Chapter 137: The Divine Tablet That Violates Ancestral Rules
Shen Qingtan had just woken up and hadn't washed her face yet. Seeing him so close, she shyly pulled the quilt to cover half of her face: "I... I'll get up right away."
She turned sideways and rang the brass bell beside the bed.
Zhao Yi watched her turn around and quickly rub the corner of her eyes with her hand. He immediately understood why she pulled the quilt to cover herself up. For a moment, he didn't know how to react.
It was obvious that her mental state had improved a lot, so I felt relieved.
Liu Yue and Ting Xue heard the noise, walked in from outside, and helped Shen Qingtan get up.
After breakfast, the couple took a carriage into the palace.
In front of the palace gate, eunuchs were already waiting to welcome them to the Taimiao.
When Shen Qingtan got out of the sedan chair, he saw Emperor Jing'an, accompanied by eunuchs and imperial guards, standing in the front hall of the Taimiao waiting. There was no one else.
Before entering the palace, she thought that even if the memorial ceremony for Empress Yuan Rong was not extravagant, all the concubines and princes would be present.
As a result, none of the concubines and princes came, only Emperor Jing'an came alone.
After all, Concubine Ling had specially invited Madam Zhao to the palace to discuss the memorial ceremony for Empress Yuan Rong, and it seemed that she wanted to hold it in a grand manner.
Could it be that the disaster in Guanzhou was so severe that people no longer followed the ancestral customs for worship?
Compared to Shen Qingtan's surprise, Zhao Yi was not surprised at all.
In the past few years, he and Emperor Jing'an were basically the only ones who worshipped Empress Yuanrong together.
Emperor Jing'an once explained: "Your aunt likes quietness and doesn't like to be disturbed by too many people. It would be fine for you and me to come and see her."
Zhao Yi did not try to guess what Emperor Jing'an was thinking, but followed his wishes and attended the memorial service for Empress Yuanrong.
"Today is the Empress's memorial ceremony. You two don't need to perform grand formalities." Emperor Jing'an stopped them from saluting and looked at Zhao Yi. "You look much better today. She will definitely be happy to see you."
Zhao Yi coughed a few times and said, "Aunt has always been protecting me."
"Yes." A sadness flashed in Emperor Jing'an's eyes: "She has always been protecting you."
The group entered the Taimiao.
The Taimiao is divided into the front hall, the middle hall and the back hall.
They came to the central hall, where the tablets of emperors and empresses of all dynasties were enshrined. Outside each shrine, there was a chair for the emperor or empress of that generation.
Historically, only the spirit tablet of the original queen could be placed in the Taimiao, and the successor queen was not eligible.
During the sacrifice, officials usually burn incense the day before, place the god's tablet on the god's chair, and then move it to the front hall.
Emperor Jing'an did not do so.
When Shen Qingtan saw the spirit tablet of Empress Yuan Rong, he unexpectedly discovered that there was another spirit tablet placed behind Empress Yuan Rong's spirit tablet, so close to it that he could not see the words on the spirit tablet clearly.
She couldn't help but wonder, could it be that Emperor Jing'an had erected a deity tablet for the child who died in Empress Yuanrong's womb?
This practice is not in accordance with the rules, but it also shows that Emperor Jing'an attaches great importance to Empress Yuanrong.
She and Zhao Yi worshipped Empress Yuan Rong together and placed a few incense sticks in the incense burner.
Emperor Jing'an stood aside, watching the couple kowtow, his eyes slightly red. His gaze fell in the direction of the divine tablet, his eyes filled with sorrow.
Eunuch Cao was an old man who served the Emperor Jing'an and knew how deeply he felt about the deceased. Every year on this day, he would ignore state affairs and stay in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
Now, Emperor Jing'an was so moved, probably because Zhao Yi got married.
He also gave an explanation.
When Eunuch Cao thought of this, he couldn't help feeling a little sad.
Being an emperor is not omnipotent, and there are several major flaws in life.
After Shen Qingtan and Zhao Yi finished their worship, they looked at Emperor Jing'an standing beside them.
Emperor Jing'an said kindly, "After you have finished your worship, have lunch in the palace before leaving."
Zhao Yi knew that Emperor Jing'an would stay in the Taimiao that day. In previous years, when he stayed in the palace for meals, Eunuch Cao would serve him.
Besides, Shen Qingtan has an appointment with Gu Zongci today.
He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, my wife and I have important matters to attend to, so we will leave the palace first."
Emperor Jing'an no longer insisted: "Alright." Then he ordered Eunuch Cao: "Go and escort them out of the palace."
Eunuch Cao took the order and personally escorted Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan away.
Shen Qingtan slowed down a little after Zhao Yi and when he stepped out of the central hall, he subconsciously turned back and saw Emperor Jing'an standing in front of the tablet. The light and shadow outside the window shone on him through the lattice, revealing a sense of loneliness of a lonely man.
It is often said that the imperial family is the most ruthless, but now it seems that Emperor Jing'an is an emperor who values love and friendship.
——
Concubine Ling stood in the distance with her palace maids, watching Emperor Jing'an take Zhao Yi and his wife into the Taimiao.
Over the years, except for the three years after Empress Yuanrong's death, she attended Empress Yuanrong's memorial service, but she has never been there again since then.
Because Emperor Jing'an did not allow it.
Every year, Emperor Jing'an would take Zhao Yi with him. Even if Zhao Yi was not in good health, he would wait until his condition improved before going together.
If Zhao Yi had not been two years old when Empress Yuanrong died of complications during childbirth, she would have suspected that Zhao Yi was Empress Yuanrong's son.
It was true that Emperor Jing'an loved and favored Zhao Yi more than any of his other sons.
Concubine Ling was extremely grateful that Empress Yuanrong did not give birth to a prince successfully, otherwise Emperor Jing'an would have appointed him as the crown prince as soon as he was born.
She didn't know how long she waited before she saw Eunuch Cao personally escorting Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan out.
Eunuch Cao holds real power and only recognizes the emperor as his master in the palace. He is rude to anyone.
Even the other princes handled their affairs impartially and there was no sign of any affection.
He was only very close to Zhao Yi, even very respectful.
Concubine Ling was once again thankful that she did not make the mistake of interfering in the matter of establishing the crown prince of the Duke's Mansion.
Otherwise, if Emperor Jing'an knew about it, he would never let her off easily even if she had saved Empress Yuanrong's life.
Concubine Ling stood there for two quarters of an hour, and when she was about to leave, she ran into Eunuch Cao.
Eunuch Cao sent Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan to the sedan chair and then returned.
"Your Highness," Eunuch Cao asked, "Why are you here in the Imperial Ancestral Temple?"
"Eunuch Cao." Concubine Ling glanced at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, sadness etched across her features. "Today is my sister's memorial service, and I came specially to see it."
Eunuch Cao's eyebrows twitched.
Concubine Ling held up a handkerchief to press against the corners of her eyes. "Eunuch Cao, you go and report to the Emperor. I'll be returning to my bedroom first."
Eunuch Cao leaned forward slightly and said, "We respectfully send off the Imperial Concubine."
After Concubine Ling walked away for a distance, Eunuch Cao entered the Taimiao with a whisk, and saw Emperor Jing'an sitting on a cushion, holding a god tablet in his hand and wiping it carefully with a handkerchief.
"Yier has married his beloved and brought him to see you today. Do you see that they have a very good relationship?"
"Once his illness is cured, he can bring the child to see you... I have an explanation for you."
Eunuch Cao watched for a long time, but in the end he did not say anything to disturb them and slowly left the Taimiao.
——
Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan left the palace, and the carriage went directly to the Qin Mansion.
Shen Qingtan couldn't suppress the doubt in his heart and asked, "Second Master, is the tablet behind my aunt's tablet the tablet of the unborn prince?"
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