Chapter 34: They are just like this...
"Ah? Aunt, what are you talking about?" Yunsheng was startled and couldn't help but speak out.
Next, we went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices to our ancestors for the emperor's enthronement. What revenge was there for? If we caused any trouble, we would be killed without a burial place. This was what my aunt had warned us about personally.
Zhao Changning glanced at him, and seeing that he was still timid, he ignored him.
The emperor's procession arrived quickly, starting from the Hall of Supreme Harmony and heading towards the Taimiao.
The path leads to Yongdingmen, where the royal ancestral temple and its east and west side halls are the goals that officials strive for throughout their lives. If someone's tablet can be placed in the Taimiao and can protect his descendants for generations, it is a display of the glory of his life.
After the ceremonial officials gave their greetings, the emperor's carriage and procession slowly drove into the Taimiao.
Zhao Changning's face was solemn as he followed the entourage. He couldn't help but look up. This huge palace complex enshrined Dayong Lie as the emperor. The entire palace was solemn and majestic. Every pillar was made of golden nanmu wood, and the eaves were decorated with flying brackets. Nine glazed auspicious beasts stood proudly on the eaves, looking down at all living beings.
Yunsheng was filled with trepidation. It was his first time attending such a solemn occasion. He didn't even dare to raise his head. He could only lower his head to look at the hem of his aunt's skirt and the white marble steps, following her closely.
Can I take revenge here? My aunt must be joking, definitely trying to scare him.
The double-eaved hall with eleven bays was majestic and imposing. Many royal family members and cabinet members were standing at the door of the hall, all with serious faces, because the four gods, Dezu, Yizu, Xizu and Renzu, were enshrined in the front hall and no carelessness was allowed.
Zhao Changning stood in an inconspicuous corner, watching the new emperor kowtow. The ceremonial officers led the continuous chanting of greetings, and Shao music sounded not far away. The affairs in the front hall finally came to an end.
Afterwards, the palace maids and eunuchs stayed outside, and one of them accompanied the emperor to the rear hall, which was the ancestral temple.
The tablet enshrined here is the ancestral tablet of Dayong, representing the inheritance of the royal lineage, which is of utmost importance.
Zhao Changning had never been to the Taimiao. After all, it was the place where the ancestors of Dayong rested in peace. It was heavily guarded and was guarded by royal family members and maintained by sacrificial officials. Not everyone could come here.
Suddenly she stopped and the person behind her stepped on her heel.
Yunsheng was so frightened that he dared not move. Tears welled up in his eyes and he silently apologized, "I'm sorry, aunt."
He began to feel that Yun Pei was right. He was just a spineless, useless guy who was not presentable.
Zhao Changning frowned and glared at him, signaling him to be careful.
She didn't feel scared, but excited. These things were much more interesting than serving others.
There was even a secret pleasure, no one knew what she would do, this feeling made her feel refreshed from head to toe.
They were delayed in the rear hall for a long time. The emperor was offering sacrifices in the hall, and they, including the cabinet members, were waiting outside the hall.
The ceremonial officer was talking a lot of nonsense under the numerous ancestral tablets. It was almost June, and everyone was wearing heavy court robes. There was no shade outside the hall, so sweat was on their foreheads.
Gao Yun was the oldest and had been standing for too long, and was also very nervous. He was already shaky at this time, but the occasion was important and there could not be any mistakes.
As an accompanying palace maid, Zhao Changning worked in the Qinzheng Palace and was valued by the emperor. In order to make things go smoothly today, she boldly walked to Gao Yun's side.
She signaled Yunsheng with her eyes to help support her, "Sir, please hold on a little longer."
Qi Yuwei nodded to her gratefully, and quietly stepped back to leave space for the three of them.
The emperor saw it when he came out from the worship, and his eyes lingered on Zhao Changning for a moment.
Zhao Changning even saw the emperor nod slightly.
She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. When she was with the late emperor, she was the first one who dared to take risks. Sometimes fear cannot solve the problem. The emperor is also a human being, and it is important to have a sense of propriety.
Of course, she is still trying to master this degree.
After the affairs in the rear hall were concluded, everyone went to the central hall, where there were fifteen side rooms enshrining the tablets of modern emperors and empresses, and of course, the former emperors and empresses.
Zhao Changning looked at the candlelit hall in front of her. This was her destination today. When the new emperor ascended the throne, he would bring the spirit tablet of the previous emperor here, and he would kowtow before ascending the throne to show that the inheritance was still there.
"Women are not allowed to enter." A member of the royal family stretched out his hand to stop Zhao Changning.
Zhao Changning was stunned. She looked at the high threshold and felt it was like an insurmountable chasm.
Woman, it’s her female identity that’s causing the problem.
The emperor paused as he entered, then turned his head and said calmly, "She is the one designated by my father to announce the imperial edict. She must enter. I have discussed this with the Ministry of Rites today and have agreed to make an exception."
Gao Yun and the others also had a favorable impression of Zhao Changning, so they said, "Originally, I should have been the one to announce the imperial edict, but the edict in my hand was lost for some reason, leaving only the one in Changning's hand. Today, we have no other choice, and I beg for your approval."
As for why the imperial edict disappeared, these royal relatives who were not afraid of the emperor naturally knew.
After the royal family members discussed privately, they came back and called Zhao Changning aside to ask him questions.
"The temple is not accessible to ordinary people. To avoid any disturbance, we would like to ask you, are you clean today?"
Zhao Changning frowned. Three days before the ceremony, even the emperor had to fast and abstain from punishment for three days, let alone her?
"I wonder what you guys mean?"
After she said this, she realized that these people were asking her if she had sex. She gritted her teeth and nodded, lowering her eyelashes to hide her anger and shame.
"Of course, I know the importance of this matter. I have read the laws and regulations carefully before coming here. Today is important, and Changning dare not delay."
The clan members murmured a few more words, but since it was the coronation ceremony after all, they finally nodded.
Yunsheng was naturally stopped. He looked at his pale aunt worriedly and secretly hated himself for saying such words of revenge. If he hadn't said it, would his aunt have suffered such humiliation today?
He gritted his teeth and knelt outside the hall waiting, but out of the corner of his eyes, he kept following his aunt.
After Zhao Changning calmed down, he walked into the palace with a calm expression.
Gao Yun also breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this. The person who announced the imperial edict was indispensable. In fact, this person was not necessarily Zhao Changning, but the fact that the emperor made this suggestion regardless of the old system was not without purpose. It also indirectly proved that this woman had a close relationship with the emperor and was highly valued.
Perhaps, the cabinet was too powerful, which also caused the emperor's dissatisfaction?
Thinking of this, he sighed inwardly. A new emperor appoints new ministers. He is old and does not have much relationship with the new emperor. He does not know how long he can serve Dayong.
The auspicious time has arrived, and the ceremonial officials are calling out in greeting.
Zhao Changning also knelt respectfully and listened to the long-winded nonsense from above, which was nothing more than the mandate of heaven, proving that the emperor and the throne were passed down from heaven.
But what is this day?
She doesn't understand.
Who created the sky, and who brought it down to a mortal?
Why isn't she heaven?
Thinking of this, recalling the past and the humiliation just now, the fire in Zhao Changning's heart began to burn again. Looking at the tablet of the late emperor, she kowtowed again respectfully.
"Please, imperial edict..."
When Zhao Changning heard the ceremonial officer mention her, she quickly got up, took out the imperial edict, and read it again solemnly.
Her story was over.
Soon, the emperor also stood up. With the high-pitched voice of the ceremonial officer, the worship at the Taimiao came to a successful conclusion without any disturbance.
Yunsheng knelt outside, waiting respectfully for the emperor to pass by, and felt relieved in his heart that it was finally over.
His eyes couldn't help but fall on the last person, that is, his aunt.
Zhao Changning reached into her sleeve and touched the tung blossom hairpin. The small hairpin was almost as warm as her body temperature.
She is a woman and has the lowest status here, so she should wait for everyone else to go first.
Qi Yuwei also fell behind. He was grateful to Zhao Changning for saving his friend, so he gave way to him.
Zhao Changning was impatient, but he smiled. "It should be so. Please go first, sir."
Only then did Qi Yuwei pick herself up and catch up with everyone.
Zhao Changning was the last one to fall behind. Just when everyone turned around and no one noticed her, she had an idea and quietly grasped the hairpin in her palm. While no one was paying attention, she turned around and gently placed the hairpin under the tablet of the late emperor closest to her.
The nanmu base of each tablet here is specially placed in a groove carved from a whole piece of nanmu and arranged neatly.
In order to prevent it from falling over, a small space is left behind the groove of each tablet. Unexpectedly, it is just enough to hold this tung flower hairpin.
Her heart was beating like a drum, but her fighting spirit was high, just like the scene before the death of the previous emperor, secretive and daring.
She quietly revealed her snow-white claws, blatantly showing them off. No one could understand this thrilling pleasure.
In order to prevent others from discovering the hairpin, she pressed it down hard, then turned around and followed calmly as if nothing had happened.
One of them actually met Yunsheng's eyes.
The shock in Yunsheng's eyes was hard to conceal, but fortunately he still had his wits about him and quickly shifted his gaze.
His heart was also beating like thunder. He didn't expect that his aunt would be so bold. She was simply too daring. If such a thing was discovered, it would be more than just beheading.
Yunsheng was so scared that he bit his lips hard, not daring to move at all, praying in his heart that no one would find out about this.
Zhao Changning's expression was calm, as if nothing was happening and he didn't feel a bit of fear.
Perhaps it was the bold deception of the late emperor before his death that gave her courage, or perhaps it was because she felt that these most noble and intelligent people in the world were nothing more than that in her eyes at this moment.
She took one last look at the late emperor's tablet and thought to herself: Your Majesty, please don't blame me. There are so many people worshipping you, so your life in the underworld must be pretty good. It would be more than enough to give some of the incense to Yun Pei.
I just don’t know if there will be incense offerings after I die.
After thinking about it, Zhao Changning stepped out of the palace gate.
Yunsheng waited for Zhao Changning to come out with great difficulty. He didn't dare to say a word, his heart in his throat, until his aunt patted his shoulder.
"Hey, what are you daydreaming about?" Zhao Changning pulled him aside, knowing that he was timid and cowardly. He was afraid that his spirit would not be able to bear what happened today. "Okay, let's talk about it when we get back."
Yunsheng's eyes reddened and he nodded silently.
After returning from the Taimiao, he received the court seal and accepted the worship of all the officials. Zhao Changning entered the Taihe Hall again. He no longer had the idea of scaring himself as before. Instead, he calmly followed the emperor and watched all the officials kneel down.
Even though she was not the one kneeling, this feeling of being at the pinnacle of power still made her feel uncontrollably comfortable.
Power, what a mysterious and proud thing.
It was not until the end of the ceremony and the banquet for the ministers that Yunsheng finally found a chance to talk to his aunt.
"Aunt, you, you..."
Zhao Changning smiled and said, "Why? From now on, there will be countless annual sacrifices, seasonal sacrifices, and other sacrifices. You no longer need to worry about Yun Pei suffering down there..."
She paused, "Although Yun Pei is somewhat unworthy, your heart is worthy. In that case, let the descendants of the Dayong royal family kneel down to her and worship her for generations to come. This can be considered revenge."
Yunsheng's eyes were red, grateful, but also afraid, "Aunt, but it's just a hairpin."
Zhao Changning suppressed his smile and looked him straight in the eye. "Those tablets are just pieces of wood. What's the difference?"
Yunsheng was speechless.
Zhao Changning said calmly, "If we are discovered, it will be my fault, not yours."
"No, no..." Yunsheng hurriedly explained, his eyes red again, and he was extremely anxious. "I do regret that I shouldn't have asked my aunt to take such a risk. Yunpei and I only have one life, it's not worth it... Even if we were discovered, it would be my fault. How can I blame my aunt? I shouldn't have..."
Zhao Changning looked at his stammering explanation and shook his head helplessly, "You should be braver, Yunsheng."
He's already drunk a few glasses of poisoned wine, but why is he still acting so unpresentable?
In fact, what she did today was not to help Yunsheng, but she wanted to do it from the bottom of her heart. The hairpin was not just a hairpin, but her secret mockery of these people.
They are nothing more than that.
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The author has something to say: Changning: [pats head]
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