Chapter 13 Chapter 13

After Shen Youyi woke up from this body, she didn’t know that she could run as fast as a rabbit.

Today the Emperor is going on an outing with his concubines. Although it is just a spur-of-the-moment decision and he may not have asked the Grand Historian to observe the stars and predict the fortune, it is impossible for the day to be so bad that everything goes wrong.

But she really shouldn't have come out, and even if she did, she shouldn't have walked down this road.

After passing several palaces, Shen Youyi gradually found the direction to Huifeng Pavilion, but his pace also slowed down.

Her heart sank.

Whether they were actors or members of the royal family, most of them only walked around and served in the inner courtyard. Even on holidays, if they were seen dressed inappropriately outside by the prime ministers in the Southern Court, they would definitely be reported.

Although the legacy of the Wei and Jin dynasties' elegance and debauchery still exists, she believes that the current emperor is not someone who is interested in such things.

Huifeng Pavilion is located in the inner palace garden. Which prince, craving for drama, would wander around and wander to a place six or seven miles away?

That strange man was not there to perform opera.

Shen Youyi touched her face, her tears had dried up, leaving slightly astringent tear marks. She didn't bring a bronze mirror with her when she came out, but she was still very confident about her appearance.

It didn't matter if the thin layer of makeup fell off, but she didn't want to reveal her crying appearance in front of Emperor Yuan Shuo.

A woman's tears can sometimes be as precious as pearls and jade, and sometimes even less valuable than a drop of salty rainwater. If she wants to cry, she must cry in front of Emperor Yuan Shuo.

Concubine Wei would become jealous and compete with the concubines for favor to the point of angering the king. This was inconsistent with Shen Youyi's own temperament, but she gradually adapted to and understood Concubine Wei's character.

She would cry for his change of heart instead of sending a signal to the emperor... During the days when the emperor did not visit her, she cried every day and became a resentful woman in the cold palace.

In the final analysis, men come to the inner house to have fun. Of course they will be happy to see her being tortured to the point of submission and repentance. However, if they are too submissive and honest, it will make the other party feel boring and even annoyed.

Too many people succumbed to the emperor's pressure, not to mention the concubines in the harem, even the men from the previous dynasty could do nothing about it.

Concubine Wei can capture the emperor's attention, so she is obviously not such a boring person.

Shen Youyi burst into laughter. She did not resent the injustice of heaven because Concubine Wei had the same appearance as her but lived a life above everyone else. Nor did she despise her for not being able to control her love and jealousy in front of the emperor despite having a good hand, and actually tormenting herself to this point.

She quite liked the original Madam Wei.

This was exactly the life she had longed for but had not dared to fully realize. She also wanted to live happily, regardless of the consequences...even if her husband, whom she had to refute and fight against, was the ruler of the world.

Shen Youyi lowered her eyelashes, but when she met her brother, she had another concern.

She still didn't understand how he could become a close minister to the emperor with the burden of Shen's rebellion?

Perhaps Shen’s fate in her previous life was not as bad as she saw?

Sui Chao sat in the imperial concubine's study embroidering. She felt relieved of her worries and there was always a smile on her lips.

Although she comforted the Imperial Concubine that she would keep it a secret for her, she also knew that Imperial Concubine Wei would not be alone when she came back.

Your Majesty has made such concessions. Even if it is really just an accidental encounter, the imperial concubine only needs to be a little more gentle in her attitude and everything will go smoothly.

She sewed quickly with her needle and sang a nursery rhyme softly in a cheerful and loving tone, not afraid of being discovered.

So when Shen Youyi opened the door of the study, she saw the woman who had changed into her clothes sitting in front of the window, skillfully splitting strands of silk with her round and slender nails, and carefully embroidering a bellyband under the light and shadow.

After Hanxun was expelled, her underwear was made by Sui Chao and several palace maids. This scene was not unfamiliar to her.

But it was obvious at first glance that the size of this bellyband was not hers.

Sui Chao's smile froze on her cheek and gradually disappeared. She suppressed the exclamation that was about to burst out of her mouth, stood up stiffly and knelt down: "Madam, please forgive me!"

Of course, the imperial concubine, who was favored by the emperor, would not care about the little thoughts of the servants, but the beauty in front of her had a dirty dress, a few strands of hair stuck to her neck, the light makeup she had applied in the morning had been wiped off, her eyes were very red and swollen, and when she pushed the door open and looked at her, her brows were tightly furrowed.

It was she who instigated the imperial concubine to sneak out. Regardless of whether the imperial concubine found out or not, she would definitely vent her anger on him if he came back in this state and saw her forgetting herself in private.

Shen Youyi frowned not because he disliked these things, but because he smelled a faint smell of medicine.

Sui Chao was a woman who had given birth, and she knew that the smell of human breast milk might not be liked by noble men, so she often used incense on her body, but this fragrance could not cover up the familiar smell of medicine.

There were so many things that happened just now that she had forgotten which book she and her brother had chosen at the same time.

But the smell of medicine in the study brought back memories that were so faint that they were almost non-existent.

It's not that she was born with a photographic memory, but the book her brother chose was somewhat unique. It was neither politics nor history, but a book called "The Complete Prescriptions for Women".

Is it because he has already married his sister-in-law and wants to watch over her for his wife and daughter?

Shen Youyi walked over slowly, caught a glimpse of the five poisonous tiger patterns on the bellyband, and smiled and told Sui Chao to get up.

"Is this embroidered for your young master?"

Sui Chao trembled with fear and answered softly, bowing his head and admitting his guilt, "My servant was deeply missing my son. I beg for your forgiveness, my lady."

In the Yaoguang Palace, every needle and thread belongs to the imperial concubine, including her.

Shen Youyi hummed, and said calmly: "As long as you don't miss your work, it's not a big deal. Did someone bring medicine just now?"

Sui Chao was eager to ask where the filth on the imperial concubine came from, but he could only suppress his thoughts: "The steward just sent the tonic, and when he saw that there were only servants in the room, he asked to warm it on the stove."

She almost thought it was the cold medicine that the Imperial Concubine used to take, but after thinking carefully, she realized that His Majesty had not visited her for a long time, so it would be of little use to the Imperial Concubine. She tentatively asked, "Madam, are you feeling unwell somewhere? I have learned massage, and perhaps I can help you resolve this problem."

Almost all those who had worked for the imperial concubine and decocted medicines and colluded with the imperial concubine were beaten to death. Who would dare to risk his life and decoct these harmful medicines for the imperial concubine?

Shen Youyi smiled. It would be a waste for her to have the bitter medicine that made her lose her eyebrows. No matter how expensive it was, she couldn't drink it. "It's just a tonic medicine. I don't like it."

She really didn't know whether the Second Prince was doing it out of filial piety or on purpose. She could only accept the Queen's kindness in her heart, and it was difficult for her to express it.

Sui Chao had deep dimples on her cheeks when she smiled. Seeing that the imperial concubine was in good spirits and did not look as embarrassed as she had been outside, she deliberately told her many funny stories about ordinary people, including some reactions to pregnancy and childbirth, as well as some difficult-to-speak private matters in the boudoir when praying for a child.

"When I left the palace, I was quite old, so I was afraid it would be difficult for me to get pregnant. My mother told me to treat this like filling a teapot with water. Not only should I fill it up, but I should also find the bottom. She also told me to raise the cushion before every sex..."

Shen Youyi had only seen her mother's friends who were pregnant, and had never experienced sex herself. She was very interested in this, listened attentively, and subconsciously stroked her lower abdomen.

Emperor Yuan Shuo had few children. Wei Lanzhen had a husband before but no children. Even though she had been in the palace for some time, there was no movement in her belly.

Shen Youyi didn't doubt herself too much. She was more accustomed to attributing such things to her husband's incompetence.

The dead are the most important, so she couldn't blame Lingyang Hou harshly.

However, she was in her prime, but the emperor would be 37 years old after his 10,000th birthday, so it was inevitable that she was unable to do what she wanted. Although she was favored by the emperor, it was unknown how much the emperor's favor would be reduced.

Concubine Wei was born into a noble family and was favored by the prince, so it didn't matter whether she gave birth or not. But she was a lonely ghost who imputed someone else's identity...even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs. Once her secret was exposed, would Emperor Yuan Shuo show some mercy to her for the sake of the child?

But how innocent is this child who is used as a life-saving tool by his mother?

Seeing that the imperial concubine seemed somewhat moved, Sui Chao knew that she could not say more, otherwise the imperial concubine would become suspicious of her intentions. So she smiled and ignored it, and asked indirectly how the imperial concubine wanted to celebrate the emperor's birthday.

The sachet has been embroidered, and it’s quite standard, with a pattern of mandarin ducks playing in the water. But giving a gift is not only about the gift itself, but also about the person giving it.

Shen Youyi cast a light glance at him. She seemed to be too concerned about Emperor Yuan Shuo's affairs.

This further confirmed her guess.

But today I can be said to have "deserted from the battlefield". I wonder what will happen if the emperor hears about this.

Thinking of this, her beautiful eyebrows stood up again.

It’s all that damn lecher’s fault!

The Queen Mother sat in a quiet room, teasing her great-grandson, Prince Hengshan, in her arms, and chatting with the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess with a smile.

She had thought her son would never come again, but she hadn't expected the emperor to come again after finishing his official business. She was so distressed that she kept asking for hot drinks: "The emperor has been working so hard. He didn't even ask for a break in this hot weather. Does he really think he's made of iron?"

Apart from grand banquets in the palace, Emperor Yuan Shuo rarely returned after leaving for state affairs. Even if he returned to Qingping Palace to sit idle for a day or two, who would blame him?

"My son doesn't spend much time with his mother on weekdays. He is always thinking about her and will come as soon as he finishes his business."

Emperor Yuan Shuo smiled faintly and said calmly, "It's okay."

It was difficult to guess what the woman was thinking, so he didn't take it too seriously. But today he preferred to ride his horse and gallop, and he wasn't very calm, so he couldn't sit still.

My blood is boiling and I am full of energy. It seems that only by walking through the rugged mountain roads and sweating hard can I feel that I have lived up to my youth.

Even after walking dozens of miles, he still felt he had seen enough.

He had been to Tangquan Palace more than thirty times and was already familiar with the terrain, but it was only today that he suddenly realized that the trees were full of green shade, birds were chirping, the mountains and forests were vast, and occasionally a gust of wind blew by, revealing the magnificent sound of pine waves in the valleys.

Although the Queen Mother is old, she is still sensitive to her surroundings. For example, although the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess appear to be respectful to each other on the surface, their relationship seems to have become colder. Her son's tone and expression today seem to be the same as usual, but upon closer inspection, there seems to be something different.

After his son became emperor, he was extremely majestic. Even if he was gentle in the inner court, he was usually serious and stern, so the concubines and children did not dare to get close to him easily.

When he wanted to joke, others would pretend to be relaxed and agree with him. But if he said nothing and just sat there, it would be very restraining, so the Queen Mother did not have to force him to stay by her side.

But the emperor was indeed in a good mood today. He smiled unconsciously while speaking, and even his deep brows relaxed a little when he lowered his head to tease the Prince of Hengshan.

Steam suddenly came out of the cold stove. The empress dowager thought about it and realized that the concubines sitting there were all old friends. The jokes that the crown princess told to the elders were not that funny. If there was anything fresh and lovable, it was the child in her arms.

It is inevitable that there will be a generation gap between the grandchildren and the children.

And...this child is the prince's only male heir.

"The emperor may not have seen our Jingming for a long time, but the child still smiled when he saw his grandfather."

The Queen Mother pursed her lips, asked the child in her arms to call for help, and said lightly, "It shows that his mother taught him well. If I were to say, Yun Chenghui's position should be raised."

The emperor was unwilling to push things to the point of no return, so she had no choice but to use this method of promoting the biological mother to express her love for the child.

Emperor Yuan Shuo remained silent, but the smile on his lips faded a little. Having been the emperor for twenty years, he had long since accepted the fact that time had passed, but he still found it irritating occasionally.

Being called disrespectful to the elderly is just a flirting tactic, but it's inevitable to feel unhappy when others bring it up all the time.

The Crown Princess's expression also changed, but the promotion of a concubine was a happy event for the Eastern Palace after all, and the Queen Mother's words might even imply some possibility. Her nails dug deep into her palms, but in the end she smiled and thanked the Crown Prince together.

She should be happy, but a little unwilling.

After a day of hard work, he had to chat and joke with the Queen Mother, take care of this illegitimate son, and take care of the Queen and concubines. In the end, the one who got the benefit was a low-ranking concubine who would never appear here!

Suddenly thinking of something, the Crown Princess glanced at the Crown Prince in front of her quietly, a sarcastic smile on her lips.

Her husband was also stunned for a moment, then he smiled seemingly sincerely, thanking Yun Chenghui and the child on behalf of him, acting like a very considerate father.

Who would have thought that the prince was at the age of full vigor and vitality, and the concubines in the Eastern Palace were not living any better than the emperor's concubines.

And it all started with the same woman, an ambitious, shameless slut.

But the funny thing is that this most noble father and son in the world don’t think so, and they don’t even know anything about it.

She looked at the child in the empress dowager's arms, and was in a trance for a moment. She didn't know why she remembered the day when Shen, or now Concubine Wei, came to the Eastern Palace when she was pregnant.

Not only do noble men have three wives and four concubines, they also keep concubines and entertainers, and some even keep male prostitutes. However, the Crown Princess was educated in the way that these lowly men and women were as pitiful as ants in her eyes, and were not worth her attention at all.

As the saying goes, if you are not stupid or deaf, you cannot be the head of a family. She is the legal wife. As long as the prince gives her enough respect, he will turn a blind eye to those superficial things.

What's more, the prince is a man who keeps himself clean. If his elders had not occasionally rewarded him with beauties, he would probably have been like Emperor Yuan Shuo, with one concubine and two concubines.

He rarely lingered in the inner chambers, and even when visiting his concubines, he was very restrained.

But when she saw the ostentatious woman bowing to her, she did not hesitate to cover the red marks on her neck.

That was the look of being pampered and cared for by a man.

At that time, Shen's chin was slightly raised, and her smile was bright and almost cruel. She showed off the Crown Prince's favor to her: "Crown Princess, don't you want to get rid of me, the thorn in your side?"

She hated him so much that blood was practically dripping from her eyes. But the next moment, the bitch who had bewitched her husband softened her tone, as if to persuade him: "As long as Your Majesty is willing to help me achieve my wish, I will never pester Your Highness again. We can both be happy, isn't that good?"

The bait was too tempting for her at that time, and she plunged into it headlong. In the end, what she got was not a return to her roots, but further alienation and indifference.

The Crown Princess remembered that the Crown Prince had been exercising a monk-like restraint lately, and it was not difficult to guess for whom this was for.

That man is still as greedy as ever. Having lost the favor of His Majesty, he comes to seduce the Prince. He has no credibility at all.

In that case, there was no need for her to hide anything from her stepmother.

After listening to the Taoists preaching and chanting, and talking with her sons and grandchildren, the empress dowager felt a little exhausted and asked them to go back and rest.

The prince did not love his only son very much. He was still young and could have many children with Yi Niang in the future. But seeing that his grandmother and father valued this child and even wanted to keep him with his grandmother, he felt more confident and couldn't help but smile.

He walked briskly and had just turned around the corridor when someone called him, "Your Highness, please stay."

The voice was soft and pleasant, but the Crown Prince frowned. It seemed like he and the Crown Princess hadn't spoken to each other for a long time. "What's the matter?"

The Crown Princess lowered her head. Ever since Shen entered the palace, His Highness has regarded her as an enemy.

If His Highness knew that the woman he loved had decided to abandon him from the beginning and treated him like a plaything, I wonder how he would feel?

"I've noticed you've been staying alone for the past few days, and I think you're worried about the Imperial Concubine."

Seeing the Crown Prince's expression suddenly change, the Crown Princess smiled faintly and said softly, "Your Highness knows that I am not a jealous person and that everyone in the palace can tolerate me, so why did you insist on sending Concubine Wei to the Marquis of Lingyang?"