The barbecue in the palace concluded, and for the first time, they experienced such a unique flavor. Both the Empress Dowager and the Empress were very satisfied. Seeing how much they enjoyed the taste, Su Muqing presented a large quantity of seasonings to the palace’s imperial kitchens.
The Emperor watched her meticulously instruct the imperial chefs. "Why go through all this trouble? Since you'll be living in the palace from now on, whenever Father Emperor or Mother Empress wants something to eat, you can just tell us, and then you can cook it for us."
Su Muqing pondered for a moment. "Uh… what if I'm not in the palace for some reason? Then they can still make it for Father Emperor and Mother Empress! It wouldn't hurt to tell them in advance anyway."
The Emperor didn't quite understand her words, but the Empress, overhearing this, couldn't help but furrow her brows. What did she mean by "not in the palace"? However, neither of them dwelled on it, assuming she simply meant she might go out for some fun.
Ke Bi You's thoughts were simple. Although Muqing was a daughter, she hadn't been raised in the palace before. Whether she wanted to venture out on her own or be pampered within the palace, they would respect her choice. Princesses didn't always have to stay in one place. If she could achieve something in another realm, that would be her own fortune.
The siblings stayed in the palace for three days, and Wan Yan'er also stayed with them throughout. Su Muqing, too lazy to bother with a name, directly named this palace compound Huaxia Hall.
It wasn't until the twenty-seventh of December that the grand investiture ceremony was scheduled. Early that morning, the siblings were pulled from their beds by palace maids and elderly governesses, followed by a series of tedious and intricate dressing and grooming.
The little milk bun's preparations were relatively simpler, requiring only the donning of ornate clothes, but it was different for Su Muqing. The robe she wore had a red and white base, embroidered with golden threads in a exquisite pattern.
The embroidery on her garment wasn't the traditional phoenix motif but a design of butterflies and flowers, full of youthful vitality. The variety of flowers on the robe looked very lifelike, truly a scene of flourishing blossoms and immense prosperity.
This robe was selected from those being made for the Empress. Fortunately, with the New Year approaching, the palace had begun preparing festive banquet attire for all the royals in advance.
As the Mother of the Nation, the Empress's clothes were always made first and in the largest quantities. This allowed for the opportunity to select from her attire; otherwise, with only three days, it would have been impossible to rush such an exquisite and magnificent dress.
After the ceremonial robe was hung, the palace maids and governesses began styling her hair. Her own hair was already long and thick, but in the end, the governess added a lot of faux hair buns. Su Muqing shook her head; it must have weighed at least two catties.
The governess styled her hair into a very high updo, layering the buns until she appeared significantly taller. But even then, the governess didn't stop, continuing to add height to her head.
"Governess, do you need to add more? I think this is high enough, don't you? If you add more, I'm afraid it will fall off, and people will think I've lost my hair!" Su Muqing couldn't hold back any longer and expressed her opinion.
"Hahaha~ Princess, you speak so amusingly. How could it fall off? I've secured it very tightly. You are to be enfeoffed as a princess, and the higher the hairstyle, the greater the fortune. Moreover, the Emperor said he wants to hold your capping ceremony at the same time." The governess continued to add hair buns as she spoke.
Su Muqing felt utterly speechless. Was this height still not enough for a princess? If they wanted to be an empress of the Tenzan Kingdom, wouldn't one have to break their neck?
Fine, perhaps this was the local custom. She might as well follow the local customs. With this thought, Su Muqing simply closed her eyes and let them do as they pleased, thinking she could even catch a nap. Being woken up so early had made her extremely sleepy.
Su Muqing was finally awakened by the heavy pressure on her head. When she opened her eyes, she gasped! Her height had been extended by over ten centimeters. In addition to the towering hairstyle, her head was adorned with jingling jewels and ornaments. There were cascading beaded chains in the front, and trailing tassels reaching the ground from the buns at the back. The weight of this hairstyle alone must have been at least five catties.
It turned out that besides catching a cold and having a fever, there was another way to feel heavy-headed—becoming a princess of the Tenzan Kingdom.
⁽⁽ƪ(•̩̩̩̩＿•̩̩̩̩)ʃ⁾⁾ᵒᵐᵍᵎᵎ It was truly speechless!
However, to be honest, the palace makeup was quite unique. Her eyebrows were drawn to her temples, adorned with pearls on both sides, plus a touch of red between her brows. Coupled with the phoenix feather markings at the corners of her eyes, the entire eye makeup looked noble and ethereal. In contrast, the makeup on the lower half of her face was much lighter. Apart from pearl floral decorations on her cheeks, there was just a touch of crimson on her lips.
There were also some minor mishaps during the makeup application. The governess wanted to whiten her face. Su Muqing scanned it and detected a high concentration of lead, so she decisively refused. Applying such substances to her face would be ruining her appearance, wouldn't it? Seeing her natural beauty and excellent skin condition, the governess gave up on whitening her.
Next, Su Muqing smelled the rich scent from the small jars they used for lip coloring. When she asked the governess, she learned that the red color used by the noble consorts in the palace to tint their lips was made from fresh flower juices mixed with cinnabar.
Cinnabar? Wouldn't it be toxic if swallowed? It might be fine if she only used it occasionally, but for the Empress, the consorts, and the noble ladies and young ladies, they applied it for extended periods. It was no wonder they would fall prey to poisoning. It wasn't surprising that ancient people had relatively shorter lifespans.
Applying lead powder to the face and cinnabar to the lips. The women here were constantly using these toxic substances on their bodies. It would be a miracle if they lived long!
Su Muqing took out a few domestically produced lipsticks from her small satchel. She then picked out a shade of imperial red, opened it, applied it to her lips twice, and pursed her lips.
The governess watched her take out some peculiar item and apply it a couple of times, after which her lips turned a vibrant red. Not only was the color more attractive than the lip gloss they usually used, but most importantly, her lipstick adhered well to her lips, without the gritty, foreign sensation.
"How about this? What do you think, Governess?" Su Muqing asked, looking at herself in the small mirror. She felt it looked quite good.
The palace maids and governesses nearby stared at her face with a touch of adoration. Their princess was already a beauty, and with this styling and makeup, she looked even more stunning. Perhaps the fairies in those storybooks looked like this.
The governess withdrew her gaze, looked at the person before her, and nodded with satisfaction. "It's fine. It's more than fine. Princess, you look beautiful like this, like a fairy who has stepped out of a painting."
The palace maid nearby cupped her face, her eyes sparkling with little stars. "Yes! Princess, you are so beautiful. I've never seen a woman more beautiful than you, Princess."
"Princess, you are too beautiful…"
"Princess, you are so pretty…"
Wan Yan'er entered then, holding the little milk bun. Upon seeing Su Muqing's attire, she was also deeply stunned. Looking this beautiful, was she going to let other girls live?
"Wow! Muqing, did you step out of a painting? I wish I could be a person in a painting too!" Wan Yan'er placed the little milk bun on the ground and circled Su Muqing.
Su Muqing raised an eyebrow, a peculiar smile curving her lips. "You want to be a person in a painting? That's not difficult at all. I have a way to help you achieve your wish quickly!"
Wan Yan'er's interest was immediately piqued by her words. She excitedly grabbed Su Muqing's arm. "What way? Oh right! You have so many strange treasures on you, you must have a way to make me look better. Right?"
Su Muqing thought of something and couldn't help but laugh. "This is simple, isn't it? After you return to Weitess City, just commit some minor misdeed, and the authorities will definitely issue a wanted poster for you. This way, your wish will be fulfilled!"
"Why would the authorities arrest me? What does that have to do with me being a person in a painting?" Wan Yan'er pondered her words, not quite understanding.
Unexpectedly, Su Muqing said in a low voice, "Wanted posters are also paintings..."
Wan Yan'er found it utterly absurd!
"Su Muqing, you dare to laugh at me! Watch me tickle you!" Wan Yan'er said, feigning anger, and pounced on her, intending to tickle her armpits.
"Oh my… Princess, Miss Wan, you mustn't fool around now. If you mess up your makeup and hair again, you'll have to start all over." The governess said, quickly stepping forward to pull the two apart.
"Alright, alright! I was just teasing you! I'll give you a set of makeup. Once you learn one of the four great beauty arts, makeup, you can be a person in a painting every day!" Su Muqing adjusted her slightly askew high bun and then took a small set of cosmetics from her satchel, placing them on the dressing table.
Wan Yan'er tidied her clothes and then leaned closer to Su Muqing. "What are all these things? Oh, I notice your satchel is like a treasure bag. It doesn't look very big, but it holds quite a lot."
Su Muqing, who was taking things out, paused and then placed the last item, an eyeshadow palette, on the table. She then picked up her small satchel and shook it.
"It's empty! Everything's out. This is an elastic fabric bag, so it can naturally hold a lot of things! I packed these cosmetics specifically last night, thinking I might touch up my makeup if it got smudged today. Do you want them? If not, I'll put them back!" Su Muqing said, making a move to put the items back into the fabric bag.
"No, no, no… I want them! I want them! Princess Ning An, please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me!" Wan Yan'er quickly pounced on the table, grabbed Su Muqing's hand, and then gathered all the cosmetics into her arms.
The palace maids and governesses nearby looked enviously at Miss Wan as she packed the princess's gifts, one by one, into her own small bag. But no matter how much they liked them, they could only envy them in their hearts. They were merely low-ranking palace maids and couldn't possibly own such treasures!
"You..." Su Muqing poked Wan Yan'er's forehead, then stood up and spread her arms. The palace maids and governesses stepped forward to help her put on the ceremonial robe.
If it were just a simple capping ceremony, Su Muqing would have prepared a beautiful outfit herself. In fact, the clothes of the Tenzan Kingdom generally used light fabrics. Yet, this outfit wasn't originally made for her, so its material was truly luxurious and heavy.
Su Muqing, with her small frame, was less than 1.6 meters tall and weighed less than 40 kilograms. This was after she had improved her life since her transmigration. Originally, she was thin and small, truly a "yellow-haired girl."
Today, with this ensemble from head to toe, she had suddenly grown to 1.7 meters tall and her weight had jumped to 45 kilograms. It was more effective than pulling up seedlings to help them grow! Fortunately, she had some martial arts skills; if it were the original host, she would have probably collapsed under the weight.
At the hour of Chen (8:18 AM), the auspicious time arrived, and the sun was shining brightly outside. Su Muqing, led by the Ministry of Rites official, boarded a sedan chair and was carried to the outside of the Glorious Main Hall.
The civil and military officials were already lined up on both sides of the hall, their gazes fixed on the petite figure. Su Muqing held Su Muxuan, her gaze firm as she looked forward.
She stepped onto the first of the nine stone steps. Her long robe trailed behind her, its golden embroidery radiating a dazzling brilliance.
Having already experienced much hardship, she felt an inexplicable flutter in her heart at this moment. Many scenes from her past life flashed through her mind. To meet her beloved parents in this unfamiliar world had finally made up for her regrets over the past half-year.
At this moment, her parents were waiting for her in the main hall ahead. After today, they would once again be a true family.
Su Muqing walked up the second flight of nine steps, the third, the fourth, until she reached the fifth. After passing the spacious front platform, she finally arrived at the entrance of the grand hall.
Wang Defu flicked his horsetail whisk and announced loudly, "Announce the entry of Su Muqing and Su Muxuan into the hall!"
"Announce the entry of Su Muqing and Su Muxuan into the hall!" The eunuch at the hall's entrance repeated the announcement.
"Announce the entry of Su Muqing and Su Muxuan into the hall!"
As the eunuch outside the hall finished his loud announcement, Su Muqing, holding Su Muxuan, steadily walked into the hall, step by step. The space within the hall was not as vast as the outside. The little milk bun, seeing the crowd of people around, was still a bit unaccustomed. He turned and nuzzled his sister's shoulder, looking at the people staring at them.
Reaching a suitable spot, Su Muqing stopped. She gently placed Su Muxuan on the ground to kneel, and then slowly knelt down herself. Because of the heavy attire, her movements couldn't be too large, making the entire process quite strenuous.
The Emperor, seeing that Su Muqing was already panting, couldn't bear for her to be too tired. He turned and nodded at Wang Defu.
Receiving the Emperor's instruction, Wang Defu unfurled the imperial decree in his hand. "By order of the Emperor of the Tenzan Kingdom, it is decreed that Lady Su Muqing, of noble character and virtuous disposition, has made contributions to the imperial court and is a model for the women of the world. She is hereby conferred the title of First-Rank Princess Ning'an of the Tenzan Kingdom. Her young brother, Su Muxuan, is intelligent and blessed with great fortune, winning the heart of the Holy Mother Empress Dowager. He is hereby conferred the title of First-Rank Prince Yongrong. May you both henceforth act with kindness, serve the Tenzan Kingdom, and not disappoint the royal family or the people. Respect this!"
After Wang Defu finished reading the imperial decree, he neatly folded it and placed it back on the tray, then carried it to Su Muqing's side. On the tray also rested the jade tablet and golden册 (book/register) belonging to a First-Rank Royal Princess.
Su Muqing clasped her hands above her head and received the tray representing her identity. "This subject accepts the decree and expresses gratitude! From now on, I will surely not fail Father Emperor's trust and will contribute to the people and the country. I wish the Tenzan Kingdom long-lasting prosperity and eternal peace. I wish His Majesty ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand eternal years."
The Emperor, concerned for his daughter, fearing she might be tired, said, "Princess Ning'an, please rise! Wang Defu, escort the Princess back to Huaxia Hall for a short rest. When the hour of Shen arrives, I will bring the civil and military officials to hold your capping ceremony."
"Thank you, Father Emperor, for your concern. This subject will take her leave." Su Muqing bowed in gratitude and then withdrew from the hall with Su Muxuan.
After she exited the hall, she finally let out a sigh of relief. Despite seeming like a simple outing, they had left at 8 AM and it was now past 11 AM.
At this moment, she felt both hungry and tired, not to mention the heavy attire. If it weren't over soon, no matter how capable she was, she would probably collapse.
Su Muqing hugged the little milk bun and climbed onto the sedan chair, then promptly collapsed onto the seat. Fortunately, the sedan chair was veiled on all sides, so there was no risk of her ungraceful posture being seen.
Upon returning to Huaxia Hall, she had no time to exchange pleasantries with the waiting Wan Yan'er. She hurried into the bedchamber and, first and foremost, shed the entire ensemble.
"To wear a crown, one must bear its weight." The ancients were indeed not wrong!
The governess, while helping her take off the ceremonial robe, quietly asked, "Princess, this ceremonial robe can be replaced with another, but perhaps we shouldn't remove the hairstyle?"
Not remove it? How could that be! If this large mass on her head wasn't removed, she felt her neck would surely become dislocated.
"Governess, please remove everything for me. It's supposed to be a capping ceremony with hairpin insertion. A simple and refreshing hairstyle will suffice. My neck has been uncomfortable all morning; if I have to endure it for half the day, I'm afraid I'll lose my life before the capping ceremony even begins..." Su Muqing, who had been very agreeable that morning, was now quite insistent.
"Princess, please don't talk nonsense. I'll help you take it off. You are now a princess, destined to live for thousands of years, thousands of years, thousands of eternal years." Su Muqing's casual complaint startled the governess greatly.
Today was the princess's joyous occasion. How could she speak such inauspicious words? If someone with ill intentions heard it and it reached the Emperor's ears, he might think the princess harbored resentment.
Su Muqing felt the governess's hands tremble as she styled her hair and quickly turned to comfort her. "Governess, there's no need to be so nervous. I won't say such things anymore."
After shedding the heavy regalia, she had a delicious lunch with Wan Yan'er and then returned to bed to catch up on sleep. There was another capping ceremony at 4:18 PM, so she needed to recharge properly first.
Just after the hour of Wei, Lu Yuzhi and Ke Binà accompanied the Regent Princess into the palace. They first paid their respects to the Emperor and Empress Dowager, and then headed directly to Huaxia Hall.
When they arrived, Su Muqing was still fast asleep, knowing she had been tired from the morning. The group didn't disturb her rest and went directly to the courtyard to find the black bear and the others.
The capping ceremony of a royal princess was essentially just grander than that for commoners. In reality, the steps were quite simple, at least lacking the环节 (links/steps) of a fully blessed mother combing the hair.
As she was of royal blood, how could she possibly be more blessed than the Empress Dowager? But the Empress Dowager couldn't possibly comb their hair for them, so many steps were simply omitted.
As the hour of Shen approached, the governess woke Su Muqing. She chose a simple and elegant pale yellow dress herself. Although the style was very minimalist, the layered gauze and exquisite embroidery clearly indicated the richness of the garment.
The governess styled her hair into two rather concentrated buns, leaving a lock of hair at the back of her head. To enhance the youthful charm, the lipstick was changed to a more tender pink shade.
Around 3:30 PM, invited civil and military officials began arriving at Huaxia Hall one after another. The Empress Dowager and the Empress also arrived around the same time.
At 4:08 PM, the capping ceremony officially began. Following the instructions of the Ministry of Rites officials, Su Muqing walked beside the Emperor and Empress, first offering incense at the altar to inform heaven and earth, and then kneeling on the prayer mat to listen to the Ministry of Rites recite celebratory poems.
The content of the celebratory poems was lengthy, and the tone sounded like chanting scriptures. The general meaning was that their daughter had grown up, and they were informing heaven, earth, and their ancestors, wishing for her a smooth life, and also announcing to all eligible young men that they could now seek her hand in marriage. They wished her harmonious marital relations, many descendants, health, and longevity.
Of course, this was just Su Muqing's interpretation. Because the tone of the Ministry of Rites officials' chanting was too difficult for her to understand, she could only rely on guessing.
After more than twenty minutes, the poems finally concluded. The Empress stood from her seat and approached Su Muqing, while the governess stood by with a wooden tray.
The Empress picked up the wooden comb, and the Ministry of Rites officials began another round of commendation. Amidst his poetic recitation, the Empress combed the two strands of hair hanging from Su Muqing's sides a few times, then picked up a golden hairpin from the tray.
She wound the hair around the golden hairpin several times and then steadily inserted it into the bun. After finishing the right side, she repeated the process on the left. Everyone present was very envious of Su Muqing, seeing that the Empress herself was performing the hairpin insertion.
It was known that this step was usually performed by one's birth mother. The fact that the Empress personally performed the hairpin insertion for Su Muqing today indicated that she acknowledged her as a daughter and would henceforth dote on her as her own.
After inserting the hairpins on both sides, she removed them again. Then, she combined the two strands of hair into one, winding them around the already closely placed buns. She then took a more exquisite golden jade hairpin and inserted it into the single bun. This signified that Su Muqing had officially reached adulthood.
With the capping and hairpin insertion ceremony complete, the Empress returned to her seat. The Empress Dowager, supported by the governess, approached. A palace maid brought over a basin of water, in which several large leaves were placed. The stems of the leaves were forged from gold, and the leaves themselves were carved from jade.
The Empress Dowager dipped her hand into the basin of water and then touched Su Muqing's forehead, both cheeks, the tip of her nose, and her chin. Then, she lifted the golden floral crown from the tray and firmly inserted it into her hair, and pinned a fresh pink flower at the back of her head.
This signified that the royal family had bestowed upon her a new identity. From now on, she was no longer the little peasant girl she once was, but a true daughter of the Tenzan Kingdom.
Su Muqing clasped her hands in front of her forehead and then bowed to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor with the back of her hand touching the ground, offering her thanks. After her formal salutations, the Ministry of Rites official's chanting also concluded.
She secretly glanced at the Ministry of Rites official. He looked to be in his late sixties. After speaking for so long, the old man's lips were chapped; he was working harder than she was!
Su Muqing quickly wiped the sweat from her forehead. Being a princess was truly not easy. Fortunately, ancient girls had few festivals; if they had to go through this once a year, it would be a disaster!