In the first selection of the imperial concubines in the first year of Tianxiang, no one entered the palace. The ministers were not too surprised by this result. After all, Jiang Cenyun was not the first monarch to do so. A female emperor in the previous dynasty even insisted on not taking concubines until she found a way to make a man bear children. As a result, she died alone, and the throne was passed to her sister's daughter.
As long as Jiang Cenyun didn't have such strange ideas, she could choose a concubine slowly. But the position of Queen shouldn't be left vacant.
"How many memorials have you received this month? They're asking me to make Li Xiwei my empress." Jiang Cenyun threw the memorial aside, leaned back, and looked up at the sky. "I should have shut those men up from the beginning."
During her selection process, the good girls who entered the palace were unable to contact the outside world, and each family was unable to fully understand the specific individuals who entered the palace. Li Xiwei had not been to court during this period, and the others had not considered the possibility of him entering the palace. It was not until the good girls left the palace and shared information with their families that a huge stir was stirred.
Most, if not all, of the officials in the court were dissatisfied with Li Xiwei's appointment as prime minister. They were unable to overcome the tough emperor, but were still looking for ways to bring down this only man. This time he took the initiative to give them a handle, so how could they not take advantage of it?
Yao Yi picked up the memorial, dusted it off, and read: "Ms. Li is virtuous, well-mannered, and docile, making her a suitable match. Who wrote this? Imperial Censor Sun Lai?"
"You wouldn't have thought," Jiang Cenyun chuckled. "Sun Yushi, who usually curses Li Xiwei to death and wants to dig up his entire family and whip their corpses, is the one praising him the most this time. Do you think she's secretly in love with Zhaiyue? Her previous actions have always been about loving him deeply and criticizing him harshly."
"Don't be ridiculous. Censor Sun's son is almost as old as the Left Prime Minister."
"Oh, he even sent his own son to the palace, but he doesn't even dare to look up at me. I don't even remember what he looks like."
"Do you remember the man's appearance? I'm afraid when you saw them, all you could think about was when Li Xiwei would enter the palace?" Yao Yi said, "Prime Minister Li is a master of his craft. As long as he's around, Your Majesty has no time for anyone else."
"You can't say that. I remember your little Zhuo's face, too." Jiang Cenyun smiled ambiguously. "Are you relieved that I let him out of the palace? When do you plan to propose marriage?"
"I have no plans to start a family for the time being."
"Xiao Zhuo is a wonderful person, but be careful not to delay him too long or he'll marry someone else."
"That just means there's no need for us to be tied together in the first place."
"Since you are interested in each other, what are you waiting for?" Jiang Cenyun asked puzzledly.
"Then what is your Majesty waiting for?"
"I? I don't have..."
Yao Yi pointed at the wooden sign on her waist. "Not yet?"
Jiang Cenyun covered it with his hand and pointed to Yao Yi's waist. "Don't you have a purse too?"
The king and his minister remained in a stalemate for a moment, then smiled at each other.
Jiang Cenyun dismissed the palace attendants, pulled Yao Yi to sit beside her, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I feel that whether he's a concubine or a queen, he's been wronged. He should be an eagle soaring across the sky, not a bird confined to a golden cage. So until I find a solution that satisfies both of us, I won't touch him."
"What's the best solution?" Yao Yi asked. "You don't want to make him empress and still keep his official title, do you?"
"Can you give me some advice on how to do this?" Jiang Cenyun shook her little finger.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I believe this is absolutely impossible." Yao Yi's face was tense. "This is what I'm most worried about. If he truly holds a position in both the court and the harem, wouldn't that mean he has complete control over you?"
"What a joke. How could I possibly be controlled by him?" Jiang Cenyun sighed. "I didn't expect you to think so... Never mind, let's not talk about this anymore."
The atmosphere in the study was somewhat stagnant, but the Li Mansion was bustling with activity.
"Master Li, my wife has specially sent me this excellent Jade Cream. This cream can moisturize the skin and make it forever smooth and flawless."
"Lord Li, the Jade Cream works differently for different people. For some, it has no effect at all. Instead, consider my pearl powder. Apply it on your face before bed every day, wash it off after a quarter of an hour, and you'll be radiant the next morning. Your Majesty will surely be delighted to see it."
"Lord Li, those gifts are merely superfluous. You already have a beautiful body, no need for further maintenance. It's just that you're used to socializing in official circles, so I'm afraid you don't quite understand how to interact with women properly."
"Oh?" Li Xiwei, who was surrounded by a group of men, finally spoke: "I'd like to hear more about it."
"The women of our Great Zhou are all straightforward and forthright. If they like someone, they like him. If they dislike someone, they dislike him. Since His Majesty has left your nametag, he must be fond of you. However, since she is the emperor, she certainly can't just come and propose marriage like an ordinary young lady. You'll have to put aside your reserve and take the initiative."
“How to take the initiative?”
"Don't you see His Majesty every day? This is a great opportunity to strengthen our relationship. I have a collection of love poems. Pick a line each day and read it to His Majesty unobtrusively. Wouldn't that convey your affection?"
"You're adding unnecessary details to a snake," another man retorted. "Our Lord Li is the most talented scholar in the Great Zhou. His poems are recited everywhere. How could he use your unbalanced prose to defile people's ears and eyes?"
The man looked ashamed and was about to take the booklet back, but Li Xiwei took it away.
"I am deeply grateful for all your help. Please rest assured, your wife, I will work hard and live up to your expectations."
After seeing off the ladies of each family, Li Xiwei didn't even look at the items on the table and told the servants to throw them all into the warehouse.
He wasn't even in a hurry yet, but these people were eager to worry about him. They must have been eyeing his position for a long time, just waiting for it to become vacant.
That's fine.
In the following months, Li Xiwei's relationship with the officials improved a lot. They were afraid that their wives were not strong enough, and even from a woman's perspective, they personally planned for him how to capture the heart of the most noble woman in the world. He behaved like a studious student, listening carefully every time and even taking notes on paper, which made the ministers work harder.
Jiang Cenyun then felt more and more strongly that it seemed as if all the civil and military officials in the court were urging her to marry Li Xiwei.
This feeling reached its peak on New Year's Day. A grand court meeting was held during the day, and at night the royal family hosted a banquet for the ministers. Li Xiwei, a key official, accepted Jiang Cenyun's gift of sacrificial meat on behalf of the other ministers. After Jiang Cenyun personally helped him to his feet, he looked at the other ministers and saw that many of them had flushed faces and a hint of excitement in their eyes.
Jiang Cenyun: What is going on?
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