Chapter 941: Chapter 937: Coronation Ceremony
“Eldest Young Lady?” Bai Qingyu, not noticing anything within the alley, gently called out to Bai Qingyan.
“Let’s go back…” Bai Qingyan spoke.
Bai Qingyan bent down and sat in the carriage; Bai Qingjue, Fu Ruoxi, and Xie Yuchang mounted their horses with the imperial guards.
Sitting inside the carriage, Bai Qingyan closed her aching eyes, unsure if the glimpse of A Yu just now was a fignt of her exhaustion or reality.
Bai Qingjue and Fu Ruoxi, along with Xie Yuchang, led the guards forward, and only then did Bai Qingyan’s carriage begin to move slowly.
She rembered that fleeting glance and, not willing to give up, raised her hand to lift the carriage curtain, gripping it tightly.
The man dressed as a Rong, wearing a mask, stood at the mouth of the alley under the bright moonlight. It was clearly… her brother A Yu.
A wave of bitterness hit her eyes. She watched A Yu’s figure move farther away, her vision blurred by tears.
Clearly, this was the closest they had been as siblings, yet they could only gaze at each other from afar, unable to et or recognize each other.
Only when A Yu’s figure disappeared did she release the curtain… She sat in the carriage with closed eyes, suppressing her emotions, unwilling to let her family see her tears upon returning to the Bai Mansion.
Her mind was filled with the spirited figure of A Yu when he set out, and his confident smile when he promised to bring her the most beautiful pigeon blood stone.
It’s wonderful… A Yu is still alive, A Yu… has returned!
Yet she still hoped that the edict she proclaid to the world could bring more mbers of the Bai family back, even if… just one more!
The road from the prison to the Bai Mansion was not short… but not long either. By the ti Bai Qingyan alighted from the carriage, Chun Tao and Nanny Tong ca forward to support her, and her emotions had already settled.
Bai Qingjue personally escorted her back to the Qinghui Courtyard, reminding her, “Tomorrow is the enthronent ceremony, Eldest Young Lady must rest well tonight.”
Bai Qingyan nodded at the noticeably taller Bai Qingjue, “You too, rest early… There will be much to do tomorrow.”
·
On the twentieth day of June in the first year of Yuanhe, the enthronent ceremony of the Empress of Zhou Kingdom.
Bai Qingyan reviewed morials all night and, when dawn faintly broke, was roused to change clothes.
Ever since Bai Qingyan set the date for her enthronent on the twentieth of June, the palace had been rushing to prepare her ceremonial robe. The person in charge of the weaving room chased her for a look at the court attire prepared according to the old style of the Jin Dynasty, and Bai Qingyan only instructed… it shouldn’t be overly lavish, leaving the room manager in a panic.
It was Bai Jinse who gave a hint, telling the room manager to think of the Bai family army’s black sail with white python flag, and only then did he realize and hurried back to ramp up production.
But perhaps due to the Jin Dynasty’s notorious extravagance, the room manager cleverly split silver threads into fine lines, twisting four strands of silver with four strands of white thread into a single thread to weave the bright moon on the shoulders of the black robe, entwining gold split thread into the white thread to embroider dragon patterns and sun.
The colors were harmonized by varying the mix of gold and silver threads within the white thread, with stars and mountain patterns on the back… The twelve symbols appeared simple at first glance but shimred brilliantly in sunlight and candlelight.
Mrs. Dong personally helped her daughter dress, fixing Bai Qingyan’s ceremonial robe. Standing under the lamp, seeing her daughter dressed in the emperor’s black robe, standing tall, she knew her daughter was still her daughter, yet she also seed different in the emperor’s attire.
Perhaps she realized that from this day forward… her daughter was no longer just her daughter, but also the monarch of the Zhou Kingdom.
Bai Jinxiu, Bai Jinzhao, Bai Jinhua, and Bai Jinse, along with Bai Qingyan’s aunts, stood aside, tearfully gazing at Bai Qingyan dressed in her ceremonial robe, feeling she was increasingly dignified, with the power to shake mountains and electrify the sky.
None of them had ever imagined that Bai Qingyan would lead the Bai family to this point, let alone ascend the throne to beco emperor.
No one expected Bai Qingyan to personally realize the Bai family’s ancestral ambition to unify the world, instead of entrusting such aspirations to the monarchs they served.
Mrs. Dong, eyes reddened, personally adjusted Bai Qingyan’s jade hooks and jade pendants, great and small ribbon pendants, gently touching the embroidery on her robe, saying, “The twelve symbols on the ceremonial robe represent: Hua Chong… for its refined beauty, fenmi… nourishing the people, Zao… high moral character, Fu… distinguishing right from wrong, Fire… straightforwardness and integrity, Zongyi… loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, and filial piety, Mountain… steadfast like mountains, Sun, Moon, Stars… bright and illuminating, taking care of the people across the land!”
Her tearful eyes looked at Bai Qingyan, “Mother hopes you… can be a benevolent emperor for the four corners of the land, fulfilling your grandfather, father, uncles and the Bai family ancestors’ ambition to unify the world! Bring peace back to the people, and build prosperity upon the earth.”
Bai Qingyan looked at Mrs. Dong, solemnly bowing with a salute, “I will rember Mother’s words! Daughter… will be a benevolent emperor, leading Zhou Kingdom… to unify the world, determined and unyielding… until death stops .”
Upon hearing Bai Qingyan’s words, Bai Jinzhao knelt on one knee, saluting Bai Qingyan, “Bai Jinzhao will follow Eldest Young Lady to the death! To unify the world… determined and unyielding, until death stops !”
Determined and unyielding, until death stops .
This was previously their grandfather Bai Weiting’s personal mark embodying his na: “unyielding”.
Bai Jinxiu, Bai Jinhua, and Bai Jinse also knelt. As mbers of the Bai bloodline, from birth… they knew they were destined to contribute to the unification of the world.
Bai Qingyan, clad in ceremonial robes, offered sacrifices to heaven, worshipping the ancestral hall and paying respects to the ancestors.
The gates of Wude opened wide, on the walls of the city the black-sailed white python flag fluttered in the wind. Gold-armored, silver-held imperial guards lined both sides of the long street, with Bai Qingjue, Bai Jinzhao, Bai Jinhua, in military attire at the forefront, leading nine rows of black-armored heavy cavalry holding aloft the black sail white python flag, proceeding in order.
Eight pitch-black steeds drew the imperial carriage, inside which Bai Qingyan, dressed in ceremonial robes, sat upright and composed.
The heavy cavalry of the Bai family army led by Bai Qingjue had truly experienced the slaughter of war, drenched in blood on the battlefield, surviving against all odds. The black armor of the Bai family army’s heavy cavalry was far less flashy than the imperial guards, their black armor shone with a cold light, with knife and axe marks cut upon the heavy black armor, the blades in their scabbards long since chipped, yet these were symbols of their honor.
Usually commanding respect, the imperial guards seed devoid of grandeur in the face of the Bai family army’s battle-hardened and fierce soldiers, appearing rely polished by comparison.
Today, Bai Qingyan had Bai Qingjue lead the Bai family army to guard the procession to show the people… these are the soldiers who safeguard the nation and its citizens, protected by such warriors.
The morning’s radiant glow burst across the eastern sky, engulfing the entire Dadu City in golden light.
The old and sturdy gate of Wude was wide open, the glazed tiles atop the hall shining brilliantly under the morning light.
The ceremonial music played, drums urged forward, and horns sounded in unison.
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