Returning after a three-year escape from death, the tyrant has turned evil.

Chapter 325 Imperial Majesty
By the time they returned to the palace, it was completely dark. Song Yi yawned as she got off the carriage and stretched.

Jiang Lanye followed closely behind, standing beside her and whispering, "Rest well tomorrow and prepare well. The coronation ceremony is the day after tomorrow."

Hearing him say that, I was so scared that I stopped yawning halfway through.

".OK."

Jiang Lanye chuckled softly, "No need to be nervous. I'll take care of everything the day after tomorrow. Shall we go and take a look at that main hall first?"

The ceremony for the coronation of the empress was to be held in the place where Jiang Lanye usually held court. The Qian Yuan Hall was spacious and located at the highest point, with more than a hundred steps below. Every morning, before dawn, the ministers, dressed in court attire, would climb up step by step from the bottom to enter the Qian Yuan Hall to meet the emperor.

To be honest, Song Yi had never seen what the Qianyuan Hall looked like before.

The thought that it was the place where Jiang Lanye went to court every day immediately calmed Song Yi down.

"Okay, let's go take a look first."

Jiang Lanye took her hand, and the two walked towards the center of the palace, which was also the highest point.

Before even arriving, a striking crimson expanse caught Song Yi's eye.

After seeing what it was, she involuntarily held her breath.

Starting from the majestic and solemn main gate of the Qianyuan Hall, an extremely wide red carpet flows up the more than one hundred steps, with the finest red carpet covering every step and stretching all the way to the end of the road.

"This"

She couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

The extreme grandeur and luxury were so overwhelming that anyone who saw it would be stunned, leaving her speechless for a moment.

Song Yi couldn't help but imagine that the day after tomorrow, she would walk on this red carpet, step by step, to the highest place, to receive the homage of civil and military officials and concubines in the harem.

Jiang Lanye stood beside her, his gaze also fixed on the magnificent red carpet, and said slowly, "I want the whole world to see how you, my empress, have climbed to the highest point step by step."

This overwhelming expanse of red is like a crowning glory for her.

Song Yi licked her dry lips: "Jiang Lanye, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight."

"Would you like me to walk up with you?"

"it is good."

He took Song Yi's hand and led her along the red carpet up the steps.

Song Yi couldn't help but look up.

At the highest point, the plaque bearing the three characters "Qian Yuan Hall" appears exceptionally small, but even in the darkness, the golden characters on it still shine brightly.

It was only at this moment that Song Yi truly understood what it meant to be "under the emperor's feet".

Perhaps the Qian Yuan Hall was deliberately built at such a high position so that those who came to the palace to meet the emperor would first feel their own insignificance, and then feel the majesty unique to the imperial family.

"Jiang Lanye, I truly understand you now."

"what?"

"Standing alone in such a high position must be very stressful. I think it's already difficult for one person to manage a small team, let alone someone like you. Your decisions have a huge impact on the entire court and all the people."

Jiang Lanye chuckled softly.

He had always presented himself as indifferent and composed in front of Song Yi, but now, after hearing her say this, he surprisingly showed a hint of arrogance.

“I entered the study at the age of four, where I was taught by strict teachers. I studied imperial strategies and read books on governing the world.”

His voice was calm: "In the two years after I ascended the throne, every decree I issued had to weigh the interests of the court, the harem, and all the people under heaven."

“But then,” his gaze fell on the plaque, “I changed my mind.” Song Yi stopped and looked at him curiously: “Changed your mind about what?”

"I am the rule."

"No one can make decisions about court affairs for me, and likewise, no one can bear the consequences of every decision. This position should rightfully belong to me."

A night breeze blew by, and Song Yi suddenly laughed.

She looked up at Jiang Lanye, at his calm yet resolute eyes: "Jiang Lanye, you have always been capable of shouldering this responsibility."

Jiang Lanye lowered his head and touched his forehead with hers: "You will become my empress, and I will share the world with you."

"I don't want the world, I just want you to stay with me in peace."

The two walked uphill, and Song Yi, hands on her hips, panted for a long time: "When I wear a phoenix crown and a phoenix robe, I'll be exhausted. I won't be able to walk halfway up. That's how it is now."

Jiang Lanye's breathing was steady, and he looked at her with a hint of helplessness: "You don't move around much normally, and it's even more so after you got pregnant, so it's inevitable that you'll have some physical weakness."

After saying that, he reached out to pat Song Yi's back to help her catch her breath: "Besides, before you got pregnant, I could still move you around every night."

Song Yi glanced at him: "Really? It seems like I didn't do it voluntarily."

Jiang Lanye chuckled: "That's still moving, and usually the next day you'll complain of being tired, or having backaches, or leg pains."

"Okay, shut up."

"Next, I'm punishing you by having you carry me back to the Golden Palace. We'll go back to bathe and then go to sleep. I need to be well-rested, otherwise you can expect to faint the day after tomorrow."

Jiang Lanye's lips twitched slightly as he steadily carried her toward the Golden Palace.

Day two.

Song Yi sat to the side, looking helplessly at Xi Chun.

At this moment, Xichun was standing in front of the table, stretching out her index finger and counting back and forth for a long time.

“Xichun, you’ve counted it several times already.”

Xi Chun's expression was solemn: "Your Highness, you have so many things to wear tomorrow. These pieces of jewelry are scattered around. I must help you make sure they are all in order, so that you won't be in a rush tomorrow. It would be bad luck if you couldn't find anything."

Song Yi looked at Feng Pao beside her: "Xi Chun, you have to get up early with me tomorrow. We have to get up before dawn because just getting dressed will take at least an hour."

Xi Chun turned around, gently adjusting the phoenix robe, and checked it again: "An hour is probably not enough; the makeup will take a long time."

Song Yi was already feeling tired.

She began to space out, her mind wandering for a moment before something suddenly occurred to her:
"By the way, I feel like something's missing."

"what?"

"Jiang Lanye said that tomorrow is both the empress's coronation ceremony and the emperor and empress's wedding. So where is his dragon robe?"

Xi Chun was taken aback: "Yes, and in traditional folk weddings, both men and women wear bright red clothes. Could it be that Your Majesty also..."

Song Yi stood up. "Great, Jiang Lanye must have been prepared a long time ago, but he kept it from me and didn't tell me."

She paced back and forth for a while.

As soon as Jiang Lanye entered the Golden Palace, Song Yi rushed over immediately:
"Jiang Lanye, I want to see your robes!"

Jiang Lanye raised an eyebrow slightly: "You'll see tomorrow."

She narrowed her eyes: "Are you trying to surprise me?"

(End of this chapter)