In the twenty-third year of Jinghe, spring arrived.
The leaden winter clouds over Beijing had not yet dissipated, but the atmosphere within the Forbidden City was entirely different. A tense and solemn air, a sense of transition between old and new, permeated the air. The white marble plaza in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony was spotless, gleaming with a cold, hard sheen in the chilly spring air. Civil and military officials, dressed in brand-new court robes, stood in solemn silence according to rank, the only sound the rustling of banners fluttering in the wind.
The dragon throne hangs high, but remains empty.
Beneath the imperial steps, Xiao Chengyu, clad in a newly made bright yellow dragon robe, stood tall and straight as a pine tree. His face still retained a touch of youthful refinement, but his deep eyes held the composure and majesty honed by months of experience overseeing the state. He lowered his head slightly, his gaze falling on a figure not far ahead, also dressed in princely attire, yet appearing even more slender and upright than in the dragon robe—his elder brother, Xiao Chengjing.
The Minister of Rites' resounding and drawn-out greeting echoed across the vast square like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.
"—The auspicious hour has arrived! The new emperor ascends the throne—!"
"kneel--!"
A deafening roar of "Long live the Emperor!" erupted, shaking the very palace. Officials knelt like a tidal wave, their foreheads touching the ground, performing the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows.
Xiao Chengyu took a deep breath, and amidst the prostrate crowd, steadily stepped onto the imperial steps, a symbol of supreme power. One step, then another. The cold white marble steps beneath his feet seemed to carry an immense weight. He could feel the gaze behind him, calm and gentle, carrying a sense of relief and a silent entrustment. It was his revered, relied-upon, and now finally about to shoulder the responsibility of this vast empire alone—his elder brother.
Finally, he stood before the dragon throne. He turned to face the prostrate officials, and to the vast land. The gold thread on his dragon robe reflected a majestic light in the faint early spring sunlight.
"Rise, my lords." The young emperor's voice was clear and steady, resounding throughout every corner of the square.
Xiao Chengjing rose with the others, standing at the head of the princes' procession. He tilted his head slightly, looking at his younger brother, familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar, on the dragon throne. Just a few months ago, the boy who would tense up slightly when questioned by the Grand Secretary while listening in on imperial studies now possessed the resolute features of an emperor. The last weight that had been hanging over his heart quietly lifted. A faint, yet undeniably genuine, smile of relief curved his lips.
The elaborate and lengthy coronation ceremony was finally drawing to a close. When the imperial seal, symbolizing the emperor's authority, was solemnly handed to Xiao Chengyu, Xiao Chengjing knew that the shackles on his body had been completely removed.
After the grand ceremony, the new emperor moved to the Qianqing Palace. Xiao Chengjing did not attend the palace banquet with the officials; instead, he quietly returned to the Eastern Palace alone.
"Chengjing." A call filled with complex emotions rang out at the palace gate.
Xiao Chengjing turned around and saw his birth mother, dressed in the elegant attire of an empress dowager, standing at the door, followed by several palace maids carrying brocade boxes. Over the years, the empress dowager's temples had turned more silver, and the sharpness between her brows had been replaced by a calmness and a touch of melancholy.
"Mother Empress." Xiao Chengjing bowed respectfully.
The Empress Dowager entered the hall, her gaze sweeping over the empty space before finally settling on her son. She sighed softly, "Have you packed everything? Take care on your journey to Jiangnan." She paused, her voice lowering, "I... have prepared some little trinkets for An'an." She gestured for a maid to bring over the brocade box.
Xiao Chengjing opened one of the boxes, inside were several sets of extremely exquisite Jiangnan-style dresses, made of the finest soft gauze, with intricate and beautiful embroidery. In another box were several boxes of small gold and jade trinkets suitable for children to play with, and a box of pastries that were clearly made by the imperial chefs and shaped into various cute little animals.
"You've gone to so much trouble, Mother." Xiao Chengjing's heart stirred slightly.
The Empress Dowager's gaze pierced through the open palace doors, looking south with a hint of longing and melancholy: "I'm old now, and I only wish to be surrounded by my children and grandchildren, to enjoy the joys of family life. That girl An'an... I really want to see her with my own eyes, to hold her..." She turned her gaze to Xiao Chengjing, her eyes pleading, "You... please cherish her more for me. Tell her that your grandmother... is thinking of her. Once the court is more stable, I... also want to go to Jiangnan to see the world."
Looking into his mother's eyes, at the genuine tenderness and longing that belonged to his grandmother, Xiao Chengjing felt the last bit of distance in his heart melt away. He bowed deeply: "Your subject obeys. Rest assured, Your Majesty, Jiangnan... will always await Your Majesty's arrival. Your subject... will always be your son."
The Empress Dowager's eyes reddened slightly, and she waved her hand, "Go...go..."
The palace where he had lived for nearly twenty years now seemed exceptionally empty and silent. The past hustle and bustle, the piles of documents, the solitary lamp at midnight... all had become faded memories.
He took one last look around the hall that held half a lifetime of glory and constraints, his gaze calm and undisturbed. There was no lingering attachment, only a lightness of breaking free from cages. He picked up his bundle, turned, and walked calmly out of the East Palace gate, never looking back. Behind him were majestic palaces, before him stretched the vast land, and his true home lay only in that small courtyard in Jiangnan, where the aroma of tea wafted, where young girls laughed, and where the person he longed for resided.
An unassuming blue-canopied carriage was already waiting in a secluded spot outside the palace gates. The curtains were drawn, shutting out the last trace of the capital's hustle and bustle. The wheels rumbled, and it sped off southward.
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