Qin Luan and her elder brother Qin Ruo attended the Little Princess’s full moon celebration together.
The advancement of female education was not going very smoothly. Initially, all the students were children of nobles, and the daughters of commoners either lacked the silver to attend or their unenlightened parents preferred to keep them at home for the dowry or to help with domestic tasks, believing that education was meant for the nobility and irrelevant to common folks.
Qin Luan had tirelessly traveled far and wide to promote policies, managing to convince a portion of the populace that education could also glorify the household of ordinary people, and thus sent their daughters to the female study.
Last year’s imperial examinations produced more than twenty female graduates, and this year’s results had not yet been announced, but it was conservatively estimated that the number would increase two or threefold.
This figure, although not large compared to males, signified a significant progress.
Su Rong had rewarded Qin Luan with many fine items and even promoted her by one level. It’s worth noting that in officialdom, a half-level promotion could take two to three years; thus, being promoted a full level in just a year and a half was quite remarkable.
She appeared slightly thinner, but her eyes smiled, making her look bright and charming. Many men in the capital, having asked matchmakers to step into the Qin Residence to propose marriage, were turned away by Qin Luan who declined every offer.
Now Qin Luan, considering the usual marriageable age for women, was quite old, but she still had no plans to marry.
After their mother’s visit, Qin Ruo had met with Su Rong, who then asked him for a marriage arrangement for her son. After consulting Qin Ruo, who asked the Princess to decide, Su Rong took the time to carefully select a lively and clever young county mistress from the royal family named Chu Guanlan for him.
Both Qin Ruo’s mother and he were very satisfied with this match, as were the Commandery Prince and the little county mistress from the royal family. They had already had their betrothal ceremony, and the great wedding was set for the following year.
Because of this arrangement, Ning Ze and Jiang Zhu among others complained about why the Princess wasn’t thinking of them. Su Rong had already drafted a list, prepared to choose partners for them as well, but before she could finalize her choices, she became pregnant. Zhou Gu, therefore, insisted she not worry herself, urging them to handle it themselves to avoid burdening the Princess.
Thus, each of them settled down, though they were still all bachelors.
The members of the royal family arrived at the palace early that day. Chu Guanlan, along with her parents, had also entered the palace early and had already visited the Little Princess. Seeing the Qin siblings arrive together, she fidgeted with her handkerchief while waiting for Qin Ruo to finish viewing the Little Princess and presenting his gift before approaching her to talk.
Indeed, Qin Ruo quickly completed the formalities and came over to find her. Instantly, her eyes sparkled with joy as she looked at him happily.
Qin Luan naturally did not join her brother, choosing instead to linger a little longer.
When the Qin siblings arrived, Zhou Gu had already passed Chu An into Su Rong’s arms. Since becoming aware of Qin Luan’s feelings, he had not spoken to her throughout the year, simply nodding his head when they accidentally met before moving on.
Qin Luan, sensitive by nature, certainly noticed this, but she did not let it dampen her spirits. Instead, she devoted all her energy to female education, earning praise from Xie Yuan not once but twice for her determination.
Looking at Chu An in Su Rong’s arms, Qin Luan watched for a while before quietly saying to Su Rong, "Princess, the Little Princess is very beautiful."
Su Rong laughed, "Then you should look more."
Qin Luan laughed as well.
After exchanging a few words with smiling eyes, Qin Luan looked up to find Zhou Gu conversing with others. She did not know what he and Ye Guixue were talking about, but Ye Guixue laughed out loud, and Zhou Gu also heartily laughed. She glanced at them both, then withdrew her gaze.
The full moon celebration wasn’t tiring for Su Rong; after all, she hadn’t held the child much. Most of the time, it was Zhou Gu who held her, and at other times, the Eldest Princess Shengan and others took turns. Even the Old Duke held Chu An while chatting with others for half an hour.
After the full moon celebration, Su Rong and Zhou Gu spent a night together following the lifting of restrictions.
In the warmth of the heated tent on a spring night, Zhou Gu tirelessly pressed Su Rong down on the bed, indulging as he wished, relieving the hardships of the past year.
Gasping, Su Rong playfully scolded while hitting him, "Are you a starving wolf?
During the pregnancy, it’s not like she hadn’t helped him with her hands; was he really that starved?
Zhou Gu bowed his head to kiss her, "Even if I were a hungry wolf, I would devour you."
Su Rong wanted to say something more but was swallowed up by his kiss; that night, she was tossed and turned, unable to sleep all night.
After Zhou Gu was satisfied, he held her in his arms to sleep, her body too tired to even lift a finger, and enjoyed the day off from the morning court meeting following the full moon banquet.
After the full moon banquet came the coronation ceremony of the Princess, and at the same time, the ceremony to crown Master of the Princess’s husband as the King’s husband. The Ministry of Rites refined the procedure again and again and checked repeatedly to ensure everything would go smoothly.
Half a month later, the Nanchu King announced to all under heaven, declaring his abdication and the Princess’s ascension.
On that day, Su Rong wore the King’s Robe, and Zhou Gu similarly wore the King’s Husband’s Robe; the two joined hands and ascended the Asking Heaven Platform together to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth and the Royal Family, with the whole civil and military court bowing to the new King and King’s husband.
The ceremony lasted one day, conducted under tense order and completed smoothly, relieving everyone.
Su Rong returned to the Feng Hall, exhausted as if she had shed a layer of skin. Sprawling on the bed, she moaned, "Tiring, thankfully this, just like a Great Wedding, happens only once in a lifetime."
Zhou Gu undressed his ceremonial robe and sat by the bed with a smile, extending his hand to massage her muscles and bones, "From now on, you can no longer be addressed as the Princess, but as the King."
Su Rong hugged him tightly, "The Master of the Princess has been promoted to the King’s husband, how does that feel?"
Zhou Gu smiled, "Feels pretty good."
He was reflective, "I never imagined before that I would be so capable as to come to Nanchu and become the King’s husband."
Su Rong laughed in his arms, "I never expected to run off to Nanchu to be the King, and to bring along someone like you."
The two laughed together.
After a while, Su Rong said, "My father really, insisting on not letting Chu An be crowned as Princess, cherishes her like the apple of his eye. He says she’s too young and doesn’t want her to shoulder too much, but he should beware of spoiling her."
She huffed lightly, "When I was a child, Uncle Xie had me cramming books, nothing like now, this little one is so fortunate."
Zhou Gu sorted out her disheveled hair, teasing her as he looked, "Are you jealous because your daughter is luckier than you were?"
"Yes, that’s right."
Zhou Gu whispered, "You, at your age, wanting to deal with a little one, isn’t it easy? I’ll help you. We will guide her secretly, and once she can speak, let her choose for herself. If she chooses to be King, Father wouldn’t be able to stop her even if he wanted to."
Su Rong laughed and hit him lightly, "What kind of father are you, scheming against your own daughter?"
Zhou Gu chuckled softly, "Who else but her should sit on this throne of Chu, since she is the eldest daughter and carries the Chu name?"
Anyway, he, surnamed Zhou, would not sit on it.
Su Rong nodded, "Right."
Nor would anyone surnamed Su in the future.
The next day, as the female King held court, the Nanchu King retired completely from the Imperial Court to indulge in the pleasures of grandson-caretaking, and the King together with the King’s husband presided over the throne, commencing a new Chapter in the history of Nanchu.
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