Chapter 241 I Want to Depose the Six Palaces
Meng Yan glanced at him, her red lips slightly parted as she said casually, "There's no such thing as an impenetrable wall. Even pots and pans have ears. Every woman in the court, every concubine in the palace, knows this. And yet, Your Majesty, why are you asking me this? It's pitiful for an honest person like me, who spends her days in Changchun Palace nursing her baby like a blind and deaf child. It spread throughout the world, and only the last person knew."
The implication was that Lu Hao was deliberately deceiving her, and she was not intentionally asking questions.
The selection of concubines was a major event in the harem and was announced to everyone in the world, but she, the Empress Dowager, was the last one to know about it. This was neither reasonable nor logical.
At this point, her eyes dropped slightly and she sighed deeply, "I know that in the Emperor's heart, I am still that jealous and shrewish woman. He doesn't trust me, and just now he refused to tell me anything. However, I am different from before. I am about to become a mother, how can I still have the same childish temper as before? From now on, no matter how many young ladies from noble families or beauties from the common people are chosen by the Emperor to enter the palace, I will not care. But there is one thing: I am the Empress of the Central Palace, in charge of all matters in the six palaces. Whether the Emperor wants to select a concubine or take a concubine, he should at least let me know. If the news spreads throughout the six palaces, and I am still hiding it, it will be so boring. In the end, my position as Empress will become a mere figurehead."
These words made Lu Haozhi feel unhappy.
He had indeed issued a strict order that no one in the palace should tell the queen about this matter.
However, he really had no intention of deceiving her...
Suddenly, a few leaden clouds floated in the sky outside the house, covering the originally clear blue sky. In a moment, a strong wind blew up, making the iron horses under the eaves of Suishou Hall clank. Thousands of raindrops fell from the sky, and the damp moisture was instantly blown into the house, wrapping up the two of them.
But outside the house, several clear female voices exclaimed—
"It just rained in the afternoon. It's been sunny for a while now, why is it raining again?!"
"It's early summer, and the weather is incredibly unstable. What's so strange about that? Instead of wasting time chatting, why don't you quickly take in the clothes hanging in the yard? They were just a gift from the Empress Dowager the other day, and our Empress hasn't even touched them yet. If they get hit by a raindrop, you'll be in big trouble!"
Hearing the scolding voice, it was Ruizhu.
After a while, the sound of skirts dragging on the ground and the clatter of footsteps could be heard. It seemed that the palace maids who were busy working in the courtyard had finally packed up their clothes and found places to shelter from the rain. Finally, there was no sound of anyone talking.
Lu Haozhi had already dismissed his attendants, and only he and Meng Yan were left in the room. Listening to the patter of rain hitting the eaves, it seemed as if they were the only two left in the world.
The two of them were silent for a while, and no one spoke.
After a long pause, Lu Haozhi sneered, "This Ruizhu has become much more stable than before. She's no longer as impulsive as when she first entered the Prince's residence. This is all thanks to your good training as their master."
"When did you first enter the Prince's residence?"
Meng Yan glanced at him, and gently pursed her naturally crimson lips. "If I can't even manage my subordinates properly, how can I be qualified to lead the six palaces? As the Empress, I am already the target of public criticism from the previous and harems. If I don't be more vigilant and self-disciplined, won't I be eaten alive? From now on, with the addition of new people to the palace, it will become even more lively. Of course, I must be more careful and self-reflective. Otherwise, if someone makes a mistake and brings it to the Emperor, I won't be able to explain myself even if I have a big mouth."
Looking at her charming and playful smile, Lu Haozhi felt a little sad in his heart.
I don’t know how long it has been since I last saw her look so charming and lovely.
It had been fine before they reconciled, but even after they reconciled, Yan'er's daily treatment of him was indifferent. Whether under the moonlight or in bed, their intimacy was always measured. After she became pregnant and was crowned empress, their relationship became even more respectful. Due to the busy state affairs, he rarely visited the harem, and on the rare occasions when he could visit Changchun Palace, she would usually only talk to him about official palace matters. The intimacy and love of the past seemed to have faded, never to return. Now, by his side was no longer Yan'er, the legitimate daughter of the Marquisate, the Imperial Consort, but Meng Yan, the dignified and virtuous Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the mother of all the people.
Although it was impeccable, Lu Haozhi always felt that something was missing.
When the water is full, it will overflow; when the moon is full, it will wane. He also knew that if he insisted on perfection in everything, he would easily be punished by God. But sometimes when he woke up in the middle of the night and looked at the person beside him, Yan'er's face gradually became blurred with the face of the late queen in his memory, and it was difficult to distinguish them.
Perhaps, this is the price he has to pay for being a wealthy emperor and still forcing his beloved to stay by his side.
However, Lu Haozhi refused to believe it.
Why have emperors in ancient times had to be alone and die in solitude?
Just like his father, the Emperor, who had spent half his life in the military, commanding the world, a hero who had founded the Great Zhou Empire. Though he possessed a harem of beauties, he had no true confidants. Even with his mother, the Empress Dowager, who had stood shoulder to shoulder with him throughout his life, their only conversations were about state affairs, their former marital affection long since worn away by the intrigues of the situation.
He had been with his mother since he was young, and he was deeply touched by his mother's resentment towards his father.
What about my father?
He has been a hero all his life, is he really happy in his heart?
As the founding emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, my father was a shrewd man who never showed his emotions on his face. No one could guess what he was thinking or feeling.
However, on the night when Concubine Li died suddenly, his father sat alone on the steps, and that lonely figure was deeply imprinted in his heart.
Lu Haozhi absolutely refused to repeat his father's mistakes.
He and Yan'er must be different from their predecessors.
Besides, he, Lu Haozhi, is the emperor of the Great Zhou, the ruler of the world, not a puppet manipulated by those aristocratic families!
The woman who can give birth to his children and stand by his side to share the country with him can only be decided by him!
Originally, he didn't want to bother Yan'er with these things. He just wanted her to have a safe pregnancy and live a leisurely life.
However, this seems to have become Yan'er's greater trouble...
Lu Haozhi sighed softly, held Meng Yan's hands, stared into her clear eyes, and said word by word, "Yan'er, I intend to depose the six concubines."
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