April 18th, a day of great fortune.
This was a day destined to be recorded in history.
After centuries of conflict between various nations, a part of the southeastern three kingdoms was reunified, and the first empress was born.
Lu Qing Wan, clad in a specially made dragon robe and wearing a dragon crown, ascended the Altar of Heaven to accept the homage of her officials.
She then paraded through the city to pray for blessings, facing no obstruction throughout.
Little did they know that on this day, two hundred thousand Xuan Jia troops were stationed in the new capital, and the city was heavily guarded everywhere. It wasn't until all the ceremonies concluded and Lu Qing Wan safely returned to the palace that she began to receive congratulations from envoys of various countries at a grand banquet.
Wu Ying, who had arrived specifically for the occasion, whispered in her ear, "Mistress, the latest intelligence indicates that Liu Han Yan used the opportunity of the Southern Qi Emperor's demise to gather all the royal family members of Southern Qi and send them to their deaths.
Only the Nan Gong Wen family, the Prince of Jiang Bei Commandery in Southern Qi, remains of the Southern Qi royal lineage. The representative of the Southern Qi envoy is none other than Nan Gong Yi Chen, the heir to the Prince of Jiang Bei Commandery."
At that moment, Lu Qing Wan, adorned in her dragon robe, sat on the throne and received the blessings of her ministers.
Following this procedure, it would be the turn of the envoys from various countries to present their gifts to Lu Qing Wan.
Even at this moment, Lu Qing Wan had to continuously exchange pleasantries with her ministers.
Therefore, although Wu Ying's intelligence was reported to Lu Qing Wan, it was Si Feng Wu who reacted.
His voice was low, just enough for Wu Ying and Lu Qing Wan to hear.
"Liu Han Yan killed so many people, yet spared that designated heir. What is so special about this Nan Gong Wen, the Prince of Jiang Bei Commandery?"
Lu Qing Wan, while engaging in polite conversation with the ministers, had her ears perked high, afraid of missing any detail.
Immediately after, Wu Ying uttered a startling statement.
She said, "The mother's clan of Nan Gong Wen, the Prince of Jiang Bei Commandery, was persecuted by the former emperor of Southern Qi. Had Nan Gong Lie and Nan Gong Che not started their conflict, the tragic fate of the Southern Qi royal family today would have been orchestrated by Nan Gong Wen.
Moreover, I specifically paid attention to one matter.
Nan Gong Wen and Gu Ting Xiao, the heir of the Prince of You Province of Great Qin, are sworn brothers."
After Wu Ying finished speaking, both Lu Qing Wan and Si Feng Wu understood why she had paid particular attention to this matter.
Si Feng Wu, recalling something, quickly asked again, "You just said Liu Han Yan sent all the Southern Qi royal family members to their deaths. What about their family?"
This time, Lu Qing Wan not only perked her ears but also strained her eyes to the corners of her eyes, wishing her eyes were larger so she could directly absorb Wu Ying.
Seeing this, Si Feng Wu playfully signaled to Wu Ying. Wu Ying then exchanged positions with Man Chun, who was behind Lu Qing Wan, and stood directly behind Lu Qing Wan.
"At that time, Nan Gong Che's entire family was present. Liu Han Yan had planted explosives throughout the Dragon Spring Palace. Except for the family of the Prince of Jiang Bei Commandery, no one from the Southern Qi royal family was spared."
Lu Qing Wan, despite her efforts to restrain herself, couldn't help but mutter, "That's insane, isn't it?"
Wu Ying suppressed a smile and said, "I can confirm the intelligence is true. This happened three days ago. I strongly suspect Liu Han Yan knew the transmission time of the golden eagle and acted precisely at that moment."
Having spoken, she stood erect behind Lu Qing Wan, playing the role of a diligent female official beside the Empress.
After a moment of intense thought, Si Feng Wu instructed her, "Closely monitor the movements of the Southern Qi delegation. Inform those outside that if anyone from the Reincarnation Hall comes, after ascertaining their intentions, you may decide whether to allow them in."
Wu Ying cast a surprised glance at Lu Qing Wan. Since Lu Qing Wan remained silent, she knew that acting according to Si Feng Wu's instructions was correct.
Just then, a eunuch's joyful announcement was heard from outside the hall, "The Grand Emperor and Empress Dowager of Great Qin have arrived!"
All the officials looked suspiciously towards the entrance, curious about what kind of people Si Feng Wu's parents were.
In the center of the hall, the elaborately dressed Crown Prince Cheng An and his consort, along with the delegation, made their entrance.
Great Qin's imperial guards carried festive red chests into the hall one after another.
Si Feng Wu squeezed Lu Qing Wan's hand and stood up himself, but he did not allow Lu Qing Wan to move.
Crown Prince Cheng An and his consort showed no change in their expressions. Si Rui An walked to the center of the hall and stated frankly, "We are deeply pleased to hear of the ascension of the Empress of Heavenly Phoenix. Our Great Qin is overjoyed. I have specially brought the Empress Dowager to offer our congratulations.
We sincerely wish for the perpetual stability of Heavenly Phoenix and peace across the land.
May the Empress reign for ten thousand years and leave her mark in history."
Si Rui An, being the Grand Emperor, did not embellish his words with excessive flattery, yet his sincerity could be felt.
After his initial remarks, he shifted his tone, "Although Heavenly Phoenix is undergoing a renewal, we in Great Qin have long awaited this moment.
Our Emperor has specially prepared some modest gifts, and we hope the Empress will graciously accept them."
After he finished speaking, an envoy behind him presented a tray.
The master of ceremonies respectfully took the folder from the tray and opened it to announce the gifts, only to be startled.
After carefully observing their expressions and confirming that Crown Prince Cheng An and his consort showed no abnormalities, he began, "To celebrate the ascension of the Empress of Heavenly Phoenix, Great Qin hereby bestows upon the Empress the Dragon Gallop Military Horse Farm.
One mine each of gold, silver, and copper.
And grants the Prefecture of Qingzhou in Great Qi as a fiefdom, with all its taxes to be presented to the Empress..."
While the initial gifts of the horse farm and mines were merely astonishing, the subsequent bestowal of the fiefdom and taxes was utterly breathtaking.
If it weren't for the knowledge that the coronation ceremony could not afford any mistakes, the master of ceremonies would have wanted to run to Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan to ask if this gift list was truly acceptable for announcement.
However, in reality, the master of ceremonies nervously recited the gifts for nearly a quarter of an hour.
He then garnered universally awestruck glances from everyone in the hall, as if they had never seen such opulence before.
As long as the involved parties, Lu Qing Wan and Si Feng Wu, remained composed, even offering a polite welcome, "The sincerity of Great Qin is truly touching. Father and Mother, you have worked hard.
Please, come and be seated."
As soon as she spoke, Man Chun and Li Jin stepped forward to welcome them, "Grand Emperor, Empress Dowager, please!"
Only then did everyone notice that two empty seats had been reserved beside Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan from the very beginning.
Crown Prince Cheng An and his consort were also slightly taken aback, then followed Man Chun and Li Jin to their seats.
Next were the Turkic envoys. Their gifts were normal, and the master of ceremonies was relieved.
When it was the turn of the Southern Qi delegation to enter the hall, everyone assumed that given the lack of strong ties between Heavenly Phoenix and Southern Qi, it would be a standard exchange.
However, they were first stunned by a red coral as tall as a person, a wild ginseng longer than a person, and a sapling of a rare medicinal herb that was unique in the world.
When everyone thought the gifts were about done, the master of ceremonies hesitantly uttered again, "All the pleasure houses within Heavenly Phoenix are presented to the Empress of Heavenly Phoenix.
Should the Empress wish to sail the seas, the Southern Qi Royal Guard pledges to escort her throughout the journey..."
After reciting the entire list of gifts, the master of ceremonies was completely numb.
The ministers, on the other hand, were frantically speculating about the nature of the relationship between Lu Qing Wan and Southern Qi, which would warrant such assistance from the Southern Qi Emperor.
Just as they were racking their brains to guess, another eunuch's announcement was heard from outside, "The Lord of Reincarnation Hall has arrived!"
This single sentence sent everyone to their feet.
Although everyone knew that decorum must be maintained at a coronation ceremony, their feet moved involuntarily.
Those with some experience, like Elder Wen, couldn't help but crane their necks.