Chapter 53: Matters concerning the harem.

The torchlight shone dimly, casting eerie shadows that swayed like ghosts. At this moment, not a sound came from outside the tent.

Xiao Luozhi was so shocked that he couldn't utter a single word.

My elder brother had previously tried his best to bring him and Yuan Chaolu together, wasn't he in favor of this marriage and repeatedly urged him to be with Yuan Chaolu? How come the person Yuan Chaolu is meeting today is my elder brother?

The emperor slowly emerged, and behind him, a golden lion appeared from behind the curtain. This ferocious beast caused everyone present to involuntarily take a step back.

"The Prince of Yan has had a very tiring night," the Emperor said slowly. "Upon hearing that a wild animal had entered a nearby tent, he immediately led his troops to search for it."

Xiao Luozhi stared directly at the Emperor, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes flickering: "Brother..."

The Prince of Yan was seething with anger, and he gritted his teeth as he looked at the tent, but with so many people around, he couldn't confront the Emperor directly.

Prince Anle, standing to one side, gave Prince Yan a meaningful look. Seeing that Prince Yan seemed dazed and staring at the falling tent curtain, Prince Anle stepped forward and took his hand, worried that Prince Yan might force his way into the tent at any moment.

The atmosphere was extremely subtle. The commotion attracted the attention of the officials and noblewomen. Although the scene was quiet, undercurrents were already surging, especially after Lord Pei Xi arrived, which pushed the atmosphere to its peak.

"Your Majesty," Pei Xi bowed respectfully.

However, the Second Miss Yuan, who was at the center of the storm, never showed up. Only the Prince of Yan, the Left Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and the Emperor were together.

"It's getting late, everyone should get some rest, including Pei Qing." The Emperor stepped forward and gently patted Pei Xi's shoulder, then turned his gaze to the kneeling crowd and smiled, telling them to rise.

Everyone was terrified, but the emperor's voice contained a faint smile, as if he were in a good mood.

Xiao Luozhi's facial muscles were tense as he stared intently at the Emperor. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Emperor finished his greetings to the crowd, then turned and lifted the curtain to enter the tent.

As the curtains opened and closed, a woman's graceful figure could be vaguely seen inside the tent, greeting the emperor.

The emperor actually abandoned the Prince of Yan and Pei Xi.

Yuan Chaolu, inside the tent, knew that the world outside had turned upside down.

She sat behind the table, staring at the flickering candlelight, until the curtains swayed and Xiao Zhuo's figure reappeared.

"His Highness the Prince of Yan is aware of this?"

Xiao Zhuo replied with an "Mm," walked to her dressing mirror, and began to tidy his clothes in front of the mirror.

Despite appearing calm and unperturbed, Yuan Chaolu couldn't remain composed, constantly recalling the glance the Prince of Yan had just cast at her.

"You don't need to worry about what happens next." Xiao Zhuo stared at the mirror and saw the woman behind him get up from behind the table. His gaze fell back to his own face, where there was a lip print on his chin that he hadn't had time to wipe clean. He had just left the tent with this mark on his face.

He slowly wiped away the lipstick mark with his fingertips. "Things have come to this point. Your two ex-fiancés have both seen it, and so many officials have also witnessed our affair today."

Yuan Chaolu walked to his side, her brows furrowing. "Then Your Majesty..."

"Now, just wait and see," Xiao Zhuo said with a smile.

The emperor left these words behind and soon departed from the tent.

A gentle night breeze caused Yuan Chaolu's robes to flutter. She stood frozen in place, watching the emperor slowly depart, surrounded by palace attendants.

The emperor told her to wait...

What are you waiting for?

**

After a night of passion, the story of the Emperor's secret rendezvous with the second young lady of the Yuan family had already spread throughout the entire Hualin Garden.

Twenty years ago, the Yuan family was considered a high-ranking and prestigious family, extremely glorious, with the head of the family holding the position of one of the Three Dukes for generations. But that was all in the past. Now, the dynasty has changed, the officials have risen and fallen, and new nobles have emerged one after another. The ministers in the court need to think for a while before they can figure out who the Yuan family is.

Until recently, the Yuan family had a second young lady who had left home, and rumors of her meeting with Prince Yan and Lord Pei spread, finally making everyone aware of this outstandingly beautiful woman.

They thought that was the end of it, but who could have imagined that the second young lady of the Yuan family had even greater abilities, managing to make the emperor disregard brotherly affection and the proper relationship between ruler and subject, and take a liking to her...

In just one night, she was portrayed as a femme fatale, and those who had seen Yuan's daughter confirmed that she was indeed beautiful, alluring, and stunningly charming.

Everyone assumed that the emperor, who was always so elegant and flawless, would also prefer a dignified, gentle, and well-read lady as his empress. Who would have thought that he would prefer this type...

The rumors intensified, and the scene of the Prince of Yan going to capture the Emperor and Miss Yuan was depicted vividly.

The topic of conversation inevitably revolves around Lord Pei.

The next day, everyone saw that Lord Pei was calm and handled the affairs of the hunting grounds as usual, without being affected at all.

Pei Xi had anticipated that Yuan Chaolu's relationship with the emperor would be exposed, but he did not expect it to happen so quickly and in such a dramatic way.

As for the Prince of Yan, he is still young and inexperienced, and cannot be as composed as his teacher. It is said that after returning last night, he drank with the Prince of Anle and did not show up until the next day. He locked himself in his tent and did not allow outsiders to enter.

Upon hearing this, Cui Ming, the Grand Marshal and another close advisor to the emperor, privately said to Jia Li, the Duke of the Founding State: "I have long noticed that His Majesty treats that woman differently. Do you remember when we were at Chanxu Temple, we saw that woman in His Majesty's courtyard?"

Jia Li said, "I remember, she couldn't ride a horse. His Majesty asked one of us to teach her personally. When I volunteered, His Majesty said I was too strict and she wouldn't like it, so he asked Pei Xi to teach her instead."

Cui Ming coughed, "But the Prince of Yan has made too much of a fuss by stumbling upon this matter; His Majesty will likely be displeased..."

Jia Li laughed and said, "Grand Marshal, you're confused. You and I have served His Majesty for many years. If His Majesty didn't want something to happen, why would he leave anyone even the slightest opportunity to take advantage of it?"

Cui Mingmei's heart skipped a beat: "Of course not."

...

When news of this reached the Lu family, Lu Changli and Lu Runlan were in a tent, reading medical books together to find a good remedy for the Empress Dowager.

Lu Runlan asked, "Miss Yuan the Second?"

The servant said, "It is the second young lady of the Yuan family!"

She waved for the servants to leave, then looked at Lu Changli across the table. "It's actually a daughter of the Yuan family? How could she be a daughter of the Yuan family? You know about my aunt's past with the Yuan family. If my aunt finds out, it might not be good. I'm really worried about her health..."

Lu Changli frowned, his face was cold and tense, and he remained silent for a long time before saying, "My aunt can't take any stimulation, so don't tell her yet."

“But this matter cannot be kept secret,” Lu Runlan said, getting up and pacing. “With such a big fuss, Yuan Chaolu is bound to enter His Majesty’s harem. How come we didn’t discover her abilities before? We absolutely cannot let her enter the harem.”

Lu Changli's face was cold: "Do you think there's any way to turn this around?"

Lu Runlan's expression darkened. Before today, she could never have imagined that this unknown woman from the Northwest would end up occupying a position beside His Majesty.

Lu Changli lowered his eyes, his fingers turning a corner of the yellowed medical book, and said calmly, "There's no need to panic. Ultimately, the key to this matter lies in how His Majesty treats her."

"Whether she is merely a plaything for His Majesty's amusement, or whether she truly possesses the ability to persuade His Majesty to take her into the harem, remains to be seen."

**

The last person to learn of this scandalous affair was Empress Dowager Lu. She was in her mountain palace, where all news was kept out of reach, and no one was allowed to disturb her peace.

It wasn't until Miss Gao came to pay her respects and recounted the whole story that Empress Dowager Lu nearly lost her temper upon hearing the details of how the Prince of Yan had caught the Emperor having an affair with a minister's fiancée.

Empress Dowager Lu's eyes were bloodshot, and she asked in a hoarse voice, "Has His Majesty issued an edict to bestow titles upon that Yuan woman?"

Gao Yurong shook her head. "Not yet."

Gao Yurong was filled with remorse and shame. She had followed the Empress Dowager's decree and used such low-class methods to seduce the Emperor, only to be reprimanded by him. She lost face and thought that the Emperor was indifferent to women.

Who would have thought that it wasn't that the king was heartless, but simply that the woman he loved wasn't him?

Unfortunately, that woman was his classmate, and everyone in the academy knew that he was the Empress Dowager's chosen candidate for Empress. The situation was truly awkward.

Not only herself, but also those princes and noble ladies who had offended Yuan Chaolu in the past must be feeling as if they had been struck by lightning.

Empress Dowager Lu leaned against a soft pillow adorned with intertwined peony branches, her eyes closed. Her skin was faintly tinged with a bluish-gray hue. Her phoenix eyes, identical to the Emperor's, slowly opened. "Go and invite the Emperor to come here for me."

Yuan Chaolu's rank is still undetermined, but this "unresolved" situation is like an invisible sword hanging over everyone's heads. She may receive immense wealth and honor, or she may only be granted a low-ranking concubine position in the harem.

Before a conclusion is reached, no one dares to make any rash judgments.

At dusk, the emperor entered the Empress Dowager's bedchamber. All outsiders had been dismissed from the room.

Empress Dowager Lu held a string of agarwood prayer beads in her hand and looked at the young man sitting by the couch.

She slowly stretched out one hand, which hovered in the air for a long time, but the emperor did not reach out to support it. Finally, her slender hand fell back onto the brocade quilt.

"When I heard about Your Majesty's relationship with Miss Yuan, I was truly astonished. I clearly remember that just over a month ago, Your Majesty still wanted Prince Yan to marry Miss Yuan."

The emperor smiled slightly, took the teacup offered by the palace servant to moisten his throat, and said, "Yes."

Seeing that his face was relaxed and he was in a good mood, the Empress Dowager said, "My son, after much thought, I feel I should make some things clear to you. Your and Luo Zhi's interactions with the Yuan family woman are ultimately inappropriate. Firstly, it may cause criticism from the court and the public. Secondly, you brothers have been harmonious since childhood, so don't let this matter create a rift between you."

After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she carefully examined the expression on the face of the person in front of her.

The Emperor showed no displeasure and said, "Your Majesty's concerns are absolutely correct. Your son and Luo are connected by blood, like brothers and sisters. How could we have any misunderstandings because of a woman?"

Empress Dowager Lu nodded and smiled, "If Your Majesty thinks so, I am relieved. The second young lady of the Yuan family is a well-behaved girl. However, I have carefully reviewed her studies when they were sent to her by the Hongwen Academy. She is not good at poetry and books, and her etiquette is also mediocre."

"The Empress Dowager has keen insight; she is indeed extremely illiterate and has never received a proper education."

Empress Dowager Lu asked, "What is his temperament like?"

The Emperor said calmly, "That's even worse. She's arrogant, willful, and has an eccentric temperament. She even dares to talk back to me. She's really not suitable to enter the palace."

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Lu finally felt relieved. She coughed lightly, covering her mouth with her handkerchief. "How dare she be so disrespectful to His Majesty? I recall that she was dissatisfied with my handling of the matter concerning the Buddhist beads and even dared to contradict me in public. It is clear that her manners were truly inappropriate."

"What the Empress Dowager said is true."

Empress Dowager Lu said, "Her marriage to Pei Xi was discussed by the two of them when they came to my palace together that day. His Majesty also saw it with his own eyes. At that time, she was virtuous and gentle in front of His Majesty. How could she have seduced His Majesty in the end?"

After speaking several times without the emperor's rebuttal, Empress Dowager Lu's heavy mood eased slightly, and she continued speaking.

"It seems that His Majesty is not entirely satisfied with this Lady Yuan. She has had ambiguous relationships with Prince Yan and Pei Xi. The Empress Dowager feels that with her temperament, she is really not suitable to serve His Majesty. Since His Majesty intends to open a harem, if she is allowed to serve by his side, the harem will certainly not be peaceful. It would be better to put it on hold for now and let her go, so as not to cause any more discussion in the court and among the people."

"Your Majesty always prioritizes state affairs, which puts my mind at ease. There are plenty of young and beautiful women among the ministers and noble families; why not take this opportunity to have the court officials present their daughters?"

After listening, Xiao Zhuo lowered his eyes and smiled gently.

Receiving no response, Empress Dowager Lu asked, "Then what exactly does Your Majesty mean?"

But then Xiao Zhuo raised his head and asked, "Mother, what day do you think would be suitable for my wedding with Miss Yuan the Second?"

Empress Dowager Lu's smile froze on her face. "Wedding date?"

Zhong Changjun, who was behind him, stepped forward with a tray on which was a brocade inscribed with the auspicious day chosen by the Imperial Observatory.

Empress Dowager Lu looked at the person in front of her with a shocked gaze.

All that had just been said hadn't been heeded by the Emperor. If he wanted to take an ordinary concubine, what wedding date would he need?

These words were clearly intended to expose the Yuan Dynasty within the inner palace, for... for...

Empress Dowager Lu's chest trembled violently, "My son!"

Xiao Zhuo stood up and said, "What Your Majesty says is absolutely right. The longer the marriage between me and Miss Yuan is delayed, the more criticism there will be. Why not settle it now and there will be no more unwarranted criticism in the court and among the people? What do you think, Your Majesty?"

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Author's note: The pace can be quite fast!

Because of the publication of another book, in addition to writing every day, I need to sign hundreds of special autographs, basically writing around 7,000 words by hand every day. Just signing takes at least 7 hours a day, and this morning my right wrist was so painful I could barely type. Of course, this is my personal reason. I know everyone is eager to see new chapters, and I'm trying my best to finish writing every day, but I simply don't have enough time. I'm sorry everyone, and thank you for your understanding. I will try my best to update for you [please]. I'll be dropping red envelopes in the comments section, mwah!