious day. The decree was issued to all departments to make preparations. Until then, she would still be addressed as empress according to the rites for empress and assist the empress dowager in managing the inner palace.

In other words, Jiang Fenghua needs to rest and prepare for childbirth, and the harem will be temporarily managed by the Empress Dowager, until she gives birth.

Once the imperial edict was issued, everyone understood that the Emperor wanted to marry the Empress again, and the day of the wedding would also be the Empress's investiture ceremony. The Emperor truly doted on the Empress.

The Empress's due date is in late March of this year. Including the time for postpartum confinement, the ceremony for her enthronement will not be until at least late May.