Chapter 105 A Unique Flower

Nian Shilan trained Yu Ying'er and sent her to the Emperor's side. This was because her brother Nian Gengyao was repeatedly impeached, and she could not speak to the Emperor when he summoned her. She needed someone who could pass on her words. However, although the Emperor favored her for several days, he still refused to grant her a title or rank, and simply kept her as a palace maid in front of the Emperor.

The most severely impeached person now is Wei Zhiyao, a servant of Nian Gengyao who has not yet been released from his official household. This mere servant actually made a group of civil officials bow and kneel on the roadside, while he himself rode through the middle of the road in a sedan chair without even looking at them, acting extremely arrogantly.

Similarly, Nian Gengyao, under the guise of serving the army and studying administration, privately detained a large number of the sons of civil and military officials. In name, he was serving them, but in reality, he was holding them hostage, forcing them to submit to him. This was incredibly audacious and outrageous. It's no different from defecating on the emperor's neck... The words may be crude, but the principle is sound.

The indignant voices of Zhen Yuandao and Guarjia Emin in the small court were still ringing in Hongzhao's ears when, the next day, the people standing below them were Zhang Tingyu and Longkodo, but their words were strikingly similar.

Hongzhao stood to the left of his father, the Emperor, listening attentively. The two men's accusations were that Nian Gengyao spoke to officials of the same rank as if he were a leader, placing himself in the Emperor's position, and at the same time, he took it upon himself to write a preface for the Emperor and promulgate it to the world under the pretext of not disturbing the Emperor.

Having heard so many stories, Hongzhao felt that nothing the general would do next would be surprising. After all, in Hongzhao's eyes, every move he made conveyed the message: "Your Majesty, I don't want to live anymore."

Yinzhen's face was gloomy. He glanced at Hongzhao, who was listening attentively to him, and suddenly changed the subject, asking, "Hongzhao, tell me, what did Father teach you yesterday?"

Zhang Tingyu and Longkodo had always known the Emperor's deep affection for the Crown Prince. Seeing this, they turned slightly to face the Crown Prince and bowed their heads as if listening.

Hongzhao remained calm when his name was called, and stood up composedly. "Father taught his son that for any subject, it is easy to seek merit, difficult to achieve it, difficult to maintain it, easy to maintain it, and difficult to finish it. If one relies on merit to commit wrongdoing, one will surely turn gratitude into enmity."

Hongzhao naturally remembered the second half as well, but he keenly sensed that his father only wanted to hear the first half, so he obediently shut his mouth at this point.

Yinzhen nodded, looking at his son with satisfaction. Not only could he learn to remember, but he could also think for himself. He was truly outstanding. He was indeed worthy of being called his son, just like him.

After looking for a long time, he turned his head back and was about to speak to Zhang Tingyu and Longkodo again when he suddenly heard a charming female voice rang out beside him at an inopportune moment.

"Your Majesty, this is freshly arrived pre-rain Longjing tea. Please try it."

Su Peisheng was usually so oblivious when he was serving him. He frowned and scolded, "Shut up."

Turning his head to focus, he saw that the person kneeling beside him was not the palace maid he was familiar with, but Yu Ying'er, a palace maid who could sing Kunqu opera, sent by Consort Nian. Thinking about his plan, he looked at the trembling appearance of the person in front of him, clicked his tongue, and added, "Your clothes are quite nice."

The tense atmosphere in the room was suddenly broken. Hongzhao raised an eyebrow, and seeing that things were not going well, he exchanged a glance with Lord Zhang Tingyu. They bowed in tacit agreement and slipped away.

He had the foresight to wait until the moon was high in the sky after the clouds parted before slowly making his way to Jiuzhou Qingyan.

Originally, Yu Ying'er had served in the Emperor's room for several days without receiving a title. However, yesterday, she made a stunning debut. The Emperor's decree soon spread throughout the harem, and Yu Ying'er was promoted directly from a palace maid to a concubine, skipping the rank of palace maid. She had been serving the Emperor for only a few days and was already so popular that it was difficult for others to even see her. Now, with her promotion, she was even more prominent.

Having been officially appointed as a concubine of the emperor, she naturally had to pay her respects to the Imperial Noble Consort on her first day. Although not many people from the harem came, they all arrived at Louyue Yunkai early in order to see what kind of wonderful person the emperor had been keeping by his side for the past two days was.

"This concubine agrees to pay respects to the Imperial Noble Consort Yu." A delicate voice rang out from below. Indeed, those who have studied opera and have martial arts skills are different; even their three kneelings and nine kowtows looked exceptionally supple.

While Nian Shilan was extremely pleased with herself for having sent someone to steal the favor of the three opposite people, she was also filled with jealousy because the emperor was showing such favor to this lowly woman. Her expression changed frequently with her emotions. Lu Jiaying, sitting above, saw everything clearly and almost couldn't help but laugh.

In her opinion, Nian Shilan was too hasty this time, which was hardly a good move. After all, this Consort Yu didn't look like someone who could be easy to manage, and... she didn't seem very bright.

"I hope you will serve me attentively and produce an heir for the Emperor as soon as possible. Rise." The Imperial Noble Consort said a few auspicious words symbolically before telling her to rise, clearly indicating that she did not want to have a deeper conversation with her. But whether this Consort Yu was truly oblivious or deliberately feigning ignorance, she hesitated for a moment before standing up and continuing to speak.

"I've heard of a concubine in the palace since I was a palace maid. There is a lady in the palace with an outstanding singing voice, but I have never had the chance to see her. May I ask who she is?"

Perhaps because she was used to singing opera, her words carried a hint of flirtatious glances. The Imperial Noble Consort frowned but did not reply. An Lingrong, sitting below, tightened her grip on her handkerchief and watched her silently.

"Isn't it right beside you?" Consort Hua rolled her eyes and spoke.

"Oh! So this is her." She exaggeratedly pretended to realize something, took a step towards An Lingrong, and stared at her from head to toe in a rather offensive manner.

An Lingrong remained seated, only casting a warning glance at him.

Yu Ying'er, having seen enough, slowly retreated to the center, deliberately covering her face with her handkerchief and scoffing, "The rumors are indeed true. If her singing voice isn't outstanding, how could she possibly catch the Emperor's eye?"

Her words were clearly derogatory, and An Lingrong gripped the corner of the table tightly in embarrassment, her eyes instantly filling with tears. How could someone who was merely a palace maid dare to humiliate her in public?

As long as it displeases the enemy, Nian Shilan is happy. Looking at the two people below her, one standing and one sitting, laughing in the same arrogant way, Lü Jiaying couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Noble Lady Rou's rank is higher than yours, is this how you talk to her? Consort Yu is now a palace concubine, you should familiarize yourself with the palace rules."

"Xuexin, go and fetch the silver cloisonné mirror with jade handle from my dressing box, and give it to Consort Yu as a reward."

Yu Ying'er looked delighted and knelt down to express her gratitude.

Consort Jing and Consort Wan, who were listening nearby, couldn't help but cover their mouths, and even An Lingrong, whose eyes were filled with tears, held back her tears.

Seeing her silly look, Lü Jiaying propped her head up and waved her hand impatiently—"No need to thank me. If you have time, please take a look at me more often as a way of thanking me."

"Yes, Your Highness, I will definitely keep it in my hand every day!"

“...”

For the first time, Lü Jiaying realized that being an emperor wasn't easy; to achieve her goals, she had to force herself to favor such a... eccentric person.