The day before the coronation, the emperor would send officials from the Ministry of Rites to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth and the Imperial Ancestral Temple, while he personally would go to Fengxian Hall to pay respects. The next day, the Imperial Guards would set up the emperor’s carriage and ceremonial procession outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and the empress’s carriage and ceremonial procession would be set up on the palace steps and outside the palace gate.
The Music Bureau, a subordinate of the Ministry of Rites, hung musical instruments outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and then officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Office of Ceremony and Protocols set up a ceremonial table in the center of the Hall of Supreme Harmony facing south, a registration table on the left facing west, a jade table on the right facing east, and two dragon pavilions inside the cabinet door.
The eunuchs set up the musical instruments inside the palace gate and the ceremonial table in the center of the palace, both facing south. There were also treasure book cases on both sides of the palace gate (oriented east-west) and the empress’s worship table was placed in front of the incense table. When the auspicious time arrived, officials from the Ministry of Rites would place the golden book, golden seal, and various inscriptions in the dragon pavilion.
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The empress would arrive in full phoenix attire and stop at the entrance to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. She would kneel and bow in front of the ceremonial, registration, and jade tables respectively, listen to the Ministry of Rites officials recite the edict and receive the golden book and golden seal. She then would proceed to the throne room, where she and the emperor would receive the worship of the officials. She then would return to Kunming Palace and, accompanied by the empress dowager, and receive the worship of the various titled ladies.
This set of procedures was lengthy and tedious, and there was also a banquet in the evening. It was necessary to do everything in an extremely luxurious and grand manner in order to show the honored status of the empress. The Minister of Rites figured out the emperor’s thoughts and increased the etiquette by various degrees, and submitted it to the emperor for review.
“Remove the kneeling for the ceremonial, registration, and jade tables. Remove the process of reading the edict text. Directly grant the golden book and golden seal. Remove the evening banquet.” Emperor Zhouwu reviewed the memorial and used his imperial brush to cross out all the unnecessary procedures, leaving only the two items of accepting the officials and the titled ladies’s obeisance.
The Minister of Rites responded with agreement, but was very surprised in his heart, unable to figure out what the emperor’s intentions were. The coronation ceremony was unprecedentedly simple. Could it be that the emperor’s favor for the Imperial Noble Consort was all fake? If the coronation ceremony was really handled according to this procedure, it was conceivable how much the empress’s authority would be damaged, and she would have difficulty gaining a foothold in the harem.
But soon, the emperor’s next words let him know that he had thought too much.
Emperor Zhouwu considered it repeatedly, and added a clause to the memorial: ordering all the physicians of the Imperial Hospital to accompany the entire journey and not to slack off.
“Alright, go and make the arrangements! The empress’s health is of the utmost importance.” The young emperor spoke with great solemnity. The Minister of Rites did not dare to delay and quickly agreed.
After the announcement of the new regulations, all the officials had their own thoughts. Apart from the emperor’s close officials, many people looked down upon this newly appointed empress. Some concubines even secretly mocked her and were eager to make a move. However, the day before the empress was crowned, the emperor personally offered sacrifices to heaven and earth and to the imperial ancestral temple. He knelt down and kowtowed three times and nine times in Fengxian Hall, showing his devoutness, which slightly calmed down the restless thoughts of the crowd.
On the day of coronation, Emperor Zhouwu woke up punctually at yinshi*. When he saw the woman curled up in his arms, her sleeping face serene, he smiled contentedly. Today, Sangyu would become his wife. They would sit on the same seat at home and ride in the same carriage when they went out. They would walk side by side through this bustling world, sharing their joys, sorrows, and happiness, and dispelling their loneliness and solitude together.
TN: yinshi is 3-5am
He traced Sangyu’s delicate eyebrows with his fingertips through the air, his eyes filled with obsession, and he was lost in thought for a moment. When there was a rustling sound outside, Chang Xi whispered outside the bed curtain, “It’s the hour of maoshi*, Your Majesty should get up.” Only then did he realize that he had been staring at Sangyu for almost an hour.
TN: maoshi is 5-7am
He chuckled involuntarily and gently shook Sangyu, trying to wake her up. In the past, he would have kissed, licked, and bitten her, using Abao’s method to wake her up quickly. But now that she was pregnant, she not only had a poor appetite and was tired all day, but she also had faint dark circles under her eyes, which made him feel distressed. Unless necessary, he always got out of bed quietly and let her sleep until noon.
But today was different. If they waited for her to wake up naturally, she would miss the grand coronation ceremony.
“Sangyu, wake up quickly. Today is a big day for you and me.” He pinched Sangyu’s upturned nose, and his words were full of laughter.
Meng Sangyu kept shaking her head to avoid it, but the other party was too persistent, so she simply pulled the brocade quilt over herself, wrapping herself up like a silkworm cocoon, revealing only a strand of smooth and jet-black hair.
Emperor Zhouwu’s eyes filled with even more laughter as he scooped her up, blanket and all, into his arms. He reached inside and caressed her slightly protruding belly, coaxing her softly, “It’s time to get up, be good! Just like we agreed beforehand, you only need to go out and let the officials and titled ladies pay their respects. You won’t get tired at all. When it’s over, you can come back and continue sleeping, okay?”
He touched the cocoon with his forehead, and the cocoon moved. After a long while, it rustled and peeled open the outer shell, revealing a small face that was extremely tired.
“You promise it’s going to finish quickly!” she emphasized, her eyes still heavy with sleep.
“I promise.” Emperor Zhouwu held back a smile and tidied up her messy hair. Sang Yu was becoming more and more real in front of him, and every little step forward made him ecstatic.
The master has really become more and more arrogant and spoiled! Nanny Feng shook her head secretly, and brought in Yin Cui and Bi Shui to set out all the toiletries. She walked to the couch and was about to help the master wash up when the emperor took over. She was already used to the emperor doing everything himself, so she immediately let go and stepped aside.carpreads.pages.dev
Emperor Zhouwu wiped Sangyu’s face and little hands clean, changed her into a scarlet undergarment, and saw that her pale complexion looked much better against the undergarment. He couldn’t help but squint and kiss her cheek lightly. He carried Sangyu down, combed her black hair, put on her embroidered shoes, and carefully wrapped her in a robe before carrying her to the dining table outside. Only then did Emperor Zhouwu formally wake her up.
“Sangyu, it’s time for breakfast. Sour bamboo shoots with diced meat steamed pancakes, and scallions with dipping sauce, smell it, it’s so fragrant.” He put one arm around Sangyu’s slender waist, and waved the other vigorously, letting the smell of scallions and sour bamboo shoots spread. Because of Sangyu’s strange taste, he also began to get used to these homey foods.
Meng Sangyu’s mouth was rapidly secreting saliva, and she finally woke up slowly. Seeing that she was clean and tidy, and her clothes were neat, she gave the man a satisfied good morning kiss. The man chuckled, picked up a piece of steamed bread, wrapped the scallion dipped in sauce in it, rolled it up, and handed it to the woman, saying softly, “Eat it.”
“Thank you.” Meng Sangyu took it and took a big bite, her eating manners not very elegant. But the man knew that this was her most natural and genuine side, and the smile on his face deepened.
Nanny Feng and the others all lowered their heads in unison, secretly sighing in their hearts: Ever since the master became pregnant, the emperor has become increasingly virtuous.
After breakfast, Chang Xi brought the emperor and empress’s court attire into the inner hall and called for a group of palace maids to help them get dressed. The emperor’s court attire was simple and imposing, and he was quickly dressed. However, Meng Sangyu was still struggling with the crown, beads, robe, and jacket. Although the Imperial Noble Consort’s court attire was also bright yellow, its extravagance was far from comparable to that of the empress’s court attire.
The nine phoenixes on the empress’s court dress were embroidered with gold thread, adorned with pearls and jade fragments, and looked dazzling from afar. A nine-tailed phoenix made of gold was inlaid on the top of the crown, and each tail feather was inlaid with five-colored gemstones. There was also a large Donghai pearl in the phoenix’s mouth, and there was a faint glow flowing in it. This outfit alone was enough to drive all the women in the world crazy, no wonder so many concubines in the palace fought desperately to climb to the position of empress.
What was poison to one person was honey to another. At this moment, Meng Sangyu was not very happy, but instead was worried about the dozen or so pounds of weight on her head. She supported the crown with both hands and walked stiffly to the smiling emperor, shaking her neck and complaining, “You said it won’t be tiring, but this headdress alone could crush me!”
“Don’t talk nonsense on such a good day!” Emperor Zhouwu pinched her slightly pouting pink lips and said helplessly, “Lean on me first. When we get to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, you just hold on for half an hour.”
The two walked hand-in-hand into the imperial carriage. Emperor Wu of Zhou leaned slightly so that Sangyu could rest her chin on his shoulder. The slight weight made him frown immediately. The crown was really heavy. Should the ceremony be simplified?
But it was too late by then, all the regulations had already been arranged, and the imperial carriage quickly arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
“I will go in first and wait for you in the throne room.” The man gently kissed the woman on the lips, his deep eyes full of love and anticipation.
Meng Sangyu felt embarrassed being stared at by him, and she rubbed her head against his shoulder affectionately. The two of them quietly embraced for a moment, and when the music started playing, they got out of the sedan chair together. The emperor went to the main hall first, and the empress received the golden book and golden treasure in front of the hall. Under the gaze of all the officials, she slowly ascended to the throne and joined hands with the emperor.
Because the emperor had given instructions in advance, the edict was greatly simplified and was finished being read in less than half a cup of tea’s time. Meng Sangyu accepted the golden book and golden seal with both hands, and stepped onto the soft red carpet, walking towards the throne room step by step. The accompanying imperial physician hid behind the hundreds of officials watching the ceremony, his gaze firmly locked on the empress’s face, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
Entering the main hall, the officials on both sides looked at the newly promoted empress. A bright yellow figure came from afar, with a gorgeous and flamboyant face, and an elegant and graceful demeanor. Under the attention of thousands of people, she walked as if she were in a leisurely courtyard, which slightly reduced the contempt of some people.
The emperor on the throne stood up as soon as the empress appeared. He took two steps forward. Although his handsome face tried its best to remain solemn, the slightly trembling corners of his mouth still revealed his excitement. According to the rules, the emperor only needed to sit in the hall and wait for the empress to step onto the high platform and stand up to slightly support her. However, the emperor’s extremely urgent actions made all the ministers under him think carefully.
Meng Sangyu raised her head and puffed out her chest, looking at the man standing with his hands behind his back on the high platform, her steps neither hurried nor slow. As she stepped onto the first step, the man suddenly walked down from the high platform and reached out his hand to her.
The emperor stepped down to welcome her personally. Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, no empress had ever received such an honor. Who said that the emperor did not value the empress? What nonsense! The courtiers who had looked down upon the empress due to the simplicity of the ceremony were shocked and quickly lowered their heads.
Meng Sangyu calmly held the man’s outstretched hand, feeling a layer of moisture in his palm, and frowned slightly. Was he so nervous that he was sweating? Was he that eager for this moment? With this thought, she looked up at the man and met the intense and unyielding affection in his dark eyes, her mind going blank for a moment.
Emperor Zhouwu smiled, squeezing her hand tightly, and pulling her to his side. He wanted to bite the woman’s lips hard, using a fiery kiss to declare his joy, but he had to endure it when his gaze fell on the ministers below.
“From now on, you are my wife.” He whispered in the woman’s ear, the satisfaction in his voice evident.
“From now on, you are my husband.” Meng Sangyu regained her senses from her astonishment, looked at the man seriously for the first time, and declared her sovereignty seriously for the first time. Every word was sonorous. Since she couldn’t escape, and since this person had some sincerity, she would gamble with her life’s happiness. Having experienced two lives, she had a heart that was resilient enough to withstand failure.
Husband, Emperor Zhouwu savored this intimate and burning word, put his arm around Sangyu’s shoulder, and laughed heartily. Meng Sangyu looked back and smiled sweetly.
The majestic and domineering emperor, the graceful and luxurious empress, the two bright yellow figures on the high platform were close and intimate, complementing each other, leaving the most profound impression in the minds of the ministers.
The emperor and empress were in harmony, which was truly a blessing for the Great Zhou!
Author’s Note: If I said that the main text ended here, you would definitely throw bricks at me to death. But with the emperor’s protection, the empress no longer needs to fight in the palace. She is the biggest winner.
I don’t want to write about giving birth, I don’t want to write about the bath on the third day, I don’t want to write about the first birthday, I feel like everyone has written about it to death.
Next are the sweet extras, with cute buns, the sweet life of the emperor and empress, and the empress monopolizing the harem. With the extras, this book is finally complete!
Thank you all for not giving up on the fool! Deepest thanks! We’ll meet again in our next book! It’s estimated to be about a month later!