New Dynasty Phoenix Ceremony (Part 2)
The enthronement ceremony was set for a month later, on an auspicious date chosen by the Imperial Observatory. For Lu Qinglan, this month was more exhausting than any previous conspiracy she had waged. Not only did she have to learn the intricacies of court etiquette and familiarize herself with the affairs of the six harems, but she also had to quietly deploy her own chess pieces amidst these seemingly methodical preparations.
Min Siji still arrived daily to "assist," her manner respectful and her words precise. Lu Qinglan remained calm, and only occasionally, while she was explaining palace rules, would she inquire about seemingly insignificant past practices or the recent situation of a long-retired palace attendant, as if simply out of curiosity. Min Siji's answers were always just the right amount, neither overstepping the bounds nor providing unnecessary information.
At the same time, Lu Qinglan moved silently through Fu Yu and Chen Xing.
Chen Xing sought out three orphans from Jiangnan, bringing them to the capital under the guise of visiting relatives. After a brief but rigorous training period, and personal scrutiny from Lu Qinglan, they were infiltrated into a pool of low-ranking palace maids sent by the Imperial Household Department for selection. With clean identities and simple backgrounds, they were assigned to relatively obscure departments like the Clothing Bureau and the Garden Bureau, which nonetheless provided access to information from various palaces.
Following Lu Qinglan's instructions, Fu Yu secretly observed the maids in the palace (soon to become the empress's private residence) and ultimately selected two. One was a laundry maid sold into the palace after a family tragedy. She possessed a quiet demeanor, yet her eyes held a tenacious refusal to resign her fate. The other was a former maid who cleaned the palace's study. She was literate and attentive, but often overlooked due to her plain appearance. Lu Qinglan promoted them both to third-class maids, placing them under Fu Yu's personal training.
Lin Wanru was officially canonized as Consort Hui and granted residence in a side hall of Changchun Palace. She now sincerely worshipped Lu Qinglan, proactively sharing her limited connections within the palace and assisting him in analyzing the personalities and backgrounds of the various palace masters. Wei Linlang was granted special permission to frequently accompany Lu Qinglan. Her frankness and sincerity became a rare source of warmth for him in this oppressive palace.
That day, Lu Qinglan was trying on the Empress's robe. It had a dark base, embroidered with a gold phoenix, and the twelve intricate patterns were solemn and intricate. It was magnificent, yet also felt almost suffocatingly heavy. The woman in the bronze mirror, adorned with a phoenix coronet and a bridal robe, looked elegant and regal. But between her brows lay an icy calm, devoid of the joy of a newlywed.
It was at this moment that Xiao Jingche entered. He was dressed in a bright yellow casual suit, and though he looked tired, his expression hinted at the majesty of an emperor. He waved his hand to dismiss the attendants, leaving only the two of them in the hall.
"The Queen looks very beautiful today." He walked behind her, looked at her in the mirror, and his tone was emotionless.
Lu Qinglan knelt slightly and said, "Your Majesty, thank you for your praise."
Xiao Jingche was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Fifth brother... committed suicide in the clan residence yesterday."
Lu Qinglan's eyelashes trembled slightly, but her face remained calm: "It is only natural for a traitor to commit suicide out of fear of punishment."
"Yes, it's only natural." Xiao Jingche sighed softly, not knowing if it was out of emotion or something else. "The court has been mostly cleaned up, and Marquis Jingnan has been escorted back to the capital. But... Uncle An is in prison and has refused to speak."
Lu Qinglan knew that Prince An was the key. He knew too many secrets about the "noble in the palace" and Yongquan Temple.
"His Royal Highness Prince An is of noble status, perhaps... he is waiting for something." Lu Qinglan said lightly.
Xiao Jingche's eyes fixed on her as he looked at her in the mirror: "What does the Queen think he is waiting for?"
"Perhaps he is waiting for His Majesty to consider the relationship between uncle and nephew, or perhaps... he is waiting for the former master in the palace to give him a way out." Lu Qinglan's tone was steady, but he emphasized the words "former master in the palace" a little.
Xiao Jingche's eyes suddenly sharpened. He knew who Lu Qinglan was referring to—the "noble lady of the palace" who had been hiding behind Prince An and the Third Prince, a distinguished figure who hadn't even been implicated in Concubine De's death. Could it be the Empress Dowager? Or... one of the late Emperor's high-ranking concubines who had also sired a prince? This matter concerned the imperial family's reputation, and without solid evidence, he couldn't act rashly.
"After the Queen entered the palace, the affairs of the six palaces were entrusted to you." Xiao Jingche changed the subject, his tone returning to the emperor's distant tone. "The palace has a complicated staff, and the Queen needs to pay more attention. Especially... the personnel of Kunning Palace, must be kept safe."
Kunning Palace, the Queen's main hall. He was reminding her again that he needed to be assured of the arrangements for the people around the Queen.
Lu Qinglan turned around, faced him, and nodded slightly: "I understand. I will follow your majesty's orders, select loyal and honest people, take care of the affairs of Kunning Palace, and live up to your majesty's trust." She agreed straightforwardly, but limited the scope of "selecting loyal and honest people" to "Kunning Palace affairs", and did not promise to use all the people he recommended.
Xiao Jingche looked at her deeply, as if he wanted to see something from her calm face, and finally just nodded: "That's very good. The enthronement ceremony is about to begin, Queen, please make good preparations." After that, he turned and left.
Watching him retreat, Lu Qinglan slowly loosened her clenched fingers. The brief exchange, seemingly calm, was actually dangerous. Xiao Jingche was testing her limits, and she had clearly defined her territory—Kunning Palace must be hers.
On the eve of the enthronement ceremony, Lu Qinglan finally received the final list of Kunning Palace personnel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The female officials recommended by Min Siji were prominently on the list, occupying key positions such as the head official and the secretary. Meanwhile, the three orphaned women from Jiangnan and two former members of the royal palace, whom she had personally appointed, were scattered across seemingly insignificant positions such as the bedroom director, the food director, and the pharmacy director.
Lu Qinglan looked at the list, a barely perceptible sneer curling up at the corner of his lips. It wouldn't hurt to let his people occupy the obvious key points; it would just give him peace of mind. True eyes, ears, and arms never needed to be in the spotlight.
She picked up her pen and wrote "OK" on the list.
The next day, an auspicious time.
Bells and drums rang out in unison, and the procession was grand and magnificent. Lu Qinglan, clad in the heavy empress's robes and a nine-dragon and four-phoenix crown, was guided by a female official as she stepped step by step onto the white marble imperial path, heading towards the Kunning Palace, symbolizing the supreme position of women under heaven.
All the officials knelt to welcome him and shouted "Long live the emperor".
The sunlight shone on Yi Yi's golden thread, reflecting a dazzling light. Lu Qinglan narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the majestic palace in front of him.
She finally embarked on this path, with a different attitude and a different state of mind.
The moment she stepped into the main hall of Kunning Palace, she clearly felt that an invisible yoke, heavier than ever before, fell on her shoulders.
Mother of the country?
No, what she wanted was never just the empty title of phoenix crown.
What she wants is the power to truly control her own destiny, the absolute power to prevent the poisoned wine from her previous life from ever appearing again!
The new dynasty's phoenix ceremony has been established. But beneath this phoenix ceremony, a life-and-death game between the harem and the previous dynasty will be more magnificent and more dangerous than the struggle for the throne.
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