Chapter 10 His Majesty comes to the palace to fight for her
Ye Qingtang's appearance ultimately dampened His Majesty's interest. Chan Zhen was also absent-minded in the second half of the day, completely losing the surprise and anticipation he had when he first set out. The two walked side by side along the way, but with different thoughts in their minds.
It was almost evening when he returned to Ye Mansion. Fortunately, His Majesty seemed to have important matters to discuss with the prefect, so he went into the study as soon as he returned home and did not return to his room until late at night, which allowed Chanzhen to enjoy a rare moment of freedom.
After that, His Majesty became busy. Although Chan Zhen shared a room with him, she rarely saw him all day. Only occasionally, late at night, after falling asleep, could she vaguely feel the warmth of someone beside her. Before she could open her eyes, a hand gently stroked her head, and then she was pulled into his arms.
"Go to sleep." The gentle voice seemed like just a dream of hers.
So Chanzhen fell into a deep sleep again. When she woke up the next day, she didn't see His Majesty anymore. It seemed as if she had been sleeping alone for the past few days.
Chan Zhen knew that His Majesty was in the study not far away, but she never took the initiative to knock on the door. Until today, Eunuch Guo who was beside His Majesty came to tell her that His Majesty wanted her to go to the study to serve him.
"Your Majesty, Miss Song has arrived."
Chan Zhen came to the door of the study under the guidance of Guo Kai, but saw that Guo Kai retreated to the side after reporting, and only stretched out his hand to signal her to go in alone.
"Come in."
After hearing His Majesty's voice, Zen Zhen nervously reached out and pushed open the door.
As soon as he entered, the faint scent of ink lingered in his nose. His Majesty sat at his desk, his head bent over a pile of memorials. Chan Zhen didn't dare disturb him, so he stepped forward quietly. Before he could bow, he was interrupted by His Majesty.
"No need to be so formal in front of me." His Majesty put down the brush in his hand, rubbed his forehead, and called her to his side after his brows relaxed a little. "Come and grind ink for me."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Chan Zhen walked slowly to his side and saw that there was only a shallow puddle of ink left on the inkstone beside the desk. He reached out and picked up the ink stick beside him and slowly ground it.
Since ancient times, men have always loved the company of beautiful women, and the emperor was no exception. Chen Dingyao looked at her serious expression and his mood suddenly calmed down.
Although there were three princes in the palace who jointly supervised the country, they could only write down their opinions on memorials, which ultimately had to be delivered to him as quickly as possible for him to make the decision. During the southern tour, a large number of memorials had accumulated, so he had been mostly confined to his study these days, only returning to his room at night to hold her and sleep peacefully.
"I have been away from the palace for some time on this southern tour. In three days at most, I will plan to return to the Imperial City."
Upon hearing this, Chan Zhen paused for a moment, then continued as if nothing had happened, his thoughts drifting away. His Majesty would be returning to the palace in two days. What about her? He wondered what His Majesty would do with her. If she couldn't return to the palace with His Majesty, where would his father send her if his wish wasn't fulfilled?
Although she had never actually served His Majesty in bed, she had eaten and slept with him in the past few days. Outsiders had already regarded her as His Majesty's woman. It was easy to imagine what fate would await a woman who had served His Majesty but was not brought back to the palace.
Seeing her uneasiness, Chen Dingyao reached out and pulled her into his arms, "Chanzhen, you naturally have to come with me."
Chan Zhen sat tensely in his arms, not daring to move, her eyes lowered to the ground. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
She breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. At least His Majesty was willing to take her back to the palace. She had no time to think about what position she would be given in the future, whether she could gain His Majesty's favor, and whether she could survive safely in the harem struggle.
His Majesty gently stroked her cheek, feeling her slight trembling, and suddenly said, "May I appoint you as my Imperial Consort?"
Although he would rather directly confer the title of Empress on Zhen as his own, the matter of conferring the title of Empress was of great importance, and the old ministers in the court would certainly not agree.
In his previous life, Chan Zhen's appointment as Imperial Concubine had already sparked considerable controversy within the court, with even a steadfast veteran minister spitting blood on the courtroom in protest. Even though he forcefully suppressed the situation, it still earned Chan Zhen widespread infamy. In this life, while Chan Zhen had no experience as a concubine of the Prince of Jin, the fact that a merchant's daughter could be directly appointed Empress was unprecedented in the previous dynasty. For the sake of Chan Zhen's reputation, he could only take a step back and proceed with his plans.
Chanzhen looked up in surprise, seeing he was serious, not joking, but she couldn't believe it. The dynasty had always valued agriculture over commerce, and merchants were considered the lowest class of citizens. They couldn't take the imperial examinations, serve in the court, or even marry officials. So, while her father valued her beauty, he never envisioned her becoming an official's wife, cultivating her only as a concubine. Never before had a woman of merchant origin been granted a high-ranking imperial concubine. And now, His Majesty was promising her the rank of Imperial Concubine, the highest of the Four Concubines, second only to the Empress. How could she believe this?
Her brows furrowed slightly, and her eyes showed a hint of resentment: "Your Majesty, please don't joke with me. I am just a merchant's daughter. How can I be worthy of the position of imperial concubine?"
She originally thought that even if she entered the palace, she would have to start from the lowest position as a concubine, and it would be a great blessing to be able to climb to the position of a talented woman in her lifetime.
"I'm not joking." Chen Dingyao chuckled and rubbed her frowning brows, "I won't let my beloved woman suffer."
In her previous life, she had been a concubine of the Prince of Jin, and he had gone against all odds to make her a royal concubine. Now that she no longer had that status, wouldn't it seem incompetent if he couldn't even give her the title of a royal concubine?
Chan Zhen's frown gradually relaxed as he rubbed it, a look of confusion on her face. "I've only known Your Majesty for a few days, but I know Your Majesty isn't one to indulge in beauty. Besides my face, Chan Zhen has no other strengths. Why does Your Majesty love me so dearly?"
This was something she had never been able to understand. She had no status, no talent, and her personality was too timid to be considered considerate. Apart from her face, she didn't know what else His Majesty liked about her. But if His Majesty liked her looks, he had never touched her.
Her puzzled expression was so adorable that Chen Dingyao couldn't help but lean over and kiss her lightly between the eyebrows, then left immediately.
"Perhaps, we have a connection in our past lives."
Even in Zen Zhen's view, it was just a bad fate.
Zen Zhen raised his hand and touched the place on his forehead where he had kissed him, forgetting words for a moment.
…
Before leaving, there were still matters that needed to be attended to. Although Chen Dingyao had personally undertaken this southern tour for Chan Zhen's sake, he had arrived to shoulder the responsibilities of an emperor. Jiangnan Road was a prosperous region, bustling with merchants and thriving freight flows, but it also spawned numerous cases of corruption. He had seized the opportunity in recent days to dispose of numerous corrupt officials. The bloodstains at Caishikou, washed and dried, layer upon layer, practically staining the ground a crimson black. However, he had kept the news from Chan Zhen, fearing she might be alarmed.
Today, he personally oversaw the execution of a high-ranking official, and it was already dark when he returned to the Ye Mansion. Fresh from the execution ground, his face was grim, a chill lingering over him, and the lingering smell of blood lingered as he waved his sleeves. Guo Kai and Fang Wen followed closely behind him, watching His Majesty walk with such swiftness that they dared not utter a single sound.
Your Majesty who has just killed someone is the most terrifying. Who has the courage to run into the muzzle of a gun again?
Chen Dingyao also smelled the blood on his body. He frowned and was thinking about washing off the smell first and then returning to the room to meet Chan Zhen, but he was stopped by a figure when passing through the garden.
Xu Yinong knew that His Majesty would be passing this garden path on his return tonight after overseeing the execution today, so she waited for a long time before finally seeing His Majesty. Hearing that His Majesty would be leaving for the capital tomorrow, tonight was her last chance, and she must seize it.
"Your servant pays homage to His Majesty." Xu Yinong said in a gentle voice, and at the same time deliberately showed off her slim figure when bowing.
Chen Dingyao passed by her indifferently without pausing for a moment.
Seeing His Majesty had ignored her like this, Xu Yinong couldn't help but clench her palms in jealousy. Looking up at His Majesty's indifferent back, she raised her voice again and shouted, "Your Majesty, I have something important to tell you! It's about Sister Chanzhen."
Hearing the word "Chan Zhen", Chen Dingyao stopped walking, turned around and looked at her deeply. Suddenly he had some impression that it was she who had disturbed his good times in the garden before, and Chan Zhen had pleaded for her.
"I'll give you a moment to explain clearly what's going on." He didn't have much patience with anyone other than Chan Zhen, and now that he had just returned from the execution ground, his patience was even less.
It’s Song Chanzhen again.
Xu Yinong's heart was filled with hatred. She had heard that Song Chanzhen had been living with His Majesty in His Majesty's courtyard, eating and sleeping with him, while she couldn't even see His Majesty. This morning, she heard rumors from the servants that His Majesty would be returning to the capital soon, and that Song Chanzhen would be brought back to the palace to become Empress. She was clearly a lowly merchant, yet she was always being held in high esteem. But remembering what she had seen in the eldest son's study that afternoon, she couldn't help but harbor evil thoughts.
"I know that Your Majesty dotes on Sister Chanzhen, but... but I really can't bear to deceive Your Majesty. Your Majesty doesn't know that Sister Chanzhen has been favored by the eldest son since she entered the mansion, and her daily behavior is quite close to that of the eldest son. Today, I was helping the eldest son clean up his study and accidentally saw..." She paused, looking very hesitant, as if the next words were too embarrassing to say.
"Oh? What did you see?"
She raised her head cautiously and saw that His Majesty's expression was unexpectedly gentle. She felt encouraged and continued boldly, "I saw a painting hidden in the eldest young master's study. It clearly depicts the portrait of Sister Chanzhen."
She stopped there, saying that there was indeed such a painting hidden in the eldest son's study, and coupled with the eldest son's previous care for Song Chanzhen, it was enough to arouse His Majesty's suspicion.
However, after hearing her words, His Majesty didn't show the fury she'd imagined. Instead, his expression was inexplicable, making it impossible to discern any emotion. She gritted her teeth and added, "The painting is still in the eldest son's study. Your Majesty can send someone to search it. You can also ask the servants if the eldest son has been paying extra attention to Sister Chanzhen."
Chen Dingyao looked at her stupid frame-up coldly and had lost his patience.
"Guo Kai, drag him away and deal with him cleanly."
Xu Yinong looked up in shock: "Your Majesty!"
Couldn't Your Majesty have heard that Song Chanzhen and the eldest son had an affair? Why didn't you punish her?
"Your Majesty, everything I said is true. There is indeed an affair between Song Chanzhen and the eldest young master. If you don't believe me, please send someone to investigate!" She struggled and shouted.
Chen Dingyao looked away in disgust, "Cover her mouth."
After saying that, he turned and left without looking back.
Guo Kai and Fang Wen stepped forward, holding her down from either side. They pulled a handkerchief from their arms and stuffed it into her mouth to prevent her from making any more noise. Xu Yinong struggled desperately under their grasp, but she was held firmly, her face buried in the wet dirt.
"Oh, I've never seen such a brave person. She just ran into the muzzle of the gun." Guo Kai couldn't help but sigh when he saw her struggling in pain.
Fang Wen turned around and asked him, "How should we deal with this?"
His Majesty only said to drag it away and deal with it cleanly, but I don’t know how to deal with it in a way that would satisfy His Majesty.
Guo Kai wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Send her to Governor Ye and tell him that she has bad intentions towards His Majesty. Let him handle it."
Wow! Such a serious crime! Fang Wen's mouth twitched. This eunuch had such a vicious mind. He really shouldn't be provoked casually. He patted Xu Yinong's face and said, "Your Majesty will leave tomorrow. What are you thinking about?"
He failed to frame others and ended up getting himself involved. How pitiful.
But since His Majesty had given the order, he had to put aside his overflowing sympathy and take her away according to Guo Kai's instructions.
…
Late at night, as Chan Zhen was sound asleep, a body covered in steamy water slipped into her quilt and lay down beside her. Having slept together for so many days, Chan Zhen had become quite accustomed to it, and she subconsciously rolled to the side, snuggling into his embrace.
Chen Dingyao hugged her tightly, looking at her peaceful sleeping face, and the coldness in his heart completely dissipated.
A dreamless night.
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