When Changhua learned that his sister would be entering through the Great Qing Gate to be crowned empress and that the imperial wedding would be held again, he felt as if his long-cherished wish had been fulfilled.
The Fucha family had long been prosperous and flourishing, with all four members of the family holding high positions and becoming important ministers and favorites of the emperor. Now, they had become the imperial family.
However, none of this glory and joy could compare to the satisfaction of Changning truly becoming the most honored principal wife in the land.
Bodel even lit several sticks of incense for Buddha at home, and was hit several times by Sochoro, who said he was just making a mess of things.
However, the couple still often acted secretly, appearing calm and collected on the surface, but secretly burning countless incense sticks to bless their daughter with a lifetime of peace and wealth.
In their eyes, their daughter had finally overcome all her hardships.
She had given birth to one child after another to secure her position, and she fought with the Fujin (principal wife) and the women in the harem. It was heartbreaking to watch.
Now, my long-cherished wish has finally come true.
Changning was also deeply moved. She was about to become the empress, and in the future, the name of Fucha Changning would be recorded in history books, along with that of Yinzhen.
Yinzhen was also very much looking forward to this day and made ample preparations for it. He first ordered the Hanlin Academy scholars to draft a book and then compose a poem. However, he was not satisfied with the result, so he personally wrote a long and eloquent poem of over a thousand words, full of praise.
The following day, all the officials listened to the proclamation. Yinzhen personally went to the Fengxian Hall to report, and also sent people to the Temple of Heaven, the Temple of Earth, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple to offer sacrifices, and to report to Heaven, Earth, the ancestral temple, the altars of the land and grain, and the various mausoleums to select an auspicious day and time.
The streets were cleared three days in advance, a general amnesty was granted, and the people rejoiced.
On the day of the coronation ceremony, Changning got up very early.
The chief and deputy envoys had already brought the ceremonial regalia needed for the investiture of the empress. Changning was dressed in court attire by about twenty servants from the Imperial Household Department and knelt in the courtyard to listen to the reading of the investiture document.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I, having received the imperial mandate to continue the great undertaking, bestow blessings upon the birth of Lady Fucha Changning, a woman of distinguished lineage, possessing both gentleness and virtue, and endowed with exceptional beauty and refined character. She is of pure and virtuous nature, and her talent shines through. She has always possessed a gentle and intelligent demeanor, and virtuous character, befitting an empress. By the mandate of Heaven, I hereby bestow upon her the title of Empress. So be it!"
Then, Changhua, the Minister of Rites, personally handed the Empress's imperial seal and edict to Changning.
Then, Changning was helped onto the Empress's Phoenix Carriage by the crowd. She was carried through the Great Qing Gate and, accompanied by the sounds of bells and drums, slowly stepped onto her own steps, embarking on the path to becoming Empress.
On both sides of the road stood civil and military officials with solemn expressions.
At the end of this road stood Yinzhen, dressed in a dragon robe.
As she climbed the steps, Changning felt a deep sense of peace, as if the rhythm of a movie was slowing down, rewinding in slow motion. She felt that she should be looking back on the past twenty-eight years, but she had no time to think about it now.
All she could see was the long staircase in front of her, the blazing sun overhead, the rare clear weather, and her future path, which, like the glazed tiles before her, was bright and radiant.
When they reached the end of the road, Yinzhen stepped forward and personally helped her. Feeling the coldness and stickiness of her palm, he comforted her slightly: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Changning smiled slightly, stood shoulder to shoulder with him, turned around, and looked ahead with him to receive the congratulations from the civil and military officials.
The officials below, seeing the young and beautiful empress, so elegant and noble, exuding an indescribable air of nobility, and standing next to the emperor, truly a pair of splendid beauties, all knelt down to pay their respects, shouting: "Long live the emperor! Long live the empress! Long live the empress!"
Changning breathed a sigh of relief, and heard Yinzhen's affectionate voice in her ear: "Yaoxian, you are my only wife in this life."
The grandeur of the coronation ceremony was still talked about three months later.
Zhongcui Palace
Consort Yu, née Geng, was eating melon seeds. The palace was now exquisite and luxurious, but she still retained the habit she had when she was in the Prince's residence, and liked to chat with people.
"Hey, the Emperor has been on the throne for three months now, and he hasn't even chosen a woman for himself in the imperial concubine selection. He only bestowed a secondary consort upon the Prince of Zhi, and other members of the imperial clan were also betrothed. Does His Majesty intend not to take any women at all?"
Hearing her words, Consort Ning, Wu, instinctively wanted to mock her: "What, are you getting impatient again? Do you care if there are new concubines or not? Anyway, it's impossible for the Hall of Mental Cultivation to choose you."
Consort Yu rolled her eyes at her and threw the melon seeds in her hand at her: "Pah! You've already entered the palace and you're still picking on me every day? I'm so old, why would I still be thinking about gaining favor?"
"Then why are you in such a hurry? The one in Chengqian Palace has always been the emperor's favorite. You know how much His Majesty loves her."
Consort Yu pursed her lips: "I know, but things are different now. Before, when he was in the Prince's mansion, he was just a prince, and there weren't so many eyes watching. Now it's different. His Majesty is in his prime. Although he has many sons, he can still have more. Who wouldn't want to send their daughter to the palace to gain wealth and status? So many eyes are practically burning with anticipation."
Consort Ning took a leisurely sip of tea: "It's no use in hoping; His Majesty has no interest in that at all. I've seen it clearly: His Majesty is a man of deep feelings. Over the years, only the Empress has caught his eye and captured his heart. With his beloved by his side, how could he have time to think of other women? Besides, haven't you heard that there's a commotion about sending troops up front?"
Consort Yu was getting a little annoyed after being repeatedly retorted by her: "I've never heard of anyone with your keen eyes and ears!"
Consort Ning chuckled and quickly said gently to her, "What's there to be angry about over such a small matter? You're too petty. However, the court is indeed very busy right now, and the Emperor is troubled. He probably doesn't have the mind to attend to the imperial concubine selection."
Consort Yu didn't care about or have any interest in whether there was a war or not. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head, and she asked Consort Ning in a low voice, "Hey, you know... the eldest prince is getting on in years now, why doesn't His Majesty arrange a marriage for him?"
Consort Ning glanced at her: "What, do you have a good girl in your family? Why are you asking about this again and again?"
Consort Yu, having her secret exposed, smiled awkwardly: "I do have a cousin who is also participating in this selection. I was just thinking of finding out what's going on."
Consort Ning had known her for many years and had some affection for her, so she couldn't help but advise her: "You want your younger sister to enter the First Prince's harem? If you have no other intentions, that's fine, but if you're after someone who wants to climb the social ladder and gamble on things in advance, you should give up on that idea. Look at how meritorious the Third Prince is now, and how obviously His Majesty favors him. Isn't that clear enough?"
Consort Yu sighed, "The Third Prince is good, and he has a good mother and a good family, but he is too young. Moreover, given our family's social standing, I'm afraid they wouldn't even look at him."
"Don't worry about it. In a family like ours, we're already incredibly lucky to have two wives who hold high positions. Don't even think about marrying into a better family."
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