On the second day of court, the court officials once again petitioned Xuanyuan Mo to crown An Ningxiang as Empress. This time, he did not hesitate and agreed.
His hands gripped the armrests tightly. When he uttered the word “Approved,” the sense of satisfaction he had expected from achieving his goal was nowhere to be found. Instead, his heart felt heavy and uncomfortable.
Sitting at the top, he watched as the ministers congratulated General An with joy, the delight on the faces of the An family father and son impossible to conceal. This only made Xuanyuan Mo feel more uneasy.
He waved his hand, dismissing court earlier than usual.
Having achieved their purpose, the ministers refrained from further pressing him, careful not to provoke his anger. Even their plans to impeach the Imperial Concubine were wisely put aside.
After all, the Imperial Concubine was merely a consort and could not compare to the Empress in status.
Crowning the Empress was a major event. Xuanyuan Mo ordered the preparations for the ceremony to begin and instructed the Imperial Astronomers to select an auspicious date.
Once court adjourned, news of the impending coronation quickly spread, sparking cheers among the people.
Honorable Consort An’s noble character made her a deserving candidate to be Tianqin Kingdom’s mother of the nation. The decision was popular, with almost no opposition.
When An Ningxiang received the imperial edict, even with her usual composure, she couldn’t suppress the surge of joy in her heart. She rewarded the eunuch who delivered the decree handsomely.
However, the atmosphere in the palace was far more subdued than in the outside world. The lower-ranked consorts, who had entered the palace more recently, were whispering among themselves.
“So what if the Imperial Concubine is favored? She’s still just a consort. She could never become the mother of the nation.”
“She may appear favored, but she’s utterly isolated with no backing. Even if she aspired to be Empress, no one would support her.”
After An Ningxiang accepted the decree, she began receiving visits from the other consorts. Unlike before, now that she was the Empress-to-be, she couldn’t avoid meeting them. Many of the newer consorts had already aligned themselves with her.
Concubine Meng De and Concubine Yin Shu, however, chose to remain in their quarters. After Xuanyuan Mo’s decree to crown An Ningxiang, they only sent gifts to congratulate her, refraining from visiting in person.
Speculation ran wild in the palace. Some believed Concubine Meng De and the others were sulking out of jealousy.
In truth, they were indeed sulking, but not for themselves. Years ago, they had already lost interest in the so-called “love” of the Emperor. Their seclusion was an act of silent solidarity, not for their own grievances but for someone else’s.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Concubine, who should have been the most upset and discontented, seemed surprisingly at ease. She spent her days enjoying flowers, sipping tea, composing poetry, and living comfortably. Much to the frustration of others.
Even An Ningxiang found the situation perplexing.
She had always believed that the Imperial Concubine deeply loved Xuanyuan Mo. Every time she saw the Imperial Concubine looking at him, her gaze had been filled with intense affection.
At a time like this, Tang Guo shouldn’t have been so cheerful.
An Ningxiang gently caressed her stomach. She had no intention of flaunting her position before the Imperial Concubine. After all, she was already the Empress-to-be and carrying the Emperor’s child.
If Ah Mo continued to treat her sincerely, her son would one day be Tianqin Kingdom’s crown prince.
It’s truly pointless to bother arguing with an Imperial Concubine who has a title but no heirs.
As long as the Imperial Concubine didn’t provoke her, An Ningxiang wouldn’t trouble her. After all, she couldn’t quite figure out Ah Mo’s feelings for the Imperial Concubine. He seemed to treat her differently.
Even though An Ningxiang tried to avoid her, chance encounters in the imperial gardens were inevitable.
When Tang Guo saw her, she didn’t avoid her either. As the Empress-to-be, An Ningxiang couldn’t just ignore her and walked over with the help of her attendants.
“Imperial Concubine,” she greeted.
Seeing Tang Guo now, she no longer needed to address her with honorifics. The thought gave An Ningxiang a sense of satisfaction.
As she waited for Tang Guo to rise and salute her, the Imperial Concubine remained seated, merely nodding at her. “Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
An Ningxiang felt a twinge of discomfort but decided not to dwell on it, thinking that the official coronation hadn’t yet taken place.
However, her personal maid, Chunxue, couldn’t help but scold, “Doesn’t the Imperial Concubine know she should rise and pay her respects to the Empress?”
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