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Li Hong felt uncomfortable under Green Lotus's affectionate gaze. Just as he was about to find an excuse to leave, he heard Green Lotus's pitiful voice say, "Tonight, Consort Wu is to be crowned Empress. Shall we go congratulate her together?"
Zhao Gou was going to crown Consort Wu as Empress? Li Hong pondered for a moment and then nodded, "Alright, I'll go with you."
Green Lotus's face lit up with joy as she twirled in front of Li Hong, proudly lifting her phoenix robe. "Do you think this outfit looks good on me? Is it suitable?"
Li Hong couldn't help but smile bitterly inside; a once ethereal fairy was now wrapped up like a magnificent dumpling. However, despite its gaudiness, he had to admit it looked good and could only nod, saying, "It's alright."
As he uttered those words, a delicate figure with a moonlit aura flashed through his mind.
"Alright means it looks good. Then I will wear this," Green Lotus said, unaware of Li Hong's thoughts. Her clear and graceful face broke into a radiant smile. Then she bit her cherry lips and suddenly turned crimson, reaching out her soft hand to tightly grasp Li Hong's.
Li Hong was taken aback, but Green Lotus shyly lowered her head and said, "The auspicious time after the crowning is almost here; let's go." Her grip tightened more and more, refusing to let go.
With a stiff resolve, Li Hong walked alongside Green Lotus through the Garden of the Imperial Palace towards Kun Ning Palace. The palace maids and eunuchs they encountered bowed their heads and bent their waists, not daring to look up at them. Yet somehow, Li Hong felt there was amusement hidden beneath those lowered eyelashes, making him increasingly uneasy as his grip on Green Lotus's soft hand grew stiffer.
The sound of drums and music filled the air; Kun Ning Palace was just ahead. Li Hong spotted many people standing solemnly in front of the hall, one of whom was Zhao Ding.
Just as he was thinking about how to discreetly shake off Green Lotus's hand, a commanding voice echoed from afar—Zhao Gou's eight-treasure imperial carriage was approaching Kun Ning Palace.
In a moment of inspiration, Li Hong abruptly released Green Lotus's hand and hurriedly said, "I'll go greet the Emperor." He swiftly moved towards the imperial carriage.
Upon seeing Li Hong, Zhao Gou chuckled as he lifted the crystal curtain and helped Little Yellow Gate down from the carriage. With a stroke of his beard, he laughed and said, "So even Celestial Master is interested in attending the ceremony. Come on, walk with me."
He grabbed Li Hong's sleeve and together they walked side by side towards Kun Ning Palace.
Li Hong didn't feel repulsed by Zhao Gou's gesture; instead, he secretly rejoiced as he glanced back at Green Lotus from a distance.
Green Lotus was obviously disappointed, lightly stamping her foot for a moment before walking into Kun Ning Palace.
Li Hong let out a quiet sigh of relief and smiled, "The Emperor is very pleased."
Zhao Gou laughed as he walked, saying, "Wrong, it is not I who is pleased, but Consort Wu. The Empress Dowager has decreed her elevation to Empress. As her son, I naturally agree."
However, this statement felt somewhat cold. Li Hong had seen Consort Wu's diligence; it had truly been difficult for her to follow Zhao Gou for so many years. No wonder Empress Wei was satisfied with this daughter-in-law.
It seemed that Zhao Gou understood what Li Hong was thinking. He turned his head and said in a serious whisper, "In my eyes, there is only one Empress, and that is Bing Yi. As for Consort Wu, I must say she is indeed very good, but there is always a distinction between a second wife and a first wife. Once the Celestial Master marries, he will understand. I regard the Celestial Master as a friend; I am merely speaking to a friend and do not wish for Consort Wu to feel unhappy. Because today’s position of Empress is indeed what Consort Wu deserves."
Li Hong nodded. This Zhao Gou, to be fair, although weak and timid, still had some insight. If this insight were applied to the grand cause of restoring the Central Plains, how could he worry about the family and country not being restored? It was just unfortunate that his character limited his actions.
The grand ceremony officially began at the first quarter of the Shen hour. Since Consort Wu was being promoted rather than married for the first time, there was no ritual of betrothal or auspicious greetings, but it was still very grand.
Inside Kun Ning Palace, Empress Wei personally attended to announce the decree from the Empress Dowager. Consort Wu received the decree and thanked the Empress Dowager and the Emperor for their grace. Following this, officials from the Ministry of Rites brought in the Brilliant Golden Seal of the Empress, which Consort Wu knelt to receive. A palace maid presented the The Empress's Complete Coronation Attire, and after changing inside, Consort Wu donned the complete ceremonial attire of an Empress and ascended to receive the congratulations of all officials.
Dressed in deep green robes embroidered with countless colorful pheasants and wearing a heavy, shining Nine Dragons and Four Phoenixes Crown, she sat gracefully on the phoenix throne in Kun Ning Palace, accepting the bowing congratulations from all officials. From the entrance of the hall, Empress Wu's rosy complexion was obscured by a dazzling brilliance that made it hard to open one’s eyes, appearing extraordinarily luxurious and precious. However, all this glory came from her royal attire; her face receded behind layers of jewels and finery. At this point, her appearance became less important; what mattered was that from now on, Consort Wu officially became Empress Wu.
Zhao Gou approached her, and the couple held hands as they faced the officials with solemn smiles amidst shouts of long live the Emperor and Empress.
The hall was filled with emerald feathers and pearl light, with gauzy purple robes reflecting the opulent atmosphere of wealth surrounding them. The two people at the center of this wealth appeared extraordinarily dignified and noble. However, Li Hong felt that they looked like two dolls dressed in imperial garments.
After all civil and military officials withdrew, the new Empress began to receive the Noble Ladies.
With the announcement from the Little Yellow Gate, a group of noble ladies dressed in ceremonial robes and adorned with floral crowns entered in orderly ranks under the guidance of palace maids, preparing to enter Kun Ning Palace to congratulate the new Empress.
The air was filled with the melodious sounds of swallows and the fragrant scent of powder. It was not appropriate to linger in the palace any longer. Li Hong glanced at Green Lotus, who was watching intently, and gracefully left the palace, returning to the Emerald Cold Hall.
As he entered the Garden of the Imperial Palace, an inexplicable tension gripped his heart. He suddenly turned and dashed towards Kun Ning Palace, moving so swiftly that he left a long trail of red shadows behind him.
About ten first-rank ladies entered the palace, following the little attendants' guidance to stand in designated positions. Before they could kneel, Zhao Gou quietly said to Empress Wu, "I will go to the Garden of the Imperial Palace to change and rest. After Zitong meets with the Noble Ladies, I will come directly over. I have already instructed for a banquet to be prepared; tonight we will congratulate Zitong in the Garden of the Imperial Palace."
Empress Wu respectfully bent slightly and replied, "I humbly send off Your Majesty."
Zhao Gou stepped down from the Jade Platform and walked towards the back of the palace. At that moment, he heard a female official softly reprimanding, "That lady, please kneel quickly and do not disrespectfully gaze upon His Majesty."
Oh, there are Noble Ladies who dare not kneel but instead look at him. Zhao Gou became intrigued and paused to turn around.
He saw a pair of cold eyes filled with mockery. The thought of "beauty" flashed through his mind, but just as quickly as it appeared, her figure vanished. Zhao Gou was astonished, almost doubting his own vision. In the next moment, he caught a glimpse of a sharp cold light aimed directly at his abdomen. It was so fast that it defied description.
Before Zhao Gou could even utter the word "assassin," he felt a sharp pain in his belly. Suddenly, someone forcefully grabbed his collar, and by the time he realized what was happening, he found himself soaring through the air, breaking through the roof of Kun Ning Palace and shooting into the sky.
Only then did he hear the thunderous sound of tiles shattering and screams rising around him.
Amidst the chaotic scattering of debris and dust in mid-air, Zhao Gou looked down at his abdomen and saw a wet patch of black spreading on his bright yellow Dragon Robe—warm and growing larger. His head tilted, and he fainted.
Li Hong rushed into the palace just in time to see that "Noble Lady" shoot a glimmering silver light towards Zhao Gou. Without thinking further, he grabbed Zhao Gou by the collar and broke through Kun Ning Palace's roof, shooting upwards.
Behind him followed that silver light like a shadow. In this critical moment, Lingyi burst forth from his forehead and struck that incoming silver light. A powerful wind rushed at him, followed by a deafening explosion that made his eardrums ring painfully. The sky suddenly erupted into a massive blue-white fireball.
In this dire situation, Li Hong quickly turned around, shielding Zhao Gou in front of him while turning his back against the force of the explosion. He was knocked back repeatedly; blood surged in his head as he felt dizzy but managed to fly out of the imperial city before finally coming to a halt.
Lingyi swiftly flew in and embedded itself in the forehead, and upon inspection, it was discovered that Lingyi's brilliance had dimmed; it would need at least ten to eight days of nurturing. The silver light was surprisingly powerful! What about the assassin? Li Hong quickly lifted Zhao Gou and turned back towards the imperial city.
He ran into Jiang Xuanzi, who was pulling the pale Green Lotus and flying over rapidly, shouting, “Chu Hongzi, what happened to you?”
Seeing that Li Hong was unharmed, Jiang Xuanzi immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Soon after, a dozen figures swooped in, including Shui Qingzi and Wei Ming.
As everyone gathered in the sky, Li Hong shouted, “Where is the assassin?”
Jiang Xuanzi replied sheepishly, “He escaped. I was too focused on finding my daughter and you, so I didn’t chase after him.”
Suddenly, Green Lotus forcefully broke free from her father's grip, almost falling from the sky. Jiang Xuanzi caught her and urgently asked, “What’s wrong, daughter?”
“Father, father, the emperor… he’s not wearing any clothes!” Green Lotus exclaimed frantically while covering her face.
Li Hong looked down at his hands and was instantly shocked. Zhao Gou’s Dragon Robe had already turned into tatters, with only a few dark scraps still hanging on; his delicate skin had turned a purplish-black color. The crown on his head had long since disappeared, and he was nearly bald.
Understanding dawned on Li Hong. Although he had protected Zhao Gou, the force of the explosion was still beyond what an ordinary person could withstand. A quick check revealed that Zhao Gou was cold all over, breathing shallowly.
He needed to heal him quickly. Without time to deal with the assassin, Li Hong hurriedly called everyone to fly towards the imperial city.
The imperial city was already in chaos; large buildings centered around Kun Ning Palace had collapsed entirely, turning into a vast circular rubble field that looked particularly alarming in the night. Although the strange silver light had exploded in the sky, many buildings below could not withstand it and collapsed one after another, with Kun Ning Palace, located directly beneath the explosion's center, being completely devastated.
A group of palace guards rushed towards the rubble field as someone shouted at the palace gate: “My wife is still inside!”
“What does your wife matter? What about the emperor? I must enter the palace to see the emperor!” It was Zhao Ding shouting.
Outside the imperial city, people were rushing around in chaos, like headless flies. Zhao Ding suddenly slapped his forehead and shouted to the sky, "Where is the Celestial Master? We wish to enter the palace to pay our respects to the Emperor!"
"I am here," Li Hong said as he descended from the sky, holding Zhao Gou.
The crowd was initially overjoyed, but upon seeing the expression on Li Hong's face, they collectively gasped in shock. All the civil and military officials were petrified, and the square fell silent, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Zhao Ding hesitantly asked, "May I inquire who the Celestial Master is holding? Could it be…"
"Don't speculate. Quickly summon the Imperial Medical Bureau. Zhao Ding, you calm the officials and then enter the palace. No one else is allowed inside! No one is permitted to cause a disturbance. Otherwise, hmph!" Li Hong turned and rushed toward the palace while holding Zhao Gou.
Zhao Ding was once again frozen in place, cold sweat pouring down his back. Suddenly, he shouted frantically, "Summon all physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau at once! Hurry, quickly!"
Note 1: The ceremonial robe of the Empress.
Note 2: The formal attire of Noble Ladies.
Note 3: The title used by the Emperor for the Empress.
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