Chapter 86 Conferring the Title of Female Official
Xie Yushu looked up and saw Xiao Dao walking in wearing court robes, and immediately shook off Song Jie's hand.
Xiao Dao was happily saying, "Yu Shu, it's snowing outside..." but when he saw Song Jie in the hall, his words and smile stopped: "Prime Minister Song?"
Song Jie withdrew his hand but showed no intention of getting up. However, Xie Yushu kicked his shin, signaling him to stand up.
He then stood up and bowed to Xiao Dao: "Your Majesty."
Xiao Dao grunted in response, regained his solemn demeanor, and walked toward Xie Yushu. He couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect Prime Minister Song to come to pay his respects to the Empress so early in the morning."
There was a hint of jealousy in her voice.
Xiao Dao sat down next to Xie Yushu in the chair that Song Jie had sat in. He took her hand and pressed it against his face, asking with a smile, "Are you cold? It's snowing outside, it's very cold."
Xie Yushu found it amusing, touched Xiaodao's face and deliberately said, "It's so cold, you should wear more clothes, or you'll catch a cold."
Song Jie was too jealous.
"Yes, Your Majesty should take care of your health, lest you cause the Empress worry." Song Jie smiled, excused himself from the formalities, and sat down in the chair.
Xiao Dao looked at him and said in a calm tone, "If Prime Minister Song has nothing else, you may leave now. I have something to discuss with the Empress."
Song Jie's face immediately darkened, and he looked at Xiao Dao with undisguised coldness.
Xie Yushu called his name, "Song Jie," and said to him, "You should go back first. It's snowing outside. I'll have Jin Ye get you an umbrella."
Song Jie knew she was trying to appease him, but since she was willing to do so, he couldn't refuse her.
He finally got up to take his leave.
Xiao Dao watched Song Jie leave before letting out a slow sigh, but dared not let Xie Yushu hear it, for fear of upsetting her.
It wasn't that he was jealous of Yu Shu; he just disliked Song Jie. In the past, Song Jie forced Yu Shu to enter the Prime Minister's residence to serve him, causing Yu Shu so much trouble. Now that Yu Shu had become the Empress, he still haunted her.
He's too useless. Once his foundation is more stable, the first person he'll kill is Song Jie.
Xie Yushu instructed Jinye to bring a new set of bowls and chopsticks, as he wanted to have breakfast with Xiaodao.
Xiao Dao said there was no need to trouble himself; he would just use Xie Yushu's bowl and chopsticks to eat a few bites, and told Jin Ye and Yin Ya to go down and eat.
After Jinye and Yinya withdrew, Xiaodao reached out and pulled Xie Yushu onto his lap, cupped her face and kissed her for a while, stroking her affectionately and talking to her about the court proceedings, and how Liang Shou and the others wanted her to take a concubine, but he had not agreed.
As they talked, they kissed again, arousing both of them, and they went to the inner palace.
After whispering sweet nothings for a while, Xiaodao's hoarse voice came: "Don't you want to have a child with me? Why, Yushu?"
He kissed her again and asked softly, "Yushu, have you...never thought about being with me forever?"
Xie Yushu remained silent for a long time.
Xiao Dao spoke first: "It's okay, it's okay if you haven't thought about it now. There's plenty of time in the future. Maybe you'll like me a little more in the future... and want to be with me for a long time... I'm already very satisfied."
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After noon, the snow fell more heavily, and the ground became muddy.
Xiao Dao originally wanted to accompany Yu Shu to meet the noble ladies who came to the palace to pay their respects, so that they wouldn't mention the Empress's duties. However, Yu Shu said she would handle it and told him to go see Grand Tutor Zheng and Pei Heng without worry.
Although he became emperor, he continued to study, but it was inconvenient for him to openly learn to read and write. Instead, he arranged for Zheng Lao Tai Fu and Pei Heng to come to the palace to teach him under a different guise.
After seeing him off, Xie Yushu changed into a more formal court dress and summoned the officials, noblewomen, and imperial relatives to the Daqing Hall.
The Daqing Hall was the Emperor's main hall. The crowd entered in a grand procession to pay their respects to the new Empress. However, after taking their seats, they all felt somewhat uneasy, because it was against the rules and regulations to pay homage to the Empress in this hall.
Only Meng Jing and Meng Min sat calmly.
Meng Min's belly was already very big, and she was about to give birth, but she still insisted on coming to the palace to see her. Xie Yushu knew very well that it was to give her face.
She is currently in the eye of the storm, and if Meng Min doesn't come to see her, the new empress, it will likely cause a lot of gossip.
So the Meng family, together with the Zheng and Zhang families, all came together, and even Zhang Youwei came.
Although Zhang Youwei disliked Xie Yushu, she knew that the new emperor's decree allowing her sister, the Dowager Consort, to return to the Duke of Yingguo to retire was at Xie Yushu's behest.
Her sister told her to be more respectful to Xie Yushu, and she certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to go against her family.
Moreover, Xie Yushu transferred her younger brother Zhang Ling to the Palace Guard, and the Zhang family is now an ally of Xie Yushu.
"She's about to give birth, isn't she?" Xie Yushu ordered someone to put thick cushions on Meng Min's chair, and then asked her, "Have you found a midwife? It would be best to have Physician Lu go to the mansion to keep an eye on things when the time comes." After all, she was giving birth at an advanced age, and she was worried that something might happen to Meng Min.
Meng Min smiled and told her not to worry, everything was ready.
Before the conversation had even ended, someone else couldn't wait to say, "Your Majesty should also start thinking about having children for His Majesty to continue the imperial lineage."
Xie Yushu looked over and saw that the person was sitting not far from her, speaking in a very high-handed and direct manner, referring to Xiao Dao's elder sister, the late emperor's third princess, Princess Yongle.
She was only a few years older than Xie Yushu, but she already had two daughters and a son. Now she brought her youngest son into the palace and sat there serving him snacks.
Xie Yushu heard from Song Jie that Princess Yongle's husband, Marquis Dingyuan Li Shan, was very close to Liang Shou and his group of old ministers, so Princess Yongle was probably the first to take a concubine.
So Xie Yushu didn't beat around the bush and said with a smile, "I've heard that Lord Liang and the others suggested that His Majesty enrich the harem."
"Your Majesty the Empress is quite well aware of the affairs of the previous dynasty." Princess Yongle didn't even look at her, only playing with her son. "The Empress should remember that the inner palace must not interfere in politics."
She not only looked down on Xie Yushu, a second-marriage woman born of a concubine, but she also looked down on the current emperor. If it weren't for the accident that happened to the eldest and second princes, how could a beggar who had just been found have inherited the throne?
Xie Yushu did not argue with her, but asked her, "The Marquis of Dingyuan has been getting very close to Lord Liang and the others these past few days. It seems that they have already made a plan. Since Lord Liang and the others have made a suggestion in the court, the princess in the harem will put pressure on me?"
Princess Yongle looked up at her, as if she hadn't expected that someone living in the inner palace would know about things outside the palace.
"Since that's the case, then there's no need to waste words." Xie Yushu smiled and glanced at everyone, saying, "Which one of you is Lord Liang's daughter? I remember that Lord Liang's two daughters are famous talented women in Bianjing. Have they come today?"
It came naturally.
Her gaze quickly fell upon Liang Shou's wife, Lady Zhuang Jinxin, who was granted the title of Imperial Decree.
Standing beside Zhuang Jinxin were two beautiful young girls. They were not flustered when they were suddenly called out. They walked forward gracefully, bowed to Xie Yushu, and introduced themselves. One was called Liang Shuhe and the other was called Liang Shiyan.
Xie Yushu told them to get up and look up.
The two girls raised their heads as instructed, but politely lowered their eyes and did not look directly at the Empress.
"They are as beautiful as jade and full of poetry and literature." Xie Yushu nodded at them, then looked at Liang Shou's wife and said, "Then let's keep them in the palace."
Madam Liang's expression changed, and she immediately stood up. Her husband had indeed discussed with her sending their daughters to the palace to become concubines, but why did he suddenly want both of her daughters to stay in the palace?
Not to mention that the new emperor favors the empress so much, whether her daughter can gain favor if she enters the palace is another matter. Once she enters the palace, it will be difficult for her to see her daughter for the rest of her life.
"Your Majesty flatters me," Madam Liang said with a smile. "Shuhe is only fifteen years old this year. She has been weak since childhood and is still taking medicine to recuperate. I'm afraid she won't be able to serve His Majesty properly."
Xie Yushu looked at Madam Liang and listened quietly until she finished speaking before asking, "Is Madam Liang feeling sorry for her daughter? To ensure the continuation of His Majesty's lineage is such a great honor. Why does Madam Liang speak as if she were entering the palace as a slave?"
Madam Liang was so shocked that she immediately knelt down, "This is not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?" Xie Yushu pressed aggressively.
The two sisters of the Liang family also knelt down. The elder sister, Liang Shiyan, defended her mother, saying, "Your Majesty the Empress has misunderstood. My mother meant that my younger sister is young and weak, and I'm afraid that if she enters the palace, she will not be able to continue the imperial line for His Majesty and will fail Your Majesty's good intentions."
“It doesn’t matter that she’s young. She can be well cared for by my side for a few years, and her health will naturally improve.” Xie Yushu looked at them and said in an unquestionable tone, “Lord Liang is a pillar of the state, and it would be most appropriate for his daughter to enter the palace to serve His Majesty.”
Madam Liang clenched her handkerchief tightly in her anxiety, her eyes almost reddening.
Xie Yushu asked, "Liang Shuhe, would you be willing to enter the palace with your sister to serve the Emperor?"
With her head bowed, Liang Shuhe tightened her sleeves and said softly, "If Your Majesty asks whether I am willing or not, I am not willing."
The hall was completely silent.
Princess Yongle, seeing their expressions, said, "It is your honor to enter the palace and serve His Majesty. What is there to be unwilling about?"
"Yes, it is my honor to be favored by Your Majesty and to serve His Majesty in the palace. I will obey. But if you ask me if I am willing, I am not willing." Liang Shuhe said with her head still down, "I also disagree with Your Majesty. My father taught my sister and me to read and write, not so that we could marry someone and continue our lineage, but so that we could understand things and be kind and virtuous."
"Knowledgeable and reasonable, eloquent and virtuous in speech and action." Xie Yushu looked at her and asked, "What you mean is that you don't want to serve the Emperor as a concubine, so what would you like to do?"
Liang Shuhe dared not answer the question in her heart.
Xie Yushu then asked, "Would you be willing to be a drafter in the Imperial Secretariat?"
Liang Shuhe looked up in surprise, unsure whether the Empress was mocking her. After all, the position of Zhongshu Sheren was a proper fifth-rank official, in charge of drafting imperial edicts, issuing decrees, and receiving memorials from the emperor. No woman had ever held such a position before… The Empress was humiliating her.
"This humble woman dares not." But she was indignant. She had also studied hard since childhood. If women could take the imperial examinations, she might have passed with flying colors long ago. Why should she be able to read and write only to continue the male line? She was just telling the truth that she did not want to be humiliated like this?
Her eyes welled up with tears, but she still couldn't help but say, "But if Her Majesty the Empress asks me if I am willing, I will naturally be willing."
Her older sister quickly pulled her hand, and her mother also hurriedly apologized on her behalf, but she still refused to accept it.
Princess Yongle sneered, looking at the new empress sitting in the hall. The new empress dared to sit in the emperor's seat, but now even a lowly court lady dared to contradict her and disobey her. How could she sit peacefully in the position of empress?
Xie Yushu nodded and said, "Then you should try serving as a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat."
Liang Shuhe and her sister were both shocked. They looked up at the Empress as if they hadn't understood, forgetting all their manners.
The entire hall was filled with astonishment.
The Empress stopped explaining and turned to Princess Yongle, saying, "Your Highness is concerned about His Majesty's succession. Why don't you leave the young prince in the palace today? The palace is too deserted. Perhaps leaving the young prince here can bring His Majesty a son or daughter."
Princess Yongle's face froze, staring at her incredulously. What was wrong with her?
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Author's Note: Today's update~
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