Chapter 61. Yuan Chaolu will inevitably subdue the emperor. ...
The emperor has always strictly adhered to the precepts, going to bed before midnight and rising at dawn. Even when he had nightmares, they never affected his daily routine or state affairs. This is the first time that the emperor has not yet gotten up, even though it is already bright outside the window.
Indeed, it was also related to the fact that the emperor arrived late last night and the candles in Changqiu Palace burned until almost dawn.
The Empress's face in the mirror was rosy, with the light and shadow from the window dappling her cheeks, adding to her beauty. In contrast, the usually energetic King, who could hunt leopards, remained unconscious.
Palace maids presented jewelry and inserted pearl hairpins into the new empress's hair. Several other people carefully served her, some applying perfume to the empress's outstretched fingertips, others draping her incense and burning it around the incense burner... Everything in Changqiu Palace was in perfect order.
Zhong Changjun stood by the bed, wanting to go forward again to remind the Empress to persuade His Majesty to get up. Seeing that she was selecting precious rings from the jewelry box one by one, regardless of the fact that His Majesty had not yet woken up, he had no choice but to turn around and urge her again.
"Your Majesty, this morning in Zhaoyang Palace, Your Majesty and the Empress will personally thank the officials and receive their greetings. The time is approaching."
The bed was quiet, and no one responded.
Yuan Chaolu continued selecting jewelry when she saw a figure walk in from outside the palace gate. It was the female official whom the Empress Dowager had sent the night before to teach Yuan Chaolu about bedroom matters.
At that moment, there was finally movement on the bed, and the emperor's displeased voice came, "It's already this late?"
Yuan Chaolu immediately put down her jewelry, stood up and looked back. The gauze curtain was illuminated by the sunlight in an extremely gentle color, and the tall figure behind her was faintly visible. He seemed to have just woken up from a hangover, with one hand supporting his forehead, and his long hair was unbound and draped over his snow-white inner robe.
When the curtain was lifted, his languid gaze casually met Yuan Chaolu's from afar.
Numerous chaotic images rushed into Yuan Chaolu's mind.
The eunuchs filed in, carrying the emperor's crown and robes, and stepped forward to help him change.
Yuan Chaolu raised her hand to stop the palace maid who was putting earrings on her, and walked gracefully behind the gauze curtain. "Your Majesty has finally woken up. Today, I have come to help Your Majesty change your clothes."
The female official sent by the Empress Dowager, upon hearing this delicate and charming voice, couldn't help but raise her head to gesture to the Empress, seemingly feeling that it was too obsequious and ingratiating.
Yuan Chaolu acted as if she hadn't heard anything, raised her hand to take the belt from the eunuch's hand, and looked at the emperor with a faint smile on her lips.
"In the past, others always helped Your Majesty change clothes. From now on, in Changqiu Palace, I will serve Your Majesty. Is that alright?"
Xiao Zhuo gradually recovered from his initial waking state, his eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at her. Yuan Chaolu leaned forward, extending her arms to him and wrapping the jade belt around his waist. "Your Majesty, raise your arms."
The emperor has always loved cleanliness and fragrance. His ceremonial robes had been infused with incense several times, and a delicate fragrance wafted over, slowly lingering between the two of them. Yuan Chaolu was immersed in it, able to feel the gaze coming from above her head and the warmth of the man's chest.
With a "clatter," the belt slipped from her fingertips, and the two noticed this obvious lapse in concentration.
Yuan Chaolu continued to fasten his belt again. The sunlight shone on the robe, making the twelve imperial symbols on it dazzlingly beautiful. The emperor before her was impeccably dressed, his presence serene and imposing, as if emerging from the clouds.
It's likely that no one in the world, except her, would connect the emperor before her with the dissolute man in her bed last night.
The emperor was tall and imposing, his majestic figure filling out his crown robes. Below that was his broad, solid chest, radiating heat. His waist was strong and powerful, containing unimaginable strength...
Her gaze was intense and undisguised; she raised her head and met the Emperor's gaze directly.
Yuan Chaolu said, "Your Majesty, it's time to bow your head."
After waiting for a long time, Xiao Zhuo still did not make a move.
Yuan Chaolu could only stand on tiptoe, and the next moment, the king lowered his head slightly in response to her movement.
Yuan Chaolu adjusted his crown, the bright red tassels hanging down on either side of his earlobes, making his face look like jade. He slowly raised his face, and through the pearl on the crown, his eyes were locked on her, as if responding to her burning gaze.
Yuan Chaolu remained calm, her fingertips arranging the red tassel on the crown, but her fingers brushed against his cheek almost imperceptibly. As she finished arranging the crown, her little finger brushed against his lips.
Xiao Zhuo lowered his head, staring intently at his empress. Her eyes were clear as water, and she seemed quite innocent, as if it had been unintentional.
Zhong Changjun, who was standing to the side, was sweating profusely. Witnessing the scene between the Emperor and Empress, he said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it is time to move to Zhaoyang Palace."
Then, the emperor's voice finally rang out: "Move the carriage."
Around noon, the emperor and empress appeared on the winding corridors of the palace. Yuan Chaolu walked alongside him across the covered rainbow bridge, followed by palace maids holding green fans, their entourage stretching for an extremely long distance.
Last night, when Yuan Chaolu met with the Emperor, there was still one thing he had been wanting to ask the Emperor, something that had been accumulating in his mind for over a month.
What was he thinking? How could he be willing to make her his empress?
In fact, the answer was already vaguely present in Yuan Chaolu's heart—
It was truly an accident that the Prince of Yan discovered her affair with the Emperor. Given the Emperor's consistently high moral character, since he was already involved with her, he would inevitably have to give her a proper status.
The king formally married her and made her empress, not a concubine, because of his almost obsessive sense of order, which allowed him to tolerate no flaws.
Her anxiety about marriage stemmed from the unknown, but after becoming husband and wife with him last night, a bold idea immediately came to mind.
Just having a place in his heart isn't enough.
Just like taming animals.
First, infiltrate the territory of the ferocious beast and let it become familiar with your scent. Then, tease it from a distance, sometimes showing pitifulness and weakness, sometimes provoking and deceiving it, to arouse the beast's interest and make it aware of your presence.
Finally... subtly, he accepted my guidance and control, and could not live without me.
Yuan Chaolu turned her gaze to the face of the man beside her.
The Lu family was the emperor's maternal family, with deep-rooted prestige and influence among the officials of Luoyang, attracting countless allies. If she were to clash with the Lu family, who would the emperor sacrifice? She dared not gamble.
But she wanted to gradually influence the emperor's mind.
Knowing full well that this ruler was shrewd, ruthless, and the one who laid the foundation for the Great Qi dynasty, unlike those gentle and mild-mannered lords…
**
The Zhaoyang Palace was now filled with officials, waiting to pay their respects to the Emperor and Empress.
The sun outside the window grew increasingly hot, and the emperor and empress had not yet appeared. Discussions began to rise in the hall.
This was the first time the new emperor, accompanied by his mother, formally met with his ministers after his ascension to the throne, and the scene was undeniably solemn.
Around noon, the Emperor and Empress finally entered Zhaoyang Palace. All the officials paid their respects in unison.
If the emperor's usual forceful methods in handling state affairs are so intimidating that people dare not confront him directly, his extraordinary and outstanding appearance has long been overlooked.
The Empress beside the Emperor was stunningly beautiful, wearing a phoenix robe with a trailing skirt, its gold foil shimmering behind her. Her exquisite beauty made it impossible to ignore her face.
His temperament was completely out of place with that of the emperor, yet when they stood side by side, they seemed to be a perfect match.
The king arrived so late this morning, which is quite unusual. The ministers did not show it on their faces, but they all knew why; it must be because of this rather alluring queen.
Last night, another incident caused a great uproar. After drinking too much, the Prince of Yan went to the Emperor and cried about his lingering feelings for the new Empress. Afterwards, he stayed up all night complaining to Minister Pei. Today, when all the officials paid their respects to the Empress, the Prince of Yan was nowhere to be found and has not yet appeared.
After the court assembly ended, the emperor sent someone to deliver a hangover remedy to the Prince of Yan as a gesture of sympathy and to express his hope that the Prince of Yan would take care of himself.
The emperor's attitude toward the Prince of Yan remained the same as before: neither impatient, nor reprimanding, nor punishing.
**
In the afternoon, when Yuan Chaolu and Xiao Zhuo stepped into Penglai Palace, the air was filled with the fragrance of incense, and Empress Dowager Lu was resting with her eyes closed on her phoenix couch.
"According to etiquette, the Empress is only required to come to pay her respects to me tomorrow. Today, she is meeting with the court officials with His Majesty, so there is no need for her to come here specially." Empress Dowager Lu slowly opened her eyes. "However, since the Empress is already dressed in her finest attire, I would like to invite her here so that she will not have to come again tomorrow."
Many things piled up in the short few days of the Emperor and Empress's wedding: meeting with court officials, meeting with the Empress Dowager, visiting the ancestral temple...
Yuan Chaolu moved lightly and knelt before the Empress Dowager's throne, offering a teacup with both hands: "Your Majesty, please have some tea."
Empress Dowager Lu's gaze lingered for a moment on Yuan Chaolu's flushed face. The blush was clearly the radiant glow of someone who had been favored by the emperor. Empress Dowager Lu then looked at the emperor sitting quietly to the side.
The fact that the emperor himself accompanied them speaks volumes.
Empress Dowager Lu smiled and accepted the teacup. "The harmony between the Emperor and Empress is a model for all people and a blessing for the nation. In the future, the Emperor and Empress should work together to bring blessings to the six palaces and protect the world."
Yuan Chaolu respectfully agreed, her hairpins adorning her temples fluttering slightly.
Xiao Zhuo also said, "Your subject will remember this."
"There are some private matters I wish to discuss with the Empress alone," Empress Dowager Lu said, holding her teacup and smiling at the Emperor. "Your Majesty, would you allow the Empress to stay with me for a moment?"
Just now, an eunuch came to report that envoys from the northern tribes who had come from afar were waiting to meet the emperor in the Zhaoyang Palace.
Xiao Zhuo stood up and, before leaving, looked at Yuan Chaolu, who was kneeling on the ground as a disciple, and said, "The affairs of the inner palace are complicated, and in the past, we relied on Mother Empress to manage them. Now that the Empress has just entered the inner palace, I ask Mother Empress to give her more guidance."
Yuan Chaolu turned her head and saw a faint smile on the emperor's lips. "The empress has always been intelligent and studious, I know that."
Yuan Chaolu nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I will remember your instructions and respectfully see you off."
The emperor departed with Zhong Changjun and a group of palace servants, leaving only the lingering fragrance emanating from the incense burner in Penglai Palace.
"Your Majesty's words were a reminder to me to hand over the Phoenix Seal to you." Empress Dowager Lu raised her hand, and from behind a curtain, a maidservant stepped forward carrying a gilded tray. On the tray was a square Empress Seal made of mutton-fat white jade.
"The affairs of the six palaces shall be managed by the Empress."
Yuan Chaolu expressed his gratitude and raised his hand to receive the Phoenix Seal, but the Empress Dowager pressed his hand down.
"However, before that, I need to test the Empress on a few things."
Yuan Chaolu raised her eyes to meet the Empress Dowager's gaze, and slowly withdrew her hands back into her sleeves. "Mother, please speak freely."
"Firstly, the king met with his ministers today, and was a full hour late. As the empress, she should have taken it upon herself to offer advice and remonstrance."
Empress Dowager Lu paused meaningfully, "In the early days of marriage, I can still be understanding. But if things continue like this in the future, I cannot help but worry. My lady-in-waiting has instructed the Empress to prioritize chastity and tranquility."
Yuan Chao's ears were burning: "Of course, your son understands."
"Therefore, I will keep this Phoenix Seal for now. Within three months, you will manage the inner palace in an orderly manner, allowing His Majesty to concentrate on state affairs. Then, this Phoenix Seal will naturally be handed over to you."
Secondly—
"Last night, before His Majesty returned to Changqiu Palace, besides the Prince of Yan, he also saw a woman. Did His Majesty mention this to you?"
The word "woman" reached Yuan Chaolu's ears, and she shook her head, "Never."
The Empress Dowager pressed her fingertips against her forehead acupoint and sighed, seemingly unwilling to mention the matter.
A female official beside him stepped forward, holding a long, narrow box. She took out a bright yellow scroll from the box, with white jade dragons carved at both ends, a feature reserved for imperial edicts.
Yuan Chaolu took the edict with both hands, slowly unfolded it, and fixed his gaze on it.
The few lines of vermilion characters on the yellow silk read: "After the new emperor's marriage, an auspicious day shall be chosen to welcome Princess Yiyang into the palace."
"This is the imperial edict of marriage left behind by the late emperor," Empress Dowager Lu said faintly. "The woman His Majesty saw last night was the one on this edict, the Princess of Yiyang."
"She is the adopted daughter of my elder sister. She grew up with Your Majesty and they were childhood sweethearts. She was previously practicing Buddhism with her mother in a secluded courtyard in Zhongnan Mountain. She only returned to the palace after the Emperor and Empress's wedding, so the Empress has not yet met her."
Yuan Chaolu suddenly remembered that she had seen a new scratch on the Emperor's wrist last night. At first, she thought it was the Prince of Yan's drunkenness, but now she realized that it was a scratch that could only be left by a woman's fingernail.
Yuan Chaolu gripped the imperial edict tightly, her eyes flickered slightly, and she raised her head. "Mother, could you tell me more about the past between this Lady of Yiyang County and Your Majesty? Your son... has never heard anyone mention her before."
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