It goes without saying that these two will be the most expensive. She wants to get one of them, or better yet, both.
But she didn't know what these young ladies were thinking. If they shared the same thoughts, then the prices for those two spots would be staggering.
Li Qingluan hated the Empress to the core. She knew perfectly well that this was all the Empress's scheme, but she had no choice but to fall into it.
Because she needed this opportunity to perform.
Her father had already told her that if she still couldn't gain the emperor's favor and enter the palace, he would find her a husband and marry her off first, since she was already quite old.
"I..." Xu Lingyi felt very wronged. She felt that she was definitely not the only one with such doubts, but she was the only one who said it out loud.
These people are all so hypocritical. They clearly dislike the Empress, yet they dare not say a single bad word about her.
"Alright, regardless of what the Empress thinks, it's already good enough that she's given us a chance to perform. Don't forget, the Emperor will definitely be there!"
The women nodded. Since their last donation, they had all been practicing diligently. Their demands weren't many; they simply wanted a chance to impress the Emperor, hoping to win his favor.
They didn't know what was so good about the Empress. She used to be just a village girl. Even if she had helped the Emperor, his status had changed. It was already a favor that he gave her the position of Empress. Did he really expect the Emperor to have only her as his woman?
"Sister Li, would you like to ask for a good position?" Xu Lingyi asked softly.
"We'll see how things go!"
Li Qingluan didn't explain clearly; she needed to go home and discuss it with her father, as this was her last chance.
...
In the dungeon, the Empress of Xiyao Kingdom, whose injuries had healed considerably, closed her eyes in deep thought.
Xi Wujue sat beside her. At this moment, the Crown Prince of Xiyao Kingdom was no longer the spirited young man he once was.
"Father, can we go back?" Although the injuries on Xi Wujue's body were no longer visible, he had been severely tormented in the past period, which had already damaged his body. His face was pale and bloodless.
He gives off the feeling of having crawled out of hell.
"You truly are my good son!"
The Western Emperor looked at his son and sneered, "I gave you so many troops, and yet you..."
If there's one thing the Western Emperor regrets the most, it's that he made Xi Wujue the crown prince.
His son usually seemed quite intelligent and did well at first. But after he met Ouyang Zhen, he never won a single time.
"Father, I didn't mean it. I didn't expect Ouyang Zhen to be so treacherous!"
"Hehe, Xi Wujue, you don't think I don't know you lost to a woman, do you?"
Upon hearing this, Xi Wujue's expression changed. He really didn't want to admit it, but back then, it was indeed because he switched Han Luoxue that she failed.
He never imagined that woman would be so cunning, even more detestable than Ouyang Zhen.
He didn't know why Ouyang Zhen had kept him alive, but he felt uneasy.
Now his father has also been captured. It's estimated that his father won't die, but his own fate is uncertain.
"Just stay put!"
The Western Emperor closed his eyes again.
"Father, our treasure..."
Before Xi Wujue could finish speaking, the Western Emperor coldly looked over and said, "You'd better shut up about this!"
The treasure does exist, but how could he easily hand it over to Ouyang Zhen? Without sufficient sincerity, how could one possibly obtain the treasure?
Soon, the palace banquet was held, and all the performance slots were sold, fetching a total of 100,000 taels of silver. Ouyang Zhen, the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor Emeritus were all stunned.
Are all those families so rich?
The retired emperor scratched his head. He remembered that when he mentioned the empty treasury and asked these ministers to donate some money, they all cried so hard they could hardly breathe, as if they didn't even have rice at home and couldn't cook a meal.
And now...
"If you ask me, Xue is really smart! She already made them cough up blood once last time, and it'll be the same this time, haha..."
The Empress Dowager was overjoyed, and after speaking, she glanced sideways at the Emperor Emeritus: "Unlike you, you're completely useless!"
The Emperor Emeritus… What happened to her? He’s been so well-behaved lately, why is he always getting caught in the crossfire for no reason?
If he had known that a spot to enter the palace was so valuable, he should have clearly set a price when he was in power. Perhaps the national treasury would have been much wealthier by now…
"Little Xue, but you also need to be careful and keep an eye on your Emperor. Don't let him be seduced by those slutty and shameless women outside!"
Han Luoxue's forehead was covered in cold sweat. The Empress Dowager was really getting more and more fashionable. She even knew about those slutty and shameless women.
"However, I'm still really looking forward to your banquet. It sounds great, and it'll be a good opportunity to see how those women perform!"
Back when she was young, all the concubines in the harem wanted to perform in front of the emperor every day, hoping to seduce him.
She was angry then, but so what? As an empress, she was supposed to be magnanimous.
Later, her son became emperor, and the empress he married sometimes complained to her. What did she say at that time?
She said that's how it is to be an empress. The emperor can't belong to her alone. As long as the emperor gives her enough power and respect, that's enough. As an empress, as long as you give birth to a son, raise him well, and make him the crown prince and the next emperor, you'll have a lifetime of wealth and honor.
Upon seeing Han Luoxue, the Empress Dowager suddenly realized that perhaps her previous thoughts were wrong!
Who says the empress doesn't deserve the emperor's love?
After everyone was seated, the Emperor, Empress, Empress Dowager, and Emperor Emeritus naturally sat in the most prominent position in the middle, with Mengmeng and Zhuangzhuang beside them. The two little ones were extremely surprised.
They sat in chairs that Han Luoxue had specially designed for her, which were filled with thick, soft cushions so that the children wouldn't get tired at all.
The two little ones' eyes darted around, and Han Luoxue went up and poked their little faces, making them giggle.
"Mengmeng is getting better and better at smiling now!" the Empress Dowager exclaimed. The more she raised this child, the more reluctant she became to part with her.
She now plays with the child every day, and feels sad if she doesn't see him for a day.
"Zhuangzhuang is better. Boys don't need to laugh so much. Look at his cold face, it's exactly like mine!"
The retired emperor spoke defiantly, and this time the empress dowager did not refute him.
Han Luoxue looked at her son, then at Ouyang Zhen beside her, and found that the two were like two peas in a pod, even their facial expressions were perfectly synchronized.
"Your son really looks like you!" Han Luoxue said softly.
Ouyang Zhen raised an eyebrow: "If my son doesn't resemble me, then who does he resemble?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
