Zhao Mian chose Yongning Palace as his sleeping palace after he ascended the throne. Yongning Palace was closest to Qinzheng Hall where he usually handled government affairs and met with ministers, and the commuting distance was almost zero.
On the last day before the coronation ceremony, everyone in the East Palace was busy with the matter of moving the palace. Bai Yu remembered the order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and packed up all the things related to the young prince Beiyuan, preparing to pack them in boxes so that His Royal Highness would not be upset when seeing them.
The young prince had many things in the prince's bedroom. When Bai Yu was sorting them out, she was seen by His Royal Highness. His Royal Highness asked her what she was doing, and Bai Yu told her truthfully: "The young prince's clothes are all here, Your Highness. I will help you put them away."
Zhao Mian's eyes swept over the gorgeous clothes that Wei Zhenfeng had worn, most of which he had given to Wei Zhenfeng and asked him to wear them for him to see. In addition, there were also the soft pillows that Wei Zhenfeng had slept on, the hairbands that he had tied, and the wooden combs that he had used.
Wei Zhenfeng only stayed in the Eastern Palace for ten days, yet he left behind so many things.
Zhao Mian's nose twitched and he asked, "Did you sense any aura?"
Bai Yu took a deep breath and said, "No."
Zhao Mian said softly, "It's a bit similar to the feeling on Wei Zhenfeng."
Like the faint clouds and moon after a summer rainstorm, clean and clear.
Bai Yu smiled and said, "Many people's sense of smell becomes much sharper after they become pregnant. Your Highness is probably the same."
Zhao Mian was silent for a long time, then said, "Put these aside for now, go get me some sour plums."
When Zhao Qi found Zhao Mian in the East Palace, Zhao Mian was sitting among a pile of clothes in a daze, and he didn't notice his father coming for a long time.
Zhao Qi coughed lightly to indicate his presence. Zhao Mian came back to his senses, stood up and said, "How come the emperor is here without informing the outside world?"
"I came to see you. I told them not to inform them." Zhao Qi noticed as he got closer that these clothes did not seem to belong to Mianmian. He had seen one of them on Wei Zhenfeng before. Wei Zhenfeng was wearing that same outfit when he had dinner with them.
Zhao Qi's expression instantly became complicated, and he hesitated to speak: "Mianmian, are you... building a nest?"
Zhao Mian didn't quite understand his father's question. He looked around and found that he was surrounded by Wei Zhenfeng's things. Birds use branches and animal hair to build nests in order to choose a suitable place to hatch eggs. What is the connection between the two
"I didn't build a nest. I was just thinking about something." Zhao Mian paused, then added, "I was thinking about ascending the throne."
Zhao Qi said "Oh" twice: "That's good." He took Zhao Mian's hand and led his son out of Wei Zhenfeng's pile of things. The father and son sat down at the table. Zhao Qi acted like an experienced person and said: "Mianmian, don't be nervous. Tomorrow, the emperor, father and A Lin will be with you all the time. The Ministry of Rites has arranged everything, you just follow the rules."
Zhao Mian looked at his father and thought to himself, his father was an experienced person.
The king of a country has a child, and it is the king himself who is pregnant. Throughout history, there are only two such people, father and son.
From this perspective, my father's belly is still very flat.
Zhao Mian chatted with his father about the enthronement for a while, then mentioned that his sister had just learned to roll over, and finally naturally turned the topic to the emperor's pregnancy and childbirth.
Zhao Mian asked: "Father, you said that you never thought you could have children before you got pregnant with me, right?"
"That's right." Zhao Qi recalled his feelings at that time. The feeling of being screwed was still vivid in his mind. "To be honest, before I got pregnant with you, I didn't believe that men could have children at all."
Zhao Mian asked again: "If that's the case, why did Father look forward to my coming so much later?"
Zhao Qi said without hesitation: "Because you are the blood of me and Xiao Shiqing."
Zhao Mian was slightly startled: "Is it that simple?"
"It's that simple." Zhao Qi smiled. "Mianmian, you know what? The first time I saw you after you were born, I felt you were so magical. How could someone look like both me and Xiao Shiqing?"
Zhao Mian couldn't help but said, "But father, you are the Son of Heaven."
Zhao Qi said frankly: "First of all, being pregnant and having a child is not a shameful thing. Secondly, the emperor is also a human being, and he can have children with the person he likes. If it is someone else's child, I will not give birth to it."
Being pregnant and having a child... isn't that shameful? In ordinary families, if someone is pregnant, it is usually a happy event worth celebrating. Why is it that when it comes to him, he can't be happy
It was obvious that he was pregnant with a child with someone he loved.
Just because he will soon be the emperor? But as my father said, the emperor is also a human being.
The emperor's words were like a bright light that dispelled the mist in Zhao Mian's heart. But there was one thing that made Zhao Mian a little confused: "Father said 'if it was someone else's child', is this possible?"
"Of course not!" Zhao Qi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Don't say such nonsense, Mianmian!"
Zhao Qi accompanied Zhao Mian to the East Palace for dinner before returning. Zhao Mian confirmed the procedures for the enthronement tomorrow with the Ministry of Rites, and finally went to bed early in the palace.
If nothing unexpected happens, this will be his last night sleeping in the East Palace.
Bai Yu brought a bowl of tonic to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He thought he would have to spend some time persuading His Royal Highness to drink it, but unexpectedly, His Royal Highness said nothing and drank the tonic happily.
Zhao Mian returned the medicine bowl to Bai Yu, and seeing the other party's surprised expression, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"No need to bother." Zhao Mian said calmly, "Just leave it there."
Bai Yu tried not to laugh: "...Yes."
Late at night, the sleepy Crown Prince blew out all the lights, threw back the quilt and got into bed.
He had slept in the big bed for more than ten years and never felt it was empty before. But after Wei Zhenfeng came to sleep on it for ten days, he began to feel like he had no one to share his quilt and pillow with.
However, he did not sleep alone tonight.
"Go to sleep." Zhao Mian covered himself with the quilt and placed his hands lightly on his belly. "Tomorrow, you will accompany me to ascend the throne."
The next day, the sky was clear and the breeze was gentle.
Zhao Mian walked out of the bedroom and was greeted by Xiao Shiqing, who was wearing a blue first-class court dress. Behind Xiao Shiqing stood a group of officials from the Ministry of Rites. One of them held the emperor's court dress in his hands and lowered his eyes and said, "Your Highness, please change your clothes."
The dragon robe had been improved and fit the prince perfectly. There was no sign of anything unusual in his belly. Bai Yu was glad that the prince was only three months pregnant and had not shown any signs of pregnancy yet, otherwise the dragon robe would have easily revealed the secret in the summer. She picked up the crown and was about to put it on the prince. Xiao Shiqing said, "I'll do it."
The extremely noble Crown Prince lowered his head and felt his father put the heavy crown on his head. He looked at the man in front of him from behind the pearl necklace and his Adam's apple rolled slightly: "Father."
Zhao Mian had never called Xiao Xiang "father" in front of so many officials. This was the first and last time he did so as the crown prince.
Xiao Shiqing straightened the crown for his eldest son, looked at him deeply, nodded and said, "Let's go."
At the auspicious time, Zhao Mian led all the civil and military officials to the Taimiao to worship heaven and earth and offer sacrifices to the ancestral temple. The emperor's oath was heard by all gods, demons and ghosts.
Afterwards, Zhao Mian walked to the Taichen Hall. Zhao Qi, also wearing a dragon robe and a crown, sat on the dragon throne, smiling as he watched his proud child step up the steps and walk towards him step by step.
The stunning beauty is so stunning that she can make all the beauties in the nine states bow down to her.
—This is his Mianmian.
The etiquette minister read out the emperor's abdication edict and the new emperor's accession edict. Afterwards, Zhao Mian took over the Nanjing Jade Seal, which symbolized supreme dignity and power, from his father.
Civil and military officials lined up in order of rank and performed the ritual of three kneelings and nine kowtows. Amid the loud shouts of "Long live the emperor", Zhao Mian sat on the dragon throne, with two giant dragons circling behind him.
The dragon throne standing alone in the center of the hall once again welcomed its new owner.
When Zhao Mian was the regent, he sat one step lower than the throne. Today, he finally understood how big the gap was.
He sat at the highest point and looked down at all the ministers. He saw his father, his younger brother, his teacher...Except for his father, all the people he respected and loved were his ministers at this moment.
The king’s orders are unmatched and his position is supreme.
On the sixth day of July, Zhao Mian ascended the throne as the Emperor of Nanjing and changed the reign title to "Tian Chong". He honored his father as the Supreme Emperor and his grandmother Wen as the Grand Empress Dowager, and made his younger brother a king with the title "Jing".
The palace gates of the Nine Heavens are opened, and people from all nations dress in formal attire and pay homage to the crown*.
The enthronement ceremony of Emperor Nanjing was complicated and lasted a whole day, and Zhao Mian hardly ate anything during that day.
Zhao Mian didn't feel hungry or tired yet, but the little thing in his stomach seemed to be starving, and he felt hungry too. Fortunately, the coronation ceremony was almost over, and after enduring the reception of foreign ministers for another half an hour, the palace banquet could begin.
At Zhao Mian's coronation ceremony, envoys from Beiyuan, Dongling and the countries of Nanyang came to congratulate him. The Dongling envoys presented the King of Nanjing with rare herbs and elixirs unique to Dongling, which showed his desire for peace.
But when it was the turn of the Beiyuan envoy to meet the emperor, Zhao Mian did not see Yi Qian.
A young Beiyuan official stood up and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Lord Yi unfortunately fell ill in the posthouse yesterday due to acclimatization, and the foreign ministers are insignificant and dare not present gifts to Your Majesty. Fortunately, there is someone in Shangjing who can perform Beiyuan's state ceremony on behalf of Lord Yi. This person is waiting outside the palace now, and I beg Your Majesty to allow him to enter to show our Beiyuan's intentions."
Zhao Mian nodded and promised: "Sure."
Soon, a man walked into the Taichen Palace.
The man was wearing a scarlet dragon robe from Beiyuan, looking elegant and handsome, with bright moon and fresh breeze, and a pair of teardrop moles under his eyes attracted the attention of everyone present.
In the hall, he was the center of everyone's attention and stunned everyone.
But his eyes were only looking at the current Emperor of Nanjing: "It has been a long time since we last met. I hope your Majesty is doing well."
Zhao Mian's pupils shrank slightly, and his left hand subconsciously placed on his lower abdomen.
(End of this chapter)