Chapter 41 Chapter 41 [VIP]
The empress dowager looked at him in surprise, not because of what the emperor had expressed, but because of the next step after deposing and enthroning the empress.
As a former queen, this is always sad. Her husband has a new woman by his side. He gives her status and honors. As a queen, it is not enough to accommodate her. She even has to give up the position she has held for many years.
But she became the empress dowager. From her son's perspective, the emperor only hoped that the empress could manage the inner court and serve her husband carefully and properly. It didn't matter who sat in the empress's position.
He was the emperor, and it was easy for him to promote a woman.
And you can honor whomever you want.
From the moment the Queen was established but the position of Crown Princess was retained for the eldest son, the Queen was destined to be sad in the future.
"You dote on the Imperial Concubine, and no one will say anything. This child is indeed smart and beautiful, and she serves the Emperor with great pleasure. But Emperor, have you ever thought about what you will do with this child in the future?"
The Queen Mother probed, "You should at least consider the Crown Prince's predicament. If not for Zihui, then for the Imperial Concubine. He's the Crown Prince, while his mother's rank is only among the Nine Concubines. This is already embarrassing enough. If you appoint an Imperial Concubine, I'm afraid Zihui will be heartbroken... If you depose the Empress today, can you depose the Crown Prince for her someday?"
The imperial concubine is now nearly twenty-one years old. Although she is young, she has been childless for several years after marriage, and her two husbands have both doted on her. The fact that she has no children after remarrying alone is difficult to convince the outsiders.
Whether she was fertile or not, she was not suitable to be the wife of the emperor, and the imperial concubine was not like the empress. The emperor and the empress respected each other like guests. After the second prince started to learn, the emperor did not pay as much attention to his calligraphy as he did to the crown prince. Although the power he gave to the crown prince was not as great as that given to him by the previous emperor, he could still be regarded as a strict father who loved his son. The empress and the crown prince could still maintain superficial peace.
When a favored queen has a prince, there will inevitably be a rift between the Eastern Palace and the Central Palace. If the emperor really deposes the prince one day, there will be worries about the mother and the child. Once the country is in turmoil, can the young man who grew up in the doting of his parents and his mother who only knows how to please the emperor cope with those changes?
The Queen Mother didn't want to say anything too harsh, so she said gently, "My mother also went through that time. Chiheng, don't underestimate people's jealousy. Think about how Empress Lü treated Concubine Qi."
Although Emperor Yuan Shuo had many complaints about Yang Xiuyuan, he still loved the Crown Prince. He said lightly, "Mother, you know that I love the Imperial Concubine right now. What you said seems to be hinting that I should give you a grandson with the Imperial Concubine as soon as possible so that we can depose the eldest and enthronize the youngest."
The Queen Mother was so angry that she could barely breathe. She pointed at the Emperor and trembled, "You! When did you come up with such foolish ideas?"
"My son has no intention of deposing the Empress immediately. He simply wants her to recuperate in the temporary palace for a while. She is a person who worries a lot, and she is always watching the affairs of the inner court. No amount of medicine or food will be able to relieve her worries."
Whenever Emperor Yuan Shuo thought of the Empress's quiet and sorrowful appearance, his heart would grow heavy. "I will have someone take good care of her. Zi Yan is in poor health, and the journey to his fiefdom is too far. I'm afraid he won't be able to make the journey. Instructing him to stay in Chang'an and fulfill his filial duties will also relieve the Empress's worries."
The Empress Dowager had also heard the Empress's irrelevant remarks and knew that the Emperor favored the Imperial Concubine. She had said that even if he went to his fiefdom with his son in the future, he would bring the Imperial Concubine with him. She said unhappily, "Your Majesty, do you think that was the Empress's true words?"
Her son pretended to be confused about this. Which woman who had a prince did not hope that her son would ascend the throne? Even the queen was no exception. The queen wanted more than just to let Ziyan stay in Chang'an!
Emperor Yuan Shuo tapped the armrests lightly a few times, his face expressionless. "I am not a Buddha or Bodhisattva in a shrine, able to respond to the wishes of all living beings."
People's guilt is always limited. Perhaps in the future some ministers will speak up for the queen, but since he has a favorite concubine, others will inevitably have to take a back seat.
What's more, Zi Yan's health was not good, and he never really planned to change the crown prince, unless the crown prince was really unable to handle the responsibility and he had a new healthy prince to slowly cultivate.
But Yiniang was sick and no one knew when she could be cured completely, so this idea gradually faded away.
Besides, the prince is not someone who only listens to his parents and has no idea of the king's intentions.
Although this occasionally displeased his father, who would even scold him, obedience and meekness were never considered virtues for a monarch. Yang Xiuyuan's influence on the crown prince was very limited. Emperor Yuanshuo said, "Zihui is not as filial as Emperor Hui of Han."
For the sake of his acting, he should take good care of and respect the helpless concubine and empress dowager.
She was so weak, so scared, yet she still tried to get close to him to gain some affection. When Emperor Yuan Shuo thought of her, his expression softened a lot: "The Imperial Concubine didn't have such thoughts. She just liked her son and wanted him to love her more. She didn't know anything about these things. Even if she knew, she would definitely persuade me to cause trouble for her."
The empress dowager was so angry that she laughed. The imperial concubine was docile, but she was not senile. When Wei was a concubine, because of a side remark, the beauty was demoted several ranks the next day, and Yang Xiuyuan was also fined a month's salary. Although the emperor reprimanded Wei, he promoted her to the head of the four concubines in the blink of an eye.
She went ahead, and the imperial concubine was satisfied, so of course she could pretend to be ignorant.
The emperor appointed Wang as the Crown Princess not only for the sake of kinship, but also because she was lively and generous, unlike the queen who was always obedient. Although she did some wrong things later and scared Bai Ji to death, you are the queen chosen by Bai Ji.
Yuan Shuo is not a bad person either."
He was ambitious at that time and thought that a gentle and quiet woman would be able to take on the responsibilities of a queen.
But when they were together, she tried her best to play the role of a virtuous queen and served him respectfully. However, it was easy for people to see through her inner resentment and sorrow. He would inevitably put on the airs of an emperor, chat with her indifferently about the affairs of the palace, and eat with her politely for a few times, until he left the Pepper Palace. Perhaps both of them felt relieved.
Yang was frivolous, and the queen hoped to use her obedience to win his change of heart. However, he knew that Yang would not change her position, but he did not want to point it out.
The fatigue he felt in the previous dynasty could not be relieved in the Pepper Palace. Although he knew that she had tried her best, the emperor would not compromise himself for the sake of his concubines.
Even if she is the queen.
The Queen Mother saw that his life had been too easy, and that she had to find some hardship for him to feel satisfied. She snorted softly, "Your Highness is very virtuous."
The words were full of sarcasm. Emperor Yuan Shuo paused, smiled slightly, and shamelessly agreed: "Mother doesn't praise people easily. This shows that the noble concubine has noble character, which is obvious to all."
Even though the Empress Dowager was somewhat tempted and tacitly allowed the Emperor to torment his concubines, she became annoyed when she saw how calm he was and sent him back to Qingping Palace: "None of you brothers are easy to worry about!"
…
In order to seek immortality, the emperor of the previous dynasty built the Yuxian Temple and the Qiming Temple on Mount Li. After being repaired by several generations of emperors, they have become quite large. The two temples are connected and embrace each other. The magnificent pavilions and terraces are hidden in the shadows of the mountains and trees, stretching endlessly.
The emperor and the crown prince were very restrained in their pursuit of immortality. They did not order the provinces to mine in the mountains to obtain all kinds of strange gold sand, pearls and jade for use in making elixirs. Only the second prince would often sit and discuss Taoism with Taoists, discussing the magical effects of elixirs, acting like a carefree celebrity.
When Shen Youyi arrived, only the front hall was filled with incense and billowing green smoke.
The leaves were slightly yellow, the bells and chimes were faintly heard, and the scenery was beautiful. Shen Youyi was a little greedy for a moment. She had no impression of this place. She asked Tan Rui in a low voice, and only then did she realize that she had not been here since entering the palace.
Several of the nuns practicing in the Taoist temple were from royal families. They accompanied the imperial concubine in visiting the various halls of the Taoist temple and watching the incense burning. It was only when she asked about the tablets that had been enshrined in the Yaoguang Hall in the Taoist temple that they smiled knowingly.
"Your Majesty has shown mercy and previously provided money for incense and candles for several eunuchs and palace servants. I have already made auspicious tablets for them and have also read a few volumes of 'The Miraculous Sutra of the Great Supreme Mysterious and Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Venerable for Relieving Suffering and Removing Sins'... However, these tablets are not on the same level as those offered by the royal family."
Shen Youyi nodded. Given her status, it was inconvenient for her to hold a memorial service for her deceased husband, the Marquis of Lingyang, outside the palace. She asked, "If I set up a memorial tablet for someone, how much incense, candles, and money would I need to pay?"
Miao Qing laughed and said slowly, "If the Imperial Concubine is setting this up for Marquis Lingyang, then there's no need... Marquis Xiao's tablet has always been kept in a separate room. His Majesty specifically ordered that, in addition to the Huanglu fasting ceremony within the temple, every year the Taoist priests within the temple would set up an altar and chant sutras for Marquis Lingyang, so that he could ascend to the Eastern Qinghua Paradise sooner."
Most of the nuns in the temple were related to the royal family before they became monks. Even though monks do not have different social classes, most of them have not yet reached that level of practice. How could they not complain about the task of the imperial concubine, which requires them to offer sacrifices for the slaves?
If another lady dared to teach them to do these things, Prince Guan would have many reasons to refuse.
However, thinking of the delicate relationship between the man on the tablet and His Majesty, they did not want to offend this beauty who was loved by the emperor so much.
Most of the offerings in Yuxian Temple were made by royal family members or favored concubines for their parents and sisters. For a foreign minister to receive such an honor, let alone a separate offering, this standard had already exceeded the treatment that a minister should receive. Shen Youyi was a little surprised. He glanced at Tan Rui and saw her shaking her head slightly. He asked Miaoqing, "Is it Your Majesty who sympathizes with the meritorious officials?"
Miao Qing smiled slightly: "I am just following orders and dare not speculate on your majesty's intentions."
Shen Youyi noticed that she was being vague and asked, “When did His Majesty issue this decree?”
Miao Qing said softly, "It's been about a year."
That was almost what happened after she entered the palace. Shen Youyi's eyelashes trembled slightly: "Master, please lead me to pay my respects."
That was the tablet of her late husband. He died because of her. Although she could only remember their time together now and didn't know how they had developed feelings for each other in front of the prince, it was reasonable for her to go and pay her respects.
Miaoqing privately guessed the emperor's intention and thought that His Majesty would not be angry with the imperial concubine. However, she was a little unsure. Although she led the imperial concubine there, she had a narrow excuse and it was not convenient for her to go along.
The tablet of Lingyang Hou was in a remote and quiet shrine. It was a little dim during the day, but fortunately there were incense and candles on the table so as not to obstruct the view. Shen Youyi took some water to wash her hands and told the maids to wait outside from a distance. She wanted to stay inside quietly for a while.
Not until the door was gently closed did Shen Youyi pick up the incense, light it on the candle, and insert it neatly into the stove.
Emperor Yuan Shuo doted on her very much, but he would not give her late husband any special treatment. He only placed him here alone because he was worried that others might see him when they came to the Taoist temple, and that it might cause some trouble.
But he still did it awkwardly.
This place is not as narrow as Miaoqing said. At least there is a place to sit and kneel. There is a small gap in the vermilion wall, so there should be some empty space inside.
Her mood was a little complicated. She moved her lips, but could not express her longing for her husband. "Your Highness, are you not going to come out and meet me?"
The second prince asked her to meet him at the Taoist temple, but the Taoist temple in the palace can accommodate thousands or tens of thousands of people. How can she find him?
After much thought, this is the only place that outsiders and Taoist priests in the temple would not set foot in casually.
——No one would come to guard a tablet specifically, after all, the emperor’s attention was limited.
She looked behind the tablet curiously. The tongues of fire moved in the wind, and the claw-like shadows swayed non-stop. She tried to find something in the darkness that contained the unknown.
"It's rare that Mother Wei and I would think alike."
A man in blue came from the white shadows, the candlelight casting shadows on his face. He was handsome and beautiful, more like the beautiful woman that would be pursued in the previous dynasty. His skin was too pale with a bluish-purple tint, and it stuck tightly to his bones, as if there were only blood vessels and tendons that were still flowing with blood.
He lost a little weight again.
Like a solitary crane hesitating and monologue in a cold pond, even if it has the most gorgeous and heavy feathers, at first glance, it can only feel the quiet and coolness of the moonlit lake.
Time seemed to have stopped along with his slow pace, and the flickering candlelight seemed to have become still.
There was a smile on his lips, but Shen Youyi took a deep breath and took a step back.
The second prince recognized the real her, but only called her "Concubine Wei".
But she came today not because he wrote a note to her, but because she wanted to know who she really was.
"Why is Second Prince always so polite?"
She raised her head slightly, looked directly into the Second Prince's eyes, and smiled: "When I first returned to His Highness's residence to appreciate the flowers, His Highness ignored me when he asked me to compensate for the railings."
For some reason, the relationship between the Second Prince and Shen Shi was not bad, but their interactions were never pleasant.
She still remembered that after she fell into the water, the prince carried her to a couch that had been brought from somewhere. When she slowly woke up, her eyes were still misty. The first thing she saw was not the prince who was touching her skin and asking about her situation, but... the king of the mansion behind him and his brother who had hurried over.
She closed her eyes out of guilt. Although she was trying to seduce the prince, someone really pushed her into it.
The brother thanked the prince and took her, who had fainted again. Just as he was about to leave, he heard the weak man say with a hint of annoyance, "Wei Xing, your sister is so unstable. She's ruining everyone's fun."
She was so angry that she gritted her teeth, but she had to hold her breath and continue to bury herself in her brother's thick cloak.
The prince felt that his brother was unreasonable. Seeing the beauty being bullied, he could no longer bear it: "Zi Yan, how can you not show any mercy to a beautiful woman? She has done nothing wrong. What's the point of scaring a young lady?"
She didn't know whether the prince later compensated her for the railing she broke, she only knew that this man was so stingy!
The pale young man in front of him seemed very surprised. He half lowered his eyes and looked at her again and again, his tone calming down a little: "Madam Shen actually still remembers me, it's really rare."
A huge stone fell from her heart, but Shen Youyi could not feel the slightest joy.
She is Shen Youyi, the Shen Youyi who survived the prison disaster!
But why would Duke Yan recognize her?
Are those absurd dreams also...real?
She actually had sex with both Emperor Yuan Shuo and the Crown Prince?
Shen Youyi couldn't even hear what he said. She didn't reject remarriage, but the two men who had done all the romantic things with her couldn't be father and son!
The second prince saw that the beauty in front of him was pale, her cheeks were trembling, and her teeth and tongue were almost out of control, so he hurriedly grabbed her wrist and took her pulse.
There was a sudden chill on her wrist, and Shen Youyi came back to her senses. She was about to break free from his arm, but after thinking about it, she relaxed again.
She must be really sick and has a severe headache.
A biological father and son might have said the same thing on her bed, that she would be their only one from now on, that she would have children, that they would kiss every inch of her skin, admiring her whiteness, praising her amazing beauty, caressing her with hypocritical tenderness, and then inserting themselves into her in one go. The more she begged for mercy, the less mercy the man would show in beating her.
The tastes of the father and son are so similar, perhaps... even their favorite postures are similar.
So at this moment, the man who had been her brother-in-law and illegitimate son was taking her pulse in front of her late husband's spirit. Should she still care about the etiquette and moral principles?
In fact, she did not trust the Second Prince's medical skills. As a pampered aristocrat, he had read several medical books and was not afraid of paralyzing or crippling people if he really practiced medicine and acupuncture.
The Second Prince carefully observed her expression and saw that she seemed reluctant, so he casually threw her wrist. Shen Youyi said listlessly, "Can't it be cured?"
"No matter what I say, the concubine never believes it."
He said coldly, "Why should I meddle in the affairs of a patient who doesn't follow the doctor's orders?"
Shen Youyi felt a little helpless. She couldn't understand but she wasn't ashamed. She couldn't even explain what was wrong with her, so how could the Second Prince see anything? "Your Highness sent me a letter in public, it couldn't be to grab my hand in front of my late husband's spirit."
Apart from the fact that Xiao Che was the prince's good friend, she didn't remember any deep hatred between the second prince and him.
Nian's gaze swept across the remaining shock in her eyes, and he understood what was happening. He said softly, "I'm here to see a disobedient and bad-tempered patient and see what she can gain by not taking medicine or seeking medical treatment."
Even though his father had demoted her to the imperial palace, he still relied on his mother's help to send things to her in the name of tonics.
But when he first came to the palace, he knew that she must have stopped taking the medicine for several months.
Perhaps she hadn't eaten since she came to the palace.
Shen Youyi didn't know what he was talking about. Her mind was confused, but she still remembered the tonics that had been cut off. She retorted: "You are filial to your elders. Giving things away is considered filial piety. Do I have to eat it?"
The Queen was in poor health, so it was certainly filial for him to express his filial piety in this way, but she didn't feel uncomfortable at all... She just woke up and found that she had lost her memory and only remembered what happened five years ago.
What kind of strange disease is this?
Shen Youyi met his obsidian-black eyes, which were calm and composed, as if he knew exactly how she would react.
It's even possible that this isn't her first time experiencing amnesia.
"I can't remember a lot of things..."
It was a rare sight for her to show weakness in front of the Second Prince. She frowned her beautiful brows and whispered, "Your Highness sent me this medicine, and I can tell it took a lot of thought. But I don't remember what it's supposed to do... Will it help me remember me after I take it?"
The frail young man in front of her avoided answering, and looked at her with a deep gaze: "Yi Niang, are you living a comfortable life now?"
Shen Youyi was stunned. The girl's nickname was only called by the closest people. Her father-in-law, mother, and brother called her that, and the prince also called her that. The Marquis of Lingyang in the dream was even more so. Even Emperor Yuan Shuo knew it now.
She took a deep breath. She had lived a life of ups and downs over the past five years, so she didn't think there was anything wrong with this question: "Have I slept with His Highness?"
She had some impression of the others, except for the Second Prince... Even before her marriage, she had never thought of any possibility between them.
But she understood very well the pity a man felt for a beautiful woman, especially for her.
To these powerful men, she was a delicacy that could be hunted down...Except for the king she served, these men who were entangled with her seemed to have grasped her weaknesses.
Nian's expression was gentle, with a suspicious blush on his pale face. He chuckled softly and said, "Yi Niang, it seems you don't remember much about the past. I won't live past the age of 25, so why would I marry you?"
Because of this, his father never thought of passing the throne to him, and even tolerated his celibacy until now.
A prince who has no hope of becoming the crown prince is certainly not as worthy of her attachment as the crown prince.
Shen Youyi breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she didn't end up being a prostitute.
However, he smiled and said something shocking: "You did come to ask me for help, but after thinking about it, you felt it was not worth it, so you went to go against my father's will."
He said gently, "Don't you remember any of this?"
Shen Youyi was almost dumbfounded, and said with difficulty: "You didn't say you were here to deceive me, did you?"
She only remembered that in that hazy dream, she drank a bowl of ginseng soup, and then she remembered nothing.
But I didn’t dream of such bizarre plots.
It’s better not to ask!
His smile faded slightly, and he sighed softly: "So I ask you, Yi Niang, are you doing well now?"
She has already remembered that she is Shen's daughter. Isn't this enough?
Losing memory means losing pain, but regaining memory does not necessarily mean relief.
Shen Youyi found it difficult to speak. It was too absurd to tell a man that every time she had pleasure under his father, she would dream of some scattered scenes.
But she could vaguely sense that the past five years might have been a peaceful and stable life, and knowing that would not make her very happy.
Did she really forget to take the medicine that could relieve her symptoms?
Putting aside whether the man in front of her has such ability, why would he help her?
But these were not her considerations.
She had almost everything a woman could have: the emperor's favor, the luxurious life in the palace, and a glorious mother's family. The past was past, so why couldn't she put the past behind her and become Concubine Wei in the palace?
But she never had a truly comfortable day.
All these splendors and riches are like castles in the air, which might one day throw her down from the ninety-ninth heaven and shatter her to pieces.
She shook her head and whispered, "If I say no, will His Highness tell me?"
The Second Prince remained silent. He suppressed a few coughs and said, "Yi Niang, you believed what I said."
Shen Youyi knew that she was a person who held grudges. She suddenly remembered that she did not trust his medical skills, did not drink his medicine, and even turned around and hooked up with his father after losing face and asking for help.
She was now worried that the man in front of her was here to see her embarrass herself and to gloat over her misfortune.
Her hands were almost clenched into fists under her sleeves, but she was much gentler when she spoke again.
“I don’t think it’s uneconomical.”
She walked a little closer, and skillfully revealed a charming expression: "But Mr. Xiao passed away because of me, and your health is not very good..."
Shen Youyi half raised her eyes and said softly, "I'm just worried. This is my own karma, and I don't want to drag others into it."
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