Chapter 14: Seeing Red, Celebrating Joy
The few people who knew about it all looked unhappy, but He Yanchen finally raised his eyes and looked down.
He smiled faintly: "It's a good thing."
The Queen Mother's face turned pale: "Your Majesty..."
Concubine Yi was so frightened by the word "outrageous" that she fell to her knees as her legs went weak.
When she heard He Yanchen's praise, she looked at him for help.
Yue Li was also secretly looking at the people above. It was really unusual.
He Yanchen tapped the table lightly with his fingers: "The Queen Mother should accept Yipin's kindness."
He shouted, "Reward!"
The Queen Mother stood up suddenly, her face turning blue with anger: "Concubine Yi has offended me. From today on, I will be confined to the palace."
Yipin's mood was sometimes in the clouds and sometimes in hell. The ups and downs made her unable to bear the stimulation at all. She fainted with her eyes rolled back.
"master!"
The palace maid Qiu Yuan screamed, and the Queen suddenly stood up and said, "Take Concubine Yi to the side hall to rest first, and then call the imperial physician."
The Queen Mother watched all this coldly, but she did not refute the Queen. Nanny Yang helped her leave the Golden Palace.
He Yanchen seemed to be fine, and even called in actors to sing.
Everyone in the hall had different thoughts, but the court officials dared not say anything, even Wei Chengdong remained silent.
After a while, Dong Xu, the head maidservant beside the queen, came in and said, "Your Majesty, the queen, Concubine Yi is pregnant."
He Yanchen's hand holding the wine cup paused in the air for a moment.
"Are you pregnant?"
Yueli could not hear any joy in his voice, but rather a sense of impending danger.
She suddenly thought that since he ascended the throne, no one in the harem had become pregnant. He even rarely saw the eldest prince and princess, and it seemed that he did not care about having children.
Thinking of the man's vigorous appearance on the bed at night, it doesn't seem impossible...
Yueli blushed inappropriately.
No one in the harem is pregnant, probably because he doesn't want anyone to get pregnant.
Dong Xu said, "Yes, both imperial physicians have diagnosed that Concubine Yi is over two months pregnant."
As soon as he finished speaking, He Yanchen cast a cold gaze at Ji Ming.
Ji Ming wanted to kneel down and kowtow immediately. He had personally sent people to place contraceptive drugs in the palaces of every concubine in the harem, and there had never been a mistake over the years. How could Concubine Yi be pregnant?
The Queen concealed her inner bitterness and bowed, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty."
The ministers below also stood up and congratulated him. There had been no children in the harem for these years, and the court officials were worried. Now that a concubine was pregnant with the emperor's heir, it was a happy event in everyone's eyes.
Censor Liu even took this opportunity to say, "Your Majesty has only held a beauty selection once since ascending the throne. In my humble opinion, it would be wise to wait until the spring to select a wider selection of concubines to provide Your Majesty with a long line of heirs."
He Yanchen's already cold eyes suddenly showed a hint of fear: "A talent show?"
Censor Liu continued, "Yes, when the late emperor was alive, the harem was filled with concubines and he had ten sons. Your Majesty now has only one prince. For the sake of our country, I implore Your Majesty to select a concubine."
He Yanchen fiddled with his ring with his fingers, a faint smile on the corner of his lips: "Since Liu Aiqing is so nostalgic for the late emperor, why don't I be a good person today?"
"Send you to see the late emperor."
Censor Liu couldn't believe what he heard. His drooping eyelids suddenly lifted up and he met the man's bloodthirsty gaze.
"Chu Yi."
The commander of the imperial guards, Chu Yi, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty."
He Yanchen threw the ring in his hand to the ground. The small ring did not make much noise, but it was like a heavy hammer hitting everyone's heart.
"Take Liu Aiqing outside the Golden Palace and beat him to death."
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please spare my life!" Censor Liu had no idea what he had done wrong and his face turned pale with fear.
Yuan Zhang and several officials also stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, today is New Year's Eve, and it is not appropriate to see blood. Censor Liu's words were wrong. Please be lenient with him!"
Wei Hemian also wanted to plead for mercy. Censor Liu had only mentioned the talent show. How could he be so wrong that he should be beaten to death?
Wei Chengdong hurriedly grabbed him and shook his head at him.
It wasn't the selection that angered His Majesty. Censor Liu should never have compared His Majesty with the late emperor.
He closed his eyes, knowing that Censor Liu was doomed to die.
"It is not appropriate to see blood?" He Yanchen stood up, and his condescending gaze took in the expressions of everyone in the hall.
The man raised his lips slightly and said, "At the beginning of the new year, let's see some red and express our happiness."
He didn't listen to anyone's pleas and just left.
The only sound in the Golden Palace was Censor Liu's heart-wrenching plea for mercy.
Chu Yi waved his hand expressionlessly, and several imperial guards came forward to carry Censor Liu away. Soon, the sound of wooden sticks hitting flesh could be heard outside, which made everyone terrified.
Yueli sat on the mat, her chest rising and falling slightly.
From the Empress Dowager getting angry over a set of tea sets, to Concubine Yi becoming pregnant, and Censor Liu being beaten to death, each and every one of these events completely confused her already dull mind.
She glanced at the boundless night outside, took courage, and quietly left the table with Lian Qiao.
*
He Yanchen did not return to Linde Hall. Yueli found him in Zhaixing Tower near the lotus pond.
Ji Ming was guarding downstairs, and when he saw her coming, he quickly stopped her: "Yu Ronghua, it's better for you not to go upstairs right now."
"Why?"
"This servant is also doing this for your own good." Ji Ming lowered his voice, "Your Majesty is in a bad mood, I'm afraid it will affect you..."
Yue Li looked up at the candlelight in the attic and shook her head slightly: "It's okay, Master, please let me go up. I will take full responsibility for whatever happens."
Ji Ming was still hesitant. Although His Majesty had doted on Yu Ronghua in the past, today...
"Eunuch..." Yue Li said, "Your Majesty is in a bad mood. He must be allowed to vent, otherwise he will be angry and hurt himself."
Ji Ming was speechless. This was indeed true.
He made up his mind and took two steps back.
Yueli then hurriedly picked up her skirt and stepped onto the stairs.
The Zhaixing Pavilion is the highest place in the harem. There are gauze curtains hanging on the attic, and a few candles emit faint light.
Yueli saw the man sitting there, but his tall figure made people feel a little lonely.
She stood there and looked for a moment, then slowly walked over.
He Yanchen raised his eyes and watched her walk over quietly.
"His Majesty..."
He didn't ask why she was here, but just tapped the table and said coldly, "Come here."
Yueli walked over.
The night wind blew up the curtains around her, lifted her sleeves, and blew past the man.
Following the wind, she gently hooked her little finger around his, then slowly bent down and knelt beside his legs.
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