Chapter 85 The Emperor and Empress are at odds, and Zhai Yu is made a concubine.
Xie Wenjun put down her bow, swaggered up to Chen Liangyu, and said, "It is your stupidity that is the problem. As for archery, it is not that I am dull-witted or lack talent, but that you are bad at teaching and have misled future generations. Do you admit it?"
Chen Liangyu's narrow eyes curved into a smile as he said, "Your Highness is right; it is I who have not taught you well."
Why are your eyes red?
Chen Liangyu said, "I am still shaken."
The mist in her eyes condensed into a teardrop, which rolled silently into Xie Wenjun's layers of clothing as Chen Liangyu embraced her, disappearing without a trace.
Chen Liangyu was indeed still in shock.
That incident occurred at the banquet following the Wanhe Festival. Zhai Ji suddenly proposed to Xie Yuan that Bei Yong wanted to establish a lasting friendly relationship with Da Lin and form a marriage alliance, and that he wanted to find a princess for the Emperor of Bei Yong to be his successor.
The princess of Da Lin, who is to be married, has no other choice but Xie Wenjun.
Not long ago, when the Chongzheng Hall discussed matters concerning the Agriculture and Sericulture Bureau, Chen Liangyu noticed that Xie Yuan intended to reduce Xie Wenjun's power.
When Xie Yuan first ascended the throne, the government affairs were chaotic. Xie Wenjun's management of agriculture and sericulture was to relieve the emperor's worries. Now that the government affairs are relatively clear, Xie Wenjun's control over the country's agriculture and sericulture, and his control over the country's grain tax, is seen as an abuse of power and interference in politics by the emperor who urgently needs to consolidate his throne.
Xie Wenjun already had a foothold in the court, as well as her own personal guards, and military generals such as Qing Ge from the east and Zhao Mingqin from the south who were loyal to her. If Xie Yuan wanted to seize power, it would be impossible without bloodshed.
Marrying Xie Wenjun to Bei Yong would solve the two problems that were currently facing them.
Zhai Ji stated frankly that he did not seek daughters of the imperial family. He did not care whether they were legitimate or illegitimate, eldest or youngest; he only wanted daughters of the royal family.
Princess Roujia, the only daughter of the Emperor and Empress, was mentally challenged.
Even as an infant, the princess was serene and quiet, rarely exhibiting infantile convulsions or night crying. The elders in the palace all said that the princess's gentle nature prevented her from disturbing her parents' peace of mind, ensuring a healthy and harmonious future. When the princess turned one year old, Xun Shuheng noticed that she had difficulty learning to speak, often staring blankly at one spot for a long time. The imperial physician was summoned and diagnosed her, discovering that the princess was unusual. The physician speculated that perhaps the Empress's difficult childbirth had caused the princess to hold her breath for too long, leaving her with a hidden ailment.
Another year has passed, and Princess Roujia remains silent. One glance is enough to see that the princess is dull and listless.
There were already rumors circulating that Xie Yuan's ascension to the throne was illegitimate.
Although Prince Qi committed treason back then, Emperor Xuanyuan had not yet died, so why did he abdicate directly? Some people couldn't help but question whether Emperor Zhenyuan Xie Yuan was a legitimate successor or a traitor like Prince Qi, using the banner of punishing rebels to seize power.
In recent years, the Great Lin has been plagued by misfortune, with floods, plagues, and droughts following one after another. The people are full of complaints, and there are already many people saying that if the emperor's ascension to the throne was truly abnormal, which is why the heavens have sent disasters to the people, then the retired emperor should abdicate and return power to the people while he is still alive.
Princess Roujia, the eldest daughter of the Emperor and Empress, was mentally immature and acted foolishly, which seemed to further confirm that Xie Yuan's ascension to the throne was contrary to orthodoxy.
There are rumors of a "guest star" usurping the throne, and there are also rumors of a princess with mental disabilities, alluding to the fact that the current emperor's ascension to the throne is contrary to the will of Heaven.
Xie Yuan was overcome with worry and his heart sank into illness.
Therefore, he was even more eager to build the Yanzhi Mountain Palace and move the retired emperor to another palace, so he was unwilling to investigate the case of Su Chasang, the Minister of Revenue, tampering with tax records, and Tang Shiqiong, the Minister of Works, privately employing craftsmen. He no longer cared about how the palace should be built, but only hoped to finish the construction as soon as possible and drive away the "guest star".
Once the palace is completed, the first major concern can be resolved.
What should Roujia do?
As she grew older, she became more and more different from ordinary people. How could he silence the gossip? He found it hard to bring himself to personally execute Roujia, whether by imperial decree or secret edict, he couldn't get past the hurdle in his heart.
It was Zheng Hechuan who reminded Xie Yuan that there were precedents for how to settle the mentally challenged children of the royal family.
The late emperor had six sons. During the Rebellion of the Five Princes, they fought amongst themselves for the throne, resulting in the deaths of four princes. One prince, however, was born mentally challenged and thus did not participate in the brothers' conflict. After Emperor Xuanyuan ascended the throne, he was able to preserve his life.
This man was none other than the old Prince Ning.
Prince Ning and Empress Huixian both passed away in the spring of the seventeenth year of the Xuanyuan era.
The old prince's birth mother was given poisoned wine for giving birth to a mentally challenged prince. After his birth mother died, he was also sent out of the palace and raised in a deserted imperial garden on the outskirts of the capital.
Xie Yuan once considered sending Princess Roujia out of the palace as well. Xun Shuheng knelt in the Chongzheng Hall for a long time, begging the emperor to depose the empress and allow her to leave the palace with the princess.
The year of the late Prince Ning's funeral, Xun Shuheng was still a young woman in her boudoir. She heard her mother lament that the late Prince Ning had a tragic life, living a life with no one to care for him, and leaving in silence on an ordinary spring day, with no one to mourn him. When he was born, the six palaces celebrated together.
A mother's heart aches for her daughter.
The Empress was always sensible and rarely put the Emperor in a difficult position, but she refused to back down an inch on the matter of Princess Roujia leaving the palace.
Xie Yuan ultimately withdrew his order.
However, after that, he rarely stepped into the Empress's palace again.
The Emperor and Empress are at odds. Since Princess Roujia, the Empress has had no more children. In order to ensure the continuation of the royal line, the Empress Dowager has decided to hold a nationwide selection of concubines in the latter half of this year.
After receiving the jade lion, Chen Liangyu went to the palace to pay her respects to the Emperor. Although the jade lion was a gift from Xie Wenjun to the Marquis of Xuanping's residence, it was also a token of the Emperor's favor, and she was obliged to pay her respects and express her gratitude. She changed into her official robes before entering the palace.
Xie Yuan's expression revealed a hint of melancholy, and he looked very haggard.
After she expressed her gratitude, Xie Yuan said to her, "The Empress has not seen you for a long time and has mentioned you to me many times. Go to Fengyi Palace and have a meal with the Empress."
The Emperor and Empress had been husband and wife for many years, treating each other with respect. Although their feelings for each other had cooled recently, the Empress was still the one who understood the Emperor's thoughts best. During the meal, Xun Shuheng brought up the matter of the imperial harem selection, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, she revealed that the Emperor had taken a fancy to a woman at the Southern Garden Horse Ranch.
Chen Liangyu had seen that person before.
At the Southern Garden Horse Ranch, on the day of the Wanhe Festival's riding and archery competition, the first to enter the arena was Princess Zhai Yu of Beiyong, the fourteenth princess of the Northern Yong Kingdom. She was Zhai Ji's younger sister.
Xun Shuheng said, "Why must we marry a princess to the northern barbarian lands when we are to form a marriage alliance with Bei Yong? Bei Yong is a defeated country. How can they have the face to ask for a marriage alliance with the blood relatives of the Great Lin Emperor? If we are to have a marriage alliance, it should be Bei Yong who sends a princess to us, not our princess who has to surrender."
Chen Liangyu said, "Your Majesty..."
She hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
Xun Shuheng said, “There is no need to worry. You should know that I do not care about these things. In the second half of the year, the palace will hold a grand selection of concubines to enrich the harem. What difference does it make if there are one more or one less? The Emperor wants Jiang Ning to marry into the Northern Yong. I am afraid it is not just for the purpose of marriage with the Northern Yong. You tell Jiang Ning that I will facilitate the matter of the Fourteenth Princess of the Northern Yong. As for the rest, let her deal with it herself.”
Chen Liangyu bowed deeply and said, "On behalf of the Princess, I thank Your Majesty."
Xun Shuheng looked somewhat surprised and said, "You thank me on behalf of Jiang Ning?"
"Your Majesty, is there something wrong?"
Xun Shuheng had been a great help, and Xie Wenjun should also go to the palace to thank her sister-in-law later, so she thanked her first. This was not against etiquette.
Chen Liangyu couldn't figure out what was wrong with it.
Xun Shuheng carefully examined her face and saw that she looked completely bewildered. She said, "Based on my understanding of you, you would say, 'I will certainly convey this to the Princess.' You and Jiang Ning are not close relatives, nor are you each other's bedmates. You cannot do it on her behalf. It would be better to have Jiang Ning come to Fengyi Palace to thank me in person another day."
Chen Liangyu agreed.
A moment later, Chen Liangyu bowed deeply to Xun Shuheng.
Xun Shuheng was puzzled again. She asked, "What is the purpose of this ceremony?"
"I thank Your Majesty the Empress on my own behalf."
So, after the banquet, Xun Shuheng, under the guise of maintaining friendly relations with neighboring countries, invited the ladies-in-waiting from various nations to the palace to enjoy the spring scenery of the Imperial Garden. The fourteenth princess of Beiyong, who loved lively gatherings, gladly accepted. In the Imperial Garden, she chased a strangely shaped bird for a long distance, unknowingly wandering to the palace path behind the artificial hill. There, she happened to run past Xie Yuan.
Xie Yuan raised his hand, and the strange bird seemed to be under a spell, grabbing his finger and standing sideways.
He handed the strange bird to Zhai Yu's palm.
Under the spring sunshine, a bright smile seemed to awaken Xie Yuan's long-dormant spirit.
On that very day, Xie Yuan ordered the Court of State Ceremonies and the Ministry of Rites to draft the list of titles for imperial concubines, and set Zhai Yu's title as "Shu".
The rank of a concubine is first-class. Below the Empress are the four consorts: Noble Consort, Virtuous Consort, Wise Consort, and Virtuous Consort, all of whom are ranked first-class. The Noble Consort is the head of the four consorts. Below the Noble Consort are the three consorts of Virtuous, Wise, and Virtuous, with the Virtuous Consort being the most senior.
It is evident that Xie Yuan highly valued the Fourteenth Princess of Bei Yong.
Today, double blessings arrive.
After Xie Yuan won the hand of his beloved, another delegation from Dongyin arrived in Yongdu. The head of the delegation was still Yan Changqing, the chief envoy from the previous peace talks. He brought a huge sum of money in exchange for the return of Dongyin Crown Prince Chu Zhang and the prisoners of war who were digging a canal in the Tianqian River.
Xie Wenjun then spoke with Dong Yin about this matter.
The peace talks proceeded smoothly and both sides were satisfied. Xie Wenjun allocated a sum of money to the Ministry of Works and ordered the Minister of Works, Tang Shiqiong, to recruit more craftsmen and ensure that the Yanzhi Mountain Palace was completed before the Grain in Ear solar term.
Xie Yuan was overjoyed, and all his suspicions vanished. After calming down, he thought about how Jiang Ning had worked hard for agriculture and sericulture, originally for the sake of the country, but was suspected of seizing power and abusing his influence. He felt even more guilty and sent a series of rewards to the Princess's residence.
Xie Yuan was overjoyed. Zheng Hechuan entered the palace and announced: "Her Majesty the Empress has prepared dinner and asks if His Majesty would like to dine at Fengyi Palace."
Xie Yuan's face lit up with joy, "The Empress herself invited me?" But then he remembered something unpleasant, his face turned cold, and he said, "I'm not hungry."
Zheng Hechuan said, "Then this servant will go and report to Her Majesty the Empress that His Majesty is preoccupied with state affairs and will not be able to attend today..."
Xie Yuan interrupted him and asked, "What day is it today?"
Zheng Hechuan bowed and reported, "Your Majesty, today is the first day of the month, not a special day. This morning, when the Ministry of Rites presented the edict for bestowing the title of Consort Shu, Your Majesty had just asked what day it was, but Your Majesty was too busy to remember."
"First day of the lunar new year."
Zheng Hechuan cried out "Ouch!" and slapped his right cheek. "Your Majesty, this servant deserves to die. This servant will go and report to the Empress that Your Majesty will arrive later."
It was an ancestral rule of the Great Lin Dynasty that the Emperor and Empress would spend the first and fifteenth of each month together. In the past, he often stayed overnight at the Phoenix Palace, so he never paid attention to when the first and fifteenth of the month would fall.
Ever since he casually mentioned wanting to send Roujia out of the palace, and Xun Shuheng resolutely begged him to depose the empress and allow her to leave the palace with Roujia without any hesitation, Xie Yuan rarely lingered in Fengyi Palace anymore. For a period of time, he couldn't bear to hear anyone mention Fengyi Palace or the empress, otherwise he would fly into a rage.
Rumors of a growing estrangement between the Emperor and Empress reached the Censorate. The censors, citing ancestral rules, advised against it. Adhering to ancestral etiquette, they would visit the Phoenix Palace on the first and fifteenth of each month, sometimes staying for a meal, rarely spending the night there. Xun Shuheng also followed ancestral customs, preparing meals on the first and fifteenth of each month to await the Emperor's arrival. The food would be reheated if it cooled, but after several reheatings, the taste would deteriorate, requiring her to remake it. She preferred to patiently prepare meals again and again rather than actively invite the Emperor.
Today, the Empress actually sent the head eunuch of the Phoenix Palace to urge them on.
Xie Yuan abruptly stood up from his throne. "Since preparations have already been made, if I arrive late, the Empress will be anxious. Fengyi Palace."
That night, Xie Yuan stayed at the Phoenix Palace.
While changing clothes at the morning court, Xie Yuan said to Xun Shuheng, "Now that the fourteenth princess of Beiyong has entered the palace as a concubine, there is no one to take over the agricultural and sericulture department, so we are counting on Jiangning to manage it. Let's abandon the marriage alliance with Jiangning."
Author's note: Thank you for reading this far!
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