On the ninth day of the third month of the fifth year of Wanli, the time has just passed the fourth watch, and the Forbidden City, decorated with lights and colorful decorations, is already bustling with people coming and going.
Zhu Yijun, who was fully dressed in formal attire, went to the Fengxian Hall first to pay homage to his ancestors. Afterwards, they visited the Ciqing Palace of the Empress Dowager Rensheng on the east side and the Cining Palace of the Empress Dowager Cisheng on the west side of the Forbidden City, respectively, to report the matter of marrying a daughter-in-law today. The two queen mothers also responded with courtesy and completed the first process.
When Zhu Yijun paid a visit to Queen Mother Rensheng in Ciqing Palace, he met Princess Leping adopted by the Queen Mother. The princess had lived in the palace for more than a year and had completely matured into a little beauty. When she met Zhu Yijun, she saluted him to express her congratulations. Zhu Yijun saw her eyes looking at him with joy, and guessed that she had been living a good life recently.
Later, Zhu Yijun visited the Huangji Palace. Zhonghe Shao music is set up in front of the hall, and Danbi music is set up inside the hall. The legal record book and the queen's guard of honor are fully furnished. Honglu Temple has a book-making table, a book-making table, a book-making table and a treasure table in front of the throne. The Ministry of Rites presented the gift to Lord Dan.
The emperor passed on the system and still sent envoys Zhang Rong and Zhang Juzheng, the British Dukes. The poem says: "I hereby appoint Zhuang Jingjia, the legitimate daughter of Zhuang Yunchang, the commander of the Jinyi Guards, as the queen. I order the ministers and others to hold the ceremony and present the treasures in the ceremony to welcome her." The two welcoming envoys went out to follow the order.
The salute officer praised: Congratulations! All the princes, princes, nobles, civil and military officials in the world all wore auspicious clothes and knelt down three times and kowtowed five times to the emperor with joy. The sound of drums and music were mixed with shouts of long live, making the Huangji Palace extremely festive.
The salute officer signaled the ceremony to be completed, and all the ministers stood up. The festival held by the envoy Zhang Rong and the queen's book-making treasures were all covered with umbrellas and they went out from the middle door first.
The internal officials and deacons carried the gifts along with the umbrella cover, and the chief and deputy envoys followed. More than a thousand people went straight to the former Zhuang Mansion - which has been renovated many times according to the internal officials' instructions and renamed the Queen's Palace.
In the Queen's Middle School, on the eighth day of March, the main and deputy envoys' offices were set up outside the gate to the south - similar to a tent, with tables and chairs inside for the envoys to drink water and change clothes. At the same time, there are three yellow tables surrounding the case making table, the festival table, and the treasure book table, at the entrance of the main hall inside the gate.
When Zhang Rong and Zhang Juzheng arrived, they first took out the knots, books and treasures from the queen's colorful carriage under the umbrella, and then went to the scene to rest.
The female officials and wives around Queen Mother Li entered the right side of the middle hall with the Queen's jewelry and the Kowloon and Four Phoenix crowns and coats, and entered the back hall from here; the inner officer Queen Chen's ceremonial guard, chariot wheels and other items were placed inside the gate. After the ceremonial guards were arranged in order, Zhang Rong and Zhang Juzheng came out of the scene and entered the queen's palace.
Wan Shi, the left minister of the Ministry of Etiquette, and the etiquette officer appointed to welcome him this time, first said to Zhuang Yunchang and other bankers who were greeting him respectfully: "After the book is made, send envoys to hold the treasures in the book, perform the greeting ceremony, and kneel to welcome you." Xiaodu knelt on the red carpet in front of the main hall.
Lu Shusheng and Zhang Jing, ministers of the Ministry of Etiquette, acted as the officiants and signaled the deacon to lift up the big case placed at the door and move forward. Zhang Rong and Zhang Juzheng followed the big case being carried away, and Lu Shusheng and Zhang Jing followed at the end.
After entering the main hall, the festival case is placed in the northernmost position, and the case making is delegated to the lower level. The treasure collection case is placed in the southernmost position.
Zhang Rong put the festival in the festival case, Zhang Juzheng put the book making in the case, and then put the treasure in the treasure case. Then Zhang Rong stood on the left side of the case, and Zhang Juzheng stood on the right side of the case, facing each other. At this time, Zhang Hong and Chen Ju, the chief ministers of ceremony, came out of the middle hall and accepted the making of books and treasures on behalf of the queen.
At this time, the female officer who entered the back hall from the right side of the main hall had already helped Zhuang Jingjia put on the queen's crown and finished her dress. Ever since Empress Dowager Li issued the decree to select Zhuang Jingjia as the queen, she has no one around her - all the servants are separated by the eunuchs and palace ladies sent from the inner palace. Her parents want to see their daughter in person. With permission from these people.
Of course, knowing that this person who was about to become the master of the harem was only subordinate to the Queen Mother of the two palaces, no internal official had the courage to show off his authority and make things difficult for others. Everyone just followed the rules of etiquette to prevent the "quasi-queen" from having contact with irrelevant people.
Ever since the Queen Mother's edict was issued, Zhuang Jingjia has been living in a dream, as if she is no longer herself.
The fourteen-year-old cardamom girl, when she was pregnant, had imagined what her "beloved" would be like - a suave, handsome and tall young man, who was also a man who read poetry and had great literary talent. A talented man; he is also a seed of infatuation, he neither takes concubines nor steals maids, he only loves himself.
Zhuang Jingjia thought crazily, comparing the emperor with these three standards, none of them were right. He is only of average height and has narrow eyes. Except when he looks at himself with a straight face, he looks a bit majestic and not very handsome. Although he knows that his name comes from the Book of Songs, he once heard his father say that he hates Hanlin the most, and he himself I never compose poetry; as for the last one, thinking about it now, it is simply a joke.
However, this man is the emperor after all. When Zhuang Jingjia thought of this, her whole body felt hot and her head felt dizzy. From the ninth day of March, she will become the mistress of all people in the world. She is only fifteen years old now. She only celebrated her fourteenth birthday on the twenty-eighth day of this month.
While I was thinking about it, I suddenly heard loud music and music playing in the main hall in front of me. A female official said: "The Director of Ceremonies and Eunuch Chen have received the festival and treasures." Sure enough, in less than a tea time, the two officials led Zhang Hong and Chen Ju, who were holding festivals and treasures, into the middle hall and put them in front of the central hall. Each is placed on a table surrounded by yellow silk in the central hall.
Zhuang Jingjia quickly recalled in her mind the etiquette she had been practicing these days.
With the support of a group of female officials and palace people, he went to stand in front of the incense table.
Zhang Hong and Chen Ju knelt down first and bowed four times. Then the two people stood up and Zhang Hong said: "Announcement." Chen Ju said: "The queen kneels down to receive her."
Zhuang Jingjia knelt down and Zhang Hong read out the Queen's Book of Treasures. They are just praising Zhuang Jingjia for being virtuous, gentle, and outstanding in virtue. Now she has been appointed queen by her mother.
After he finished reading, Chen Ju said: "The Queen receives the title." Zhang Hong awarded the Queen's title to Zhuang Jingjia. Zhuang Jingjia took it and passed it to the female official next to her to keep it. Then Chen Ju praised: "The Queen is blessed." Zhang Hong immediately took the Queen's seal and awarded it to Zhuang Jingjia. Zhuang Jingjia still handed it to the female officer, who knelt down to receive it.
Finally, Chen Ju praised: "Queen Jie Gui." So Zhang Hong gave the Queen Bai Yugui a handle, Zhuang Jingjia picked it up, held it with both hands, and placed it on her chest. Zhang Hong and Chen Ju immediately knelt down and bowed four times before completing the ceremony.
Then Zhuang Jingjia still moved into the back hall, and Zhang Hong and Chen Ju walked to the main hall and reported to Zhang Rong and Zhang Juzheng that the queen's ceremony of receiving the treasure was completed. Then, all the relevant people in the main hall bowed and bowed, and then the ceremony was completed.
After all this work is done, the last task for everyone in the Queen's Place is to pick up the Queen. Therefore, the Queen's ceremonial guard, under the restraint of the ceremonial attendant, began to organize the team.
Since Zhuang Jingjia had already received the queen's title and treasures, Zhang Rong and Zhang Juzheng knelt down to the female officials, who went to the back hall to invite the queen to wear her crown and dress before leaving.
With the support of the female singers and palace officials, Zhuang Jingjia walked from the back hall to the east side of the main hall and walked down the steps to the book-making and incense table in the main hall.
The inner deacon praised and said: Thank you! Zhuang Jingjia finished her four bows. Then he went up to the hall, stood in front of the incense table, and turned south.
Lu Shusheng and Zhang Jing stood in front of the queen, facing east and west. Lu Shusheng praised her and said, "Respect her. You have never disobeyed her orders!" After four bows, the two of them left the main hall.
The Queen's father and mother enter and stand to the west and east of the Queen. Zhuang Jingjia's mother put the colorful silk rope and matching scarf on Zhuang Jingjia's body, and her father Zhuang Yunchang said: "I respect you. I will do it all day and night." Then the two bowed four times and exited the main hall.
Zhuang Jingjia held back tears and did not dare to look at her parents who were retreating on the west steps. Then the attendants and female officials gathered around, music played, and the queen was promoted to the throne.
After greeting the ceremonial guards and marching happily, the Queen set off in a grand carriage, accompanied by the envoys and deputy envoys - heading towards the palace city that Zhuang Jingjia could never leave in this life.
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