Chapter 15 The Empress's Prayer for Conferring a Title
Shen Mingyue was lost in thought three times while looking at the palace's purchasing accounts.
The palace servants didn't tell him directly, but he still knew that the seemingly indifferent Xiao Siyuan had been summoned again.
My cousin won't be coming tonight.
He behaved so poorly that he couldn't keep his cousin's body...
Just then, a palace servant's joyful voice suddenly came from outside: "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
His Majesty!
He immediately stood up, walked quickly to the palace gate, and then became more reserved in his steps.
"How is Zitong today?"
As soon as Si Ze entered the palace, she took his hand. Sure enough, it wasn't very warm. She warmed it and then ordered the palace servants to keep the fire burning during the day.
"It's springtime already, how can we waste it like this?" He felt a sweet warmth in his heart, but still refused.
His cousin is a wise ruler, and he wants to be a virtuous empress worthy of her.
"Cousin, how do you calculate the disposal fee?" Si Ze patted his hand: "My imperial treasury can still support Zitong."
Then came another tender moment.
The queen was delicate and could not fully satisfy the king, but seeing her dignified cousin lose his manly restraint under her was a different kind of pleasure.
The spring rain is gentle and soft, and the crabapple blossoms sway in the breeze, seemingly unable to bear the warmth of the rain.
Fortunately, the heavens took pity on them, and the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped before the flowers fell.
Si Ze fed him a cup of warm water, and after he recovered a little, he carried him to take a bath.
Shen Mingyue had a lot to say, but he couldn't remember anything now. His body was still lingering with the afterglow of the imperial favor, and his mind was completely blank.
Si Ze washed him clean, carefully dried the water droplets, carried him to the bed, then held him in her arms, stroking his hair gently, and said, "Cousin, go to sleep."
He had felt he hadn't said something, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but lower his eyelids.
In his dream, his cousin forced him to do even more outrageous things. Just as he was heartbroken, a little girl who looked exactly like his cousin ran over and shouted at him, "Father!"
Father!
Shen Mingyue instantly woke up, thinking of the little girl in his dream, and he couldn't help but touch his lower abdomen.
"Still feeling unwell?" The king reached out and rubbed his waist.
The Queen's lips moved slightly, but she still whispered, "If I had taken the pregnancy fruit, I should be pregnant now, right?"
Si Ze paused in his movements: "Why did you bring this up again, cousin?"
"I want to have a child for my cousin." Shen Mingyue placed her hand on her lower abdomen.
My cousin should have a baby with her!
She had thought about it, but it was nowhere near as exciting as hearing it from her cousin himself.
The passionate queen almost agreed, but she was more concerned about her cousin's health: "It is against the natural order for a man to give birth. Even if he is pregnant and undergoes a transformation, he will still suffer. I can't bear to see my cousin suffer like that."
"But this is the Queen's duty. Ever since I was seven years old and learned that I was to marry my cousin, I have wanted to have two children for her." The Queen slowly revealed her thoughts that she had kept hidden for ten years.
Si Ze was somewhat moved, but had not yet agreed: "You are the Empress, and all the children of the palace maids will be yours in the future. Why take the risk?"
"But... I want a child who is a fusion of our bloodlines, I want to be a real 'biological' father!" He grabbed his cousin's hand, begging her to give him a chance to be a 'biological' father.
Si Ze vaguely knew that all men in the world craved a woman's fertility, but he didn't know that his usually dignified and elegant cousin was also so obsessed that he didn't even care about exercising.
Indeed, as a woman, she naturally couldn't understand the powerlessness a man feels when he can't continue his bloodline.
She didn't understand, but if this was truly her cousin's heartfelt desire, she could only agree, though reluctantly: "If your thoughts don't change tomorrow, then please ask the Earth Official to come over."
The so-called Earth Official is the high priest of the Earth Mother Goddess.
The Earth Mother Goddess is the supreme deity worshipped in the Xin Dynasty. She is the controller of conception, life, growth, death, and reincarnation.
Although the officials of the Xin Dynasty emphasized respecting ghosts and gods while keeping them at a distance, the Earth Mother Goddess was different. She was the embodiment of the Way of Heaven and the rule governing the world; she was not an ordinary ghost or god.
Only the high priest of the Earth Mother Goddess can cultivate the fruit that can transform a man's body and enable him to conceive.
Upon hearing this, the Empress's eyes lit up instantly: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
With the matter settled, and seeing that it was almost the end of the fifth watch, Shen Mingyue helped her cousin get dressed and wash up.
Once everything was almost settled, he casually mentioned, "I've heard that Gan Siqin has been quite devoted to serving his wife. Why not bestow a title upon him and bring him into the harem?"
"That little palace servant?" Si Ze opened his arms, letting his cousin serve him. "Let's do as you wish, cousin, and give him the title of Cai Nan."
"As he pleases?" The Empress snorted lightly. "What about the other palace attendants? They served you for a time, shouldn't they be given a rank?"
"Give them all, give them all." Si Ze said casually, "Give them all the rank of a palace maid, after all, they were born into the palace."
Although she said she would let him have his way, she still had her own thoughts in her heart. Gan Siqin's rank was clearly one grade higher than others.
Fortunately, she remembered his background and only gave him the rank of eighth-grade Cai Nan, which was not considered excessive.
The ranks in the imperial palace of Daxin were divided into nine levels: Empress, Minister, Attendant, Zhaoxun, Noble Lady, Talented Scholar, Junior Attendant, Consort, and Dresser.
The highest-ranking official was the Empress, followed by the four ministers and nine attendants, then the Zhaoxun and Guiren listed in the imperial register, and finally the talented scholars, junior attendants, male attendants, and palace maids listed in the harem register.
His Majesty only granted him the rank of Cai Nan, indicating that while she showed him some favor, her affection for him was limited, which reassured the Empress.
Si Ze, who spends her days battling with the old foxes in the court, is well aware of his little schemes. Since the matter is insignificant, she is naturally happy to take care of his feelings.
As for Gan Cao, that minor official in charge of the imperial bedchamber, his rank of eighth grade is not considered beneath him.
As long as he continues to be obedient, sensible, and law-abiding, there's still a long road ahead for him.
After everything was settled, Si Ze had breakfast with his cousin before getting up to go to the imperial court.
Shen Mingyue then took out the Phoenix Seal and Phoenix Decree and announced to the five officials in charge of the Palace Attendants, the Bedchamber Attendants, the Clothing Attendants, the Ceremonial Attendants, the Craftsmen, and the Food Attendants that they should prepare for the promotion of the five Bedchamber Attendants.
"Although she is a low-ranking lady-in-waiting, she is the first person to enter the palace, so we must make proper arrangements." The six people responded in unison.
After they returned, they all got busy with their own things:
The Imperial Household Department is preparing promotion edicts for five people.
The Bureau of Ceremonial Affairs was to instruct five junior palace maids on proper etiquette and manners.
The Imperial Clothing Bureau was to prepare to make their complete set of palace costumes and accessories.
The Shanggong Bureau was responsible for the renovation of the palace where they would be staying.
The Imperial Bedchamber Bureau was responsible for decorating their bedchambers.
...
Shangqin Bureau.
Instead of assigning tasks immediately, Liu Shangqin invited several palace attendants over.
Several officers met on the road and were all puzzled as to why they had been summoned so early in the morning.
Licorice felt a little excited, but she held back and didn't reveal it.
"I wish all my lords a happy new year!" Upon meeting, Liu Shangqin greeted them with a smile and a bow.
The several palace attendants were startled and quickly moved away.
Although the title of the Palace Attendant was that of a minor concubine, and all the palace servants had to show her some respect, she ultimately had no official rank, making her position in the palace somewhat awkward.
As they were in the Imperial Household Department, they had to be mindful of Liu Shangqin's mood in many matters, never expecting that Liu Shangqin would bow to them.
"What good news is it?" Gan Cao asked, barely suppressing her excitement.
Liu Shangqin smiled and said, "The Empress has already revealed that he will promote you all and bring you into the six palaces."
"Really?!" Bai Ping exclaimed in surprise, covering her mouth.
The others were both delighted and surprised, looking at Liu Shangqin hoping for a positive response.
"The six palaces have already been notified, how could this be false? My ladies, just wait for the Empress's decree," said Liu Shangqin cheerfully.
Several people then surrounded Liu Shangqin, asking him to tell them what the palace servants should do.
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