"Oh, Xue girl, don't worry, I like you!"
The Empress Dowager patted Han Luoxue's little hand. Since Xue'er has her own ideas, let her have them.
Wu
Madam Wu smiled and said, "Alright, don't worry too much. It's normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines, let alone the emperor."
The two maids secretly ran away, and they ran all the way outside the palace, where they caught up with two different carriages.
"Miss, Madam, I just overheard that the Empress Dowager meant that she loves the Empress, while Old Madam Wu advised her to be more open-minded, saying that it's normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines!"
Inside the carriage, the woman in dark red pursed her lips, a hint of disdain in her eyes: "I knew this idea couldn't have been hers!"
"Luan'er, don't worry. This time, the Emperor finally relented. Even if our Li family has to do everything in our power, we will still send you to the palace."
Madam Li's expression was resolute as she looked at her stunningly beautiful and exceptionally elegant daughter. Her daughter was the one who should be outstanding, destined to be above everyone else.
"Mother, thank you!" Li Qingluan smiled shyly. She had always known that she was exceptionally beautiful and talented, but her parents had always told her to keep a low profile. Otherwise, how could Mengyao possibly be hailed as the most talented woman in the capital?
Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, it is time for her to make her appearance.
"That empress is nothing to worry about. She has never been your real opponent! In fact, she is just a country girl. If it weren't for a chance encounter with the emperor, what fate could they possibly have had?"
Madam Li sneered, while Li Qingluan giggled, "Mother, that's fate! The Empress has given the Emperor two children, so she is definitely worthy of my attention!"
It's clear that Li Qingluan is an exceptionally intelligent woman, and she is also calm and composed. During the palace banquet, she remained silent and did not take the initiative to speak up.
"You're right, we still need to plan this carefully!"
"So what if Her Majesty the Empress had twins? She still has no backing. How can a mere village girl compete with you?"
Madam Li curled her lip in disdain: "Your only rivals are Xu Lingyi and Su Xiaoman."
Upon hearing the names of the two women, Li Qingluan's expression darkened. Their backgrounds were no less impressive than hers, and their looks were exceptional, far surpassing Han Luoxue's.
"Mother, I know I will seize this opportunity. As long as I can enter the palace, I am confident I can win the Emperor's heart!"
Madam Li nodded in satisfaction. The situation was much the same in the other carriage.
Everyone knew that the Empress had no other choice this time, and since she had no powerful background, they were even less afraid.
It's just donating some money and grain, right? Not only will it allow their daughter to enter the palace in style, but it will also bring good reputation to their daughter and family. It's a win-win situation.
Everyone was eager to get started, but when they came to Han Luoxue's side, the two palace maids looked sullen and unhappy.
"Your Majesty, how could you make such a request?"
Qinghe looked puzzled. The Empress didn't seem stupid, but the conditions were too harsh.
Without the help of the Zhou and Wu families, how could their lady compare to those noble ladies from aristocratic families?
You have to understand that those people were all very wealthy; even after the famine, they were still rich!
"The national treasury is currently empty. As long as I can help the Emperor, I'll be content. As for the rest..."
Han Luoxue's lips curled into a bitter smile, giving off an extremely helpless feeling.
She knew that these two palace maids were safe to use, but she couldn't be sure about other places in the palace.
Who knows, there might be spies everywhere?
"This...but Your Highness, what will happen after they enter the palace..."
"You two are worrying too much. The Emperor will take concubines sooner or later, won't he?"
The two maids nodded solemnly. They knew that the Emperor was currently treating the Empress very well and was not planning to take any concubines for the time being. But what about later?
A man's heart is the most unpredictable.
"So don't worry, rest assured, no matter how many women come to the palace in the future, I believe the Emperor's heart for me will not change!"
"Does Your Majesty trust me that much?"
An unpleasant voice came from behind, and Han Luoxue trembled. She knew that she was in the wrong today because she hadn't discussed it with Ouyang Zhen beforehand, but she didn't want Ouyang Zhen to be constantly pressured by the ministers to take a concubine.
Procrastination is not her style; she wants to make a decision as soon as possible. Wouldn't it be better to cut to the chase?
"emperor……"
The two maids hurriedly bowed, and Ouyang Zhen waved them away, signaling them to leave. Soon, only the two of them remained in the room.
"I had no idea that Her Majesty the Empress was so pregnant!"
This was the first time Ouyang Zhen had used the title "朕" (zhen, meaning "I" or "the Emperor") when he was alone with her, and he even called her "Empress." It was clear that the Emperor was quite angry.
"Brother Chen, I just wanted to help you!"
Han Luoxue knew she was in the wrong, so she moved closer to Ouyang Zhen and threw herself into his arms.
She nuzzled his chest with her little head and said in a fawning tone, "Come on, let's go back first!"
Although there was no one around, it wasn't as safe as inside the house. They didn't want their private conversation to be overheard by people outside.
Ouyang Zhen did not refuse and held her small hand, but his grip was a bit too strong, and Han Luoxue felt her small hand being squeezed a little painfully.
Back in the palace, Han Luoxue snuggled into his arms again: "I just came up with this idea, Brother Chen. I know how you feel about me. My heart is the same as yours, it only has you. Of course I don't want to share you with other women, but it's not good to keep being pressured by them."
"During the banquet just now, I suddenly had an idea. Let's give them a chance. Those noble ladies definitely look down on me, right?"
Ouyang Zhen snorted but did not refute.
How did those people know how good Xue'er was?
"The national treasury is empty right now, and we can't always rely on ourselves to make up for it, can we? Wouldn't it be better to have them contribute money and effort? Besides, you know what I have. No matter how much money they contribute, in the end, it won't be more than what I have, right?"
Ouyang Zhen sighed: "It's my fault for being useless!"
“Brother Chen, I won’t allow you to say that. You’ve already done a great job, and you’re not the one who caused the national treasury to be empty.”
Ouyang Zhen knew this principle, of course, but he still felt a little bad. He felt extremely guilty that he had to trouble Han Luoxue to solve this kind of problem.
"As long as you only have me in your heart, that's enough. Trust me, I'll send someone to make a big fuss about this tomorrow. We can mobilize outside forces, and then we can not only raise a lot of silver and grain, but also silence the gossip!"
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