Chapter 31 Queen Mother Zhangs little tricks (please vote)
Then a long-prepared memorial and ordination text was read out, which was nothing more than an expression of sorrow, thanks for the trust, and acceptance of the trust. I will take your seat right now. Don’t worry.
Outside the Huagai Hall, high-ranking civil and military officials attending the enthronement ceremony were already waiting on the steps outside the hall, waiting for the deacons of Honglu Temple to bring them to see the emperor.
After seeing His Majesty, they will go outside Chengtian Gate to wait for the official start of the ceremony.
"Your Majesty has received his imperial crown and is heading to the Fengxian Hall, Fengci Hall, and Jiyan Hall."
When someone asked, they were informed of the emperor's itinerary.
That's right, Zhu Houcong went to Jiyan Palace again, and this time he put on the emperor's highest-standard attire.
Twelve dragons are spread all over the body, and the Gon suit is carefully made with the tapestry technique of cutting through the warp and cutting the weft.
Zhu Houcong, who was wearing a black gauze winged benevolent crown, already had a different air. Just when all the officials were anxiously waiting, he finally appeared in the Huagai Hall again.
…
"Is the ceremony about to begin?"
In the Renshou Palace, Queen Mother Zhang was also dressed up and waiting.
"Back to the Queen Mother, the time drum rang again. Your Majesty has left the Huagai Hall and came to see you."
After the official enthronement ceremony began, Zhu Houcong would walk around the palace again, meet three important figures, pay homage in several places, and then go to Fengtian Hall to enthrone.
The news returned from the palace made Empress Dowager Zhang furious again, but there was nothing she could do.
Now she was nervous and uneasy, so she asked the old eunuch beside her: "Jin Sheng, how many ladies have your subordinates pre-selected from various places?"
The eunuch Yuan Jinsheng Surong, who had served Empress Dowager Zhang for many years, replied: "Forty-eight people have been reported from various places, and they are all the best choices. These people will definitely be able to enter the palace through the 300 people ranked in the first five rounds.
I will personally take care of them, and among the fifty ladies, I will definitely be able to select three who are in line with the Queen Mother’s wishes, for Your Majesty to select the Queen.”
Empress Dowager Zhang nodded with satisfaction, and then said: "We must choose a few more people among the fifty who can have children through mutual exchange of bones, and they will not be selected as queens. Whoever can be the first to give birth to a bastard will be like me in the future."
Female. Now, we must get his approval on this matter!"
Yuan Jinsheng knelt down and praised: "The Queen Mother is so kind. I don't know anyone who has such a blessing."
How did Zhu Houcong know that he was already being cared about, exploited and even vaguely controlled by Empress Dowager Zhang when he was not even fifteen years old?
He doesn't care if he knows.
Now, he is finally coming to see this Queen Mother Zhang.
It was she who agreed to let herself be the emperor, but later gave in and did not ask Zhu Houcong to succeed him.
Entering the main hall, the first thing you saw was Queen Mother Zhang with many eunuchs and maids kneeling beside her.
At this time, her face already looked old. No matter how luxurious the life in the palace was, the maintenance methods of this era could not keep her young and beautiful at fifty years old.
Seeing the heroic Zhu Houcong approaching, Empress Dowager Zhang could vaguely see the appearance of her son from his eyebrows. The son who ascended the throne that year was also at this age.
Queen Mother Zhang was excited for a moment and her eyes turned red.
After all, he was an elder and the Queen Mother. Zhu Houcong paid homage to him: "My nephew Houcong pays homage to the Queen Mother."
"Get up, get up." Although Queen Mother Zhang was helpless when she heard the name nephew, she still burst into laughter. "I have heard Mrs. Heling recount the emperor's heroic appearance many times, and I finally saw it today."
Zhu Houcong said with a smile: "My mother-in-law also asked my nephew to say hello to my aunt. My nephew thanked me yesterday for being quite disrespectful. I hope my aunt will forgive me."
"It's all for the Zhu family's foundation." Empress Dowager Zhang sighed, "I heard that the emperor refuted Yang Ting and them speechless in the palace today. I feel relieved a lot."
When she heard the report, she was really surprised.
Now she looked at her nephew again, feeling very fearful of him.
Zhu Houcong saluted again: "Aunt, please don't worry. Although my nephew has to insist, he will definitely fulfill his filial piety on behalf of the emperor. Just a few days ago, my nephew also made a promise to the emperor."
Empress Dowager Zhang seemed to be very relieved and nodded: "The emperor's filial piety is more important than his title. Now the emperor refuses to give an heir to my name. I heard that the heir will be given to your brother in the future, and the cabinet ministers are also in various ways.
dissuade?"
"That's true. They are just worried about another fight for power in the future. As long as there are no such hidden dangers, there will be no problem."
"...Then what is the emperor going to do?" Queen Mother Zhang stared at him.
"The worries of the courtiers are not unreasonable. My nephew thought that if we directly conferred the title of king and went to the vassal state, maybe the courtiers would not object."
Empress Dowager Zhang suddenly froze. Does that mean that Empress Xia was asked to take her children to join the feudal clan first? Does Empress Dowager Zhang also want to go with her?
She was in a bad mood when she thought of this, and she forced a smile and said: "I know the emperor's intention, let's discuss this matter later. The ceremony is coming soon, the emperor will go and do his work first."
Zhu Houcong said goodbye with a smile: "Come back in the evening to say hello to the Queen Mother."
After dawn and dusk, Zhu Houcong decided to do this superficial work.
After all, in the Forbidden City, there are no good places to exercise like in the palace. Walking around the palace every morning and evening can be regarded as a certain amount of exercise.
But the benefits of visiting Queen Mother Zhang are huge, and at least she will have nothing to say to some of the ministers in the court.
Whatever you do in the future, it will be considered as being completely benevolent and righteous.
Only children can express their anger, adults can act.
After leaving Queen Mother Zhang, he went to Queen Xia who had moved to Qingning Palace.
The new king is about to ascend the throne, and she can no longer live in Kunning Palace.
When you live here, your status is naturally no longer comparable to what it used to be.
The conditions here are much worse than those of Renshou Palace. The houses are flat and short, and also relatively cold. It can be seen that they have just been cleaned up not long ago.
Zhu Houcong had met her in Jiyan Hall before, but now it was more formal and face to face.
After the polite greetings and before leaving, Zhu Houcong said to her: "My condolences to the emperor's sister-in-law. Since I have made a promise, I will never let the emperor's brother take his heir seriously."
With this hope, the former queen in this palace would at least not side with Empress Dowager Zhang blindly.
Whether she felt it would be more comfortable to raise her children in the palace, or whether it would be more comfortable and free to go to the feudal lord altogether, Zhu Houcong believed the latter more.
Queen Xia's eyes became red and she saluted: "I thank you, Your Majesty."
Zhu Houcong smiled slightly and left here to go to Concubine Shao's residence.
When Queen Xia heard with her own ears that Zhu Houcong emphasized the promise again, her heart dropped.
With just a quick glance, she saw clearly the healthy and energetic face of this "cousin".
I heard that he is only fifteen years old, which is a full half younger than himself.
Queen Xia not only hoped that he would give birth to a prince and heir as soon as possible, but also hoped that he would slowly solidify his foundation, so that the child born in this way would be healthier and more likely to grow up...
…
Just like their locations, the Wai West Road and Wai East Road palace areas in the harem are also populated by marginalized women.
After Zhu Qizhen abolished the practice of sacrificial burial, the concubines of the previous and previous emperors came to retire here.
Those who had the status of queen during their lifetime were naturally able to live in places like Renshou Palace and Qingning Palace with better conditions.
Shao, the imperial concubine of Xianzong Zhu Jianshen, could only live in the Yinghua Hall in the northwest corner of the Forbidden City with other concubines of the previous generation.
Emperor Xianzong favored Concubine Wan Guifei most, but Concubine Shao still became one of the only concubines to be granted the title of imperial concubine. One can imagine the favor she received before.
Zhu Houcong heard from Lao Qin that his father, Zhu Youtang, might have been established as the crown prince. However, Zhu Youtang's mother, Concubine Shao, finally backed down, so Zhu Youtang succeeded to the throne smoothly.
As a result, by mistake, Concubine Shao's grandson still took possession of the Forbidden City.
Mother is valued by her son, but now Princess Shao is valued by her grandma and grandson. Now she lives in Weiyang Palace as the Crown Princess.
Zhu Houcong is very strange, why is he called this?
After asking Wei Bin, he looked around, then leaned closer and whispered: "Weiyang Palace is the old residence of the Dowager, and it was in Weiyang Palace that she gave birth to the three princes..."
Zhu Houcong frowned: "Weiyang Palace is one of the six east and west palaces, right?"