Chapter 20 Chapter 20 [VIP]
She gave her body, and the prince gave his power and money. Their relationship had always been like this, but because of her current dire situation, this relationship was stripped of its tender veil and placed on the table.
Shen Youyi looked at the prince who was reluctant to leave her. At least this man was handsome and young. Even if he was attracted by her beauty, he took a huge risk to save her and could save her whole family in the future.
She was very grateful to him, but that didn't stop her from wanting to take advantage of this kindness to get more things.
Although the content of this dream was complicated, it was not very long. Until she got the answer she wanted and drank the bitter medicine obediently, she felt an imperceptible movement on the side of her pillow.
The curtain hooks opened and closed gently, and the sunlight passed over her hurriedly.
Shen Youyi opened half of her eyes with great effort, her soul still floating in the clouds, her heart pounding, her whole body soft and powerless. She moved her fingertips slightly and found that half of the person beside her was empty, leaving only a little warmth and wrinkles, which also indicated the tenderness of last night.
She glanced sideways through the gap and saw that many eunuchs holding clothes had entered the bedroom and were silently helping the emperor change his clothes.
The dim morning light cast a thin golden glow on the man. He had a lean waist and abdomen, and muscular arms, but hidden within the distinct lines were several long, thin scratches, like a wild animal that had sustained minor injuries after hunting and was content to bask in the sun.
Shen Youyi moved quietly, and just as she looked up, the man outside the curtain turned around, and a strong chest caught her eye, with several bright red tooth marks on his heart, all in a mess.
Emperor Yuan Shuo walked in.
She was startled and quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, but her heart was beating uncontrollably fast. She didn't know if it was because of the dream or because of the trouble she had caused.
But she was not afraid, instead she felt a sense of pleasure in revenge.
On that night five years ago, when the emperor wrote with his imperial pen and sealed the edict, could he have imagined that one day, the daughter of that guilty minister would take possession of his beloved woman and use her sharp teeth and nails to leave marks on his body?
One day when the truth is revealed, even if he kills her, this beautiful body will turn to dust, and he will clearly remember that his tastes as father and son are surprisingly similar.
Although the two of them had reconciled, Emperor Yuan Shuo only got up half an hour later than usual.
A person's habits are the hardest to change. Even though she had been tormented for a long time, he still woke up early this morning.
She was just the opposite. She was sleeping soundly when she should have been getting up. She must have been really exhausted both physically and mentally.
But the beauty beside him this morning seemed a little uneasy even in his dreams.
Her breathing was a little faster, and she leaned against his neck and cried softly in pain, but there was only a little sound, and she vaguely asked for someone to hold her.
The land of gentleness is far better than the fairyland of white clouds. He was reluctant to leave the beauty who had been entangled with him all night and acted coquettishly. He gently patted her back and patiently asked her what she wanted and whether she needed to call a female doctor to see her.
At the end, I could vaguely hear her asking the person in her dream for money.
Another one thousand taels.
He couldn't hear clearly at first, so he asked her softly a few times to confirm that she really wanted money. He almost laughed out of anger.
Most of the concubines' annual salaries were used for rewards, and the imperial concubine received an annual salary of three thousand taels. He thought to himself that he had not stopped her salary, nor had he cut off her food, clothing, and support. He just stopped giving her additional rewards. So where on earth was she short of money? She was still thinking about bargaining with others in her dreams.
However, listening to her incoherent talking in her sleep, he felt a little moved. What you think about during the day you will dream about at night. She probably has her own reasons for thinking about it so much.
Shen Youyi's closed eyelashes trembled slightly. Normally, concubines should get up and serve after sleeping with the emperor. She had originally planned to do so, but no palace servant came to wake her up. She guessed that the imperial concubine might not have to do these things.
After such a commotion at night... She didn't know whether the emperor was tired or not, but she didn't want to move at all.
The emperor's fingers gently traced her smooth and warm cheeks, sometimes close and sometimes distant. Shen Youyi frowned slightly, it seemed that she was about to wake up.
Could it be that this man is made of iron and still has the strength to do it again today?
She was about to slowly open her eyes and pretend to have just woken up, but a warm breath had already landed between her eyebrows.
Unlike the violent storm that wanted to tear a person apart physically, this kiss, although a little long, was gentle and warm enough, probably for fear of disturbing her sweet dream.
Shen Youyi frowned slightly. The man's lips were hot and soft. His body did not press her at all, but she fell in love with him unconsciously. She almost had the illusion of being cherished and pitied.
Emperor Yuan Shuo rarely had such an impulse, especially in front of so many eunuchs and palace maids.
Perhaps it was because there was something strange about her that he couldn't explain.
However, when he thought of it, he did it without any reason.
She just didn't know.
Birds chirped outside the window, and the eunuchs in front of the emperor all lowered their heads until the emperor's carriage was on the way to Wangming Palace. Chen Rongshou served by the side and went to give the imperial concubine three thousand taels of silver to Yaoguang Palace. She had worked hard copying scriptures and deserved a good rest.
Chen Rongshou, Your Majesty dotes on the imperial concubine, and it is common for him to give her some antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and other unique gifts. Last year, he also gave her a gift of ten thousand strings of cash under the pretext of cosmetics.
, saying that the imperial concubine was a foxy woman who seduced the master.
But he was quite confused about what happened to the imperial concubine.
Wouldn’t the imperial concubine be annoyed by such a gift?
Or was it that the Imperial Concubine was mistreated by the Shaofu Shaojian and others, and she complained to His Majesty at night, but these people were completely unaware?
He took the order and left, but he felt a little frightened. He called his godson Zhao Yuelai to ask him in detail, but he still had no clue.
Zhao Yuelai witnessed Emperor Yuan Shuo's resolute decision to send the Imperial Concubine away. Hearing the Emperor's decree this morning, she marveled at how quickly the Imperial Concubine recognized her mistake. "Had it been just a moment later, the Imperial Concubine might have arrived at the Duke's Mansion by now. Who could have imagined she would be so favored today?"
But Chen Rongshou gave a bitter smile. If the imperial concubine really wanted to admit her mistake, even if she returned to the Duke's Mansion, she would probably come back one day. Before leaving, he sternly warned Bai Se, "Don't tell anyone else about what happened last night, or you'll be in trouble!"
His Majesty's decrees are rarely changed. Although it was not implemented this time, if the imperial concubine knew about it, there might be trouble in Yaoguang Palace.
I hope that after this reconciliation, the imperial concubine can calm down and not cause any earth-shattering chaos again.
It is not easy for people to sleep deeply when they get older. The empress dowager was already at this age. In addition to watching the sunrise, Emperor Yuanshuo would go to Wangming Hall to pay his respects to his mother every morning. The mother and son would talk for a while before the emperor set out to go forward.
But today, the Queen Mother was not waiting for her son in the palace.
There was a burst of laughter coming from the back garden. Emperor Yuan Shuo followed the sound and saw the empress dowager and the prince having a happy conversation.
The fat peacock in the Wangming Palace had already noticed the emperor's presence and started to scream strangely, attracting the attention of the grandfather and grandson.
The prince seemed surprised, then he bowed and saluted: "Ayewan."
Emperor Yuanshuo nodded. He was in a good mood today. He took some grains from the palace maids and tossed a few to the peacock with a smile. He said to the prince, "It's a day off today. You are really filial."
The empress dowager looked her son up and down. The emperor looked refreshed and relaxed today, but she felt that he seemed strange.
Although the emperor was accustomed to the hardships of being a king, he was a reserved person. There was nothing worth the emperor's joy at this moment. Even in her presence, it was difficult for the prince to get a smile.
But she was very satisfied. The emperor enjoyed the best care of the world. If even he could not be happy all day long, others would go find a rope to hang themselves.
Naturally, she would be satisfied with someone who could please the emperor.
"Your Majesty, please don't be jealous. Zihui is filial to me, but he hasn't forgotten his father, the Emperor."
In front of her grandchildren, the empress dowager didn't want to point the finger at the emperor, so she smiled and said, "The child just told me privately that he felt sorry for your Majesty living like an ascetic monk. Among the concubines in the inner court, besides that one imperial concubine, there are two or three others who were hired and selected in the past few years. They have all served you for twenty years. The inner court has released several batches of palace maids a while ago, and they always seem unremarkable. It's time to select a new batch of people to come in."
The prince's expression changed slightly. He was worried about Yi Niang's situation. Although he knew that she had agreed, Yaoguang Palace was really close to Qingping Palace. She was so beautiful, and his father was a man in his prime after all, so it was natural for him to be attracted to her.
Instead of waiting fearfully for the emperor to return to Chang'an, it would be better to borrow the Empress Dowager's help to select a few more young, beautiful, knowledgeable and interesting concubines for his father. By then, his father would gradually forget about Yi Niang, and he could take the opportunity to visit the palace more often.
He came at the time Emperor Yuan Shuo left, but he didn't expect that his father would be late today.
I also know that this was his idea.
He just begged the Empress Dowager not to tell his father that it was his idea, but the Empress Dowager told him everything in a blink of an eye, saying that it was for his own good.
The Empress Dowager had long hoped that the inner court would have more heirs. Emperor Yuan Shuo had heard these words about expanding the family line countless times. However, it was understandable for a mother to care about her son's bedroom affairs, but for a son to interfere with his father's affairs was disobedience.
Emperor Yuan Shuo suppressed his displeasure and jokingly said, "If I had a son as ascetic as this, I'm afraid everyone in the world would be vying to be his son. How come Duan Yang's son-in-law took a concubine in his twenties and his mother scolded him for a long time? You think your son has 3,000 concubines in the imperial court too few?"
The Queen Mother knew he was just being perfunctory, but when she mentioned Duanyang's consort, she still felt resentful: "How can he be compared with the emperor? Duanyang is the emperor and she is the minister. Marrying the emperor is a blessing for their Du family. How can a minister make the emperor sad? In my opinion, he should be stripped of all his official positions and go back to Jingzhao to farm!"
Emperor Yuan Shuo couldn't help but have a headache. His daughter was not very good at controlling her son-in-law Yu Duan. Sometimes she asked for an official position for him, and sometimes she cried and complained about his philandering. If he really wanted to teach his son-in-law to be a commoner again, Duan Yang would probably find ways to ask her father, the emperor, for mercy and forgiveness.
He glanced slowly at the Crown Prince. The Crown Princess was chosen by him, the eldest son, at his own request. However, they had been married for nearly five years and only had one daughter. Their love for each other was dull. The Crown Prince was not in a hurry to give birth to a legitimate son, and he did not care much about the Prince of Hengshan.
It is true that he is just a young man in his early twenties, but how can a man who cannot even manage his family govern such a big country?
The Queen Mother wanted to say a few words to the Emperor, but when she saw the Prince fidgeting in front of his father, she felt pity for him and sent him back to rest.
But before the prince's procession set off, someone from the imperial court came hurriedly and asked him to wait in Qingping Hall, saying that His Majesty would summon him later.
The Queen Mother watched every word and action of Emperor Yuan Shuo and sighed softly in her heart. The Emperor was born with such a domineering temperament, but as he grew older, he looked gentle and steady. In fact, apart from being able to follow her more, he wanted to control the whole world, even his own children.
After all, the crown prince is more favored. If he dares to offend the emperor occasionally, he will be restrained by his father like the Monkey King in the Bagua Furnace, not to mention the other royal heirs.
She scolded him, "This is a family matter. Zihui didn't say anything else. She just wanted to show her filial piety. Look at the emperor's face. Could it be that having more princes will bring any benefits to the Eastern Palace?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo softened his tone slightly in front of his mother and said sternly, "A king regards the world as his home and is not bound by personal feelings. I have already made it clear that nine people are sufficient for the inner court, and there is no need to select again. Zihui is certainly trying to please me, but how can the emperor change his mind overnight?"
The Empress Dowager had heard these great principles all her life, and now she was being lectured by her own son again this morning. It was really a headache. She said with a half-smile, "The Emperor is right, but I remember that there are probably more than nine concubines in the inner court now."
If a monarch or father is upright, then there is nothing wrong with scolding his son. However, there is the precedent of Concubine Wei. The emperor broke the rules hundreds of years ago, and he still has the nerve to bring it up.
However, the daughter of the Wei family can be described as docile. She serves such a monarch every day and is not overwhelmed by the emperor's teachings.
Emperor Yuanshuo thought of the imperial concubine in Yaoguang Palace and smiled unconsciously. He said calmly, "Mother also feels that my son has many concubines. If that's the case, there's no need to fill up the harem."
The Queen Mother was almost irritated to the point of laughing, but then she changed her mind and looked serious again. She said tentatively, "Your Highness, please accept my heart. I see she likes you, but you also know that women's beauty can ruin a country. Don't do anything foolish for her again."
She had heard some rumors about the Zhaoyang Palace. People outside said that the imperial concubine was abandoned because of her arrogance and jealousy. But she had read the history books and knew that the emperor did not favor other concubines or palace maids after he became angry. Now he refused to choose a concubine. So who was the person that the imperial concubine was jealous of?
The Imperial Concubine was already the head of the imperial concubines, and the only one above her was the Empress.
She said slowly, "Although the Second Prince is not suitable to inherit the throne, the Queen has done nothing wrong... The Emperor's reputation and decorum are paramount in everything. You shouldn't spoil the Imperial Concubine too much."
Emperor Yuan Shuo didn't know how the empress dowager could think of this, and felt quite helpless. He shook his head. The empress and the imperial concubine had always been good friends. The imperial concubine always had some little girl's coquettishness. Apart from wanting to take advantage of his favor all day long and live a comfortable and happy life, she didn't have any unreasonable thoughts.
Although he doted on the imperial concubine, he was not so obsessed with her.
"The Imperial Concubine constantly praises Zi Yan's virtues before me. Mother, do you think I will easily appoint the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace based on these two whispers from her?"
The empress dowager also knew that honest advice was unpleasant to the ears, so she always tried to advise her son gently and tactfully. However, she did not expect that even though she was tactful enough, Emperor Yuan Shuo would point it out directly.
He knew clearly what the Queen and the Imperial Concubine were planning, but he would not sacrifice public interests for personal ones.
The Empress Dowager paused for a moment, then said softly, "The Emperor is also aware that there have been rumors since last year... saying that the Emperor wants the Imperial Concubine to accompany him at all times because he hopes she will give birth to a prince and then establish a new Crown Prince."
She would like to have more children in the palace, but the imperial concubine is younger and more favored than the empress and Yang Xiuyuan. She might give birth to a little prince at any time. Wei also has military power. People are always greedy, so there might be some trouble in the future.
If the imperial concubine gave birth to two more princesses, it would be a happy thing for everyone.
"That's not really a rumor."
Emperor Yuan Shuo did not deny that he had such thoughts: "That would require that this child is a promising talent, and my son needs to take care of him until he grows up. If I follow the late emperor in two years, the concubine and the Wei family may not be able to protect this country."
The empress dowager was silent for a long time. She didn't even care about being angry at the emperor for cursing her to die early.
An emperor of his age rarely indulges in love affairs. No one knows better than her how hard it is for her son to conquer the world. A country relies on an eldest son for long-term survival. No matter how clever and smart the favorite concubine's son is, it is difficult for him to surpass the prince.
She sighed softly, "You know your limits, so I won't say much."
Emperor Yuan Shuo said yes, between the country and the beauty, the emperor is destined to choose the former, even if it is very difficult for him to abandon the latter.
Fortunately, the mountains and rivers are as solid as a rock, so he won't have to face this dilemma one day.
But when I stepped out of Wangming Palace, I no longer had the same mood as when I came here.
Chen Rongshou had finished his mission and was waiting outside for the emperor to arrive.
The Crown Prince was still waiting in Qingping Palace, but Emperor Yuanshuo's thoughts were not on him for the time being. His tone softened, "Did the Imperial Concubine get up when you left?"
Chen Rongshou agreed and said with a smile, "The lady looked very happy. She just asked where Your Majesty had been and why he couldn't see her this morning. I answered her questions one by one, and she was very happy."
It is taboo to spy on the emperor, but this is not the first time that the imperial concubine has done such a thing. Chen Rongshou guessed the emperor's thoughts and perhaps he would rather the imperial concubine keep it in mind all the time.
Emperor Yuan Shuo's expression was indeed much more relaxed, and he said with a smile: "I will go see her at noon."
Originally, he had nothing to do today, so it would be fine for him to return to Yaoguang Palace early, but he happened to meet the prince in Wangming Palace, which might delay him for some time, so he had to accompany her for lunch.
Shen Youyi was of course happy to receive three thousand taels of silver for nothing. Her performance last night was probably acceptable in the eyes of Emperor Yuan Shuo.
Moreover, the benefits of being a favorite concubine are still considerable. When the emperor is in a good mood, he will naturally not be stingy with rewards.
There is a golden house in the book. A book of scriptures is worth two hundred and fifty taels of gold. She even regretted not copying a few more copies.
To be fair, being an imperial concubine has more advantages than being a crown princess.
Because these matters were related to her daily life after becoming a concubine in the Eastern Palace, she was particularly careful when writing.
The Crown Princess received an annual salary of 800 silver coins, the Consorts received 400 silver coins, and the Chenghui and Xiaoyi received even less.
But the emperor's concubines, the nine concubines alone, received a salary of one thousand taels a year. If they were favored more, they could receive even more additional rewards from the emperor.
This could even be considered a frugal monarch. Shen Youyi didn't dare to imagine what would happen if she served a tyrant...
She was satisfied and felt that the pain in her body was not so severe. The emperor's cruelty was limited to strength and speed. Her skin was still as white as jade, with only a few places covered by clothes where there were lingering fingerprints and palm prints. She didn't even have to worry about others seeing the traces of affectionate lips and teeth on her neck.
The pain is greater because too much strength is used in the lower abdomen, waist and legs, which inevitably causes soreness when walking.
She asked Sui Chao, "When does Your Majesty have breakfast now?"
When she saw the imperial concubine at the New Year's Court, she had actually forgotten all about this. Cold sweat dripped down her face. "I've heard from others that Your Majesty never eats much for breakfast. If there's a court meeting, he'll have a small snack after getting up and then eat after the meeting. It's usually around this time."
Lunch comes not long after breakfast, and snacks can be served at any time in between, but the emperor rarely does so.
Shen Youyi nodded. Whenever she gave someone something, she expected them to respond in kind, even ten times more enthusiastically than she expected. Emperor Yuanshuo had given her many treasures, and she thought for a moment before saying, "Then teach the kitchen to prepare some of His Majesty's favorite dishes. I'll go to Qingping Palace and eat with His Majesty."
It was not difficult for the imperial concubine to enter the Qingping Palace. She had done things that were against the rules before. The eunuchs in front of the emperor guessed the emperor's intentions and tried their best to please him.
But Sui Chao couldn't understand it. It was just a breakfast. If His Majesty wanted to come back and have it with the Imperial Concubine, he would naturally come to the Yaoguang Palace. Why would the Imperial Concubine make this trip?
Seeing her in such a dilemma, Shen Youyi knew that she had been teasing the people around her to the point of being unbearable these days, so she smiled and said, "Every time you take a day off, don't you feel inseparable from your husband?"
Emperor Yuan Shuo would not reject her somewhat offensive clinginess at this moment, but after a while this tactic would become a bit annoying.
Sui Chao thought about it strangely: "Serving my lady is much better than staying at home. My husband often encourages me to make progress. If it is not a life-and-death separation, there is nothing to be reluctant about."
But the imperial concubine wanted to do whatever she thought of, so she had no choice but to obey and ordered the kitchen to get busy.
When the eunuchs in Qingping Palace saw that it was Concubine Wei, they let her go with great pleasure.
However, when he was about to reach the study, Shen Youyi saw an uninvited guest in the corridor.
The prince was wearing casual clothes, and there was a hint of uneasiness between his brows.
It wasn't all because of the upcoming scolding from Bai Lin, but rather... the faint scent of jasmine in his father's clothes.
The emperor rarely used these spices, which must have been the preference of one of his concubines.
...But on the Emperor's birthday, Yi Niang would rather pretend to be sick in public than sit at the same table with the Emperor. Her father was a proud and arrogant king, and he would not condescend to ask a concubine to change her mind.
He was worried. Where did his father spend the night last night?
But the next moment, Yi Niang, whom he had been thinking about day and night, appeared before him, looking happy but walking slowly.
He stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking at her from a distance.
The beauty is like a flower hidden in the clouds, which indeed adds to her hazy beauty. However, she moves like a willow swaying in the wind, and there is still some discomfort between her eyebrows. But her rosy cheeks add a touch of charm and enchantment to her.
It seems like he has just been favored.
Their eyes met, and it was too late for Shen Youyi to retreat.
Her heart tightened, but she smiled politely. She walked closer and asked, "Why is His Royal Highness here? Is His Majesty here?"
She was used to acting in front of others, and was like a stranger to him. He had long been accustomed to it, but when the prince thought of her glaring look when she was chatting and laughing with the maid just now, he couldn't help feeling sad in his heart. He lowered his eyes and asked, "How is Mother Wei?"
Shen Youyi breathed a sigh of relief quietly, but the next moment the handsome prince smiled faintly and stared into her eyes: "Your son is here to wait for your arrival on the orders of your father."
His tone was calm, but his expression said otherwise: "Is it the same for Concubine Wei's mother?"
She thought of the dream and felt her legs go weak, but she still smiled and said calmly, "It is just as your Highness said."
In public, she was not afraid of the prince's questioning.
But... an hour ago, her body still contained his father's donation, but in his dream she became his shameful lover.
She whispered, "Your Highness, why don't you go in and wait? Although the weather has cooled down, the sun is still very hot."
The beauty's voice was soft, and her doe-like eyes showed a hint of worry.
The bitterness in the Crown Prince's heart subsided a little, but he still felt uneasy. He said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your concern, Mother Wei. No one is allowed to enter the study without permission, and I am no exception."
Shen Youyi nodded, turned sideways and said to Sui Chao, "Let's go in first."
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