Before the Mao Hour arrived, Si Yunqin was woken up. With a groggy expression, she let the people sent from the palace fuss over her.
During that time, Si Yunqin lost count of how many yawns she suppressed.
Layer after layer of clothes was wrapped around her, and one piece of jewelry after another was added to her head. That wasn’t even the worst part—the main issue was that Si Yunqin felt absolutely starving.
Originally, Si Yunqin had planned to wait for the Palace Ladies to leave and then quietly ask Si Yin to sneak her some food. But before her makeup was even finished, she heard a loud gurgle.
Si Yunqin looked awkwardly at the leading Palace Lady and put on an innocent smile. “Ladies, could I have something to eat first? I’m really hungry. Usually, if I don’t eat within half an hour of waking up, I can’t hold out.”
“But…” The palace maid standing beside her glanced nervously at the Palace Lady.
“The ceremony involves so many procedures. How can I hold out without food?” Si Yunqin pressed on. “If I faint from hunger, wouldn’t that make me a laughingstock?”
Seeing her pitiful gaze, the Palace Lady finally nodded. “Just enough to fill your stomach, Empress. Don’t eat too much, or it’ll be inconvenient to cinch your waist. During the ceremony, if…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll hold it in if I need to go.” Si Yunqin said with a serious expression, her eyes practically radiating obedience. She almost swore on her hunger.
Over the past half-month, the Palace Ladies had come to understand Si Yunqin’s personality. She wasn’t haughty; she was unrestrained but never crossed the line.
The Palace Lady nodded slightly and then ordered someone to prepare some food for Si Yunqin.
Before long, a meal was brought in. Si Yunqin’s eyes went straight to the fragrant pastries, but because the palace staff were still present, she had to eat slowly and gracefully.
When she was half-full, the Palace Lady stopped her, saying it would be hard to cinch her waist later.
Si Yunqin watched as the servants took the pastries away, her gaze following them reluctantly, as if they were a dearly beloved lover.
Before long, her makeup was almost done. The Si family came to see her—her mother, her aunts, and several elder relatives whose names Si Yunqin couldn’t quite recall.
It wasn’t that she disrespected her elders; it was just that the Si family was huge, with countless relatives. She honestly couldn’t remember them all.
But Si Yunqin still listened quietly to their chatter, chiming in with a word or two here and there.
When Shen Yanxin heard the report of Si Yunqin’s behavior today, she couldn’t help but laugh. “She really is free-spirited.”
At the auspicious hour, the envoy entered. Si Yunqin had sharp ears; hearing the commotion outside, she knew it was time for her to go.
She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. Dressed in the Empress’s ceremonial robe and crowned with a magnificent phoenix crown, she did look rather imposing.
So that was it—dignity really could be piled on with clothes.
The Palace Matron led the way, and the Empress’s procession was indeed grand.
Si Yunqin followed through the entire Empress Enthronement Ceremony. The whole morning passed like that. Her stomach growled with hunger, and she felt utterly miserable.
Finally, after the courtiers paid homage and left, Si Yunqin let out a sigh of relief.
Once everyone was gone and she returned to her own bedchamber, Si Yunqin pouted pitifully at her mother and elder sister. “I’m so hungry~”
But getting to eat wasn’t that easy. She still had to take off the phoenix crown and the ceremonial robe. That wasn’t simple, either, but at least she had help.
Si Yunqin finally understood why all those noble ladies needed so many maidservants. With this outfit alone, there was no way she could manage by herself.
But today wasn’t even the hardest part. Tomorrow was the big day. Today was the ceremony; tomorrow, the Emperor would come to fetch her officially, and she would move into the palace.
Oh, she’d heard there was originally supposed to be a parade through the streets for the people to celebrate, but the Empress Dowager said the Emperor was too young, so they skipped it.
Si Yunqin almost wanted to whisper in her ear, “Thank you, thank you for making the seasons warm and bright.”
Of course, if she got into the details, all her suffering came from that Empress Dowager. So, best not to elaborate.
The next day was the marriage procession. She had to get up even earlier than the day before. Si Yunqin could barely keep her eyes open. It honestly wasn’t her fault—today she was entering the palace. From now on, it wouldn’t be easy to see her Si family relatives again.
She had lived in this place for over a decade. Of course, she felt reluctant to leave.
But she didn’t dare show it in front of her mother. She was afraid of making her mother sad again. Si Yunqin always wore a bright smile in front of her.
Late that night, she sat on the rooftop looking at the moon. To her surprise, her elder sister, elder brother, and brother-in-law all came up.
They talked about childhood memories. Her second brother brought wine. Si Yunqin drank a little, careful not to overdo it. Her two brothers drank a lot, getting tipsy and declaring that they would make great achievements in the military so she wouldn’t suffer in the palace.
Si Yunqin felt warm inside, but she still smiled and said, “Yunqin has no other wishes. I only hope that my elder sister, brothers, parents, and aunts live safe and smooth lives. I don’t seek unmatched merit, because merit that overshadows the ruler is dangerous.”
Her elder sister reached out and covered her mouth. “Qin’er, have you had too much to drink, too?”
Si Yunqin laughed softly and took another sip. “I’m drunk.”
But it seemed the Empress Dowager’s spies had already left.
With all the excitement last night, Si Yunqin was truly exhausted today. The Palace Ladies were somewhat helpless about it, but they understood.
At the auspicious hour, amid her family’s reluctance, she finally had to go out and board the carriage. As she climbed in, Si Yunqin glanced back at her mother and elder sister, who had red eyes from crying. She sighed softly.
Even though she comforted herself that entering the palace wasn’t so bad, that was just self-consolation when there were no other options. If she could have chosen, she definitely wouldn’t have wanted this.
The wedding procession was grand. Palace guards lined the streets, and commoners peeked curiously. Of course, Si Yunqin even heard a grown man weeping in the street, shouting, “What a pity! Truly a pity!”
Hearing that, Si Yunqin was covered in exasperation. Over the past few days, she had heard many scholars write poems and essays, implicitly accusing the Empress Dowager of lacking virtue.
She had to admit, those self-righteous scholars had some guts sometimes. In the Ming Dynasty, these people would probably be in prison. In comparison, at least this Empress Dowager had a relatively good temper.
As she entered the palace gate, bells and drums sounded in unison. Si Yunqin thought it was quite pleasing, giving a feeling of grandeur and righteousness.
Following the guide, she entered the curtained area, tidied her clothes and accessories again, and then waited to enter the Main Hall. During this waiting time, Si Yunqin secretly nibbled on a couple of pastries to make sure she wouldn’t faint from hunger.
After a while, a Female Official came out to lead her into the hall. According to protocol, the Emperor should be the one to lead her, but since the current Emperor was only three years old, Si Yunqin didn’t expect him to. She assumed it would be some Female Official.
But Si Yunqin never imagined that the Empress Dowager herself would come, holding the Little Emperor’s hand.
Si Yunqin stood at the entrance of the Main Hall, watching the equally splendidly dressed, dignified and powerful woman leading the tiny Emperor.
She had seen the Empress Dowager once many years ago when she accompanied her mother into the palace. Back then, she was still the Empress, with genuine smiles on her face. Now, she was truly as cold as frost.
Even at the wedding banquet, the smile on her face always seemed cold to Si Yunqin.
The Empress Dowager walked toward Si Yunqin, holding the Little Emperor’s hand. The child was young and toddled slowly, but Si Yunqin waited patiently. She had to admit, the Little Emperor was exquisitely cute, like a little porcelain doll.
Shen Yanxin stopped in front of Si Yunqin. With one hand holding the Little Emperor, she used the other to pick up the Red Silk and handed it to Si Yunqin.
Suddenly, Si Yunqin had a strange, absurd feeling: the person she was marrying wasn’t the Little Emperor—it was the Empress Dowager.
And it was a shotgun wedding.
As soon as this thought popped up, Si Yunqin inwardly scolded herself for seeing lesbians everywhere.
In the Empress Dowager’s eyes, she was just a tool to win over her father. Nothing more.
But seriously, she couldn’t help it. The setup was just too easy to ship, especially since the Empress Dowager seemed only a few years older than her.
She reached out and took the Red Silk. The Empress Dowager bent down and handed the other end to the Little Emperor.
The Little Emperor didn’t understand. He called out in a soft, sticky voice, “Mother Empress?”
“What is this?” the Little Emperor asked, puzzled.
Shen Yanxin smiled at him. “Just take it. Mother Empress is here.”
The courtiers dared not speak, but Si Yunqin noticed that her smile seemed a little more sincere.
She truly loved this Little Emperor.
The Little Emperor obediently held the Red Silk. Shen Yanxin held the middle part slightly, afraid the child might drop it.
That strange feeling welled up in Si Yunqin again, but she kept her face neutral.
She followed through the ceremony until the Shared Cup Ritual. The Emperor and Empress were to eat together—not just drink wine, but also share the prepared millet, rice, millet again, and sorghum—the Shared Meal Ritual. The Little Emperor was held by the Empress Dowager and fed.
To be honest, the food didn’t taste good at all. As for the wine, naturally only Si Yunqin drank; the Little Emperor had broth.
After that came the Feast of a Hundred Officials. Since the Little Emperor was so young, the subsequent rites were simplified as much as possible.
The Little Emperor grew sleepy. The Empress Dowager ordered a Female Official to carry him back to the Bedchamber, and also ordered someone to escort Si Yunqin to the Empress’s Bedchamber.
By then, the sky outside was already dark. Even Si Yunqin, who had trained in martial arts since childhood, felt quite tired.
The Emperor was young, so there was no need to attend to the bridal chamber. Si Yunqin tentatively asked if she could take off her headdress and robe.
For this matter alone, the head Palace Lady had to go and seek the Empress Dowager’s permission. It showed just how much authority the Empress Dowager held in the palace.
After hearing Si Yunqin’s request, Shen Yanxin curled her lips into a smile. “The Empress must be feeling lonely in the palace alone. Invite her to join the banquet.”
When Si Yunqin heard this news, she couldn’t muster a single smile. She silently thanked Shen Yanxin several hundred times in her heart.
But on the surface, she still had to smile and express gratitude to her Mother Empress for her consideration.
At the court, the officials paid homage. Si Yunqin really wasn’t used to it, nor did she like it. The smile on her face froze.
But she understood that she couldn’t be like the female protagonists in many time-travel novels—acting uniquely, defying etiquette, and ignoring class hierarchies.
In the end, she could only stiffly raise her hand to let the officials rise. Among them were her father and brothers.
She had thought that after seeing the officials, she would go feast among the women. But unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager immediately had a seat arranged for her, placing her below the Empress Dowager but above all the officials.
One person stepped forward, saying this was against protocol. Si Yunqin looked at his official robe and guessed he was a Prince.
But Shen Yanxin just glanced at him coolly. “The Prince of Southern Chu is mistaken. The Empress is the Mother of the Nation. Why shouldn’t the Mother of the Nation host the banquet for the officials on behalf of the Emperor?”
Si Yunqin saw that the Prince of Southern Chu still wanted to argue, but under Shen Yanxin’s calm, cold gaze, he finally returned to his seat. “What the Empress Dowager says is correct.”
At that moment, Si Yunqin truly grasped the power and ambition of this Empress Dowager.
During the banquet that followed, Si Yunqin behaved obediently, just quietly eating without indulging in too much wine.
She had to admit, the food and wine at the banquet were excellent.
Shen Yanxin occasionally glanced at her. Every time, she was eating—eating with complete focus.
So, silently, she tagged Si Yunqin with a label in her heart: Glutton.
