Chapter 414: Coronation Ceremony (End)
In May outside the Great Wall, spring arrives slowly, enthusiastically covering the earth with green and spreading fragrance.
Under the azure sky, the road leading to Shengjing was covered with colorful petals. People lined the streets to welcome the new emperor Xiao Zhuo's convoy, stretching for dozens of miles from the gate of Shengjing.
Chen Yuexi, tired of waving, lowered the curtains and stopped looking at the crowds on either side. However, she could still hear the deafening cheers as the people saluted Xiao Zhuo, who sat at the front of the convoy on a dragon chariot.
She was supposed to ride in the dragon chariot with Xiao Zhuo, but considering that a noisy environment might not be suitable for the fetus, she preferred to stay in the relatively quiet carriage. As for enjoying the public's welcome, Xiao Zhuo had been doing so since he was a child, so let him face the public's enthusiasm.
After returning from Guiyun Island, her only request to Xiao Zhuo was to change the capital of Dayan to Shengjing, so that Xiao Zhuo could officially ascend the throne there.
The reason why she made this request was not only because she built this majestic and magnificent city with her own hands, but also because this city was connected to the Western Rong in the north and the Mei family in the west. It had an excellent geographical location and was also a link between various forces, which was better than the location in Zhongzhou.
Emperor Xiao Zhuo hesitated, considering that the officials' homes were all in the capital. A hasty move would not only involve a large military force but also cost the people money and time. Unexpectedly, a servant leaked the news, and the Prime Minister, concluding that the Emperor would ultimately obey the Empress, immediately relocated. With the outer city of Shengjing complete, the craftsmen immediately began building the Prime Minister's residence. As soon as the foundation of the residence was laid, officials from the six ministries arrived to select a site...
When Xiao Zhuo asked officials for suggestions on moving the capital in the court, he found that all the officials were renting houses. He was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and had to agree to everyone's request.
Despite the simultaneous efforts of tens of thousands of artisans, the relocation of the capital took a full four months. The inner city of Shengjing was transformed into the imperial capital. A palace was built for the coronation ceremony, and countless new houses, streets, and shops were erected in the outer city, all in preparation for the new emperor's ascension.
During this period, Shen Yuexi was also busy, and together with Xiao Zhuo, she summoned the King of Western Rong, Qianglin, and the Grand Marshal of Northern Di. Both of them had a deep hatred for Pei Jingyun and Xiao Beiheng.
Shen Yuexi reasoned with them and appealed to their emotions. Pei Jingyun had indeed done many wrong things, but she was Xiao Zhuo's mother after all. A son killing his mother was unjust since ancient times, and Xiao Zhuo had sentenced her family to exile on Guiyun Island as punishment.
Since ancient times, exile thousands of miles away has been a severe punishment. Qiang Lin and the Northern Di Grand Marshal refused to accept this. They signed an edict on the spot, swearing to coexist peacefully with Dayan. However, public affairs are public affairs, and private affairs are private affairs. They decided to go to the island to settle their personal grudges with Pei Jingyun and Xiao Beiheng.
Neither Shen Yuexi nor Xiao Zhuo stopped Qiang Lin and the Great Marshal of Beidi. Everything that needed to be said had been said. Everyone had to bear the consequences of their own actions. This was not something they could interfere with.
After letting Qiang Lin and the Northern Di Grand Marshal leave, Shen Yuexi and Xiao Zhuo were both worried. If it weren't for the Prime Minister and other ministers who kept urging Xiao Zhuo to ascend the throne, they would have wanted to continue waiting.
"I hope my mother and brother are well." Shen Yuexi closed her eyes and murmured.
Just as she finished mumbling, she heard a low laugh from inside the car. She quickly opened her eyes and saw Long appearing from nowhere. She was dressed in a palace maid's clothes and was sitting opposite her, looking at her with a smile.
"You're so elusive, you'll scare people." Shen Yuexi gently touched her belly, "Fortunately, I'm calm."
Long smiled and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Her Majesty. Let me get straight to the point. Those two foreigners went to the island to look for their master. What do you think the outcome was?"
Seeing Long's happy face, Shen Yuexi guessed that Qiang Lin and the Northern Di Grand Marshal probably hadn't done anything excessive on this trip. She felt relieved and said, "Seeing you look so happy, nothing must be wrong, right?"
"Wrong," Long said, putting away his smile, "The young master was hit by two arrows."
Shen Yuexi was startled and said, "Is it that serious? Then..."
Long flashed another sly smile and interrupted her, "Empress, today is the Emperor's coronation ceremony. I won't scare you. The Northern Di Marshal wanted to shoot the young master with an arrow to avenge his son. The young master said, "I killed your son, so I should have taken the arrow and stood there for him." The Northern Di Marshal shot the young master in the shoulder, lowered his bow, and said the grudge was settled."
At this point, Long curled his lips and said, "To be honest, these two foreigners have never been on a boat in their lives, and they vomited so hard that the sky was dark. It would be easier for us to kill them than to kill chickens, but the master said that firstly, this mistake was indeed made by her, and secondly, if she killed them, the Western Rong and Northern Di would definitely rebel, and she didn't want to cause any more war."
"Didn't my brother catch two arrows?" Shen Yuexi was eager to know what happened next. "Was the other arrow shot by Qiang Lin?"
Long said, "That's right. The master originally wanted that Qiang Lin to do it, but the young master said that any mistakes made by his mother would be borne by him as a son, so he stood in front of the master..."
Shen Yuexi nodded and praised: "Brother is really great, he is a responsible man."
After hearing what Long said, she realized that Xiao Beiheng was no longer the same person he used to be. In the past, Xiao Beiheng was extremely selfish and would sacrifice anyone for his own goals. Now, he has begun to care about others.
"That Qiang Lin shot the young master in the thigh with an arrow, then said they were going back to attend the new emperor's coronation ceremony and left," Long said, rubbing his chest. "We were scared to death at the time. The young master stood there to take the arrow. If those two had hit him in the vitals, he would have been dead. Fortunately, it was a good thing."
Shen Yuexi had seen Qiang Lin's archery skills and knew he would never miss. It seemed that Qiang Lin and the Northern Di Grand Marshal were perhaps moved by Xiao Beiheng's courage to take responsibility, or perhaps by his filial piety in protecting his mother. In any case, they let him go.
If Qiang Lin or the Northern Di Grand Marshal had truly killed Pei Jingyun or Xiao Beiheng, Xiao Zhuo would never have let it happen. When Xiao Ming forced Emperor Yongde to death, Xiao Zhuo, knowing full well that he wasn't Yongde's son, had sent troops to avenge his adoptive father. How could he have ignored his mother's death and sent troops for revenge? In the end, it was the people of all ethnic groups who suffered.
If you kill me and I kill you, the hatred will naturally grow deeper, eventually becoming sworn enemies. This is what happened between Dayan and the Western Rong. After she rescued 5,000 surrendered soldiers, the Western Rong people gradually began to reconcile with Dayan. At the time, some criticized her, saying that saving those surrendered soldiers was unnecessary. Such people probably find it difficult to understand the meaning of forgiveness.
In Shen Yuexi's opinion, whether it was Pei Jingyun, Xiao Beiheng, Qiang Lin, or the Northern Di Grand Marshal, they had all made the right choice. The personal grudges between the two sides ended here, and innocent people would not be dragged into the flames of war.
When she thought of this, the haze in her heart was swept away, and she asked Long, "How is my brother's injury?"
"Dr. Hua is here. Those two arrows were quite a coincidence," Long said reluctantly. "I think they did it on purpose... They didn't injure anything vital. It will heal in a few days."
Shen Yuexi suddenly became happy and asked, "What about mother and sister-in-law?"
"As for the master, he spends every day holding the jade pendant or chatting with the giant parrot. The young mistress is the happiest, saying she wants to build a boat that can travel underwater. She's busy every day." Long said with a smile, "The emperor's move is truly a good one. The master also likes living on Guiyun Island."
Shen Yuexi became even happier after hearing this.
Xiao Zhuo exiled Pei Jingyun and Xiao Beiheng to an island thousands of miles away, appeasing the ministers without causing his mother any suffering. Su Mo wasn't originally among them, but she insisted on being with Xiao Beiheng, and this outcome was perfect.
She wanted to ask more questions, but when she looked up, she found that Long had disappeared without a trace.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty," Xia Lan opened the car door and got in. "Great joy, Xiliang girl... Hey, are you looking around for someone?"
Shen Yuexi retracted her gaze and said, "Nothing. You said there was some happy news. Is it about Sister Mei?"
"Yes, the Queen of Xiliang and your sister will also be attending the coronation ceremony."
Shen Yuexi said in surprise, "Really? Isn't Sister Mei setting up a competition in Xiliang to find a husband? Could it be that she has found a suitable husband?"
After returning from Guiyun Island, Mei Dai and Shen Lan immediately rushed back to the Four Commanderies of Xiliang. Just a month after their departure, the political affairs of the Four Commanderies of Xiliang were in chaos. Fortunately, Mei Dai returned in time and finally stabilized the situation.
Mei Dai wanted to continue the Mei family's lineage, so she held a one-year marriage competition. Only four months had passed, so she wouldn't have had time to come, and Shen Yuexi could understand.
Xia Lan said, "That's impossible. The Queen has set up four levels of examination: literary talent, martial arts, and strategy. Most applicants can't even pass one level. But I believe that a woman as beautiful and outstanding as the Queen will find her ideal partner sooner or later."
Shen Yuexi knew that her two sisters would also be coming, and she was already overjoyed. She said to Xia Lan, "Open the door, I will go and tell His Majesty about this happy event."
As soon as she stood up, she felt a pain in her abdomen. She cried out in pain and sat down again, clutching her stomach. Frightened, Xia Lan quickly stepped forward to support her, saying, "Empress, please stop moving."
Shen Yuexi clutched her stomach and frowned, "It hurts so much. Could it be that the noise outside is making him unhappy?"
Xia Lan didn't understand either, so she could only mumble, "I guess so. If the Queen isn't feeling well, then she shouldn't attend the coronation ceremony, right?"
"How can I not go?" Shen Yuexi gritted her teeth and slowly stood up. "My husband's enthronement is a very important day. How can I, his wife, not be there? So many people probably can't be delayed because of me. It's just three ceremonies. I'll just hold on. It won't take long anyway."
Xiao Zhuo's ascension to the throne coincided with the death of the previous emperor and the ascension of the new. Therefore, the ceremony was kept simple, devoid of singing, dancing, drumming, or banquets, retaining only the most basic three rituals. She felt it would be soon. Although she was due to give birth, she planned to hold out a little longer until Xiao Zhuo ascended the throne.
The first ceremony was to follow Xiao Zhuo to worship the Heaven, Earth and Ancestral Temple. It only took an hour, and she gritted her teeth and persevered.
The second ceremony involved Xiao Zhuo, dressed in his imperial robes, sitting in the palace, accepting greetings and greetings from the civil and military officials, thus establishing the distinction between the monarch and his subjects. As empress, Shen Yuexi sat beside the throne to observe the ceremony.
She saw the civil officials led by the Prime Minister, the military commanders led by General Zhao Mu, and officials of the seventh rank and above from all prefectures and counties. The Xiliang generals led by Mei Dai and Shen Lan, the King of Qianglin of the Western Rong, and the special envoy of the Northern Di Marshal... The crowd stretched all the way to the steps outside the hall, numbering several hundred.
She was dazzled by the sight of so many people, and her lower abdomen became more painful due to her nervousness.
The Prime Minister spoke first. He had prepared a long poem in praise of Xiao Zhuo, which was said to have been specially written by the top scholars of the Hanlin Academy in half a month.
The entire poem is incredibly ornate; the description of Xiao Zhuo's appearance alone fills eight pages, and that's just the beginning. It then goes on to describe Xiao Zhuo's achievements, beginning with his unjust suffering and enduring humiliation, and it takes a full six thousand words to finally reach Daliang Village.
Shen Yuexi was so confused by what she heard that she had to maintain her composure in front of everyone and endure the pain in her stomach. It was really painful.
She was uncomfortable here. The Prime Minister didn't know this, shaking his head and reciting aloud in the hall with great passion. Inadvertently, he dropped the folded memorial in his hand to the ground, which stretched out for six or seven meters and was covered with dense words.
Shen Yuexi couldn't hold it in any longer and cried while holding her stomach.
The court was in chaos. An understanding minister quickly said to Xiao Zhuo, "Your Majesty, the Empress is in severe labor pains. I'm afraid she's about to give birth."
Xiao Zhuo no longer cared about the ceremony and hurriedly supported Shen Yuexi to walk to the back. Mei Dai, Chen Lan and other women followed.
When she lay down on the bed, Shen Yuexi cried and said, "It's no use. Take the baby out quickly. It hurts so much."
Xiao Zhuo, standing outside the door, heard Shen Yuexi's cries from inside. He was furious, yet helpless. He asked his attendant, "Where's the imperial physician? Why hasn't he come yet?" The attendant quickly replied, "Your Majesty, this... the imperial physician can't do it. We need a midwife."
"Where's the midwife? Why isn't she here soon?"
"Your Majesty, today is your coronation ceremony. Midwives have blood on their hands, so according to ancient custom, they must remain in the outer city..."
"This is just nonsense, go and invite them."
Xiao Zhuo was scrambling outside, and the house was in chaos. Shen Yuexi cried and grabbed Mei Dai's hand, saying, "Sister Mei, you know everything. Help me... It hurts so much."
Mei Dai held her hand, her face flushed as she said, "Sister, I've never learned this... and I don't know how to give birth. You... just hold my hand and push hard."
"How do you use force? Sister, please explain clearly..."
On the other side of the room, Chen Lan frantically ordered Xia Lan: "What are you still standing there for? Prepare hot water, prepare hot water quickly."
"How hot do you want it?"
"Yeah," Chen Lan, who had no experience, scratched his head. "Whatever, just get some hot or warm ones."
Xia Lan and a group of palace maids hurried to prepare hot water, carrying more than a dozen basins in and out. Xiao Zhuo stood on tiptoe outside the door, peering through the crack. After just a few glances, he heard Mei Dai screaming in panic, "Oh, it's bleeding! What should I do?"
Xiao Zhuo was shocked, but according to the rules in ancient times, men were not allowed to enter the room when a woman gave birth, and he had to abide by this even if he was the emperor.
Just as they were panicking, a woman wearing a hood and a scarf covering her face came hurriedly with her head lowered. After a hasty greeting to Xiao Zhuo, she entered the room. Xiao Zhuo was in a state of panic and did not look closely at the person who came. The attendant said, "Your Majesty, the midwife has been summoned. Don't worry."
Xiao Zhuo heard the woman muttering a few words in the room. He didn't know what she was saying, but Shen Yuexi's crying gradually subsided.
Everyone waited anxiously outside the house for who knows how long. Then, a baby's cry came from inside. Mei Dai and Shen Lan shouted in surprise at the same time: "Sister, it's a boy."
Everyone outside the house knelt down and saluted Xiao Zhuo, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, on the birth of your son."
Xiao Zhuo was overjoyed. After everyone had finished packing, he hurried into the room and went to Shen Yuexi's bedside. Seeing Shen Yuexi's pale face and a crying baby lying beside her, he couldn't help but cry with joy. He first looked at the baby carefully, then sat down by the bed, gently held Shen Yuexi's hand and called out, "Yuexi."
Shen Yuexi opened her eyes slightly and said to him, "Finally, the baby was born. It almost cost her her life. Your Majesty, please thank your mother sincerely."
Xiao Zhuo was stunned and asked, "Mother?"
"I thought you knew, but you didn't even look," Shen Yuexi patted the back of his hand. "The midwife who just came was my mother. She was afraid of being known, so she didn't show her face, so you couldn't recognize her."
Xiao Zhuo was surprised and happy. He wanted to get up and chase after her, but he couldn't bear to leave Shen Yuexi. His face was in a state of conflict. Shen Yuexi saw it and said with a smile: "I'm fine here. Your Majesty, go and chase after your mother. After all, the family must be reunited."
Xiao Zhuo nodded heavily, stood up and ran out.
When Shen Yuexi saw Xiao Zhuo leave the door, she put her hand on the baby's back and patted it gently, with a satisfied smile on her face.
Her mother left immediately after delivering the baby, without even having the chance to take a closer look at the baby. With the next Mid-Autumn Festival still a few months away, she trusted Xiao Zhuo to get everything done. She wanted her mother to take a good look at the baby during the festival, as well as her younger siblings.
This wish will definitely come true.
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