mtlumby2d Chapter 262 Demon Concubine
Chapter 262 Demon Concubine
Not only Xu Jiaoran opposed the matter of crowning her as queen, but all the officials in the court also opposed it.
"Your Majesty, this Xu was the Crown Princess of the former Crown Prince Li Ji. How can she become the Queen after remarrying?"
"Your Majesty, please think twice! The position of Queen is related to the country. If you make Xu the Queen at this time, how will the people of the world think of Your Majesty?"
Li Zhen was annoyed when he heard these opposing voices. He asked, "Oh? If I establish a queen, what will people think of me?"
"Now that Li Ji is rebelling in the name of orthodoxy, and you are making Xu your queen, people will think that Your Majesty was deceived by a woman..."
"Are you trying to usurp the throne?" Li Zhen sneered.
"Your Majesty, I am telling the truth. You cannot make Xu the empress! If Your Majesty wants to reward Xu for giving birth to a prince, you can make her a royal concubine!"
Li Zhen frowned. Imperial Concubine?
Xu Jiaoran doesn't even want the position of queen, so how could she be interested in being an imperial concubine?
Of course, Li Zhen was no fool. The court officials were so opposed. He had just ascended the throne and did not want to arouse public anger. So he suppressed his anger and shelved his original plan to disband the harem. He said, "I have just ascended the throne. The harem cannot be without a queen. I have made up my mind to make Xu the queen. Besides, it is time for the concubines in the harem to be promoted! The Ministry of Rites should get started!"
Li Zhen threw this hot potato to the Ministry of Rites, and the Minister of Rites was in a difficult position.
But the emperor was so determined that it was hard to persuade him.
Fortunately, the Xu family has fallen into decline, and all the Xu family members have been demoted. She is now just a powerless queen. Their daughter has also been promoted, and her future situation is uncertain. Thinking this way is a consolation. The court officials can no longer say anything and can only do as they are told!
This time, not only was the queen crowned, but the concubines of various major families were also given titles and rewards. The scene was particularly grand and solemn.
……
In the magnificent imperial palace, a grand ceremony to crown the queen is about to begin.
Gorgeous silk curtains were hung, intricate jade screens stood, and silver pearl curtains swayed, adding a touch of sacredness to this solemn ceremony.
Li Zhen was wearing an imperial robe, standing in the hall, looking dignified and domineering. However, his eyes always fell on the woman who was walking slowly in gorgeous clothes, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Xu Jiaoran's face was as white as cream and her eyes were as smoky as smoke, but her eyes revealed a hint of resistance and indifference that was hard to conceal.
Today she will be crowned as queen, but the splendor of the ceremony cannot shake her.
Because in her heart, she has complicated emotions towards Li Zhen: resentment, unwillingness and an inescapable fate.
In the hall, stringed instruments and melodious piano sounds were heard, and everything seemed to exist for this grand moment.
But Xu Jiaoran's heart was turbulent, her heart was like a lake being blown by the cold wind, and the chill was overwhelming. Although Li Zhen had promised her many times that he would do everything to love and respect her, she still could not forget what he had done to her, nor could she accept the man who forced her.
During the complicated ceremony, Li Zhen walked towards her, his eyes showing deep emotion and expectation. He put on the dazzling phoenix crown for her, symbolizing the glory and power of the queen. However, Xu Jiaoran seemed to be out of it, her heart had already drifted far away.
"Jiao Ran, you will be my queen." Li Zhen's voice echoed in the palace, but could not shake her heart.
Xu Jiaoran said sarcastically in a low voice, "You know, this queen is not worthy of me."
Li Zhen's eyes flashed with surprise and grief, but he still said: "Whether you like it or not, no matter what the reason is, in the eyes of the whole world, you are now my queen. We are together in life and in death!"
The complicated dance began, and the long silk ribbons danced with the wind, swaying in the air. But this lively and cheerful dance seemed unable to disturb the waves in Xu Jiaoran's heart.
There was a look of sadness in her eyes as she followed Li Zhen to the highest position and accepted the worship of all officials.
Once upon a time, she was the Crown Princess, and she had fantasized about the day when Li Ji ascended the throne and she would stand beside him.
Now, everything has changed, and everything I imagined before is impossible.
Li Ji was no longer her husband, nor the emperor, and she became someone else's queen.
In her heart, all words seemed pale and powerless. She could not express her feelings, nor tell her own difficulties. She could only let this gorgeous ceremony of crowning the queen unfold before her eyes.
But even if she was crowned as the queen, she was still just herself. No matter how she decorated and concealed herself, her true feelings would not change. Although Xu Jiaoran still looked so elegant and demure, her heart was as cold as winter. Although she sat there quietly accepting people's blessings and praises, her heart had already flown to a distant unknown place to find her own tranquility and freedom.
Although the ceremony brought joy and festivity to the palace, it did not really touch Xu Jiaoran's heart. Her heart was still like a small boat drifting in the vast ocean, with no destination or direction, only endless hesitation and confusion...
At this moment, the hall was immersed in celebration and joy, but in this bustle and noise, nothing in the outside world could touch Xu Jiaoran's heart. However, the wheel of fate had pushed her to this position. She wanted to resign herself to her fate and accept this reality, but in her heart, she just couldn't get over it.
……
Inside the magnificent hall, the colored glaze lamps shine like stars, and the purple gold throne is inlaid with thousand-year-old pearls and jadeite, and every detail reveals the royal dignity and majesty.
However, this dignified ceremony of conferring the queen did not bring cheers and blessings from the people. Suddenly, people were filled with complaints and curses. They accused Xu Jiaoran of wasting money and manpower by conferring the queen, and said that Xu Jiaoran was fickle and a seductive concubine who might bring disaster.
"She was the Crown Princess in the past, and now she's the Queen! How shameless!"
"The title of Demon Concubine belongs to her alone!"
"She must have been born with a face that brings disaster, otherwise why would the new emperor like her so much?"
"I heard that the new emperor is the cousin of the former crown prince. He rebelled and seized the throne just because he had a crush on Xu!"
"I heard that the former crown prince Li Ji rebelled in the north! Is our Dasheng going to be in chaos?"
"not sure!"
"..."
This ceremony of conferring multiple empresses caused a lot of discussion among the people, and there were many doubts about the throne of Emperor Li Zhen.
This rumor had spread to the court and even the harem. Naturally, the court officials were admonishing Li Zhen, but Li Zhen did not care at all.
In the harem, Xu Jiaoran looked a little embarrassed after hearing these discussions.
The maid advised: "Empress, please don't listen to these people's nonsense."
Unexpectedly, Xu Jiaoran just sneered and said, "What they said was right! I am a beauty who brings disaster, a demon concubine!"
Xu Jiaoran sat in front of the mirror, looking at her face for a long time. She had never thought that she would become a demon concubine.
The evil concubine is the source of all evil...is she?