strictlysupreme Chapter 246 God’s Domain 5
Chapter 246 God’s Domain 5
"Great joy!"
"Your Highness, Your Highness, and all ladies, this is a joyous occasion!"
The group of people who had been waiting in the main hall of the mansion for four days and three nights were awakened by the steward's excited tone and figure, and immediately perked up.
Liu Zhi helped the Dowager Empress up from her seat and down, and everyone gathered around.
The steward immediately knelt before him, first performing a deep bow, then reporting in a low, trembling voice:
"Your Highness, news has arrived from the palace day and night: His Majesty passed away two days ago at midnight, and our Prince has ascended the throne. Your Highness, our Prince has finally ascended the throne!"
The Dowager Princess, her face filled with disbelief, trembling as she bent down to look at the steward, almost speechless as she asked, "Ah?"
The steward had to suppress his excitement several times before he could finally reply calmly: "Only after the late emperor is buried and placed in the mausoleum will our prince... no, His Majesty, be officially enthroned."
"The palace is in chaos right now. Your Majesty should send someone back to inform the masters in their respective residences to avoid another period of chaos if they are not prepared."
The Dowager Consort silently raised her head and looked outside for a long while before gesturing for Liu Zhi to help her sit in the main seat. After a while, she suddenly laughed smugly, laughing until she was exhausted without stopping.
"Hmph! Old hag, in the end, it was still me and my son who won, hahahaha!!!"
The late emperor had many children, but Consort Lü and her son were not favored and did not have a distinguished family background. Zhang Yan was precocious and inherited her beauty and handsome appearance. All of these factors combined were fatal.
Therefore, Empress Dowager Lü instructed Zhang Yanzhi to conceal his talents from a young age, and even proposed that he be granted the title of prince and sent to a remote area when he came of age. In public, she only said that he aspired to live in the mountains and fields.
The truth is, they won their bet.
The current emperor, favored by the late emperor, turned out to be an unlucky and short-lived man. All three of his previous children died young, and the current empress dowager, who had always opposed him, was so angry that she was bedridden.
Now that her son is dead, Consort Lü really wants to go to the palace immediately to see what she looks like now; it would surely be even more gratifying!
For the first time, Liu Zhi saw a joyful expression on that face, which, though aged, still retained traces of its former glory.
Consort Lü was never very strict with the younger generation, and she was very easygoing, without a trace of the arrogance of the palace, except for Madam Song, of course.
But it's hard to see any other outward expressions of emotion anymore; now she seems more like a living person, with tears and laughter.
The ladies below were overjoyed upon hearing this news, and some even immediately began to think about what rank they could be given and prepare to enter the palace as empresses.
The concubines of princes and nobles are ultimately different from the ladies of the palace. Whether they are affectionate or indifferent to Zhang Yanzhi, they are ultimately connected by an entire family. Once they enter the palace, their status and position are completely different, and naturally, they can do much more.
The fact that news has come in means that the situation in the capital must have already been resolved...
Liu Zhi also looked out at the small world outside the hall, lost in thought.
Although the palace is vast, once one becomes a concubine, it becomes difficult to leave the palace, especially for someone of her status.
Although the Prince's mansion was small, she could come and go freely. If she got tired of staying there, she could use the excuse of looking after the stake shop to go out and play for a few days.
These things will no longer be allowed.
"Your Highness, shall we go to the palace...?"
One day, Jiang Shu'er, a woman close to Liu Zhi, came to ask her anxiously.
She was the last lady to enter the household, and also the youngest.
Liu Zhi patted her hand to comfort her: "Entering the palace... has its pros and cons. If, I mean if, I... could be in that position, at least I wouldn't let my sisters suffer."
Jiang Shu'er's eyes brightened considerably, and she nodded with absolute certainty: "Yes, Princess Consort will definitely be! As long as Princess Consort is here, Shu'er is not afraid!"
Liu Zhi looked at this person who was four years younger than her with a smile, and was touched at the same time.
If... she really can't get out anymore, at least let her be surrounded by a pure land.
Liu Zhi was not good at scheming, nor did she have much ambition. She had just learned a few tricks up her sleeve after managing the household affairs for several years. As long as no one tried to harm her, she would do her best to protect as many people as possible.
With the late emperor buried and the new emperor ascending the throne, it was time for the people of their ancestral home to enter the capital and the palace.
Five years have passed, and while the scenery of Yujing remains unchanged, the people have changed a lot.
The common people did not line the streets to welcome them; most were just there to watch the spectacle. The procession proceeded from the palace gate to the city gate. In just over twenty years, a new emperor and a new court had emerged. The position was still held by the Zhang family, but it had been taken by someone else.
Through the narrow gap at the edge of the car window, Liu Zhi peered at Yujing City, which she had not seen for five years. The unfamiliar faces were still unfamiliar, and a long street seemed to have been traversed in an instant.
Liu Zhi saw nothing but people, just like when she returned from Yushan Temple years ago. Because she was riding with that man, she was terrified and dared not look at anything.
These wives and concubines from their hometowns were different from the elders and servants. They would be settled in Xiuyuan beforehand, which would also be the place where the young ladies would live when they entered the palace for the imperial concubine selection. These "elders" were the first people in the new emperor's harem.
Once the new investiture documents and decrees are issued, they will be able to leave this place.
As "old-timers" who followed the new emperor, their ranks wouldn't be too low, and each of them came from a respectable family, making them more than qualified to be the head of a palace. However, Song Rui was the only one in an awkward position.
Zhang Yanzhi had always favored her, but Consort Lü had never liked her. Now that the former Empress Dowager had been sent to the garden to live out her days in peace, and Consort Lü had become the new Empress Dowager, with the new emperor's reign still unstable, she was even less likely to allow someone of such humble origins to fall into a high position.
It was inevitable that the princess would be made empress, after all, her father was a pillar general of two dynasties, and he had been of great help to the new emperor both in the past and present.
He seemed to have ignored this legitimate daughter for so many years, but in the end, he recognized her as his legitimate daughter as soon as he brought her back, and it was common knowledge. When the new emperor asked for her hand in marriage, he readily agreed, determined to make Liuzhi his empress no matter what.
As for the Song family...
Several ladies from the Prince's Mansion were easily granted titles of Consort or Concubine, but the most favored Lady Song was only granted the title of Noble Lady, which the new Emperor had to forcefully request from Empress Dowager Lü.
The new emperor was ultimately filial, thanks in part to Empress Lü's unwavering love and care for her son.
However, who can say for sure what will happen to the kindness of raising and educating someone many years from now? Anyone who sits in that position for a long time will change.
Time flies, the six palaces are settled, and the previous dynasty is gradually stabilizing.
Qiansheng remained the same prosperous Qiansheng; the change of dynasties did not cause it to become turbulent.
In the spring of the first year of the national calendar, everything was thriving, and the ceremony for the empress's investiture was proceeding in an orderly manner.
The heavy empress's robes and the heavy phoenix crown made it hard for Liu Zhi to breathe, but she still had to pretend to be dignified and composed as she walked up the 199 white jade steps, and she couldn't deviate even a little bit.
The surroundings felt so heavy, so oppressive, making Liu Zhi dizzy and seeing stars. But she couldn't fall, she absolutely couldn't fall here!
I could only grit my teeth and force myself to walk up to the very top of the stairs!
There don't seem to be many steps, so why can't I finish climbing them?
The clothes are so heavy, really heavy, and they get heavier the further you go.
The things in front of me started to sway, and the people standing there started to sway too...
No, this is the Empress's investiture ceremony; she cannot collapse here!
A thin layer of sweat had formed on Liu Zhi's forehead, which was probably not noticed because her makeup was too thick. Everything seemed normal, but her steps stopped, and the stop was quite obvious, the moment she finished walking down the last step.
The person in front of her was still swaying and multiple figures were appearing. Liu Zhi was really at her wit's end. She needed to stop, catch her breath, and just take a short break.
No one noticed her mistake, at least not the people around her. But the person who was supposed to be standing there waiting for her did notice and came over to help her up, leading her to her proper place.
Liu Zhi's eyes were still blurry. When she regained her senses and could see him clearly, she saw nothing but the new emperor's unchanging calm and indifference.