On that day,
As Zhao Hua, dressed in magnificent attire, approached the main gate of Chang Le Palace, she saw that the one in charge of the ceremony for the crowning of the empress was unexpectedly Xiao Jingyan.
He was wearing a dark brown dragon-embroidered robe, which was a unique court attire for princes. The somber color and imposing dragon embroidery seemed out of place with his handsome and charming demeanor.
The royal finery seemed like heavy shackles on him, appearing especially incongruous.
When he saw Zhao Hua coming out, he solemnly commanded,
"Kneel!"
The female officials and palace attendants standing on both sides of the street immediately knelt down, leaving a path in the middle of the street covered with a red peony-patterned cloud carpet that extended endlessly.
Zhao Hua walked in the center of the cloud carpet, step by step, heading towards the direction of Chaoyang Palace.
And Xiao Jingyan stood by her side, accompanying her like an elder brother bidding farewell to his younger sister on her wedding day.
However, his expression was serious and stern, devoid of any joy or happiness.
Faintly, there was a slight furrow between his eyebrows, as if he carried a belly full of concerns.
The sound of the ceremonial guards' whips echoed like thunder on the long street,
The continuous sounds of ceremonial music drowned out all the noise,
Zhao Hua slightly parted her vermilion lips and in a voice only she and Xiao Jingyan could hear, she asked softly,
"Brother, do you have something on your mind?"
Xiao Jingyan kept his gaze fixed on the path ahead, pretending not to hear Zhao Hua's question,
But his complexion visibly darkened by a few shades.
Zhao Hua had a rough idea of why Xiao Jingyan treated her with such indifference,
In that case, she no longer pursued the matter.
They walked for an unknown period of time. When Zhao Hua arrived at Chaoyang Palace, she saw all the civil and military officials standing respectfully outside the Chaoyang Gate's audience court,
And Xiao Jingheng stood on the corridor in front of Chaoyang Palace, facing the sunlight, overlooking everything from a higher vantage point.
To walk from the audience court to Chaoyang Palace, one had to cross ninety-nine steps with dragon-patterned reliefs,
The dragon-patterned wall in the middle of the steps was reserved only for the emperor,
The right side was for court officials and imperial concubines,
While the left side, the phoenix platform, was the exclusive path for the empress.
In the past, Zhao Hua had walked countless times on the side of the court officials, treasuring every small flaw on each stone step,
But today, when she walked on the phoenix platform for the first time,
Although the distance was the same, she proceeded cautiously as if she had been walking for a long, long time before finally reaching Xiao Jingheng.
She looked at the man before her with a radiant smile, respectfully curtsied, and expressed her gratitude:
"I, Luo, have received your grace, and I will fulfill my duties as the empress, taking care of the imperial harem and fulfilling my role as the motherly figure for the world, worthy of the emperor's great favor."
Xiao Jingheng followed the protocol and said solemnly, "Empress, rise."
Then, he quickly held Zhao Hua's hand, helping her to stand up,
And with great excitement in his tone, he whispered,
"Zhao'er, I have finally waited for this day."
Zhao Hua blushed at his words, and after standing up, she intended to step back one position,
But just as she took a half step back, she felt Xiao Jingheng tightly squeezing her hand,
Only then did she realize.
She, now the Empress of the Central Palace, has become the motherly figure of the empire. No longer a concubine, she no longer needs to step back behind the emperor. She now has the qualification to stand side by side with Xiao Jingheng.
At this moment, a gentle breeze swept across the high platform, lifting the luxurious phoenix robe worn by Zhao Hua, the Empress.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with Xiao Jingheng, she listened to the congratulatory cheers of the civil and military officials below, which surged like tidal waves.
"Long live the Emperor, long live, long live! Long live the Empress, a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years!"
This was the first time Zhao Hua stood in Xiao Jingheng's position, overlooking the scene from above. Only then did she realize that no matter how high the rank or the grandeur of these courtiers, standing below the hall, they were just a sea of indistinguishable heads wearing official hats, as insignificant as a grain of sand in the vast ocean.
Xiao Jingheng's voice resounded like a bell, "All ministers, rise."
The officials stood up and said, "We thank Your Majesty for your grace."
However, they still maintained a bowing posture while straightening their backs.
Xiao Jingheng looked at Zhao Hua, who seemed a little awkward, perhaps due to nervousness or being overwhelmed by the grandeur of the occasion, and forgot the etiquette taught to her by the palace maid during her coronation as the Empress.
He smiled and whispered to her, "Does the Empress intend to keep our officials confined by strict decorum like this?"
Only then did Zhao Hua regain her composure.
She raised her face slightly, imitating Xiao Jingheng's tone earlier, and smiled gracefully, saying, "Ministers, rise."
The subsequent events were the trivialities remaining from the coronation ceremony.
This was how life in the palace was, where even the smallest rules had to be observed.
The higher the position and influence, the more eyes were watching for any mistakes, leaving no room for complacency.
By the time the ceremony was completely over, it was already dark outside.
They were supposed to move to Feng Luan Palace today, but Zhao Hua felt exhausted and reluctant to go through the hassle. So, she requested Xiao Jingheng's permission to postpone the court's greetings until tomorrow and planned to move from Chang Le Palace to Feng Luan Palace in the morning.
The next morning, the servants from the Internal Affairs Department came to Chang Le Palace and busied themselves.
It was almost noon when Zhao Hua finally settled down in Feng Luan Palace.
At that time, Yun Shan was massaging Zhao Hua's sore shoulders and said with a smile, "These past two days have been tiring, but now that we see the magnificence and brightness of Feng Luan Palace, and the spacious living quarters for the princes and princesses, it's all worth it."
Zhao Hua also smiled and said, "Yes, didn't you hear what Cheng Yu said just now? He really likes his current living quarters, doesn't he?"
Yun Shan replied, "That was all Miss's idea, specifically ordered to be arranged for the Second Prince. Miss takes good care of the Second Prince, genuinely concerned about him."
"Where in this world would a mother not be concerned about her own child?" Zhao Hua said, grasping Yun Shan's hand gently, and said tenderly, "You don't need to attend to me anymore. I saw you supporting your waist while moving heavy objects earlier. Did you strain yourself? Let Xiao Fuzi take a look at it later. It's for the best..."
"Miss!" Yun Shan's face instantly turned red, all the way to the roots of her ears. "This servant... this servant is perfectly fine!"
As the master and servant bantered, the one being gossiped about arrived.
When Xiao Fuzi entered, he saw Yun Shan blushing and turning away without looking at him. However, Zhao Hua smiled meaningfully and stared at him, leaving him puzzled for a moment.
He scratched the back of his head but didn't delay the matter at hand as he reported, "Your Majesty, Xiao Yinzi from the imperial court has arrived."
Moving closer to Zhao Hua, he whispered, "The play has also been arranged."
Zhao Hua nodded calmly and smiled, saying, "Then let him come in."
When Xiao Yinzi arrived, he wore a face full of flattering smiles and bowed deeply to Zhao Hua, saying, "This servant pays respects to the Empress."
Zhao Hua raised her hand to help him up and instructed Yun Shan to bring fresh tea, saying, "Why has Grand Secretary Yinzi come at this hour?"
Xiao Yinzi smiled and replied, "The Emperor has bestowed a gift upon the Empress, and Master instructed me to deliver it to you."
As soon as he finished speaking, palace servants entered one after another, presenting a plethora of gold, silver, and precious treasures like flowing water.
Zhao Hua was never particularly interested in material possessions, but she still expressed her gratitude for the imperial favor. She instructed Xiao Fuzi to take the people downstairs and inventory the items properly before storing them away.
Only after all the idle people in the palace had left did Xiao Yinzi discreetly say, "There is one more thing that I, as a servant, personally wish to present to you, Your Majesty."
Zhao Hua scrutinized him for a moment and then smiled, saying, "You have been following Grand Secretary Jiang for a long time, serving the Emperor in the imperial court. Naturally, your discernment is good as well. Whatever you have brought for me, I am sure I will like it."
