Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 157 A match made in heaven
The wedding process of the emperor begins very early and all the procedures including offering betrothal gifts, asking for the name, offering good luck, paying the betrothal gifts and announcing the date of marriage must be complete, because this is the emperor's legal wife, the mistress of the harem, and the mother of the country.

On August 11, Duke Dingguo was the chief envoy, Wang Xijue was the deputy envoy, and Wang An was the eunuch. What needed to be accomplished on that day was to enthrone the Queen.

This is to bring the decree of enthronement, the queen's seal, etc. and give them to her.

Today was also the first time that Guo Lanzhi wore the queen's attire. After listening to the imperial edict, she took the imperial seal and became the official queen.

And tomorrow, she would be able to enter the palace from the Imperial Road of the Forbidden City in a grand ceremony.

In the whole world, apart from the imperial guards, eunuchs and palace maids, only one woman could walk on that imperial road, except the emperor.

When alive, she would enter the palace once for her wedding, and once for her funeral after her death.

In addition, once every three years, the top three candidates among the newly-appointed Jinshi scholars can be granted special privileges to leave the Forbidden City via the Imperial Road after the ceremony. This is the most glorious moment in their lives.

The wedding took place the next day, and the imperial procession arrived at the mansion granted to the Guo family.

The chief official of the wedding was the clan leader Hou Gongchen.

Now, he has been "blessed" with two concubines.

The emperor's plan for the royal family and noble relatives has just begun. The conflicts are not acute at present, so he can focus on having children.

The emperor's appointment of him as the master of weddings was naturally another kind of grace.

He cherishes it very much.

After the welcoming poem was read out, Guo Lanzhi put on her wedding dress and went out, and went to the hall first in the mansion.

Hou Gongchen stood on the east side in front of the queen and had something to say: "Be vigilant and respectful, and do not violate it day and night."

Guo Lanzhi listened silently under the veil, and the emperor's face appeared in her mind.

Discipline yourself and respect him.

Then, it should be her mother standing on the west side in front of her, and she also had something to say.

Guo Lanzhi suddenly felt sad. Her mother was no longer with us. She wondered if her spirit in heaven could see this scene.

What she heard was the words of her sister-in-law: Be diligent and respectful, and do not disobey your duties day and night.

The eldest brother is like a father, and the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother.

That's it.

Then the queen descended the stairs and boarded the phoenix carriage.

The ceremonial guard and grand music moved forward, and the procession of colorful carriages entered the palace from the central gate in a grand manner.

All civil and military officials were waiting outside Chengtian Gate. When the phoenix carriage passed by, there was a chorus of congratulations.

When arriving outside the Meridian Gate, the procession will stop here.

After that, only the eunuchs and ladies-in-waiting welcomed her into the Forbidden City.

Guo Lanzhi just felt that the journey took a long time.

She was pre-selected last year and was chosen into three hundred from nearly two thousand people. Three months later, she met the Emperor and was chosen as the Empress. Another three months passed.

"The Queen has arrived! The phoenix carriage has been lowered!"

Guo Lanzhi couldn't see it, but her cousin Sun Moxin from her uncle's family raised her hand and said, "My lady, watch your step."

She knew they were outside Kunning Palace.

The empress entered from the west steps, and the emperor came down from the east steps and greeted the empress in front of the hall.

He will lead himself into the temple.

"Be careful, walk slowly."

This was the third contact since he picked up Yu Ruyi and bumped her shoulder lightly before leaving the palace and returning home.

The phoenix coronet and bridal robe were very heavy, and the weather on August 12 was still hot. Guo Lanzhi knew that her palms were sweaty.

When entering the inner hall, there are still many etiquettes to follow.

Guo Lanzhi remembered that there was a temple visit first, and she wanted to go to the Fengxian Hall.

You need to change into your dress before going.

Before changing into formal clothes, one must first remove the veil to avoid being peeped by outsiders.

Guo Lanzhi saw Zhu Changluo, who was smiling.

“Today is beautiful.”

"...I thank your majesty for your praise."

I remember that the etiquette officer didn't teach us this section.

Then they went to the warm rooms on the left and right sides to change into their dresses.

Paying homage to ancestors as a daughter-in-law is a solemn and lengthy ritual.

The wedding procession received orders from the palace in the morning, and then set out for the father-in-law's residence. There was a long process there, and they had to slowly enter the palace. After Guo Lanzhi came out of the Fengxian Hall, her heartbeat gradually accelerated.

The day's long rituals seemed to be arranged just to coincide with this moment.

The "audience ceremony" is for ordinary people to pay respect to their uncles, and it will be tomorrow.

Now, they have to go back to Kunning Palace to perform the bridal chamber ceremony.

After returning, she changed her clothes and put on wedding clothes.

Then the couple sat down face to face, drinking three cups of wine and a few bites of food.

Sun Moxin served her, and Wang An served the emperor. The first two cups were drunk by each of them individually, and the last cup was drunk by the two of them together.

Then you have to change clothes again, into regular clothes.

"Reward." Zhu Changluo said.

"I thank His Majesty the Emperor for the food."

Sun Moxin knelt down to express her gratitude, then while secretly glancing at the emperor, she happily stood next to Zhu Changluo and picked up her chopsticks to eat the food he had not finished.

"...Reward." Guo Lanzhi also said.

"Thank you, Her Majesty, for the food."

Wang An also knelt down to express his gratitude and ran to the queen's side to eat the leftovers.

Guo Lanzhi watched the two of them feasting with a strange mood, but it was said that this was a sign that the emperor and empress were of one mind, as well as the attendants around them.

As the plate on the table gradually emptied, she felt a little hungry.

After all, I have only eaten a few bites from morning till now.

There are regulations on how many cups to drink and how many bites to eat, and they are all provided to her by Sun Moxin.

Now that she saw the plate was completely empty, she no longer cared about being hungry.

Because they will all leave and enter the bridal chamber soon.

Wang An and Sun Moxin ate everything, knelt down together to take their leave, closed the palace door and stood guard outside.

Red candles were shining brightly in the hall, and Zhu Changluo took her hand and walked straight towards the bedroom.

The footsteps were very hurried, so Guo Lanzhi was a little panicked.

"There are snacks too. I told them to put some snacks in there. Eat them while they're hot. It's easier to get things done when you're full."

No matter how "cold" and "serious" Guo Lanzhi is, it's just because of the special relationship in the family after her mother passed away. In a poor family, a sensible young girl who is about to get married must pay attention to her sister-in-law's mood.

And the emperor husband in front of her kept saying that it would be easier to do things after eating... What else could she do on the wedding night?

"By the way, have you ever thought about that question?" When they were almost done eating, Zhu Changluo asked her again, "Why do you think I like you the most?"

Guo Lanzhi couldn't help but choke on the soup in her mouth and started coughing. Her face turned red due to coughing.

"...I don't know...I shouldn't presume on your Majesty's will."

"Whatever." Zhu Changluo seemed disappointed for a moment, then he smiled again, "Anyway, we will know it eventually, in the future."

"...you will know something?" They will be together for the rest of their lives. Guo Lanzhi regretted her response which was a bit awed and distant, especially when she saw that the emperor was a little disappointed.

"You are cold on the outside but warm on the inside." Zhu Changluo looked into her eyes. "Since you are so considerate and caring towards your father and brother, you must have taken me to heart to be so warm and considerate."

"..." Guo Lanzhi didn't expect the answer to be just this.

"You've heard about it, right? I had a very difficult childhood, too."

Guo Lanzhi had indeed heard about it... her biological mother was a palace maid, not liked by her father, and the palace was dangerous...

Her eyes softened a little, and she no longer regarded him as just an emperor, an emperor in front of whom one should not act unruly.

Be diligent day and night.

"We will share the same bed in life and the same coffin in death." Zhu Changluo said as he walked in front of her. "Although the harem is large, I will only let you see my difficult side. Let's go. The night is still long. I will first tell you about my recent troubles."

On the wedding night of Queen Daming, she listened to the emperor talking about the swordplay in the south of the Yangtze River, and looked at his angry but suppressed expression, and her heart gradually melted.

She has always been a sensible child who is willing to suffer herself so as to avoid worrying others, and has been a lonely child for several years.

But she didn't realize that the emperor's soul was a man of many skills.

Since the emperor's body cannot belong to just one person, in order to get a queen who devotes her whole heart to him and cares about him, the natural thing is to make her feel that she is the woman the emperor wants to rely on most spiritually.

On the phoenix bed, the Queen of Ming Dynasty was indeed cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

Inside the Forbidden City, the Ming Emperor was warm on the outside but cold on the inside.

A match made in heaven!

(End of this chapter)