Chapter 230 Xian'er, accompany me one more time tonight...
In the Golden Palace, a group of officials, led by Grand Tutor Liu, brought up the old matter once again.
At this moment, they were nothing like the loyal and devoted ministers who cared for the country. Instead, these upright and virtuous officials were now endlessly discussing the emperor's harem for what seemed like the umpteenth time.
Grand Tutor Liu reported: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is unwell and has not recovered for a long time... The Imperial Noble Consort, who assists in managing the six palaces and holds a position equivalent to the Empress Dowager, should set an example by personally serving medicine to the Cining Palace to demonstrate filial piety and reassure the hearts of the people!"
As a high-ranking Grand Tutor, Liu forced a weak woman to attend to him while she was ill. He remained unfazed and, disregarding Emperor Zhaoheng's displeasure, directly offered his advice.
"If the Imperial Noble Consort continues to use the excuse of recuperating, it may attract criticism, with people saying that she is arrogant because of the emperor's favor..."
Emperor Zhaoheng looked at him coldly, and Grand Tutor Liu was still saying the same things he had presented in his memorials in the past few days.
Emperor Zhaoheng was so tired of hearing it that he was sick of it.
Grand Tutor Liu showed no signs of fatigue, and as soon as he finished speaking, several officials behind him echoed his sentiments.
Similar scenes have been playing out for many days now.
On the dragon throne, Emperor Zhaoheng's face was ashen, and his fingertips tapped lightly on the dragon heads on the armrests, producing a dull sound.
Only when the sounds below gradually subsided did he slowly raise his eyes, his gaze calm and unwavering as he swept over the assembled officials below.
"Your Excellencies are deeply concerned about the Empress Dowager, and this comforts me greatly."
Emperor Zhaoheng was merely stating a fact, but for some reason, the old ministers below sensed a hint of sarcasm in his words.
He paused for a moment before continuing in a loud voice.
"Filial piety is indeed the foundation of human relations and the principle of heaven and earth."
He sat in his high seat, watching the fleeting smugness in the eyes of Grand Tutor Liu and the others, before slowly continuing:
"Therefore, I have decided to personally go to Cining Palace tomorrow to serve the Empress Dowager with her medicine for a day."
What?
The hall fell into complete silence; you could hear a pin drop.
The expressions on the faces of Grand Tutor Liu and the others froze instantly. Their aged faces seemed to have been splashed with color, revealing an unusual look of surprise.
The Empress Dowager is ill, and the Emperor personally goes to attend to her?!
This...this is unheard of!
Emperor Zhaoheng took in their reactions, a faint, cold sneer curling at the corner of his lips.
"After much deliberation, I have come to believe that the emperor's filial piety should be the foremost among all rulers. My heart is truly at peace with my mother's illness. Tomorrow, I will make a regular trip to Cining Palace to visit and serve her, in order to fulfill my duty as a son."
At this point, Emperor Zhaoheng abruptly changed the subject, his gaze slowly sweeping over the ministers below.
As for the Imperial Noble Consort—
"Postpartum weakness and hemorrhage have depleted vital energy. The Imperial Medical Academy has repeatedly emphasized the need for long-term rest and protection from uncleanliness to prevent disease!"
"Furthermore, the Imperial Noble Consort is currently personally caring for the princess and prince. The young child is frail, but he is my bloodline and the future of the nation. This is the foundation of the country and cannot be lost!"
Emperor Zhaoheng snorted coldly, his expression gradually darkening.
"You officials are all here today, claiming to be role models of filial piety, yet you repeatedly force a concubine who is weak after childbirth and needs to raise her young child to come to her bedside!"
"I would like to ask you all, do you think that I am not qualified enough to personally fulfill my filial duties to my mother?!"
This series of questions struck Liu Taifu and the others like a heavy hammer!
Before this, there had never been a precedent of an emperor taking the initiative to attend to the ailing empress dowager!
Emperor Zhaoheng's actions, while waving the banner of filial piety, also included mention of the three children...
Emperor Zhaoheng was different from previous emperors; he valued his offspring and could not afford to lose them!
The courtiers' expressions changed repeatedly, but in the end they could only swallow all the urging and coercion.
"We dare not!"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
Grand Tutor Liu lay prostrate on the ground, his voice trembling, and dared not utter another word about having Shui Xian attend to him while he was ill.
"Your Majesty, we are foolish and ignorant. We only considered the outward appearance of filial piety and failed to understand Your Majesty's deeper intentions and the hardships endured by the Imperial Noble Consort. We humbly beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"
Emperor Zhaoheng coldly looked at the kneeling officials and sneered inwardly.
"Since you have admitted your mistake, you may leave. In the future, if anyone dares to speak ill of the inner palace or threaten the foundation of the nation, I will not let them off lightly!"
"Your Majesty, we obey!"
Liu Taifu and the others forcibly concealed the coldness in their eyes and retreated back to the train with their heads covered in dust.
——
Lihe Palace, main hall.
The morning bell had already rung, and the concubines who came to pay their respects were already seated in their respective places.
However, the atmosphere inside the hall today was more subtle than usual.
The news that the Emperor was personally attending to the Empress Dowager during her illness had already spread throughout the six palaces, even before the court session ended, thanks to the unique communication channels of the various empresses and mistresses.
Shocked, everyone's gaze involuntarily drifted to the stunningly beautiful woman in the main seat—the Imperial Noble Consort, who now holds the title of Vice Empress.
Narcissus sat gracefully on it, with a steaming cup of flower tea beside her.
She remained calm, showing no surprise whatsoever.
Last night, Emperor Zhaoheng had already exchanged gifts with her, so Shuixian was not surprised at all.
However, at this moment, something else was on her mind...
Pei Jichuan was supposed to come on time today to check on Ping An's health and secretly report on the progress of the prescription, but he has been late.
The morning meeting was about to begin, and she couldn't wait any longer, so she had to send Shu'er to the Imperial Hospital to find someone.
She had just picked up her teacup, intending to say a few polite words to begin the morning meeting, when Consort Wan, sitting to her left, could no longer contain herself.
She held the embroidered handkerchief in her hand, her voice still gentle, yet tinged with a lingering bitterness.
"Your Majesty is truly unparalleled in benevolence and filial piety. Despite your immense power, you personally went to Cining Palace to serve me medicine. We are deeply moved and impressed."
As her eyes darted around, she seemingly casually glanced at the daffodils, and said in a sarcastic tone:
"But... it's still hard on Your Majesty. To be honest, if someone hadn't been unwell, why would Your Majesty have had to go in person? If word got out, people who didn't know the situation would think that there was no one left in our harem."
She deliberately emphasized the phrase "her body is not cooperating," and it was obvious who she was referring to.
The hall fell silent instantly, and almost immediately all eyes were focused on the narcissus.
Narcissus slowly set down her teacup. The white jade porcelain cup touched the rosewood tabletop with a crisp, light sound, which startled everyone.
She slowly raised her eyes, her gaze as clear and cold as an autumn spring, and a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown curved her lips.
Consort Wan has been dancing way too much these past few days...
"I am so pleased that Consort Wan is so concerned about the Empress Dowager's health and so considerate of the Emperor's hard work."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
"Since you feel that it is too much trouble for the Emperor to personally attend to you during his illness, and you are also worried about the lack of women in the harem, your sincere concern is as clear as day. How about this..."
She leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed on Consort Wan, whose expression had changed slightly. It seemed like she was offering advice, but in reality, she was setting a trap for Consort Wan.
"I hereby grant your permission to go to Cining Palace immediately to personally serve the Empress Dowager her medicine for the Emperor, so as to share the Emperor's burdens and fulfill your heartfelt 'filial piety'... What do you say?"
Narcissus imitated Consort Wan, emphasizing the word "filial piety".
Want to serve me? Go ahead!
Consort Wan's face instantly drained of all color!
She wanted to attend to the Emperor's illness alongside him, not to attend to him alone!
You have to let a man see you doing hard labor in order to win his pity.
Consort Wan didn't really want to serve!
Startled, she jumped to her feet, fearing that if Narcissus touched her lips, she would be pushed over.
"Your Majesty, I am foolish and clumsy, and I fear I may disturb Your Majesty's health. I truly dare not..."
Before she could finish speaking, Narcissus interrupted her coldly.
"Now that you know your identity, you should be careful with your words and actions and strictly abide by the palace rules!"
Her gaze was like a cold knife, slowly sweeping across the face of every concubine in the hall. Wherever she passed, everyone was terrified and lowered their heads, not daring to meet her eyes.
"If I ever hear such words of disrespect or slander against His Majesty again... I will punish them severely according to palace rules!"
The majesty of the Imperial Noble Consort was on full display at this moment!
Inside the main hall, it was deathly silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The only distinguishable sound was the rapid, anxious breathing of a few people.
Just as the palace was deathly silent, a clear and loud voice of a eunuch suddenly rang out from outside the hall.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
Before the words had even faded, Emperor Zhaoheng, dressed in bright yellow court robes and clearly having just finished court, stepped into the hall.
He had a tall and straight posture, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, exuding an undeniable imperial aura.
The concubines in the hall seemed to awaken from a dream, stood up from their seats, and knelt down in unison.
"Welcome, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
Emperor Zhaoheng seemed oblivious to the kneeling beauties; his gaze, from the moment he entered, was fixed solely on the elegant and refined figure seated at the head of the table.
He walked straight to Narcissus, disregarding etiquette, and helped her up with his own hands, his tone gentler than ever before.
"How did the morning meeting go? Get up, don't waste your energy on irrelevant gossip."
Consort Wan, who had just been gossiping, looked even more unpleasant.
Shui Xian rose with his help, lowered her eyes and smiled faintly: "Your Majesty, I am fine. I am grateful for your concern."
Emperor Zhaoheng seemed to have just noticed the concubines kneeling all over the ground. His gaze swept over them indifferently, pausing for a moment on Consort Wan, who was bowing her head and trembling slightly.
"Everyone, step back."
His tone was indifferent, carrying an undisguised sense of dismissal: "The Imperial Noble Consort will be having breakfast with me."
"Your Majesty, we take our leave."
The concubines were filled with mixed feelings, but none of them dared to show it. They could only get up reluctantly, lower their heads, and file out one after another.
After everyone had left, only the palace servants that Shui Xian trusted and could stay by her side remained in the hall.
Emperor Zhaoheng held Shuixian's hand, his fingertips gently caressing the back of her hand, the warmth slowly brushing across her skin.
"Xian'er, rest assured, I have already handled the matter properly in the court. No one will dare to force you to attend to my illness in the future."
Narcissus, recalling the man's tenderness and valor the previous night, lowered her head slightly and whispered:
"I will always remember what Your Majesty has done for me."
Emperor Zhaoheng looked at the blush rising on her cheeks. Although he was to go to Cining Palace to attend to her sick tomorrow, his heart was filled with tenderness.
He leaned close to her ear, his hot breath brushing against her delicate skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
Emperor Zhaoheng slowly tightened his grip, no longer gently stroking, but interlocking his fingers with a certain aggressiveness.
"Xian'er, spend one more night with me..."
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