novelraw Chapter 194
Chapter 194
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: We believe that Heaven and Earth unite in virtue... We consult you, Yun Wan of the Yun clan, who possesses both virtue and talent, outstanding brilliance, and a chaste and tranquil demeanor... You are fit to be the mother of the nation. In the fourteenth year of Jingxuan, you are hereby established as the Empress with the imperial seal and edict. Respect this!"
The issuance of the imperial edict establishing the Empress shocked the entire court and country.
Surprisingly, after Jiang Fusheng read the edict, not a single person in the imperial court stood up to oppose it or begged Emperor Jingxuan to retract his command.
The court was unusually quiet today. After all, the most likely dissenter, Grand Tutor Li Bohong, was now in prison. The entire Li residence had been surrounded by the Imperial Army for three days and three nights, allegedly for suspected plotting to murder the imperial prince and concubines.
Coupled with the recent uproar over the attempted murder of Noble Consort Zhao and her son, everyone was clear-eyed and understood the situation without needing words.
In the past, it was obvious who supported and who opposed, but now the few scattered disciples of the Li family were trembling in fear and anxiety, completely unable to form any real opposition.
Given His Majesty's enduring passion for Lady Yun, making her the Empress did not seem surprising.
Her background was not low, and she had given birth to a healthy and intelligent prince. No flaws could be found in her character. Her only shortcoming was that she had been married before and was a widow.
However, this was His Majesty's reverse scale, an absolute taboo. Whoever dared to mention it would suffer the consequences.
At Qiyun Palace, the group of concubines who came to visit were astonished but also beamed with joy.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty the Empress! Felicitations, Your Majesty the Empress!"
They bowed to offer their congratulations, and the joy on their faces did not seem faked.
Yun Wan accepted the imperial edict and the Empress's ceremonial book, smiling as she spoke, "Rise, there is no need for such formality."
She had just recovered from a serious illness. Aside from being a bit thinner, her complexion was rosy, and her brows were relaxed. She showed no signs of haggardness from her illness; rather, she possessed the delicate and graceful beauty of a weeping willow swaying in the wind.
When she spoke, her voice was clear and gentle, yet it did not lack majesty.
Noble Consort Kang was curious about the Empress's ceremonial book, so Yun Wan simply opened it to show them.
Looking at the pure gold craftsmanship and the complex, magnificent engravings, Noble Consort Kang sighed in admiration, "So this is what the ceremonial book looks like. I am finally fortunate enough to see it with my own eyes."
The others nodded in agreement.
The Great Qi had not established an Empress for over a decade, showing that His Majesty never had the intention to do so. They had thought their lives would remain like this forever.
Concubine Hui fanned herself with a round silk fan. "I really didn't misjudge you. I am wholeheartedly convinced that you deserve to sit on the Empress's throne."
If it had been Consorts Li or Lu, or anyone else, she would have muttered complaints in her heart and rolled her eyes behind their backs.
Noble Consort Kang and the others nodded in agreement.
For them, clinging to the Empress's coattails undoubtedly meant finding a great backer, and from the looks of it, a backer that would stand tall and firm for a long, long time.
To live well in the palace, one either needed the Emperor's favor, a child, or someone's protection. They had long given up hope on the first two.
They had seen through it all: rather than currying favor with His Majesty, it was better to curry favor with Yun Wan. The latter was far more generous than the former.
At this moment, Xiao Dezi came over, smiling as brightly as a flower. "Consort Zhao... no, I should call you Your Majesty the Empress now."
He playfully slapped his own mouth in feigned annoyance, then smiled again. "Your Majesty the Empress, His Majesty requests your presence. He wishes to invite you to join him for dinner."
Seeing this, the others tactfully curtsied and said, "Then we will not disturb Your Majesty the Empress any longer. We will take our leave and gather another day."
Yun Wan replied, "Another day, I shall host a banquet and invite you all for a small gathering to relieve your boredom."
Staying in the palace for too long was incredibly dull, and visiting each other to gossip was merely their way of relieving boredom.
Seeing that his message was delivered, Xiao Dezi turned and headed to the Hongwen Pavilion, looking radiant with joy.
He had to bring such good news to the little prince.
Their master had been crowned Empress. After the outsiders left, the entire palace was filled with joy, accompanied by another wave of congratulations and rewards.
According to the rules, Yun Wan also had to personally express her gratitude to the Emperor. Before that, she took a bath and freshened up.
Leaning against the white jade bathtub, the hot water submerged Yun Wan's body. A soothing pleasure spread through her limbs and bones, and she closed her eyes to quietly enjoy this peaceful moment.
Yue Ya knelt on the floor, her hands gently massaging to relax her master's muscles and bones.
"Heaven rewards the faithful. Your Majesty has finally taken this seat. From now on, no one will dare to bully you and the little prince anymore," she whispered with a smile.
She had accompanied Yun Wan as a dowry maid to the Lu family and was her longest-serving attendant. From the Yun residence to the Lu family, and then to the imperial palace, Yue Ya knew best the suffering Yun Wan had endured and the hardships she faced along the way.
Her lady had never been a competitive or aggressive person, yet those people insisted on forcing her hand.
Fortunately, the bitterness was now over, and sweetness had arrived.
Yun Wan patted her hand. "Yes, and the same goes for you all. I will protect you from now on."
.........
When Yun Wan arrived at Zichen Hall in the phoenix palanquin, Emperor Jingxuan had just finished handling state affairs and returned from Qinzheng Hall.
He helped Yun Wan step down from the palanquin. The wrist bone encircled by his hand was so slender it felt as though it could snap with a single fold.
Emperor Jingxuan frowned. "My wife has grown thinner."
The weight she had painstakingly put on was completely wiped out by her illness. Because of this, his disgust for the Li family deepened.
Yun Wan, however, smiled and said, "So has Your Majesty."
She reached out to stroke the dark circles under his eyes, a look of heartache appearing on her face. "Has Your Majesty not slept these past few days?"
"I took a brief nap at noon today," Emperor Jingxuan replied vaguely.
Which meant he had definitely stayed awake all of last night.
Yun Wan rarely put on a stern face. "I know Your Majesty has a strong constitution, but continuing like this will inevitably damage your dragon body. Your temples will turn white with frost, and wrinkles will appear at the corners of your eyes..."
She nagged on and on, her expression serious.
Emperor Jingxuan felt embarrassed and subconsciously touched the corner of his eye. "The Empress need not say more. I will listen to the Empress."
Not feeling any fine lines at the corner of his eye, he felt a wave of relief in his heart.
This face was still very important.
After dinner, Yun Wan noticed several design drafts on the desk in the inner chamber, featuring phoenix crowns and the Empress's ceremonial robes.
She picked one up, and a dry, burning-hot body pressed against her back. "Which set do you like?"
Emperor Jingxuan wrapped his arms around her waist, his scorching, masculine breath brushing against Yun Wan's ear.
Her gaze swept over the designs one by one, and Yun Wan curled her lips into a smile. "They are all very beautiful."
Those who could work for the royal family were the best craftsmen in the world. Just looking at the drafts revealed how much effort had been poured into them; every detail exuded exquisite luxury.
Emperor Jingxuan said, "Then I will have them all made so my wife can alternate wearing them."
"No," Yun Wan shook her head to stop him. "That is far too extravagant. One set is enough."
"I only have one head, how could I wear so many?"
Lowering his head to kiss her cheek, Emperor Jingxuan spoke in a deep, affectionate tone, "My wife truly has the demeanor to be the mother of the nation. For the Great Qi to have an Empress like my wife is the Great Qi's fortune. I will listen to my wife."
Compared to the formal, somewhat cold and distant title of 'Empress', he much preferred 'wife'.
His wife alone.
Yun Wan gave a shy smile at the praise, and the man's eyes grew even brighter.
The long night stretched ahead; like dry wood meeting a raging fire, passion ignited at a single touch.
Outside the hall, Sui looked at the bedchamber where the dim lights had been extinguished and sighed. "I came too late. I haven't even personally congratulated Mother yet."
Jiang Fusheng comforted him, "Don't be sad, little prince. It won't be too late to say it tomorrow."
"Perhaps you will soon have a younger brother or sister."
"Eunuch Jiang, I am no longer a three-year-old child. I have heard that phrase many times before."
Sui refused to believe it anymore.
Forgetting that the boy had a good memory, Jiang Fusheng rubbed his nose and gave an awkward smile.