Chapter 492 The emperor’s heart is hard to predict, his adopted sister becomes queen!
A few days later, the Eastern Jin army returned triumphantly to the capital.
The emperor personally led all civil and military officials out of the city ten miles to welcome them, reward the three armies, and reward them according to their merits.
The atmosphere in the Golden Palace was warm.
"Gu Junze, the defender of Pingzhou, is both wise and brave. He defeated Northern Yan and enhanced our nation's prestige. I hereby promote him to the rank of Duke of Zhenguo and grant him a fief of 10,000 households. This is my decree!"
When the eunuch's shrill voice fell, all the civil and military officials in the court gasped.
Duke of Zhenguo!
This is the youngest duke since the founding of the Eastern Jin Dynasty!
Gu Junze's face was as gloomy as water. He took a step forward and bowed his hands in thanks: "Your Majesty, I accept your order and thank you."
Behind him, all the generals in Pingzhou were smiling and felt proud.
"General Gu's wife, Chu Ruohan, remained calm in the face of danger, offered valuable advice, and used her extraordinary skills to disintegrate the enemy's ghost soldiers. Her contributions are invaluable. I hereby confer the title of First-Rank Imperial Consort... By decree!"
Another reward came down, and the court officials were even more talking about it.
Having achieved such remarkable feats, she was directly awarded the title of first-rank imperial minister. This honor was beyond the reach of many concubines in the harem.
Chu Ruohan stepped forward with Gu Junze and bowed gracefully: "Your Majesty, thank you for your grace."
After coming out of the palace to express gratitude, the former general's mansion was now replaced with a new plaque with the words "Duke Zhenguo Mansion", with black background and gold letters, which was very imposing.
Chu Ruohan didn't bother to greet everyone and went straight to Chu Yueshu's residence in the inner courtyard.
They had been away from Beijing for three months, and then stayed in Wengcheng for more than a month. Calculating the date, Yueshu would be due to give birth in more than a month.
As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, I saw Chu Yueshu walking slowly with the support of her maid.
Her belly was bulging and her figure was much rounder than before.
"Sister!" When Chu Yueshu saw Chu Ruohan, her eyes turned red and she took a few quick steps.
"Slow down, slow down!" Chu Ruohan rushed over and carefully supported her, "You're about to give birth, and you're still so careless."
"Sister, I'm glad you came back safely, I'm glad you came back safely." Chu Yueshu held her hand, her voice choked with sobs, tears falling.
Although she was in the capital these days, her heart was always worried about the war in the north, and she often had nightmares at night.
"Silly girl, why are you crying? Aren't we back safely?" Chu Ruohan wiped away her tears and helped her sit down on the soft couch in the corridor.
"Hurry, let Doctor Qian take your pulse." Chu Ruohan ordered.
After a moment, Doctor Qian withdrew his hand.
"Don't worry, madam. The second young lady's pregnancy is stable and both mother and child are safe." Doctor Qian stood up and replied.
Chu Ruohan finally breathed a sigh of relief, and then carefully reminded Chu Yueshu of many things she needed to pay attention to during pregnancy.
The two sisters were talking privately when the housekeeper came hurriedly to report: "Madam, someone from the palace has come and said they are here to announce the imperial decree to you."
Chu Ruohan was slightly startled, then she realized that it must be the official decree of enthronement that had arrived.
She led everyone in the mansion and set up an incense table in the front hall.
An elderly eunuch, holding a bright yellow imperial edict in his hand, read aloud the decree conferring upon Chu Ruohan the title of First-Rank Lady of the State, and bestowed upon her the corresponding crown, robes, golden book, imperial seal and other items.
"Your Majesty, your humble servant Chu Ruohan, expresses her gratitude for His Majesty's grace. Long live the Emperor!" Chu Ruohan respectfully accepted the order.
The entire Zhenguo Mansion was filled with a joyful atmosphere from top to bottom.
The masters are honored, and the servants also have a proud look on their faces.
Even if you go out, if you say you are a servant of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, you will be looked up to!
In the evening, Chu's father and mother also rushed over. Seeing their daughter's imperial robes, which symbolized the first-rank imperial decree, they were so moved that they burst into tears.
"Okay, okay! Ruohan, you are the pride of our Chu family. You really bring honor to our family, honor to our family!"
Father Chu held Chu Ruohan's hand and kept praising her.
Back then, he only hoped that his daughter could find a good family and live a stable life.
Who would have thought that she would have such glory today...
A few days later, at the pilgrimage temple.
The Eastern Jin Dynasty had just experienced a great victory and expelled the threat from Northern Yan. It was a time when the emperor and his ministers were united and morale was high.
Emperor Zhao Yunci, who was sitting on the dragon throne, behaved contrary to his usual behavior today. He did not discuss state affairs first, but instead calmly glanced at the officials below the steps.
The atmosphere in the hall was subtle, and all the ministers were trying to guess the emperor's intentions.
"My Lords," Zhao Yunci spoke slowly, her voice clearly carried throughout the hall, "Today, I wish to establish a queen."
The entire court was in uproar, with whispers everywhere.
Establishing a queen is a major national event that concerns the foundation of the country, but there was no news about it beforehand. Which noble lady did the emperor take a fancy to?
Several important officials who had daughters of marriageable age were feeling mixed emotions, with both anticipation and anxiety.
"Which daughter does Your Majesty have in mind?" An old minister could not contain himself and stepped forward to ask.
Zhao Yunci's gaze fell on him, and she said calmly, "The person I want to make queen is not from a prominent family."
Not a famous family?
The ministers were even more shocked and confused.
"When I was a monk, I met a woman who saved me when I was in danger." Zhao Yunci's voice was filled with reminiscence.
"At that time, I had nothing and was in a difficult situation. It was she who gave me food and clothing, and lent me a helping hand, without expecting anything in return, that helped me through the difficult times."
"This woman is kind-hearted and of pure character. She saved my life and we have shared the same joys and sorrows..."
"I have made up my mind to make her my queen, to repay her kindness and to comfort my heart."
As soon as the words fell, the court became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
A moment later, opposition voices came like a tide.
"Your Majesty, this absolutely cannot happen!" The Grand Tutor stood up tremblingly, tears streaming down his face. "The Queen is the mother of the country. She should be the mother of the country and the leader of the harem. How can a common woman take on such a heavy responsibility?"
"Grand Master, you're absolutely right!" The Minister of Personnel stepped out immediately, "Since ancient times, empresses have always come from prominent families, are well-educated and well-mannered, and hold noble status."
"If I make a village woman my empress, won't the world laugh at me for having no one in the Eastern Jin Dynasty?"
"Your Majesty, please think twice!"
"Your Majesty, please choose another virtuous person!"
For a moment, everyone knelt in the hall, expressing their opposition.
They were not questioning the woman's character, but they knew very well that a commoner woman with no background and no understanding of the court rules could not gain a foothold in the turbulent harem.
Not to mention assisting the king and stabilizing the country.
Zhao Yunci's expression darkened little by little, and his fingers tightened slightly under the dragon robe.
He knew there would be opposition, but he didn't expect the resistance to be so great.
At this tense moment, a calm voice sounded.
"Your Majesty is wise."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw the newly promoted Duke of Zhenguo, Gu Junze, slowly walking out from among the ranks of military generals.
He stood tall and straight, his face stern, and his eyes calmly swept over the officials who were kneeling on the ground.
"Duke Zhenguo, you..." The Grand Tutor was stunned.
Gu Junze ignored him and walked straight into the hall and bowed to Zhao Yunci.
"I have also heard of the woman Your Majesty is speaking of. She is of noble character and a kind heart. She has been very kind to Your Majesty. She is truly a rare and virtuous woman."
He paused, his voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone.
"To be honest, this girl is also my adopted sister."
Stepsister?
The Duke of Zhenguo’s sister!
This news shocked the ministers even more than the emperor's plan to make a commoner woman his queen.
Everyone knows that Gu Junze is now in the emperor's favor, holds a large army, and has great power in the court.
How could his adopted sister's status and position be compared to that of an ordinary woman?
Those officials who had been making impassioned speeches were now dumbfounded, looking at each other, not knowing how to respond.
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