Chapter 470 Welcoming the Empress, Impatiently
Ji Qingwu pulled his leg back and said, "Your Majesty, my parents are still waiting for me at home."
Zhao Mingyan locked her waist and said, "I'll let you go back in a bit."
Ji Qingwu didn't object anymore, because she also missed Yuan Heng and Qiuqiu very much, and being able to see the two children first was something that excited her.
They arrived at Zhaoyang Palace.
Ji Qingwu looked at the familiar palace, got off the carriage and looked around, but did not see the two children.
"Where are Yuan Heng and Qiu Qiu?" Ji Qingwu asked anxiously.
At this moment, Xiao Dongzi came out of the hall and immediately knelt down, saying, "This servant greets Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress."
Ji Qingwu raised an eyebrow slightly. Why was the Empress being called out now? But there were no outsiders around, so she didn't stop her.
Zhao Mingyan said, "Get up, is everything ready?"
Xiao Dongzi said, "As per His Majesty's instructions, it was prepared early this morning."
As he spoke, he jogged and pushed open the palace door, and Ji Qingwu followed the emperor into the palace.
Ji Qingwu stood by the door, unable to move. It wasn't that she didn't want to go in, but there was nowhere to put her feet.
The spacious hall was almost entirely filled with sandalwood boxes.
Xiao Dongzi respectfully handed a booklet to Ji Qingwu.
"Your Majesty, please take a look."
Ji Qingwu glanced at the emperor, and seeing him nod, she took the list and examined it closely. She then discovered that it was a list of 575 items prepared by the Imperial Household Department for the empress's betrothal gifts.
The Empress's dowry was extraordinary, containing over a hundred pieces of court hats, court beads, and court robes alone, not to mention jewelry and other ornaments.
Ji Qingwu knew from the long names that each item was a treasure.
She took a breath and opened a tray covered with a red silk cloth on the table. What came into view was a bright red phoenix robe, with a phoenix spreading its wings embroidered in gold thread, its feathers layered like clouds, and adorned with pearls and tassels.
Just look at the embroidery; it couldn't have been prepared in just one or two months.
Ji Qingwu turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling, and asked, "Your Majesty, when exactly was this prepared?"
Zhao Mingyan smiled slightly but did not answer. He simply said, "Let Xiao Dongzi accompany you home first. We'll see each other again tomorrow."
Ji Qingwu returned home completely bewildered.
But this homecoming is no ordinary homecoming.
Ji Qingwu returned in a sedan chair with a golden roof and bright yellow curtains, a type of sedan chair reserved for the emperor and empress.
Xiao Dongzi followed beside her sedan chair, with two rows of guards following behind.
As soon as Ji Qingwu arrived at his doorstep, before he could even get out of the sedan chair, he heard people bowing in welcome.
"Welcome, Your Majesty the Empress!"
Ji Qingwu paused, then quickly stepped down from the sedan chair.
Looking at the Ji family members kneeling on the ground, including Old Madam Ji, she said in surprise, "Father, Mother, please get up!"
Although the establishment of an empress is a foregone conclusion and Ji Qingwu does not object, is it too much to perform such a grand ceremony now?
There were also two little ones kneeling in the middle of the crowd, looking quite like them.
Ji Qingwu said, "Get up, everyone. What are you doing?"
The crowd shouted, "Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress!"
Qiuqiu shook off Li Mama's hand and immediately rushed over to hug Ji Qingwu, saying, "Mother, Mother, Mother."
Ji Qingwu smiled and kissed her cheek, saying, "Mother is here."
These days, Yuan Heng and Qiu Qiu often spend time together. He is not as mature as he used to be. When he saw the person he had been thinking about, he quickly walked up and took Ji Qingwu's hand.
The little one looked up at her and called out, "Mother."
Ji Qingwu squeezed his small hand tightly and said, "I miss you too."
Yuan Heng's dark eyes brightened again and again; she knew he missed her terribly.
Ji Qingwu held the two small hands, took a deep breath, and said softly, "From now on, we will never be separated again."
She led the two children to the door. Ji Bolian and Qiao Shi had not seen Xiao Wu for a long time, but due to their status, they dared not get too close.
Since learning that the Emperor favored Ji Qingwu as Empress, Madam Ji's illness had improved considerably, and her spirits immediately lifted.
Ji Bolian cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty the Empress must be tired from your journey. Please go in and rest."
Seeing that Ji's father was so polite to her, Qiao did not approach her as she usually did.
Ji Qingwu frowned and said, "Father, Mother, what are you doing? Only we know the Emperor's decree. You don't need to be so polite."
Madam Ji asked in surprise, "You didn't know?"
"Know what?"
Madam Ji smiled kindly: "Yesterday, the Central Secretariat issued the edict establishing an empress. Now even the children on the street know that Beili has an empress, and she belongs to our Ji family."
Ji Qingwu's eyes widened. Yesterday? Wasn't that when they were still on their way?
Judging from the time it took for the message to travel from the northern border back to Lin'an, Emperor Wusu should have started to take care of these matters after returning to the military camp.
However, after the imperial edict was issued, the emperor and empress were not allowed to meet again before their marriage.
What about his "see you tomorrow"?
Qiao's eyes reddened, and she said, seemingly both saddened and moved, "Your Majesty, the grand wedding ceremony will be held tomorrow. Please make preparations as soon as possible."
*
The Emperor and Empress of Beili are about to get married.
Everyone could see how impatient the emperor was.
Because Emperor Wusu was to marry the Empress the day after he returned from his campaign.
But everything about the wedding ceremony was perfect, and there was nothing wrong with it.
To the astonishment of the world, not only was the Empress from the Ji family, but the young prince in the palace was also born to Ji Qingwu, and there was another imperial heir, as well as a princess.
As a result, Ji Qingwu once again became a prominent figure in Lin'an City, but this time it was all talk of envy. Even though a few noble ladies harbored sour and jealous thoughts, they dared not say it out loud.
Who would dare to disrespect Ji Qingwu, who is the Empress of Bei Li?
The lights in Wutong Garden stayed on all night.
She was still dizzy last time and married into the Wei family in a daze. Ji Qingwu didn't even have time to experience what it felt like to be married.
Now, although she doesn't have much time left, she still has enough time to savor it.
My heart was bubbling with excitement.
Ji Qingwu couldn't sleep at all, nor did she want to. She stared at the phoenix coronet and wedding gown displayed in the room.
"Lanzhi..."
At dawn, Aunt Fanghua, accompanied by Granny Xi and the servants, knocked on the door of Wutong Garden.
Upon entering, they found the bride already seated at the dressing table, dressed neatly, smiling at them.
Ji Qingwu wore a crown with nine phoenixes holding pearls, with gold thread inlaid with round and bright pearls, and the necklace hanging down to her forehead like scattered stars.
The brocade of the embroidered robe was as magnificent as the clouds in the sky, with phoenixes carrying peonies in their beaks, spreading out in layers.
Granny Xi was a woman of good fortune invited from the Duke's mansion, and she was momentarily dazzled by the beauty of the woman in front of her.
Fanghua said, "Your Majesty, this is the second lady of the Duke's mansion."
Ji Qingwu stood up and moved lightly. The pattern of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix under her phoenix robe bloomed in succession. Her dignified and noble demeanor made the jewels all over her body pale in comparison.
She nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
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