Chapter 148: Volume 1 Chapter 148 Coronation

In this stalemate, by the third day, Shi An returned.

With Shi An's return, the tense atmosphere in Dong Gong eased a bit, and a string of junior eunuchs trailing behind Shi An made a grand display.

As soon as Shi An arrived, he headed straight for Changxin Palace; when Rong Luoge saw him, noticing the forced joy on his face, she sprang up, her heart pounding.

Rong Luoge hadn't spoken yet when she heard Shi An step forward and report, "Good Lady, the Crown Prince, in his capacity as heir, has been supported by the ministers to ascend the throne."

The breath that had been pressing on Rong Luoge's heart suddenly eased; although Shi An's words were simple, she could imagine that under such circumstances it would certainly not be so easy.

She also recalled Xiao Shen's city lockdown and the redeployment of the three major camps outside the city; it seemed the war games had not been in vain, indeed those new weapons had captured the attention of the three camp commanders.

Rong Luoge's eyes showed joy, but with His Majesty's passing she dared not smile; she immediately tightened her expression and said, "Your Highness… how is His Majesty now?"

Shi An replied immediately, "His Majesty has just ascended, and affairs in the palace are busy and chaotic; he cannot attend to Dong Gong at the moment. He said to have me inform Good Lady that you should prepare, as in a day or two you will be taken into the palace to oversee the situation."

Rong Luoge was overwhelmed by the flood of information, feeling a bit indigestion, but she quickly asked, "There is the Empress… the Empress Dowager is seated in the palace; why must I enter the palace so soon?"

This is very important.

Shi An hesitated briefly, then lowered his voice and said, "To answer Good Lady, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager are not very close, and after His Majesty's ascension, the affairs of the harem should naturally be taken over by people from Dong Gong."

Rong Luoge had long seen that Han Xinglan's relationship with the Empress Dowager was not close, but she hadn't expected the mother and son to be so estranged; upon his coronation, Han Xinglan's first precaution was the Empress Dowager!

That makes things a bit complicated.

Rong Luoge understood that Han Xinglan did not want the Empress Dowager meddling in harem affairs, forcing her to enter the palace and face the Empress Dowager; realizing this, she said directly, "Go back and report to the Emperor, telling him I will wait in Dong Gong for His Majesty's decree."

"Yes," Shi An replied.

After the business was done, Rong Luoge looked at Shi An and asked, "Is the Emperor's health still good?"

He has been enduring in the palace these days, surely both body and mind are exhausted.

"The Emperor is fine in every respect; please rest assured, Good Lady," Shi An said, bowing his head.

Rong Luoge finally breathed a sigh of relief and said to Shi An, "Since His Majesty cannot leave the palace, should we prepare some clothing and daily supplies to bring over?"

Shi An quickly nodded, "Yes, I returned precisely to handle this."

With the new emperor's coronation, his garments could not be produced in the palace even for a moment; not to mention ordinary robes, even the dragon robe required for the coronation was enough to keep them working through the night.

Therefore, His Majesty's everyday clothing will likely need to be brought over by Dong Gong first as a transition.

Rong Luoge hurriedly had Rong Xin lead a group to pack Han Xinglan's belongings; after she entered Dong Gong, Han Xinglan would reside here permanently, and most items were with her, so the packing was swift.

After handing the packed items to Shi An, Shi An, still burdened with many errands, rushed back to the palace at once.

When that person left, Rong Luoge's mind felt like fireworks exploding; only now could she calm down, and the thoughts in her chest surged like a raging torrent.

Sure enough, as she had thought, Han Xinglan could not attend to her side; something in the palace must be very troublesome, otherwise he wouldn't have kept his face hidden and only sent Shi An back.

However, the awaited news was good: Han Xinglan… is finally about to ascend the throne.

On the second day, the mourning bells rang, announcing to the world that the Emperor had passed away. The city filled with wails; Rong Luoge gathered the people of Dong Gong to kneel and weep toward the palace. The entire Dong Gong was draped in plain white, white canopies fluttered everywhere, and the mourning garments hastily made overnight were distributed.

Barely after the mourning robes were put on, the Late Emperor passed, the Crown Prince ascended, and the new emperor's decree was proclaimed to the world.

At this moment, Prince Qi wore a bewildered expression, completely unaware of how events had progressed to this point.

How could Xiao Shen be a person of the Crown Prince? Since he is the Crown Prince's man, how could he have taken Ming Yuhua as his wife?

The leaders of the three major camps secretly defected to Han Xinglan behind their uncle's back; had it not been so, how could Han Xinglan ascend the throne so smoothly?

Prince Qi only now realized, while his thoughts wandered in the rear palace, Han Xinglan had already secretly bought the loyalty of so many people.

He had set a heavenly net around him, yet pitifully he knew nothing; even his own close cousin had betrayed him—truly laughable.

Consort Ming was locked in Guanju Palace, unable to step out; she cursed incessantly inside Guanju Palace. At this time, Han Xinglan's coronation was already a done deal; she dared not utter reckless insults toward His Majesty, so she vented her fury onto Ming Yuhua, calling her a traitor, a wolf‑hearted dog‑hearted woman.

After berating Ming Yuhua, she also scolded Consort Ming for not raising her daughter properly, producing such a treacherous child, and only when she grew weary of the tirade did she sit there, staring blankly.

She had been favored all her life, flaunting herself all her life, never expecting that Lin Lao would suffer such a huge fall.

It's not even a question whether Han Yifeng could return in time; in Prince Qi's residence, Yun Shizhuang and Rong Dai were also dumbfounded, the two squabbling like black‑eyed chickens, turning the mansion into chaos, and who could have imagined the Late Emperor would depart so quickly, without even managing to deliver his final words.

Whenever Yun Shizhuang thinks of Rong Luoge in Dong Gong, who will eventually enter the harem, and recalls that she, as Princess Consort Qi, always bowed her head when meeting her, she feels sick to her stomach.

She clearly coveted the Crown Prince, and if her father had supported her marriage to the Crown Prince, she would now be sitting in the Empress's position!

Yun Shizhuang, both angry and annoyed, ended up exhausting herself to the point of illness.

Rong Dai had no desire to fight Yun Shizhuang; she was also spacing out in her own courtyard.

She never regarded Rong Luoge seriously, even if the latter later turned her fortunes around and entered Dong Gong, so what of it?

Rong Dai always believed that Prince Qi would ultimately attain that position, and that she would eventually trample Rong Luoge beneath her foot.

But now?

All of that is gone; the Crown Prince truly ascended, and Rong Luoge will become the new emperor's favored concubine, while she remains merely a secondary consort of Prince Qi's residence.

Rong Dai's emotions are unsettled; though she hasn't vomited herself sick, she is about the same as Yun Shizhuang.

The Crown Prince's coronation is now a certainty; the great emperor is being laid to rest, and preparations for the funeral must be made, with palace affairs indeed numerous and complex.

The Late Emperor's funeral requires a grand ritual, and ministers and designated women must enter the palace to pay their respects.

The Empress has been elevated to Empress Dowager, now a newly widowed Empress, a time of deep sorrow; at such a moment one cannot have the Empress still greet the designated women, so Han Xinglan's decision to have Rong Luoge enter the palace now is not a whim but a deliberate move to put her forward, subtly informing everyone that the new emperor not only dotes on Good Lady but also entrusts her with great responsibilities.