It had been a long time since I last saw Consort Xian, but she hadn't changed much, except that her eyes looked much more haggard.
However, those slightly weathered eyes regained their light the moment they saw the emperor.
"Did you come all this way just to see me?" Consort Xian looked at the Emperor with expectant eyes.
The emperor frowned slightly but did not answer.
However, Consort Xian was not disappointed at all. To her, being able to see the Emperor was already a great honor, and she dared not hope for too much at the moment.
Consort Xian is now one of the three remaining consorts in the harem.
The other two women stayed in the palace because they had nowhere to go after leaving the palace, their families were unwilling to accept them, and they did not want to remarry, so they served the Empress Dowager.
However, Consort Xian truly loved the Emperor and wanted to stay by his side for a long time.
She would be willing to remain unknown and obscure in the harem for the rest of her life.
But at the same time, she couldn't help but harbor a sliver of fantasy.
When the other concubines wanted to stay, the emperor sent people to persuade them as much as possible, and eventually they were all sent out of the palace.
Only with her did the emperor nod directly, agreeing to let her stay.
Consort Xian was happy about this for a long time.
In her view, if the emperor had no feelings for her, why would he so readily agree to let her stay by his side?
The more Consort Xian thought about it, the more her heart fluttered. She couldn't help but step forward, bow to the Emperor, and then said shyly, "I have recently learned how to make a few desserts. If Your Majesty is interested, I can make them for you to try."
The emperor said calmly, "No need, I have other matters to attend to."
Consort Xian immediately lowered her eyelashes to hide the desolation in her eyes.
"Then when Your Majesty has some free time, I will cook it for you."
The emperor nodded slightly, then turned and left.
As soon as he turned around, his already cold eyes turned even colder.
As soon as they stepped out of the Imperial Garden, Eunuch Zhang hurriedly stepped forward, saying with trepidation, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. This servant did not know that Consort Xian was in the Imperial Garden, otherwise this servant would never have let you come here alone."
He had just gone to the privy, and when he came out he heard that the Emperor and the Empress Dowager had fallen out. When he caught up with them, he heard that Consort Xian was also in the Imperial Garden.
Eunuch Zhang immediately slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Oh no!"
Fortunately, the emperor came out quickly.
The emperor waved his hand and said, "It's alright, let's go back to the imperial study."
"Alright, Your Majesty, please slow down," Eunuch Zhang followed respectfully behind the emperor, and asked hesitantly, "Your Majesty, are you really not going to punish Consort Xian?"
The emperor said expressionlessly, "Keep her for now, and deal with her when the empress returns."
"This servant obeys the order."
The emperor thought that the matter would come to an end today, but to his surprise, when he went to court the next day, all the ministers suddenly knelt down.
"Your Majesty, the mourning period for the Empress has ended, and the harem should not remain vacant. I believe that we should select new concubines and appoint a new Empress."
"I second that proposal!"
"I second that opinion!"
Soon, all the civil and military officials in the court knelt down.
Among these people, some genuinely cared about the emperor and the country, while others hoped to send their daughters into the palace to become empresses.
Of course, there were also some people who were instructed by Zhou Jing'an to deliberately stir up trouble.
The emperor sat on the dragon throne with a livid face, staring at the kowtowing ministers below, his eyes burning with rage.
"Enough!" he shouted, interrupting the petitions of the civil and military officials. "Anyone who dares to ask me to appoint an empress will be dragged to the Meridian Gate and publicly flogged one hundred times!"
The ministers immediately fell silent.
Eunuch Zhang glanced at the emperor and understood that the court session should be adjourned immediately.
However, just as he uttered the word "retreat," an old man with white hair and a white beard suddenly shouted, "Your Majesty! For the sake of the longevity of the nation, you must expand the harem and establish an empress!"
The emperor clenched his teeth so tightly that his knuckles turned white from gripping his hands so hard.
He could order others to be flogged on the spot, but not this person.
This white-bearded old man was named Hu Zhengqing. He was a veteran official who served three dynasties and held a prominent position in the imperial court. He was also highly respected among the common people.
If he is reprimanded today, scholars and officials throughout the land will rise up against him as emperor tomorrow.
The person who was most surprised at this moment was Zhou Jing'an.
He had originally instigated his cronies to challenge the emperor in court, and he had long anticipated that the matter of establishing an empress would resonate with the ministers.
In that case, the emperor would be forced to choose a new empress and concubine.
But to his utter surprise, Hu Zhengqing, a veteran of three dynasties, would also step forward at this time.
Although Hu Zhengqing wasn't one of his men, his actions had done him a great favor.
Zhou Xing'an then seized the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, what the ministers say is absolutely right. Whether for the sake of the royal family's reputation or for the continuation of the imperial line, you should give it a second thought!"
The emperor was so angry he almost vomited blood.
In the blink of an eye, he found himself standing on the opposite side of everyone.
However, he could neither reprimand these officials nor directly offend the veterans of three reigns.
The emperor used almost all his self-control to suppress the anger that was about to erupt within him before he managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "I need to consider this matter. Court adjourned!"
Since the emperor had already relented, the civil and military officials could not press him too hard, so they politely dispersed.
Upon returning to the Imperial Study, Eunuch Zhang noticed the Emperor's worried expression and immediately ordered the Imperial Kitchen to prepare a medicinal meal.
"Your Majesty, you haven't been eating properly these days. Please eat something," Eunuch Zhang earnestly advised.
The emperor rubbed his forehead, frowning slightly, and said, "Put it on the table, I'm not hungry."
Eunuch Zhang sighed and said, "Your Majesty, although I am not well-read and do not have the strategic acumen of those officials in the court, I believe that at times like these, you should not go against the ministers in the court."
The emperor looked up at him and gave a smile: "Tell me your brilliant ideas."
Eunuch Zhang immediately knelt down with a thud, trembling as he said, "Your Majesty, please don't flatter me. How could I possibly deserve such high praise?"
The emperor laughed and said, "Don't be afraid. I really want to hear your opinion. Speak up. I will pardon you in advance. You may speak freely."
At the emperor's request, Eunuch Zhang stood up and respectfully said, "This servant believes that the Second Prince's actions are intended to sow discord between you and the ministers. If you fall for his trick, you will only be putting yourself in a difficult position. The Second Prince would be happy if you were isolated by the ministers!"
Therefore, at this critical juncture, you must not give him any opportunity. The more he tries to sow discord between you and the ministers, the less you should let him succeed!
The emperor's smile gradually faded. After a moment's thought, he said, "However, these ministers are pressuring me to take concubines and establish an empress."
Eunuch Zhang shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, why are you so stubborn? The ministers only told you to take concubines and establish an empress, they didn't say you couldn't depose them later..."
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