Chapter 123: Living together, dying together
Golden Palace.
The first morning court session after the emperor returned to the palace was quite turbulent. After several ministers reported on the important matters of the past two months, He Yanchen gently stroked his forehead. Ji Ming understood and was about to say goodbye when he saw someone come out.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
"Your Majesty has been on the throne for four years. According to the ancestral system, a general election is held every three years. Last year, a selection of concubines was made to enter the palace to continue the lineage. Your Majesty now has only one son, the eldest prince, so it is only right that you select more concubines to fill the harem."
The person who spoke was the Minister of Rites. He swallowed hard after he finished speaking, and his mind couldn't help but think of Censor Liu who was beaten to death for advising the selection of concubines at the palace banquet last year. But the people behind him pushed him out, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and submit the memorial.
As soon as the Minister of Rites finished speaking, many other ministers also stood up. They were not all from the same group, but the two concubines who accompanied him to the Wenquan Palace had either committed a crime or were seriously ill. Compared with other emperors of this dynasty, He Yanchen's harem was indeed too small.
Even Wei Chengdong and others who had always stood behind him did not say a word. They must have the same idea in their hearts as these people, hoping that he would fill his harem.
The eldest prince is too reserved and shy. He has not shown much academic ability in the half year since entering the upper study. He is indeed not a good candidate for the crown prince. However, He Yanchen now has only one son, the eldest prince. If he cannot be the crown prince, then there must be another prince.
Last month, His Majesty issued an edict to select several royal family members to enter the Imperial Study. Normally, this was quite normal, as most royal family members served as study companions to the royal family. However, Wei Chengdong knew He Yanchen too well and felt that he was not the kind of person who would bother with such trivial matters. He personally drew up the admission list, which was quite intriguing.
He Yanchen listened to the noisy sounds below, and his eyes gradually darkened.
"Has Minister Li finished his work?"
The Minister of Rites was startled, then heard a voice from above: "Next month is the Spring Ploughing Festival. I remember that Minister Li was in charge of last year's festival, but something went wrong with the offerings, distracting him from his duties. If there are any more mistakes this year, I will remove your official hat."
The Minister of Rites quickly knelt down and said, "I will do my best to ensure this ceremony is a success."
He Yanchen picked out a few people who were jumping for joy and scolded them. Everyone who is on duty makes mistakes, but if they are not serious, they will be let off lightly. However, if they really want to investigate, few people will be innocent.
After the morning court session, the queen received a letter from her father.
Dong Xu knelt beside the footstool and massaged her legs. He could feel the air pressure around the queen getting lower and lower.
"Your Majesty has really gone to great lengths for that bitch."
Dong Xu raised his eyes and asked, "But Master failed to dissuade His Majesty from appointing Concubine Yu as Imperial Noble Consort?"
Dong Xu had served the Empress since she was a child, and the Empress didn't hide it from her: "Father never had the chance to speak out. He simply had someone bring up the matter of the selection, and His Majesty found an excuse to reprimand a few people. If Father had brought up the matter of appointing an Imperial Noble Consort at this critical juncture, His Majesty would surely have known that I was colluding with the court officials to deal with that bitch, and the result would have been more harm than good."
Dong Xu frowned, "But the imperial decree to appoint the Imperial Noble Consort has already been issued, and the ceremony will be next month. If we can't dissuade His Majesty now, it will be even more difficult later."
The Queen was extremely upset. She crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it into the incense burner. She stood up and said, "I want to go see the Queen Mother."
*
Yue Li didn't care about anything happening in the court. When she woke up this morning, she found out that she was canonized as the Imperial Noble Consort. She was stunned for a long time.
The position of Imperial Noble Consort is the same as that of Vice Empress. In all dynasties, Imperial Noble Consort would not be appointed unless the Empress was seriously ill or committed a serious mistake. Moreover, He Yanchen had never mentioned this matter to her before.
Yueli's previous dream was to become a royal concubine and receive a large salary, but now she has exceeded her dream.
She felt a little unreal.
"Did His Majesty say anything before he left?"
Lian Qiao shook her head. "His Majesty only told you to get some rest. You've been having nightmares these past few nights. His Majesty said that once you wake up, he'll have me go find Xiao Yuanpan to see you."
"Has the morning court ended?"
"They've dispersed, but I heard that His Majesty is meeting with ministers in the Imperial Study. I'm afraid he won't be back until later."
Yueli got up to wash and dress, while Zisu went to the Imperial Hospital. When she came out, Court Judge Xiao was already waiting in the outer hall.
"Your humble servant pays respects to Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine."
The imperial edict of enthronement has been announced to the six palaces. Yue Li felt a little elated when she suddenly heard this title.
Who would have thought that one day she would become an imperial concubine?
A thin gauze covered Yue Li's wrist. Court Judge Xiao felt her pulse and asked, "Have you been eating and drinking normally these days, Madam?"
Lian Qiao replied, "Your Majesty's diet is about the same as usual, and since you got a nanny who prepares herbal medicine, you've been eating more than before."
Judge Xiao asked some other questions and Lian Qiao answered them one by one.
Yueli saw that he was frowning so tightly that her heart couldn't help but tighten. Could she have contracted some strange disease?
She had just become the Imperial Noble Consort, she couldn't just die of illness like this.
After a moment, under her nervous gaze, Xiao Yuanpan said, "Your Majesty is fine, just a little weak. You can take herbal medicine to nourish yourself."
"Then why can't I sleep peacefully every night?"
"Your Majesty is worried," said Xiao Yuanpan. "What you think about during the day you dream about at night. Is there something troubling your Majesty?"
Yueli stopped talking.
Ever since she confessed to He Yanchen about her rebirth, she couldn't help but think about her past life. She was afraid that everything she had now was just a passing cloud. The better her life was now, the more sad she could not help but feel about her past life.
If you think like this every day, you will always have dreams at night.
"I always think about unhappy things."
"Have these things troubled Your Majesty?" Court Judge Xiao changed the question, "Or will the things Your Majesty is worried about happen?"
Yueli shook her head, that was all from her previous life and would definitely not happen again.
"Since these are things that will never happen, Your Majesty, there is no need to trouble yourself with these things anymore."
Not long after Xiao Yuanpan left, He Yanchen heard that Zhuoyu Palace had invited an imperial physician and rushed over immediately.
"How is it?" After entering the hall, he saw Yue Li sitting by the window in a daze. He walked over and hugged her in his arms. "What did the imperial physician say?"
Yueli turned her head and said, "You said that I am worried."
"Your Majesty, I am always afraid that all this is just a dream. What if one day I wake up and Your Majesty is no longer by my side?"
"You're talking nonsense again." He Yanchen gently stroked her back, letting her lean against him and feel his heartbeat. "Jiaojiao, did you hear that?"
He grabbed her hand and placed it on his left chest: "This heart beats for you, how could it be a dream?"
Yueli bit her lip and looked at him with misty eyes, which made He Yanchen's heart soften. He raised his hand to wipe her tears:
"Besides, whether you are alive or dead, in a dream or in reality, I will always be by your side and will not let you suffer alone."
"Sharing the same bed in life and the same blood in death. With this, Jiaojiao might feel at ease?"
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