The Legend of the Concubine in the Harem

The crown of the Sheng Dynasty was magnificent in shape and made of fine materials. When worn on the head, it seemed to add a layer of bright and precious light to the wearer's body. Xie Yuzhen looked at herself in the mirror and thought that even if it was just for such a gorgeous crown and not for anything else, she would be willing to fight for it.

After getting over the mind that had been briefly bewildered by the gorgeous clothes and beautiful ornaments, Xie Yuzhen insisted on taking his daughter, who was also dressed in gorgeous attire, on a phoenix carriage to the clan's ancestral temple to pay tribute to the ancestors.

Nowadays, whenever there is any major event in the family, it is inevitable to ask or inform the ancestors, and the royal family is naturally no exception. Moreover, it is often said that the most important affairs of a country are sacrifices and war. Xie Yuzhen's hand is not only extended to the court, but also in the army, he has taken advantage of the military brothers and sisters and the female soldiers from the southwest to bite off a piece of the pie. Of course, he will not miss the opportunity to gain more opportunities for himself and his daughter in this area.

The wheels of the phoenix carriage turned slowly.

The elders of the Lu clan had already been waiting in the ancestral temple.

Xie Yuzhen, wearing a complete queen's dress, walked slowly down the steps next to the car with her daughter in her arms.

The moment she appeared holding Lu Weiyuan, several princes and princesses who already had white hair and beards and basically stayed at home to take care of their retirement frowned. Xie Yuzhen saw it, but she didn't care. She just walked among them with her daughter in her arms, striding without giving anyone the opportunity to say that it was against the rules for a princess who had not yet been conferred a title to enter the ancestral temple.

"Mom, there's so much smoke here." Lu Weiyuan said to Xie Yuzhen in a low voice, "It smells bad."

Xie Yuzhen had a faint smile on his lips, and replied to his daughter in an equally subtle voice: "Since Yuanjun doesn't like it, when you grow up, you can change the practice of burning incense in the ancestral temple."

"It can be changed. That's good." Lu Weiyuan nodded with a stern face like an adult, and then her mother put her down and motioned for her to kneel on the small cushion beside her.

The clan leader who had been waiting here for a long time was much younger than the older generation of clan members who had been waiting outside the door before. Although his title was not as noble as those people, he was more favored by the emperor than them. Of course, he also knew how to act in accordance with the emperor's wishes.

Zong Ling spread out the imperial edict that had been written long ago and praised Xie Yuzhen highly. The words he used were very complicated and gorgeous, and even seemed a little boring because of the excessive exaggeration. However, Xie Yuzhen chose to forgive the emperor who wrote this prayer in person - after all, this is what happens when you get older.

What she cared about most was just the words "enthrone as queen".

Amid the curl of incense and the ever-burning oil lamps, the tablets of Lu family's ancestors did not seem dim, but rather majestic and brilliant. Facing the tablets of emperors and empresses of past dynasties that were stacked up like a hill, Xie Yuzhen and his daughter performed the etiquette of bowing as Zong Ling sang.

She rested her forehead respectfully on the cushion, but what she was thinking in her heart was - I have brought your most outstanding heir today, I hope that you ancestors will not be too pedantic and must not be blind in blessing others, otherwise... don't blame me for sending that person over to reunite with you and your grandchildren and enjoy family happiness!

After worshipping her ancestors in the ancestral temple, Xie Yuzhen had to ride the phoenix carriage to the Taiji Hall - this was the main hall of the Dasheng Palace, where the court officials usually attended court. Xie Yuzhen was not unfamiliar with this place, as she had participated in the morning court several times. The only difference was that she had previously gone directly to the court from the back door with the emperor. This time, she had to walk through the civil and military officials, clan relatives and foreign envoys who were watching the ceremony, and walk along the imperial road in the square in front of the Taiji Hall towards the emperor who was waiting on the high platform.

The wheels are turning again.

The silver armor of the imperial guards on both sides of the phoenix carriage sparkled in the morning light, but the attention of the civil and military officials on both sides was not distracted by it. They had serious faces, and although they could not look directly at the two women, one big and one small, on the phoenix carriage, they all focused their eyes on them.

Some people looked increasingly worried, lowering their eyes as if thinking about the future of the Great Sheng Dynasty where women were destined to participate in politics; some people had undisguised joy in their eyes - these were naturally people who had long since served Xie Yuzhen, and the more powerful Xie Yuzhen was, the more benefits they would get; and some people clenched their lips and teeth, with veins showing, as if they had strong objections to Xie Yuzhen being named queen.

But no matter whether they were worried, happy, or angry, they could not change the fact that this woman was destined to become the queen and take one step further on her path to holding power in the court as a woman.

The golden bells hanging on the phoenix carriage jingled, and the carriage stopped steadily.

Xie Yuzhen still carried Lu Weiyuan out of the car, but this time she put her daughter on the ground beside her and held her little hand.

The mother and daughter had extremely similar faces and wore dresses of similar colors. After being reminded by Xie Yuzhen, Lu Weiyuan became dissatisfied with her princess dress and went directly to the emperor to ask for the one he was wearing. The emperor, in a mood to watch the fun, changed his daughter into a small dress that he had prepared long ago. The base was black, and the top was embroidered with a phoenix pattern in gold and red silk threads.

They walked step by step up the white jade steps covered with red carpet and came before the monarch of this country.

The smile on the emperor's face had not faded since he woke up this morning. He was wearing a full set of imperial ceremonial robes. With a wave of his wide sleeves, two ceremonial officials, one male and one female, walked out from his left and right sides.

The two ceremonial officials held the jade sceptre in their hands and bowed slightly to Xie Yuzhen. Then, the female ceremonial official opened her lips and said in a loud voice: "All officials, bow!"

As the voice fell, Xie Yuzhen raised his eyebrows in surprise and looked at the emperor in front of him.

The emperor's face, which was a little weathered but still handsome and charming, had an intoxicated smile on it, as if he was asking Xie Yuzhen whether he was satisfied with the gift he gave him.

When the concubines of the Great Sheng Dynasty were enthroned, most of the time only the ladies of the inner and outer courts were asked to perform the ceremony of paying homage.

Even the emperor's original wife had never used such a grand ceremony when she was enthroned. She actually made all the civil and military officials, royal relatives, nobles, and envoys from various foreign countries who filled the Taiji Square kneel down and pay their respects!

Xie Yuzhen smiled back at the emperor, then turned around to receive the greetings from all the officials. She also turned her curious daughter around and asked her to stand between her and the emperor.

Looking at it this way, it seemed as if Lu Weiyuan was the one being greeted by all the officials today.

In the eyes of the emperor, Xie Yuzhen's ambition was no different from the lice on a bald man's head. It was open and fearless, but also very likable, especially to him.

After all...even if he already knew that their daughter would inherit his position in the future, the emperor believed that if he had not personally taught and promoted it, his beloved wife and daughter would have to take more detours and it would definitely not be so smooth.

He dared to take the initiative to delegate power to his wife and dared to regard a princess who was less than three years old as his heir. Since ancient times, how many emperors could have such a broad mind and courage?

Lu Yesheng was not only satisfied with Xie Yuzhen's straightforward and firm ambition and outstanding political skills, he was even more satisfied that he was such an enlightened and great monarch!