Chapter 293: Ascension to the Throne (Finale)
Liang Jingyao was afraid that Prince Rong would vent his anger on Lin Xiaoyue, so he quickly explained, "Father, this has nothing to do with Yue'er. I just feel that I still need experience, and I hope you understand. Besides, with the old wine monster taking care of your body, you will surely live a long life!"
Prince Rong said with a mixture of anger and amusement, "You're such a snob! Well, I'll give you three years. When the three years are up, you must sit on the throne! I'm old, and this is all I can do for you."
When Liang Jingyao heard the latter part, his nose suddenly felt sore. His father had returned from the northern border with a lot of white hair, and his originally upright body had begun to become a little hunched. His father was really old!
"Thank you, father! I will go to ask the Imperial Observatory now!" Liang Jingyao bowed respectfully and then left the Qinzheng Hall.
Seven days later, loud bells rang, and the birds, as if they had received a call, flapped their wings and flew out of their nests. People dressed in new clothes and took to the streets. The streets were decorated with lights and were full of joy, as lively as the New Year.
In the palace, because Prince Rong's wife died of illness during exile a few years ago, all matters related to the enthronement were handled by Princess Mingzhu. Although Lin Xiaoyue was there to help, Princess Mingzhu was still very busy and had not returned to her own princess residence for several days.
"Yue'er, has the Ministry of Rites prepared everything according to the rules? There can't be any mistakes in the coronation ceremony later, otherwise it would be a crime of disrespect." Princess Mingzhu had counted everything herself twice, but she was still worried that she would miss something.
Lin Xiaoyue nodded and said, "Princess, don't worry. Everything is ready. The Minister of Rites is already waiting at the Temple of Heaven. It's time for us to set off."
Princess Mingzhu suddenly remembered that she hadn't paid her respects to the Queen Mother this morning. She said in frustration, "Oh no! How could I have forgotten to pay my respects to Mother? Has Mother already gone to the Temple of Heaven?"
Lin Xiaoyue sensed Princess Mingzhu's nervousness and stepped forward to hold her hand. She squeezed the palm of Princess Mingzhu's hand and comforted her, "Princess, I've already paid my respects to the Queen Mother on your behalf this morning. The Queen Mother doesn't blame you. She should still be waiting for us to set off together. Let's go!"
Princess Mingzhu breathed a sigh of relief and walked out holding Lin Xiaoyue's hand.
Because there were no female relatives in Prince Rong's Mansion, Princess Mingzhu and Empress Dowager Yan set off for Tiantai together after they met.
At this time, the rooftop was already filled with civil and military officials, royal relatives, and with the eunuch's shout, "The auspicious time has arrived! Play the music!" everyone's eyes were focused on the man at the top.
This man was Prince Rong, who was about to ascend the throne. He was wearing a green formal dress today. To the sound of music, Prince Rong walked to the altar, burned incense, and offered jade and silk. Then the eunuch handed the prayer to Prince Rong, and Prince Rong began to recite the prayer aloud.
After reading the prayer, Prince Rong bowed again, presented gifts, and blessed the silk...
The coronation ceremony was held after the sacrifice to heaven was completed. It was still dark, and pine, cypress and sandalwood were burning in the incense burner. The attendants put the prepared yellow robe on Prince Rong.
Prince Rong, wearing a yellow robe, looked at the officials. The officials stood on both sides. Grand Secretary Guo presented the emperor's jade seal and congratulated Prince Rong. The other civil and military officials knelt three times and kowtowed nine times below, shouting: "Long live the emperor!"
Prince Rong officially became the new emperor of Dongsui State. He raised his hand and said, "My beloved ministers, may you live forever!"
The coronation ceremony went very smoothly, and everyone's face was filled with smiles. This was because the late emperor had always praised Prince Rong for his benevolence and his ability to care for the world. In addition, Liang Jingyao, as Prince Rong's son, had always been very outstanding and deeply loved by the people. Therefore, Prince Rong's coronation was like a shot in the arm, which boosted everyone's confidence in the future.
Back at the Qinzheng Palace, Liang Jingyao was the first to step forward and congratulate, saying, "Congratulations to our father on his successful ascension to the throne. Our Dongsui Kingdom will surely prosper for thousands of years!"
"Hahaha!" Rong Huang laughed and said, "You are so smooth-talking now, don't forget what you promised me!"
Liang Jingyao nodded guiltily and said, "Of course, I will definitely worry about you, Father. Don't worry, Father!"
Emperor Rong felt something was wrong when he heard this, but today was a good day, so he didn't think about it too much. Besides, there were still officials waiting outside for him to attend the banquet. After changing his clothes, Emperor Rong came out and urged, "Let's go. Don't keep everyone waiting."
Baohe Hall.
At this time, there was singing and dancing in the hall, the tables were filled with delicious food and wine, and the ministers had already entered with their families and were seated.
Emperor Rong sat on the dragon throne, Liang Jingyao, as the prince, sat on one side, and on the other side were Empress Dowager Yan and Princess Mingzhu. The two rows of officials sitting below were arranged according to their official rank.
"Today is a happy day. I would like to toast the Queen Mother with this first glass of wine. It is because of the Queen Mother's trust in me that I can sit in this position." Emperor Rong turned around and drank the wine in the glass to the Queen Mother Yan.
Although Empress Dowager Yan felt unhappy, she had let go of some of her resentment and unwillingness after being persuaded by the eldest princess these days.
"Emperor, this is what the people want. I hope that Your Majesty will live up to the people's expectations and make our Dongsui Kingdom even stronger." Empress Dowager Yan raised her glass and drank the wine in it.
Emperor Rong was very happy no matter whether Empress Dowager Yan was sincere or insincere in her words, because in front of all the officials, Empress Dowager Yan did not deny him face.
"Yes, I will definitely keep it in mind!"
"This second glass of wine is for you, I would like to honor you as my ministers. In the future, I will need you to assist me and ensure the peace and prosperity of the Dongsui Kingdom!" Emperor Rong poured himself another full glass of wine and said.
All the officials below stood up, holding their wine glasses in both hands and shouting: "Long live the emperor!"
After Emperor Rong drank the second glass of wine, he poured himself a third. He said to the outside of the palace, "This third glass of wine is for the people of Dongsui. I swear here that I will end famine and war in my lifetime and bring more happiness to the people!"
The officials were moved and knelt on the ground, shouting: "The emperor is a wise man, and he is a blessing to Dongsui and the people!"
…
On this day, before dawn, Liang Jingyao put on his original coarse cloth clothes and left the capital with Lin Xiaoyue.
"Brother Liang, aren't you afraid that Emperor Rong will be angry if you leave without saying goodbye?" In fact, Lin Xiaoyue had no idea about Liang Jingyao's plan. She still felt unreal walking on the street.
Liang Jingyao smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've already left a letter for Father. You've endured so much with me before, and now it's time for me to accompany you to see the beautiful scenery of Dongsui. I believe Father will understand. Moreover, while we travel, we can also go on private visits and help Father understand the people's sentiments and investigate corrupt officials. Isn't this the best of both worlds?"
Lin Xiaoyue didn't expect Liang Jingyao to think so much about her, but her face...
"Brother Liang, I... I have never taken off the human skin mask you gave me. Aren't you curious about my real identity?" Lin Xiaoyue touched her face unconfidently, wondering whether Liang Jingyao had seen the original owner before she traveled through time.
If he had seen her, Liang Jingyao would know at a glance that I was the imperial concubine in the palace. Would he still treat me as well as he does now?
Liang Jingyao chuckled, reached out and held Lin Xiaoyue's hand, and said, "Are you trying to say that you were once the Moon Concubine of Xiaoyue Palace?"
Lin Xiaoyue's hand fell vertically like a kite with a broken string. She looked at Liang Jingyao with a pair of bright eyes full of surprise and asked, "You, how come... I, I didn't..."
Liang Jingyao hugged Lin Xiaoyue, who was trying to escape, and explained, "I didn't know at first. Yesterday, I drank too much and wanted to get some fresh air. I saw you sitting alone in Xiaoyue Palace in a daze, and then... he died..."
Lin Xiaoyue's heart felt like it was pounding. She pushed Liang Jingyao away and said angrily, "He deserves to die! If it weren't for his incompetence, I wouldn't be exiled and have to live in hiding! Only when he's dead can I be safe! Now that you know the truth, do you regret it? You can kill me or chop me up, it's all up to you!"
Liang Jingyao looked at Lin Xiaoyue who was on guard against him like a hedgehog, and he felt helpless and distressed!
"Silly girl, if I regretted it, why would I bring you out here? I will settle everything for you. Three years from now, you can just wait to be my queen! In this world, only you are worthy of sharing it with me! Yue'er, are you willing?"
Lin Xiaoyue felt as if the dam she had built in her heart had suddenly collapsed. Warm liquid flowed from her heart, flowing through her limbs and bones, and finally condensed into a crystal tear that slid down from the corner of her eye. At this moment, Lin Xiaoyue was truly certain of her feelings and answered with certainty, "I do..."
(End of the book)
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