Chapter 337 Ascending the Throne and Becoming Emperor
Shen Yanzhou's eyes were dark, and he replied in a low voice, "It's hard to say."
Based on the current evidence, it cannot be confirmed. Xie Guidu, as the son-in-law of the eldest princess, has the power and qualifications to take over her power.
The Crown Prince never truly convicted the Marquis of Dingyuan's family; he simply imprisoned the Marquis of Dingyuan in the imperial prison.
The Xie family members were all under the secret surveillance of the Imperial City Guard.
Shen Yanzhou had a vague feeling that the Crown Prince hated the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion to the bone and wished he could uproot it completely.
Could it be that in her past life, the people of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion committed an unforgivable crime against Dou Wenyi?
Pei Siyan curled his lips into a smile, "Keep a close eye on the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence and the Duke of Anguo's residence."
Shen Yanzhou respectfully withdrew after receiving the order.
Perhaps knowing that a new emperor would make an example of a rebellious minister by killing one to warn others, using the blood of a traitor to establish authority, everyone, whether from powerful families or high-ranking officials, remained obedient and did not dare to stand out, hoping to survive the turmoil of dynastic change.
What on earth happened to the Duke of Anguo's mansion that made Pei Siyan notice something amiss?
In May of the third year of the Chunhua reign, as dawn broke and banners fluttered, the new emperor's grand procession arrived at the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth.
When everyone returned to the Taiji Hall, the glow of the sunset shone on the glazed tiles, making them gleam.
The officials had been waiting for a long time. Pei Siyan, dressed in a solemn imperial robe, with a gentle breeze lifting his wide sleeves, slowly ascended the jade steps and finally sat on the throne.
All the officials knelt down and kowtowed to the new emperor.
A faint smile played on Pei Siyan's lips as he patiently endured nearly two hours until the coronation ceremony finally came to an end.
He went to Chongzheng Hall before he had even changed out of his imperial robes. He couldn't wait to issue an imperial edict to confer the title of Empress on Dou Wenyi and urged the Ministry of Rites to begin preparations for the emperor's wedding.
Even though all the officials knew that the Empress's position was rightfully Dou's, some people were still indignant after the imperial edict was issued. Meanwhile, memorials hoping that the new emperor would select a consort as soon as possible flew into the Chongzheng Hall and landed on his desk.
Pei Siyan was so annoyed that when he returned to Kunning Palace to be with Dou Wenyi, his face still showed a gloomy expression.
Dou Wenyi asked with concern, "Your Majesty? Is something troubling you?"
“Yi’er, in private, please call me Sanlang. It sounds nicer.”
Pei Siyan changed the subject, raising his hand to touch her lower abdomen, "Was the little one naughty today? Did he cause you any trouble? Did he vomit?"
Dou Wenyi chuckled, "Fetal movement usually starts around five or six months. My morning sickness has improved a lot recently, and my appetite has returned to normal, so don't worry."
"By the way, Consort Zhang sent over a lot of embroidered items that she sewed herself."
Emperor Muzong kept only a few of his concubines to serve him, sending the rest to Cuifeng Nunnery to become nuns. Consort Zhang and Consort Jiang were naturally both granted the title of Dowager Consort.
Pei Siyan noticed the pile of exquisite children's hats and jackets as soon as he entered the room. He nodded slightly and said, "That's thoughtful. The Imperial Wardrobe will make them in a hurry. Tell her not to overdo it and to be careful not to hurt her eyes."
She did not hide her pregnancy from Consort Zhang; several reliable head maids were recommended by her.
"Yes, I've already tried to persuade her, but she said she had nothing better to do, so she did more."
Dou Wenyi paused for a moment, then asked, "Third Prince, are you troubled by the court officials' petition to select a concubine?"
"You knew all along?"
Pei Siyan didn't want to bring up the matter at all. No matter how much they argued, he would not give in.
Even though he was now the emperor, possessing wealth and power, he still felt that the favor he bestowed upon her was not enough.
He knew he wasn't obsessed with women, but Yi'er was so wonderful that she deserved his exclusive favor. It was her appearance that brought color to his bland and lonely life, and he could no longer coldly look down on this vast land.
Only with her by his side did he feel like a living, breathing person, someone who was deeply loved.
These short-sighted officials just had to oppose him.
The more they acted this way, the more he insisted on spoiling and loving her, making her the happiest and most honored woman in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Dou Wenyi earnestly advised, "Your Majesty, such matters are better left unresolved than suppressed. Why don't you select a few to enter the palace and shut them up?"
Pei Siyan pulled her into his arms, pinched her nose hard, and said sternly, "Yi'er, you are not allowed to mention this matter again. I, Pei Siyan, don't need you to be some kind of virtuous empress. Our bed cannot accommodate a third person!"
Dou Wenyi had anticipated his reaction. She raised her hand to gently stroke his tense jaw and smiled, "Sanlang, I'm petty. How could I possibly want to share my husband with another woman? I just want you to choose two reliable people to enter the palace, just to make a show of it and shut these court officials up."
Do you really think I'm that virtuous and generous?
Pei Siyan lifted his eyelids and said, “Power moves people’s hearts. You should know that once someone enters the palace and gains ‘favor,’ even if it is only nominal, they will often become greedy. If someone instigates them, they will cause chaos.”
"You're pregnant now, how can you withstand any hardship? Human nature can't withstand the test!"
He felt that such a thing was not worth trying if it posed even the slightest danger to her.
Dou Wenyi was unwilling to give up. "Your Highness, my pregnancy will soon be made public. At that time, there will be more and more memorials urging you to choose a concubine. Actually, this method was suggested to me by my teacher's wife."
Upon hearing this, Pei Siyan was somewhat surprised. "Oh?"
Dou Wenyi then gave a brief account of what happened at the Du residence that day, saying, "Even Lord Du knows how to deal with etiquette. Sanlang, as long as the two of us are of one mind, how easy is it for others to sow discord between us?"
The two of them have long been on the same page to get to where they are today.
Pei Siyan's ambitions and ideals now include not only quickly purging the court and its officials, but also finding ways to improve the lives of the people. With so many things to do, he shouldn't let these trivial matters consume too much of his energy.
They were husband and wife as a unit, and she felt deeply sorry for his hardships.
"Sanlang, I know your feelings for me, but didn't you say you wanted to clean up the mess left behind for me? Why are you getting bogged down in these trivial matters? Are you trying to make things less difficult for him than you have? Or is it just empty talk?"
"Or does His Majesty lack confidence in himself and feel that he might not be able to control himself?"
Pei Siyan suddenly raised his phoenix eyes, looking at her with a half-smile, "Yi'er, are you using reverse psychology?"
"Don't worry, I will definitely leave a prosperous Great Zhou for my son. But Yi'er, I am still young. Is it too early for me to think about this now?"
"Besides, do you think you don't know whether I'm healthy or not? You've already forgotten after only a month? Do you want me to help you remember later?"
Dou Wenyi rubbed her temples. If she weren't pregnant, she would have been exhausted tonight.
Pei Siyan wanted to tease her a bit more, but seeing her angry expression, he chuckled softly, "Alright, I'll do whatever you want, okay?"
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