Several large pots of chrysanthemums were moved to Shuhua Palace.
Taohong hesitated and said, "My Lady, we must be on guard against others. Is there anything wrong with this chrysanthemum?"
Ji Yunhuan had just touched them all, and the amulet on the palm of his hand did not flash, which meant that there was nothing wrong with these chrysanthemums.
She believed that the queen was one thing, but the safety of herself and her child was the most important!
"Don't worry, the Empress wouldn't be stupid enough to tamper with the chrysanthemums. These chrysanthemums are fine. Place a pot of them everywhere and take good care of them. If they don't grow well, I will fine you your monthly allowance."
Taohong naturally believed the young lady and immediately ordered the palace maids to clean up.
"Your Majesty, I have to say something. Chunfeng is really stupid. She has ruined the Empress, who is such a good person. We must clean up the Shuhua Palace. We should not only send out the disobedient ones, but also let the Ministry of Internal Affairs select good ones to come in."
Ji Yunhuan sat under the porch, watching the phoenix flower in full bloom flap its wings. The breeze blew by, and the delicate yellow petals danced as if they were about to fly away.
"If the Queen hadn't protected her, the matter would have been over, and the Queen wouldn't have had to leave the palace. Liu Yan is vicious and will always push her personal maids to take the blame when things go wrong. But the Queen is different. She values friendship, is kind and generous, and has a bottom line. That's why the Queen Mother chose her."
"Taohong, I can actually understand her. If you ever make a big mistake, I will protect you."
"Pah, pah, pah!" Taohong stamped her feet fiercely a few times. "What are you talking about, Your Majesty? Taohong is not that stupid. I would not do anything to hurt you under the guise of doing good for you."
Ji Yunhuan reached out and pinched Taohong's round face, and said with a smile: "Yes, yes, our Taohong is the smartest!"
********
The end of the year is here in the blink of an eye, and the Ministry of Rites is in charge of sacrificial affairs. National affairs, whether in sacrifice or military affairs, cannot tolerate any mistakes.
At the grand court meeting, the Minister of Rites stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, at the end of each year, the Emperor and Empress ascend the Heavenly Terrace to pray for good weather, peace, and prosperity for the country and the people. Now that the Empress is recuperating outside the palace, how should we organize the sacrificial ceremony? Your Majesty, please provide your instructions."
Prince Duan also stood up, perfunctorily bowed to the emperor, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the Empress is the mother of a country. Even if she is out of the palace to recuperate, she should return to the palace to participate in the sacrificial ceremony at the end of the year."
"I second the motion."
"I second the motion."
Many officials echoed his words, but Prime Minister Liu kept his head down and said nothing, as if he was staying out of the matter.
The emperor sat upright on the dragon throne, his mind as clear as a mirror. The Ministry of Rites was full of Prime Minister Liu's men from top to bottom. The ceremony of conferring Concubine Chun had been delayed again and again. He was worried that he had no place to start, and now was a good opportunity!
"If you can't even handle such a small matter, I think you don't need to be the Minister of Rites anymore! The Queen is not in good health, how can she withstand the fatigue of the ceremony? If the Queen's health is damaged, you won't have enough heads to chop off!"
"You asked for my instructions, so I will teach you. First, conduct the ceremony of conferring the title of Imperial Concubine, and then let Imperial Concubine Chun perform the ceremony of becoming Empress. If you dare to delay again and delay the ceremony, I will kill you immediately!"
The former court and the harem were in an uproar over this matter. The emerging power of the Xu family confronted the Liu family head-on for the first time and refused to give in.
After arguing for more than half a month, the emperor found an excuse to remove several officials from the Ministry of Rites, and the Minister of Rites was also reported. Prime Minister Liu had no choice but to give up and do as the emperor wished.
The imperial concubine's dress had been prepared long ago, but Ji Yunhuan's belly had grown a little bigger, so some modifications had to be made after trying it on.
Taohong's face flushed with excitement. "Your Majesty is so kind to the Empress. After the canonization ceremony, the Empress is now the legitimate Consort Chun. This must be announced to the world!"
"But I don't understand why they are making such a fuss. The Queen isn't from the Liu family, so this is a thankless task."
Ji Yunhuan had already measured the size again, and only after the female officials from the Imperial Household Department had left did she explain it to Taohong.
"In this former dynasty and harem, there are no eternal enemies or eternal friends, only eternal interests. They want to win over the Zhou family, so they are doing a favor for the Zhou family in advance."
Taohong patted her head and said in distress, "Why is this servant so stupid? Or is it the Majesty who is smart? Anyway, Taohong listens to the Majesty. Whatever the Majesty says, Taohong does it. This way it can never be wrong."
The imperial concubine's enthronement ceremony and the sacrificial ceremony were carried out together. Even though many procedures had been simplified, Ji Yunhuan was still exhausted.
The baby in her belly was very considerate and didn't bother her the entire day. He was incredibly quiet and well-behaved.
She held the phoenix seal and the imperial concubine seal, managed the six palaces, and performed the rituals of a queen. Apart from the difference in title, she was actually no different from a queen.
After the sacrificial ceremony, the New Year’s Eve banquet will be held soon.
The previous dynasty had already adjourned, and the emperor finally had some free time. Throughout the year, he only had these few days of free time, and he wished he could stick to Ji Yunhuan every day.
But Ji Yunhuan became even busier. He had to distribute rewards for the New Year and other festivals, and also organize the New Year's Eve palace banquet.
She had already sensed that this year's New Year's Eve party would not be peaceful, so she was particularly concerned.
At night, the emperor entered Hualan Pavilion with a cold face.
Hualan Pavilion was originally an inconspicuous small attic in Shuhua Palace, usually used for enjoying flowers and birds. Now it is used by Ji Yunhuan to handle palace affairs.
This place is the busiest with people coming and going. The female officials in the palace all come here to ask for instructions from Concubine Chun, and the concubines in the other palaces also come here to pay their respects.
When the emperor came in, everyone knelt down. The emperor took Ji Yunhuan's hand and sat down. He exuded coldness and was obviously in a bad mood.
Huipin knelt quietly without looking around. She was closest to Chun Guifei, but she had no intention of talking to the emperor.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com