Chapter 188: Give her peace in this small harem
Inside the Cining Palace, the scent of sandalwood wafts through the air.
When Yan Shixu stepped into the palace, the Empress Dowager was leaning on the couch, twisting a string of Buddhist beads in her hand.
The Queen Mother sat beside her and read to her from a travel book.
Seeing the emperor come in, the Empress Dowager raised her eyes slightly and a kind smile appeared on her face.
Yan Shixu bowed respectfully and said, "Grandson pays his respects to the Empress Dowager and to the Empress Dowager."
"Get up," the Empress Dowager motioned for him to sit down. "Have you had dinner yet?"
Yan Shixu nodded: "I have used it."
He picked up the teacup offered by the palace maid, pondered for a moment, and said, "Grandson has something to discuss with the Empress Dowager."
A glint of understanding flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes: "Is it about the selection of concubines?"
"Exactly. My grandson has decided to cancel the draft this year."
The Buddhist beads paused in the Empress Dowager's hand, her brows furrowed slightly. "Why did you make this decision so suddenly?"
"There are so many affairs at court that my grandson has no time to attend to matters in the harem." Yan Shixu said calmly, "Besides, there are too many people in the harem, which brings a lot of trouble. It would be better to reduce the number of people."
The Empress Dowager thought that this was a bit too streamlined.
Throughout the dynasties, which emperor had a harem with only four women?
Even in an ordinary small family, there are more women in the backyard than the emperor.
She put down her Buddhist beads and said seriously, "Xu'er, matters in the harem are no joke. The selection of concubines is not only an ancestral system, but also a means of maintaining balance in the court."
"My grandson understands the Royal Grandmother's painstaking efforts."
Yan Shixu looked directly at the Grand Empress Dowager and said seriously, "But now the situation in the court is under control of my grandson, and there is no need to rely on marriage to maintain it. Besides..."
He paused, then continued, "Conflicts within the harem often implicate the imperial court. When my father was alive, there were too many factional disputes caused by harem vying for favor. I don't want to repeat the same mistake."
The Empress Dowager was slightly distracted, as if her memories were brought back.
After a while, she sighed softly.
"Xu'er's words are not without truth. But if there are no new people in the harem, how can the royal family expand?"
Yan Shixu said, "I already have two princes. In a few years, I will surely have a few more. Besides, quality is more important than quantity. If I have fewer children, I can give them more love. I really don't want to favor one over the other, causing them to harbor resentment and grow up in conflict."
The Empress Dowager stared at Yan Shixu and suddenly asked, "Xu'er, is this for Concubine Wen?"
Yan Shixu was silent for a moment, but he didn't lie: "She always brings joy and peace of mind to my grandson, and I also want to give her some peace in this small place in the harem."
The Empress Dowager was silent.
The hall was silent for a moment. Outside the window came the rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind.
After a long pause, the Grand Empress Dowager slowly spoke: "Xu'er, do you know that emperors throughout history have always hated being unfaithful? The harem and the court have always been two sides of the same coin. Which of those aristocratic families isn't eagerly waiting to send their daughters to the palace? If you cancel this, I wonder how many people you'll offend."
Yan Shixu said, "Precisely because of this, my grandson must make his position clear. The court should employ people based on their abilities, not nepotism. If they become disloyal to me just because the selection is cancelled, then these ministers are not worthy of being promoted."
The empress dowager, who had been silent all this time, stared blankly at her adopted son, with a trace of emotion and movement in her eyes, as well as a hint of envy.
Of course, I envy Wen Lier.
What she had hoped for and wanted was not available to her.
But the other woman got it easily.
Is this the difference between love and not love?
She couldn't help but think of the late emperor. The late emperor loved Yang Guifei so much, why didn't he still have three palaces and six courtyards and countless women?
The Queen Mother was a little excited for a moment, but she didn't know why she was excited.
Perhaps she just wanted to see if her adopted son could really remain consistent in his feelings for Wen Li'er.
She looked at the Grand Empress Dowager and spoke for Yan Shi.
"Aunt, when one comes to this world, it is a blessing to meet a soulmate to accompany him. Xu'er is lucky enough to meet someone who pleases her. It's so rare. Why don't you just accept it?"
The Grand Empress Dowager took a breath and glared at the troubled Queen Mother.
Is this something she can agree to just because she wants to?
She was angry: "Go back to your Fengxiang Palace, don't be an eyesore to me."
The Queen Mother was slightly embarrassed to be rebuked in front of her son.
"aunt……"
"Let's go back."
The Queen Mother bowed helplessly and left.
Before leaving, she looked at Yan Shixu deeply.
The Empress Dowager looked at Yan Shixu again and still did not give in.
"Xu'er, I think you're being a little hasty. Have you ever considered how Imperial Concubine Wen would react if the selection was cancelled and public outrage arose?"
The words of the Empress Dowager were like a heavy hammer, hitting Yan Shixu's heart.
His fingers gripping the teacup tightened slightly, his tense knuckles reflected on the celadon wall.
"Grandmother, I am the Son of Heaven and will protect her."
Seeing him like this, the Empress Dowager laughed instead: "You can protect someone for a while, but can you protect them forever? There are so many ways to harm someone, it's impossible to guard against them."
When she spoke of this, her tone became meaningful: "Some time ago, one of the eldest prince's wet nurses was poisoned. Have you ever considered that if the poison had targeted the eldest prince or Concubine Wen, how could they still be alive now? Although you tried to remedy the situation later, there's no going back on what happened."
Yan Shixu fell silent.
The Grand Empress Dowager continued, "Although you are an emperor, you are only mortal with limited energy. You cannot be all-encompassing. Furthermore, two fists cannot defeat four hands. If the civil and military officials were to rise up and attack Concubine Wen, their verbal and written criticism would drown her. If faced with such a situation, can you truly silence the accusations and protect her? Although you are now more powerful, you are not yet at the stage where you can compete with the officials. If the Emperor truly has Concubine Wen's best interests at heart, he should not put her and her unborn child at the center of this storm."
Yan Shixu suddenly looked up: "How did the Empress Dowager know?"
The Grand Empress Dowager smiled and said, "There are no impenetrable walls in this palace. Even if you keep it a secret, it will still reach my ears. Just like how well you protect her, bad guys can still find loopholes."
Yan Shixu felt a rare panic in his heart.
He thought he had kept the matter secret very well, but the Empress Dowager still found out.
Now it seems that just because he thinks he can protect her, can he really protect her?
He wanted to speak again, but found that his throat was dry and he could hardly make a sound.
The fact that he lacks ability and is not fully developed is right in front of him, and he can no longer be as confident as before.
Suddenly a gust of wind blew outside the window, making the window lattice creak slightly.
Yan Shixu looked at the darkening sky outside the window, his eyes deep.
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