Chapter 56 Chapter 56 [VIP]
The prince suddenly fell ill and recovered very quickly, without much delay in his journey. However, when he set out again, many people sensed some unusual danger.
Concubine Wei, who was always by the emperor's side, seemed to have become much colder towards the emperor. They no longer rode in the same carriage. Emperor Yuan Shuo had been acting out of character for the past two days. Even with the frequent good news, he did not look very happy.
The king's likes and dislikes determine the fate of the entire palace. However, unlike the emperor and his concubine, the prince's affection for the princess deepened after this experience. They went in and out together, and the past grudges seemed to have disappeared. However, the other concubines were not so lucky and still could not get the prince's favor.
Perhaps it was because Emperor Yuan Shuo was in a bad mood these days, so even though his son and daughter-in-law got along well, he did not show any relief or approval.
He even specifically instructed the eunuchs in front of the emperor to convey his order, saying that he had just recovered from a serious illness and was exempted from his duties for the next few days, and was told to rest at home.
Everything around was extremely unusual and strange. Even the eunuchs in front of the emperor had no idea what was going on. The only thing they knew was that the reason His Majesty was angry must be because of the imperial concubine.
So when the imperial concubine resolutely returned to Yaoguang Palace, Chen Rongshou took the opportunity to persuade her again during his off-duty period, but Shen Youyi refused to go to Yaoguang Palace on her own initiative.
"The steward has served His Majesty for so many years, and he still doesn't know where his strange temper comes from. How can I know how to comfort him?"
Shen Youyi blinked: "Do you know what people are saying about me outside now? They say that the reason His Royal Highness fell ill was not because of overwork or eating bad food, but because I, the evil concubine, was jealous and poisoned the prince. Fortunately, the princess rescued him in time. His Majesty was very perceptive and alienated me after he saw through it."
These unrelated things were brought together by someone with ulterior motives. Chen Rongshou's face darkened slightly. "My lady has always been kind to others. Who dares to slander me like this? I will immediately have someone investigate and cut off their tongues. Only then will they realize how powerful I am."
The Imperial Household Manager defended the Imperial Concubine so much that Tan Rui and Sui Chao were delighted. However, Shen Youyi did not respond to this. She played with a jade hairpin in her hand and lowered her head in silence.
As expected, Chen Rongshou then said, "Such crude rumors would anger His Majesty even if they knew. If you can persuade His Majesty to change his mind, these rumors will be refuted. You are both loved and resented. If you continue to treat His Majesty coldly, outsiders will find an excuse to criticize you in front of His Majesty."
This was his purpose. Shen Youyi didn't know whether Emperor Yuanshuo couldn't let go of his status and asked him to act as a lobbyist, or whether the eunuchs in front of the emperor couldn't stand the moody monarch. He chuckled and said, "I'm just a concubine. How dare I treat Your Majesty coldly? If there is an oral order, then I should greet you with a smile. If not, I will stay in the palace and behave myself. Isn't this in line with the way of a concubine?"
"Besides, Your Majesty is wise and sage, as high as the sun and the moon, and has a broad mind. Even if someone really did spread rumors about me in front of the emperor, does the steward think Your Majesty would believe it?"
Chen Rongshou was slightly speechless. When the imperial concubine was clinging to someone, even a man with strong willpower would be shaken. But once the imperial concubine became hard-hearted, she would definitely turn against him more cruelly and care less than the other party... Even though she now relied on the emperor for everything, she would turn against him instantly and be ruthless once someone was wronged by her.
Although no one knew why His Majesty had turned cold towards the Imperial Concubine, he could see that His Majesty was back to his old ways. The Imperial Concubine had to beg him several times, lower herself actively, and try to please him in every way before His Majesty would change her mind a little and resume their old relationship.
But unlike the last time when the imperial concubine did something wrong, the imperial concubine herself was also confused now. Young girls are often hot-tempered and have been spoiled by the emperor for a long time, so they are unwilling to bow to him easily and must find out what is right and wrong.
However... Madam Imperial Concubine is ill now, and His Majesty is the only one in the palace who can cure her. With such a weak spot in someone's hands, she will always back down.
Chen Rongshou thought about it and replied softly, "I was impulsive and misbehaved. I hope you will be magnanimous and not hold it against me."
Shen Youyi said slowly: "Your Majesty has many concubines. Maybe he is tired of me and wants to change someone else to sleep with him. Although your Majesty's words are golden, but a man's words...don't you know that sometimes you can't keep your word?"
When he was happy, he allowed her to enter and leave the emperor's forbidden area at will, and promised that she would be the only one for him from then on. But when he was unhappy, all this could vanish in an instant.
But Chen Rongshou was in the Imperial Court. No matter whose wishes he came today, she shouldn't embarrass him too much. Instead, she said softly, "Serving the Emperor is the most arduous task. Even the Chief Steward, who has served the Emperor for many years, still suffers from this. How much more so is a young and clumsy woman like me. I only know how to be kind to His Majesty with all my heart, but if I say anything wrong, I could be killed. At this moment, I have no choice but to be extremely cautious. How could I dare to take even a single step?"
Chen Rongshou also knew that there were a lot of good words in Yaoguang Palace, but if she was asked to make a move, the imperial concubine would definitely not agree.
He pushed back, a look of slight worry on his face, and whispered, "Your Majesty has neglected my wife again. Aren't you worried at all?"
Shen Youyiyan draws her eyebrows herself and dresses in a simple and elegant style. She has nothing else to rely on but Your Majesty's favor. If this favor is gone one day, do you think I would be worried?"
Tan Rui looked at the stunningly beautiful woman and felt a wavering feeling in her heart. She smiled and said, "Then shall I accompany you to the courtyard next to Qingping Palace to play on the swing?"
Shen Youyi gently pinched her face and said with a smile, "Let's go to Wangming Palace and pay our respects to the Empress Dowager."
…
The discord between the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine was almost over. The Empress Dowager could not be concealed from this news, and no one tried to cover it up.
The Empress Dowager had also heard of those widely circulated rumors. Although the Imperial Concubine would not poison the Crown Prince for the sake of the Second Prince, the Emperor kept the truth a secret in order to protect the Imperial Concubine and simply distanced himself from her... She believed that her son was indeed capable of doing such a thing.
Because of the emperor's punishment of Prince Zhao and his son, she had been in a bad mood these days. The concubines who used to come to her to curry favor no longer dared to show up. Only the imperial concubine came over calmly and presented her treasures as if she knew nothing about it, saying that she had just staged a new shadow play and wanted to ask the empress dowager to see it.
Shen Youyi manipulates lifelike silhouette characters, teaching them to perform joys and sorrows behind a white curtain. Among them is a patient and infatuated woman, and a heartless husband. Their marriage began with the agreement of their parents, but at first they were respectful to each other. However, the husband was powerful and there were always more women who attracted his attention. The affection between the two gradually faded, and in the end they even became strangers and a pair of resentful couples.
Until one day, this man met a vicious gangster outside. His wife sacrificed herself in her place. The gangster, moved by the affection between them, let them go down the mountain. However, after his wife came down the mountain, she asked to divorce him. The man changed his heart and knelt down to beg for his wife's forgiveness. Then they were happily reunited. From then on, the couple lived in harmony and had many children and grandchildren.
Combined with the rumors in the palace, it is not difficult to see that the protagonists are the prince and the princess. However, the provocation and difficulties of the concubine after she became favored, the sudden change of her husband's true feelings, and the torment and loyalty of the wife staying alone in the empty room made the queen mother fascinated.
She was no exception. Even though she was the empress and enjoyed great glory, the late emperor had a favorite concubine and a beloved son. She had thought that if she did not have the emperor's beloved son, perhaps one day she would also fall into such a miserable situation.
Although the maids in Wangming Palace may never have such a turbulent but ultimately happy relationship with their husbands in their entire lives, once they imagine themselves getting married, they will either become a resentful couple with their husbands and can only wait for the day when their husbands change their minds, or become concubines of low status and can only watch their master and mistress reconcile and wait for the day when they are old and ugly, and they will sometimes look resentful.
When Shen Youyi sang to the point of joy and perfection, a smile appeared on her face. She turned out from behind the scenes playfully and said coquettishly, "Look, my lady, am I arranging it well?"
Her expression was frank, without the slightest shyness. Even when she approached the Empress Dowager with her eyes sparkling, seeking praise, she did not seem to be the least bit offensive. The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Come here, give the Imperial Concubine the golden ruyi as a reward, along with the set of Luoshen floating cups and plates that His Majesty sent her the other day."
Shen Youyi thanked her for the reward, then sat down in the seat below the Queen Mother and said with a smile, "If I could make Her Majesty smile, all my hard work would not be in vain."
The Queen Mother looked at the bright and lively beauty before her, and thinking of the rumors that she had recently fallen out of favor, she showed a hint of admiration and sighed softly, "You are the only one who still cares about me at this time. How could anyone else dare to come here and cause trouble now?"
Shen Youyi knew in her heart that no matter how ridiculous Prince Zhao's behavior was, or how angry the Queen Mother was, she was only angry at her son for not living up to her expectations. If she gave him a few mild scoldings, she would be acting like a sensible elder. As for Emperor Yuan Shuo's real punishment for her own flesh and blood, the Queen Mother would certainly be displeased.
She smiled and said, "Your Highness, what are you saying? I've been in seclusion in the palace for a long time, and I haven't had the chance to show my filial piety to you on weekdays. You're not an elder who would scold me for no reason. Even for a fool like me, you treat me with kindness. So naturally, I want to be closer to you."
The Queen Mother couldn't help laughing, but she couldn't help feeling complicated. It was difficult for her son to take the initiative to ask for what he wanted. It seemed as if he had already enjoyed the best things in the world and was indifferent to everything.
But one day he unexpectedly fell for a young girl and told her in person that he wanted to make the imperial concubine the queen.
But after this trip, the two of them no longer see each other. Does the emperor still want them to?
Is this indifferent beauty really heartless, or is she sure that the emperor truly loves her and therefore has nothing to fear?
The Queen Mother couldn't contain her curiosity and slowly asked, "What's going on between you and the Emperor?"
Could it be that her son has fallen in love with someone new outside, and the imperial concubine is jealous, so the two of them are angry with each other?
Shen Youyi sighed in her heart. It would be great if she knew what was going on, but in reality, serving a king is like serving a tiger. How could she know what had displeased him?
She said aggrievedly, "Since ancient times, the emperor's grace has flowed like water. How could I know your majesty's thoughts? I just muddle along, doing my job as I please. If I really cause your majesty to dislike me, I will just continue to pray for your majesty and your wife in this quiet palace."
The empress dowager laughed so hard that she snatched the beauty hammer from the palace maid and wanted to hit her. The emperor's intention to let the empress go to the temporary palace to recuperate has not changed. Who is the imperial concubine showing off to by acting so pitifully?
Shen Youyi stood up to hide, then lifted her skirt and pretended to escape. When she leaned against the pillar of the palace to catch her breath, she happened to see the three figures at the door, and the smile on her face froze for a moment.
However, this unintentional action was too annoying in the eyes of some people with ulterior motives.
She bowed and saluted, and the hall suddenly became quiet. Emperor Yuanshuo, the Crown Prince, and the Crown Princess entered together. They saluted the Empress Dowager with a normal expression: "Your son greets you, Mother."
The Queen Mother snorted softly and ordered someone to offer her a seat. A hint of sarcasm crossed her face: "The peacock must have eaten its fill and fallen asleep today. Why didn't it even call out when it saw the Emperor coming?"
None of the palace servants dared to laugh. Emperor Yuanshuo's expression was so gentle that no one could believe he was talking nonsense: "It's probably autumn fatigue."
Chen Rongshou lowered his head deeply. Even through the palace walls, His Majesty could hear the imperial concubine's beautiful voice. The melody was melodious, smooth and natural.
The peacock slave in charge of feeding the peacock in Wangming Palace was called out by a eunuch in red and given a few instructions... No matter what method he used, if the peacock started to call again without knowing what was good for it, someone would stew it in the evening.
The emperor refused to speak, and the eunuchs serving outside the palace did not dare to pass on the message easily. If the crown prince and the crown princess had not come to pay their respects to the empress dowager, he didn't know how long he would have to stand there today.
The Queen Mother guessed that the father and son must have come together. She smiled and glanced at the loving young couple, then said with concern, "Zihui looks much thinner. Grandmother has some nourishing sweet ointment here. You can try it later."
The Crown Princess felt a little guilty, as the Crown Prince's thinness these days was not entirely due to the illness. However, when she thought of the woman sitting in front of the Queen Mother, she almost laughed out loud with joy.
In the past, Shen Youyi came to her with traces of pleasure left by the prince all over her body, threatening and provoking her. Now, this Concubine Wei has inexplicably lost the emperor's favor, and she... is pressed against the prince's pillow several times a night. Unfortunately, all that madness is covered up by her gorgeous daily clothes and cannot stimulate him at all.
The prince glanced indifferently at his stepmother who was sitting at the top of the table. She was an extremely beautiful woman who danced gracefully in front of his grandmother and father, pushing his mother aside.
He should hate her.
However, for some unknown reason, he even wanted to look at her again.
With Emperor Yuan Shuo around, although the empress dowager's expression was not happy, her attention was still mostly on the emperor. Shen Youyi could only barely maintain her smile. She took the tea and took a sip. When she raised her eyes, she met the prince's unfamiliar inquiring look.
She seemed to have returned to the moment when he saw her in the carriage, but at that time she was trembling in Emperor Yuan Shuo's arms, seeking comfort, but now she was exposed to everyone...but she was wearing clothes now.
But she quickly hid her embarrassment. She had long since stopped wanting to pretend to be affectionate in front of the prince. He finally saw through her perfunctory tricks, and there was nothing wrong with being with a newcomer.
And secretly watching what she was doing!
All these disputes between the eyebrows and eyes were seen by one person. Emperor Yuan Shuo patiently endured his mother's vague complaints. He saw that after she looked at the prince, she could still stare at the vines embroidered on her clothes as if nothing had happened, and was in the mood to count how many leaves and fruits there were.
How could she, how dare she!
The empress dowager looked at the two couples who seemed to have switched roles, feeling curious and wanting to laugh. The imperial concubine would still smile somewhat in front of her, but would be as obedient as a quail when the emperor came. However, her son was usually very steady, and no matter how many scandals he had behind his favoritism towards the imperial concubine, he was so serious in Wangming Palace that he hardly even glanced at the child.
After exchanging two or three sentences today, I would inadvertently glance at the beautiful woman with her head lowered beside her. I wanted to look at her again and again, as if I wanted to capture some of her thoughts from her subtle expression, but the beautiful woman who was daydreaming in the sky knew nothing about it.
The prince had just recovered from his illness, and the empress dowager did not keep the couple for long. She gave them a jade ornament of pomegranates and grapes. After the couple left, she spoke a few words to the imperial concubine before letting the child leave, which was considered to save her face in front of the younger generation.
Only the mother and son were left in the palace. Although the Queen Mother was somewhat unhappy with the Emperor because of Prince Zhao's matter, seeing how awkward he was with the Imperial Concubine, she couldn't suppress the malice in her heart and smiled slightly, "How has the Emperor been these past two days?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo was slightly startled, then said, "There's nothing wrong with my son. I'm just worried that Mother will worry about Prince Zhao."
The Queen Mother snorted coldly, "She's just a beauty, beloved by my father. As a filial son, why can't I offer her to my father? Your brother is still young. He just made a mistake. Why should I reduce his fiefdom?"
She had not seen her grandson very often, but she still remembered how she held her son in her arms and saw him learning to speak, so her heart was naturally biased.
Although he knew that his mother's words were unintentional, Emperor Yuan Shuo was still deeply hurt.
His brother and father took away his son's concubine, which made Yi Niang angry with him for a while. Perhaps the prince judged others by his own standards, so he decided to return the beauty to the Prince of Zhao.
What he thought was immaturity was nothing more than his son's dissatisfaction with what happened in the past. Perhaps at that banquet where both the host and the guests were happy, or even in earlier years, his son had already fallen in love with the beautiful woman and hoped to make her his own, but he has not been able to do so until now.
He rarely argued with his mother, but he still couldn't hold back the anger boiling in his heart. He said calmly, "If the late emperor liked my concubine, it seems that mother also hopes that I will respectfully offer her to her with both hands."
The Queen Mother was stunned for a moment by his blockade, and was almost so angry that she wanted to beat him up. However, since her son had rarely had the opportunity to be beaten since he was a child, even if he was submissive now, she couldn't touch him. At most, she trembled with anger: "What nonsense is this? You... You... Are you going to take out all your anger on your brother just because the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine are unhappy?"
Couldn't she see, with her old eyes, that the emperor's resentment was no different from that of the concubines in the deep palace who had been lonely all their lives but still hoped for favor? Without the majesty of the emperor, she would be like a bullied young wife.
Seeing her son's expression change, the empress dowager was unceremonious and took advantage of his weakness to press him: "Does what the emperor said to me before still count today?"
He wanted to bring this second-married woman to the position beside him, and even wanted to share life and death with her... Emperor Yuan Shuo said calmly: "My son has not forgotten."
The Queen Mother was a little surprised and looked him up and down: "What's going on?"
It can't be that this is really a lawsuit involving a woman, right?
Emperor Yuan Shuo tapped his fingers twice on the armrest and said calmly, "Because the imperial concubine listens too much to my mother."
The Queen Mother was stunned for a moment.
Emperor Yuan Shuo said succinctly, "Pleading for the Prince of Zhao is not something a concubine should say."
This statement depends on how people interpret it. The Queen Mother was indeed anxious: "Your brother only has a few thousand households. What do you want to do to him? Are you going to send him to Chang'an and imprison him for life?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo could hardly contain his laughter. He lowered his eyes and said, "I did not ask him to come to the capital with me. He pretended to be stupid and did not understand what I said. He insisted on coming all the way to Chang'an to serve my mother."
His own brother... he had already done such a thing, but he still kept the official's memorial and did not send it out, as a tacit approval.
It turned out that even without his beloved Imperial Concubine speaking up, this child was willing to use his own brother as a warning to the royal family. The Empress Dowager felt a little distressed and said with a suppressed anger, "Emperor, this is a matter of state as well as a family matter. The Imperial Concubine is your beloved woman, and you are willing to honor her. Why set such strict boundaries? I can see that she has feelings for you too. Could it be that you are really willing to let this child continue to stay in the palace?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo said calmly, "My mind is made up."
The empress dowager was slightly shocked by his cruelty. For a few words, he even gave up his most beloved pillow. She sighed softly. This was the emperor's own matter. She could not control the child's body and mind, so she could only let him do whatever he wanted.
Her son is such a cruel person. Normally, he is fine with him, but once that person crosses his line, he will not want the other person anymore no matter how much he loves him.
There will always be more suitable people in the inner court to take over. Even without Concubine Wei, there are still Concubine Jiang, Concubine Shen, and Concubine Han. As long as the emperor is willing, it is not difficult to pick out a few beautiful girls from the hundreds of surnames in the world.
She felt a little regretful: "After all, he was the one who served you. Even if he doesn't like you and lets go, he still has to show some respect in the end."
However, when Emperor Yuan Shuo looked at her, he felt somewhat helpless and slowly sighed, "Since mother said so, son will give her another chance... all because of her filial piety towards mother."
The situation changed so quickly that the empress dowager was unable to react for a moment. She was no longer at the age where she could force her son to sleep with a woman he didn't like. But when Emperor Yuan Shuo stood up to say goodbye, Nanny Jiang beside the empress dowager helped her up, only to see that her expression suddenly changed.
This frightened her greatly, but the Queen Mother's chest only rose and fell for a moment, and the expression on her face was hard to describe: "The Emperor is truly... extremely filial!"
This unscrupulous son, for the sake of a woman, tried to find an excuse to offend her, which really brought shame to the ancestors of the Cui family!
The prince had not visited his grandmother for a long time, and he wanted to relax with the princess in the colorful garden of Wangming Palace. As they walked hand in hand, they happened to see a peacock with its beak tied tightly with a cloth strip, and they both laughed.
The Crown Princess smiled and asked him to pick a flower for her to wear: "I don't think the Empress Dowager will blame Your Highness."
The prince vaguely felt that he seemed to be very skilled in doing these things, so he did not refuse. He picked a few buds as she said, put them in her vase and hairpin, and admired them carefully.
Although the woman in front of him was not particularly beautiful, he was deeply attracted to her the first time he saw her after waking up.
It was as if he had been in love with her for a long time and was willing to do everything for her.
He was a man who had listened to the teachings of the sages. He chose a wife not for her beauty but for her virtue. He loved his first wife, which was as it should be.
However, his smile quickly faded.
That beautiful and charming figure floated past Wangming Gate and fell into the endless magnificent ceremonial procession.
That was his young stepmother, his father's imperial concubine, the Crown Princess, and the woman his mother hated the most.
But after just one glance, he inexplicably felt a lot of irritation.
The prince was not the kind of person who would seek trouble, but for some unknown reason, he took a second look.
It was an extremely complex impulse, different from the favor he should have for the Crown Princess. He desperately wanted to do something to this stepmother, to possess her, to imprison her, even if it couldn't be seen in public, even if it would make his wife sad, even if it meant his death, he still wanted to do it.
But just thinking about this, the prince's face suddenly turned pale.
The Crown Princess showed a look of understanding. This was what happened when the real Tongxin Gu took effect.
Unfortunately, the prince wasted so much gold and silver and never saw what the man looked like.
She said softly, "Your Highness, I'm afraid I'm getting impatient. Can we go back?"
When he pinned her down and tore her to pieces in the car, although it was painful, the Crown Princess was almost ecstatic. This was the chance to have a child that she had been waiting for for a long time, but her husband was thinking about that woman in his heart.
It's not like she hadn't thought about taking action against him before, but firstly, there was someone in charge of the prince's food, so it was difficult for her to interfere. Secondly, she couldn't ignore the lives of her entire family.
The witchcraft scandal... once discovered, there will be no turning back.
But not only did he humiliate her by treating her like a piece of rag, he also wanted to divorce her!
Didn't he want to take revenge on that woman? There would be plenty of opportunities in the days and nights after that.
He will sincerely fall in love with a woman whom he despises, have children with her, and when he wakes up from this dream, the woman he truly loves will have been buried alive with the current emperor, and she will be the only queen by his side.
The prince came back to his senses and nodded: "Whatever you say is fine."
Shen Youyi just met Emperor Yuan Shuo on a rare occasion and didn't think about what would happen. The emperor didn't even ask her if she wanted to have lunch with him at noon.
However, in the evening, a carriage came to take her to a side hall of Qingping Palace.
That was the place specially used by the emperor to favor his concubines, but Shen Youyi was used to following his heart and always liked to make the exception. Although Emperor Yuan Shuo attached great importance to rules, a man's emotions should be spontaneous. When he wanted to favor his concubine, he would just be more conservative and choose the bedroom instead of other places.
Moreover, they lived so close to each other, often eating and living together, and the rules had long been broken.
There are some people who come with bad intentions today.
When Shen Youyi saw the eunuchs he was familiar with, he casually gave them some silver as a reward and said calmly, "I will go with the strong man after I wash up."
The usually easygoing eunuch looked embarrassed and said respectfully, "Madam, don't worry. There are people waiting for you in the palace."
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