Song Zhao's analysis was not entirely unreasonable.
It had already been seven or eight months since the peach blossom tree incident.
Why hadn't Prince Rui and Ning Xiuqi met during these seven or eight months, but they happened to meet right before Consort Chen was going to be honored as Noble Consort in a few days?
Moreover, Xiao Jingheng clearly knew Ning Xiuqi's temperament. If he saw Ning Xiuqi, he would definitely not be able to resist fighting with him.
So if Xiao Jingheng had any intentions, he would have definitely kept them apart during the audience to avoid trouble.
But Xiao Jingheng had turned into a fool at this moment, letting the two of them meet face-to-face in front of the court,
All these things, no matter how you look at them, it's like Xiao Jingheng is laying out a game of chess.
Ning Xiuqi beat the prince, but Xiao Jingheng not only did not punish him, he still honored Consort Chen as Noble Consort on time.
This imperial favor and glory, anyone could see Ning family's position in Xiao Jingheng's heart from it.
And the Ning family would inevitably become arrogant and increasingly presumptuous.
After that, Xiao Jingheng wouldn't need to do anything else, he just had to wait for them to bring about their own destruction.
Later, the final handling result of the chaos in front of the early court was indeed identical to Song Zhao's speculation.
Xiao Jingheng did not blame Ning Xiuqi at all, but instead scolded Prince Rui for losing the royal family's face.
And Consort Chen's enthronement ceremony was held on this day, October 7th, as scheduled.
All the consorts and concubines attended the ceremony.
What Song Zhao saw today, Consort Chen seemed to be glowing all over.
Dressed in gorgeous clothes and covered in jewels, standing with her back against the noon sunlight in the autumn sun, she walked step by step towards the enthronment stage.
Compared to her magnificent attire, what was even more eye-catching was her confident and arrogant demeanor.
She had always been arrogant, but the smile at the corner of her lips today contained a few more hints of a girl's yearning for love.
After receiving the imperial edict and hearing the Empress announce Noble Consort Chen's six etiquettes, she became the first Noble Consort of this dynasty,
Becoming the most favored concubine second only to the Empress.
This also meant that she was a little closer to Xiao Jingheng now.
For her, status and glory were secondary.
But she wanted to become Xiao Jingheng’s official wife. She had to fight and snatch for it,
Exhausting all her scheming, just hoping that she could stand shoulder to shoulder with her beloved fair and square.
During the enthronement ceremony, Song Zhao and Consort Yao stood closest,
Behind them were Rongyue and Noble Consort Ru and the others.
Noble Consort Ru and the others were discussing how to curry favor with Noble Consort Chen in the future.
But at this moment, Consort Yao whispered to Song Zhao,
"Now that she is in power, our days will become even more difficult. If you ask me, I truly hope that she won't be able to have a child. Otherwise, if she becomes more powerful through her son, I'm afraid the entire harem will have to follow her surname."
Song Zhao did not respond to her words,
She just looked at the delighted expression on Consort Chen's face as she received the imperial edict, and a nameless feeling surged in her heart.
After the enthronement ceremony was over, all the consorts and concubines congratulated Noble Consort Chen in unison,
"We humbly congratulate Noble Consort on this joyous occasion. May Noble Consort enjoy good fortune and safety."
Noble Consort Chen smiled radiantly and waved her hand,
"Rise, today Bengong is extremely delighted. Let us sisters share in the joy. You will certainly receive rewards from me. Go back to your palaces and wait for them."
After returning to Yonghe Palace, Noble Consort Chen didn’t rest at all.
Today was the joyful day of her elevation to Noble Consort. Xiao Jingheng would definitely spend the night with her tonight.
She had prepared early in the morning.
The dishes were all Xiao Jingheng’s favorites. Considering the dry autumn weather, she also prepared moistening loquat stewed Chinese flowering crab apples.
Originally, she had personally prepared all these herself, but today, she unusually handed over these tasks to Liu Yue and the others,
While she went to the side palace and took over from the wet nurse, helping to bathe little Prince Chenghuan.
The eczema on little Prince Chenghuan was still very serious, but thanks to Noble Consort Chen’s thoughtful care over the past few days, the rash looked much better than when he was just born.
After rubbing medicine on his body, the dense flakes could also adhere better and looked less frightening.
As expected, Xiao Jingheng arrived that night.
After the couple finished dinner, they were taking a walk hand in hand in the courtyard.
Suddenly hearing little Prince Chenghuan cry from the side palace, Noble Consort Chen said,
"Since Your Majesty has come, why not take a look at the little prince? His rash has improved a lot now."
When she said this, she sounded very gentle.
But Xiao Jingheng couldn’t help but recall that day when he was outside the door and clearly heard Noble Consort Chen furiously say she wanted to seal the child’s mouth shut because he wouldn’t stop crying.
The contrast between the two made Xiao Jingheng feel disgusted.
However, he did not show any of it. Instead, he followed Noble Consort Chen to visit little Prince Chenghuan.
Seeing the child’s rash had improved a lot, Xiao Jingheng said to Noble Consort Chen,
"Thanks to your attentive care."
Noble Consort Chen picked up the child and rocked him in her arms. She smiled,
"After all, he is Your Majesty’s child. This concubine naturally loves him."
Xiao Jingheng did not respond to her words, but sat down on a heated chair and casually said,
"Now that you are a Noble Consort, I want to reward you with something. Feel free to ask for whatever you want."
Noble Consort Chen sat down next to Xiao Jingheng. "Since Your Majesty asked, this concubine does have a request."
Xiao Jingheng turned to look at her, "What is it?"
Noble Consort Chen held the child very skillfully, and he was crying and fussing in the wet nurse's arms but quieted down in hers.
She stroked the child's nose with her unarmored fingers, making him laugh, and she laughed too,
"This concubine thinks that since little Prince is now being raised in the palace, even if Your Majesty doesn't want to enroll him as a heir, you still need to give the child a name, right? Now that this concubine is a Noble Consort and has Your Majesty’s favor, Yonghe Palace lacks nothing. I can’t think of anything else to ask for my own sake. If I were to ask for something, it would be to ask Your Majesty to bestow a name on this child."
While Noble Consort Chen was talking, Xiao Jingheng's gaze had not left her the whole time.
She was very gentle to little Prince Chenghuan and treated him as her own. One could not pick out a single fault.
But the more it was like this, the more it scared Xiao Jingheng...
He knew what kind of face Noble Consort Chen showed to little Prince Chenghuan in private. So it was easy for him to imagine that her pretentious appearance now was deliberately performed in front of him.
Her purpose was to gain a reputation for virtue and ability in front of him.
In fact, Xiao Jingheng also felt regretful for a moment.
He recalled that in the past, his Wan'er had been so candid and unyielding, daring to love and hate, never knowing how to pretend, nor would she pretend in front of anyone.
But now?
She was going so far as to do all these things in front of him, just to make him think that she was virtuous and capable, with a maternal demeanor above all others in the world?
So that the Empress who had been stripped of actual power would abdicate in favor of her virtues?
Seeing Xiao Jingheng staring blankly at her for a long while as if he had lost himself in thought, Noble Consort Chen called out to him softly twice,
"Your Majesty? Your Majesty?"
Xiao Jingheng regained his senses, smiled broadly at her and said,
"Noble Consort has a kind heart. Since you requested it, I will grant your wish."
He looked down at little Prince Chenghuan and pondered for a moment. "Let's call him 'Chenghuan', meaning accepting all happiness. He was met with tribulations since birth. I also hope he can have more laughter and joy in the future."
"Chenghuan... What a wonderful name!"
Stars gleamed in Noble Consort Chen's eyes as she laughed while hugging Chenghuan,
"Chenghuan~ Chenghuan~ You also like the name Father Emperor gave you very much, don't you?"
While Xiao Jingheng silently looked at her, the color in his eyes gradually darkened...
