Chapter 39: Promotion

"Congratulations on the selection of a concubine. His Majesty has turned over your name card tonight." The eunuch from the Jingshifang was all smiles.

The girl in the moon-white palace dress with dark blue lotus patterns looked surprised, "Your Majesty really turned over my card?"

The palace maid Caizhu beside her immediately came to her rescue, "Don't blame me, eunuch. My master is just too happy."

As she spoke, she handed over a small stone-blue purse and said, "Please have some tea, sir."

Zhu Xuanshi also reacted and suppressed her joy, saying, "This is my first time sleeping with you. I don't know the rules of sleeping with you. I don't know..."

"Please rest assured, Madam, the maid who teaches etiquette is already waiting at the door." The eunuch was delighted to receive the reward and reminded, "Please prepare quickly and don't keep His Majesty waiting."

Zhu Xuanshi: "Thank you for your advice, eunuch."

…

The next day, after waking up and washing up, Chu Liuzheng, feeling refreshed, opened the system as usual and read gossip while eating steamed buns.

[Last night, Concubine Xie saw a cat demon in the palace and fainted from fright.]

Cat demon?

Chu Liuzheng slowed down the process of chewing the steamed bun.

[This isn't a world where spiritual energy has revived, so how could there be a cat demon? It must be a human doing something strange.]

[Let me look for it... Hmm? Is that secret guard guy so free? He's actually pretending to be a cat demon and scaring people.]

[No, the secret guards only listen to the tyrant, so... was this the tyrant's order?]

Chu Liuzheng thought about it for a moment and understood!

[Ah, Concubine Wang really has the potential to become a favorite concubine. The tyrant has even resorted to ghost tricks to help her get revenge. This move not only saves the Empress Dowager's reputation but also teaches Concubine Xie a lesson. Killing three birds with one stone. Concubine Xie will definitely not dare to let someone dress up as a ghost to scare people again.]

After peeling off this piece of gossip, Chu Liuzheng continued to read the gossip that followed.

She was still thinking about Concubine Zhu's palm dance.

Last night was Concubine Zhu's first time sleeping with the emperor. She should have put on a show for the tyrant, right?

Maybe he could do some tricks or something... Ahem, she wasn't curious at all.

Got it!

After reading those lines clearly, Chu Liuzheng's eyes widened, and a mouthful of steamed bun was stuck in her throat, choking her so much that she rolled her eyes.

Yuzhui realized that something was wrong and reached out to pat her chest, while Moxiang poured soy milk into her mouth.

After being tormented by the two, Chu Liuzheng finally managed to swallow the steamed bun. The sigh that had been choking him just now suddenly came out of his mouth: "Beasts!"

Jade pendant:?

Moxiang:?

"Is this a fever?"

"I don't have a fever." Moxiang took back her hand from Chu Liuzheng's forehead and stared into his almond-shaped eyes. "Why are you talking nonsense so early in the morning?"

"I mean... plain porridge, plain porridge." Chu Liuzheng quickly tried to make amends, dragging the bowl of porridge in front of him, "I want to drink porridge."

"Eat quickly. I saw you were in a daze just now. The porridge will be cold soon." Yuzhui handed her the peeled egg.

"Thank you." Chu Liuzheng took it and ate it while digesting the melon he had just eaten.

[I never expected that the tyrant would be such a tyrant.]

"Knowing she could dance, you made her dance for half the night in a thin dance costume, and she caught a cold. Why don't you let her perform for you in the warm room? You're the emperor, how could you be so reluctant to give up that little bit of charcoal?"

[Later, he was annoyed by her sneezing and actually sent her back directly, a perfect return of the jade. So he really thought she was a dancer?]

After returning home, Consort Zhu cried uncontrollably, causing her cold to worsen. Now she has a fever and can't get out of bed, and is delirious.

Chu Liuzheng shook his head secretly. Just when he was thinking that the tyrant was not a human being, his eyes suddenly swept across a line of words.

Kill him?

[This guy is... Wow! ]

…

The news that Concubine Zhu was "returned intact to Zhao" spread throughout the harem, and all the concubines who were upset because His Majesty had turned over her card last night suddenly laughed at the joke.

When they learned that Concubine Zhu was sick due to anger, the palaces added a lot of jokes. Some of those who loved excitement even ran to the main person under the pretext of visiting the patient and mocked him.

Zhu Xuanshi felt better after drinking the medicine, but she was so angry that she almost fainted again.

Her face was as pale as a lotus, not much better than that of a dead person.

Du Guiren, who lived in the same palace, couldn't bear it and said, "We are all sisters. Now that sister Zhu is still sick, please say less."

No one present had a higher position than her, so when she spoke, everyone felt it was boring and stood up to leave.

"We're leaving first. We'll come visit Sister Zhu another day."

Caizhu sent the people out, and then returned after everyone left. She bowed to Du Guiren and said, "Thank you for speaking up for my master. Caizhu is very grateful."

"Get up quickly." Du Guiren sighed. "That's how it is in the palace. Please persuade your mistress not to take those words to heart. As for sleeping with your wife, there will be no second time after the first time. Please let her relax. Taking good care of her health is the most important thing now."

"Your Excellency's kindness, I appreciate it on behalf of my master."

Du Guiren glanced at the person with closed eyes on the bed and said softly, "I have something else to do in the palace, so I won't stay any longer. You take good care of your master."

"Goodbye, my lady." Caizhu sent Lady Du out of the door and was about to go back when she saw a group of eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department walking towards them.

Concubine Du also saw it and stopped immediately.

——What are the people from the Imperial Household Department doing here at this time?

The leading eunuch was Wang Jinzhong's new apprentice, named Xiao Jingzi.

"Your servant greets you, my Excellency. May you be blessed with good fortune." Little Jingzi stepped forward first to pay his respects to the Excellency Du.

"Get up." Du Guiren glanced at the young eunuch behind him. "It's rare to see someone from the Imperial Household Department willing to step into the Funing Palace. What are you doing here now?"

Little Jingzi bowed and said, "Your Excellency is joking. I am here to tell Lady Zhu the good news."

beauty!

Concubine Du was surprised for a moment, then smiled and said, "I should congratulate my sister."

Caizhu was so happy that she ran in to tell her master the good news.

People feel refreshed when good things happen. Zhu Hanyu, who looked like he was about to die just now, was able to get out of bed in an instant.

After receiving the imperial edict and expressing his gratitude, Zhu Hanyu looked at the rewards on the table and still felt that it was a little unreal.

She didn't even sleep with me last night, so she suddenly became a beauty?

"Master, look at the pearls in this box. Each one is round and shiny, better than the ones in the lady's room." Caizhu showed the pearls to Zhu Hanyu, smiling like a flower.

"Your Majesty's reward is naturally excellent." Zhu Hanyu reached out and picked up one to take a closer look.

"And this hairpin, the crabapple flowers are inlaid with rubies, which makes the master look more beautiful than the flowers." Caizhu held the hairpin and gestured on Zhu Hanyu's head.

Zhu Hanyu stared at the hairpin on the beauty's bun in the mirror. His eyes were dazed for a moment, and a hint of sadness flashed across his face quickly.

…

At the same time, in the East Warm Pavilion of Changchun Palace.

A stick of incense was inserted into the lotus base on the small table, with light smoke curling up and the sandalwood fragrance filling the room, making people feel calm.

Qiu Sui walked in quickly, and the bead curtains made a crisp sound when they collided.

She reported softly, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has promoted Consort Zhu to be a Beauty, and the decree has already reached Qiushuizhai."

Queen Zhong paused as she was pulling the silk thread.

Qiu Sui looked up at her and said, "Promotion beyond one's rank is against the rules of the harem. Your Majesty, would you like to dissuade me?"

I will give away free tickets to those who have tickets. Thank you!

(End of this chapter)