Chapter 42: Conferment

Jun Zechen's face suddenly darkened, as cold as an ice pond, and his brows were tightly furrowed.

This is in front of my father’s spirit!

The queen was also shocked, but she quickly came to her senses and said, "Prince, Tang Fengyi is pregnant. Bring her back to the East Palace as soon as possible!"

After all, seeing blood in front of the late emperor's spirit was a taboo and a huge disrespect to the late emperor.

Jun Zechen's expression was as cold as ice.

Even though he knew it was extremely difficult for Tang Fengyi to give birth to this child safely, he definitely did not want to leave in this way.

He walked forward quickly, carried the person away, and after leaving the mourning hall, he placed Tang Fengyi on the sedan chair.

Then he turned around and told the palace maid beside him: "Take Tang Fengyi back to the East Palace, and send someone to invite the imperial physician immediately."

After saying this, Jun Zechen turned around and returned to the mourning hall without hesitation.

Tang Fengyi looked at Jun Zechen's gradually receding back, and the pain on his face became more and more intense.

I don't know whether this pain comes from the severe stomach pain or from the man's almost heartless attitude.

She was clearly pregnant with his child, and now that she had miscarried, she didn't even receive the slightest sympathy from him.

In front of the mourning hall, at the moment when the prince took Tang Fengyi away, An Liangdi covered her movements with mourning clothes extremely covertly and quietly replaced the Buddhist beads that Tang Fengyi had replaced before.

She carefully wrapped the Buddhist beads stained with nettle powder and blackhead powder in a handkerchief and then quietly hid it in her sleeve.

Su Jingyao, who had been paying close attention to An Liangdi and Tang Fengyi, saw all her little movements clearly.

To be on the safe side, she even quietly walked to the Crown Princess' side, bent down, and prepared to help her up.

He also cleverly placed the Buddhist beads in front of An Liangdi to make it easier for her to act.

Then he asked concernedly, "Sister Crown Princess, what's wrong with you?"

As he spoke, he gently helped her up.

The queen had a gloomy and angry look on her face and walked straight to Ling Yue.

A crisp "pop" sound echoed in the air.

The queen raised her hand without hesitation and slapped him hard.

Ling Yue staggered by the sudden attack, and his eyes were instantly filled with shock.

There was also a mixture of endless grievance and deep fear in his eyes.

The Queen shouted angrily, "Come here, the Crown Princess has committed treason by colliding with the late Emperor's body. Take her to the ancestral temple and make her kneel down to pray for the late Emperor and copy Buddhist scriptures a hundred times!"

When Jun Zechen came in, he happened to miss the scene of his mother beating Ling Yue.

All he heard was the Queen Mother's merciless and extremely cold decision on punishment.

When he got closer, he saw the clear slap mark on Ling Yue's face.

At this moment, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Jun Zechen could only frown and look at Ling Yue with complicated eyes.

He couldn't openly contradict his mother at this time.

The most important thing at the moment is to complete the mourning ceremony for my father.

Jun Zechen had no choice but to ignore Ling Yue's eyes that were full of requests for help.

Upon seeing this, the eunuch beside the queen hurried forward and took Ling Yue away.

When the Queen slapped Ling Yue, Su Jingyao stepped back slightly and very "accidentally" stepped on the Buddhist beads that An Liangdi had replaced.

After all, Tang Fengyi had stepped on it before. If someone found that this Buddhist beads were still in mint condition, wouldn't that arouse suspicion?

She should help them, but she must not let the queen find any suspicion.

After Ling Yue was taken away, the palace maids acted very quickly and quickly cleaned up the bloodstains left by Tang Fengyi.

In front of the mourning hall, peace seemed to be restored in an instant, and all procedures continued to be arranged normally in an orderly manner.

Minister Su stood quietly in the first row of ministers, looking at his daughter lovingly with a hint of relief in his eyes.

As the head of the civil officials, it is impossible to say that he has no ambition or desire at all.

His daughter was raised by him, treated like a treasure.

His Majesty's marriage proposal made his daughter the Crown Prince's concubine, so naturally he was unwilling.

As his daughter, she could obviously become the Crown Princess.

The current Crown Princess is not suitable to occupy that position, so she should make way for his daughter.

At that time, the prince married the daughter of a military general as his princess, although the ministers in the court were somewhat dissatisfied with this.

But it doesn't mean we have to keep a close eye on the prince's backyard.

The emperor and his subjects, they still know the limits in their hearts. After all, the prince has great power.

As long as the Crown Princess has not committed any serious faults, it doesn't matter if her status is not noble enough.

But what about the current Crown Princess?

She could neither give birth to an heir to the throne nor had enough strength to take on the important task of being the Crown Princess or even the future Empress.

On such an occasion today, such an incident occurred, which is enough for all officials to condemn him verbally and in writing.

A hint of contemplation flashed across Minister Su's eyes.

In this case, he must do his utmost to support his daughter to take the throne!

In the following period of time, Jun Zechen was extremely busy every day.

Not only did they have to hold various ceremonies for the late emperor in accordance with royal rules, but they also had to review memorials and handle state affairs.

This busy state continued until the 27th day after the death of the late emperor, when Emperor Jingsheng was buried in the imperial mausoleum.

Afterwards, Jun Zechen officially ascended the throne and added a posthumous title to the previous emperor:

"The Emperor, in compliance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: I remember our late Emperor Jingsheng, whose achievements throughout his life were outstanding and whose virtue matched that of heaven and earth.

His governance of the country laid the foundation, and his heroic spirit shocked the world;

He is wise and shrewd, and makes wise decisions; his writings and advice are widely spread, benefiting all people;

His achievements are supreme and unparalleled; his wisdom is so brilliant that it will shine through the ages;

Respect Heaven and be filial to ancestors, and set an example for the world.

Today, we specially confer the late emperor the posthumous title of Dingji Jingsheng Junwu Ruizhi Wenmo Gonggao Zhiming Jingxiao Emperor.

To honor his virtue and make it immortal.

I appreciate it! "

After the coronation ceremony, the Qianqing Palace also took on a brand new look, and all of the emperor's belongings were replaced with new ones.

From today on, Jun Zechen becomes the new master of Qianqing Palace.

After the coronation ceremony, Jun Zechen walked back to the Qianqing Palace.

He and the Queen Mother sat together on the couch.

"How does the emperor plan to appoint concubines in the Eastern Palace and the Crown Princess?" The empress dowager looked at Jun Zechen sharply and asked slowly.

Jun Zechen's expression froze for a moment, and he frowned slightly, and said in a deep voice: "What do you mean, mother? The Crown Princess is naturally my empress."

As he said this, his eyes were firm.

Originally, Jun Zechen only wanted to confer titles on the Crown Princess and the concubine himself, and as for the rest of the concubines in the Eastern Palace, he would just leave it to his mother, the Queen Mother, to do the conferring.

But at this moment, it seems that the Queen Mother does not want the Crown Princess to become the Queen?

The Queen Mother's face now revealed her deep disgust for the Crown Princess without any concealment, and her tone was cold.

"Your Majesty, the Crown Princess behaved like this in front of the late Emperor's spirit. I wanted to deprive her of her position as Crown Princess."

"It was only to save the royal family's reputation that I kept it secret. She was truly unworthy of being an empress who rules the country."

Upon hearing this, Jun Zechen's expression became even more solemn, and he defended Ling Yue firmly with his eyes.

"Mother, I will investigate the incident in front of the mourning hall. The Crown Princess would not behave disrespectfully without reason."

"I know you have been busy these days. I have already found out everything about the Crown Princess." The Queen Mother's voice was still cold.

"I can't possibly have wronged your Crown Princess."

The Queen Mother emphasized, and then she continued.

"The Crown Princess said that day that the beads fell off her hand because of a rash on them. However, I showed the fallen beads to the imperial physician for examination that day and there was nothing wrong with them."

"The Crown Princess herself couldn't explain where the rash on her hands came from."

There was a hint of aggression in the Queen Mother's words.

"Then I should investigate it more clearly..." Jun Zechen replied with a frown.

"The Emperor can investigate, but no matter what the reason is, it is an indisputable fact that the Crown Princess was disrespectful to the late Emperor's spirit and offended the late Emperor's heroic spirit."

The Queen Mother's eyes became more severe.

For the Queen Mother, even if the Crown Princess's hands were disabled, she should not drop the Buddhist beads on the ground.

The Queen Mother then continued, "Because of her mistake, Tang Fengyi had a miscarriage. Doctor Hu, who was originally treating Tang Fengyi, once reported to me that if she had continued to drink the soup and medicine he prescribed, your second prince would not have been unable to be born!"

"And the most important point is that before the late emperor's funeral, when the palace maids were burning Buddhist scriptures, they actually found bloodstains on a Buddhist scripture. I compared the handwriting and confirmed that it was copied by the Crown Princess."

Although copying Buddhist scriptures with blood would show more piety and respect.

But the Crown Princess only used ordinary ink to copy, but it was stained with blood. The meaning of this is very different, and it is even completely the opposite effect.

If the Crown Princess was careful and attentive, she would just copy a new one after discovering the bloodstain.

But the Crown Princess actually placed the blood-stained Buddhist scriptures in front of the late emperor's spirit!

Jun Zechen listened quietly to his mother blaming Ling Yue for one thing after another, but he was unable to refute her.

Even though he knew in his heart that Ling Yue might be innocent or might have been framed.

But at this time he really had no evidence to defend Ling Yue.

"Mother, what if the Crown Princess was framed?"

"Whether she was framed or not, she is not fit to be the queen after all these things happened. Do you understand, Emperor?"

The Queen Mother had a serious expression and stared at Jun Zechen closely.

Jun Zechen lowered his head slowly.

He knew that what his mother said was indeed reasonable.

only……

Jun Zechen raised his head and looked at the Queen Mother with a determined gaze.

"Mother, I have always believed in the Crown Princess. She is the one I personally asked to marry, and I have made a promise to her. If she does not become the Empress, I will feel guilty."

A trace of pain flashed across Jun Zechen's face.

Although his heart is as hard as iron, that is only towards those who have never entered his heart. How can he not care about those who have already entered his heart?

The Queen Mother sighed slightly, and then her voice was filled with unquestionable firmness.

"You are the emperor. You can be sorry to anyone, but no one can be sorry to you."

She paused and continued, "If the Crown Princess becomes the Empress, how will the court officials view you as the Emperor?"

"Her mistakes are not minor, not just one or two. Even if you insist on making her the queen, I will never agree, and I will never give her the queen's seal in my hand."

The Queen Mother looked at the Emperor's embarrassed expression; she also knew her son's character.

You always have to give a candy after a slap.

She went on to say, "This time, the Crown Princess was demoted to a concubine. This is indeed too severe a punishment. I can allow her to be a noble concubine, and I can also give her some of the palace power."

"If she performs well and then passes on a prince to succeed her, it is not impossible for her to become the empress."

Jun Zechen's eyes flashed.

It seems that this is the best outcome.

It's just that he originally wanted to give Yaoyao the position of noble concubine, but now Ling Yue has been canonized as a noble concubine, and she was originally his legal wife, so naturally she couldn't be inferior to others.

Demoting a wife to become a concubine is already a great humiliation.

Jun Zechen sighed helplessly, "It's up to you, mother."

"Does the Emperor want to confer titles on other concubines? Or will I be the one to do it all?" the Empress Dowager asked immediately.

"What position does mother want to give to the concubine?" Jun Zechen asked back.

"The concubine gave birth to the eldest prince, and has made great contributions to the country. She originally deserves the position of noble concubine."

"But if the Crown Princess is a Noble Consort, there is no precedent of two Noble Consorts in the palace. I was thinking, how about canonizing the concubine as a Shu Consort?" the Empress Dowager said slowly.

Jun Zechen listened to his mother's arrangements and nodded. This was exactly what he thought.

"My mother is thoughtful, but Concubine Shu has given birth to the eldest prince and raised him with great difficulty. I am going to give her the title 'Pure' and make her Concubine Chun Shu."

Jade is in the mountains and the grass and trees are moist; pearls are produced in the deep and the cliffs are not dry.

Yaoyao's pure kindness should be like a precious jade or a pearl, influencing the entire harem. The harem should not be so filled with foul smells.

She deserves the word "pure".

When the Empress Dowager heard the Emperor say he wanted to give the title to Concubine Shu, she was a little surprised, for she had thought the Emperor only had the Crown Princess in his heart.

After all, the emperor at that time was always unwilling to consummate his marriage with Concubine Shu.

Now this is...

Changed?

"What arrangements has the emperor made for the palaces of Concubine Gui and Concubine Chunshu?" The empress dowager turned her head slightly and asked calmly.

Jun Zechen thought for a moment.

Now that he has no empress, the Kunning Palace is naturally vacant.

He pursed his lips lightly.

"The noble concubine lives in the Yikun Palace, and the pure concubine lives in the Yongshou Palace."

"However, the name Yongshou Palace is not nice. I have decided to rename it Zhaochun Palace. This way, it will complement Consort Chun Shu."

As a noble concubine, it is extremely appropriate for Ling Yue to live in the Yikun Palace.

Yongshou Palace was previously where Concubine Shu lived. Concubine Shu was the favorite concubine of my father, and the palace was even more magnificent.

It is even bigger than the Yikun Palace.

It just so happened that Yaoyao had just given birth to a child, so it would be appropriate for her to live in a bigger palace.

The name of her previous palace in the East Palace was really unpleasant, but the current name "Zhao Chun" is very suitable.

After the decree was announced today, Ling Yue would certainly not be able to accept it, so he still had to go to Yikun Palace tonight to comfort her.

He was sorry for her...

——————

Position table.

Queen: Superb.

Noble Concubine: First rank.

Shufei, Xianfei, Defei: from the first rank.

Concubine: Second rank.

Zhaoyi, Zhaoyuan, Zhaorong, Shuyi, Shuyuan, Shurong, Xiuyi, Xiuyuan, Xiurong: second rank.

Noble Concubine: Third rank.

Jieyu: Third rank.

Ronghua: Fourth rank.

Beauty: Fifth rank.

Talented person: Sixth rank.

Baolin: Seventh rank.

Yu Nu: Eighth rank.

Cai Nu: Ninth rank.