"Since your majesty thinks so, then I will just say that I am being nosy, but..."
"Just what?"
"The Emperor just sent someone to tell me that he will hold a lotus viewing banquet for Lady Yu at Nuanyu Terrace today. Your Majesty, will you not attend?"
"What did you say? A lotus viewing banquet? Or at the Nuanyu Terrace, prepared for that trampling person?"
Mu Han nodded slightly: "Yes, madam, this is the news that Xiao Yuanzi just sent."
Qiu Zhen was so angry that his whole body was shaking. He clenched his fists tightly, and his fingertips dug deeply into the flesh.
"How could he? How could he treat me like this? It's been twelve years, twelve years, and he still hasn't forgotten her. Who is that woman, and where did she come from? Didn't the emperor conduct a detailed investigation?"
"Someone must have done this on purpose. No, I'm going to tell the emperor. I must tell the emperor!"
Mu Han looked at Qiu Zhen quietly with a pair of black eyes like black jade: "My queen, if you really do this, the emperor will only dislike you even more! No matter what purpose this woman has in her existence, it is a fact that she is favored now. What you need to do is to praise this person like everyone else."
"If you are different from others, you will be the first one to be punished by the emperor, and it is very likely that you will be the first one to be punished!"
"What do you mean?" Qiu Zhen suddenly raised his head, his eyes sharp and filled with anger.
"In this harem, there are at least one or two concubines who have seen the late queen. They are not fools. Of course, both the previous dynasty and the emperor must have known about this situation. But why didn't anyone go to remind the emperor under such circumstances?"
"Does the emperor really love her as we have seen? Can a woman without any status win the emperor's favor just by relying on her superb medical skills? Your Majesty, the emperor is no longer the young boy he was back then. Have you forgotten his suspicious nature?"
Qiu Zhen raised his eyebrows in surprise, stared at Mu Han thoughtfully for a moment, then pursed his lips.
"You are right. I was wrong about this matter, Mu Han. You are calm enough. I was too impulsive!"
She actually forgot about Wei Yuchen's suspicious nature, and only came to her senses after Mu Han's reminder. She couldn't help but sigh in annoyance. Seeing this, Mu Han didn't expose her, but just said lightly.
"Your Highness, there is no need to blame yourself. You are too concerned and nervous. It is because you care too much that you are so nervous. In fact, you just need to adjust your mentality."
Qiu Zhen shook his head slightly, and his fierce expression immediately subsided. When he looked at Mu Han, he was full of decadence: "What time is it today?"
"Your Majesty, you still have one hour to prepare!"
"Then start preparing. Since we can't touch her, let that little bitch be proud for a few days. Wait... Hehe, wait and see how I deal with her!"
Watching Qiu Zhen heading for the bathroom, a piercing chill flashed across Mu Han's clear eyes. Deal with her?
That depends on whether you stupid women have the ability to do it!
She is a chess piece that the master has cultivated for many years. Not to mention that the emperor cannot find out anything about her, even if he does, he will be attracted to her involuntarily.
Because that woman... is so much like her!!!
The "she" that Mu Han mentioned was naturally referring to Du Yunge. No one knew herself better than herself. This jade beauty was definitely not as simple as just looking like a god!
She is similar from head to toe, inside and out, but that is not 100% similar.
Otherwise, she would become a puppet, a puppet driven by others. Their cleverness lies in the fact that this beautiful jade lady not only has the shadow of Du Yunge, but also her own temperament.
She is alive and real, and is definitely not a puppet to be manipulated by others.
Seeing that Du Yin's condition was getting better day by day, the pain during the medicinal bath was no longer piercing, and the food he ate was slowly digested, and he no longer vomited. Ling Yuan was happy and excited from the bottom of her heart.
Although Du Yin's current age is no longer suitable for martial arts, she is still unwilling to give up. Even if she cannot make him strong, she wants to make his body stronger.
Although practicing martial arts is hard, the benefits gained are endless. For Du Yin, training her will definitely become her biggest challenge in the future.
*
The news of conferring the title of Jade Beauty soon reached Wei Jie. When he received the secret letter, he could not help but think of the sneer on her face when he proposed that Shangguan Qingxi enter the palace that day. Thinking about it now, he could not help but curl his lips in self-mockery.
"It turns out that she not only has an arrangement, but it is such an unexpected arrangement. He just doesn't know when this woman started preparing all this. Jade Beauty, haha, can Wei Yuchen be so easily hooked?"
*
"My Lord, the prince and princess send their regards to you, and...there is also news from the eldest young master!"
Similarly, the news also reached Wei Li. Just when he was frowning and wondering who this beautiful lady could be, Black Hawk mentioned his elder brother.
"Brother? Where is he now?"
Wei Ye had been away from Beijing for many years, and no one knew where he had gone, not even his whereabouts. Now, finally there was news, which made Wei Li more excited than any other news.
"The young master stayed in Tiandu Country for a short time. It is reported that he was followed by a woman. The young master has been hiding recently, so he has no fixed place to live and his whereabouts are secretive. Our people just locked him down, but when they were looking for him, they couldn't find him anymore."
Tian Du Country? What is Big Brother doing in Tian Du Country?
In the four continents, four countries are in a tripartite relationship: Siyou, Tiandu, Yan and Mei, each occupying one side.
Although Siyou Kingdom is vast and rich in resources, its economic strength and military strength are not as good as those of the low-key Tiandu Kingdom.
Although on the surface Siyou Kingdom seems to be the leader among the four countries, but since Du Zi came to demand his life, Siyou Kingdom is no longer the same Siyou Kingdom as before.
Not only did the court change, but even people's hearts began to change subtly.
Although the overall strength of Tiandu Kingdom is not as good as that of Siyou and Yan Kingdom, it is a mysterious country that has never invaded others. But at the same time, others cannot gain any benefits from it. Its defense system is the strongest among the four countries.
It must be extremely difficult for my brother to have the ability to travel in Tiandu Country, a country that attaches the most importance to status.
Everyone knows that the Tiandu Kingdom is extremely strict in managing its population. Every person has something that can prove his identity from birth, and the country will take it back after death.
In addition to specific pass documents, there is also a time limit for entering and leaving Tiandu Country. If you exceed this time, you will be sent out and will not be allowed to come again within a certain period of time.
Although doing so has isolated the Tiandu Kingdom from the outside world, it has greatly prevented invasion by outsiders. This has both advantages and disadvantages. Just as no one is perfect, there will always be gains and losses.
Brother, what has he been busy with all these years?
Do you think that if you give up the throne to him, he will be safe for the rest of his life?
Big brother, some things are actually destined from the day I am born. I will never stay in Prince Rong's mansion forever, and I will never occupy your position as the crown prince forever.
Because sooner or later, Si You and Tian Du will have a big fight!
"Keep sending people to search, and this time we must get in touch with Big Brother."
*
Nuanyu Terrace is the most suitable place for viewing lotus in the majestic imperial palace.
When Mu Han helped Qiu Zhen, who was dressed in her best clothes, to arrive at Nuanyu Terrace, he could smell a faint fragrance from afar, brought quietly by the breeze.
Even though Mu Han, who usually doesn't show his emotions, couldn't help but reveal an intoxicated expression when he saw the large lotus ponds in front of him.
It is most appropriate to describe the beautiful scenery in front of us with the poem "The lotus leaves are endless and green, and the lotus flowers are red in the sun."
Seeing the lotus pond, they couldn't help but recall the shocked expressions on their faces when the young lady recited this poem in front of the four of them.
When I savor it carefully now, I still think that this poem is perfect, as perfect as this lotus flower that grows out of the mud without being stained, and is so lovely.
Qiu Zhen glanced at Mu Han and was very surprised by her expression: "You like lotus very much?"
This was the first time she saw her true expression. She was slightly stunned and at the same time very curious.
Mu Han didn't look at her, but just looked quietly at the lotus pond in front of him.
No one knew that this was the young lady’s favorite place to visit, not even Wei Yuchen.
So, naturally, no one would know why she favors this place so much.
Because this place is also full of their memories, not only the young lady, but also the little magpie and Jin Mo...
The crystal clear dew was swaying on the lotus leaves. A breeze blew gently, and the dew on the lotus leaves flowed down like pearls with broken strings. Seeing this, Mu Han really wanted to collect the dew in that container and make tea for the young lady like he did before.
Unfortunately, nowadays, things and people have changed. Even though the lotus pond is still the same lotus pond, the original people are gone. Everything here has lost its original color and has become a lotus pond without vitality. That’s all!
At Chenshi, the sun has risen. I believe that in just a moment, the dew here will be evaporated by the sunlight.
Even the dew now, if collected, is not as fresh as that in the early morning. When it comes to collecting dew, I believe no one in this huge harem knows better than them.
It was just because the young lady loved to make tea back then, and the person she served was the most despicable emperor - Wei Yuchen.
Unfortunately, at that time, none of them had ever thought about the details.
Why did the young lady do so much but never get a word of praise from him?
Maybe that person has always been a careless person. How can a careless person ever have a change of heart?
Haha, things are different now. With this jade beauty, even if this scumbag emperor doesn’t want to recall the past, he probably can’t.
Because, not only will he have to recall the past, but someone will also remind him that there was once a woman who gave him everything... everything!
"Mu Han, what are you thinking about? I'm asking you a question!"
Suddenly, Qiu Zhen stood right in front of Mu Han, and she was really upset that she was distracted in front of her.
And Mu Han, not at all embarrassed or frightened by her noticing that she was distracted, just raised his eyes calmly and spoke calmly.
"No, I was just wondering why the Emperor chose this place to hold a banquet for Lady Yu. Is it because Lady Yu likes lotus?"
Qiu Zhen sneered, "You think too much. If you don't come to appreciate the lotus in this season, how can you go to see the plum blossoms? What's more, this Nuanyu Terrace in our palace is a famous place for lotus viewing. It's the best place to hold the event in the hot summer."
Although Qiu Zhen had some doubts and was a little curious, she didn't want to think about it that way.
Therefore, when Mu Han raised this question, she forced herself to escape and strongly rejected it.
No one knew Qiu Zhen better than Mu Han, so when she said this, she agreed on the surface, but was mocking her in her heart.
Although early June is the best time to appreciate lotus, lotus is not the only flower that blooms in this season.
Besides, shouldn't the banquet be held at night? Why did the emperor hold it during the day?
Wei Yuchen has always been diligent in his work, so how could he give up his daytime work and run to the harem to accompany these women of his?
In particular, this person is not lustful, which makes his motives even more curious.
However, that is not important. What is important is that they have arrived at Nuanyu Terrace now, and they can just wait and see what happens next!
When Qiu Zhen appeared in the banquet hall on the second floor of Nuanyu Terrace in a gorgeous rose-red palace dress, all the concubines stood up respectfully and saluted her.
"Greetings to Her Majesty Zhenfei, may Your Majesty be blessed with good health and happiness."
Qiu Zhen followed Mu Han's instructions, walked with steady steps, raised a perfect smile, and nodded politely to everyone.
"Sisters, please don't be polite. Please sit down!"
Qiu Zhen's seat was the first seat on the left hand side of the emperor, followed by Concubine Xi, Concubine Jing, Zhaoyuan, Xiuyi, Xiurong, etc. On the right were Concubine Lan, Concubine Yun, Concubine Yi, Zhaoyi, Zhaorong, etc. As for the beauties, they were far behind, and anyone below the rank of beauty was not allowed to appear here.
In the past twelve years, Wei Yuchen's harem has become much more powerful, and those who appear here today must not be all of them.
Even those with a rank above beauty are not qualified to appear here. Those who can appear here are basically people who often show up in front of the emperor.
Mu Han even wondered, if the Jade Beauty wasn’t a beauty, would there not even be any beauties here?
After all, there are so many people in the harem who have higher status than beauties.
After Qiu Zhen sat down with a dignified manner, Concubine Xi beside her nodded lightly at her as a greeting.
Afterwards, Concubine Xi turned around and sat there silently, not saying a word.
Concubine Xi gave birth to the second prince for the emperor. When Wei Yuchen was a prince, she was just a small concubine. Despite this, Concubine Xi was also the one who had followed Wei Yuchen for the longest time, and her status was second only to Du Yunge.
Wei Yuchen had great respect for Concubine Xi. In addition, Concubine Xi was dignified and kind, and seldom appeared in the public eye. Even if she did, it was at the invitation of the Emperor.
She would not attend ordinary banquets without the emperor's permission. She stayed in her palace every day and did not go anywhere.
Although there are many people in the palace who have no intention of vying for favor, no one can sit firmly on the position of Concubine Xi like she does.
In addition, she had the Second Prince by her side and was the daughter of a concubine of the Duke of Jin, so she was considered to be of upper-middle status among the concubines.
Because she was born in the Duke of Jin's Mansion, she was naturally from the Queen Mother's family. Although she was just a concubine's daughter, she had a gentle personality and was very much loved by the Queen Mother.
Over the years, since the Empress Dowager stopped taking care of the affairs, she has been the only concubine who can enter and leave Ningsheng Palace at will.
Although he is only the second prince, he has obviously been given more attention since the eldest prince died young and Queen Du passed away.
And although he was the second son, he was brought up according to the rules for the eldest son.
Therefore, even Qiu Zhen did not dare to do anything to Concubine Xi.
Because, even if you do something to her, it's just like a fist hitting cotton, it won't even make a sound.
Such a person would definitely not arouse any interest in Zhenfei.
Even if she is Concubine Xi, so what?
Without a queen, without imperial concubines, and even less virtuous and kind concubines in the harem, what is the value of being a concubine?
Not only Qiu Zhen and Concubine Jing were angry about this, but even Concubine Xi, who was as calm as water, must have felt very strange, right?
Sometimes, they would even think that the emperor abolished the position of the Four Concubines. Otherwise, why did the position of the Four Concubines remain vacant and not conferred?
It’s fine if you don’t confer the title of Queen, you can also confer the title of Imperial Noble Consort, but isn’t it a bit unreasonable that you don’t confer titles on the four concubines?
Unfortunately, even though this was a matter within the harem, it was not something they could decide. Apart from feeling indignant, they could only watch helplessly.
"The Emperor has arrived, and the Jade Beauty has arrived!"
At this moment, the sharp voice of the eunuch Liu Shi was heard at the door. Zhenfei's heart trembled and she hurriedly stood up. Like other concubines, she walked out of her seat with small steps and then knelt respectfully.
"I pay my respects to His Majesty. Long live the emperor!"
"No need to be polite, everyone please stand up!"
Wei Yuchen, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, looks majestic. Even though he is nearly 40 years old, he can still attract the attention of the women in the harem.
Especially since this man is their husband, they get excited every time they see him.
When Wei Yuchen sat on the main seat and all the concubines were about to return to their seats, a woman who took the initiative to reduce her presence was about to walk to the table in the corner. Wei Yuchen suddenly said to the woman in white clothes and with a refined temperament: "Yu'er, be good and sit here."
Here, of course, it refers to the position next to him, the position that only the Queen is qualified to hold.
The emperor's call immediately drew everyone's attention back, and they all looked at the beautiful figure standing in the center. Everyone was stunned.
They naturally knew that the emperor was saved by a female doctor, who kept her in the palace, favored her, and named her a beauty.
However, many of them had never really come into contact with her, and this beauty rarely appeared on weekdays, so that just now none of them noticed her standing behind the emperor. Now that the emperor reminded them, they remembered that this beauty was the legendary Jade Beauty!
She really deserves the word "jade". Look at her skin as crystal clear as ice and snow. She is only 28 years old. What makes them jealous even more is her beautiful face which is as cold as ice and spotless. Just one glance at her is enough to make people unable to look away!
Even they, as women, were moved by her, let alone the current emperor?
In an instant, everyone looked at the beautiful Jade Lady with a mixture of inexplicable emotions, including jealousy, resentment, unwillingness, and self-abasement, but there was no friendliness or sympathy.
Even when attending such a grand occasion, the beautiful lady was still dressed in white, showing her unique charm. Although she stood there in a low-key manner, she still became the focus of everyone's attention.
However, from beginning to end, there was no other expression on the face of this beautiful jade lady. Her expression was extremely indifferent, and her beautiful eyes, although watery and moving, had a sense of distance that kept people at a distance.