Quick Wear Beauty

Chapter 480: The Imperial Concubine is Pure and Elegant (23)

Chapter 480: The Imperial Concubine Is Pure and Elegant (Two Hundred and Thirty)

The previous emperor of Daliang Kingdom passed away and passed the throne to Crown Prince Liang Sheng. After Liang Sheng succeeded to the throne, he changed the reign title to Wuning. Now it is the end of the third year of Wuning.

There have been great changes in the Liang Palace this year. The emperor had two sons and a daughter, Empress Ji passed away, and Imperial Noble Concubine Cui fell seriously ill less than four months after giving birth and needed to stay in bed. It is said that when Lady Cui left Chengqian Palace, her eyes were red.

There are two princes in the palace. The crown prince is raised in Chengqian Palace, and the third prince is raised in Feishuang Palace. Judging from the frequency of inviting imperial physicians, the third prince born to Concubine Ji is weak and sickly, and it is not known whether he can reach adulthood.

Emperor Liang seemed to have few children. He had dismissed his harem, leaving no concubines behind except Imperial Noble Consort Cui and Consort Ji. The Imperial Noble Consort, with whom he had a close relationship, was recovering from an illness, and the Emperor disliked Princess Ji. It seemed unlikely that he would have any more children.

The ministers were indeed a little worried. They prayed in their hearts that the Crown Prince and the Third Prince would grow up safely. They thought that if the Crown Prince and the Third Prince met with misfortune in a few years, they would definitely persuade the Emperor to expand his harem. Of course, they could only think about this in their hearts and did not even dare to mention it to their colleagues, for fear of being used as stepping stones for promotion and bringing trouble to the entire family.

On the 30th day of the twelfth lunar month, an auspicious day, Emperor Liang's imperial edict to confer the title of empress spread to all palaces, and Imperial Noble Consort Cui became the second empress. Because Empress Cui was ill, the ceremony of conferring the title of empress was kept simple. The phoenix seal was passed to Empress Cui, and she would move to Kunning Palace after it was repaired.

The ladies of state came to the palace to pay their respects to the new empress. While they understood that she was bedridden and unable to see guests, they were inevitably curious: a year later, what had become of the once most beautiful woman? Was she truly seriously ill? Was His Majesty hoping to bring good luck by crowning her empress?

Some people even wondered if the queen was unwilling to see guests because her illness had damaged her beauty.

No matter how curious these ladies were, they were destined not to see Queen Cui.

However, during the New Year's Eve palace banquet, they did see Concubine Ji and her two children. The ladies watched from afar and felt that the baby girl was lively, while the baby boy was quieter and his complexion seemed normal. However, due to the distance and the children's thick clothing, they could not see clearly.

Someone whispered, "Will the Queen and the Crown Prince come today?"

Another lady also whispered, "We'll know in a moment."

Soon after, the Queen Mother, the Emperor, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince arrived, and everyone knelt to welcome them.

These dignitaries looked at the child in the emperor's arms and realized that it was the prince.

The prince was only half a year old, so he naturally needed to keep warm. Like the third prince, he wore thicker clothes, but the clothes were golden instead of red.

He lay in his father's arms, beaming at the people below. Some ministers, upon hearing the prince's laughter, hurriedly offered him compliments, saying that he had a resonant voice and was not afraid of strangers, and that he would surely become a man of both literary and military talents.

After hearing this, the Queen Mother smiled and exchanged a few words with the ministers. She also mentioned that the Queen was ill and was afraid of spreading the disease to others, so she asked to rest in the palace.

Some ladies secretly looked at the wife of Duke Cui. Seeing that her face looked normal but her eyes revealed a hint of worry, they understood that Duke Cui was worried about his daughter.

Emperor Liang quickly announced the start of the banquet. The delicacies prepared by the imperial kitchen were served one by one. The singing, dancing and opera performances on the high platform also began, and the atmosphere became lively.

Le Chang beside the emperor was holding the crown prince, while Concubine Ji was feeding the third prince soup, and the second princess was held by her wet nurse.

Everyone looked at the empty seat below the emperor.

Prime Minister Xuan had been on leave for three days, apparently still ill and unable to attend the palace banquet. Seeing the Emperor send someone to offer condolences, everyone couldn't help but sigh at the Emperor's reliance on him. The same Dragon Harmony Hall, the same magnificent singing and dancing, but the attendees at the palace banquet were different from last year's. There were both new and old guests, and the Emperor's surroundings were quite empty, with many of his concubines missing; some had left the palace, while others had passed away.

Watching the performance on the stage, people couldn't help but become alert, secretly observing the surrounding environment, thinking about things in their hearts, and watching the singing and dancing somewhat absent-mindedly.

Only after the palace banquet ended and they stepped out of the palace did they breathe a sigh of relief. The assassination last year had left them with an indelible memory. The blood, screams and fighting seemed to reappear in their minds.

Now that everything is peaceful, they feel a little lost. This contrast makes them shake their heads. Are they tired of the peaceful days for too long and have to hope for something bad?

The third year of Wuning is about to pass, and the fourth year of Wuning is about to come. People must always look forward, no matter good or bad.