novelraw Chapter 185
Chapter 185
"Empress?"
Emperor Jingxuan fell deep into thought, as the word had not crossed his mind in a very long time.
Yun Wan's expression remained calm, though a hint of curiosity graced her features as she asked, "I am quite curious. Why did you not crown an Empress during the year of your ascension?"
She had been young at the time, but she could still remember that there was no mention of an Empress being crowned after the new Emperor took the throne. For many years thereafter, the position of the Central Palace remained empty.
His train of thought interrupted, Emperor Jingxuan looked down to meet her clear, bright eyes. Gently caressing her shoulder, he answered without trying to hide the truth, "At that time, there was no one who had captured my heart."
Thinking of something, his lips curled into a light chuckle. "I am not afraid of you laughing at me, my dear. During the very first imperial selection, I felt that not a single woman present was worthy of becoming my wife and my first Empress."
He could make do with his concubines, but when it came to the wife who would stand by his side, Emperor Jingxuan displayed a rare and steadfast stubbornness.
Hearing him pour out the inner thoughts of his youth, especially for such a reason, Yun Wan felt a mix of astonishment and disbelief, yet somehow, she was not entirely surprised.
"Did none of the court officials petition you to crown an Empress?" she could not help but ask.
She turned to face Emperor Jingxuan, their bodies pressed intimately close as she looked up at him.
Emperor Jingxuan lowered his gaze, his eyes tracing every inch of her delicate features, the tenderness within them practically overflowing.
While admiring his woman's beauty, he did not forget to reply, "Of course there were. It was nothing more than the usual drivel about how a nation cannot go a single day without an Empress. I found it incredibly annoying, so I made up my mind to show them that even without an Empress, the nation could still prosper and the people could still live in peace and contentment."
That was certainly true, but Yun Wan's eyes still curved into a smile as she commented, "You were so willful."
"Willful? I suppose you could say that."
Taking her words as a compliment, Emperor Jingxuan looked rather pleased with himself and elaborated, "Later, when those ministers submitted a joint petition, I simply told them to discuss among themselves and present me with a candidate for the position. And what do you think happened?"
"What happened?"
"They argued for months without reaching a clear consensus. After I flew into a rage, the matter was simply dropped."
The Li family, the Lu family, and the Wang family, which Consort Xian belonged to, all desperately wanted their own daughters to become the Empress of Great Qi. All three women were highly favored candidates for the throne.
Precisely because of this, the families refused to yield an inch, bickering endlessly as each vied for the ultimate honor of becoming the Emperor's father-in-law.
With the three powerful families keeping each other in check, Emperor Jingxuan was left in peace. As for whether he had deliberately orchestrated such a stalemate, that was no longer important.
Empress.
Emperor Jingxuan turned the word over and over in his mind, a faint gleam surfacing in the depths of his eyes.
Perhaps it truly was time to place the matter of crowning an Empress on the agenda. After all, a nation could not go a single day without an Empress.
As for who would take the throne, he naturally had the perfect candidate in mind.
........
In early February, following the imperial selection, the matter of crowning an Empress was once again brought up in the royal court.
In a rare turn of events, Emperor Jingxuan did not immediately dismiss the proposal. Instead, he listened attentively to the official's arguments. Though he did not explicitly state his position, the ministers considered this an incredibly promising sign.
It was evident that after half a year of endless turmoil in the inner court, His Majesty had perhaps finally realized the necessity of an Empress to rightfully and officially govern the six palaces.
Thus, after so many years, the royal court was once again swept up in a storm over the establishment of an Empress, with every faction stubbornly defending their own opinions.
However, the more perceptive officials had already sensed the subtle undercurrents at play and wisely chose to stay out of the fray.
Sui's enthusiasm for accompanying his imperial father to the morning court sessions did not wane in the slightest despite the early hours. On the contrary, his interest only grew stronger as time went on.
As the weather gradually warmed, Sui would wake up bright and early without needing the palace servants to rouse him. Fully dressed and properly groomed, he would sit by the door and wait for Emperor Jingxuan.
However, he had been deeply shocked over the past few days. He had witnessed firsthand the court officials arguing endlessly over the matter of crowning an Empress. They would argue until they were red in the face, stopping just short of a physical brawl. Where had all their usual refined and scholarly elegance gone?
One minister even went so far as to ask for Sui's opinion. "Your Highness, who do you believe His Majesty should crown as Empress?"
His mother, of course!
Sui shouted at the top of his lungs in his heart.
By now, he had figured out that anything capable of making the ministers argue so fiercely had to be a remarkably good thing.
Since it was such a wonderful thing, why shouldn't it go to his mother?
His mother was the absolute best woman in the entire world; the position of Empress rightfully belonged to her!
Naturally, sensing the ill intentions behind the question, Sui kept his true thoughts to himself. Instead, he kept his small face perfectly stern and countered:
"Are you trying to test me?"
The minister was stunned!
"I would never dare. It was merely a passing remark. Please do not take it to heart, Your Highness."
Having said that, the man hastily fled the scene.
Zhang Lian and the others looked on with expressions of profound gratification.
To be able to conceal his emotions so flawlessly and keep his lips sealed at such a tender age, he was truly worthy of being the little prince they held in such high regard.
It was not only the royal court; the concubines of the inner palace were also entirely unsettled by the prospect of an Empress being crowned.
Looking across the entire harem, there were only a handful of women qualified to ascend to the position, Yun Wan included.
Naturally, Concubine Hui, Noble Consort Kang, and the others hoped that Yun Wan would be the one to claim the throne.
Although she had not been in the palace for long, one could not deny the advantage of having such a brilliant son, not to mention the fact that she was the absolute darling of His Majesty's heart.
Their only concern was that the position of Crown Prince had been securely held for years by the son of Noble Consort Li.
Both women held the exalted rank of Noble Consort, and both had imperial princes by their side. If an Empress were crowned but the Crown Prince was not born of the Central Palace, it would undoubtedly pave the way for massive conflicts in the future.
"His Majesty dotes on Your Ladyship so much. Why don't you share a little hint with us?" Noble Consort Kang asked in a hushed, eager voice as she leaned close to Yun Wan.
Raising her fingers in a solemn vow, she added, "Please rest assured, Your Ladyship. We are simply dying of curiosity. We absolutely will not breathe a word of this to anyone else!"
Knowing full well how much these women loved to gossip, Yun Wan did not believe a single word of it.
She let out a soft, helpless sigh. "You all think far too highly of me. This is a matter of state. The royal court has not even reached a conclusion yet, so how could I possibly know anything?"
Concubine Hui pressed on, "When you are alone with His Majesty, has he truly not mentioned it at all?"
Yun Wan shook her head. "He has not. His Majesty's thoughts are impossible to read; he hasn't revealed a single word to me."
She was telling the absolute truth.
To say that Yun Wan was neither curious nor tempted by the position of Empress would be a blatant lie. She had even subtly tried to probe Emperor Jingxuan for answers, but alas, the older man's lips were sealed tight. He stubbornly refused to give anything away.
Last night, Yun Wan had even resorted to using her feminine wiles, fully indulging the older man's desires and letting him feast upon her to his heart's content.
The result? She got absolutely nothing out of it.
Yun Wan was so infuriated that she deeply regretted her actions, especially since her entire body was still unbearably sore and weak from the exertion.
With the matter of crowning an Empress still unresolved, March arrived in the blink of an eye. The Spring Imperial Examination, an event closely watched by scholars across the nation, was scheduled to be held in the capital mid-month.
Coincidentally, Sui's birthday also fell within this month, and these two major events successfully diverted Yun Wan's attention.
Ever since the New Year, the capital had seen a steady influx of scholars carrying bamboo bookpacks, all of whom had traveled from various regions to sit for the examinations.
The Spring Examination took place at the Examination Hall of the Ministry of Rites in the capital and lasted for three grueling days.
Seven days later, the results were to be announced. Those who passed would have their names displayed on the official roll, with their ranking determining the order of the names.
Bright and early that morning, Yun Wan sent her palace servants out of the imperial gates to wait at the posting boards, desperate to know the outcome.
The wait lasted the entire morning. It was nearly time for the midday meal when Yue Ya finally rushed back to Qiyun Palace from outside the palace walls. Frantic with joy, she cried out:
"He passed! He passed!"
"Young Master Cousin has passed!"