Chapter 189 The Emperor's Choice of Bedding

Lu Haozhi and Empress Dowager Jiang received homage from the ministers in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and then returned to the inner court together.

When the ceremonial procession reached Shoukang Palace, the concubines were already waiting outside the palace. Everyone held their breath, stood with their hands hanging down, and the courtyard was completely silent.

Lu Haozhi got off the sedan chair first and hurried to the Empress Dowager's side. He supported Empress Dowager Jiang, and the mother and son walked into the main hall of Shoukang Palace.

Empress Dowager Jiang and the Emperor sat down at the head of the table, and then she said, "Let them in."

As soon as the order was issued, the concubines in the harem came in one after another according to their rank.

Xianfei Ren Shuyi and Liang Chengbi stood side by side in the front row, leading the concubines in bowing and kowtowing to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

"Your servants and I pay our respects to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor!"

The Queen Mother accepted it with a smile. Lu Haozhi still had an indifferent expression, his eyes fixed on the door, not looking at anyone below.

But when the Queen Mother spoke, "Everyone, get up. How have you been doing these days while the Emperor and I are away from the harem?"

The concubines replied in unison, "Thank you, Queen Mother, for your concern. Everything is fine with us."

After the ceremony, Empress Dowager Jiang ordered everyone to take seats. Everyone thanked her again and then took their seats in order.

Empress Dowager Jiang glanced at the crowd. They were all there, just there to make up the numbers. Concubine Xian smiled calmly, her usual demeanor, nothing unusual. Liang Chengbi, standing next to her, looked listless and even a little haggard.

The Queen Mother saw this and smiled at Ren Shuyi, "Xianfei, I and the Emperor have been away for a while, and I've been working hard to take care of the inner court."

Ren Shuyi quickly replied, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. This is my duty, how dare I mention hard work."

Empress Dowager Jiang smiled and said to Liang Chengbi, "Princess Liang, how come you look so bad after not seeing you for a while? You're still young, you need to take care of yourself. If you develop a disease, it's no joke."

Liang Chengbi forced a smile on her pale face, "Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your concern. I am fine."

Lin Yanrong was of low rank, just a maid, and her seat should have been far back, but because of her relationship with Liang, she sat next to her.

Looking at the two people at the top, Empress Dowager Jiang smiled kindly, but her smile was very faint. Lu Haozhi's eyes were dim and absent-minded, as if he hadn't heard a word of what everyone said. The two most noble people in the imperial city were both full of worries.

What's going on?

Why isn’t Meng Yan here?

Could it be...

Lin Yanrong's mind moved, and she whispered something into Concubine Liang's ear.

Concubine Liang's face showed a hint of joy, but it disappeared in an instant. She said, "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, why didn't the Imperial Concubine come back with you?"

These words expressed the doubts in the minds of the concubines in the hall.

The reason why the emperor left the palace this time was that Meng Yanxian followed the empress dowager to Shanghe Garden to escape the summer heat. Lu Haozhi, as the king, actually followed a concubine. This incident caused an uproar in the former court and the harem.

However, today the Empress Dowager and the Emperor both returned, but the culprit was nowhere to be found.

Could it be that the rumors are true?

Is Concubine Meng dying?

After Concubine Liang said this, Lu Haozhi's expression tightened and he looked aside with empty eyes, without saying a word.

Empress Dowager Jiang, however, looked melancholy and sorrowful. After a long moment, she sighed softly, forced a smile, and said, "The Imperial Concubine is ill and cannot travel. Therefore, I and the Emperor have left her in Shanghe Garden to recuperate."

As soon as the Queen Mother said this, there was a whisper and discussion in the hall.

Ren Shuyi frowned slightly and said nothing.

Liang Chengbi's eyes flashed with surprise, and she said hurriedly, "I didn't know the Imperial Concubine was so seriously ill. She deserves death. Tomorrow, I will send someone to Shanghe Garden to pay my respects to the Imperial Concubine. Last month, my mother's family sent us some high-quality old mountain ginseng and poria cocos cream, which is the best tonic for the body. I will also send it to the Imperial Concubine."

Empress Dowager Jiang sighed, "You are so thoughtful, it's because you are sisters. Normally I see you quarreling, but at this time, you are still thinking about her."

Liang Chengbi hurriedly smiled and said, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, what are you saying? Normally, the Imperial Concubine and I only have trivial quarrels. There is no overnight grudge. The Imperial Concubine is such a good person, but I am sad to see her end up in this situation." As she said that, she took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes.

Empress Dowager Jiang looked dejected and said, "Forget it, you don't have to worry about it. She doesn't need those things now. It's a small matter to ask people to make a wasted trip, but it would be bad to disturb her peace. I have been traveling all the way and I am very tired now. I want to have a good rest. You can all go away." She waved her hand.

When the concubines saw the empress dowager ordering them to leave, they all stood up and left.

After everyone left, Queen Mother Jiang raised her eyebrows, regained her composure, and smiled at Lu Haozhi, "Well, the fox's tail is finally exposed."

Lu Haozhi snorted lightly and said calmly, "You have ulterior motives. You are simply showing your ugly side."

He really didn't have the patience to watch Liang Chengbi perform monkey shows here. If the Empress Dowager hadn't said so beforehand, he would have rushed back to the Yangxin Palace early in the morning.

Empress Dowager Jiang pursed her lips and smiled, then asked Zang Xiu, who was standing beside her, "You are watching from the side, do you see anything?"

Zang Xiu whispered back, "Miss Lin whispered something to Concubine Liang first, and then Concubine Liang asked. Concubine Liang had no tears in her eyes; she was just wiping them." She paused briefly, then continued, "I have one more thing to report to the Empress Dowager. The item in the secret compartment is missing."

Empress Dowager Jiang nodded and smiled, then sighed after a while, "After all, it's her own fault. She has followed me for half my life. I only hoped she could figure it out, but in the end, she couldn't."

Lu Haozhi said calmly, "They are the remnants of the previous dynasty, so Queen Mother need not blame herself. What my father failed to clear up, I will definitely clear up. When the Lin family became emperor, they were arrogant and extravagant, and oppressed the people. When the people were living in dire straits and suffering, it was only then that my father rose up in rebellion, and the foundation of our Great Zhou Dynasty was established. How can we expect such corrupt descendants of the royal family to understand the truth? They only think that my Lu family has snatched away the country that rightfully belongs to them. Little do they know that it was these millions of people who truly overturned their rule."

Empress Dowager Jiang smiled with relief. "You're able to understand this, which is worthy of the guidance of the late emperor and me over the years." Seeing that the emperor's mind had already wandered elsewhere, she stopped talking and said, "Alright, go back to the Yangxin Palace. No need to pretend here. I see you're getting restless. Why are there nails on that stool? Why are you moving it around so much?"

Lu Haozhi felt a little embarrassed and chuckled, "My son is not as bad as you say. I will sit with you for a while."

Empress Dowager Jiang raised her hand and slapped him hard on the back, scolding him with a smile, "Go away, don't play this trick in front of your mother, don't I know you?!"

Lu Haozhi stood up with a smile, said goodbye to the empress dowager, turned around and walked out of the hall as fast as he could.

Zang Xiu looked at the emperor's back and couldn't help but smile, "Your Majesty, why are you so happy today? You're like a groom who just married a new bride."

Empress Dowager Jiang spontaneously picked up a drunken bayberry from the gold-thread crystal plate and put it into her mouth, saying leisurely, "How can I not be happy? Miss Yan has no place to hide now."

When the imperial court and the harem came together to greet the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, a sedan chair quietly entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation and stopped outside the Tishun Hall.

The palace maid hurried forward, opened the curtain, and helped a beautiful woman down.

The woman was wearing a scarlet gorilla felt cloak with a gold and silver thread cloud pattern along the edge. She was wrapped tightly from head to toe, revealing only her charming face, and she gently exhaled puffs of white air.

The bright red cloak, under the thin winter sunlight, was as bright as a ball of fire.

Rong An was standing on the steps, eagerly waiting. When he saw her approach, he hurried forward, bowing and smiling, saying, "Your Majesty has finally arrived. Your servant pays his respects to you. Please come this way, and be careful on the steps."

Ruizhu supported Meng Yan and said to Rong An with a smile, "Why is Eunuch Rong so happy? Did you eat bee poop?"

Rong An rolled his eyes at her angrily. This damn girl was so disrespectful every time she saw him. Forget it, Rong, the chief steward, would not bother with the damn girl.

Meng Yan glanced at Ruizhu and gently scolded her, "Eunuch Rong is an old man by the emperor's side and the chief eunuch in front of the emperor. You should speak with more respect and stop being so disrespectful." Then she smiled at Rong An and said, "This girl needs discipline. I will teach her a lesson later. Eunuch Rong, don't take it to heart."

Rong An hurriedly smiled and said, "Your Majesty, that's not true. We are all very happy that you are living in Ti Shun Hall. It's cold outside, please come in." After saying that, he opened the light red door curtain with gold sprinkled cotton.

Meng Yan stepped inside, and warm fragrance slowly filled the air.

This Tishun Hall is the eastern wing of the rear bedroom of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. It has a main room and two secondary rooms on each side. The main room has a door on the front, which is where Meng Yan is currently.

The room was spotlessly clean. On the front wall hung a plaque inscribed by the late emperor himself, reading: "A Person of Virtue and Benevolence." Below it sat a rosewood table with a marble top, upon which stood two blue and white porcelain jade vases. To either side were two mahogany armchairs, and below them were two rows of chairs neatly arranged. The floor was paved with bluestone tiles, spotlessly clean, their shine radiating.

Rong An hurriedly ushered Meng Yan into the west side room and said with an apologetic smile, "Your Majesty, this is where you live. The room further in is the bedroom, so I can't go in. All the furnishings here were personally ordered by the Emperor. Please take a look. If there's anything you don't like, tell me and I'll fix it."

Meng Yan looked around and saw that the room had open brocade windows with tiles inlaid on them. The sunlight came in and illuminated the whole room.

Beneath the west window stood a kang (a bed-like bed) with a square wenge-wood table placed on it, bearing a glass screen depicting the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, a plum blossom-shaped, clear sky, and a set of teacups. Opposite stood a rosewood table, decorated with potted plants made of precious stones and a Boshan incense burner carved from Taihu Lake stone, emitting curls of green smoke and wafting the sweet fragrance of pear blossoms. Flanking the table were two rosewood armchairs. Famous paintings and calligraphy hung on the walls, along with handwritten inscriptions from the previous and current emperors. The Treasure Pavilion, overflowing with books and vases, held a pot of Zhangzhou narcissus.

Although this place is not as spacious and magnificent as Changchun Palace, it is elegant and quiet, and the furnishings everywhere are in line with her habits and preferences.

Meng Yan smiled at Rong An and said, "Your Majesty, thank you for your trouble. I am flattered. There is nothing wrong. Please go and rest, eunuch."

Rong An listened obediently and knew that the imperial concubine would need to rest for a while, so he hurriedly took his leave.

He walked out of Ti Shun Hall with a hunched back and a smile on his face, and then he breathed a sigh of relief, but the smile on his face did not fade at all.

Apprentice Xiao Tang looked on and couldn't help but ask, "Master, why are you so happy?"

Rong An patted his head and said, "You silly thing, you've been with the master for so long, why don't you learn some common sense? The Imperial Concubine has moved into Tishun Hall. Not to mention that we won't have to run back and forth to pass messages and things. The Emperor will be with the Imperial Concubine every day, which will surely please him. We can also get less punishment. Isn't that worth celebrating?"

Xiao Tang looked at his master's beaming face and felt that he was being happy too early. He couldn't help but say, "Master, this isn't right. If the Imperial Concubine gets angry with the Emperor again, or even kicks him out of his room in the middle of the night, the Emperor won't have anyone to vent his anger on, and wouldn't we be even more unlucky?"

Rong An was like being struck by lightning, and stood there in shock.

Putting aside other things, given the imperial concubine's temper, she would definitely do something like kicking the emperor out of bed.

Meng Yanlian walked lightly into the bedroom.

In the room there was a Huanghuali step-out bed with mother-of-pearl railings and a gold-woven floral curtain. The bed was covered with a bright red satin quilt and had two bright red embroidered pillows.

The quilt cover is embroidered with huge lotus leaves and two koi fish are playing and swimming between the lotus leaves. The pillow is embroidered with a pattern of mandarin ducks embracing each other, both of which are symbols of romantic and lingering love.

Thinking that this was chosen by Lu Haozhi himself, Meng Yan felt her cheeks getting hot.

It's not a big wedding, why do all this...

Ruizhu and Yunxiang helped her take off her outer cloak and change into casual clothes.

Ruizhu said happily, "This Tishun Hall was the residence of the Empress when she served the Emperor in the Yangxin Palace. Now that Your Majesty is living here, it's a very auspicious omen."

Meng Yan looked at her beaming face and warned her, "Watch your mouths and don't go out for no reason, lest you be seen by irrelevant people."

To prepare for this, Lu Haozhi and Empress Dowager Jiang simply announced that the Imperial Concubine was ill and recuperating at Shanghe Garden. Meng Yan only brought these two trusted palace maids to Tishun Hall, while the rest of the group remained there.

Living in Tishun Hall was actually Lu Haozhi's insistence.

Meng Yan originally thought that her status was not up to her, so she planned to move into the Empress Dowager's Shoukang Palace. Anyway, Shoukang Palace had many empty rooms, so she could just pick one up.

But Lu Haozhi insisted on not agreeing. Empress Dowager Jiang also persuaded her, saying that concubines came to pay their respects in Shoukang Palace every day, and Concubine Xuanhe also went there to talk from time to time. There were so many people and eyes, it would be difficult to prevent her whereabouts from being exposed. Only then did she nod and agree.

He talks a lot of big talk, but Meng Yan actually knows exactly what he is thinking.

She walked to the window and gently pushed open the drawer. Outside, a wintersweet tree bloomed in the frost, its old branches slanting horizontally, with a faint fragrance and tender yellow flowers, as if carved from yellow agate, embellishing the branches.

The cool breeze cooled the hot flush on her cheeks.

She picked up the flower scissors, selected a half-opened plum branch, cut it off, and inserted it into the sweet white glaze gooseneck vase beside her.

Just as she was about to ask Yunxiang to get some water, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist.

The familiar scent of ambergris and a mature man embraced her.