Ouyang Zhen felt a pang of pain in his heart. He knew he was under a lot of pressure, and Han Luoxue, as the Empress, was under just as much pressure.
"But you should know that you are the only one in my heart!"
"So as long as you don't take a fancy to another woman and don't marry her into the palace, what I just said will absolutely not happen!"
As a modern person, she simply couldn't bring herself to share a husband with someone else!
"You said it yourself! You can't go back on your word!" Ouyang Zhen said fiercely.
Han Luoxue said solemnly, "Brother Chen, I promise you, as long as you don't betray me, I, Han Luoxue, will never betray you!"
The man lowered his head and gently kissed her lips, then sighed, "Let's make sure Zhuangzhuang grows up quickly! We can marry her thirty or twenty men later!"
Hearing this, Han Luoxue burst out laughing: "Brother Chen, you can't be so mean to your child!"
Her son Zhuangzhuang is still a baby, and he's already expected to shoulder the heavy responsibility of marrying many wives...
I wonder if Zhuangzhuang will hate his father when he grows up!
"There's no other way. Her father is a good-for-nothing who only loves her mother, so the heavy responsibility of managing the harem has to fall on her shoulders!"
Zhuangzhuang, far away with the Empress Dowager, shivered and couldn't help but groan a few times. He felt like he'd been insulted, but he had no proof.
Mengmeng was still fast asleep. Xueyatou has been sleeping a lot lately, but she's growing very fast. She's a cute little princess, and everyone's eyes are on her wherever she goes.
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor Emeritus both adored him, and of course, they also liked Zhuangzhuang very much.
...
Regarding the Empress's plan to escape with the two children, the Emperor and Empress had a serious discussion in bed, and afterwards, no one dared to bring it up again, risking their lives. When Han Luoxue woke up again, it was already dark.
Nightingale and Night Snow smiled secretly, feeling happy as servants to see their masters getting along so well!
"Your Highness, please don't say such things again. If the Emperor hears you, I'll probably be punished next time!"
This time, the Emperor only gave them both a cold glare, but next time it might be different.
Han Luoxue rubbed her aching back and wholeheartedly agreed.
The two maids brought her hot water; she was so tired, she definitely needed a good soak.
"Your Majesty, do we still need to build that platform you mentioned?" After the Emperor's recent lesson, the Empress will probably give up, right?
"Of course we'll build one, and we'll build a proper one!"
Han Luoxue smiled slightly, a smile that sent chills down the spines of the two maids. When the Empress smiled like that, she was definitely plotting something again.
"Are we going to have those noble ladies perform on stage?" Nightingale asked cautiously.
Han Luoxue nodded: "Of course!"
"But, but what if those shameless women seduce the Emperor?" Ye Xue's face turned pale. If the Emperor found out that the Empress was going to continue putting on the show, she wondered if he would hold them accountable.
"Is your emperor such an easily seduced person?"
The two maids quickly shook their heads. Their emperor was certainly not easily seduced, but those women were equally outstanding!
"I've already thought it through. Not only will the stage be set up, but it will be set up exceptionally well. Later, I'll design the lighting effects; that area will be absolutely stunning."
"As for the performances, I have an idea. We can assume the banquet lasts for one hour, with one hour reserved for performances. Then we can calculate the approximate duration of each performance and auction off the performance slots according to their duration and order of appearance!"
Nightingale and Night Snow were both stunned. What had they just heard? As expected of their mistress, she was incredibly sharp.
While those women were still thinking about how to get into the Emperor's bed, the Empress was already calculating how to make money off them.
"Your Majesty, do you think it's appropriate to auction off this spot?"
Such banquets have been held in the past, but the number of noble ladies who perform on stage is not large, and there is no precedent for paying to perform.
Han Luoxue smiled slightly: "Whether you perform or not is up to you! I'm just making a suggestion; I believe many people would like this opportunity!"
"After all, it's just one spot, but for them, it could be a life-changing opportunity!"
Of course, this only applies to those women; for Han Luoxue, it's just a way to please herself.
"We can release this news tomorrow and let it circulate for a few days!"
"By the way, all the proceeds from the auction will be turned over to the national treasury!"
Now, the two girls admired Han Luoxue even more.
If Her Majesty the Empress were to actually auction it off, many people would likely speak ill of her. But if all the proceeds were turned over to the national treasury, what could those people possibly say?
The Empress isn't doing this for herself; she's just trying to replenish the national treasury.
Upon hearing this news, Ouyang Zhen smiled.
On that day, the emperor of Xiyao Kingdom will also attend; he will bring a letter of surrender and submit directly to them.
...
The capital city was bustling again because of the Empress's actions.
The young ladies from those aristocratic families gathered together and began to discuss the banquet performance.
In the past, people would perform at events like this, but they would never be auctioned off publicly.
Everyone was shocked. Some said that the Empress was greedy for money, while others said that the Empress was petty and obsessed with money.
However, some people objected, because the Empress had said that all the silver she received would be donated to the national treasury, and many people praised the Empress for her righteousness.
Xu Lingyi curled her lip in disdain: "I think the Empress is doing this on purpose. She doesn't want to spend any money but wants to gain a good reputation. Last time, her idea filled the national treasury, so why should we be the ones who paid and put in the effort, while she gets all the credit?"
A young lady spoke up timidly from the side: "Miss Xu, but Her Majesty the Empress donated quite a lot back then..."
Xu Lingyi glared at the woman who had just spoken: "Shut up! Who knows if that grain belongs to the Empress? Maybe she's using our grain to play the good guy?"
At the time, she was just shocked, but later she felt it was impossible.
At that time, there was very little food left in the capital. Where did the Empress get her food? Some say that the Empress helped the army solve the food problem, but she thinks that the Emperor was just deliberately speaking up for the Empress.
They could believe it if it was said that the emperor had resolved it, but the rest was best left unsaid.
"Sister Xu, you should watch your words!" Li Qingluan frowned unhappily; she was also thinking about the performance.
Generally, the first performance is the best, but if that's not possible, the last one is the best choice.
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