Chapter 358: Volume 1, Chapter 358 The Fidgety Emperor

Fidgety…

Han Xinglan couldn't even look directly at those words; covering his face, he thought about it and ended up laughing.

Being an emperor is no easy task for him, and being empress is equally hard for Rong Luoge; the two of them really have it tough.

"This time it's settled, we can have a generous New Year," Han Xinglan pulled Rong Luoge into his arms and said.

Rong Luoge tapped her fingers to calculate the accounts for Han Xinglan; the younger emperor hosts banquets, and this is not a one‑or‑two‑time affair. Basically, from the first to the fifteenth day, grand banquets, small feasts, family meals, and state banquets rotate, so the imperial kitchen's expenses are considerable.

Besides that, her banquets are also numerous; essentially, the two of them have no free time.

Beyond the banquets, the emperor also arranges year‑end rewards, much like modern corporations' bonuses: the meritorious receive extra, the unmeritorious are urged to work harder next year, and those who have erred get a few cautions—be careful next year, otherwise losing a post is nothing compared to risking one's life.

Rong Luoge finds it amusing just thinking about it; she can hardly imagine what Han Xinglan's duties as a political commissar would look like.

"Will there be definite news from Suizhou before the New Year?" Rong Luoge asked the serious matter after finishing her laugh.

"It should be about that time. Marquis Ningyuan is clever, though sometimes overly clever and aggressive, but he knows the conclusion of the Suizhou campaign is crucial to the court, so he'll likely deliver good news before the year ends."

Rong Luoge considered and said, "Then why not fire a round of ceremonial salutes this year?"

"Ceremonial salutes?" Han Xinglan found it intriguing; that was novel, since each year they only have fireworks.

"Exactly, imagine our cannons firing into the sky—the intimidation would be extraordinary. I'll need to tweak the ammunition a bit, but it's not hard," Rong Luoge said with a smile.

Han Xinglan listened to Rong Luoge's suggestion, suddenly became interested, and probed her for the detailed procedure of the ceremonial salute.

Rong Luoge explained in detail: historically, the ceremonial salute originated in medieval Germany. In Augsburg, to grandly welcome a triumphant emperor returning from the front, they planned to fire 100 salutes. However, the officer in charge lost count and fired 101. The tradition of 101 salutes has been passed down ever since.

But in Owl Country that story can't be told, so Rong Luoge used the cannon's intimidation of the noble families as a pretext, adding the outcome of the Suizhou campaign involving the Song family, and fired the ceremonial salute. It became a pioneering act in Owl Country, the greatest tribute after crowning Emperor Han Xinglan.

There was also a practical issue: firing over a hundred salutes costs a fortune, and they're currently poor. After discussing, they decided to set the number of salutes in the first year equal to the Late Emperor's years of reign, as a remembrance and respect for the Late Emperor.

Although the Late Emperor, in his old age, did many absurd things, when he first ascended the throne he indeed accomplished many deeds beneficial to the nation and the people.

The Late Emperor reigned for thirty‑nine years, so they set the salute count at thirty‑nine.

The two kept this agreement private, not bringing it up in court, and prepared it in secret; when the New Year banquet begins and the salutes fire, Rong Luoge can already picture how magnificent the scene will be.

Since the Suizhou city gate was shattered by cannon fire and no noble family in the capital witnessed it, let the first salvo of the new year let them see just how formidable the emperor's current power is.

Thus, if the noble families still intend to fight the emperor to the end, they must weigh whether they can withstand such weapons.

The New Year banquet arrives, and the couple looks forward to it together.