HCB Chapter 190 Noble Lady Fucha
Chapter 190 Noble Lady Fucha
The court officials looked at each other in dismay, completely unprepared for the two women to refuse the position of empress.
You must know, this is the Empress!
Fucha Honghan's refusal was understandable to everyone, after all, he was usually a humble person.
But what about Nian Gengyao?
This man has always believed that his sister is the best in the world.
Why would they choose to back down at this crucial moment?
This is truly baffling!
Shouldn't Nian Gengyao have firmly declared that the position of Empress belonged to his sister?
This is a momentous event for the Nian family, bringing glory to their ancestors!
Of course, there were also those who could see things clearly and knew that the Empress's position was not a good thing for the Nian family.
In previous years, the emperor appeared to be very close to Nian Gengyao, but in reality, he was quite wary of him.
When Da Pangju heard Nian Gengyao mention the children, his heart skipped a beat, and his thoughts were instantly pulled back to those years.
He thought of the child Shilan was carrying, the child he had lost because of his momentary lapse of judgment.
A deep sense of guilt welled up in his heart; if it weren't for the Empress Dowager...
If it weren't for his momentary lapse of judgment back then, how could Shilan have miscarried?
How could he have been childless for so many years?
He has wronged Shilan!
The chubby orange cat slowly raised its head, its gaze sweeping over the others present, and asked:
"What about you? Do you think it's better to make the Imperial Noble Consort Empress or the Noble Consort Shu Empress?"
As soon as the fat orange cat uttered these words, the ministers in the court began to argue again.
One side argued that Consort Shu, being of Manchu military background, should rightfully be made empress;
The other side felt that the Imperial Noble Consort was virtuous and kind, and had managed the six palaces for many years, making her more suitable to be made empress.
Everyone expressed their opinions, refusing to yield to each other, and the sounds of debate rose and fell.
The chubby orange sat on the dragon throne, his brows furrowed, his impatience growing stronger.
His gaze swept across the court and finally landed on Zhang Tingyu, who had remained silent.
Zhang Tingyu felt the gaze of the large orange cat and understood what was going on. He immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:
"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, the position of Empress is related to the stability of the nation and the harem, and is no small matter."
Both the Imperial Noble Consort and the Noble Consort Shu had their own exceptional qualities.
If both empresses could be established concurrently, perhaps that wouldn't be a bad solution.
As soon as he finished speaking, the court fell silent.
The ministers exchanged bewildered glances, clearly not expecting Zhang Tingyu to agree to the dual appointment of two empresses.
They originally thought Zhang Tingyu would support one side, but they didn't expect him to agree to both empresses being elected.
For a moment, the crowd began to whisper among themselves.
Some people agreed with Zhang Tingyu's proposal, believing that this would avoid infighting in the harem and maintain the stability of the palace.
However, some people have reservations about this, feeling that having two queens side by side might cause more problems.
It seems the Emperor had already spoken to Zhang Yanyu beforehand.
Judging from the Emperor's intentions, it seems he intends to simultaneously elevate both the Imperial Noble Consort and the Noble Consort Shu to the position of Empress.
One is Nian Gengyao's younger sister, and the other is Fucha Honghan's daughter.
It would be best for the two of them to avoid suspicion.
Therefore, Nian Gengyao and Fucha Honghan both remained silent.
However, this proposal of "two empresses standing side by side" was so shocking that many ministers still stood up to oppose it.
An old minister said, trembling:
"Your Majesty, there has never been a precedent in history for two empresses to coexist."
This move is likely to provoke widespread criticism and shake the very foundation of the nation.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yanyu remained calm and composed, cupping his hands in greeting once more:
"Your Excellency is mistaken. The matter of establishing an empress is ultimately a family affair of the Emperor."
Both the Imperial Noble Consort and the Noble Consort Shu were virtuous and capable assistants to the Emperor, each with their own strengths.
Consort Shu was born into the Manchu Banner Army and had rendered meritorious service in giving birth to a son.
The Imperial Noble Consort came from the Han Banner Army, managed palace affairs, and had accompanied the Emperor for many years.
If both empresses were to be established, it would balance the power between the Manchus and the Han.
This would also demonstrate the Emperor's favor towards the two imperial concubines, benefiting both the country and the family.
After listening, the chubby orange nodded slightly, glanced at the dissenting ministers, and said in a deep voice:
“Zhang Tingyu’s words are reasonable, and my mind is made up.”
"I am not acting arbitrarily; the establishment of two empresses is for the stability of my Great Qing Dynasty."
Some ministers who had initially intended to argue their case were swayed by the large orange cat's resolute stance.
They all shut their mouths, not daring to say another word.
Although Nian Gengyao and Fucha Honghan refrained from expressing much opinion to avoid suspicion,
But they each had their own plans in mind.
Nian Gengyao knew in his heart that although the position of Empress seemed to be extremely glorious, it was actually a hot potato.
However, since the Emperor has already made his decision...
If he says anything more, he might give the impression of being hypocritical after receiving a benefit.
It might even arouse the emperor's suspicion.
Fucha Honghan, on the other hand, appeared more composed, because in his heart,
The position of empress was originally his daughter's for the taking.
With the Sixth Prince around, the Empress's position will be his daughter's sooner or later.
As for the matter of having another empress, he had already been mentally prepared after receiving his daughter's letter.
In this way, the matter was settled.
Seeing this, the chubby orange cat breathed a slight sigh of relief. With the Empress's matter settled, he wouldn't have to worry about things anymore.
Big Fat Orange thought for a moment and then continued:
"From now on, Consort Shu will be the Empress of the Eastern Palace, and Imperial Noble Consort will be the Empress of the Western Palace." Upon hearing this decree, everyone in the court knelt down and shouted:
"Your Majesty is wise!" The chubby orange cat nodded in satisfaction and announced the end of the court session.
Back in the palace, the news spread like wildfire.
This caused a huge uproar.
The position of Empress had been vacant for several years, and now two have entered the fray.
Will the harem be thrown into turmoil again?
But considering the way these two people have conducted themselves over the years, everyone felt reassured.
Zhen Huan hadn't expected things to go so smoothly; both the Nian family and the Fucha family accepted it so readily.
Zhen Huan was very disappointed; why was it so difficult to get Nian Shilan and Fucha Peiyun to fight each other?
Nian Shilan suffered from amnesia, but her personality shouldn't have changed so drastically.
And what about Fucha Peiyun? Has she forgotten how Nian Shilan tormented her when she first entered the palace?
The feeling of scheming and calculating only to end up with nothing is not pleasant.
If it weren't for her current poor health, which prevented her from experiencing significant emotional fluctuations, Zhen Huan would probably have been so angry that she vomited blood long ago.
Now, there's nothing she can do but watch helplessly as the person she despises ascends to the throne of empress.
The selection of an empress was a top priority in the imperial harem, and the news immediately stirred up a flurry of activity throughout the palace.
Although Fucha Peiyun and Nian Shilan were designated as empresses, they did not become overly high-profile because of it.
Upon hearing the news, the women of the harem naturally came to offer their congratulations.
For a time, the palace of Fucha Peiyun and Nian Shilan was bustling with activity.
Fucha Peiyun remained quite humble in the face of everyone's congratulations.
Although Nian Shilan was very impatient, she didn't put on a sour face.
Time flies, and before we knew it, it was time for the banquet.
The chubby orange was in a good mood, having already decided to bestow titles upon his harem at the banquet.
Naturally, I will not break my promise.
Zhen Huan was promoted to Consort Wan; Shen Meizhuang was promoted to Consort Hui.
Consort Fang was promoted to Imperial Concubine Fang; Noble Lady Lian was promoted to Consort Lian.
In addition to these promoted concubines, Consort Jing, Consort Jin, Consort Yu, and Consort Qi...
Although Guarjia Wenyuan and others were not promoted, they all received corresponding rewards.
This is to show that the big fat orange cat values them.
Finally, the chubby orange announced that the ceremony for the coronation of Empress Fucha Peiyun and Nian Shilan would be held a month later.