Laifeng Kingdom, the nineteenth year of Tianze, the first day of the first lunar month.
At the beginning of the new year, royal relatives, aristocratic families, and officials of the third rank and above in the court, accompanied by their husbands and legitimate daughters and sons, entered the palace early in the morning just to participate in the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven and the palace banquet.
Of course, family members were not allowed to attend the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven. They were all arranged to wait at the seats in Baohua Hall where the palace banquet was held.
At noon, Emperor Nalan Yunzhi, dressed in a bright yellow phoenix robe, stood at the entrance of the Golden Throne Hall. She glanced at the crowd below and said, "Today is the first day of the new year, and also the day on which our Laifeng Kingdom holds its heavenly offering ceremony. To pray for good weather, peace, and prosperity for the country and the people in the coming year, my dear ministers, please follow me to the altar!" With that, she led the crowd toward the altar.
At 2:02 am, the Heavenly Offering Ceremony officially began. Emperor Nalan Yunzhi knelt before the Goddess of Heaven and the ancestral tablets. After the welcoming ceremony and washing her hands, she presented jade and silk to the Goddess of Heaven. Next came the offering of the sacrificial table and the first offering.
"I, chosen by Heaven to inherit the legacy of Laifeng, at the beginning of this year, respectfully address Heaven and Earth with my deepest gratitude for Heaven's blessing upon our beautiful land, favorable weather, abundant harvests, and peace and prosperity for our people... I will govern with benevolence and care for the people, diligently striving for the best, hoping for the well-being of our nation, the happiness of our people, harmony in world affairs, and peace throughout the world. I pray that our ancestors will protect our dynasty, bless our people, and share in the prosperity of this age."
Accompanied by ritual music, Nalan Yunzhi finished reading the prayer. After the initial offering, Emperor Nalan Yunzhi performed the secondary and final offerings. The entire ceremony was solemn and dignified.
At the end of the Si hour, the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven concluded, and Emperor Nalan Yunzhi led his ministers and the public to the Baohua Hall. At noon, accompanied by solemn and elegant palace music, the palace banquet officially began.
Nalan Yunzhi enjoyed a feast with his ministers and discussed state affairs. The feast was filled with singing and dancing, creating a joyful and peaceful atmosphere. However, beneath this surface of excitement, undercurrents swirled. Major factions were secretly competing for greater power and profit.
After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Nalan Yunzhi raised his hand slightly, signaling everyone to be quiet.
"My dear ministers, I have another happy announcement to make today."
Nalan Yunzhi had a smile on his face. He only took one look at An Zihao, who was becoming more and more handsome, and his heart was moved. So he quickly withdrew his gaze and scanned the people present again.
Everyone was confused, secretly guessing what the emperor was talking about. The Baohua Palace suddenly fell silent, waiting for Nalan Yunzhi to speak.
"I have been personally ruling the country for many years, and the foundation of the court is already solid. However, ever since Queen Feng passed away, the throne has remained vacant, so the harem has been without a master for sixteen years..."
Nalan Yunzhi glanced at everyone present, paused slightly, and continued, "Your Majesty, An Zihao, is well-educated, virtuous, and refined, and has the demeanor of a father who serves as a model for the world. I have decided to enthrone him as the Emperor, the Queen of our Laifeng Kingdom."
The moment these words were spoken, the entire audience erupted in an uproar. No one had expected the Emperor to announce the conferment of the Empress at this very moment, leaving the various palace masters, their paternal relatives, and those in their own faction completely stunned.
The Emperor's sudden move caught everyone completely off guard. Even though they had heard that the Emperor's Noble Consort An had recently become the most favored of the six harems, none of the concubines who had fought tooth and nail for the position of Empress could have imagined that it would be the Emperor's Noble Consort An who would be crowned Empress.
Ouyang Yuming, who was sitting in the noble seat, was shocked when he heard this, but he quickly suppressed his anger and turned his gaze to his sister below.
"Your Majesty, please think twice!"
Receiving Ouyang Yuming's gaze, General Ouyang Yiqin rose from his seat, bowed to Nalan Yunzhi, who was seated at the top, and objected, "As the saying goes, 'There are three unfilial acts, and the greatest is to have no heirs.' Although Your Majesty the Emperor is the father of the Fourth Prince, he has no daughter. Furthermore, I have not heard of any great talent or significant contributions he has made to the country and its people. I believe his talent and virtue are unworthy of the position, and he should not be named Empress."
"Your Majesty, please think twice!"
As Ouyang Yiqin finished speaking, all the ministers present, except Prime Minister Situ Luoyun and General Feng Cailan, knelt down and kowtowed in agreement.
Regardless of their original camps, the ministers now displayed unprecedented unity. After all, everything before them was clearly not in their interests, so they opposed it together first.
"General Ouyang, this is wrong! The emperor is not only the ruler of a country, but also the head of a family. Does she need your consent to decide who to appoint as her legal husband?" An Zihao's sister, the Minister of Rites An Zhiwei, said gritting her teeth.
This pie suddenly fell from the sky, and only a fool would not take it. Therefore, An Zhiwei glared at Ouyang Yiqin, the cavalry general who led the opposition, and was almost ready to slap her in the face.
"Haha..." Ouyang Yiqin chuckled slightly, "Minister An hasn't even become the Queen Mother yet, but he's already acting so arrogantly? The legitimate Queen Mother, General Feng, hasn't said anything, yet you're already impatient?"
"You..." An Zhiwei was so angry that her face turned red and her neck became thick.
"Your Majesty, honest advice is hard to hear!" Ouyang Yiqin said with a look of deep sorrow. "I believe that Your Majesty, Ouyang, possesses both talent and virtue, and has been temporarily supervising the harem for many years. He is the best candidate for the position of Empress."
"Your Majesty, I have a different opinion on this. The second princess's father, Guijun Gu, is gentle, respectful, frugal, and has taught his daughter well. It would be more convincing to make him the empress." Gu Luzhu, the censor of the Censorate, also stood up from his seat and said unwillingly.
"I think that Xiao Shujun is dignified and kind-hearted, and has the talent and virtue to be a father who can be a role model for the whole country." Xiao Qingchuan's sister, General Xiao Qianqing, also fought for her brother in due time.
"I also have a different opinion. I believe that Qin Xianjun is not only beautiful in appearance, but also intelligent and wise. She is the best candidate for the title of empress." Qin Niantang's sister, Qin Huaiyu, the Minister of Works, was not to be outdone and tried to make her brother's presence felt.
…
Nalan Yunzhi, accustomed to the ministers' arguments over the queen's succession, rubbed her brows with a headache. Beside her, An Zihao's fair and handsome face darkened, and his sharp gaze swept directly towards Ouyang Yiqin, who led the opposition.
"My dear Minister Situ, my dear Minister Feng, what are your opinions on the enthronement of Emperor An as the empress?" Nalan Yunzhi directly named the heads of the civil and military officials who had remained silent.
"Your Majesty, I believe this is your family affair, and it is up to your Majesty to make the final decision. I dare not speak rashly." Situ Luoyun replied slowly.
"I think what Prime Minister Situ said makes sense." General Feng Cailan was even more frugal with words and directly agreed with Situ Luoyun.
The Crown Princess position had been decided; it was Qingcheng's due. As for the Empress position, Lingyan didn't even care. As long as the other party behaved themselves and didn't provoke Qingcheng or Lingyan, it made no difference to her who became Empress. Feng Cailan secretly complained.
Nalan Yunzhi looked at the two old foxes speechlessly, but there was nothing he could do about them.
"Mother Queen, I object!"
Just as everyone was arguing with their own opinions, Emperor Nalan Yunzhi was having a headache, and An Zihao was so angry that he was secretly biting his back teeth, an extremely cold voice pierced the hearts of everyone in Baohua Hall like a sharp arrow.
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