Chapter 65 Chapter 65 [VIP]
Emperor Yuanshuo didn't mind. He had indeed deceived someone. He smiled and argued, "Yi Niang doesn't allow me to be close to the red, so I will be red?"
He was already thirty-seven years old, and not only was he looking forward to having children with his beloved daughter, he was also worried about the issue of appointing a crown prince to the Eastern Palace.
There were many kings who loved and competed with their sons for the same daughter, but most of them were difficult to resolve.
If he did not show generosity in giving Yi Niang to someone else, he would have to bear the consequences of falling out with the Queen Mother.
Shen Youyi7 could hear the joke in his words. It was not that the closer one was to a red person, the more red he would be. He himself had a bad heart, but he still teased her that it was her blackness that tainted him: "But I deceived Your Majesty out of necessity. Your Majesty deceived me... just to earn a few tears and a woman's body!"
Emperor Yuan Shuo was silent for a moment. Prince Zhao's method was indeed effective, but he still felt uncomfortable exposing himself without leaving any shame or a way out. He shook her hand firmly and said, "Those are all my sincere words."
It's true that he was furious, and it's also true that he was desperate to fight. He smiled and said, "But it's also true that I benefited from it. No wonder Yi Niang was angry."
Emperor Yuan Shuo thought of the cynical tone of Prince Zhao. Although he could not be as shameless as that man, he could hardly help but agree with his younger brother.
A man's face is important, but he also needs to consider who he is with. Only when the benefits fall into his hands can he feel comfortable.
She only cared about the emperor's body all day long, and pretended to be carefree and let her go. Could it be possible that she and Yi Niang would give birth to a prince?
But he never expected that the Yulin Army had not yet brought her back, and this illness instead caused her to appear in front of him. He was reluctant to let her leave after visiting him, so he simply continued to pretend.
"I was just feeling unwell, so I complained to Yi Niang a few times, hoping to gain my wife's affection." Emperor Yuan Shuo held her in his arms and said calmly, "What happened later? Yi Niang guessed it, didn't she?"
Shen Youyi recalled the strength with which he held her waist, and his almost fanatical attitude. No matter how gentle and receptive he was, he would inevitably lose his restraint in the end.
He was a complete bastard. He held her hand against his heart, letting her feel the rapid beating, and begged her softly, "It will be soon." He could not live without her.
At the same time, I wish I could crash into you, breaking you into pieces, intertwining with each other, making it impossible to tell you from me.
She was so angry that she felt depressed. He was not planning to just lie to her for a while, it was obvious that he was thinking about begging her. He had been trying to trap her on the couch for the past few days, and she couldn't continue her pretense.
If he had his period, he would act so pitiful that she would feed him medicine by hand, coax him into eating a little bit, and only sleep a little longer if she stayed by his side.
After another ten or twenty days, he would have calculated the day of her conception and would be eager to get better.
“Shameless!”
She gritted her teeth, she actually did that kind of thing for him, she was choking and struggling, she was actually worried that it was his body's instinct before dying.
It was also his fault for pretending to be too serious in the past. He was shamelessly pretending to be pitiful. She didn't expect that he would use this trick on her. Shen Youyi said sullenly: "I will never be soft-hearted again."
Emperor Yuan Shuo showed a look of understanding. He had made such an oath in his heart countless times, but he knew it was useless.
Even if I know it clearly in my heart, I can't be so hard-hearted when facing the person I want to be soft-hearted with.
All things are interdependent and mutually exclusive. He encountered a destined disaster and it was difficult for him to escape, so he simply indulged himself.
However, seeing her irritating demeanor, charming and pitiful, his heart softened. Emperor Yuan Shuo leaned over and kissed her: "I am really ill, and I frightened the Empress Dowager."
Shen Youyi looked him up and down suspiciously, wary of him saying anything shameless again, and asked, "Lovesickness?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo was amused by her: "The imperial physician put it more tactfully than Yi Niang. Heart disease is difficult to cure."
Shen Youyi lowered her eyebrows. The Queen Mother certainly knew that this matter was caused by her, and even the recent turmoil in the palace was related to her.
The Empress Dowager treated her kindly simply because she thought that she was young, beautiful, and of noble birth, though somewhat pitiful, and that she could serve the Emperor to his delight. She hoped that this Imperial Concubine Wei would add to his success and give birth to more children for the royal family.
But her father became alienated from her, and the emperor imprisoned the Eastern Palace, which was like a knife hanging over the head of the queen, and no one knew when it would fall. If she escaped or died, Emperor Yuan Shuo would never give birth to an emperor again, and he might still be soft-hearted towards this son, but she came back.
She is the abominable Pisacha, who seduces people's seven emotions and six desires and makes a living by sucking the essence of people with evil thoughts. She is the Tianliao who rules over everything, the crown prince who respects the wise and humble, and the respectful Tailiao concubine who serves her parents respectfully. In the eyes of the empress dowager and even outsiders, she is not bad. However, because of her arrival, all this harmony is almost destroyed.
Emperor Yuan Shuo saw that she was unhappy and knew that she was angry after being deceived. He did not want to urge her to change clothes, so he ordered someone to come in and help her wash up.
Although the Imperial Food Bureau was always ready to serve the emperor's meals, the emperor would usually only eat them twice a day, in the morning and afternoon. However, the imperial concubine was used to having three meals a day, so without Emperor Yuan Shuo's instructions, Chen Rongshou had already instructed the Imperial Food Bureau to add a few more light dishes that the imperial concubine liked and prepare the meals early.
Shen Youyi only moved a few times, and even her favorite Biluo and shrimp grilled were not in her eyes. Emperor Yuan Shuo signaled that she was rolling inward, and said softly: "Eat your fill before you get angry with me, okay?"
Chen Rongshou was puzzled. The imperial concubine usually loved the emperor's imperial meal, but she refused to eat this. He signaled Zhao Yuelai to bring the white parrot to join in the fun. He held up a plate of orange paste and said, "My mother has always loved crabs. In autumn and winter, she often asks Songjiang to bring them to her. This is spread on rice, cut into several pieces and steamed in a steamer. It tastes sweet and delicious."
As the cold season gradually approached, the diet in Chang'an tended to be mutton, chicken and duck, but the imperial concubine had her preferences, so naturally some people tried to please her in various ways.
Fresh orange flesh is added with fine salt and mashed into a paste, emitting bursts of fragrance and flavor, even though the orange season has passed. The palace provides an equally inappropriate woman.
The emperor had many taboos when using medicine.
Shen Youyi was a little helpless. She rarely spoke: "I am really full. Would I wrong myself?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo did not force it. He was satisfied and naturally more forgiving. He said in a gentle voice: "I am ill now and cannot leave anyone by my side. I would like to ask Yi Niang to stay with me for a while. Although Zhaoyang Palace is usually cleaned, it needs to be carefully tidied up after not being lived in for a long time."
Shen Youyi laughed angrily: “How long will your majesty’s illness last?”
Emperor Yuan Shuo looked at her deeply, his face not blushing at all: "The disease is gone like a thread."
Zhao Yuelai brought in the parrot. It had been a long time since they had seen it, and even the parrot looked tired.
Shen Youyi secretly peeked at the sky and saw that Emperor Yuan Shuo was no longer at the age where he was interested in cats, dogs, birds, etc., let alone having his beloved pets accompany him when he was eating.
The reason why this parrot was kept was probably because it was too quiet and too lazy to talk.
When Emperor Yuan Shuo saw the white parrot, his expression softened a lot. He smiled and asked someone to bring some shiny gold to the parrot.
Shen Youyi's expression suddenly changed... She knew what the parrot would say!
But it was too late for her to stop him. The eunuch took out a piece of gold leaf, and only a weak cry was heard, but it could be heard clearly within several feet. Shen Youyi was ashamed and angry to death. Emperor Yuan Shuo smiled slightly: "You see, this is God's will."
This was clearly a human act. Shen Youyi felt as hopeless as the parrot: "Your Majesty, could it be that you have already given it a jar of gold?"
I don't know how many times this parrot has said this, yet it still treats gold and silver as dirt.
Emperor Yuan Shuo was slightly startled. He didn't want to hear a single word until he found her. Quenu understood and said with some embarrassment, "Prince Zhao knew my mother was here, so he asked to go and have some fun."
The emperor acted as if he was about to die, not necessarily for her to see. At least during this period, the empress dowager was taking care of the affairs in the palace, and Prince Zhao and the second emperor often came to take care of him.
Shen Youyi thought for a while before remembering who this person was.
Emperor Yuan Shuo understood the meaning behind her half-open mouth. Now that he had fallen into the same path, he said calmly, "He and I share the same father and mother, so it's inevitable that we share some similarities."
Shen Youyi said gloomily, "So you want him to laugh at my joke too?"
Even if he didn't have any other thoughts about the Grand Concubine, even if his mother became the Grand Concubine, he might not be able to take his eyes off her. Therefore, he was not so strict with his brother. But after thinking about it, he said, "I will beat him with a hundred sticks one day."
Prince Zhao and Liu had not seen each other for a long time. The Queen Mother was angry because she couldn't find Shen Youyi. The Emperor was ill, so the two of them lived very carefully in the palace. However, Prince Zhao had the power to assist in the administration, so outsiders didn't dare to say much and kept their distance.
However, according to Chen Youyi, the weight of Prince Zhao as the regent was indeed questionable. He claimed that he had been reviewing memorials all night, but when he saw Bai Shi, he was in high spirits. His Danfeng eyes flashed with curiosity and excitement, revealing a hint of amusement and ridicule that he knew what was going on.
The first time King Zhao heard the name Shen Youyi was a few years ago. His memory was not that good, and the quick glance at the case file did not leave much impression. He only guessed that she must be a beauty, otherwise the nephew of the Empress Dowager would not have been worried for several days in a row, and he could not help but intercede for an unrelated minor official many times during the meeting.
However, his brother, whom he had been afraid of since childhood, actually fell in love with the owner of this name. After being stung by the parrot, he developed a fever that night. The queen mother almost thought that he had evil intentions and had done something to his brother, so she gave him a severe punishment.
But after my brother fell ill for a few days, a beauty took the initiative to change her mind. He didn't know how to enjoy himself at night, but he didn't have such good luck. Not only did he have to meet foreign ministers and reveal more or less the emperor's wishes, but he also had to comfort his mother and teach her not to be sad... And when he thought of the incident with the imperial concubine, he wanted to scold her a few times, so that the god on the couch would hear it and feel unhappy.
He was busy running around and couldn't help showing some resentment, but his brother, who had been ill for several days, had a rosy complexion, with a smile on his eyebrows and eyes, as if he was blooming peach blossoms, and was more energetic than if he had taken a tonic.
However, this stunning beauty was wearing eunuch's clothes and sitting beside him with a wooden face, seemingly unwilling.
He was forced to be a hypocrite and was taken to replenish his yang.
However, as he thought about it, he still called out "mother". The cold and beautiful woman who looked like an enchantress suddenly looked up at him and smiled softly. She had beautiful cheeks and her eyes were bright and moving when she smiled. However, in the eyes of King Zhao, she looked a little creepy.
——He knew the emperor's temper very well. If he didn't care, he would give away even rare jewels and curios. But if he cherished and loved something very much, he would not let others even look at it.
There are many people in the royal family who have strange hobbies. When King Zhao heard that the man who had an affair with the imperial concubine was not just the princess, his smile froze. If this beauty's favorite was a man from the Cui family and he also took a fancy to him... this would be much more serious than him robbing his concubine.
After all, he bears some resemblance to the emperor, but is nearly seven years younger... He has done similar things to his brother, and is a veteran in the world of romance.
Today he brought a piece of good news and a piece of very bad news to his brother the emperor, but he thought that both were not very good.
Although Emperor Yuan Shuo wanted to please her, his smile faded when he saw her like that. He pulled her close to him and said gently, "What do you want, Yi Niang?"
Shen Youyi was just lamenting that everyone's life was different. Prince Zhao had the prestige of a regent, but the number of memorials sent to the emperor's desk was not necessarily less. It was obvious that he was really carefree. He didn't have to use his brain, and he could live comfortably under the protection of his brother. It was inevitable that he would gain weight.
She said softly, "The dragon has nine children, each one is different."
There is no doubt that the King of Zhao is handsome. Not long after the Cui family won the world, Zhao Sun was still diligently practicing archery and horse riding. It is said that he is also a good player in ball and archery. However, after being immersed in the world of luxury for too long, it is inevitable that he will become impetuous and oily. Although he is in his early thirties, he does not look as young as Tian.
However, Emperor Yuan Shuo did not expect his younger brother to inherit the throne, so he naturally did not care about his fear of responsibility. Even if the emperor claimed to be sick all day, he still wanted to keep the government firmly in his own hands. It was more reliable to use such a rich and idle person than an outsider.
The emperor did not shy away from discussing this matter with the imperial concubine. Prince Zhao had a vague suspicion in his heart. He said solemnly, "The Tibetans know that Nanzhao is in turmoil and Chang'an has suffered seven incidents. They are planning to attack Songzhou, seize cities and territories, and seize the four towns of Anxi."
The assistant ministers under the king were called prime ministers in the Central Plains, who were the head of the prime ministers. In Nanzhao, they were called Qingping officials, while in Tubo, they were called Da Gonglun and Tonglinglunbu. Since the fall of India, the obstacles in the south were removed, and Tubo developed extremely rapidly relying on its natural advantages.
The Central Plains dynasty experienced turmoil and was finally unified. Even though Emperor Tianliao was more willing to give the people a rest, there were still many barbarians from various countries who were eyeing the country covetously. After the Turks surrendered, Goguryeo also submitted to them, and Tuyuhun, which was close to Tubo, also submitted to Emperor Tianliao. The Meng family supported by Emperor Yuanshuo defeated the other tribes and became the king of Nanzhao. This policy of appeasing the people and pacifying the distant lands had already consumed a huge amount of financial resources of the court.
This matter is, after all, inseparable from the Imperial Concubine. Not to mention that Prince Zhao is worried, even Shen Youyi himself will secretly take a look at Emperor Yuan Shuo.
For the sake of a beauty, the emperor's wisdom was tarnished, his father and daughter fell out, his body was injured, and even the border was in turmoil... The world would think that she was an absolute disaster, a seductive concubine who seduced the emperor.
Emperor Yuan Shuo noticed her uneasiness and shook her hand beneath the table. He showed no sign of panic and asked calmly, "What's the good news?"
King Zhao looked at the charming beauty and hesitated for a moment. "The civil strife in Nanzhao has been settled. The new Qingping official is a Han Chinese. Upon hearing that the Queen Mother is ill, he has specially selected ten sorcerers to accompany him to the capital to pay tribute."
Speaking of this Qingping official, he was also quite lucky. At a young age, he had already caused a stir in Nanzhao. He saw that the major families did not obey the king's orders, so he made suggestions for them, but secretly he had already colluded with the Meng family. Now that the major families have experienced many battles and their strength is not as good as before, he has become a favorite of the King of Nanzhao.
His father was worried about his son's illness, but Shen Youyi thought that might not be the case... The emperor valued feng shui, and although he disdained it, he must have been afraid that the desperate queen would continue to practice witchcraft and ruin the reputation of the royal family.
The Master came here not only to treat Tailao's illness, but also to keep watch over her.
The Empress Dowager played with fire and got burned. She was disliked by her father and suffered a great loss in the court. However, Prince Zhao guessed that if there was no candidate who was completely satisfactory, Emperor Yuan Shuo would rather let the Empress Dowager stay in this position for a while longer. Seeing the calm expression of the Emperor and his wife, he secretly felt moved.
Ever since he took away his son's concubine, his father and son have been fighting each other till death. How could he be like his brother, who wanted to maintain the royal status even if his inner body was completely rotten? He didn't know how to persuade the imperial concubine to change her mind.
Emperor Yuanshuo thought for a moment, arranged for the commander-in-chief of the Luosha Road army and the food and supplies, and gave King Zhao a detailed explanation before ordering him to go out.
Shen Youyi was worried that he would be worried too much, so she stood up and ground cinnabar for him. She could see many things in the memorial.
In addition to urgent military intelligence reports, there were petitions for the Empress Dowager, reports on the sudden increase in the number of refugees in the area, letters recommending talents, and letters to retire and return home. There were also unimportant memorials submitted to the emperor, which took half a month to be completed.
Emperor Yuan Shuo was naturally accustomed to such days. Today, with the beauty by his side, adding to his fragrance, although he was ill, he was particularly energetic. When he looked up from the documents, nearly two hours had passed.
Although his Yi Niang looked tired, she still gently added water and ground the tea from time to time, waiting for him quietly.
He felt quite guilty, so he stood up, put his arm around her waist, pecked her cheek gently and said, "Let the eunuchs handle this matter. If Yi Niang is tired, go lie down on the couch for a while."
Standing in this position, she could see a lot of things.
Shen Youyi thought of the arrangement he had requested, and he probably wouldn't let her go these days. She chuckled and said, "Am I also a state matter that His Majesty wants to deal with?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo understood what he was thinking about. He felt a slight heat on his body. He stroked her waist with his fingers and asked her what she meant, "Do you like it here?"
Most of the old ministers who had helped him conquer the country were still around, so he could still handle state affairs with ease. However, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious when he thought about what would happen decades later.
Giving birth to an emperor was naturally a matter of state, and state affairs should be handled in the Liangyi Hall where he lived and received his ministers, and in the Taiji Hall where he held court, the most solemn and dignified place in the world. However, he wanted to peel off or even tear her clothes, revealing Yi Niang's charming charm to the place where ministers once stood... His heart was in turmoil almost instantly.
However, Shen Youyi half turned sideways and remained silent: "Isn't there still a document on your Majesty's desk?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo was silent for a moment, his jaw tightened, and he whispered, "Yi Niang, you did it on purpose!"
The emperor didn't mind sharing with her the interesting things that happened during the court session, and he also tacitly allowed her to make friends with foreign ministers, but he rarely confided in her the troubles of state affairs. Shen Youyi didn't know if he was upset at the moment, so she said softly, "I know that when Your Majesty is unhappy, he likes to vent his anger on me."
Even if they don't sleep together, there are many ways to please someone. If these methods are not harmful to her body, she can help him relieve his stress.
She was truly a seductress, but she occasionally had a conscience. Emperor Yuan Shuo looked at her and said gently, "Does Yi Niang think she is a vixen who overthrew the Shang Tang Empire?"
Shen Youyi shook her head. She just wanted to climb up and didn't have much intention of harming others. It's just that she has been sentimental recently and can't help but worry: "I didn't kill Bo Ren, Bo Ren died because of me."
She knew that it was not her intention to cause so much disaster, but it happened after she had been involved with the emperor and his father, and many people would think so.
Emperor Yuan Shuo patted her back and said, "No, this matter has nothing to do with you."
He was certainly annoyed and troubled by the powerful enemy's raids, but he wouldn't put all the blame on a woman. "Whether it was the Turks, Gaochang, or the ruler who died at my hands, they would send troops to raid the border every late autumn and early winter. They just had this excuse."
Especially the Tibetan and Turkic peoples, whose terrain was easy to defend but difficult to attack, but it was also difficult to grow enough food, meat and vegetables to feed their people.
Even if she is now a consort, everything that is supposed to happen will still happen. To be harsh, all kings have the ambition to expand their territory. Unless the emperor and his father go to war over her and suffer casualties, how can a weak woman change the situation of the war?
"Border affairs are always like this." Emperor Yuan Shuo was not surprised. "When peace lasts for a long time, trouble will arise. It always takes a major war to maintain decades of peace."
In addition to the superior generals and soldiers, as well as iron smelting, the advantage of the Central Plains is that it supplies a corner of the country. However, the huge number of losses becomes a lot of lives, and the consumption during the escort is enough to empty dozens of large warehouses full of grain. He must be hard-hearted enough not to be hurt by it.
The five territories of Anxi and others were originally offered by the Western Turks as a marriage gift to the Central Plains. Regardless of whether they could be recaptured, resettling the refugees, providing relief to the soldiers, and negotiating with Tubo would not be easy. He whispered, "It is I who will have to inconvenience you for a while."
When going to war, the king made great preparations for the enthronement of the queen, which was always inappropriate, and he wanted to keep everything simple. Even if his stepmother was soft-hearted, he was unwilling to do so.
Wang died early, and the queen was promoted from a concubine, and she also kept everything simple. Perhaps such a sloppy beginning doomed the ending. Regardless of whether he believed in the legend or not, this time he wanted to do it perfectly.
Fortunately, as a monarch, he was at the peak of his powers and did not need to fear tigers and wolves. When he encountered a difficult problem that he could solve, he would not be too upset. He could even joke with her: "If it really came to the point where I had to lead the army in person, would Yi Niang be willing to accompany me?"
Shen Youyi felt much more at ease, but she said angrily, "You are so slick."
The man's gentle and mellow voice was like a hot spring, soothing her. Shen Youyi leaned quietly in his arms for a while. Emperor Yuan Shuo guessed that she was hungry, so he told her to have a meal and go to bed, and then returned to the imperial desk.
Shen Youyi knew that he had a lot of things to do and didn't want to distract him, but she also rejected Chen Rongshou's arrangement. She really had no appetite now. This child was very considerate and had never taught her to vomit. If she forced him to eat, she didn't know if it would backfire.
She walked down the steps and admired the scenery in the imperial garden. Zhao Yue said that the Queen Mother and the Second Prince would visit her every day in the afternoon and evening, and her appearance at other times would not surprise anyone.
She had been away from the palace for a long time and didn't know what was going on in the inner court. Zhao Yuelai started to ramble, "My dear, there's no harm in staying in Zichen Palace for a while. At least it's quiet. Ever since Yang Xiuyuan was imprisoned in the palace, that lady left the palace to recuperate, and the concubines below are all in a state of panic. It was fine when Your Majesty was healthy, but now the Jiade Palace is packed with people. Even the Empress Dowager can't stand their filial respect."
The six palaces are without a master, and the emperor is furious. The people who used to serve him are not favored, and they don’t know whether the emperor will vent his anger on them, so they live in fear.
Most of the unfavored beauties in the harem had such a hard time. Shen Youyi showed a touch of emotion and sighed softly: "When I was young, I never took my brother's words to heart. Now that I think about it, he advised me not to enter the palace, and it was indeed a good intention."
No matter how beautiful she is or how good she is at seducing men, there will always be a man who doesn't like her. If she happens to meet such a king, even if she is lucky enough to be made a concubine, her later years will inevitably be miserable.
Zhao Yuelai definitely didn't mean that. If the imperial concubine didn't come to the palace, then she wouldn't be able to meet His Majesty. He wanted to change the subject and said attentively, "Prince Zhao brought a gift from Handan for my mother. Would you like to see it?"
Shen Youyi was not very fond of the gift given to her by the prince of the royal family. One should not accept gifts without merit. Since Prince Zhao loved the Queen Mother and wanted to curry favor with her diligently, there must be a reason for this.
But what happened between her and the emperor was not exactly the same as his seizing of a concubine, so how could they be confused?
She shook her head and said softly, "I want to change my clothes and go to the Jiade Hall to pay my respects."
Zhao Yuelai's heart suddenly started beating wildly. Everything the imperial concubine wanted to do could scare people. Without the emperor's company, if the empress dowager saw the imperial concubine at this time, she would want to eat her alive. And the imperial concubine still went forward to bring bad luck upon herself!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
