"Yes, I need to change into my undergarments. I wonder if Consort Xi would be willing to help me change?" the Fourth Prince said with a smile.
Su Peisheng waved to the standing eunuchs and palace maids, signaling them to step back.
After all the waiting, the clouds parted and the moon shone brightly. After so many years, she finally got a legitimate reason to be with him. If this were in modern times, Lanqin felt she definitely wouldn't have made it through, but she had unknowingly spent more than twenty years by the Fourth Prince's side.
The two were as loving as they were in their youth, chatting happily, just like when they first got married.
While Lanqin and Fourth Master were changing clothes, they lay down in each other's arms, and Lanqin actually fell asleep again.
When the Fourth Prince woke up, he was holding Lanqin in his arms. Seeing that Lanqin was sleeping soundly, he couldn't bear to disturb her. He told the servants to keep quiet and let Lanqin sleep a little longer. He then quietly finished washing up and went to the morning court.
Lanqin was a little disappointed when she woke up and didn't see the Fourth Master. After she finished washing up, she saw that breakfast had been prepared, which consisted of several dishes that Lanqin liked to eat. She immediately understood the Fourth Master's intention.
Lanqin had breakfast in the left side room of the Hall of Mental Cultivation before returning to Changchun Palace.
After the morning court session, although the Fourth Prince longed to see Lanqin again, he felt that the most important thing at the moment was to issue an edict appointing Lanqin as the secondary empress. So he rode in a palanquin to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and as soon as he entered, he immediately drafted the edict and summoned all the officials from the Ministry of Rites, the Embroidery Bureau, and the Imperial Household Department.
"Your Majesty, we pay our respects." The officials from the Ministry of Rites, the Embroidery Department, and the Imperial Household Department arrived and greeted the Fourth Prince in unison. Everyone knew the purpose of the Fourth Prince's summons and had already prepared their responses.
"My beloved ministers, please rise. I have summoned you all here today for the investiture ceremony of Consort Xi. I wonder what your thoughts are?"
"Your Majesty, I have prepared the music, ritual implements, and other items for the grand ceremony for Consort Xi." After the Fourth Prince finished speaking, the Minister of Rites took the lead in reporting, since the Ministry of Rites was in charge of organizing the ceremony.
"The Embroidery Department has already drawn up the styles of clothing that Consort Xi will wear from now on, for Consort Xi to choose from." The Embroidery Department has always believed that clothing should be the most appropriate, so they are unwilling to lag behind others.
"Your Majesty, I have revised the expenditures for Consort Xi's palace according to regulations. I humbly request your review." Although the Imperial Household Department was not in a hurry, it was prepared to offend everyone. At this moment, the draft was presented to the Fourth Prince for review.
The Fourth Prince was delighted to see that everyone was so concerned about Lanqin's appointment as Vice Empress.
The news spread throughout the palace, and everyone was filled with joy. Consort Song, Consort Wu, and other elders came to congratulate Lanqin. In no time, Changchun Palace became the liveliest place in the palace.
Not only that, but in addition to the concubines in the harem, Lanqin's family members also came.
On this day, a group of women from the Niohuru clan came to congratulate Lanqin. Anjia, her sister-in-law Shi, and Guo, the wife of Qiufu, all entered the palace to see Lanqin.
Lanqin was overjoyed to see her mother, Anjia. She rarely had the opportunity to have such a long talk with her mother. Although she was not the real Niohuru Lanqin, she had long regarded Anjia as her own mother and treated her like her own mother after being away from her mother for so many years.
Anjia had never felt so content. Her beloved daughter was about to become the Empress, and both her sisters-in-law congratulated Lanqin. Lanqin also praised her sisters-in-law. Her eldest sister-in-law and eldest brother were now the pillars of the household, supporting their father and mother. Her eldest brother was an honest official with an excellent reputation in the Hanlin Academy. Her third brother, Qiu Fu, was even more renowned in the Dali Temple and enjoyed the Emperor's great trust. The family was filled with joy and harmony.
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