sjar Chapter 237: Longevity Chapter
Chapter 237: Longevity Chapter
Today is the Emperor's birthday. Everyone got up at the crowing of cocks. Hui Chengyuan helped Yuan Man dress up and helped her out of the Prince's Mansion. "Ah Man, you are pregnant. You don't have to attend many grand ceremonies. Let Yuan Bao take your place."
Yuan Man waved his hand and said, "It's okay if you don't attend the other events, but you must attend the grand ceremony to celebrate Father's birthday."
"Okay, I'll tell my mother." Hui Chengyuan helped her get on the carriage and headed towards Zhengyang Palace.
When the time comes, the emperor and empress will come to Zhengyang Palace to accept congratulations from all officials, and then tour Kyoto together before going to the imperial ancestral temple.
As soon as the two of them stepped into Zhengyang Palace, officials began to bow and greet them, "Greetings to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess."
"No need to be polite, Your Excellency." Hui Chengyuan helped Yuan Man walk to the front and sat down.
"Leshan Hou is here."
Yao Yu calmly greeted these unfamiliar officials and did not come to find Yuan Man. Instead, he took Yao Yao to his seat and sat down.
Yaoyao saw Yuanman had also arrived and was about to go find her when two girls in gorgeous clothes blocked her way.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Miss Yao, I am the second young lady of the Prime Minister's Mansion, my name is Yao Jingshu. I would like to make friends with you." Yao Jingshu said as she bowed.
Yaoyao looked her up and down. "If I remember correctly, Prime Minister Yao seems to have only one daughter, and she's married now."
Yao Jingshu smiled, but secretly hated him in her heart, "Although I am not my uncle's daughter, I am also the second lady of the Prime Minister's Mansion."
"Oh, that's right." Yao Yao nodded, but the next words directly hit Yao Jingshu's heart, making her face pale for a moment.
"But the second branch of the Prime Minister's Mansion seems to have always lived in the countryside. Your father is not an official and has always been supported by Prime Minister Yao. How can you be qualified to enter the palace?"
If Yao Jingshu hadn't tried hard to suppress her emotion, her face would have been distorted.
Yaoyao raised her chin, "Do you really think I know nothing as I'm new here?"
She had read a lot of gossip about Kyoto along with her aunt, so she knew everything, huh.
"Please give way."
Yao Jingshu was extremely angry, but still gave way.
But before Yaoyao could go find Yuanman, the emperor and empress arrived.
"Your Majesty, the Queen has arrived..."
Yao Yao hurried back to her seat, and Yao Jingshu pulled her sisters back. She had spent two months studying the palace rules in the Prime Minister's Mansion, so she naturally knew how serious they were.
"Long live my emperor, long live my queen, and my queen, my queen, my queen, my queen, my queen, my queen."
The emperor held Yuanbao in one hand and the empress in the other hand, and sat down, then said with a smile: "All the ministers, please stand up."
Then Chief Steward Cao began to read the congratulatory speech. All the officials followed suit. Hui Chengyuan and Yuan Man stood in the first row. Yuan Bao stood obediently beside Hui Guyuan. The concubines from all the palaces stood on the right and knelt down to pay their respects.
When the Queen saw that Yuan Man was about to kneel down, she immediately said, "Crown Princess, please come to my side."
The emperor looked at her in confusion. Why couldn't he accept birthday greetings from his daughter-in-law?
The queen frowned at him and whispered, "You don't know or are you pretending not to know? Ah-Man is pregnant. You are kneeling here and there. If something happens to her, what will you do to compensate her?"
The emperor's eyes widened immediately, "I have another grandson?"
"It's my granddaughter." The queen rolled her eyes at him.
The emperor grinned, then immediately retracted his smile. "When did you know this? Why didn't you tell me in advance?"
"You don't know, they told it when they came back." The queen looked at him in surprise.
The emperor immediately glared at Hui Chengyuan.
Such great news, and he had been back for so long, but he didn't even tell his father.
At this time, all the ministers were standing in the middle, watching the emperor and the empress whispering, and then the emperor suddenly glared at the prince.
Hui Chengyuan blinked his eyes to show that he was innocent and he didn't know why he was being glared at.
Yuanman took a step forward and knelt down to pay homage to the emperor.
The emperor looked at her and smiled, "Crown Princess, you are pregnant, so just stay with your mother. You don't have to follow her for the next big gift."
"Father has just received your great gift. That is enough."
"Yes, thank you, father." Yuan Man walked to the queen.
The queen took her hand and had a chair prepared next to her for her to sit on.
However, the ministers were disappointed by the emperor's words. The Crown Princess was revealed to be pregnant. So, their chance had come.
After the birthday celebration, everyone had breakfast in Zhengyang Palace, and then began to tour Kyoto with the emperor and empress, going to the Taimiao to worship their ancestors.
The Queen took Yuan Man's hand and said, "You will ride with Yuan Bao and Mother later."
"Okay, I will listen to you, mother." Yuan Man was naturally not unhappy.
"The third prince of Song State, Song Minyan, is here to celebrate the birthday."
"Xuan."
Song Minyan walked in wearing the clothes of the third prince of Song State, followed by a guard holding a large gift box.
"Song Minyan wishes Emperor An a long life, longevity that will last as long as the heavens."
The emperor said with a smile: "Thank you Min Yan for coming all the way to celebrate my birthday. Come on, please take a seat."
"If Min Yan is interested in the parade later, we can go and see the grand sight of our Kyoto together."
"Okay, Minyan will not miss this magnificent sight that can only be seen once a year." Song Minyan glanced at Yaoyao as he walked to his seat.
After the emperor and the empress left Zhengyang Palace, all the officials followed and left the palace with the imperial carriage.
Hui Chengyuan rode his horse to the Phoenix Chariot, looked at Yuan Man and said, "If you feel uncomfortable, you must tell mother."
Yuan Man smiled at him and said, "Don't worry, I can take care of my own body, so go ahead."
The Queen glanced at Hui Chengyuan unhappily and didn't want to pay any attention to him, as if she was abusing her daughter-in-law.
After leaving the palace, more and more people gathered around.
"Long live my emperor."
The people of Kyoto only had the opportunity to see the emperor during the Emperor's birthday celebrations, so naturally no one would miss it.
Even some ordinary children of noble families who were unable to enter the palace would appear on the streets.
After receiving birthday congratulations from the people of the city, the emperor went to the Taimiao.
Many people would follow along and walk to the front of the Taimiao, praying with the emperor.
The emperor, Hui Chengyuan and Yuanbao entered the Taimiao together, and the rest of the people bowed outside the Taimiao. They kneeled for an hour, and many girls from aristocratic families could not bear it and left halfway, but no one said anything.
So Yuan Man only knelt for a while, said something to the queen, and walked out.
Yaoyao followed her out and said, "Aunt, this Longevity Festival doesn't seem to be fun."
Yuan Man tapped her forehead and said, "The Wanshou Festival is the emperor's birthday. It's mainly to congratulate His Majesty on his longevity, not for everyone to have fun."
"However, there will be a palace banquet when we return to the palace in the evening. There will be a stage and dancers. You can go and watch whatever you want."
"Because tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, there will be various lantern riddles in the palace. You can ask Yuan Er to accompany you to look at them then."
Yaoyao accompanied her to the Phoenix Chariot, "Okay, thank you, aunt."