Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 426: The Enthronement of the Empress (4)

Feng Xuxu was followed by Mei Lenglei, who stepped forward, knelt down to receive the decree, then rose and returned behind Feng Xuxu.

After the imperial edict had been read, Dugu Chen led Feng Xuxu outside the grand hall to accept the homage of civil and military officials.

Finally, they mounted the Dragon Carriage and left the palace, parading around Capital City for a whole circuit, receiving the blessings of the common people.

By the time the sun set in the west, all the ceremonies had at last been completed. When Feng Xuxu returned to her bedchamber, she was completely exhausted but fortunately had several comforting maids at her side.

When Dugu Chen came in, Feng Xuxu had already dozed off. Seeing her sleep so sweetly, he didn’t have the heart to wake her. When Feng Xuxu gradually awakened, she saw a strikingly handsome face gently asleep beside her, and a curved smile formed on her lips.

"Wife, do you think I’m handsome?" he asked with a dazzling pair of eyes wide open, smiling at his wife.

"Stunningly handsome," Feng Xuxu said while holding his handsome face, generously lavishing praise on him.

Dugu Chen’s eyes curled up, and his lips curved into a smile, clearly delighted by Feng Xuxu’s words.

"Oh my, what time is it now? Tonight’s banquet...?" she said, quickly sitting up, only to be pressed back down by Dugu Chen.

"No rush, let them wait a bit longer." He hadn’t had enough intimate time with his wife yet.

"..." Feng Xuxu gave him a dismissive look, got out of bed, changed into regular clothes, slightly fixed her makeup, and then followed Dugu Chen to Taihe Hall.

"Long live the Emperor, long live, long live the Empress, may you live thousands of years," Ministers and their families, along with princes and noble ladies, all knelt down and paid their respects.

It was only after Dugu Chen and Feng Xuxu were finally seated that they said, "Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Seeing the Ministers return to their seats, Dugu Chen lifted the cup of wine before him: "Today, I am exceedingly happy. With a wife, a son, and a daughter, my life is complete. Esteemed Ministers, be at ease. Tonight, no one leaves sober; there’s plenty of good wine." Saying so, he raised his head and drank a cup of fine wine.

The Ministers and their families, all with wine cups in hand, offered their sincere wishes of happiness and health to the Emperor and Empress. The banquet continued late into the night before it ended.

The next day, before dawn, Feng Xuxu opened her weary eyes and looked to the other side. Aside from the deep indentation in the pillow showing that someone had slept there, everything else was usual. She sighed, closed her eyes, and fell into a dozy sleep once more.

When she woke up again, the day was well advanced.

"Empress, are you awake?" Baihe, hearing a faint sound, entered the bedchamber and saw the Empress with her eyes open, gazing at the bright yellow canopy.

Feng Xuxu turned and replied with a touch of worry, "Yes, what time is it now?"

"It’s almost the end of 9-11 AM," Baihe said while helping Feng Xuxu to dress.

After washing up, Dugu Chen returned to the sleeping quarters: "Wife, did you sleep well?"

"Hmm, I just woke up. I guess I won’t be able to sleep tonight," Feng Xuxu shook her head, having been exhausted all day yesterday and falling asleep within minutes of lying down.

Dugu Chen arched an eyebrow and said with a smile, "If you can’t sleep, that’s perfect to keep me company."

"In your dreams," she retorted.

Dugu Chen shrugged his shoulders, smiling without a word, then gestured to Eunuch Wei behind him, "Serve the meal."

"Yes."

Feng Xuxu found Eunuch Wei very familiar and, frowning, thought for a while before asking curiously, "This eunuch looks familiar. Where have I seen him before?"

"He’s the chief steward by father’s side and a spy I placed there," Dugu Chen revealed. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"No wonder he looked familiar, but it didn’t strike me immediately," Feng Xuxu said with an amused shake of her head.

After a short while, the meal was fully served. Feng Xuxu looked at the table full of dishes and shook her head, "So much food for just the two of us, isn’t it wasteful? In the future, let’s have six dishes and one soup, just like at the Prince Residence."

Dugu Chen, holding his rice bowl, looked at the dishes on the table and nodded, "Hmm, you take care of these things, wife. As long as you’re happy, anything goes."

"Sigh, it seems I need to find a housekeeper," Feng Xuxu lamented, thinking of the multitude of affairs in the palace that gave her a headache. In the Prince Residence, there had been a butler to manage the household matters, but now upon entering the palace, she found herself having to deal with endless trivialities, which was thoroughly bothersome.

Dugu Chen looked at her with an amused expression and offered her a piece of ’Eighteen Delicacies’ with his chopsticks, "Eat more. Finding a housekeeper is not easy. You already have a ready-made one by your side."

Feng Xuxu looked at him, pondering his words about having a housekeeper by her side. Who could it be? Holding her rice bowl, she glanced back at them. Not this one, it seems. Not that one, it seems, either. She sighed, eating the rice in small bites, her mind still spinning.