The Empress Dowager, or perhaps the Empress Dowager now.
The Empress Dowager was taken to the temporary palace, and Changning Palace was vacated. It was the residence of empresses of past dynasties, not to be easily changed. Situ Yan disliked the former empress and was even less willing for Lu Nianfu to use her old belongings. Therefore, only a few days after his ascension, he ordered a grand construction project, intending to renovate Changning Palace.
Meanwhile, Lu Nianfu moved into Qianyuan Hall.
Li Wang felt it was unsuitable and cautiously reminded him, but Situ Yan was indifferent. "In Prince Rui's manor, I lived with the Empress. Let's stay here for now, and we can move when Changning Palace is renovated."
Naturally, Li Wang dared not object further.
And so, Qianyuan Hall, which had always housed only the emperor as its master, now housed a family of four.
Looking at the infant prince, Li Wang and the palace staff were exceptionally worried. Babies were prone to crying, and what if it disturbed the Emperor's peace?
To their surprise, when Situ You actually cried, they saw Emperor Jinwu, who was noble as the Son of Heaven, put down his memorial and actively coax the child.
Their worldviews were shattered. In this day and age, were there still men willing to coax children? But they also fully understood Lu Nianfu's place in the Emperor's heart, becoming even more respectful of her.
The Ministry of Rites was busy. First, there was the ancestral worship, then the abdication, and now the preparations for the Empress's enthronement ceremony.
Emperor Jinwu was easygoing. "I will not rush you. Prepare well and ensure this enthronement ceremony is grand and magnificent."
Gu Rong asked, "And the budget?"
"There is no budget."
"Your Majesty, wouldn't this be a bit inappropriate? The enthronement ceremony for the Empress shouldn't overshadow the abdication ceremony."
Situ Yan's original intention was to give Lu Nianfu a truly glorious moment. After all, their wedding ceremony back then, viewed from today's perspective, was more than a little shabby. However, the abdication ceremony was not just about his own ascension but also included his father's retirement.
His wife's enthronement ceremony overshadowing his own was at most him doting on his wife. But if it overshadowed his father, he might be accused of being unfilial.
As someone about to become Empress, she had to cherish her reputation and absolutely could not bear such a stigma.
So Situ Yan sighed, "You decide. Within the permissible scope, make it as grand as possible."
Lu Nianfu's enthronement ceremony was held in early December, solemn, dignified, grand, and magnificent. Situ Yan even invited the Supreme Emperor, who had just stayed at the temporary palace for a month, to grace the occasion, earning him countless eye-rolls.
Lu Nianfu, in her heavy Empress's formal wear, was led by Situ Yan to pay respects to the Supreme Emperor, and then to Changning Palace to receive greetings from the imperial clan members and noble ladies. As for the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubines, they were still residing in the temporary palace.
She had not thought of her previous life for a long time. In the peace and busyness of her current life, the desolation of her past life had gradually faded from her heart, leaving only cherished memories. But today, seeing the noble ladies below smiling fawningly or respectfully to greet her, she couldn't help but recall her past life.
The affairs of the world were like a game of chess, and fortune and misfortune were unpredictable.
She thought the most correct thing she had done in this life was saving Situ Yan in the forest when he was injured.
After the lively enthronement ceremony, Lu Nianfu suddenly found herself with a lot of free time. When she lived in Prince Rui's manor, she had to manage the household affairs, accounts, and social interactions between various estates.
But after entering the palace, Qianyuan Hall was the only residence with four masters among the three thousand palaces. As for the ladies in other palaces with their own ranks, they had all been taken to the temporary palace by Emperor Changwu, leaving only over a thousand palace maids and eunuchs.
It wasn't as if the Empress would be concerned with the affairs of these servants; what was the purpose of the Imperial Household Department then?
As for socializing, don't be absurd. Have you ever seen anyone invite an Empress for a meal, tea, or a stroll in the garden?
So, apart from occasionally checking the accounts, she was completely at leisure. The two children saw her much more often and were all very happy about it. One day, while idle, she flipped through the palace expenses and felt a bit uneasy upon seeing the monthly wages recorded for the sixteen hundred eunuchs and palace maids.
Four masters, with over sixteen hundred people serving them. Was that insane?
Even under Emperor Changwu, there were only a little over a dozen consorts in the harem. What were so many servants needed for?
Situ Yan also felt it was a waste to support them idly. "Why not send them out of the palace?"
Lu Nianfu said, "It's easier to handle the palace maids. When they reach a certain age, they should be sent out of the palace to marry. But what about the eunuchs? We can't send them out of the palace too, can we?"
"We still need to think of a solution. The national treasury is not exactly flush with funds. We can't afford to waste money like this."
"Then please give me some time to think."
It was impossible to dismiss them, but they couldn't just eat without working either. It was time to reduce their numbers.
However, the officials had entirely different ideas. Emperor Changwu had not held many imperial selections in his later years. For the past few years, selections were held only once every few years, and only suitable women for marriage were chosen, all of whom were sent home afterward. This meant that the palace had not admitted new people for many years. Emperor Changwu was aging, and it was normal for him to not be interested in women.
But Emperor Jinwu was in his prime, so how could the palace only have old palace maids?
Therefore, the Grand Academicians of the Cabinet submitted a memorial: "Your Majesty, you should select imperial consorts and expand the harem."