Chapter 625 - 636 Confrontation on the Road
According to what Gu Youyou knew, there was an ancient rule regarding marriage that forbade people with the same surname from marrying each other. However, this rule varied across different eras. In certain periods, it was permissible for members of the Imperial Family and nobility to intermarry despite having the same surname. As a result, the current Emperor and Empress were of the same surname.
It was said that the Emperor had to go through a great deal of trouble to ascend from the position of Crown Prince to the Dragon Throne. Zhuzhao Country has a distinctive feature: there are an unusually large number of people with the surname Jin in the north, once a great clan many years ago. But after years of changes, it was difficult to distinguish who belonged to which branch of the family.
The power of the Ducal Residence was another major branch of the Jin surname outside of the Imperial Family. The connections were complex and deep-rooted, not to be underestimated. In order for the Emperor to ascend to the throne smoothly, he naturally could not adhere to the rule against marrying someone with the same surname, so he married her to become the Empress.
The carriage ride only stopped upon reaching the Imperial City, where the Imperial Family had a separate area designated for the ladies and misses of each household to park their carriages. After alighting from the carriage, the maids and coachmen brought along were not permitted to enter the palace, and had to wait by the carriages.
And the ladies and misses were all required to enter the palace by foot.
For a moment, the sight of these graceful women walking in resembled a parade of orioles and swallows, truly a spectacular scene.
Gu Youyou marveled that being able to walk in such uniformity also reflected the ancient people’s regard for punctuality.
If not for agreeing to arrive at the same time, the procession would have been a disorganized mess.