"Have you finished the homework your grandmother assigned you yesterday?" Lu Jinshu had barely begun to ask when Ling Xihe stood up from the ground and ran out without looking back, clearly trying to avoid his homework.
Lu Jinshu wanted to get her back, but Ling Shumo stopped him. "Forget it, the child is still young. When she turns seven, she will have to move to Chonghua Palace to live alone. By that time, even if you indulge her willfulness, it won't work. While there is still a chance, you should cultivate the father-daughter relationship and stop scolding her all the time."
The dynasty stipulated that upon reaching the age of seven, an imperial daughter could no longer remain with her biological father and must move to Chonghua Palace to live independently. This was partly due to concerns that a loving father might spoil his daughter, but more importantly, it was to prevent the princess from becoming too close to her biological father, which could lead to external relatives interfering in government and destabilizing the nation.
Lu Jinshu didn't want to indulge Ling Xi and Hu's mischief, but since Ling Shumo had made her decision, he had no choice but to agree. He walked Ling Shumo all the way to the end of the corridor, then walked back with a heavy heart.
The silver needle in Ling Xijie's quilt was not placed by him, but it was even less likely that it appeared out of thin air.
The only explanation was that Pei Jiuyan acted out the incident himself, and took the opportunity to hide the silver needle in his hand while lifting the quilt.
Jiufu's eyes revealed contempt. "Although I haven't spent much time with Queen Chunyi, I can sense that he's a kind person. But I never imagined that his own brother would be such a wretch. Master and him have no grudges against each other, so why would he do this? What good would it bring him to frame Master?"
Lu Jinshu recalled Pei Jiuyan's words and actions and couldn't help but sneer. "In this harem, only he and I gave birth to a princess, so he naturally regarded me as his imaginary enemy. He thought that if His Majesty disliked me, he could use his daughter to get whatever he wanted in the palace. But he didn't think about who he was."
Jiufu said, "Mr. Pei is so arrogant, the master must teach him a lesson."
Lu Jinshu raised the corners of his lips and smiled, "Of course. No one who provokes me has ever suffered a bad fate." Whether one is as noble as Fu Yijing or as beautiful as Xue Wu, if they offend him, Lu Jinshu, they will be in big trouble. He doesn't want to take the initiative to cause trouble, but if the other party is blind and provokes him, don't blame him for being rude.
…
Time flies and it’s three days later.
The main hall of Changle Palace is solemn and majestic.
The officials of the court and the mistresses of the harem sat in their corresponding seats according to their ranks, and everyone looked at the most senior seat respectfully.
The emperor's throne was high on the white marble steps, and Lu Jinshu and Fu Yijing, the two queens of the east and west palaces, sat on either side of Ling Shumo's throne respectively.
There was another chair beside Ling Shumo. The back of this chair was inlaid with a priceless red jade bloodstone, and the seat was covered with high-quality rose-red satin embroidered with auspicious patterns of dragons and phoenixes, highlighting the noble status of the chair's owner.
However, no one was sitting on such a gorgeous chair. Instead, a tablet was placed upright on it. The owner of the tablet was the protagonist of today's ceremony, the late Queen Chunyi Pei Jiusheng.
Shi Qi stepped forward and read the imperial edict to the crowd below, "By the Emperor of Heaven and the Mandate of Heaven, I decree: The Pei family has a son, Pei Jiusheng, who was a virtuous and enduring character. He was dignified, intelligent, respectful, and virtuous. During his time as the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace, he diligently managed the harem's affairs. He unfortunately passed away from overwork, and I am deeply saddened. Now, I hereby posthumously confer the title of First-Rank Queen, bestowing upon him the name 'Pure and Virtuous,' and allowing him to reside eternally in Linglong Palace as the master of the six harems. A hundred years from now, he will be buried with my body and sleep beside me, wishing us eternal life together as husband and wife. I decree this."
Lu Jinshu had participated in the drafting of this imperial edict and had long known its contents, so he wasn't terribly shocked. But Fu Yijing, who was beside him, wasn't so calm. The part about being buried with the emperor a hundred years later was particularly shocking, nearly causing him to lose his composure.
According to ancestral rules, no matter how many husbands a woman married, only her original husband could be buried with her. However, Ling Shumo's situation was somewhat unique. Her original wife, the Crown Princess Qin Wen'er, had not died of natural causes but had been deposed and then hacked to death. Her remains had long been thrown into a mass grave, even her bones gnawed away by wild dogs. Therefore, she could not be buried in the imperial mausoleum.
Afterwards, Ling Shumo married Pei Jiusheng as his second wife. Pei Jiusheng could have been buried with his wife, but he angered the Emperor and was also deposed.
Normally, as the third Crown Princess after Pei Jiusheng, Fu Yijing would be buried alongside the Emperor a hundred years later. Before today, he had always believed he and Ling Shumo would share a bed and a grave. But just now, Ling Shumo had told him in front of everyone that the long-deceased Queen Chunyi was the only husband she had ever recognized.
Fu Yijing couldn't accept this outcome. He had completely lost the emperor's favor. The title of a queen was his last bit of dignity. But now, even this little bit of power he had left was stripped away.
Fu Yijing suddenly looked at Lu Jinshu who was standing next to him. He wanted to see the same frustration on Lu Jinshu's face, but he was destined to be disappointed.
Lu Jinshu's face didn't show the slightest bit of strangeness. He walked respectfully to Pei Jiusheng's tablet and bowed devoutly. "Brother Jiusheng, I know that the person you're most worried about in this world must be His Majesty. Don't worry, I will take good care of His Majesty and prevent Him from suffering any harm. I only hope that after you feel His Majesty's love for you, you won't have to worry about worldly troubles anymore, and that you can be reincarnated early and have a happy new life."
Ling Shumo wiped away the moisture from the corners of her eyes. She was very moved and took Lu Jinshu's hand. "The only person in this world who can understand my feelings is Jin'an."
Lu Jinshu sighed softly, his tone very sad. "Your Majesty and I often think back to the time in the East Palace when Brother Jiusheng was still here. Your Majesty always had a smile on his face back then."
As he spoke, his gaze cast towards the tablet placed on the rose-red satin. His voice lowered a bit, as if he were talking to himself, "If possible, I sincerely hope to exchange my own life for Brother Jiusheng's resurrection. That way, Your Majesty wouldn't have to be separated from the man you love so deeply."
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