Chapter 30 Chapter 30 [VIP]
Duke Yan hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "My daughter has been dead for a long time, and few in the capital know the truth. Furthermore, the Marquis of Lingyang happened to have purchased a jade pendant for the imperial concubine that is very similar to the dowry my wife brought. Therefore, I believe this must be a matter of fate."
Before asking for the audience, he had thought about the worst possible outcome of the matter: the crime of deceiving the emperor, the imperial concubine being deposed, and he would have to go home and be idle, but Emperor Yuan Shuo's reaction was beyond his expectations.
It wasn't the calmness that came from having seen through everything, but rather... there seemed to be an unexpected silence and surprise, but not much.
"You also said it was fate. I was surprised that a warrior like you could give birth to a girl like her."
Emperor Yuan Shuo said as calmly as possible, "Your Highness lost both her parents at a young age. I promised her I wouldn't delve into the past. The Emperor's word is as good as gold, and I won't break my promise. To have such a child out of thin air at the age of forty is something others can only envy."
If it were yesterday, he would inevitably want to get to the bottom of the past of the woman beside him.
But now think about it, even if he knew, what would it matter? Should the king demote and depose his favorite concubine just because her birth is not noble enough?
Knowing about the shameful past is nothing but worrying about nothing. In life, it is better to be pragmatic.
Duke Yan fell completely silent. Just as the imperial concubine had said, he was indeed overthinking things.
After the imperial concubine gained favor, rumors arose constantly in the court and the country. He was worried that the scandal that the royal father and son both fell in love with the same woman would be leaked, so he had no choice but to enter the palace to meet the imperial concubine and advise her to know when to advance and retreat, and to serve the emperor peacefully, and not to involve the Wei family in the fight for the throne as the rumors said.
She is not the daughter of the Wei family who was left among the people, but no one knows her true origin. This beauty, shrouded in mystery, carries dangerous and deadly temptations. She is pampered and nourished by supreme power, and is mature to the right degree, glamorous and charming.
"If you're afraid, just tell His Majesty I'm just a fake. What's the big deal?"
She smiled sweetly, "Your Majesty is so kind and generous that he won't argue with you over such a small matter. Besides, those rumors out there aren't really rumors... Your Majesty is at the peak of his powers. If I really gave birth to a child, would you be willing to let this grandson only have a small fiefdom?"
The prince had reached adulthood and was growing stronger, but her belly had not yet bulged. Wei Jingzhong simply thought that her mental illness had recurred.
It is not easy for a king to conquer the world. Between her and the prince, Emperor Yuan Shuo would never choose a beauty, even if this beauty is extremely beautiful.
But this beauty, who was navigating the relationship between the father and son of the royal family, smiled. She said lightly, "I guess Aye just doesn't dare, not that he doesn't want to. How about I make a bet with Aye? One day, Aye will come before Your Majesty and tell you everything you know. You can see for yourself whether I will end up with my head and body separated."
Duke Yan couldn't help but tremble when he thought of the fragrant aroma in Zhaoyang Palace. Even if he had fought in battles and experienced life and death, he was not as frightened as the delicate beauty like the imperial concubine.
She was alone and the most avid gambler in the world, willing to bet her life and property for what she wanted, but he couldn't do that.
Your Majesty's most beloved concubine is not only a former wife, but is also entangled with both princes. If he dares to say a word, the entire Wei family will be killed without a burial place.
"You were a fearless person in your early years. It's amazing that you've been able to remain calm these past two years and endure it until now to come and apologize."
Emperor Yuan Shuo looked him over and ordered him to sit down. "She is so lively, I'm afraid she can't stand the loneliness of being a nun or a Taoist priest. It's amazing that you could come up with such a stupid idea."
It is really cruel to make a woman who has copied several volumes of scriptures come back to tease and take revenge, and to make her live in seclusion forever.
Duke Yan said yes, and his thoughts were drawn back to the present. The Emperor had only just learned of her unknown origins today, but he hadn't blamed her. His mind had become slightly more active, and he tentatively said, "I once chose a husband for the concubine, but the lady said that since the death of Marquis Lingyang, she has suffered from amnesia and is constantly feeling uneasy. She wishes to remain in my house for a long time and never marry again."
He almost thought it was fate. The imperial concubine also suffered from the disease and happened to have inherited the dowry jewelry that his wife had lost. When they were together, they were really like mother and daughter. But later, after taking the medicine sent by the prince, the smile on the imperial concubine's face gradually became less.
Even though Emperor Yuan Shuo wanted to ignore her most likely shameful past, such an answer still surprised him.
The discomfort they had felt when they were together over the past few days, his unusual alertness in his dreams, and the change in her attitude towards giving birth to a prince, all those seemingly insignificant quirks that were nothing more than his suspicious and overthinking habits, quickly formed an absurd but possible answer.
Duke Yan was still waiting for Emperor Yuan Shuo's inquiry, determined to blame his shameful past on this illness, when he heard Emperor Yuan Shuo ask, "She's actually ill... Why hasn't anyone asked the imperial physician to see her?"
The voice was filled with shock and anger, and the ending tone was even slightly trembling. Duke Yan looked up in astonishment and met the emperor's cold brows and eyes.
The imperial concubine has always been clear-headed. Compared with his wife, he didn't notice this problem which did not affect his daily life.
He lowered his voice and explained, "The imperial concubine was very young at the time, and perhaps she was simply overwhelmed by grief after losing her husband. She stayed in my residence for a while and gradually began to recover. She even told my wife that her family would call her 'Yi Niang', and she refused to elaborate on the rest of the story."
Emperor Yuan Shuo suddenly stood up and paced silently behind the imperial desk. Then he came back and said slowly, "She did tell you, but you've forgotten what she said, haven't you?"
The Princess and the Lady of Yan, but the Imperial Concubine said she couldn't remember clearly at that time, she had lost her husband and didn't know where to go, so she wanted to take refuge in a Buddhist temple, seeking peace and quiet. Later, I adopted her as my daughter.
It was only later that he discovered a glimmer of the truth. The prince had kept a concubine in his early years, and this matter was kept very secret. He even bought houses, fields, servants and clothes for this favorite concubine, all in the name of Marquis of Lingyang.
——For a young marquis who lacks the discipline of his father and elders, no one would think it was wrong if he acted a little bit absurdly.
That concubine was Wei Lanzhen, who later became the wife of Marquis Lingyang and is now the Imperial Noble Consort.
He didn't even dare to delve deeper, for fear of uncovering something serious.
Emperor Yuan Shuo could see the fear and uneasiness on his face, and curled the corners of his mouth slightly.
She was so heartbroken... She was the one who refused to bear children for him, and she was the one who didn't even say a word to lie to him. Apart from no longer being able to enjoy the treatment of a favored concubine, what else was there to make her so heartbroken?
Emperor Yuan Shuo took a deep breath and said as calmly as possible, "How long will it take for this illness to heal?"
Even though the emperor did not reveal much information, in a split second, Duke Yan was still shocked by his own guess. He remembered what the prince had said and couldn't help but have doubts.
The First Prince was not very keen on power struggles, but was obsessed with studying all kinds of difficult and complicated diseases. He even figured out the cures for many diseases that doctors could not cure.
According to him, as long as the imperial concubine takes the medicine on time, the poison in her body will be slowly discharged and she should not get sick.
"I'm not a doctor, so I can't say whether it's good or bad..." He collected his thoughts and said carefully, "As long as it's not too shocking, a year or two should be enough."
Before he finished speaking, he saw Emperor Yuan Shuo's brows suddenly furrowed, and his eyes fell on his face, as if weighing a thousand pounds.
"I'm tired today."
Emperor Yuanshuo returned to his original seat, half-raised his head and leaned against the throne, but he did not seem to be relaxed. He spoke almost word by word: "Go back and write a report. Report everything, no matter what medicine the imperial concubine used, who she met, and everything in detail."
The emperor wanted to expel the guest, so no matter how many questions his subjects had, they had to swallow them back. Duke Yan stood up, performed the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects, and was about to go to the government hall when several eunuchs caught up with him, panting.
Naturally, it was the emperor’s men.
The ministers in the government hall knew that he was stained with the fragrance of Qingping Palace, and they couldn't help but laugh and said, "Your Majesty, do you have any instructions for Shi Heng?"
The leading eunuch gestured for them to open the box. After catching his breath, he smiled and said, "Your Majesty, in appreciation of Duke Yan's hard work over the past few days, has specially rewarded you with pepper, angelica root, and several other herbs to soothe the mind and reduce internal heat."
Both pepper and angelica are exotic. Pepper is more valuable than gold, while angelica comes from the deep sea. Its fragrance lingers for days and it is in high demand. One or two ounces of it can cost tens of thousands of coins. This shows how much the emperor values the Wei family.
Several of the ministers exchanged knowing glances with each other. Since the imperial concubine moved to the temporary palace, although Wei had not been implicated, the frequent and valuable rewards and the emperor's extra encouragement had also disappeared.
But after the Emperor's birthday, in front of all the important ministers, the emperor's people conveyed the emperor's will without any scruples.
Concubine Wei was still the emperor's most favored concubine.
Even the people in front of the emperor did not forget to give a few extra snacks and drinks to distribute to the close ministers on duty that day.
The leader, Zhou Pushe, smiled lightly and said vaguely, "With the awakening incense given by the emperor, Shi Heng won't have to find a replacement when he needs to stay overnight."
Duke Yan thanked the emperor for his grace and had the intention of going to Qingping Palace. When facing the teasing and probing of his colleagues, he was much calmer, but his mind had already flown to Yaoguang Palace.
If Your Majesty does not want to expose the Imperial Concubine, then you must shut him up and make him play the role of Imperial Concubine Wei's biological father in front of everyone.
Concubine Wei has regained favor. Once she really gives birth to a child, how can she remain unscathed given the relationship between her and Wei?
Thinking of this, Duke Yan subconsciously glanced in the direction of the East Palace and lowered his eyes.
The prince had been coveting the imperial concubine for a long time. Even a few days ago, he hinted to the emperor to write a letter of apology and ask for the emperor's permission to let the imperial concubine leave the palace and live in a separate house prepared for her by the royal family, retaining only her title and the treatment of one of the four concubines.
Although he was also a man, he could not understand the prince's madness.
Could it be that the woman that the emperor had favored and enjoyed was still as attractive to the prince as the other, making him obsessed with her so much?
It’s not like I haven’t gotten it before. Even if it’s for that supreme position, I should be patient.
But the imperial concubine might have lost her memory again. Duke Yan frowned. The emperor was still waiting for his proposal, but he could not concentrate here. So he made an excuse to go back to take care of his wife and got up to go out.
It's time for him to ask His Highness.
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