Chapter 110: My Lady, you still have the eldest princess...
The absence of Zhao Changning from the court was like taking a stone out of the lake, which caused ripples for a while and then disappeared without a sound.
As the new year passed, the number of people mentioning it gradually decreased due to deliberate avoidance.
However, the female officials still existed, and as time went on, the people in the six ministries had gotten used to it. Before they knew it, the tasks in the six ministries that required copying texts and counting beads were basically filled in by the female officials.
Their salaries were low, but they were efficient in their work. Moreover, their families all had people in the court, so their interests were greatly involved. They all worked under men, so everyone lived in peace.
Of course, the main reason why female officials can exist is that they are serious and responsible, do their job better than men, do not take bribes, and will not take advantage of their family's power to act superior.
Therefore, apart from their relatives, there were also quite a number of people who were willing to have female officials, especially those local officials who returned to Beijing to do business and highly respected female officials.
Song Huan worked even harder to win over the female officials, hoping that once he gained power, he could shut up those who were always clamoring for the abolition of the female officials.
She really wanted to find out about her aunt's current situation, but she held back. Her aunt said that a little impatience would ruin a big plan.
Yujing has shed the coldness of winter and ushered in late spring, with thick green shade and gentle breezes.
The emperor had a rare chance to relax, so he took two concubines to enjoy the scenery in the imperial garden. As he was basking in the sun with his eyes closed and listening to the two women chatting, he heard faint laughter.
"Where does that sound come from?"
Yunsheng stepped forward, bending over. "Your Majesty, it's Kunning Palace that has invited female relatives. They do this every mid-month. They say they want to make the Empress happy."
The emperor nodded. The queen had been ill for quite some time, and Zhang'er's death had broken her heart.
He seemed to have thought of something, his eyes narrowed, and he said lightly: "Let's go to Kunning Palace and take a look."
In Kunning Palace, the Queen looked at her loose robes and sighed, "Why don't we just forget it? You guys can just go and have fun. If I go, it will make everyone uncomfortable."
I have been sick for too long, taking medicine all day long. I can't eat and have lost a lot of weight.
Zhao Changning smiled and asked the embroiderer to come forward and tighten the thread around her waist. "Madam, spending time with young girls and talking to them will make you feel much better. Please come along this time. Everyone is very worried about you. Who knows, your illness may heal quickly."
After all, she has cultivated a good reputation for so many years, and the queen enjoys a high reputation in the court and among the ladies of the court.
The Queen carefully observed her expression and said, "I see that you are indeed in a much better mood. You must be feeling suffocated in this small Kunning Palace, aren't you?"
"How could that be?" Zhao Changning smiled gently, "Your Majesty and Chunyun have been so kind to me, I should be grateful and repay them."
The queen raised her hand and gently stroked her hair. She hadn't looked in the mirror for a long time and found that there were already white hairs on her temples. She couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
"Have you found the person you were looking for?"
Zhao Changning pursed his lips and said, "I found it. Everything is ready. I just need the east wind. I just hope she is more fortunate than me and not as stupid as me."
The Queen held her hand. "You are always so considerate and devoted to me and the Emperor. But, Changning, do you really have to force a woman in? Do you really not like the Emperor?"
Zhao Changning smiled and was about to speak when he was interrupted by a burst of hurried footsteps.
Chunyun gasped, "Changning, the emperor is coming this way."
Zhao Changning didn't react much because this had happened before, but the emperor did not enter Kunning Palace.
Chunyun said hurriedly: "Really, Yunsheng sent someone to come and see the Empress."
Upon hearing this, the queen immediately asked the palace maid who was combing her hair to work faster. Seeing that she looked pale, she asked someone to put on makeup for her.
Although she no longer expected to be favored, she was the queen and could not be disrespectful in front of the king.
Zhao Changning also immediately took action. She ran to the back room where the palace maids lived, pushed open a door, and said to the woman inside, "Your chance has come."
The woman turned around, her face not too similar to Zhao Changning, but her pair of stubborn and cold eyes, coupled with her deliberately practiced expressions and movements, made them look very similar at times.
Zhao Changning saw ambition and unwillingness in her eyes, and vaguely thought that she saw Yun Qiao. If Yun Qiao were here now, she would definitely help her climb onto the dragon bed without hesitation. Unfortunately, the timing was not right.
The woman knelt and saluted, saying respectfully, "Auntie, thank you very much."
Zhao Changning waved his hand, "You have to seize opportunities yourself, and you have to fight for favor yourself. You are of poor origin, but in the harem, origin does not determine everything."
The woman changed into a half-new green dress and was about to go out when she was stopped by someone.
"You still have a chance to regret it." Zhao Changning reminded him, "If you really enter the harem, everything will be different."
The woman nodded, her eyes firm, "Aunt, I know, I won't regret it."
Zhao Changning watched her walk away step by step, feeling deeply moved. Not all women yearn to be good wives and mothers. Many women's instincts for power and money are even stronger than men's.
The emperor had said before that he didn't want to see her again, so Zhao Changning seldom went out. When she learned that the emperor was coming to Kunning Palace, she would not go out even more.
The king never jokes, so she doesn't dare to gamble.
She was also a little curious, would the emperor be attracted to this woman? Perhaps after these few months, the emperor had forgotten her. After all, there were too many beautiful women in the harem.
However, the answer came quickly.
The queen returned to her bedroom with a weak look on her face, while Chunyun winked at Zhao Changning.
Zhao Changning knew that she had succeeded, which made her feel very complicated, an indescribable feeling, and a little ironic.
Chunyun and Zhao Changning said, "The Emperor has sent her to the Qinzheng Palace to serve. Changning, it seems the Emperor is still thinking about you. Fortunately, you are loyal to the Empress, otherwise I will never let you go."
It's okay to stuff women into the harem, but you can't hurt the Queen Mother's feelings. This is her bottom line. If Zhao Changning really enters the harem, the Queen Mother will be the one who suffers the most.
So, anyone can do it, but Zhao Changning can't.
Zhao Changning was speechless when he saw her trusting eyes. Could she say that she had ulterior motives in sending people there?
Of course not.
She laughed and said, "Of course the Queen and I are on the same side. Otherwise, why would we be hiding here?"
Chunyun sighed upon hearing this, "It's not easy for you either."
Zhao Changning didn't care and continued to do her job. The queen was in poor health, and she was in charge of almost all the affairs in the harem. There were more and more women in the palace, and they competed with each other every day, which made her very annoyed.
Occasionally, he would go to see Yu Zhaoyi, bringing her child with him.
When she first entered the palace, the little girl was as fresh and beautiful as a narcissus, blooming with a delicate fragrance. Now, she looks sick and haggard. Only when she sees her son does she feel a little life.
"Jun'er." Yu Zhaoyi struggled to her feet, wanting to hug her son, but then backed off. "Don't pass your illness on to the child. Auntie, thank you for coming to see me."
Huo Jun was the cutest when he was just over one year old, but unfortunately he was no longer close to his mother and would cry whenever he left Zhao Changning's arms.
Yu Zhaoyi was heartbroken by her son's crying, and she turned her head away and shed tears silently.
Zhao Changning also felt a little uncomfortable. Yu Zhaoyi was gentle and timid. She was favored at first, but she was really inconspicuous in the harem. The emperor might not even remember that there was such a person now.
"You have to relax and take good care of yourself. The child is still young. When he grows up, he will definitely recognize you."
Yu Zhaoyi choked up and said, "I am a hopeless person. Even with my aunt's help, I can't accomplish anything, and Jun'er can't come back. Fortunately, the Empress is kind. Perhaps they are right. I will never be liked by the Emperor..."
Knowing that it was those bastards who came here to gossip again, Zhao Changning hurriedly tried to comfort her. Seeing her like this, he felt really bad.
Such a person will not live long in the palace. Why must people be tortured in the palace? What's wrong with Yu Zhaoyi?
Of course, she was just thinking about it. The palace was a natural arena. Those women would pluck out their claws and teeth, put on rouge and powder for the emperor, and would not stop until they had no fighting spirit left. A woman like Yu Zhaoyi could never win.
Fortunately, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the emperor suddenly thought of Yu Zhaoyi and finally took the child back from Kunning Palace.
At the same time, there was a new beauty in the palace.
After Zhao Changning learned about this, he just curled his lips slightly. He didn't expect that the woman was so capable and could climb onto the dragon bed so quickly.
I think she was the one who started talking about Yu Zhaoyi.
The former dynasty now has female officials to barely restrain the situation, and all officials are relatively honest. The country is at peace, and although there are minor disasters, they are not serious. The people live and work in peace and contentment, which can be considered a prosperous scene.
After working hard for so many years, Emperor Cheng'an was finally able to relax and began to frequently enjoy the emperor's exclusive entertainment. The flowers in the harem frequently received the rain and dew, and the good news became more and more frequent.
By the end of the year, two of them were about to give birth, and two more had just been diagnosed with pregnancy pulses. It was a series of good news.
Whenever the Queen learned that someone was pregnant, her mood would worsen, and she would often sit there for the entire day, holding her deceased son's belongings.
Zhao Changning did not go up to persuade him.
The women in the harem seemed to have an inexplicable fanaticism for the emperor. They were all desperately craving for the emperor's favor. The occasional bit of mercy that slipped through his fingers would make them lose their minds. Even the queen seemed to no longer hate him, and her love for the emperor turned into resentment.
Obviously, he was just an ordinary man, who was covered in the shell of power.
So, that's not enough.
On the last day of the year-end recess, the emperor appointed a teacher for the third prince, Qi Yuwei, who was a student of Gao Yun. This was considered a high hope for the prince.
When the queen learned about this, she cursed fiercely.
Zhao Changning speculated, "No wonder they took Jun'er away. Could it be that they were afraid of raising him in your care? Could it be..."
The Queen's eyes turned red. "Are you saying that the Emperor wants to make that bastard the Crown Prince?"
"That's impossible." Chunyun glared at Zhao Changning and said quickly, "Your Majesty, how is this possible? That little bastard has no chance of becoming the crown prince. Don't be sad. If you hurt yourself, the Grand Duchess will find out and she'll probably hide in her bed and cry again..."
The cold wind howled and blew past.
Inside the Qinzheng Hall.
The emperor looked at the long-winded memorial and the empty Qinzheng Hall, feeling very irritated. He dropped the red brush in his hand and stood up, "Let's go to Concubine Wei."
Yunsheng lowered his head and said respectfully, "Yes." He smiled softly and said, "Go ahead, the flowers in the harem need rain and dew."
"Did your aunt really not meet you again?" the emperor suddenly asked.
Yun Sheng snapped back to his senses. "Yes, she probably knew she was guilty, so she rarely left Kunning Palace. Even if she did, she would deliberately avoid old friends."
The emperor's face showed a matter-of-fact expression. He smiled coldly, with displeasure in his eyes. "Humph, she seems to be very obedient."
Yunsheng looked at the emperor's indifferent expression and felt that his aunt's decision was absolutely correct. It was right to stay away from him temporarily, but the emperor was fickle and suspicious, so this was not safe either.
It would be better if the emperor were dead.
When he thought of this, he was suddenly shocked and quickly stopped himself. This kind of rebellious idea was simply seeking death.
The New Year was quite lively. After all, there were more dragon sons and daughters, and the children were chattering and very noisy.
In the blink of an eye, it was the ninth year of Cheng'an.
After the court opened, classes began in the inner study hall.
Zhao Changning went to the inner study to pick up the eldest princess and found that the second princess would also bring the third prince in and out of the inner study. He didn't know whether she really wanted to learn or was just pretending to be good in front of the emperor.
The two men had obviously different attitudes towards the current Zhao Changning. They walked past with their heads held high and snorted coldly without even saying hello.
The eldest princess was well-behaved and comforted Zhao Changning in return, "Aunt, don't look at them, we can get through this."
Zhao Changning was very pleased to see the little girl gradually becoming an adult. He patted her head and said, "Yes, we are better than them."
But she still told the Queen about it. "The eldest princess is very well-behaved. If she was bullied, she would not tell anyone when she came back. I am no longer the female secretary of the imperial court. Your Majesty, I..."
The Queen now only has this one daughter left, so naturally she feels bad for her. She frowned and said, "Don't worry, I will go to the inner study hall to see her in the next few days."
She knew very well that in the royal family, daughters were not as important as sons. If those two little beasts bullied Yao'er, the child would definitely endure it.
Zhao Changning waited quietly.
Sure enough, as she expected, after the first month of the lunar year, on the first day of February, the queen went to see the eldest princess again, and was carried back soaking wet.
The queen was sitting on the sedan chair, howling like a madman, "I want to kill those two little bastards, I want to kill them, let me kill them..."
Chunyun was the same. She was soaked and covered in moss. She cried and cursed Zhao Changning.
"... Changning, those two little bastards are too arrogant. You need to help the Empress..."
Zhao Changning first arranged hot water for them to wash up, then gave them ginger soup, wrapped them in thick blankets, and then listened carefully to their conversation.
As expected, the Queen encountered them today. When they were facing the Queen, they appeared respectful, but when they were in a secluded place, their true colors were revealed.
"They said that they held Zhang'er alive in the water, not allowing him to come out, and deliberately pushed him into the deep end with a stick. Woo woo woo..." The queen trembled as she spoke, clutching her chest, and she fell into endless sorrow.
"My poor Zhang'er, he was killed by those two, really killed by them... I wanted to drown them both, but then someone showed up. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. It was obviously not them, it was those two beasts..."
Chunyun was even more infuriated. "Those two bastards are simply evil spirits, Changning. They said they wanted to avenge their mother. They wanted to anger the Empress to death. What does Shang Meir's death have to do with the Empress? They also said that when the Emperor appoints a crown prince, they will not let the Empress have an easy life..."
Of course, no one would believe this, not even the emperor. How could a little child say such vicious words?
Zhao Changning sighed in her heart. She was too kind-hearted and only wanted to take the right path. If it were her, she would have killed those two little creatures long ago.
Even though the queen was furious, she knew that it was useless to ask the emperor for help. She grabbed Zhao Changning tightly as if she was grasping at a life-saving straw, her voice hoarse.
"Changning, that little bastard must never become the crown prince, never..."
There was something indescribable in Zhao Changning's eyes. She hugged the queen and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, you still have the eldest princess."
The Queen didn't understand and cried out, "Changning, you have so many ideas. Please help me. I want to avenge Zhang'er. I want them both to be buried with Zhang'er..."
She cursed fiercely, gritting her teeth, tears welling up on her face, and a ferocious expression. "Changning, I'm going to tear them both into pieces. I won't die. I'm going to endure it..."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty." Zhao Changning called the queen back to her senses, her tone soft and her eyes gentle, "Your Majesty, you still have the eldest princess."
She repeated it again, her eyes blazing, "You still have the eldest princess."
The queen finally understood something. She shook her head and said in disbelief, "Yao'er, it's a girl."
Zhao Changning's eyes were exceptionally calm, peaceful, and gentle. "Your Majesty, you only have one child, the eldest princess. She is the only one who will never betray you."
She squatted down, looked up at the queen's haggard and pale face, and said softly: "Only the eldest princess truly wants to avenge the third prince."
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The author has something to say: [Angry][Angry][Angry]
It's probably coming to an end, hehe [scatter flowers][scatter flowers]
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