All Heavens: From Joy of Life to The Great Feng Night Watchman

Page 671

The palace resounded with drums and music, creating a magnificent symphony.

The enthronement ceremony was extremely complicated. First, the Minister of Rites led the officials to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth on behalf of the new emperor. After the ceremony, the new emperor, dressed in mourning clothes, offered sacrifices to the ancestors in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Only after these two steps are completed can the coronation ceremony begin.

The Minister of Rites led officials from the Ministry of Rites to the Temple of Heaven, the Temple of Agriculture, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple to inform the gods and the spirits of past emperors that a new emperor was about to ascend the throne.

Upon their return, grand music and magnificent bell tolled outside the Golden Palace.

East Palace.

With the help of the palace maids, Huaiqing put on a large fur coat and crown.

This uniform had an extremely complex structure, consisting of a crown, a middle layer, a large fur coat, a black robe, and a crimson skirt.

The imperial robe was adorned with gold ornaments and had twelve tassels adorned with hanging pearls.

The upper garment is decorated with six symbols: the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragon, and pheasant.

The lower garment is embroidered with six patterns: algae, fire, rice grains, ancestral vessels, axe, and embroidered dragon.

It consists of twelve chapters, hence it is also known as the Twelve-Chapter Robe.

After he was dressed, two palace maids brought a bronze mirror that was the same height as a person and placed it in front of Huaiqing.

In the bronze mirror, the eldest princess is lightly made up, with long, heavily drawn eyebrows that accentuate her heroic and sharp spirit.

She was originally a cool and aloof woman, but now, dressed in a twelve-chapter robe and wearing a twelve-tassel crown, she exuded an aura of nobility and majesty.

Even the usually cheerful and talkative palace maids dared not breathe loudly at this moment, their heads bowed and their eyebrows lowered, as docile as quails.

An official from the Ministry of Rites stepped through the gate of the East Palace and, through the curtain, respectfully said:

"Your Majesty, the time has come."

Huaiqing grunted in agreement and, surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, left the East Palace and headed towards the Golden Palace amidst the magnificent sounds of bells and drums.

After crossing the Golden Water Bridge and passing through the square, Huaiqing walked on the steps and looked ahead at the Golden Palace. He could vaguely see the magnificent palace and the high throne.

What flashed through her mind were Yuan Jing, who was inherently suspicious and could not tolerate his talented offspring taking power; Wei Yuan, a great master with graying temples; and Jian Zheng, the guardian deity of the Great Feng Dynasty, whose plans were flawless.

With a wave of her sleeve, she sat gracefully on her throne, her eyes no longer seeing anyone.

It's all over!

In the future, she and Li Chang'an will be the two people standing at the pinnacle of power in the current Great Feng Dynasty.

Led by officials from the Ministry of Rites, civil and military officials entered through the Meridian Gate, crossed the Golden Water Bridge, and stood in orderly rows on both sides of the Imperial Road according to their rank.

Then, the Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall presented the edict of accession, which was handed to the Minister of Rites to carry to the foot of the steps. The Minister of Rites then placed the edict on a cloud tray and delivered it to the eunuch in charge of ceremonies.

The Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, dressed in a red python robe, bowed and received the cloud tray, then read the imperial edict to the officials:

"The imperial edict reads: In the past, Emperor Gaozu, with his dragon soaring over the Ji River, swept across the land, reaching as far east as Jing Mountain and extending westward to the Buddhist community. His benevolent influence and righteous reputation shook the entire world, eradicating the deep-seated ills of the Great Zhou and restoring peace and prosperity to the four seas. For six hundred years, the four seas have enjoyed peace, and his glorious achievements have been restored to the throne of the human emperor."

"I am a woman, blessed by Heaven and the spirits of my ancestors, and thus I received my mandate in times of crisis, and was surrounded by wise and virtuous men. Today, the King trusts me, and the civil and military officials, the officials of the hundred departments, and the common people all urge me to ascend the throne as Emperor, to rule over the people."

"Following the requests of the people, I shall ascend the throne and establish the reign title 'Huaiqing'. With the grand ceremony completed, all matters concerning the administration of state shall be carried out concurrently."

Say it!

On both sides of the imperial road, civil and military officials knelt down and shouted:

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

The shouts were like a tsunami, deafening.

On his throne, Huaiqing looked down upon his officials, reigning supreme over the world.

Star Observation Tower.

Bagua Platform.

Wearing a gorgeous lotus-colored long dress, Mu Nanzhi stood at the edge of the Bagua Platform. The wind blew her skirt and her black hair, making her look like a fairy from the Jade Terrace, more beautiful than anyone else in the world.

She raised her right arm, and the sleeve slid down, revealing her fair wrist, which was covered in frost and snow.

With her slender, jade-like fingers forming a flower-plucking gesture, Mu Nanzhi closed her eyes and softly murmured, "I wish that flowers would bloom in the capital, filling the world with fragrance!"

In the void invisible to the naked eye, the seeds of life overflowed from her body and drifted with the wind.

Drifting past the riverbank, the willows along the river are sprouting new buds.

Drifting through the courtyard, the courtyard is a riot of colors; drifting through the streets and alleys, the grass and trees grow wildly, and flowers bloom in an instant.

From above, one can see vibrant colors spreading throughout the capital, with the fragrance of flowers filling the air and bringing a sense of tranquility.

Later historical records state:

In the year of Huaiqing, the Empress ascended the throne.

Flowers bloomed in the capital in an instant, their fragrance spreading for miles. Auspicious omens descended from the heavens, and the people of the capital were overjoyed. They went out of their homes, knelt in the streets, and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

Mu Nanzhi's vision went black, and she collapsed limply to the ground.

She didn't fall to the ground, but instead fell into Li Chang'an's arms.

"take a break!"

Li Chang'an held Mu Nanzhi's small waist, and Mu Nanzhi, limp and weak, nestled in his arms, dizzy and murmured:

"My head is killing me. I'm going to do anything to please the Empress."

Her half-coquettish, half-angry demeanor could melt a man's heart.

Li Chang'an raised his hand and gently massaged her brow, sighing, "There are countless beauties in the world, but only the Flower Goddess is indispensable, and there cannot be two of her."

Mu Nanzhi frowned: "Your Majesty, the Empress has ascended the throne. Why aren't you here to accompany her? What are you doing here watching this laborer?"

"I'm just here to see why Princess Mu is putting in so much effort," Li Chang'an said with a smile.

"Oh dear, what can I do? She's remarried, so of course I have to do her best to make her husband happy." Mu Nanzhi looked miserable, as if she had really suffered a lot of grievances.

"Little vixen." Li Chang'an picked up Princess Mu and left the Bagua Platform down the stairs.

Mu Nanzhi is not seriously ill, but she is severely depleted and feels weak and exhausted, which makes her feel unwell all over.

The immortal tree's spiritual essence is still awakening, and the power she can use is limited. The "flowers blooming all over the city" technique is somewhat difficult for Mu Nanzhi at the moment.

"Are you still feeling unwell?" Li Chang'an channeled some of his magic power into her.

Mu Nanzhi felt dizzy and groaned, "It's not enough, the power injected is too little."

She lay limply on her side on the bed, her feet kicking weakly a few times, kicking off her embroidered shoes and silk stockings.

Two jade-like legs stretched out from under her skirt and wrapped around Li Chang'an's lower back.

Her beautiful eyes sparkled with affection.

"Husband...be gentle...I'm a pretty widow who just got married."

……

Yunlu Academy.

Zhao fasted for two days, bathed today, changed into a brand new robe, combed his hair meticulously, and put on a Confucian hat.

His gray beard was also carefully trimmed with a razor.

Instantly, he was completely transformed, a far cry from his previous carefree and unrestrained scholarly image.

Zhao Shou took out a bamboo book box from a long-sealed cabinet, carefully wiped the dust off the box with a handkerchief, carried it on his back, and left Yunlu Academy.

Just like back then, carrying it on my back as I traveled thousands of miles to study at Yunlu Academy in the capital.

Having weathered many storms, he seemed to have returned to his youth.

Along the official road leading to the capital, the sound of students reciting their lessons could be heard:

"Young people must study diligently, for literature can establish one's position; the court is filled with high-ranking officials, all of whom are scholars. Do not say that the scholar's cap is a mistake, for studying will never let you down."

The next day, at the Heavenly King's Palace.

Chu Caiwei enthusiastically munched on the food she had snatched from the little bean, savoring it with her eyes half-closed as she ate, "Aha!"

Li Miaozhen sat to the side, looking at Li Chang'an with longing eyes, "Husband, I want to go with you to collect the spirit of the dragon vein."

Li Chang'an flicked her cheek. "No, you just want to roam the martial world."

"No, I'm afraid my master will arrest me if I stay in the capital!" Li Miaozhen firmly denied.

“If you capture me, I’ll snatch you back,” Li Chang’an said casually.

“Oh dear, my husband was originally planning to take you, but he prefers you to beg him,” Chu Caiwei said.

"Haha!" Li Miaozhen's face showed an excited expression.

As expected, the Golden Eagle Heroine was still the same chivalrous heroine.

"By the way, Caiwei, what is the spirit of the dragon vein?"

The prophet Chu Caiwei spoke eloquently, "The dragon vein is a combination of fortune and earth veins, and it is different from fortune."

The sorcerer's control over it was extremely limited, which is why the old man couldn't find Joan of Arc even though she was hidden in the dragon vein.

"Ah, then how will my husband reclaim the dragon energy?" Li Miaozhen asked worriedly.

Chu Caiwei pointed at Li Miaozhen, "The only thing in the world that can control the dragon veins is the Earth Book, a supreme treasure."