ATNCF: Chapter 127 Relocating the Capital (Part Four)

 Amidst the hustle and bustle, the end of the year passed by swiftly.

Four days before New Year's Eve, another heavy snowfall graced Luoyang. From the court to the common people, all regarded it as an auspicious sign for the New Year, and there was a pervasive sense of peace and joy everywhere, making people feel relaxed and cheerful.

In the palace, everyone was busy preparing for the grand year-end court assembly.

In the past, as far as Li Jingye's impression went, this year-end court assembly, meant to usher in the new year and bid farewell to the old, was usually attended by the Emperor alone. However, half a month ago, Pei Ji mentioned this matter to her and mentioned that the Bureau of Clothing had already prepared her ceremonial dress. It was just that they were unsure if the size would fit, and they planned to try it on a few days in advance.

She was surprised and asked directly, "The New Year's Eve court assembly is usually attended by courtiers and envoys from various countries. I remember that in the past, only the Emperor would attend. Why do you want me to accompany you this time?"

Last year, when they were still in Chang'an, the year-end court assembly was simple, and Pei Ji went alone, not letting her accompany him.

"Last year, the new dynasty had just been established, and the first court assembly should not be too extravagant. At that time, there were still rumors about you outside, and it would not have been good for you to appear too often. This year is different. The world is gradually returning to peace, and the people are gradually accepting you as the Empress. Naturally, I don't need to hide you anymore." Pei Ji placed both palms on her waist, nodded, and said, "It's half an inch wider. We probably need to make some adjustments."

"But this is a court assembly, not a sacrifice—" She wanted to mention the affairs of the previous dynasty, but she didn't want to bring up Li Jingye, and hesitated for a moment.

Pei Ji paused, gradually understanding her meaning, and said, "The New Year's Eve court assembly should be attended by both the Emperor and the Empress. In the past, there was no Empress, so only the Emperor attended. What's wrong? Don't you want to go?"

"How could I not? Of course, I'm willing. I'm just afraid of causing you trouble again," Li Zhi shook her head.

She naturally hoped for intimacy and equality between the Emperor and the Empress, but she also understood that everything should be done in moderation. It should be done step by step, gradually changing things subtly.

Pei Ji glanced at her, shook his head, and said, "No, don't worry. I'm just afraid that your body won't be able to take it. That day, we'll have to get up before dawn, sit in the hall from morning till night, and even at night, we won't be able to rest and have to continue attending palace banquets."

In the past, although such arrangements were hard, Li Zhi could endure it meticulously. But now, with a child in her womb, her body grew heavier with each passing day. Especially with a few more minor ailments, she easily felt tired and needed frequent restroom breaks, making it somewhat difficult for her to endure a whole day of court assembly.

However, this was Pei Ji's well-intentioned arrangement and something she was willing to do as the Empress. Such opportunities should be cherished.

After a moment of contemplation, she gritted her teeth and nodded, "It's okay. I can endure it for a day occasionally, especially since you'll be with me."

Pei Ji smiled and held her hand, "Yes, I'll naturally be with you. If you feel uncomfortable that day, be sure to tell me. Leaving the hall a bit earlier won't be a problem. Don't push yourself too hard."

Soon, on New Year's Eve, they welcomed the busiest day of the year for the Empress and Emperor of Great Yan.

Early in the morning, before dawn, Pei Ji and Li Zhi rose together, changed into solemn ceremonial attire and ritual robes, and went to the Hanyuan Hall to attend the grand New Year's Eve court assembly.

The courtiers had already arrived, standing in line outside the Hanyuan Hall, and when they saw the Emperor and Empress arrive, they greeted them solemnly and respectfully. The envoys from various countries followed on the other side, also offering their respects.

Li Zhi followed Pei Ji into the grand hall and sat side by side with him, then looked down.

Surrounded by courtiers in various official robes, there were also envoys from various countries with different faces and attire, all looking at them with curious eyes.

Facing so many people, there could be no mistakes in demeanor and behavior. Although she was accustomed to such scenes, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous under the more direct gaze of foreigners.

Pei Ji seemed to sense her nervousness. Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was busy offering their congratulations, he gently leaned his elbow against her arm, hidden in the sleeve.

With just this extremely light touch, she gradually calmed down, straightened her back, and faced the scrutiny of the crowd calmly.

This was also one of the duties of the Emperor and Empress.

However, she was already five months pregnant, and her body was indeed inconvenient. She couldn't endure sitting for such a long time. After the two-hour greetings from the envoys ended, she left the hall first, leaving the remaining well-wishes and rewards to be handled by Pei Ji alone.

Still in the hall, Pei Ji didn't say much. He just ordered the eunuch by his side to follow her and instructed her to take a walk first before sitting down to prevent leg swelling.

Following his advice, Li Zhi walked around the palace a few times until she felt her strength returning before finally resting in her room.

After lunch in the afternoon, instead of idling around, she first went to pay respects to the Empress Dowager Li and the Grand Empress Dowager. Then, she met with the palace maids from the Six Bureaus and rewarded them generously. Next, she ordered rewards to be given to the wives of various officials and finally sent out the congratulatory messages prepared earlier for women across the country.

With everything done, it was time to attend the palace banquet.

Pei Ji was fond of frugality and disliked extravagance. Therefore, this New Year's Eve banquet was slightly simpler compared to those in previous years. However, as it was meant to entertain envoys from various countries, even if it was simple, it still showcased the magnanimous demeanor of Great Yan. Moreover, with many attendees, there was an atmosphere of joy and harmony everywhere, making people less reserved and more relaxed.

One by one, people came forward to toast. Pei Ji drank one cup after another, his expression unchanged. On the other hand, Li Zhi couldn't drink alcohol or tea, so she only replaced them with warm water. However, after only seven or eight cups, she had to get up to use the restroom.

When she returned, many people had already drunk their share. Standing in front of her now was a young couple, roughly the same age as her and Pei Ji. They seemed somewhat familiar.

The young husband was smiling and bowing to Pei Ji. Upon seeing her, he quickly turned with his wife and bowed respectfully.

Li Zhi smiled and told them not to be overly polite, then turned to Pei Ji, subtly conveying a questioning look.

Seeing the situation just now, he should be familiar with this young husband. However, besides feeling somewhat familiar, she couldn't remember who he was.

While handing her a newly filled warming stove, Pei Ji smiled and said, "This is Yang Ba Lang, my cousin. You should have some impression of him. Recently, he has been busy with the relocation of the capital, and he has contributed a lot."

Li Zhi was stunned for a moment before she remembered who he was.

The Yang family had ties to the former Li imperial family. In terms of generation, his mother should be a cousin of the Empress Dowager Li. Yang Ba Lang naturally counted as Pei Ji's distant cousin, and being nobles, the two were somewhat acquainted.

Yang Ba Lang was young and had not entered officialdom as early as Pei Ji. He rarely appeared in the palace in the past. Li Zhi had only seen him a few times, especially the last time—on the Dragon Boat Festival, during a polo match organized at the Daming Palace for Pei Ji to look for a prospective wife.

Pei Ji directly gave him the last reward.

However, the wife beside him was not the bold and outstanding Seventeenth Miss Li from that day.

She hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit regretful.

Although she had not seen the two of them standing together with her own eyes, nor had she witnessed Yang Ba Lang's admiration for Seventeenth Miss Li, she had vaguely heard about them. It seemed that Seventeenth Miss Li had agreed to him, and they were on the verge of forming a marriage, but she didn't know what went wrong later on.

At this, Yang Ba Lang apologized, "It's my negligence. I didn't greet Her Majesty the Empress earlier."

He then gestured to his side, allowing his wife to stand closer, and said with a smile, "Today, this servant actually came to introduce my wife to Your Majesty."

The young woman had an ordinary appearance, gentle and meek, with a hint of timidity on her face. However, she tried her best to maintain a dignified demeanor and stepped forward to bow to Li Zhi, "I, Qin Shi, pay my respects to Her Majesty the Empress."

Li Zhi asked her to rise and not to be overly polite.

It seemed to Qin Shi that this was the first time she had seen Pei Ji and Li Zhi up close. She seemed a bit dazed, her cheeks slightly flushed. She could only try to maintain her composure and said, "I'm presumptuous. This servant heard that Your Majesty invited several scholars from the Hanlin Academy to teach the laws of Great Yan to the palace maids. I deeply admire this. Firstly, I wanted to express my respect to Your Majesty, and secondly, I dared to ask Your Majesty if this servant could also have this opportunity to listen to the scholars' wise words."

Yang Ba Lang added, "My wife's maternal grandfather once served as the Minister of Justice in the former dynasty. Influenced by him, my wife has been interested in legal matters since childhood. Over the years, she has gained some insights, but as a woman, she has nowhere to apply them. When I heard that Your Majesty set up such a lecture hall in the palace, I dared to encourage her to come and see Your Majesty."

Li Zhi listened with some surprise. She didn't expect a woman to actively want to listen to lectures on law by scholars from the Hanlin Academy. Fortunately, after these few months of continuous study, she had some understanding of several subjects. She immediately asked a few questions. Seeing that Qin Shi answered them quite satisfactorily, she knew that she wasn't speaking empty words.

She greatly appreciated this and immediately agreed, inviting Qin Shi to the palace to listen when the lectures resumed after the New Year.

Such a young woman, who even seemed a bit timid, had pursuits different from ordinary people, which was truly precious.

Until the middle of the night when the two dowagers had left their seats one after another, Pei Ji also rose with Li Zhi. After instructing the people in the hall, they left for the sleeping quarters.

Along the way, palace servants and eunuchs followed from behind, and the two walked slowly ahead, the snow underfoot making faint crunching sounds in the quiet night.

Pei Ji tightened the hood on Li Zhi's cloak a bit and didn't hold her hand, only placing his hand, clad in a fur-lined glove, on her shoulder.

Li Zhi remembered Qin Shi and said, "I was a little surprised when I saw Madam Qin just now. I didn't expect that the marriage between Yang Ba Lang and Seventeenth Miss Li didn't happen in the end."

She said, with a hint of teasing in her eyes, "This should have been your fate. You gave way to someone else, but it still didn't happen."

Pei Ji turned to look at her, confirming that she wasn't feeling uncomfortable thinking about the past, then smiled indifferently, "Where is it my fate? My fate has long been destined to be with you. Ba Lang told me that Seventeenth Miss Li originally intended to marry him, but when it came to the engagement, there was unrest, and she had to follow her family to move south and marry a local official's son there. The current Madam Qin was chosen for him by his mother later on."

"Ah, so that's what happened." Li Zhi recalled the natural intimacy between the two just now and was momentarily surprised. "But he seemed quite compatible with Madam Qin. He even came to me himself to plead for her."

It should be noted that even though the current atmosphere is more open-minded, most men still deeply dislike their wives being too active outside. It's not common to see someone like Yang Ba Lang actively encouraging his wife to study law and attend lectures in the palace.

Pei Ji said, "Yes, he initially didn't agree to this marriage. But at that time, the chaos of war had just subsided. He happened to see Madam Qin take out the savings she had accumulated over the years, personally buy grain from the shop, and distribute it to the refugees who had just arrived in Chang'an with no place to go, using a false name. That's when he changed his mind. After spending time together several times, they both felt a mutual liking, and that's how this marriage came about."

Li Zhi nodded in admiration. "This Madam Qin is indeed extraordinary. Although it's regrettable about Seventeenth Miss Li, Madam Qin also deserves wholehearted respect from others."

"Yes," Pei Ji said, seeming to remember something as he looked at the crescent moon in the sky and sighed. "Buddhism says that everything has its karmic fate. The same individuals, encountered early or late, will have very different outcomes. Li Niang, fortunately, I met you not too late."

Li Zhi suddenly felt a pang in her heart and softly replied after blinking, "Yes, fortunately not too late."

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