Chapter 276: Volume 1, Chapter 276 — This Idea Is a Bit Mean

Han Xinglan took the memorial, read it, and looked at Prince Qi, asking, "You want to combine the investiture ceremonies from this draft with the Empress's enthronement ceremony?"

This proposal was not bad; otherwise, holding investiture ceremonies one by one would be quite troublesome.

Prince Qi lowered his head slightly and said respectfully, "In answer to Your Majesty, I consulted my mother-fei, and she said there is such a precedent in our dynasty, so it can be done this way. Firstly, the Inner Court Bureau can save a portion of expenses; secondly, the Empress's investiture ceremony happens to coincide with the draft selection, so combining the two is reasonable in both sentiment and principle."

How could the investiture ceremonies of Hou Gong consorts compare with the Empress's enthronement ceremony? Prince Qi's move effectively made others serve as a foil for Rong Luoge.

It sounded a bit mean, yet it was perfectly justified.

Han Xinglan was very satisfied. Once Prince Qi thought it through, he was quite sensible about the times. He said, "Then we shall do as you suggest. Go and make the preparations."

"Yes. If Your Majesty has no further instructions, I shall take my leave," Prince Qi said.

Han Xinglan waved his hand, and Prince Qi bowed and withdrew.

Once he had left, Han Xinglan looked at Shi An standing to one side and asked, "What do you think?"

Shi An did not dare speak carelessly. After a moment of thought, he said, "Your Majesty, this servant does feel that Prince Qi's current actions surely include the guidance of Noble Consort Ming as well. After all, Noble Consort Ming has always been someone who understands the times."

Han Xinglan gave a cold laugh, and only after a long pause said, "That makes sense."

After finishing the roster, he picked up his brush and added the names one by one, then tossed it to Shi An. "Go and deliver the edict."

The sooner it was done, the sooner there would be peace.

Shi An bowed in acknowledgment and, holding the imperial edict with both hands, went out the door.

Han Xinglan did not concern himself with what was happening at Yurui Gong. He turned and headed back to Yuzhao Gong. As soon as he entered the palace gates and stepped into the inner hall, the laughter of Rong Luoge and her child came through the window, and his taut nerves slowly relaxed.

He stood beneath the eaves for a long while before taking a breath and going inside.

Rong Luoge had known he was coming for a while. Who knows what mental preparation he had been doing outside. Seeing him enter, she smiled and said, "Your Majesty, why are you back so early today?"

Han Xinglan walked over, took their son, and held him for a moment. Looking at Rong Luoge, he said, "I was thinking about the Empress's enthronement ceremony. The Inner Court Bureau proposed holding the consorts' investiture ceremonies together with your enthronement ceremony. What do you think?"

Rong Luoge was rather surprised. "Together with the enthronement ceremony? Then those people would become mere foils."

Whoever came up with this idea, it was a bit mean.

"Who do you think the remaining two consort positions belong to?" Fu Shuangshu was rather curious about this.

Kang Hualu pointed in the direction where Lady Zhenshen and Consort Xu lived, and said in a low voice, "It should be about right."

Fu Shuangshu said in surprise, "Can it be that Lady Zhenshen still can't be named a Noble Consort?"

Kang Hualu gave a scoffing laugh. "How is that possible? With the Marquis of Anding jumping up and down in the court and constantly causing trouble for His Majesty, His Majesty will not give him that kind of honor. This is what my father guessed before I entered the palace, and it should be about right. You see, Su Ying was named a consort. For the remaining two consort positions, there is no one besides Lady Zhenshen and Consort Xu who is up to the task."

Fu Shuangshu thought about it and saw that it was indeed so, then laughed. "Then Lady Zhenshen is truly losing face."

Having schemed for so long, only to end up named a consort just like everyone else — wouldn't she be sick with frustration?

The two exchanged a knowing smile. Fu Shuangshu added, "You'll be living in Yushao Gong and I in Yongyan Hall. We'll be right next to each other, so it'll be convenient to visit each other."

"However, Gou Jing lives in the east side hall of Yongyan Hall, so you must be careful. She is very close to Su Ying, so you need to be on your guard." Kang Hualu sighed softly. "I don't know how the arrangements were made, to put her together with you."

"Should I be afraid of her?" Fu Shuangshu did not take it seriously. "What does surprise me is that Ruan Shihua moved into the east side hall of Changle Gong. The one living in Changle Gong is Qin Zhaohua, right?"

Kang Hualu nodded. "Yes, now that you mention it, it is a bit improper. Qin Zhaohua is third rank, and Ruan Shihua is also third rank. Both are of the same third rank, yet one lives in the main hall and the other in a side hall. I'm afraid things certainly won't be peaceful between them in the future."

Fu Shuangshu looked thoughtful. "Hualu, do you think Qin Zhaohua might move up another step this time?"

"You have a point. If that's not the case, then this arrangement would be unreasonable."

"I hear Qin Zhaohua is the Empress's person. I'd say it's a near certainty."

While the two were still whispering, Shi An had already made a round through Hou Gong with the imperial edict.

Lady Zhenshen was named Consort Hui and remained at Yunhua Gong. Consort Xu was named Consort Xian and remained at Guanju Gong. Qin Zhaohua was named Lady Mu Guang and remained at Yongle Gong. Aside from that, Jieyu Zhou and Ronghua Luo's ranks remained unchanged.

The most awkward ones were these two. They were both fourth rank, lower in rank than many of the newly entered palace consorts who had been invested.

These two were people of the newly appointed Consort Hui and had always followed her lead. Now, His Majesty could not very well slight Consort Hui's face, but since these two had neither powerful family backgrounds nor any contributions to Hou Gong, it was not surprising that they stayed where they were.

By contrast, the Empress's direct faction all received promotions, while Consort Hui's side had a dismal outcome — a rather harsh slap to the face.

When everyone later learned that their investiture ceremonies would be held on the same day as the Empress's enthronement ceremony, the expressions on their faces were truly quite something.

No need to laugh at others — they had all become foils for the Empress!

The draft candidates at Yurui Gong who were not selected left the palace that very day. The others who remained packed their belongings and headed to their new quarters, and Yurui Gong quickly emptied and fell quiet.

The ceremony for investing the Empress was not only grand but also extremely elaborate. Overall, it could be divided into four stages: dispatching envoys for the investiture, receiving the investiture, officials submitting memorials of congratulation, and visiting the ancestral temple.

The Emperor issued an edict notifying the various government offices to prepare. The Ministry of Rites petitioned for one Grand Secretary and one Minister to serve as the chief and deputy envoys for the investiture, and the golden book and golden seal had to be prepared. A Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat or a Hanlin Scholar would compose the text for the book and the seal.

The day before the ceremony, the Emperor would also dispatch officials to offer sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and personally go to the Fengxian Hall to perform rites. On the morning of the investiture, the Imperial Guard would set up the imperial chariot and honor guard outside Mingzhang Gong, and arrange the Empress's ceremonial carriage at the palace steps and outside the palace gates. The Music Bureau, subordinate to the Ministry of Rites, would suspend musical instruments outside Mingzhang Gong. Then, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial would set the envoy's table in the center of Mingzhang Gong facing south, the book table on the left facing west, the seal table on the right facing east, and two dragon pavilions inside the Grand Secretariat gate.

The eunuchs would set up the Danbi music inside the palace gates, the envoy's table in the center of the palace, the book and seal tables on either side inside the palace gates, and the Empress's kneeling position before the incense table.

Rong Luoge was followed by female officials who constantly reminded her of what she should do next. Wearing the phoenix crown and phoenix robe, which together weighed dozens of jin, it was a good thing she was strong and healthy, or she would have been exhausted.

"Kneel."

"Rise."

"Kneel."

"Rise."

Rong Luoge did not know how many times she had knelt or how many bows she had made. When she could finally stand beside Han Xinglan and met his gentle, tender smile, everything had been worth it.