Harem Fighting Strategy 5
Tao Yuan was the first to be taken to the emperor's bedchamber, sparking envy and resentment from the other concubines and ministers. This was particularly true of the children of the civil officials on Ye Rong's side, who felt particularly unbalanced. The concubines and ministers from the military families, while also feeling jealous, were also genuinely happy for him.
Because in this harem, there are very few people who can fight alone. They either have a strong family background or are particularly favored. If others do not form a group, it will be difficult for them to be favored.
If Ye Rong was favored, the others on Ye Rong's side would think they had a better chance of being favored. If Tao Yuan was favored, they would naturally think their side had a better chance of being favored. Because Tao Yuan and Ye Rong, as the leaders of their respective factions, would inevitably have times when they couldn't sleep with the emperor, and then the opportunity would fall to them.
Unfortunately, they didn't know Tao Yuan's inner thoughts. Even if his lover became the emperor in this life, he had no intention of sharing him with anyone. The others, however, had nothing to do with him. They could only blame fate if they wanted to.
On the third day, they only learned etiquette for half a day in the morning, and they could start to rest at noon.
Everyone was reading or chatting in the yard when Eunuch Xu suddenly came with his men. Those who were sitting and talking in the courtyard quickly stood up and stood respectfully.
Eunuch Xu walked directly to Tao Yuan's room, and Tao Yuan and Sun Yuan also quickly stood up.
"Manager Xu." Tao Yuan and Sun Yuan bowed slightly.
"Minister Mu," Eunuch Xu turned around and took the tray from the young eunuch, saying to Tao Yuan, "These are the peaches that His Majesty has gifted to Minister Mu."
Tao Yuan immediately knelt on one knee to express his gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward."
Tao Yuan stood up and respectfully took the tray. Eunuch Xu took a half step forward, placed the tray in his hand, and whispered, "Your Majesty, please ask Minister Mu to remember to return the gift. The rose cake we had at the Empress Dowager's last time was very good."
Tao Yuan was stunned for a moment and said, "Yes."
Watching Eunuch Xu turn and leave, Tao Yuan thought to himself that this was the first time he heard of the emperor giving rewards and asking for gifts in return.
In fact, Xiao Junye was just looking for a reason to let Tao Yuan take the initiative to find him. He wanted to smell the fragrance on Tao Yuan's body, but he couldn't take him to sleep with him too frequently. Tao Yuan didn't take the initiative to send him things, so Xiao Junye asked Eunuch Xu to remind Tao Yuan to take the initiative and send him some food and drinks.
After Eunuch Xu left, the ministers from Tao Yuan's side came in again and gathered around the table, looking at the three juicy peaches. Each of these peaches was as big as two fists, exuding an alluring fruity fragrance that made people drool.
"It smells so good! I've never seen peaches this big."
"Of course you haven't seen it. This is a tribute. Only twenty or thirty are sent to the palace every year."
"It really has a sweet smell. If you leave it in the room overnight, the whole house will smell fragrant."
"Now the whole house smells so good. If I smell this at night and go to sleep, I'll dream about eating peaches."
"I think I will have more beautiful dreams."
"Ayuan, please share these peaches with everyone." Tao Yuan gave a peach to Sun Yuan, then picked up the remaining two and walked towards the small kitchen.
The people on Ye Rong's side stood in the courtyard, watching them happily dividing the peaches, and felt very uncomfortable.
Although each person could not get much from a peach, it was a tribute and a reward from the emperor himself. Even if one could only get a small bite, it was something worth being happy about.
They looked at each other, then at the silent Ye Rong, with mixed feelings. They had originally thought that after Tao Yuan had served the emperor, it would be Ye Rong's turn to serve him, but on the third day, what they received was the emperor's reward to Tao Yuan.
They couldn't help but feel anxious for Ye Rong, because the emperor was obviously interested in Tao Yuan. They hoped that Ye Rong could work harder and try to get the emperor's favor as soon as possible, otherwise the opportunity would be taken by the other people.
Ye Rong turned around and saw the palace maid standing in the corner. Their eyes met quickly, and then they looked away calmly.
Ye Rong stood up and said, "I'm going to pay my respects to the Grand Empress Dowager. Please tell Officer Xu for me. If anything happens, please send someone to the Grand Empress Dowager's palace to inform me."
The others agreed and watched him leave.
Ye Rong's grandmother was a cousin of the Empress Dowager, so Ye Rong would occasionally go to pay her respects.
After the late emperor's death and Xiao Junye's ascension to the throne, the Grand Empress Dowager locked herself in the palace, spending her days in worship and chanting. She refused to leave her palace, nor did she allow anyone to pay her respects daily. She only occasionally met with the concubines and princes who came to pay their respects. Of all the people, only Prince Yu was allowed to enter her palace at any time, and she would also meet with Ye Rong when she occasionally came to pay her respects.
Ever since Ye Rong entered the palace, every time she went to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, she was actually having a secret affair with Prince Yu.
After paying his respects to the Empress Dowager, Ye Ronggang came out of the small Buddhist temple and immediately went to the courtyard where Prince Yu lived. He had to hurry and not stay here too long.
"Your Highness." After closing the door, Ye Rong walked quickly towards Xiao Yuyang.
"Arong." Prince Yu also strode forward and hugged Ye Rong tightly.
The two hadn't seen each other for a month. Xiao Yuyang had fallen in love with Ye Rong and really missed him. But Ye Rong, who was now obsessed with conquering the emperor, didn't really want to see him, but since he had already entered the palace, he had to deal with him.
Xiao Yuyang picked up Ye Rong, put him on the bed, and kissed him hard.
Ye Rong wanted to end the battle quickly, so she started to take off Xiao Yuyang's clothes, acting as if she missed him very much.
Xiao Yuyang quickly took off all of Ye Rong's clothes, and the two of them didn't even bother to say anything as they started to entangle in the bed.
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Tao Yuan prepared some peach-filled snacks in the small kitchen and brought them to Xiao Junye as a "return gift".
Xiao Junye asked someone to take Tao Yuan to the side hall to wait. Tao Yuan put the snacks on the table, then sat on the bed, waiting for Xiao Junye in a daze.
Seeing Xiao Junye stride in, Tao Yuan stood up and saluted, "Your Majesty."
Xiao Junye didn't say anything. He walked over and pushed Tao Yuan down on the bed, then started to take off his clothes.
"Your Majesty..., I, your servant, am here to bring you some snacks. Would you like to try some?" While Tao Yuan was speaking, he had already quickly stripped Xiao Junye naked.
Xiao Junye took a deep breath from his neck, then said, "You are the most delicious dessert. I only want to eat you now, not other desserts."
Xiao Junye inhaled Tao Yuan's fragrance and caressed his body. He wanted to keep him by his side at all times, so he could always smell his fragrance. But now, he couldn't even see him every day. He had to quickly seize control of the court and the palace. Once he firmly established himself on the throne, he could favor only those he wanted.
Xiao Junye had invited Tao Yuan to sleep with him two days ago. When he went to pay his respects to the empress dowager, the empress dowager hinted to him that he should treat everyone equally. Since Tao Yuan had been invited to sleep with him, it was time for Ye Rong to come, and it was time to select a few of the other concubines and ministers to sleep with him.
Xiao Junye also thought Ye Rong was good-looking, but he had no interest or affection for him at all. Moreover, he had a smell that he hated. Just being close to him made him feel uncomfortable, let alone having sex with him.
Seeing him start to take off his clothes, Tao Yuan had to remind him, "Your Majesty, it's daytime now..."
"It doesn't matter. I'm just making up for what I didn't finish that night." Xiao Junye looked at his body in fascination. The night before yesterday, he was so focused on smelling the fragrance on his body that he didn't even realize that his body was so attractive.
Tao Yuan thought, is there any way to make up for this kind of thing? Before he could say anything, Xiao Junye had already opened his legs and pressed on him.
Tao Yuan endured the pain of being stretched and moaned softly. As soon as he opened his mouth, Xiao Junye kissed him and invaded his mouth with his tongue.
"Woo..." Tao Yuan's body felt both uncomfortable and comfortable because of the double stimulation. The strong stimulation hit his brain and he soon lost consciousness.
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Tao Yuan didn't know how much time had passed. When he came to his senses, he only felt his throat dry and hoarse, and a burning pain down there.
Xiao Junye picked up Tao Yuan, held him tightly in his arms, then kissed his slightly open mouth and continued to invade his mouth.
Xiao Junye originally thought that Tao Yuan's fragrance would make him feel comfortable, but after kissing him, he discovered that it would be even more comfortable to hold his tongue in his mouth.
Tao Yuan felt weak all over and leaned limply on Xiao Junye's body. Her tongue and lips were numbed by his sucking, and she could only wait until he had kissed her enough before letting him go.
Tao Yuan sat up and put on his clothes. Xiao Junye, who had already put on his underwear, came closer and sniffed his face downwards.
"Your Majesty..." Tao Yuan stretched out his hand to push him away, but he caught his hand. He could only say, "Your Majesty, you should let me go back, otherwise it will be too late."
"I can let you go, but..." Xiao Junye kissed the corner of his mouth and said, "You must take the initiative to bring me snacks every two or three days."
"...Yes." Tao Yuan knew that the snacks he was talking about were actually referring to himself.
Tao Yuan stood up and was about to go out. Seeing that his steps were unsteady and he could barely walk, Xiao Junye stopped him and told Eunuch Xu to arrange a sedan chair to send him back.
After watching Tao Yuan leave, Xiao Junye walked over to the table, looked at the delicate little snacks on the table, picked one up with chopsticks and put it in his mouth. After biting it, the thick juice inside flowed out, filling his mouth with the fragrance of peach. Although it was cold, it was still very delicious.
Perhaps because he was a little hungry after exercising, Xiao Junye quickly devoured all the snacks, one by one. As he ate, he thought that although these snacks were very delicious, his body was indeed more delicious.
After finishing his snack, Xiao Junye stretched his body and felt relaxed. He thought to himself that Mu Xi was indeed his best medicine. He had never felt so comfortable before.
Tao Yuan leaned back in the sedan chair, feeling that something in his body was about to flow out. He squeezed his legs tighter, thinking that he would take a shower as soon as he got back.
Ye Rong returned to Chuxiu Palace more than an hour earlier than Tao Yuan. Because he was going there for an affair, he couldn't stay too long and couldn't let anyone see anything wrong. So after returning to Chuxiu Palace, he talked to others in the courtyard for a while and behaved very normally.
Tao Yuan was delivering snacks to the emperor, so even if someone noticed something was wrong, others would only be jealous and couldn't say anything to him. In the harem, the emperor could sleep with anyone he wanted, no matter if it was a concubine, a minister, a maid, or even a female official or a servant. Only the emperor could do this in the palace.
Therefore, if Ye Rong and Prince Yu were caught having an affair in the palace, they would both be convicted. However, Prince Yu and Ye Rong were so bold and had to rely on something to have an affair in the palace. They also believed that the emperor would not find out, so they did it. Because the previous emperor was partial to Prince Yu, he gave Prince Yu a lot of power. Now, Prince Yu's people in the palace are more numerous than the emperor's people.
Although the emperor had begun slowly replacing important positions in the palace with his trusted aides after ascending the throne, it would still take a long time to completely replace them all, because it was easier to replace those in the open than those in the shadows. Furthermore, there was the Empress Dowager, who had controlled the harem for many years and also wanted Prince Yu to become emperor.
The Grand Empress Dowager supported Prince Yu because his mother, the Consort, was her niece. To protect her family, she naturally wanted Prince Yu to ascend the throne. She couldn't have been unaware of Prince Yu and Ye Rong's affair in her palace, but she not only turned a blind eye but also intentionally or unintentionally helped create opportunities for them to get along.
Under the gaze of Ye Rong and the others, Tao Yuan walked unsteadily back to his room. He looked exhausted, his cheeks flushed, and anyone could see why he looked like that. The concubines and the ministers were not allowed to wander freely within the palace. To leave Chuxiu Palace, they had to inform the female and male officials in charge. Only people like Tao Yuan and Ye Rong could pay their respects to the empress dowager at any time, simply by having someone pass on the message. Others, even if they approached Chuxiu Palace on their own, might not be allowed to leave.
Two hours ago, Tao Yuan left with some snacks, and now he came back like this. They knew what he had been doing without having to think about it.
Those who were still talking to Sun Yuan in their room immediately stood up and said, "Axi, you're back."
Sun Yuan also stood up. Seeing that Tao Yuan looked tired, he immediately asked those people to go back to their rooms and closed the door.
Tao Yuan lay down on the bed and said to Sun Yuan, "A Yuan, ask the palace maid to prepare hot water for me. I want to take a bath."
"Okay." Sun Yuan immediately turned around, opened the door and walked out.
Tao Yuan hugged his body. Because the aftereffects inside him had not completely disappeared, he couldn't help but tremble after he lay down.
Soon Sun Yuan returned to the room and opened the wardrobe to help him take out his clothes. He said to him, "The palace maids are already bringing hot water. You can go over now and take a bath immediately."
Tao Yuan slowly stood up, walked over, took the clothes from Sun Yuan's hand, and walked out weakly.
They usually bathe in a large bathroom, but it is divided by wooden boards, and each bathtub is in a space that is neither too big nor too small.
Because there were not many ministers, they could share one wooden barrel.
Tao Yuan walked to the room he and Sun Yuan usually used, lifted the curtain and walked in, put his clothes aside, then took off his clothes, stood outside the wooden barrel and washed them a little, then stepped into the barrel to soak.
Tao Yuan let out a long, comfortable sigh. He had originally thought that Xiao Junye, having been poisoned for years, only looked strong on the outside. He hadn't expected him to be so fierce in this regard, which made him a little overwhelmed.
Tao Yuan closed his eyes, slowly relaxed his body, and enjoyed the warm feeling of being surrounded by hot water.
He soaked for a long time before getting up. If the water wasn't getting cold, he would have wanted to soak for a while longer.
Tao Yuan put on his inner clothes and outer robe, tied it up with a belt, then lifted the curtain and walked out.
Ye Rong was about to enter the next room when he saw Tao Yuan coming out. He looked at him in surprise for a moment.
Tao Yuan was also stunned for a moment, then continued to lower his head and adjust the collar of his clothes.
Ye Rong's eyes quickly swept over his slightly open collar, and saw the red mark below his collarbone, and a gloomy look flashed in his eyes.
Tao Yuan straightened his clothes, glanced at him, and then walked out.
Ye Rong opened the curtain and walked in. He clenched his fists tightly before starting to undress. Although he had an affair with Prince Yu today, there were no marks on his body. Just in case, he specifically told Prince Yu not to leave any marks on him.
He had just seen the red marks on Tao Yuan's chest, which were the result of a very hard kiss. He could guess how intense the lovemaking between the emperor and Tao Yuan was.
Ye Rong couldn't understand why his aura as the protagonist had no effect on the emperor. He raised his hand and touched his face. What he couldn't understand even more was why Tao Yuan could attract the emperor, but he couldn't.
Tao Yuan lay on the bed, and the refreshed feeling made him feel much more comfortable.
Just as he was about to close his eyes and have a good sleep, Sun Yuan opened the lunch box on the table, took out the contents and said, "Eat something before going to sleep, otherwise you will wake up hungry in the middle of the night and won't be able to fall asleep again."
Tao Yuan thought about it and agreed. It was better to eat before going to bed than to wake up hungry in the middle of the night, so he sat up again.
Sun Yuan helped him put away the dishes and chopsticks. After he sat down, he turned around to close the door, then walked back to the table and sat down. He whispered to him, "Your Majesty has visited you again? And in the daytime."
Although Tao Yuan has lived for several lifetimes, he still felt a little embarrassed to talk about this topic. He also whispered, "No matter whether it is day or night, I have no right to refuse. After all, he is the emperor."
"But what if..." Sun Yuan lowered his voice even further, "What if she gets pregnant before the wedding?"
Tao Yuan paused and said, "If she gets pregnant, then she gets pregnant. The wedding is less than a month away anyway. Besides, once you enter the harem and are favored by the emperor, you are his woman and can never leave the palace again. If you can get pregnant sooner, it would be a good thing."
Sun Yuan thought about it, then nodded and said, "That's right. This isn't outside the palace. Now that you're in the palace and have become the emperor's woman, it's natural that you should get pregnant as soon as possible. Once you become the empress, if you can have a legitimate son right away, your position will definitely be more secure."
After Tao Yuan finished his meal, he rinsed his mouth, sat for a while, then lay down on the bed and fell asleep quickly.
From then on, Tao Yuan followed Xiao Junye's instructions and went to bring him snacks every two or three days. He would then be forced to sit on the bed for at least half an hour before letting him go. Sometimes, he would even take him to bed at night, and he would always make him fall asleep.
Tao Yuan felt that Xiao Junye's good energy did not at all seem like someone who was deeply poisoned and could only live for a few years.
Xiao Junye himself did not expect that he would have such good energy, but as soon as he entered Tao Yuan's body, he felt that he had endless strength.
Every time Xiao Junye had sex with Tao Yuan, he felt extremely comfortable, and thus became more and more obsessed with Tao Yuan's body. Although the Queen Mother kept reminding him that it was time to visit other people, he just couldn't muster any sexual interest in them, and even thought about it made him feel annoyed.
In the lotus pond of the Imperial Garden, all the lotus flowers are in full bloom, a pond of pink and green, which is very beautiful.
The Empress Dowager was in a good mood, so she took these beautiful ladies and attendants to the Lotus Terrace to appreciate the lotus flowers.
Tao Yuan knew very well that the Queen Mother rewarded Lotus in the name of rewarding him, actually wanting to give others a chance to show off in front of Xiao Junye.
It was Tao Yuan who was always taken to the emperor's bedchamber, and the others were jealous to the point of red eyes, but the emperor did not choose them, and they could not leave Chuxiu Palace at will to meet the emperor by chance. They did not have as good cooking skills as Tao Yuan, otherwise they could go and deliver some snacks to the emperor. But they did not even have the chance to show up in front of the emperor.
Now that the Empress Dowager had created an opportunity for them, they were naturally overjoyed, thinking that they must perform well and strive to win the Emperor's favor. If they could get the opportunity to sleep with the Emperor, that would be even better.
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