Chapter 703 What’s wrong with my queen being a little jealous?
Jinyun: “???”
The palace servant leading the way: "..."
Is this what you mean by ancestral system?
"But the royal family and the court officials..." Jinyun whispered, "They might be dissatisfied with the Empress, and outsiders will also talk about her being jealous."
"What's wrong with my queen being a little jealous?"
Xiao Yan gathered his cloak closer, ignoring the strange looks from those around him, and said nonchalantly, "I like her jealousy, I like the way she cares about me. If she doesn't mind having someone else around me, then I'll be the one who's jealous."
Seeing that Jinyun seemed to have something to say, Xiao Yan raised his eyelids and glanced at him.
"There will only be Tang Ning in this harem. The harmony between the emperor and the empress is a blessing for the world. If anyone is too idle and dissatisfied to interfere in my family affairs, let them come to me. I don't mind killing a chicken to scare the other monkeys."
Jinyun couldn't help but say, "But Your Majesty, since ancient times, there has never been a saying that there should be only one concubine in the harem. Moreover, you have just ascended the throne, and the court is unstable. If you can appease those who are dissatisfied with you with a few concubines, it will be a good thing for you."
"Since you love and cherish the Empress, you can just place the others in the harem. After all, those court officials only want the title of concubine. You will definitely understand why the Empress cares so much..."
"You seem to be talking a lot today."
Jinyun's scalp tightened. When he met Xiao Yan's brows, which were darkened by the moonlight, he knew that he was angry even though he didn't say much.
Jinyun's legs went weak and he fell to his knees with a thump.
"When did I need to sell myself out to ensure the safety of the court? When did I need to put Tang Ning in a difficult position to appease those who were not worthy of the platform? Do you underestimate me too much, or do you overestimate those people?"
Xiao Yan lowered his eyes and looked at Jin Yun who was kneeling on the ground. He leaned sideways with his eyes closed and spoke in a low voice like a chime.
"Since you know that I love Tang Ning, you should understand that I will not let her down in the slightest. Besides, you underestimate human nature."
"Do you think those people only want a concubine position? They want those women to compete for the emperor's favor after entering the palace. They want them to do everything they can to conceive a prince. They want the future throne of the Son of Heaven and the dignity of a relative by marriage. Their desires are growing, and it's hard to satisfy them. Then, Tang Ning, who is the only one who has the emperor's favor, will be a thorn in everyone's side."
He grew up in the palace and had seen the ways in which many women went crazy. Even if his father was favored by Emperor Taizu and his mother and father were in love with each other, there were still women who wanted to get into the bed of the Eastern Palace by any means necessary.
My father was taught by Emperor Taizu since he was a child and learned the mindset of an emperor. He was wise and brave in government affairs and in the Wei Dynasty and there was nothing wrong with him, but he had the common problem of emperors when it came to matters between men and women.
Emperor Taizu had many concubines in his harem, as did the late emperor. Although my father did not have as many concubines as them in the Eastern Palace, he still had quite a few.
When Xiao Yan was a child, he witnessed his mother pretending to be magnanimous and tolerant while helping his father take concubines, while secretly wiping away tears and feeling sad. From the beginning, he was full of admiration for his father, but later on, they only treated each other with respect.
She was still very kind to her father, still received praise from outsiders, and even lived and died with her father and never left him.
But Xiao Yan knew that his mother no longer loved his father.
Xiao Yan would never let Tang Ning become the second mother, nor would he let himself and Tang Ning end up like his mother and father in the past.
Even if it was just a temporary consideration for the so-called overall situation, he would not give others the slightest chance to damage their relationship, nor would he invite some inexplicable women into the palace to bother Tang Ning. After all, his little girl was very narrow-minded.
Xiao Yan turned sideways and looked at Jin Yun: "I don't care whether you are thinking this on your own or have been asked by someone else to test my opinion. This is just one time."
"Jinyun, don't waste the friendship you've shown me over the years."
After Xiao Yan finished speaking, he just casually said "Get up" and turned and left.
Jinyun knelt there but didn't stand up.
"Commander Jin..." An accompanying guard came forward and wanted to help him.
Jinyun reached out and pushed the person away.
The man's face was stung by the wind, and he couldn't help but whisper, "Commander Jin, please get up quickly. It's freezing cold. Be careful not to hurt your knees. His Majesty doesn't blame you."
Jinyun shook his head: "It has nothing to do with Your Majesty."
During this period, the flattery of those people in the court and the closeness of His Majesty to him made him forget his limits. He forgot that his master was never the late emperor and others, and he also forgot that there were some things he had no right to speak about.
The master would never give in even a little when it came to matters concerning girls. How could he think that those people in the court could control the master?
"Leave me alone, let me kneel down and clear my head."
Elsewhere, after Xiao Yan left, the young eunuch who had been following him came up a moment later. He stepped forward with a lantern and whispered, "Your Majesty, Commander Jin is still kneeling."
Xiao Yan pursed his lips and said, "If he wants to kneel, then he can kneel. Have someone keep an eye on him. If he doesn't get up after half an hour, then pull him up."
He knew that Jinyun meant well and never doubted his loyalty. Like Canglang, Jinyun had followed him since he was young and down on his luck. After recognizing him as their master, they had risked their lives for him many times. His feelings for these two were different from those for others.
He just didn't want Jinyun to go astray.
Today he promised to give up the position of concubine in order to appease the court, and tomorrow he will give in step by step for other things. Those old foxes in the court are all ruthless. If they think that he, the emperor, is easy to bully, that he has weaknesses that can be exploited, and that they can force him to give in by using the stability of the court, then they will pounce on him like sharks that smell blood and devour him.
This precedent cannot be set.
Xiao Yan was somewhat annoyed by those people in the court who were so ignorant and kept testing him. He rubbed his fingertips and changed the subject: "Pan Xi, how is your master doing lately?"
The young eunuch in front of him was Feng Lai's apprentice. He had joined Feng Lai when he was still following him. Later, when Feng Lai got into trouble, Xiao Yan saw that he was smart and knew his limits, so he kept him by his side and used him.
Pan Xi quickly said, "Master, his injuries have almost healed, but that eye is completely useless."
"Why didn't I see him just now?" Xiao Yan asked.
Pan Xi lowered his head and said, "Master is hiding from people. He said he has a facial injury and is afraid of scaring others, so he rarely appears in public."
Xiao Yan asked, "Have you asked me to ask him about his leaving the palace?"
Pan Xi replied, "I've already asked, but Master refused. He said he entered the palace at the age of eight after being castrated. He's spent most of his life in the palace. He doesn't know what the outside world has become like, and he can't adapt to life outside the palace."
"Master said he wanted to stay in the palace. He said that if His Majesty could show mercy and allow him to die in the palace, and he could be buried in a proper tomb in the future, that would be his greatest blessing."
Xiao Yan fell silent upon hearing this. He could guess why Feng Lai didn't want to leave.
It's not that he can't adapt to life outside, it's just that he has served two generations of emperors and knows too many secrets. He is afraid that after leaving the palace, he will fall into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, and that he will become a knife in the hands of others if he can't keep some secrets.
Xiao Yan sighed softly, "Tell Feng Lai, I agree."
Pan Xi quickly bowed his head and said, "I, your servant, would like to thank Your Majesty on behalf of my master."
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