Two days passed quickly. To avoid any unforeseen complications that might disrupt the enthronement ceremony, Emperor Qianyu was not overly critical of the Ministry of Rites. He merely requested modifications to sixteen minor details in the proceedings before approving the preliminary plan.
Furthermore, on the day of the enthronement ceremony itself.
Emperor Qianyu implemented unprecedented security measures.
He strived to ensure his daughter's absolute safety while also facilitating the smooth progress of the enthronement ceremony.
After all, even before he had formally proposed establishing his daughter as the Crown Princess, indicating his intention to have her succeed him as Emperor, his daughter had already been targeted by an assassination attempt. Now, with the official enthronement, although he would be present, and several Imperial Family's Martial Saint retainers would be overseeing and guarding the event, precautions were still essential.
As he had anticipated, the enthronement process indeed saw many individuals who seemed fearless of death, attempting to desperately prevent and oppose it.
Fortunately, his preparations were thorough. All those individuals were suppressed. Those who deserved to be arrested were arrested, and those who deserved to be executed were executed. Only then was the entire enthronement ceremony barely managed to proceed smoothly.
And at the very moment the enthronement ceremony concluded.
Emperor Qianyu, in a rather magnanimous gesture, bestowed upon Ding Yun a comprehensive and complete experience of the Imperial Dynasty's destiny blessing.
While becoming the Crown Princess indeed granted eligibility for the Imperial Dynasty's destiny blessing, the amount of destiny received was quite limited, at most only one-tenth of the entire Imperial Dynasty's destiny. Moreover, this portion of destiny was contingent on Emperor Qianyu's willingness to grant access. If he was willing, she would receive it; if not, not a single bit of destiny blessing could be expected.
After all, only he was the lord of the Imperial Dynasty.
And only he possessed the authority to mobilize and allocate destiny.
Previously, in his pursuit of breaking through to the Martial God realm, he had never opened access to the Imperial Dynasty's destiny. The former Crown Prince had never even enjoyed the blessing of the Imperial Dynasty's destiny throughout his life; otherwise, regardless of his poor aptitude, he would not have remained stuck in the Grandmaster realm.
Now, he was willing to open access and, seizing this opportunity, specifically provided Ding Yun with an experience akin to a true emperor, comprehensively receiving the blessing of the entire Imperial Dynasty's destiny.
This was also a desperate measure stemming from his realization that he had no further hope of breaking through to the Martial God realm.
However, Ding Yun was adept at seizing opportunities. Upon feeling a colossal surge of destiny being suddenly bestowed upon her, she immediately took the chance to focus on her breakthrough.
Given her own realm, she could break through to Martial Saint, or even Martial God, at any time if she so desired. However, the original host's aptitude was average, and breaking through too quickly without a plausible excuse or reason would be difficult to explain. Yet, whether it was the previous epiphany or the current blessing of the Imperial Dynasty's destiny, both undeniably served as justifications.
Thus, as everyone prepared to disperse.
Ding Yun once again demonstrated to everyone what a miracle and genius looked like. Standing on the Altar of Heaven, she instantly conjured a vortex of boundless spiritual energy and exuded the aura of a Martial Saint, breaking through before the eyes of all present.
Her previous epiphany had not occurred in full view of everyone; instead, she had performed it within the Scripture Pavilion. Therefore, some still harbored disbelief, considering it a fabrication.
They believed it was all a scheme by Emperor Qianyu to ensure his daughter's smooth succession, and that her cultivation was forcibly elevated through some unknown secret technique, making a future breakthrough to Martial Saint impossible.
Now, with her breakthrough to Martial Saint occurring publicly, all previous disbelief and rumors instantly vanished.
For a moment, amidst the astonishment and surprise, everyone began to murmur inwardly, wondering if the Yunxia Imperial Daughter might truly be a chosen one, favored by the heavens.
Otherwise, how could her repeated epiphanies and breakthrough to Martial Saint be explained?
Historically, no Martial Saint had been so young.
Not only did some officials ponder this, but Emperor Qianyu himself was somewhat introspective. Even after his own ascension, he had been continuously blessed by destiny for several months before reluctantly breaking through to Martial Saint.
Yet, his daughter had broken through after only a short period of destiny blessing. If she had been blessed for a longer time, she might have broken through to the Martial God realm in an instant.
Compared to this.
He suddenly felt somewhat inferior.
However, he recognized this as a positive development. Furthermore, with her being his only remaining daughter, and with his own lifespan nearing its end, further attempts to suppress her would be profoundly unwise.
Therefore, he naturally did not retract the destiny blessing but allowed it to continue until Ding Yun successfully completed her breakthrough and her Martial Saint realm stabilized.
Only then did he withdraw the complete Imperial Dynasty destiny blessing.
And then he immediately began to praise and celebrate.
Concurrently, those who still harbored intentions of finding another opportunity to eliminate the Crown Princess, though outwardly offering congratulations, were inwardly seething with anger. They each clearly understood that their chances of assassinating the Crown Princess from this point onward would be exponentially more difficult, with a negligible probability of success.
Unless another event similar to the large-scale court usurpation ten years prior were to occur.
But assembling dozens of Martial Saints was not something they could easily accomplish; it was more realistic to dream.
Following this, Ding Yun concluded her cultivation and descended.
And the enthronement ceremony concluded.
At this point, Ding Yun's identity as the Imperial Crown Princess could be considered truly solidified. From now on, as long as she did not die or fail in a rebellion, her imperial throne could be considered secure.
…
In ancient feudal societies, even with the flourishing of martial arts, the speed of information dissemination was relatively slow. The news of the Yunxia Imperial Crown Princess breaking through to the Martial Saint realm during the enthronement ceremony did not spread throughout the entire Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty until more than half a month after the ceremony's conclusion.
The reactions of ordinary citizens were relatively mild. Although a little surprised, they did not collectively protest or object. For them, who sat on the throne was largely inconsequential. Even if it were a woman, or if the dynasty changed hands, the impact would be minimal, as long as taxes and corvée labor were not increased.
If taxes and corvée labor were subsequently reduced.
They would likely cheer and hail the reign as wise.
The common populace was that simple.
Those with reactions and dissatisfaction were mainly scholars and the like. Even if they did not openly criticize, referring to "hens crowing at dawn" or similar sentiments, they murmured in private. Fortunately, Ding Yun possessed imperial bloodline at this time; otherwise, some might have privately begun contacting others to instigate rebellion.
Deep-rooted ideas that had been entrenched for centuries.
Were not easily changed.
In contrast to the scholars, the reactions from various martial arts sects and major Holy Lands were quite different. Most of them actually held a supportive stance. Apart from a few old traditionalists and martial artists with exceptionally strong male pride, many generally felt that a Martial Saint under the age of twenty was absolutely qualified to be an Empress.
Martial arts sects whose main disciples were predominantly female, such as the Creation Holy Land, Hundred Flowers Holy Land, and Jade Maiden Sect, explicitly declared their support. Some even decided to send representatives to offer congratulations at the imperial capital during Ding Yun's ascension.
If women were permitted to serve in the imperial court at that time.
They would also dispatch disciples to serve as officials.
Many often said that purely female sects in the martial world, no matter how powerful, had too narrow a perspective, ultimately concluding that marriage, childbirth, and raising children were their destiny. But they failed to consider that even if those women possessed ability and means, they lacked opportunities for them to be utilized. Men, regardless of their humble origins, could gradually climb the ranks in officialdom if they had the capability.
But what about women? They were not even wanted as yamen runners.
The only means for them to improve their social standing was through marriage, becoming a consort of a prince, or similar. What else could they do?
Could they become officials?
They lacked that opportunity!
The emergence of Ding Yun as the Imperial Crown Princess undoubtedly instilled hope in all aspiring women. The Creation Holy Land and Hundred Flowers Holy Land, after consulting with each other, immediately dispatched six Martial Saint Grand Elders to infiltrate the imperial capital and secretly protect the Yunxia Imperial Crown Princess.
Simultaneously, they were to guide the Imperial Crown Princess privately.
So that she would understand the plight of women in the world.