Chapter 81 End. My only wish is to be with you, year after year…
With the date of the coronation ceremony set, Su Panyue inevitably became busy.
Royal ceremonies are very complicated; it took her several days just to figure out the procedures and learn the various rules.
Xie Lanzhou had told her several times to just do as she pleased and not to be too formal. But since all the officials and relatives of the emperor would be there, she really didn't want to embarrass herself at the ceremony.
During this time, the Imperial Textile Bureau also sent over the Empress's ceremonial robes.
The crimson robe, embroidered with colorful pheasant and falcon patterns and outlined with gold thread, is adorned with pearls and gemstones the size of beans. It sparkles with every movement, exuding an indescribable luxury and exquisiteness.
The jade ribbon, jade pendant, and cloud-patterned veil were all the same. Wearing this outfit, Su Panyue felt like a walking money tree, with every bead that accidentally fell down being a piece of money.
But the most important thing is the nine-dragon, four-phoenix crown that symbolizes the empress's status and position.
The four golden phoenixes are incredibly lifelike, with emeralds shimmering on their feathers and pearls adorning their golden tassels—exquisitely beautiful.
The only drawback is that it's too heavy.
Feixue Feiyan helped her dress up. She turned around in front of the bronze mirror, wanting to nod in satisfaction, but the phoenix crown on her head made it difficult for her to even nod or shake her head.
Not long after she put on this outfit, she started to feel sore back and neck, and even her neck was so heavy from the phoenix crown on her head that she couldn't lift it.
After admiring herself in the mirror for a while, she said, "No, no, help me take it off quickly!"
Feiyan hesitated: "Aren't we waiting for His Majesty? The eunuch just told me that His Majesty heard that Your Highness is trying on your wedding dress today and is on his way to see it."
Su Panyue hesitated for a moment, then heard someone bowing outside. When she looked up in surprise, Xie Lanzhou had already stepped into the room.
"How did you get here so quickly?" Su Panyue asked him, tilting her head slightly.
Xie Lanzhou did not answer. His deep black eyes were fixed on her, filled with amazement, infatuation, and many other emotions that she could not understand.
"It looks good." That was all he said.
No one dislikes being complimented on their looks, so Su Panyue couldn't help but smile. After turning around in front of him again, she asked, "How good-looking?"
Xie Lanzhou smiled and leaned closer, whispering, "You're so beautiful, I want to hide you away and only let me see you."
Su Panyue glanced at him and inexplicably thought of the days when she was under house arrest. Actually, it was quite comfortable to eat, drink, and have someone to sleep with, without having to worry about anything.
Xie Lanzhou seemed to have guessed what she was thinking, and put his arm around her waist to comfort her.
"After the ceremony, you won't have to worry about anything else. You can do whatever you want. Just enjoy this one hard day."
Su Panyue nodded with difficulty while wearing the phoenix crown, and then had Feixue Feiyan remove it for her.
The dress fit her well in general, but the embroiderer who accompanied her still took her measurements carefully and took it back for further alterations to ensure that it would fit her perfectly in every inch.
By the time they finished, it was already dinnertime. Both of them had been very busy lately, so Su Panyue hadn't eaten with Xie Lanzhou for several days.
"What has Your Majesty been busy with lately?" Su Panyue asked.
"At the end of the year, the county towns of each prefecture and county will have performance evaluations," Xie Lanzhou said casually as he continued to serve her food.
Those lengthy accounts of achievements are too numerous to read, and many are exaggerated, making them extremely time-consuming to follow.
Su Panyue: "Whether there's an evaluation or not, we'll know by looking at whether the local people are living well or not."
"If the people are prosperous and live in peace, it means that he is doing a good job as an official. If the people are full of complaints and suffering, then there is naturally a problem."
Xie Lanzhou seemed to be deep in thought, then suddenly smiled: "The Empress is indeed intelligent and wise."
"Does Your Majesty have any good ideas?" Su Panyue asked, feeling a little embarrassed by his praise.
"How can I understand the actual people's livelihood by reading these memorials every day? It would be better to send people to visit the people directly and evaluate them based on their opinions."
Su Panyue immediately realized: "What if someone tries to coerce us with money? I'm afraid we can't allow it."
Xie Lanzhou glanced at her with a smile and slowly said, "At the same time, spread the word that when spring comes next year, I will personally visit several prefectures and counties. Anyone who still dares to deceive the emperor will be sent on his way by me personally."
Su Panyue blinked and asked, "Going out to play? Are you taking me?"
"Of course." Xie Lanzhou couldn't help but smile and touch her face, only to have her slap his hand away.
"We're eating, so don't touch me."
"Then wait until we finish eating."
As soon as Xie Lanzhou finished speaking, Su Panyue's face turned red, and she mumbled "No."
Xie Lanzhou always obeyed her, but when it came to the bed, it was a different story.
At first, she was still able to bargain and ask for it to be done only once, but when the passion got intense, she couldn't distinguish between all those other demands.
By the time Xie Lanzhou carried her back to bed with a satisfied look on his face, two hours had passed.
Su Panyue leaned against his chest, trying to calm her racing heart, and whispered, "I'm a little nervous."
She didn't say what she was nervous about, but Xie Lanzhou immediately understood.
He held her hand and comforted her, saying, "It's alright. They are just witnesses. You don't have to follow the rules. Just be yourself, and no one will dare to object."
Su Panyue nuzzled against his chest, her growing anxiety due to the approaching ceremony slowly subsiding.
The two fell asleep in each other's arms.
...
Amidst the intensive preparations, New Year's Eve arrived in no time.
Su Panyue was woken up by Feixue Feiyan before dawn to wash and dress up, and finally put on the heavy phoenix crown.
Su Panyue was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. She forced herself to look at herself in the mirror and never imagined that she would actually have this day when she would become the empress.
Before she could even express her feelings, she held onto the phoenix crown on her head with both hands and steadily walked out.
Xie Lanzhou was also wearing a dragon robe, a symbol of his status, with his black hair standing on end, exuding the majesty of an emperor.
Seeing Su Panyue emerge carrying the phoenix crown on her head, he smiled slightly, then walked over and personally held it for her, turning his head to ask:
"Is it heavy?"
Su Panyue wanted to nod but couldn't, so she could only give a firm "hmm".
"Bear with it for a moment, I'll support it for you." Xie Lanzhou supported the phoenix crown with one hand, greatly easing Su Panyue's burden.
The two of them got into the same carriage.
Shouxi, who was waiting to the side, muttered under his breath, "This is against the rules." But Eunuch Fu tapped him on the head with his whisk, "Don't talk nonsense. His Majesty and the Empress's words are the rules!"
The first step in the empress's investiture ceremony was to offer sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, which required the emperor and empress to perform together, reporting to the ancestors and the gods of heaven and earth.
The civil and military officials, as well as members of the imperial family, had all taken their places in turn.
Before entering the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Su Panyue asked Xie Lanzhou to remove his hand. If he had entered with the phoenix crown still in his hand, it would have been incredibly embarrassing.
Xie Lanzhou readily took her hand and whispered, "Su Panyue, would you like to marry me?"
"Let's go, we can't wait any longer." Su Panyue said, taking his hand and leading him inside.
Su Panyue then realized that there were so many people in the hall. Standing at the front were the Duke and his wife, who were smiling as they watched the two approach.
Su Panyue smiled at the two of them, and when she turned her head, she saw Xie Lanzhou's wet nurse. Although the wet nurse was blind, she still turned her head in response to the sound, her face full of relief.
The two ascended the high platform step by step, where the official in charge of ceremonies presented the Empress's edict and seal. Su Panyue accepted it with both hands and immediately saw the four characters "My wife Panyue" written on the edict and seal. It was a handwriting she was very familiar with. This magnificent edict of investiture was actually written by Xie Lanzhou himself.
She smiled, pursed her lips, and met his gaze.
The two then lit the altar together, sending their message to the heavens.
The assembled officials bowed in congratulations and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
Su Panyue held Xie Lanzhou's hand tightly, feeling for the first time so strongly that her fate was tied to his, and no one could separate them.
After the ceremony, they were supposed to meet with the ladies of the inner court and the concubines of the harem, but they had already met them at the family banquet a while ago, and there were no concubines in the harem. So Xie Lanzhou ordered that this step be skipped and the two of them went directly back to the palace.
On the way back, Su Panyue couldn't help but ask, "Do you think I can be a good empress?"
Xie Lanzhou pinched and played with her wrist, saying nonchalantly, "You can be a good emperor, let alone an empress."
Upon hearing his treasonous words, Su Panyue immediately retorted, "Don't talk nonsense, I don't want to be the emperor." Being an emperor is too tiring, let whoever wants to be one be one.
Of course, she didn't say the second half of her sentence, lest Xie Lanzhou feel wronged and quit.
Back in the palace, the two walked hand in hand around the palace grounds.
Tonight is Lunar New Year's Eve. Under Su Panyue's arrangement, the palace servants hung up big red lanterns in the palace early and pasted specially made mica couplets everywhere.
She also gave each palace servant a three-month monthly allowance. As a result, the entire palace was filled with joy.
Xie Lanzhou remarked, "It has been a long time since the palace has been so joyous."
Su Panyue tilted her head and asked, "Who did Your Majesty spend New Year's Eve with in the past?"
"Staying up all night on New Year's Eve?" Xie Lanzhou's gaze drifted into the distance, as if lost in memories.
"I haven't celebrated the New Year since my mother passed away."
What he didn't say was that for many years, he spent New Year's Eve alone in the military camp, constantly on guard against enemy attacks.
Su Panyue patted his hand and said gently, "I'll keep you company on New Year's Eve from now on."
"good."
After strolling around, the two returned to the Imperial Study. Su Panyue ordered someone to bring paper for couplets, and then began to grind ink.
Xie Lanzhou asked, "What is this for?"
Without looking up, Su Panyue replied, "We can write our own Spring Festival couplets to bring good luck."
Xie Lanzhou smiled but said nothing, watching her busy herself with her pen with doting eyes, and reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
As darkness fell, the Imperial Kitchen delivered the New Year's Eve dinner, and the two dined together in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Su Panyue poured a glass of wine for each of them, then raised her glass and said, "Your Majesty, Happy New Year."
Xie Lanzhou raised his wine glass and clinked it with hers, saying, "My joy is your joy."
Su Panyue smiled and was about to raise her hand to drink it all when someone grabbed her arm.
Xie Lanzhou's arm, holding the wine glass, slipped through the crook of her hand, and with just this one movement, Su Panyue understood immediately.
She looked up and smiled at him, and the two drank a toast together.
"I didn't expect Your Majesty to know about these folk customs," she said with a smile.
"Of course, and there's this too." Xie Lanzhou said, pointing to the red candle beside him.
Su Panyue then noticed that a pair of dragon and phoenix candles were burning brightly.
"So this is our wedding night?" She smiled and looked up at Xie Lanzhou, her eyes sparkling.
The man, whose thoughts had been exposed, did not flinch but stared directly into her eyes, making Su Panyue's face burn.
She turned her head to change the subject, "We haven't had dumplings yet, Your Majesty, please try one." As she spoke, she placed one on his plate.
Xie Lanzhou readily agreed and ate everything, then put a few more on her plate as well, saying, "You should eat more too, so you won't be too weak later."
Su Panyue gave him a reproachful look.
The two shared a plate of dumplings, and that marked the end of their New Year's Eve dinner.
The red candles were still burning. Xie Lanzhou looked at Su Panyue, who was more beautiful than flowers, in his arms, and finally couldn't help but kiss her.
Su Panyue reached out and hooked her arm around his neck, then fell onto the bed with him.
As the candlelight flickered, she whispered in Xie Lanzhou's ear, "I only wish to be with you, year after year."
-End of text-
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Author's Note: The main story is finished! I'll continue updating with side stories, mainly focusing on the sweet daily life of the two. Feel free to comment if you have any requests. Thank you for reading, everyone! Thanks for your support! [doge emoji with rose in hand]
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