Hoang Chinh's and Huu Quan's wedding takes place with Tu Cuc's permission.
Khac Tuan runs in and out of the palace all day, exhausting himself. It has been a long time since a large ceremony in the palace that keeps him so occupied. After failing to request Empress Dowager's intervention, his father declared that he would no longer participate in this unusual wedding. The Ton That family is as well. However, it's not because of this that the wedding is less crowded.
The hammocks that carry Huu Quan from his mansion to Linh Nam citadel are in a long line, and many people curiously follow and watch. Many mandarins are also waiting for Hoang Chinh's first spouse. The Wedding is typically held at Ki Liem Palace, which only allows mandarins from the third grade to enter. However, Hoang Chinh breaks this rule by sending invitation cards to every house according to Western etiquette, and anyone who has the card can attend.
The people can even follow the hammock line to the citadel.
Huu Y, who is walking in front of Huu Quan's hammock, represents the female family. Normally, the person in front of the hammock must be an unmarried young girl. But where to find that person in Huu Quan's family? Furthermore, Sir Army General - Huu Y's husband said:
"This is not only your brother's wedding but also a future Empress's wedding. You should go."
Huu Y also wanted to go, so there was no need for her husband to say anything. However, because her husband is a general in the mother country, everyone is watching her every move. She doesn't have to be afraid now that he has agreed to let her.
Huu Y knows her husband feels terrible about not being able to help Huu Quan and her father before.
"We're about to enter the citadel, Huu Quan." Huu Y says.
Huu Quan sits on the hammock, a flower crown on his head, smiling and nodding at Huu Y. After talking with Tu Cuc that day, he simply assumed that the wedding would take place, but he did not expect her to push it so quickly.
Maybe it's a good thing too.
To get a better look, Minh Dinh narrows his eyes as he walks past the bustling crowd. Just as a man is about to rush into Minh Dinh to squeeze in, Vong Duc notices this and moves to stand behind him.
"He looks so pretty." Minh Dinh compliments.
"Your Majesty, would you like to wear flowers?" Vong Duc asks, turning to look at Minh Dinh's long, black hair tucked behind his ear as Huu Quan waves and grins at him from the hammock.
The crowded people are left behind as the hammock line pass through the citadel gate. When the gate closes, the atmosphere in the palace becomes calm and dignified. Huu Quan adjusts his sitting posture and straightens the folds of his sleeve unconsciously. The hammock arrives in the royal yard of the Ki Liem palace, the decorative candle lights shine brightly and get lowered.
"The marriage ceremony of Linh Nam Emperor Hoang Chinh and Mr. Nguyen Huu Van Quan would like to begin." A shout rings out.
Khac Tuan, as the Ministry of Rites, leads the way, and Huu Quan slowly follows. The first step is to go to the ancestor's altar and burn incense for former emperors.
Khac Tuan gives a large bouquet of incense to Huu Quan's hand, the number of incense sticks equaling the number of incense bowls on the altar. Huu Quan must officiate every time he burns incense for one person.
Huu Quan officiates twelve times with a total of twelve bowls of incense.
Then he has to offer tea to Tu Cuc and the other concubines. But because Hoang Chinh doesn't have any concubine, Huu Quan only needs to offer tea to Tu Cuc.
Huu Quan is lost in thought as he kneels in reverence.
If the court decides to add more concubines to Hoang Chinh in the future, he will have to sit here and watch his man marry another woman, waiting for that person to offer tea and ask for his permission to love his husband?
Huu Quan won't accept it. He will never allow that to happen.
Huu Quan follows Khac Tuan into the main room after finishing offering tea.
There are only six people in the main hall, including Khac Tuan, who leads Huu Quan in. There should have been seven mandarins, but Sir Pham is adamant about not attending.
The man Huu Quan is about to marry is sitting in the middle of the room on the wooden collapsed.
Hoang Chinh looks the same as on any other day, but more majestic and powerful. The yellow royal robe embroidered with dragons hangs loosely on the sides, and next to the throne is a sophisticated mahogany-carved phoenix throne.
"I'm here to bow to His Majesty."
Huu Quan walks slowly to the front of the wooden collapsed, looks at Thai Thuy, and bows to him. This ceremony symbolizes that in the future, he will be Thai Thuy's person, calling him his husband and shouldering the burden of the nation with him.
Or, at the very least, accompany him through a life full of contradictions.
"Listening to His Majesty's order."
Huu Quan remains in the same kneeling position as before, but the main hall has lost its dignified and quiet appearance. Gossip begins to circulate once more.
"Look, it's the Empress's crown."
The Empress's crown is worn during the Empress's ordination ceremony. Usually, the Ministry of Rites will assist in wearing the crown during the ordination ceremony, implying that she has lived with the Emperor her entire life, gets along with other imperial consorts in the palace, and gives birth to the Crown Prince, who would inherit the nation. When the Emperor passes away, the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, then she can wear this Empress's crown.
However, the crown appears here.
What is Hoang Chinh going to do? Is Huu Quan becoming the Empress? Will An Minh Palace have two queens, how about Empress Tu Cuc?
Empress Tu Cuc, from the looks of it, isn't surprised either. She just sits quietly on one side, drinking the tea Huu Quan offered and nods twice.
Huu Quan seems to be accustomed to this sound. To summarize, the Emperor never promulgates any decree in a marriage ceremony. Two words "Empress's Crown" slip out of Huu Quan's ears. Hoang Chinh slowly stands up, holding the decree in his hand.
The decree starts unusually.
"Linh Nam court,
I'd like to tell you something important on my happy day.
I believe I have found someone who deserves the Empress title. That is a person who first understands my heart and is wise enough to assist me in caring for my country. I sincerely wish to bestow the highest title upon them. So, I prepare this decree to be sent to you on the occasion of the wedding ceremony.
Huu Quan,
I appreciate your talent and virtue, and I ordain you as the main Empress, with the title Nam Phong Empress. I hope you will bring all of your skills and talents to help me strengthen Linh Nam in the future. I entrust you with the Empress' royal seal and the management of the An Minh Palace.
I ordain the title of Empress Dowager to Empress Tu Cuc, who will be renamed Empress Dowager Tu Minh Cuc and move to Thai Hoa Palace to live restfully.
For Ki Liem Palace,
I abolish the harem, from now on, I will not have more concubines.
The above is my wish, I hope you all support it."
Huu Quan raises his head and notices that the silk cloth on the tray Tu Anh has brought has fallen already, on the tray is a crown embroidered with glittering pearls for the Empress.
His eyes welled up with tears.
Hoang Chinh helps Huu Quan in getting up, puts the crown on for him, then takes Huu Quan's hand to sit on the ornately carved mahogany throne. Khac Tuan is the first to kneel, followed by mandarins and everyone else who is standing outside the Ki Liem Palace looking in.
Long live Nam Phong Empress, everyone exclaims.
…
"What?" Sir Pham opens his mouth and sets the teacup down on the table. "What exactly did you say?"
"Oh shoot? You don't know?" Khac Tuan pushes the pawn in front. "That's right, His Majesty has temporarily abandoned the court meeting, and father is always in the house, of course you can't listen to what they say outside."
"But even you didn't tell your father. What's the point of saying it now that it's over?" Sir Pham says, standing up and pointing the fan at Khac Tuan's face.
Khac Tuan sighs and looks up at his father, not daring to argue. It must be said that Sir Pham's reaction is not as strong as he has imagined.
The wedding ceremony took place a week ago. Hoang Chinh temporarily relinquished his position at the court so that Nam Phong could rest and hand over the Ministry of Justice job to the new mandarin.
His father did not go out, so he was unaware of Huu Quan's Empress's ordination.
Since the day Thai Thuy ascended to the throne, he has made the court less rigid. On the first day of his reign, the first Emperor who went to school in the West returned to Linh Nam and spat out a lot of French, embarrassing all the mandarins in the court. But he also attempted to reform this place, to innovate there, to change the court from top to bottom. Ordaining the Empress on the wedding day is normal.
He knows of Sir Pham's dislike for Huu Quan. Huu Quan has always been a high climber in Sir Pham's eyes, a man who wants to marry His Majesty. Aside from Sir Ton That, his father is the most opposed to the marriage. When Thai Thuy married Huu Quan, even Sir Ton That couldn't stop him, his father had no choice but to give up. However, give up an inch and was moved to another meter. The person he despised the most had suddenly become the Main Empress.
It's understandable why Sir Pham is angry.
"Father, just let His Majesty do whatever he wants. His Majesty has changed many things since ascending to the throne, does one more thing matter? It's not like His Majesty is passing the throne for Nam Phong. It's only the Empress's ordination."
Uncle Pham opens his eyes widely. What? Even Nam Phong? Hoang Chinh even named a title for Huu Quan?
"What can you know?" Sir Pham raises his voice "The Emperor is still alive, what do you mean by ordaining the Empress title? No, I have to meet with His Majesty."