To Be A Virtuous Wife

92

"Such a hot day, it's such a pain to endure," The yahuan's tone suddenly changed, "I heard that when the Empress hadn't yet married, she had been abused by her family, don't you think … what it's like now, isn't it karma?"

She saw Yao Xi's expression change and smiled. Clapping her hands, she remarked: "The Heavens have eyes. People who do evil things don't have good endings." The green-clad yahuan bowed slightly, "I respect you for being a loyal servant but think more for yourself." She turned and left.

Yao Xi looked at the yahuan's back. She gave a helpless smile and went on her original path to the kitchen.

The news that the Wei Family's female candidate had broken palace protocol during the mourning period for xiandi and was expelled from the palace by the Emperor, quickly became the joke of Jing City. The Wei Family had some reputation in Jing but now, they'd lost all honor and didn't have the courage to even leave the house.

The female candidates had gone through countless rounds of elimination. Originally, they were people who had a chance to be given to other members of the Imperial House or to be taken into the hougong to serve. Due to the passing of xiandi, aside from the Imperial House that had to observe mourning, even the common people couldn't marry for a month.

But that Wei Family, they'd thought to let their daughter capture the attention of the new Emperor during the mourning period. Why didn't they think of the Emperor's personality, was he a lusty person? Even more so, the love between the Imperial Couple was known by everyone in Da Long Dynasty. Was the Wei Family's daughter more beautiful than a goddess? From where did she get the confidence to break into the Imperial Gardens?

The second day after Wei Zhu was sent back to the Wei Family, she was sent by the Wei Family into a nunnery. The reason given was that she would cultivate morals and pray for xiandiand the Emperor.

Everyone knew that this was the Wei Family pulling a cloth to hide themselves. The Emperor had already sent down the decree. The daughters of the Wei Family couldn't enter the Imperial House, this Wei Family was over.

The three months of mourning passed by quickly but He Heng still followed the protocols of mourning, paying close attention to his attire. This caused the world to praise the filial piety of the Emperor.

But not matter what, according to tradition, He Heng was now allowed to take new concubines. However, everyone in the hougong knew that the Emperor had no intentions of entering the hougong.

The sixth day of the eighth month of Qing De Thirty Fourth Year was the most auspicious day in the near half year as calculated by the Imperial Astronomers. The Ziwei star and its pair were bright, and it had the influence of the phoenix raising its head. So it was the most appropriate day for the crowning ceremony of the Empress.

The Empress' crowning ceremony was a very momentous occasion in Da Long Dynasty. First, sacrifices would be offered to the Heavens and prayers would be recited; next the Emperor and Empress would bow to the ancestors to notify them that this woman was one of the Imperial Family. Then the Emperor would personally put in the phoenix hairpin personally for the Empress and draw on her brows. Lastly, the Empress, wearing the phoenix robe, would receive the bows of the Royal Court Officials and the noblewomen.

In front of the copper mirror, Qu Qing Ju wore the phoenix robe that the weavers had rushed  to make in three months by working day and night. Though the layers of clothing looked complicated and majestic, it didn't feel very heavy on the body.

The outermost wide-sleeved floor-length phoenix robe didn't have any gold or pearls but it was so beautiful that it blinded everyone's eyes.

As she watched He Heng solemnly draw on her brows for her and gently put the phoenix crown on her, she gave a smile.