Chapter 334 Grand Ceremony
Wen Zhiming held Meng Lingge's hand tightly the whole time.
"My dear wife, you've gotten up so early. Are you a little tired? You've worked hard today. Starting tomorrow, you can get up whenever you want."
Although he had the palace ladies-in-waiting prepare most of the arrangements for this grand ceremony and rarely bothered his wife, today, when all the officials paid homage to him and jointly offered sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, it was none other than his wife.
The imperial ceremony for emperors and empresses involved numerous steps and took a long time.
The Empress wore many accessories, including a phoenix crown on her bald head that weighed over ten kilograms. For a pregnant woman, completing today's ceremony was a very strenuous task.
Meng Lingge smiled gently, "As Your Majesty, I must be a model for all women and be an empress. I must be careful in my words and actions. If I sleep in every day, wouldn't that invite criticism?"
Wen Zhiming, however, felt that there was nothing wrong with this action.
"My wife, you don't need to be so careful with your words and actions. My greatest wish is to stand with you at the highest point, so that you can be yourself as you please, without fearing anyone, and without anyone bullying you. As long as you are happy, that's all that matters. Nothing else matters."
Meng Lingge was dressed in a bright red phoenix robe, her head adorned with pearls and jade, and her jade pendants jingled softly as she looked up and down, like celestial music.
She usually has a dignified image, but today's outfit is even more extravagant. Her gentle smile exudes elegance and nobility, making it impossible to look away.
Hearing Wen Zhiming's passionate words, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed and changed the subject.
"From now on, Your Majesty shall refer to yourself as '朕' (Zhen), and I shall refer to myself as 'Empress'."
Wen Zhiming gently stroked Meng Lingge's hand, his eyes like the emerald green of a spring pond.
“I will be careful in public places or when there are outsiders around. But when it’s just me and my wife, I don’t need to worry about these rules. No matter what our statuses are, my feelings and attitude towards my wife will never change.”
"I believe you." Meng Lingge smiled and looked out the carriage window at the endless palace walls. "If Mother Consort were here today, she would be so happy and pleased."
After occupying the palace, Wen Zhiming immediately sent messengers to deliver the good news to his father and mother. However, the journey was long, and they probably hadn't received it yet. Even after receiving it, it would take some time for them to reach the capital. The imperial ceremony couldn't wait, so they wouldn't be able to witness today's grand occasion.
The mother only had one child, Wen Zhiming. She would probably be overjoyed and weep with joy when she learned that her son had ascended the throne.
It's hard to say whether Father will come, but Mother will definitely come. She and Wen Zhiming had already discussed it. If Mother is willing to stay in the palace, she will naturally be the most honorable Empress Dowager. If Mother is unwilling and wants to spend her later years in peace with Father, they will respect her wishes.
Wen Zhiming let Meng Lingge lean on his shoulder and placed his hand on Meng Lingge's abdomen.
"My mother will be very happy to know that my wife, the child, and I are all doing well. She said that she would help us take care of the child after it is born."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Zhiming pulled his hand back as if he had been burned. "Wife, he, he, he kicked me..."
His eyes remained fixed on Meng Lingge's abdomen, as if he were frightened by the little one inside, feeling both at a loss and unable to resist wanting to get closer.
The baby in her womb was already more than five months old. A few days ago, Meng Lingge felt obvious fetal movements, but Wen Zhiming had been coming home late and leaving early in the morning these past few days, so she hadn't had a chance to tell him yet.
Unexpectedly, the little guy's sudden kick startled the formidable Wen Zhiming to such an extent.
Even more unexpectedly, Wen Zhiming could be so funny and comical.
Meng Lingge took his hand and placed it back on her abdomen, her eyes crinkling with a smile.
"The baby is getting bigger, so what's so strange about normal fetal movements? The baby is just responding to you because he likes you. If you react so strongly, the baby will think you don't like him."
"He's so small, yet he can understand human speech?" Wen Zhiming was even more surprised. She gently stroked her belly, and sure enough, the baby moved twice more.
Wen Zhiming's eyes were clear and bright. He simply bent down and gently pressed his ear to Meng Lingge's belly, whispering a warning: "Little one, if you can really understand, you have to be good and not kick so hard. Don't bother your mother, or I'll punish you when you come out."
Meng Lingge found it inexplicably funny. Who gets scolded while still in the womb? Yet, his intimidating power was indeed formidable. The child in his womb seemed to understand and dared not move again.
"Alright, alright, you've scared the child. You should sit down properly; what kind of behavior would this be if someone saw this?"
Although they didn't open the carriage windows so that no one outside could see inside, and the servants didn't dare to peek into their carriages, the loud laughter and chatter could easily arouse speculation.
Wen Zhiming had no choice but to sit back down next to Meng Lingge. However, the movement he had just made was quite large, and when he sat down again, the clothes in his arms were slightly bulging, as if he were carrying something.
"What did you stuff in your clothes?" Meng Lingge said, "I dressed you in these clothes, and there were no foreign objects in them at the time."
Wen Zhiming smiled and took out a box of still slightly warm hibiscus cakes from his pocket.
Meng Lingge is not a picky eater, but hibiscus cake is her favorite pastry.
She got up too early today and had no appetite in the morning. The carriage was moving slowly and the journey to the palace would take a long time. Wen Zhiming was afraid that she would go hungry along the way, so he specially asked his guards to buy her some food at the morning market and kept it warm in his arms.
"My lady, please have a taste. It may still be an hour before we arrive at our destination, so don't go hungry."
"You, a dignified emperor, how can you do such trivial things? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you if they find out?"
Meng Lingge was slightly surprised. She had thought it was something precious that Wen Zhiming would treasure so much. It turned out to be just some pastries to satisfy her craving.
She wasn't hungry at first, but the aroma of the hibiscus cream made her a little hungry, so she took it and tried one.
It has a soft, sweet, and fragrant flavor; it's truly delicious.
Wen Zhiming watched her enjoy the pastry with doting eyes, and wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief.
“Taking care of my wife and children is every husband’s duty. What’s so funny about that? Besides, I’ve already said that no matter what my status is, my attitude and feelings for my wife will never change.”
Meng Lingge felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this, and picked up a piece of hibiscus cake and stuffed it into Wen Zhiming's mouth.
"Eat more and talk less."
Wen Zhiming was probably really happy today, showering her with sweet words; if she listened any longer, her face would burn.
The carriage moved slowly forward, passing through the winding palace road and the continuous palace walls. Thinking that she would spend most of her future time here, Meng Lingge felt a complex and indescribable feeling, as well as a faint unease.
Fortunately, with my loved one by my side, this anxiety was diluted by sweetness, and time didn't seem so hard to wait for.
Upon reaching the Hall of Diligent Governance, the carriage stopped. The official in charge of ceremonies, who had been waiting for some time, immediately proclaimed in a resounding voice as the two entered the hall hand in hand: "May the sun and moon shine brightly, and may heaven and earth be in harmony!"
All the officials bowed down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
Wen Zhiming remained calm, holding Meng Lingge's hand tightly, and led her step by step onto the dragon throne.
He first helped Meng Lingge to the phoenix throne, then sat on the dragon throne beside her. With a slight lift of his eyes, a powerful pressure swept over the officials.
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