Queen Mother Pei suddenly felt lonely.
The palace is so deserted!
At Chang'an Palace, people come in and out every day, just like a government office.
In contrast, in the Weiyang Palace, except for the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month when the ladies of the royal family came to pay their respects, there was not even a mosquito at the palace gate at other times.
Empress Dowager Pei felt uncomfortable, unhappy and depressed.
If Liu Zhao had been willing to expand his harem, the Weiyang Palace would definitely not be what it is now.
The concubines in the harem dressed up beautifully and came to the Weiyang Palace to pay their respects every day, and they engaged in all kinds of intrigues to please her.
Just thinking about this scene made Empress Dowager Pei happy!
However, Liu Zhao did not expand his harem, and Empress Dowager Pei lost the source of her happiness.
As for the royal family, Liu Zhao took charge of all the men and children in the royal family, and the situation within the royal family improved a lot.
No one would bother Empress Dowager Pei with trivial matters. They could just ask Xiao Qin'er to solve them, and it was convenient.
If Xiao Qin'er can't handle the important matters, the Queen will take care of them.
Empress Dowager Pei seemed to have been sidelined invisibly.
Originally, Gu Jiu's original intention of letting Empress Dowager Pei and Xiao Qin'er manage the clan's internal affairs together was to check and balance each other.
It was mainly Empress Dowager Pei who checked and balanced Xiao Qin'er.
It was also to find something for Empress Dowager Pei to do so that she wouldn't be bored and find trouble.
However, Xiao Qin'er took advantage of her proximity to the royal family and was able to get in touch with them more easily, thus snatching the job from Empress Dowager Pei.
As time went by, everyone developed a habit of looking for Xiao Qin'er when they had something to do.
Xiao Qin'er couldn't solve the problem, so she went to the palace to find the Queen.
So, Empress Dowager Pei was bored again.
When people have nothing to do, they tend to daydream.
In addition, Empress Dowager Pei was old, and she was just a child, and she loved to make trouble.
Living in the Weiyang Palace, I find it deserted.
Living in the Cining Palace, he felt that it was too lifeless.
I went to the Imperial Garden, but it was still deserted.
She asked Xiao Qin'er to come to the palace to talk to her. At first, Xiao Qin'er was quite attentive.
After so many times, Xiao Qin'er was too lazy to listen to Empress Dowager Pei's nagging, so she simply found an excuse not to enter the palace.
Since Xiao Qin'er refused to enter the palace, Empress Dowager Pei started to make trouble for Liu Zhao and Gu Jiu.
I have a headache today, a stomachache tomorrow, and pain in my hands and feet the day after tomorrow...
She was crying out in pain, so her son and daughter-in-law must go and visit her.
Empress Dowager Pei held Gu Jiu's hand and cried, "I am so pitiful! I am old and there is no one around to talk to."
Gu Jiu calmly broke free from Empress Dowager Pei's hand and said, "Mother, please take good care of your health and avoid worrying too much."
Can Queen Mother Pei be dismissed so easily?
Of course not.
She sobbed and said, "I live alone in Weiyang Palace. Life is meaningless! I might as well die and go to the underworld to find the late emperor. I don't know if the late emperor is waiting for me on the way. Don't worry, I promise not to complain when I see the late emperor. You are just busy and don't have time to visit me. I understand."
The corners of Gu Jiu's mouth twitched.
Threatening her and Liu Zhao with a dead person?
She wanted to laugh, but couldn't.
She could ignore Empress Dowager Pei's threats, they were all nonsense.
As a son, Liu Zhao couldn't help but care.
Gu Jiu could only patiently comfort her: "The Queen Mother wants to find someone to talk to. I, your daughter-in-law, will take care of this matter. I will definitely not let the Queen Mother be lonely."
Pei Taiyang looked at her eagerly and said, "Let Ruyang accompany me."
Gu Jiu shook his head. "Ruyang needs to study. Besides, she is young and lacks patience. She can't sit still and will bother the Queen Mother and aggravate her condition. The daughter-in-law will find someone else for the Queen Mother and guarantee that she will be satisfied."
Empress Dowager Pei was unhappy, "Don't look for Xiao Qin'er! I see through her."
Xiao Qin'er's perfunctory attitude made Empress Dowager Pei furious.
Gu Jiu pursed his lips and smiled, then nodded in agreement, "I promised my mother that I would not look for my fourth brother's wife."
"Who are you looking for then?"
"The Queen Mother will know tomorrow. Let's keep it as a surprise."
"I will wait and see, waiting for your surprise."
Empress Dowager Pei now understands the principle of knowing when to stop and does not trouble Gu Jiu too much.
After Gu Jiu left, Empress Dowager Pei sat up from the bed.
She sighed and started nagging Eunuch Tongwen, "If Huyang were still alive, even though she didn't like coming to the palace, I would have had someone like her who was worth thinking about. My life would have been very fulfilling. But now that Huyang is gone, I don't even have anyone to think about or nag about."
Does this mean that we only learn to cherish something after losing it?
"If Princess Huyang knew in her afterlife that the Queen Mother was thinking of her, she would probably jump for joy."
"Humph! She won't be happy. She'll just ridicule me, saying I'm just being sympathetic and crying wolf, and then scolding me for what I deserve."
It has to be said that Empress Dowager Pei knows Huyang too well.
When Hu Yang was alive, she disliked him and disliked him in every way.
She was happier than anyone else when Hu Yang suffered a setback.
But now that Huyang is gone, she begins to feel melancholy again.
Even the person she missed and cursed was gone, and life seemed to have lost its color. From vibrant colors to black and white, life became dull.
Queen Mother Pei sighed again.
She lamented for herself.
"Who would have thought Huyang would be so short-lived, dead at just over fifty. I was hoping she'd live a few more years. We had a wonderful time, as sisters-in-law. But who would have thought she was such a sentimental soul, still thinking about that bald donkey Wuwang after all these years?"
Empress Dowager Pei became angrier as she spoke.
A companion in old age, a companion in old age.
Although Empress Dowager Pei expressed her dislike for Hu Yang, in her heart she regarded Hu Yang as her companion in her old age.
The aunt and sister-in-law have been fighting for a lifetime. Now that they are old, they might as well continue fighting.
A noisy day is what a day should be.
As a result, Huyang, feeling hopeless, went on a hunger strike, ruined his body, and eventually killed himself.
When Hu Yang just died, Empress Dowager Pei did not feel so deeply.
At that time, she even gloated over her misfortune and said, "She finally tortured herself to death!"
As time passed, Empress Dowager Pei missed Huyang more and more.
She did not miss Emperor Chengzong Wende, but missed Huyang.
As time went by, this longing became stronger and stronger, even she didn't realize it.
It’s like the biggest opponent in your life. You thought you would fight until death, but in the end, your opponent died in front of you.
That feeling of loss and melancholy makes it impossible to eat, and one feels uncomfortable with a burning heart and lungs.
Empress Dowager Pei turned her longing for Huyang into hatred for Wuwang. "If Wuwang doesn't come back, that's fine. But if he does, I'll make him pay for Huyang's life!"
Eunuch Wen seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.
Queen Mother Pei glared at him and said, "Just say whatever you want to say. You are an elder by my side, so what do you have to worry about?"
Eunuch Wen quietly reminded Empress Dowager Pei, "Your Majesty, Master Wuwang is a meritorious official. If he returns to the capital, he will surely be highly valued by Your Majesty. It would be difficult for Your Majesty to have him buried with Princess Huyang."
Bang!
Empress Dowager Pei slammed her hand on the table. "Wuwang Bald Donkey killed Huyang, and I let him be buried with him. Is that wrong?"
Eunuch Wen hesitated and said, "Master Wuwang's merits always outweigh his faults. After all, his affair with Princess Huyang is a private affair, which is nothing compared to the greater good of the court. Otherwise, Your Majesty and Your Majesty should have followed Princess Huyang's wishes and recalled Wuwang."
Empress Dowager Pei was so angry that her nostrils were flaring up and her face was tense.
She said angrily, "Wuwang, the bald donkey. I met him before. He has a deceitful face and a mouth that can deceive people to death. Huyang is such a shrewd and selfish person, but he could be deceived by Wuwang. Wuwang must have used some shameful means to win Huyang's heart. This bald donkey with six impure senses should be burned to death. It is your majesty and the queen who are fooling around to reuse this impure wine and meat monk."
Eunuch Wen said cautiously, "The facts prove that Your Majesty and the Queen have a unique vision. Master Wuwang has accomplished something that others could not."
"Humph! No matter how capable he is, you can't deny that he killed Hu Yang."
Empress Dowager Pei felt so distressed!
Why is Hu Yang so depressed that he ruins his own body and refuses to cooperate with the imperial physician to take good care of himself?
Empress Dowager Pei turned her head, picked up her handkerchief, and secretly wiped the corners of her eyes.
Half a year after Huyang passed away, Empress Dowager Pei cried for her for the first time.
When Emperor Chengzong Wende passed away, Empress Dowager Pei didn't shed a single tear.
She murmured to herself, "We, sister-in-law and I, have reconciled today. Farewell, and when you get to the King of Hell, don't act like a princess. Say something nice and try to be reborn into a good life. If there's a chance in the next life, let's not be sister-in-law, but sisters."
Eunuch Wen's eyes were red and he felt uncomfortable.
Queen Mother Pei scolded him to hide her inner emotions.
"Why are you crying? I'm not dead!"
"I feel bad for Huyang, and I also feel bad for the queen."
"What's there to be sad about? I'm fine!"
"Everyone says the Queen Mother and Princess Huyang were at odds. Who could have known that after Huyang passed away, the person who missed her the most would be the Queen Mother? It turns out that the so-called rumors are all false."
Empress Dowager Pei sneered, "This palace and Hu Yang have never been on good terms. This is a fact."
"But the Queen is thinking about Princess Huyang."
"Just because I miss her doesn't mean I have a harmonious relationship with her. I'm just lonely, and Huyang happens to be the most boisterous person. If she were still alive, even if we didn't meet, I would still get angry. Then my life wouldn't be boring, understand?"
Eunuch Wen slowly shook his head, "This old servant is stupid."
He doesn't understand!
Empress Dowager Pei didn't dislike Eunuch Wen. "It doesn't matter if you don't understand. I just dislike the harem being too quiet. What do you think the emperor is thinking? Expanding the harem and taking in more concubines would make the palace more lively. Watching them scheming against each other and using all kinds of tricks to win favor is so exciting!"
Eunuch Wen laughed and said, "If Your Majesty really opens up the harem, the Queen Mother will be dissatisfied with the concubines' noise."
Empress Dowager Pei said, "Better to be noisy than to be deserted! Look at this Weiyang Palace, such a beautiful place, yet no one comes here on weekdays. Life is bland and tasteless. I don't know what kind of curse the Empress has cast on the Emperor, but he refuses to take a concubine, no matter what. It's really infuriating. The Empress has already given birth to three legitimate sons, and no one can shake her position. And yet she is still so stubbornly guarding against the Emperor taking a concubine. What is her intention? In every dynasty, the emperor has been surrounded by women. But when it comes to our Emperor, he has changed his ways."
She was very resentful.
In the past, she advocated that Liu Zhao expand the harem in order to suppress Queen Gu Jiu and fight for power.
Now she still advocates that Liu Zhao expand the harem because she thinks the harem is too lonely and there is not even anyone to talk to to relieve her boredom.
In such a huge harem, there was only one family, less than ten people. The rest were palace maids and eunuchs. How could it not be lonely?
"Your Majesty and the Queen have a deep relationship and respect each other like guests. Your Majesty does not want to hurt the Queen, so he is unwilling to take a concubine." Eunuch Wen said in a low voice.
Empress Dowager Pei sneered, "Why are you afraid of hurting the Empress? The Empress is as strong as a wall of steel. Who in the world can hurt her? It's obvious that she cast a spell on the Emperor, which is why he is so devoted to her."
His words were full of disgust and dissatisfaction.
She despised Gu Jiu's blatant usurpation of Emperor Liu Zhao. She was not afraid of worldly rumors, nor of the criticisms of court officials, nor of anything else.
All the gentleness and virtue of a woman are lost.
As the mother of a country, she can't even set a good example and has changed the moral standards of the world.
There were more than one such cases among the people, where women took the case to the government because they did not allow their husbands to take concubines.
They even called it a good name, saying that since the Empress did not allow the Emperor to take concubines, what qualifications did ordinary people have to do so?
They all take the Queen as their role model.
The government respectfully declines this kind of lawsuit. Go back and make a fuss on your own. The government really doesn't like to deal with such trivial matters involving men and women.
I am particularly disgusted by women who hold high the banner of the Queen.
In official circles, the words and deeds of the Empress have always been praised and criticized, and criticism has always existed.
Seeing that the Empress had corrupted public morals and set a very bad example for women, the officials were furious and became increasingly dissatisfied with the Empress.
When the officials learned that the Empress had brought women from the royal family into the palace to serve as female officials, their dissatisfaction grew even more.
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