Before dawn, the eunuchs and maids in the palace were busy in various ways. Starting from the Huangji Gate, they laid out various pendant canopies all the way to the harem.
All the palaces, including the open space outside the palace, were cleanly cleaned, and festive red cloth lanterns were hung on the beams.
The main road in the palace was covered with a red carpet embroidered with dragon and phoenix patterns. On both sides of the main road, the royal guards and officials from the Ministry of Etiquette were decorating the ceremony and music.
In Huangji Hall, the most important palace in the palace, it needs to be dressed up today.
The eunuchs and maids were carefully arranging the emperor's throne, preparations, festival plans, the roster needed for the emperor's wedding, and many colorful items in the palace.
Officials from the Ministry of Rites also entered the palace early. They were responsible for placing the gifts sent by local officials and envoys on the steps of the main hall where the emperor's wedding was held.
After the emperor's edict to select a concubine is issued, all officials, clan members, and vassal states must prepare celebratory gifts, and they must be presented to the capital before the concubine selection is completed.
During this period, these gifts are temporarily stored in the Ministry of Ceremonies, and when the wedding is officially held, they must be placed intact in the main hall.
Originally, according to etiquette, the emperor's wedding should not be held in the Huangji Hall, but in the other two halls or the Kunning Palace where the queen was.
But in order to elevate Zhang Yan's status as much as possible, Zhu Youxiao chose the Huangji Palace as the location, regardless of public opinions.
This kind of scene is rare, and only during the emperor's wedding would there be such a grand arrangement.
Moreover, these arrangements cannot be made in advance and must be done after midnight, so these eunuchs and maids worked overtime all night without rest.
As the emperor, Zhu Youxiao was naturally the protagonist today. He also got up early before dawn.
Today he does not wear formal clothes or regular clothes. Instead, he must wear a unique crown robe, which represents the emperor's crown robe.
After putting on the imperial robes, Zhu Youxiao will go to the Huangji Hall to receive congratulations from the civil and military officials, and then appoint two envoys, the first and second envoys, to be responsible for all the etiquette procedures of the wedding.
The first and second envoys were basically the Minister of Rites and the Yushi Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Before the Jiajing Year, the second envoy's job was to be responsible for wedding etiquette, and also needed to receive envoys from other countries and regions who came to congratulate.
At this time, the Ming Dynasty is no longer the Ming Dynasty in the Yongle period. There is no grand occasion for all nations to come to the DPRK. Except for North Korea, other surrounding countries basically do not come to the Ming Dynasty at other times except during the annual tribute period.
If it weren't for the generous rewards from the Ming Dynasty, they might not even have paid tribute. This is proof of the decline in national power.
Since the Jiajing period, the duties of the chief and deputy envoys have changed. Their duty has become to represent the emperor to marry the queen into the palace.
The first and second envoys had to bow to the emperor four times before setting off, and then they took over the preparation and preparation of the documents, and walked out from the middle door of the hall with the emperor's edict. The betrothal gifts and other items were also carried out by the guards.
When they arrive outside the Huangji Gate, the two envoys will place the wedding papers and wedding papers in the wedding sedan that the queen will sit in. Then they will take off their court clothes and ride on horses, followed by ceremonial guards and music.
The emperor continued to receive congratulations in the Huangji Palace, while Zhang Yan, as the quasi-empress, was waiting in a royal palace in the inner city.
Before the official canonization ceremony is held, even if the candidate for the queen has been determined, this person cannot live in the palace, otherwise it will be against the rules.
As Zhang Yan was a foreigner and had no relatives or friends in the capital, Zhu Youxiao simply arranged for her to live in a palace. The queen was fully qualified to live in the palace, and it was only for a few days.
Her parents also arrived in the capital smoothly under the escort of Jin Yiwei, and the emperor's two concubines also accompanied Zhang Yan in the palace.
It will take some time for them to receive the canonization order, at least half a month later, after the queen's various matters are completed before it is their turn.
Not long after, the first and second envoys had arrived at Zhang Yan's mansion. Everyone in the mansion knelt down outside Zhang Yan's palace. The two envoys then formally read out the emperor's edict to marry Zhang Yan as his queen.
After the edict was read out, Zhang Yan got on the wedding sedan representing the queen under the greetings of the two envoys.
The queen's wedding sedan took off from the palace in the inner city, and headed straight towards the imperial city under the escort of the palace guards.
The gongs and drums were being played along the way, and the Jin Yiwei were giving away money along the street. Each of the twenty or so Jin Yiwei had a basket full of coins in their hands, and they were spreading it around.
In the Huangji Palace, all the greeting etiquette had ended. At this moment, the queen's wedding sedan finally entered the palace. At this moment, outside the Huangji Gate, Zhu Youxiao immediately led the civil and military officials out of the gate.
The queen is the most noble woman in the world. Even the emperor must give her some face, and in such a big event, she must give the queen enough face.
After arriving at Huangji Gate, the emperor personally picked up Zhang Yan from the wedding sedan. At this time, Zhang Yan was not wearing the so-called phoenix crown and harem, but was wearing the queen's dress.
Then the two of them entered from the main entrance of Huangji Gate hand in hand. The ceremonial guard behind them was ten steps away from the emperor and empress. All the officials, clan members, guards, eunuchs, maids, etc. knelt on both sides of the main road.
When they reached the steps of the Huangji Palace, the female official of the palace chief minister quickly came forward with a piece of clothing and jewelry and put them on Zhang Yan. This was the only one in the world that belonged to the queen, the Nine Dragons and Four Phoenix Crown.
Moreover, the queen did not wear much in her life. This thing is like the emperor's crown dress, which can only be worn in large formal occasions.
After the queen has finished dressing, she must kneel down in front of the incense table four times, and then the official will read out the sealing edict.
An official from the Ministry of Rites standing aside opened the edict and formally read out the edict to canonize the queen.
"Inheriting the order of heaven, the grand plan of Qin Shao, the way of governing the country, the foundation of the family, the relationship between husband and wife, and the meaning of the universe, I now have the Zhang family of Kaifeng Prefecture, who is about the same age, has both political integrity and talent, and good posture, and is officially registered as the Ming Dynasty Central Committee. The queen of the palace, the mother of the world!"
After the edict was read out, under the leadership of the official of the Ministry of Rites, the people present greeted the queen with a great welcome and shouted:
"I respectfully welcome Her Majesty the Queen to pay her respects!"
Zhang Yan, the newly enthroned queen, took a deep breath, raised her hand gracefully and said:
"Flat body!"
The ministers shouted again:
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Queen!"
After the ceremony, the incense table was removed, and the emperor supported the queen up the steps and entered the Huangji Hall.
In the Huangji Hall, all civil and military officials knelt down to congratulate him again.
Under the guidance of the announcer, the queen rewarded all the courtiers in the palace one by one, ranging from officials of the six cabinet departments to eunuchs and palace maids.
After the queen's reward was over, the civil and military officials and palace ministers once again knelt down to express their gratitude.
After that, the canonization ceremony was basically over, and all the important matters were completed. The queen left the Huangji Hall, and under the leadership of the female officer, officially entered her palace, Kunning Palace!
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