After bowing in the direction of Ling Shumo, the head of the table, King Ping An smiled and introduced, "Your Majesty, this young man is my sister's newly adopted brother, Yan Yuyang."
Yan Yuyang walked out from behind King Pingyang. He was wearing a silver rose-colored gauze dress with exquisite blue crystals embroidered on the gray-green shoulders. He had a light green ribbon tied around his waist, which made his slender waist look as if it could be grasped in one hand.
Ling Shumo looked up and saw that he had a clear face and eyebrows, and looked like a beautiful fairy from the Shengle Palace, as if he was a fairy who had fallen from the Moon Palace to the mortal world.
However, Ling Shumo had seen too many beauties. For example, Fu Yijing, who now lived in Fengyi Palace and had fallen out of favor, was three times more beautiful than Yan Yuyang. So she was only stunned for a moment, and the look in her eyes had returned to calm.
But because this person was sent by Prince Pingyang, in order to give face to her fifth sister, Ling Shumo still had an interested smile on her face.
Prince Pingyang noticed Ling Shumo's indifference, but he was not at all discouraged. Instead, he turned his head to look at the beautiful Yan Yuyang.
Yan Yuyang once again knelt and saluted Ling Shumo, the tassels on his head swaying and colliding with each other, making a pleasant "ding dong" sound. "I have long admired your majesty's elegance and literary talent. I have specially asked King Pingyang to take me into the palace, only hoping that I can serve your majesty for the rest of my life."
As soon as he said this, Ling Shumo's right hand holding the brush suddenly stiffened, and the pen fell from her hand, hitting the table lightly, then rolled all the way to the edge of the table and fell to the ground with a "bang".
He Huiyuan was bewildered by Ling Shumo's startled expression. She looked at Prince Pingyang, slightly bewildered, only to see a determined smile on his lips. She could only ponder Yan Yuyang's words over and over again: "I've long admired Your Majesty." Wasn't that just a repetitive phrase? Anyone else would have flattered His Majesty. She couldn't figure out what was so extraordinary about this sworn brother of Prince Pingyang Ren that could attract His Majesty's attention?
Ling Shumo stared at Yan Yuyang standing in front of her. The moment he spoke, she almost thought Pei Jiusheng had come back to life. Yan Yuyang's voice couldn't be said to be similar to Pei Jiusheng's; it was exactly the same.
After Jiang He committed suicide by swallowing gold, she had already decided not to look for someone else to be Pei Jiusheng's substitute. But when a man with the same voice as Pei Jiusheng actually stood in front of her, her heart was no longer touched, but shocked.
Prince Pingyang was quite pleased with Ling Shumo's reaction. Yan Yuyang had originally been presented to her by a lower-ranking official, a beauty she had intended to keep. But the moment Yan Yuyang spoke, she immediately changed her mind and decided to send this man into the harem.
Although she also liked Yan Yuyang in her heart, she was more able to distinguish the priorities of things. As long as she could please the emperor, what kind of beauty could she not get?
In the past, Pei Jiusheng was a pain that the emperor could not bear to mention, but now the Immortal Emperor has passed away, and no one can put pressure on the emperor anymore.
The emperor had already planned to posthumously confer the title of First-Rank Empress on Pei Jiusheng, the second Princess Consort. With someone who looked so much like Pei Jiusheng in her hands, it was truly a gift. Was this a gift of beauty? She was gifting her the wealth and splendor of the rest of her life.
Ling Shumo smiled and clapped her hands. "That's truly wonderful! This new brother of mine, my sister, is truly wonderful." As she spoke, she carefully examined Yan Yuyang's face once more. She had only been slightly struck by her appearance just now, but now, she felt she was incomparably perfect. "I will confer upon you the rank of a beauty of the fourth rank. Let Li Qiu take you to the Emperor and Empress's residence first, and you will sleep with me in the Yangxin Palace tonight."
A fourth-rank beauty, this position had already exceeded Prince Pingyang's expectations. Yan Yuyang was almost overjoyed, but he forced himself to remain calm and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace."
He Huiyuan should have refrained from looking at the men in His Majesty's harem, but she couldn't help but stare at Yan Yuyang's face, examining him from head to toe. Her younger brother, even after entering the palace, had to wait until he had completed his regular bedtime duties before being granted a rank. Yan Yuyang wasn't even nearly as good-looking as his younger brother, so why did His Majesty treat him so favorably?
He Huiyuan was actually a woman with a very shrewd mind, very good at guessing her superiors' intentions. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to rise so high in the officialdom. But no matter how clever she was, she had never met Pei Jiusheng, so she couldn't imagine his voice out of thin air. Naturally, she could only be like this, completely confused.
…
Chenyou Palace.
Because Fu Yijing has been completely sidelined, Lu Jinshu is now extremely busy.
Jiufu came in and told him that General He had recommended his brother to the palace. Without even looking up, Lu Jinshu said casually, "Have someone wait in the side hall first. I'll go see him after I finish reading this page of accounts."
However, not long after, Jiufu pushed the door open again and said, "His Majesty has appointed Prince Pingyang's younger brother as a concubine, and he said that he will appoint this beautiful concubine to sleep with him tonight."
Lu Jinshu was such a perceptive person that he could tell something was wrong just by listening to Jiufu's two words. The previous dynasty emphasized the art of balance for the emperor, and the same was true for the harem.
Normally, His Majesty should treat He Huaichen and Yan Yuyang equally, but now, His Majesty has only conferred the title on Yan Yuyang. Lu Jinshu couldn't help but become curious, "Is this beautiful Lady Yan exceptionally beautiful?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com