Rong Xia hadn't thought that there were such secrets in the palace. This was something that even he didn't know about. Novel chapters updated the fastest.
De Ning Princess Royal was an amazing woman. No wonder countless men in Jing had fallen for her and called her the number one beauty in the Great Cause. Rong Xia thought that De Ning Princess Royal was worthy of this title.
"Huahua," Rong Xia gently grasped Ban Han's hand, "I want to give grandmother a title."
Ban Han stilled for a moment and then nodded with a smile: "Okay."
Grandmother didn't care about the titles after death, but she did. She hoped that the people hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of years later would know that in the last years of the Great Cause Dynasty, there had been a great princess.
History books were biased towards those who were successful and famous.
"Thank you." She leaned into Rong Xia's arms and listened to his heartbeat. She slowly closed her eyes.
Rong Xia gently patted Ban Han's shoulder. His movements were so gentle that it was like he was treating an unparalleled treasure. Ban Han moved in his arms but didn't speak. She had many things she wanted to say, but when she was about to speak, she felt that words were the most useless.
Maybe he understood her.
Two days later, Ban Han got up before the sun had even risen at the coronation ceremony.
She washed her face and dressed.
Every piece of jewelry was a treasure that was hard to find in the world. Every thread on her body had been carefully selected. When Ban Kun put on the red embroidered dragon and phoenix robe, all the palace servants present exclaimed in surprise.
They were all servants with face in the palace. They had seen Empress Dowager Fu Ping wear a phoenix robe before, but they had never seen her wear such a luxurious and beautiful phoenix robe. This kind of extravagant and noble beauty, if it was worn by other people, could become frivolous and flamboyant. But when it was worn by the Empress, it seemed like it had been specially made.
No wonder the Emperor had specially ordered the embroiderers to make such a phoenix robe according to the descriptions in the ancient books. It seemed that only the Emperor understood the Empress's beauty the best.
She wore the phoenix robe but didn't wear the phoenix crown. Ban Han arrived at Zhao Yang Hall in a phoenix carriage accompanied by his eight-named wife. In the main hall, the officials and wives were lined up according to their ranks, quietly waiting for the Phoenix Chariot.
"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"
Twelve voices rang out, one after another, into the hall. After Ban Han stepped into the hall, all the officials and madams knelt down to pay their respects.
"Long live the Empress."
The floor was covered with eight layers of red brocade. When Ban Han stepped on the brocade, it was as if he was stepping on clouds.
Rong Xia stood at the highest point of the hall. Ban Han walked along the red brocade and stopped in front of the golden steps. He bowed to Rong Xia and said, "Concubine greets Your Majesty."
Rong Xia walked down the steps and reached out to help Ban Han up. In front of all the officials and noblewomen, she said, "The Empress is my hand, my foot, and half of my life. In the future, there is no need to be so polite."
Everyone was in an uproar. His Majesty was too much to praise the Empress in front of everyone.
Rong Xia didn't care what the officials thought. He didn't spend so much effort to sit on the throne to curry favor with these officials. He turned and took the phoenix crown from the tray held high by the ceremonial official. He personally placed it on Ban Han's head.
The phoenix crown was the same as the emperor's crown. It was a symbol of status. Generally speaking, in the coronation ceremony, the Empress's phoenix crown was worn by a virtuous and respectable woman. The same was true for the Phoenix Seal Treasure Book. If the Empress Dowager personally placed the crown on the Empress, it was possible for the Empress Dowager to crown the Empress. But history books had never recorded the Emperor personally placing the crown on the Empress.
His old friend once said, men were the heavens, women were the earth. The heavens were higher than the earth. How could the Emperor personally place the crown on the Empress? This was too improper.
The officials preparing for the coronation ceremony secretly wiped their sweat. They didn't think that His Majesty would do this. Turning to look at Lady Zhou they had invited, the leading official smiled awkwardly and said, "Lady Zhou, what do you think …"
"Very good," Lady Zhou smiled and said, "The Emperor and Empress are harmonious, the dragon and phoenix are auspicious. This is the fortune of our Ying Dynasty."
"Lady Zhou is right. The dragon and phoenix are auspicious. This is a great omen."
At this time, even if it wasn't an auspicious omen, it had to be.
Rong Xia personally placed the phoenix seal and treasure book into Ban Han's hands. Ban Han held the golden book in her hands. She raised her head to look at the gentle man in front of her and slowly smiled.
"Come." Rong Xia extended his hand in front of Ban Han.
Ban Han blinked and put her hand in his palm.
Rong Xia pulled her to the highest point in the hall. There were dragon and phoenix chairs here. The husband and wife held hands and sat down.
"Kneel!"
The civil and military officials ordered the women and their families to kneel in unison and perform three bows and nine kowtows.
In the coronation ceremony of the Great Ye Dynasty, the Empress was usually treated separately. The courtiers would perform one bow and three kowtows, and the women would perform three bows and nine kowtows. The Great Ye Dynasty didn't have this rule where both men and women bowed to the Empress. The most recent record in history was the Chunming Empress from nearly a thousand years ago.
Chunming Empress shared joys and sorrows with the Kaiyuan Emperor to build the foundation for the next generation. She was loved by the Emperor and respected by the courtiers. She was a rare heroine in the history books.
However, there was another saying in the unofficial history. Chunming Empress and the Kaiyuan Emperor didn't have a good relationship for ten thousand years. The Kaiyuan Emperor was suspicious of Chunming Empress and even planned to abolish the Crown Prince that Chunming Empress gave birth to. The Kaiyuan Emperor only gave up on this plan after the courtiers dissuaded him.
Chunming Empress assisted three Emperors. When she passed away, her grandson mourned endlessly. On the 28th day after court was suspended, every time his grandmother was mentioned, he still mourned endlessly.
The officials of the court were all familiar with history, so when they saw the Emperor insist on holding the coronation ceremony for the Ban Empress according to the rules of Chunming Empress's coronation ceremony, they understood the position of the Empress in His Majesty's heart.
This Ban Empress could be considered a legend. She was born in a noble family, but her engagement was broken off three times in a row. Just when everyone thought that her reputation was damaged and she might not be able to find a good son, she was engaged to the most handsome man in the capital, His Majesty.
Later, His Majesty was punished by the Emperor Yunqing and was rejected by the Second Prince who was in charge of the country. When everyone was overcautious, this Ban Empress took a doctor to the Marquis Cheng'an Mansion.
This was a loyal and righteous action, but it was also very dangerous.
The Ban Family didn't have a real position in the court. If they were rejected by the Emperor Yunqing, the Ban Family would have a hard time. However, the Ban Family seemed to be stubborn. They treated His Majesty who was still Marquis the same as before.
It was easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide timely help. They kind of understood why His Majesty treated the Ban Family so well after he ascended the throne. If they had such a family that treated them the same regardless of whether they were prominent or not, they would also be grateful for this kindness.
Speaking of this, the Ban Family's luck was really inexplicably good. They couldn't be assassinated, but the family was able to live a glorious life.
This was fate. It was preordained by the heavens. No one else could have imagined it.
Lady Zhou quietly returned to the women's line. When the Yin Clan saw her return, they nodded and smiled at her.
As the mother-in-law of the Emperor, the Yin Clan had a high status among the women. Even Lady Zhou had to be courteous to them. Seeing the Yin Clan smiling at her, Lady Zhou returned the smile. She whispered to the Yin Clan, "Congratulations, Madam. You have found a good son-in-law."
She still remembered that three years ago, she had helped the Yan Family's son arrange a marriage. At that time, everyone thought that the Yan Family's second son was crazy, and the Ban Family's standards were even higher. They even looked down on the talented and handsome second son of the Prime Minister's family. She didn't expect fate to be so interesting. The Yan Family had already declined, and the Ban Family was still the Ban Family that not many people dared to provoke.
If the Ban Family had been a little more ruthless back then and had disregarded their daughter's wishes and let the Ban Family marry Yan Erlang, there would have been no place for the Ban Family in the court.
The Ban Family had really found a son-in-law. Of all the families with daughters, who wouldn't be envious of the Ban Family's foresight?
"Things don't happen more than three times. You've been unlucky three times. Aren't you just saving your good luck for later use?" The Yin Clan knew that Lady Zhou was intentionally expressing goodwill. She smiled and looked up at her daughter, who was standing side by side with the Emperor. The smile on her face was faint. "I don't ask for much. I just want her to live a carefree life and grow old hand in hand with His Majesty."
Lady Zhou's eyebrows moved slightly. She opened her mouth and fell silent.
How could a woman who became the Emperor live a carefree life?
If His Majesty didn't forget their old relationship and always loved the Ban Family's empress, it would be the best ending.
She understood this. Presumably, the Duke Of Jingting's wife also understood this. However, she couldn't say it, and the Duke Of Jingting's wife didn't want to understand.
After the empress coronation ceremony ended, the banquet began. The Ban Han took off the heavy phoenix coronet on her head and came out wearing the Nine Heavens Phoenix Dress. Her hair was combed into a cloud bun.
The Emperor and Empress shared a table. After drinking three cups of wine with the officials, everyone became casual.
Ban Ti secretly rubbed his neck. He had a small smile on his face, but he whispered, "Is my neck bent?"
"It's still straight. It looks very good." Rong Xia pinched the back of her neck. It was so itchy that she shrank her head away. "Stop it, it's itchy."
Rong Xia whispered in her ear, "When we go back, I'll give you a massage."
"Just a massage?" Ban Han looked at him suspiciously.
Rong Xia returned her a very gentle smile.
"Beast," Ban Han cursed in a small voice.
"I'm a beast to you." Rong Xia said righteously, "You have to take responsibility for me."
Wang De, who was standing behind the Emperor and Empress, had a serious expression on his face. However, his heart was in a perilous situation. Who would have thought that the Emperor and Empress would speak so … shamelessly?
"Father," Ban Heng whispered to Ban Huai from below. "Have you heard?"
"What?" Ban Huai put down his chopsticks and drank a mouthful of wine.
"Recently, there have been officials planning to submit a memorial to His Majesty to have him expand his harem."
"I think these officials have bad intentions. His Majesty has just ascended the throne and hasn't even warmed the dragon throne yet. They are already in a hurry to have His Majesty take concubines. Are they trying to make the people think that His Majesty is a lecherous person?" Ban Huai scolded. "Whoever says this is trying to mess up the foundation of the Great Ying Dynasty. Maybe they are the remnants of the previous dynasty."
Ban Heng nodded. "Father is right!"
The womenfolk looked at the intimate actions between the Emperor and Empress. They were extremely envious of Ban Han. It was one thing to marry the most handsome man in the capital, but who knew that this handsome man would turn out to be the Emperor and she would suddenly become the Empress.
When they were young, they couldn't compare to Ban Han. Who would have thought that after the change of dynasty, they still couldn't compare. This really made people jealous.
"I wonder if the woman of the Yang Family regrets this?" A womenfolk glanced at another womenfolk sitting at the end of the hall and said in a strange tone, "That is Madame Yang, right? I didn't think that she would come to this occasion today. Isn't she afraid that His Majesty will be in a bad mood when he sees her? "
"What is there to say about this kind of woman?" Another womenfolk laughed mockingly. "That year, before His Majesty's elder brother's body was cold, she couldn't wait to remarry. At the time, many people said that Madame Yang had an ambiguous relationship with the man she married later on and was waiting for Rong Dalang to die."
"This... can't be. Didn't they say that Madame Yang was pregnant at the time?"
"At the time, Rong Dalang was so ill. It's hard to say whether the child was his or not." This womenfolk's laughter became even colder. "Who knows how she lost the child. In any case, if I were His Majesty, I definitely wouldn't forget this humiliation."
The other womenfolk all fell silent. After all, this matter involved His Majesty's private affairs. They were afraid that if they said too much and it reached His Majesty's ears, it wouldn't be good for her.
Madame Yang didn't know that the other womenfolk were talking about her. She sat at the end of the hall and didn't even dare to raise her head. She had never thought that the ten-year-old child of the Rong Family would have the guts to rebel and become the new Emperor.
Her husband's parents thought that she had some kinship with His Majesty, so they did everything they could to make her appear in the hall. But she only felt that her hands and feet were cold. She didn't even have the courage to look at the Emperor and Empress.
After the banquet ended, Madame Yang didn't eat much. She stood up in a daze and followed the flow of people out of the hall. It wasn't until she heard sharp laughter behind her that she came back to her senses.
"His Majesty is so good to Her Majesty."
"The Empress looks so beautiful in her phoenix robe, dignified and gorgeous."
"Isn't that so. With Her Majesty the Empress here, we are like gray balls."
Madame Yang turned her head to look. Several womenfolk were gathered together and were saying all kinds of good things about the Empress. She recognized these women. When the Ban Family was raided by the King of Violence, they were still rejoicing in their misfortune. But now, they had changed their faces.
At this time, a woman passed by her. Madame Yang couldn't help but call out: "Madame Zhao."
She called out to Madame Zhao. She heard that Madame Zhao had a good relationship with the Empress. If she could be recommended by Madame Zhao, it would be good to see the Empress.
She was wrong in the past, but the Rong Family's three members died strangely. Although she didn't know who did it, they definitely didn't die a normal death. She was greedy for life and afraid of death. She was cold-blooded. His Majesty could take revenge on her in any way, but he didn't dare to implicate her family and her two children.
"You are?" Madame Zhao didn't spend much time in the capital and wasn't familiar with Madame Yang. So when she saw a timid woman call out to her, she was a bit surprised.
"This concubine is Madame Yang, the granddaughter-in-law of Viscount Wang."
Madame Zhao thought carefully and suddenly understood: "So it's Madame Wang."
Madame Yang's expression was a bit awkward. She curtsied to Madame Wang, "This concubine greets Madame Zhao."
"Madame Wang doesn't need to be so courteous," Madame Zhao's expression was indifferent, "Why did Madame Wang stop me?"
"This concubine has a request. Madame Zhao, please agree."
Madame Zhao guessed her intentions. Without waiting for Madame Yang to speak, she said: "I have a general idea of what you mean. I will mention this to the Empress. As to whether the Empress is willing to see you, I can't guarantee."
Madame Yang was already very grateful that Madame Zhao was willing to help, so she repeatedly thanked Madame Zhao. Madame Zhao didn't say much to her. She turned and walked with the other noblewomen of the Yin Clan.
Madame Yang saw them being complimented by the other women and couldn't help but think, if she hadn't been in a hurry to remarry that year, and waited until after Rong Xia had passed the most difficult period before marrying someone else, would she be one of them today?
"Sister Zhao, did Madame Yang just look for you?" Lady Zhou turned to look at Madame Yang who was standing in the same spot. She said in a small voice, "She... you should stay away from her."
Madame Zhao smiled and said: "Many thanks for sister's concern. I will."
The Yin Clan said: "Looking at your personality, you're not one to meddle in other people's business. Did the Empress say something?"
Madame Zhao hadn't thought that the wife of the Duke Of Jingting would guess so accurately. She lowered her voice, "The Empress did mention to me a few days ago that she wanted to see what kind of person Madame Yang was."
The Yin Clan laughed. After a while, she helplessly shook her head.
This child was still so fearless. This Madame Yang definitely wasn't liked by the Emperor. Why would she want to see someone who wasn't liked by the Emperor?
In the Great Moon Palace, Ban Han was lying on the dragon bed, lying weakly on top of Rong Xia. However, her hands were not obedient and were poking him here and there.
"Huahua," Rong Xia grabbed her wandering hands, "does your body still hurt?"
Ban Han blinked and smiled, "Guess?"
"You'll know when you try," Rong Xia pressed her under her body and sucked her earlobe into her mouth. Her voice was muffled as she said, "I'll rub it for you. It won't hurt anymore."
This massage took more than an hour. Ban Han wrapped herself in the quilt and watched Rong Xia dress and tie her hair. She also had to stay up late to review memorials. There was an indescribable sense of schadenfreude in her heart. She couldn't help but reach out a smooth arm and wave to Rong Xia, "Your Majesty, work hard."
"I think you're schadenfreude," Rong Xia straightened her clothes and walked to the bed. She bent down and kissed Ban Han on the lips, "Didn't you say a few days ago that you wanted to practice calligraphy? Come with me to the study."
"Don't you know that a woman's words can't be trusted in bed?" Ban Han covered her face with the quilt and hid herself in it, "Go, go, don't disturb my sleep."
Rong Xia patted her butt through the quilt, "You heartless man, you don't keep your word."
Thump.
A jade pendant was thrown out from the quilt. Rong Xia had left it there.
"Ha, this is a gift from me. It's worth a thousand taels of gold. Take it."
Rong Xia took the jade pendant from the blanket and tied it around his waist. "Miss, I'll come and find you again at night." After he finished speaking, he saw the little mound in the blanket move and smiled as he walked out of the door.
The palace servants who were used to this kind of mood between the Emperor and Empress expressed that they were very calm and didn't feel uncomfortable at all.
On the second day of the coronation ceremony, another imperial edict was issued. The general idea was to congratulate the Empress for officially taking the throne. There was to be a celebration. This year, the taxes of the country would be reduced by 30%.
Because of the King of Violence, the people were more or less affected. The 30% tax reduction was a joyous event for them.
For a time, all the people in the capital were praising the Emperor and Empress. Some wished them a long life, while others wished them filial piety. A few days later, the rumor became that the Empress was a golden phoenix who came down from the heavens to help the Emperor ascend the throne. The Great Ying Dynasty would be better and better if the Emperor and Empress were together.
This kind of mythical rumor was very popular among the people, but the court officials didn't take it seriously. After all, there were still people who said that the Emperor was a real dragon who came down from the heavens. A real dragon and a golden phoenix were the same old myths.
It was so old-fashioned that this kind of story was no longer popular in the bookstore.
Therefore, not long after, there were officials who reported that the Emperor was in the prime of his life and the harem was empty. He should take in more women into the palace to be female officials or concubines.
There weren't many palace servants in the harem now. Some of the older ones were released by Rong Xia, and there were no new ones to enter the palace. Therefore, the harem seemed to have fewer people. However, there weren't many masters in the harem right now. For now, it seemed that there were still some palace servants left. If the Emperor took in concubines in the future, and the birth of imperial sons and princesses, there wouldn't be enough palace servants.
The court officials didn't know what stage the Emperor's feelings for the Empress were at, so they didn't dare to speak too firmly. They listed the palace servants and the female candidates together to give them room to take a step back.
"The world is settled, zhen cannot bear to waste the people's wealth. There is no need to mention the matter of choosing women," Rong Xia said with a taut face, "As the Son of Heaven, how can I indulge in female charms? The people are the most important."
"Your Majesty is benevolent."
"Your Majesty is the good fortune of the people."
The officials were moved and knelt down to praise Rong Xia's benevolence. For a time, no one dared to mention the matter of taking concubines.
As to indulging in female charms … …
The Emperor liked to be together with the Empress, how could that be called indulging in female charms? That was clearly the Emperor and Empress having a harmonious relationship, loving the Empress, and a sign that the Great Ying Dynasty was heading towards prosperity.
If His Majesty wasn't willing to take concubines now, then so be it. They would ask again next year.
When Ban Han learned that the court officials had written a memorial for Rong Xia to take a concubine, she was playing with a bird in the birdhouse. After listening to the palace servant's report, she was silent for a moment. "I know."
"Niangniang," Ru Yi said, "His Majesty will not make niangniang sad."
Niangniang gently stroked the head of a parrot. The parrot obediently let her stroke it. She couldn't help but laugh: "Didn't His Majesty not agree? Your expressions, how come they are uglier than mine?"
Ru Yi forced a smile and said: "This servant is making a big fuss."
With niangniang's personality, how could she bear to share a husband with other women? If His Majesty didn't take concubines now, could he not take concubines in the future? When the time came, there would be an irreconcilable conflict between niangniang and His Majesty.
"Ru Yi, you have been by my side for so many years, how come you still don't understand?" Ban Han took back her hand that was playing with the parrot and took the handkerchief from the palace servant to wipe her hands. "I never worry about things that haven't happened yet and add to my worries."
When Rong Xia treated her wholeheartedly, she enjoyed it with peace of mind. If there was a day when he had a change of heart …
Ban Han looked out the window. A man in black stepped through the door and walked in. His aura was imposing, completely different from the gentle appearance he had when they first met.
The man raised his head. She leaned against the window and waved at him.
The man who was originally dignified suddenly smiled. His smile was very beautiful. It was gentler and more charming than the first time they met.
If that day really came, she couldn't deny the feelings they had for each other over the years.
If he was heartless, she would let go. There were many beauties in the world. He would take care of his concubines, and she would take care of her male pets. No one owed the other.
"What are you thinking about?" Rong Xia walked to the window and kissed her forehead.
"I'm thinking about how to do things fairer."
"Fairer?" Rong Xia didn't know what Ban Han was thinking. Like a young boy, he jumped into the window. "With me here, Huahua doesn't need to talk about fairness."
His action scared the palace servants behind him so much that they wanted to jump into the window first and use their bodies to cushion Rong Xia's feet.
Huahua watched Rong Xia jump into the window and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Good."
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