The news of His Majesty's preparations for his marriage to the Imperial Tutor was spread quietly.
The relationship between the two was no secret among the court officials. They knew that, given His Majesty's deep affection for Lord Wen, such a day was only a matter of time.
At first, there were some people who objected, but after the events in the north, the matter was basically dropped in the court.
Lord Wen comes from a good family and is also very talented. He has high prestige and good interpersonal relationships, both in the court and in the military. He has also assisted His Majesty in getting to where he is today. Apart from their teacher-student relationship, he has countless advantages.
Given His Majesty's discerning eye, after seeing such a stunning person, the possibility of him taking a liking to anyone else is almost negligible. Why should they force it? In the end, they'll only gain nothing.
Moreover, the Prince of Huailing and his wife have now returned to the capital. With them watching closely, who would dare to disagree?
It's better to make yourself feel more comfortable.
People should know when to be confused.
Amidst the turmoil in the outside world, Wen Hemian surprisingly took a hands-off approach to wedding preparations.
With her parents helping her and Xie Lang overseeing her, she basically had no work to do.
As for palace rules and etiquette, His Majesty the Emperor was the one who cared least about etiquette, so he waved his hand and didn't let her learn those messy rules, and also simplified the process a lot.
After all, Wen Hemian will be his empress, but she will be more than just his empress.
Wen Hemian should be an eagle soaring in the sky.
How could he bear to let her be trapped in the harem for the rest of her life?
The imperial court was where she could truly demonstrate her talents.
Wen Hemian could roughly guess his thoughts. Seeing that even the Ministry of Rites, which valued etiquette the most, hadn't reacted strongly, she decided not to get involved.
Having grown accustomed to freedom, no one wants to be bound by a bunch of rules; of course, it's best not to have to learn anything.
She is lenient with herself and will not compromise on these issues. Even if the Ministry of Rites is angry, she will find a way to suppress it, which saves her trouble now.
In any case, Xie Lang can't handle everything by himself, can he?
While preparations are underway here, the progress of the imperial edict cannot be neglected.
Taking advantage of Wen Hemian's return to his residence after leaving the palace, and on a fine, sunny day, Xie Lang ordered someone to deliver the imperial edict that had been written in advance.
Lai Xi knew exactly what was going on, and his face almost broke into a smile. Before the imperial edict was read, he said, "Everyone knows His Majesty's meaning. You three can just sit and listen."
Wen Chengyuan and Qin Yi had the privilege of not having to kneel since they were young, and Wen Hemian was even more so. This whole family were extremely distinguished.
Lai Xi understood perfectly well that if even the Emperor had to curry favor with someone, he should do the same. So, without any airs, he simply held the imperial edict and read aloud: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Grand Secretary and Grand Tutor Wen Hemian possesses both virtue and talent..."
The imperial edict was quite long, beginning with a series of effusive praises, which took a long time to read before finally reaching its main point: "...I and the Grand Tutor have known each other since we were humble beginnings. This intention is clear, and I entrust it to Heaven. I can only ask that my conscience is clear..."
"The Grand Tutor has rendered great service to the country and its people. Her pure and virtuous character and exemplary conduct should serve as a model for the world. Therefore, she is hereby conferred the title of Empress, to be honored alongside me, and to jointly govern the state. The relevant officials shall be ordered to select an auspicious day and prepare the necessary ceremonies for the investiture ceremony. This is the imperial decree!"
Wen Hemian remained calm at first, having reviewed the material beforehand and being mentally prepared. However, as she listened to the later parts, she gradually realized that something was amiss.
Xie Lang secretly modified the content without her knowledge.
Lai Xi smiled and rolled up the imperial edict, handing it to Wen Hemian: "Congratulations, Lord Wen! Congratulations, Your Highness and Your Highness's Consort!"
Seeing her daughter's stunned expression, Qin Yi waved her hand, signaling a servant to slip the prepared purse into Xi's hands: "May your father-in-law also share in the good fortune."
Lai Xi's smile widened: "Thank you, Your Highness!"
After everyone left, Wen Chengyuan snorted, "The young emperor has taken all the responsibility upon himself. Being able to do this has at least eased his parents' worries."
The biggest obstacle between the two was their teacher-student relationship. No matter how firm they were in their resolve, they couldn't avoid criticism. Now that Xie Lang had made it clear, no one dared to challenge the emperor.
Wen Hemian snapped out of her daze, her expression complicated: "He didn't tell me."
"I can tell." Qin Yi tapped her forehead and smiled gently. "He's thoughtful."
...
The imperial edict was not just for them to see; it was to be proclaimed to the world and advertised far and wide.
Compared to the court officials who were initially furious upon learning the news, the common people's reaction was not as intense as expected.
For the common people, the Imperial Tutor led the young Emperor to clean up the court, and the policies he promulgated were all beneficial to them. He also successively found high-yield crops to promote, so that they could have enough to eat. Disaster relief and quelling rebellions were all taken care of... What's so great about being an Empress!
Years ago, when people heard about her accident, many people spontaneously built shrines in her memory. When she returned, everyone was happy for a long time.
Don't say that it's immoral for teachers and students to be together. There are plenty of extravagant and chaotic things that kings and generals do, who cares?
The people's thinking is simple and straightforward; the majority prevails over the minority, so naturally, no trouble can be stirred up.
"I knew it, the court officials just aren't good at accepting things."
Xie Lang listened to the report without changing his expression, clearly confident and having anticipated this.
"They're old, you can't blame them."
Wen Hemian raised her eyes with amusement: "You didn't tell me beforehand that you were changing the imperial edict. I thought Lai Xi had misread it."
"I wanted to give you a surprise." Xie Lang smiled slyly and kissed her on the cheek. "They wouldn't dare say anything to me, so I'm making it clear early to avoid them causing trouble in front of you."
Xie Lang was long past his youthful impetuosity; he understood that in this relationship, who would be more criticized by the world?
If it were him who insisted, then people would not be able to utter foul language towards Wen Hemian. He is the ruler, and when the ruler demands something from his subjects, the subjects have no choice but to obey.
"You've outmaneuvered everyone in the world."
Wen Hemian felt a mix of emotions. After a moment, she smiled gently, her voice warm yet firm: "But Your Majesty, I am not as fragile as you think. I can withstand any criticism. Unless one day you change your mind."
What an enormous hat!
Xie Lang felt wronged and filed a complaint.
"I will never change my mind!"
Wen Hemian was both amused and exasperated: "It's just a hypothetical situation."
Xie Lang took her hand, his eyes lowered in dejection: "I've said it before, there shouldn't be any hypotheticals."
Yes, that's what happened... Recalling this, Wen Hemian said with some apology, "I was wrong, I won't say it again."
She slowly raised her hand, hesitated for a moment, and gently rubbed the puppy's head, her eyes clear and bright: "Your heart is my heart."
It sounds like a love confession.
Xie Lang's eyelashes trembled as he grabbed Wen Hemian's wrist. His eyes lit up, and his breathing became rapid: "I heard you, Hanshuang. You are not allowed to go back on your word."
Wen Heming grasped his hand in return, her eyes brimming with laughter, reflecting only his image. This time, her determination was unwavering: "I will never go back on my word."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com