Chapter 50 Chapter 50 [VIP]
Shen Youyi paused for a moment: "I had a very long dream at night. I dreamed that I was dancing for Your Majesty, entering the palace to become your concubine, and being driven to Mount Li by you...but it's still a little vague."
She turned around and kissed him laboriously, her eyes still glazed over. "A doctor prescribed some medicine for me, but I didn't want Your Majesty to know about my illness, so I took it secretly. Then the medicine ran out, and one day I woke up with no recollection. Then I ran into Your Majesty, and I'd forgotten all about you."
Emperor Yuan Shuo had also heard these words from her nominal father. He held her closer and asked, "Even after Yi Niang stopped taking medicine, can you still remember me?"
Shen Youyi nodded, and she stammered, "It's just a little slow, but I can remember it bit by bit."
She wanted to urge him to focus on serious matters, so she hinted, "After Your Majesty stayed overnight in Yaoguang Palace, I seemed to remember some of it. But then you asked me to be pure and abstain from desires, and I had to be content. One day, when I woke up, I suddenly couldn't remember anything."
Men are not always a panacea. When Emperor Yuan Shuo saw her hesitant look, his first reaction was that this little liar who was full of lies was lying again.
She specializes in deceiving people physically and mentally. Perhaps she couldn't stand the loneliness and deliberately made him worry for several days.
But Shen Youyi tried hard to convince him of this, saying anxiously, "I also know that Your Majesty will definitely not believe it, so I have never dared to tell you. But every time Your Majesty is away from me for a long time, my brain doesn't work well... I'm afraid that sooner or later I will forget you again. I even taught your white parrot to speak so that it can remind me in the future, but it's a little too stupid and has never been able to learn."
Emperor Yuanshuo thought of the parrot, his face warmed slightly, and he said with a smile: "What did Yi Niang teach the parrot to say?"
He refused to even respond to his lies yesterday. Shen Youyi was a little unconvinced and refused to tell the truth to make him proud. He whispered, "I taught it to say 'Your Majesty loves Yi Niang'."
Emperor Yuan Shuo laughed for a moment, and he gently rebuked: "You say one thing and mean another, and you only know how to perfunctorily appease me."
His movements were much gentler, obviously a punishment for her dishonesty. Shen Youyi leaned on the stone and sobbed softly: "Your Majesty, do you not believe me, or do you refuse to help me?"
He didn't believe it was true, but he couldn't bear to watch her live in a fog every day. Emperor Yuan Shuo lifted her drooping hair and grasped it in his palm, saying in a deep voice: "Aren't you helping?"
The man's voice was gentle and mellow. When she thought about what he was doing, her bones felt soft. She was like a salted fish drying on a rock in a stream, which had to be turned over after being dried on one side, allowing him to do whatever he wanted.
The brook gurgles unrestrainedly, creating a unique sense of Zen tranquility and peace in the empty mountain valley. Here, the extremely regular and rhythmic sounds seem out of place.
Shen Youyi felt dizzy in this untimely calmness.
Emperor Yuan Shuo put on her clothes, but boiled another pot of water. He refused to use the stream water to wipe her face, and warned her with his eyes: "This is very dirty."
Under his watchful eyes, Shen Youyi didn't dare to scoop up a handful of water to wash her face to quench her thirst. She leaned lazily opposite him and said dissatisfiedly: "Is Your Majesty always so careful?"
"This stream may look clear, but it might harbor the insects that Jiao Yiniang fears. There might even be rotting, maggot-infested corpses of wild animals upstream."
Emperor Yuan Shuo nonchalantly threatened her, "Many famous generals and commanders in history have died from misusing raw water. Do you think you'll get dysentery?"
Shen Youyi was frightened by him and shrank back, clutching his clothes to cover her skin as much as possible. After the water in the pot boiled and then cooled down, she was helped to wipe the dirt off her body. She gently raised her head and pecked him, mumbling, "Your Majesty, do you think I will remember more things in my dream tonight?"
These nonsense were incredibly absurd, but she connected them into cause and effect and believed them firmly. Emperor Yuan Shuo gently pinched her face and said, "Are you really not lying to me?"
Shen Youyi hesitated for a moment. She slowly climbed onto Emperor Yuan Shuo's shoulders, but she didn't dare look him in the eye. "I dreamed that my last name was Shen, not Wei, and that I lived in Yuezhou for a while when I was a child. My father and mother looked somewhat similar to me, but how did I become the biological daughter of the Duke of Yan?"
People's thoughts always change. She used to want to avenge her husband, but now she has a trace of greed for the king's tenderness and wishes to prolong this moment.
But... they will eventually get to that point.
She not only thought of him...but also of the husband who died for her.
No matter how reluctant she was, she had already possessed her husband's unique love. Because the father of her husband's murderer had given her glory and grace, and carefully cared for her in a greenhouse, she deceived herself into not seeing the rotten sore. She was reluctant to let him know everything and understand what good things his beloved son had done. Then how could she be worthy of her husband?
Emperor Yuan Shuo was somewhat surprised that she was willing to tell him this, which saved Feng Xianguang a lot of trouble. He embraced the delicate and weak beauty and said, "Whatever Yi Niang remembers, tell me."
Shen Youyi lowered her eyes, wondering what kind of dream she was having.
Emperor Yuan Shuo was always skeptical about this statement. However, she became more and more charming as she was nourished, but her expression was gloomy and no one knew what she was thinking.
It was quiet, and it seemed as if there were only the two of them in the world. She was as fragile as a dodder, seeking the protection of a towering tree.
He patted her shoulder and said, "Yiniang, whether it's true or not, since there is such a method, it's better to give it a try."
He didn't care much about the process. As long as the result was good, no matter how ridiculous the method was, he would try it once. If it didn't work, he would find a royal physician or post an imperial edict, which would always solve her problem.
Shen Youyi stroked her abdomen. She wanted revenge, but she didn't want to die. For an emperor with few offspring, nothing was more important than offspring. Even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs.
As long as the child came at the right time and was delayed for six or seven months, she was confident that she could coax him into changing his mind again.
"Having said that, I'll have to trouble Your Majesty to take care of me more in the future."
She stroked his deep eyebrows, feeling reluctant, and whispered, "I don't want this to happen either."
Emperor Yuan Shuo smiled slightly. Even if she didn't have this disease, she was a girl who was passionate about it. How could she not want to do this? It was obvious that she liked it very much.
But as long as this method is truly effective, what does it matter if it is recorded in the history books every day?
He was generous in giving her what he could afford, and leaned over to kiss her, saying lovingly, "I know Yi Niang is not a bad woman. It's all because of this disease. I don't blame you."
…
The prince knew that his father had been out all night. It was nothing special that his father was in the mood for night hunting, but it was the first time that he brought a woman with him.
The one he brought with him was a concubine who had lost her memory.
Ever since the imperial concubine arrived in the camp, the wives of these local officials have seen what a truly favored concubine is. Although the emperor is wise, he has gained a rare reputation for being a playboy since he married the wife of the Marquis of Lingyang.
Although the imperial concubine was not brought with him at the beginning this time, the prince and the others could occasionally see him once or twice, but the emperor never appeared in front of them.
Yang Xiuyuan was the biological mother of the crown prince and the only concubine brought here this time. She had a very high status, but Emperor Yuan Shuo treated her with respect.
But as soon as the imperial concubine arrived, the emperor's illness seemed to be cured overnight. Not only did he let the lady live in the main tent and accompany and serve him day and night, he also personally hunted bears for her, which made people very envious.
Even though it was inconvenient for the prince to meet these gossips, he had heard many rumors about the love between the emperor and his concubine.
Even though many of these things were fictitious fantasies, they were enough to make the prince anxious and even reduce his food intake.
The Crown Princess heard only more, but she was in high spirits, sweeping away the gloom of many days. She even brought a few children to accompany the Crown Prince to welcome the emperor when he arrived in front of the camp.
When Shen Youyi left, she rode a docile mare from the imperial stables, but when she returned, she was riding with the emperor.
As a man, he understood what his father would do to her at night.
Yi Niang has completely lost her memory again... She will only trust the emperor who provides her with food, clothing, shelter and transportation as completely as she accepts him, and there will no longer be any place for him in her heart.
She leaned tightly against the emperor's arms, her eyes like hooks. Her father lowered his head and said something to her. She slowly raised her eyes, glanced at the emperor coquettishly, and muttered in a low voice, "There are so many people here, what is your majesty saying?"
However, when those eyes that could speak glanced at him, they seemed to pause for a moment before looking past him and behind him.
Emperor Yuan Shuo dismounted, but she could still reach out her hand with peace of mind, waiting for the emperor to lift her by the waist and drop her to the ground.
However, just as Shen Youyi's legs touched the ground, she deliberately stumbled and was hugged by Emperor Yuan Shuo. She cried out in surprise, and buried her head in his broad and thick body in shame, whispering, "It's all your Majesty's fault. I'm embarrassed."
Emperor Yuan Shuo was quite indulgent towards her patient at this time, and didn't mind her disrespect in front of the younger generation. He raised his voice slightly and teased her, "Teaching you to show off your prowess like that is a gradual process. Since you can't do it, why are you still showing off and insisting on giving it a try?"
Shen Youyi deliberately showed her weak attitude in front of the prince, and looked at his expression calmly, but her face suddenly became hot after hearing these words.
Why didn't he talk about taking things step by step when he was almost crushing her, and advise her not to show off too much? He obviously liked her so much, but he insisted on being stubborn.
Even though there was no ambiguity on her face, she still leaned against the emperor like a boneless person and answered with a low "yes".
The prince noticed that she had changed into a sky-blue Hu costume, which made her look fresh and gentle. However, the female fairies in the Ninth Heaven were not as soft as her. Her face was filled with satisfaction from the man's nourishment, and her heart seemed to be full of mixed feelings. If possible, she would not even raise her head.
Yi Niang, who was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, could only be deceived by him. He would not allow her to be defiled by another man and have a romantic affair all night long.
However, no man in the world had the ability to snatch food from a tiger's mouth, except his father... who happened to be his father.
Whenever he thought about the fact that the older man who had inserted that ugly thing into Yi Niang and made her perform all kinds of flattering gestures was actually his father, he had an almost terrifying thought.
As if standing beside their couch, he reached out to separate the two.
But the amnesiac Yi Niang looked at him and the Crown Princess with a smile, raised her head and commented to the emperor beside her, "The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are truly a perfect match...and their child will be so adorable."
The Crown Prince felt a pang of pain when he heard this, and the Crown Princess's face almost changed color.
The poisonous insect in the imperial concubine's body is about to die. If she remembers that she cannot deal with the prince who killed her husband, it is very likely that she will turn her attention to the emperor's grandson in the Eastern Palace.
However, Shen Youyi only wanted to scare them for a moment. He just glanced at the children meaningfully and then followed the emperor into the tent.
This was outside. Yang Xiuyuan knew she was there, so she found an excuse not to come. Emperor Yuan Shuo didn't care about the jealous behavior of these concubines, and asked the doctor who had examined her pulse a day ago to come here for a consultation.
Within a day, before the imperial doctors could come up with a cure, the imperial concubine miraculously recovered on her own. For this rare condition, they were more inclined to...
At least a large part of the imperial concubine's serious illnesses were feigned.
But estrangement does not separate family ties. His Majesty's choice between the imperial physician and the favored concubine was clear. Envoy Song said softly, "The imperial concubine has taken the medicine and the prescription we prescribed. She's been experiencing a surge of anger over the past few days, so naturally her symptoms are a bit more severe... But with a period of restful recuperation and plenty of nourishment, she should be well again."
Emperor Yuan Shuo recalled the several times she had lost her memory, after losing her husband, after falling out of favor, and even after being forced to abstain from sex. He even half believed in that absurd method. He deliberately avoided the beauty in the tent and summoned the doctor for these reasons: "If she recovers from her illness this time and gives birth in the future, will it relapse?"
Envoy Song shook his head. "I dare not boast, but your health has improved. Even if you don't take the medicine, you can still be pregnant. It's only a matter of time before you become pregnant. When the time comes, we will take good care of you and ensure a smooth delivery."
Emperor Yuan Shuo thought about the troubles of the past month and felt a little relieved. He smiled and said, "The imperial physician and the female physician who have served us these days will be rewarded."
The emperor dismissed the servants last night. Although Chen Rongshou didn't know what happened between the emperor and his concubine, they, the servants, would always feel more relaxed after seeing them in bed.
It happened that the emperor was in a good mood, and a worry was put to rest, so it was not so difficult to bring up the matter of King Zhao again.
He glanced at the eunuch on duty before the emperor today, indicating that he should bring the memorial that the prince had deliberately suppressed for several days along with the documents of the past two days.
Shen Youyi was tormented by those imperial doctors, and she felt only amused and relieved in her heart that she would never have to drink those bitter medicines again.
Although Tan Rui couldn't figure out the cause of the illness, she could see that the Imperial Concubine was very happy to recall the past. She massaged her sore calf and whispered congratulations, "Madam, you no longer have to worry. This matter has been cleared with His Majesty, so you don't have to be so cautious in the future."
After hearing what she said, Shen Youyi's smile faded a lot.
When she lost her memory, she thought every day about how to restore her memory. But when she finally remembered most of it, she didn't feel as relieved as she had imagined.
When she was sick, she could have listened to her heart and chosen the one who satisfied her most among the many men who coveted her.
But after thinking about it all, could she still remain calm and talk about love with the father of her husband's murderer all day long?
She is a woman who will do anything to achieve her goals. As long as she can survive and compete for the supreme throne, she can allow herself to indulge herself more physically, but one day, she will destroy that person's heart.
As for if she lost the bet, that would not be surprising. She could not endure the suffering of prison anyway. Being alive today was an extra blessing from God. Even if she died, it seemed nothing to be regretted.
"What does Yang Xiuyuan do every day?"
Shen Youyi picked up a strand of black hair and played with it. It seemed to still have the smoky smell of wood and pine resin.
Tan Rui had people investigate, and while the details weren't entirely complete, she did gain some insights: "Madam Yang seems to have stayed indoors for the past two days, leaving many matters to the Crown Princess. However, whenever the former Majesty went somewhere, the women would host banquets, accompanied by the wives of local officials. Some An people would even approach Yang Xiuyuan to make requests. I hear Madam Yang has been quite content these days."
Shen Youyi smiled. She knew very well the character of this woman who almost became her mother-in-law. As long as the prince failed to ascend the throne, his biological mother would have to be inferior to the queen and her in the palace. Although there were concubines who tried to curry favor with him, due to the relationship between Emperor Yuan Shuo and Yang Xiuyuan, they might not be able to get very close.
But it was very different outside. Not to mention how respectful and polite the ladies from outside the court were when they met the ladies from inside the court, the wives and daughters of the county magistrates and provincial governors would certainly fawn on and flatter a person like Yang in every possible way, trying to make her feel comfortable.
It's not a bad thing for a woman to like to hear other people's flattery, and she also likes to hear it, but the distance between Yang Xiuyuan and the emperor is much closer than that in the palace. When those words reach the ears of Emperor Yuan Shuo, perhaps it is not so simple.
She thought for a moment and said softly, "The Queen and I are still alive, so it's wrong to ask the Crown Princess to take my place. If these things happen again tomorrow, tell them to come to me."
How can anyone sleep soundly beside the bed? Tan Rui very much agreed with the imperial concubine's enthusiasm. Shen Youyi had been away for a night and didn't want to sleep when she came back. She wrote a letter, vividly describing the thrill of hunting to the empress dowager and the queen in the palace, which was far better than polo. Only then did she have some leisure to study the secret method of getting a woman pregnant.
Both the emperor and she had been childless for many years. Even though she was still in good health, she still had some worries and concerns.
But when she put down the book, Emperor Yuan Shuo still hadn't returned.
This is not an uncommon thing. The emperor is very busy with affairs of state and is a very hardworking person. He pays a lot of attention to her. Even though he has asked the crown prince to take over temporarily for the past few days, he will not let go completely.
After reading the memorial, the prince would make annotations with ink and wait until his father was free to present the memorial. Apart from the urgent military intelligence of 100,000, the power of the crown prince was indeed very comfortable.
There must have been a lot of paperwork piled up in the past two days. She ordered someone to bring the food box and asked the eunuch in front of the emperor to ask questions. After knowing that there was no outsider inside, she carried the food box in leisurely.
However, although Emperor Yuan Shuo did not stop her from entering, his expression was somewhat gloomy.
She didn't know what the big deal was, so she had someone put the food down and set it up for Emperor Yuan Shuo herself.
Emperor Yuan Shuo didn't have much of an appetite, but seeing that it was her, he didn't want to refuse her kindness, so he just said softly, "I can't use so much."
Shen Youyi walked up to him affectionately, put her arms around his neck from behind, and said softly, "Then why don't you eat a little bit? You have put so much effort into me these past two days."
Emperor Yuan Shuo smiled and looked at the memorial placed on the side. Even though he was already familiar with the contents, he didn't want to open it and take another look at it, as it would pollute his eyes.
He reached out and held Shen Youyi's arm: "Aren't you going to ask me why?"
Shen Youyi was stunned for a moment and declined, "Your Majesty is concerned about the world's major events. Of course I want to know why you are unhappy, but you don't take the initiative to tell me, and you come forward to make me feel disgusted. It's better not to ask!"
Emperor Yuan Shuo laughed, and the haze in his heart dissipated.
Although Prince Zhao and he were both born to the Queen Mother, both brothers have already started their own families and careers. Even if he brings disgrace upon himself, it is the late Emperor and Prince Zhao's Mansion that will be disgraced, and it has little to do with him.
Even he, as an elder brother and a father, could not completely ignore the absurd behavior of King Zhao in his fiefdom.
"The King of Zhao has snatched a beautiful woman into his palace."
Emperor Yuan Shuo's expression was calm, but he placed Shen Youyi's slender, boneless hands on his forehead: "And then he was beaten."
Shen Youyi massaged him to relieve the pain. When he heard about this, he laughed out loud in an unkind way. King Zhao deserved it, but the courage of this man who was related to that woman was truly admirable.
Prince Zhao was the emperor's brother, yet her family members risked their lives to avenge the girl. This showed how loyal and righteous they were.
Emperor Yuan Shuo guessed that she would laugh at these royal secrets that could not be revealed to outsiders, but what was even more infuriating was yet to come.
"Yi Niang, why don't you ask who hit her?"
Shen Youyi shook her head and smiled, "Is this important... If it is important, His Majesty will definitely tell me in person."
Emperor Yuan Shuo nodded, his tone slightly helpless: "He is his eldest son, who is only sixteen years old this year."
Shen Youyi exclaimed, "Ah!" and asked in confusion, "What is this young man doing, venting his mother's anger?"
She had already guessed the direction of the story. The lustful King Zhao ignored the princess when he had a new lover. The young man was full of vigor and passion, so of course he wanted to seek justice for his mother.
Neither the father nor the son would bow their heads. The father was angry and felt that his son was rebelling, while the son felt that his father was ridiculous and unreasonable. Wouldn't it be easy for them to start fighting?
No wonder the empress dowager treated her so kindly before she left the palace. Perhaps she already knew how ridiculous her son was.
Emperor Yuan Shuo shook his head slightly and sighed, "It's because this beautiful woman was originally a pet kept by his eldest son."
It’s okay that his younger brother is a little lustful, but he is so audacious as to take his father’s concubine away from his son!
The father stole his son's favorite concubine, which was disrespectful to his father. The son was disobedient and even beat his father, which was unfilial. The once peaceful Prince Zhao's Mansion was almost turned into a mess because of this incident.
Several memorials appeared on the emperor's desk one after another, including secret memorials submitted by local prefects and inspectors, as well as a memorial from Prince Zhao requesting a change of the crown prince and accusing him of disobedience. If the emperor granted the crown prince Prince Zhao the power to submit memorials, the affairs of their family alone would be enough to upset people for several days.
Replacing the Crown Prince was a major event. Some of these memorials had been suppressed by the Crown Prince for several days. Emperor Yuan Shuo had long been accustomed to his brother's unreasonable behavior and did not want to pay attention: "I heard that there are many rumors in the local area, saying that the woman is really a disaster."
He was just chatting with her about family matters, but his soft and slender hands suddenly fell down.
It wasn't her brother who had done such a shameful thing, but her unhappiness was too obvious. Emperor Yuan Shuo was slightly surprised: "What's wrong?"
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