Chapter 77 I dare not accept Yu Zhaorong's gift
Imperial study.
He Yanchen had just finished discussing government affairs with several ministers when he heard a faint noise coming from outside. He frowned impatiently, "Ji Ming."
The person who came in was Ji Ming's apprentice Xiao Dezi. Xiao Dezi knelt down in the hall and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. It was Concubine Jin who wanted to see Your Majesty. Master said that Your Majesty was in a meeting and would not see the concubines, but Concubine Jin refused to give in..."
Among the ministers discussing matters in the palace was Concubine Jin's father, the Minister of Rites. He knelt down hastily and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. It is my fault for not raising my daughter well. Perhaps Concubine Jin was distracted by something urgent."
Wei Chengdong glanced outside. They were just about to go out, but they didn't know whether they should leave or not.
Concubine Jin sounded rather embarrassed, but they were not the ones to bear witness to the jokes made on the Empress in the harem.
He Yanchen ignored Jin Fei's father. He was annoyed by the commotion and stood up and walked out.
The Minister of Rites was afraid that something had happened to Concubine Jin, so he hurriedly followed without caring about anything else.
In the outer courtyard, Ji Ming was advising Concubine Jin:
"Your Majesty, His Majesty has indeed issued an order that no one will be seen at this moment. If Your Majesty needs anything, please go to the side hall and wait for a while. Once the adults come out, I will report to you immediately."
He was in a dilemma. Concubine Jin was usually so tactless, so why did she do it knowingly today?
Concubine Jin's face was sad. She knelt outside the palace and cried, "Eunuch, there is no need to persuade me. I know that Your Majesty is busy with government affairs, but as Your Majesty's concubine, I have been bullied to this extent. I must ask Your Majesty to make a decision!"
"Your Majesty! Please help me!"
Ji Ming looked embarrassed, but he didn't dare to let her go.
"What do you want me to do?"
The door of the imperial study was opened from the inside, and He Yanchen walked out and stood on the steps, looking down at her condescendingly.
Behind him were several ministers. The palace door was wide open, so even if they wanted to avoid him, they couldn't. Concubine Jin's voice penetrated everyone's ears word by word.
"Your Majesty!" Concubine Jin knelt a few steps, the usually dignified and elegant person now looking rather embarrassed. "Your Majesty governs the country with benevolence, and our Great Zhao is prosperous. How can Your Majesty tolerate your concubines being without food and clothing?"
Impatience was visible in He Yanchen's eyes. Concubine Jin cried, "Ever since Yu Zhaorong took charge of the Shangfu Bureau, I've never had enough fabric in the palace. Autumn is almost here, and I haven't even received the fabric to make autumn clothes. Does Yu Zhaorong want me to be naked and freeze to death?"
He Yanchen's face changed and he immediately winked at Ji Ming.
Ji Ming immediately went over to block Concubine Jin, with a warning in his tone: "Concubine Jin, all matters concerning the harem should be decided by the Empress. If you have any objections, you should go to the Empress."
Concubine Jin knew very well that Yueli was deliberately humiliating her. She came here at this time because she knew that there would be ministers present today. She didn't believe that she could stop the gossips of so many people listening.
"Your Majesty! I did offend Yu Zhaorong, but..." Before she could finish her words, Ji Ming wanted to ask someone to cover her mouth.
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Censor present immediately began to remonstrate, "Your Majesty, I heard that Consort Yu is assisting in the management of the six palaces, but Consort Jin is a second-rank concubine. How could she not even have material to make clothes?"
Another person said, "When the Empress was in charge of the harem, she had never heard of such a ridiculous thing. After all, Yu Zhaorong is of humble origin and I'm afraid she is not qualified to take on such a great responsibility."
He Yanchen's eyes darkened completely. Concubine Jin chose this time to come simply to use people's words to prevent Yue Li from taking control of the palace. Regardless of whether Yue Li was wrong or not, it was a fact that Concubine Jin had bad intentions.
He said calmly, "Yu Zhaorong is young and this is her first time in power. Many of the servants under her are dissatisfied. I will definitely send people to investigate those servants who pretend to obey but actually disobey."
"Ji Ming, take your men to the Shangfu Bureau and find out who has withheld Concubine Jin's allowance."
"yes."
Concubine Jin didn't expect him to pick the moon pear with just a few words. She immediately raised her head and said, "Your Majesty, if it weren't for Concubine Yu's instruction, how could I dare to do this?"
He Yanchen laughed instead of getting angry: "Are you dissatisfied with Yu Zhaorong's role in managing the six palaces?"
"I appointed Yu Zhaorong to take charge of the Shangfu Bureau. Are you also dissatisfied with my order? Do you think I don't know how to judge people?"
"I dare not." Concubine Jin gritted her teeth, hearing the warning in his words, and dared not say anything more.
"Concubine Jin has violated palace rules by trespassing before the Emperor. Effective immediately, she will be demoted to a noble concubine and confined for one month to reflect on her actions."
Concubine Jin's eyes widened instantly: "Your Majesty..."
Even her father couldn't help but plead: "Your Majesty, Concubine Jin... Noble Concubine Jin also made an unintentional mistake..."
"An unintentional mistake?" He Yanchen glanced at her coldly. "Just because of an unintentional mistake, you can break into the imperial study and slander the concubines who manage the six palaces?"
"If this is the case this time, will he trespass into the throne room and slander the queen next time?"
"I dare not!"
The ministers behind him all knelt down. He Yanchen didn't look at them again and had Concubine Jin taken back and put under house arrest.
"This is the good daughter that Li Aiqing raised."
He Yanchen strode away, leaving Concubine Jin's father trembling in fear.
*
Jade Palace.
Yue Li had just received the news that Concubine Jin had been demoted and placed under house arrest after filing a complaint before the Emperor, when she heard a voice from outside: "Your Majesty has arrived—"
Before he finished speaking, He Yanchen brushed aside the bead curtain and walked in.
The beads made a crackling sound when they collided, which scared Yueli. Then the man's unfriendly face appeared in front of her.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." Yue Li immediately bowed politely, her eyes began to avoid him, not daring to look at him.
He Yanchen didn't ask her to get up. His calm tone was filled with a hint of sarcasm: "I dare not accept Yu Zhaorong's gift."
Yueli pursed her lips, raised her eyes to look at him, and admitted her mistake without him saying anything: "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong..."
Concubine Jin has bullied her so many times, and she just withheld some materials, why is she so angry...
Seeing that she had no awareness that she was wrong, He Yanchen laughed angrily.
"Come here."
Yueli stood up quickly and ran over, trying to pull his sleeve and act like a spoiled child: "Your Majesty, I really know I was wrong. I won't dare to do it again..."
Guilt was almost written on his face.
He Yanchen pulled his sleeve out of her hand and said, "Have I ever told you that once you take over the palace power, you must do it well?"
He had originally planned to wait until she had taken good care of the Shangfu Bureau before gradually handing over other areas to her. He even specially asked a nanny to teach her, but she acted so blatantly.
"You are now in charge of the palace. You must at least be fair on the surface. Otherwise, if someone accuses me before the emperor, how will I deal with it?"
Yueli pouted and said unhappily, "I just don't want to give it to her. It's her fault for always saying bad things about me behind my back."
"Since you are so capable, how about I have the Imperial Censor's memorial be delivered directly to the Jade Palace tomorrow?"
Yueli felt aggrieved and surprised. Why did those people impeach her for just withholding some materials?
He Yanchen knocked her head hard and said, "When Concubine Jin came today, the imperial study was filled with ministers. Your deeds will be known to everyone in an hour, not tomorrow. Are you happy?"
"Your Highness... How could I have known that she would go there by such a coincidence..." Yue Li looked at him pitifully, "She must have done it on purpose. Your Majesty, please don't listen to their accusations against me..."
Seeing her shaking her arms and begging for mercy, He Yanchen's anger subsided.
He extended his hand and led her to sit on the couch. "People in the palace have always been flattering the powerful and looking down on the weak. The Imperial Household Department also serves people according to their status, withholding things from concubines and low-ranking palace maids who are not favored, but it has never become a big deal."
Yueli was confused. Why was he telling her this?
He Yanchen patted her head and said, "I'm telling you that in your current position, you don't need to bully someone openly if you want to."
"The fabrics in the palace include brocade, silk, satin, linen, and coarse cloth. Occasionally, high-ranking concubines use too much of the best-quality fabrics, so the rest of the people have to use the lower-quality ones to make up for it. Although the material is a little inferior, it's not so bad that they can't even make clothes."
Yueli's eyes lit up.
Got it, give her the lowest quality next time!
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