After the love affair, Chu Zan fell asleep.
Yu Jinshu used her mind to enter the system: "Including last night and this time, am I pregnant?"
A mechanical voice rang out: [Host, this will take about half a month to test, so keep working hard!]
Yu Jinshu's thoughts came out of the system. She bought pregnancy pills, so she must be pregnant. However, in order to avoid any mistakes, she still had to work harder these days and make sure that the pregnancy could be detected in half a month.
In the Cining Palace, Imperial Noble Consort Xu Xueluo and two concubines were drinking tea and chatting with the Empress Dowager.
When Xu Xueluo mentioned that the emperor personally came to Kunning Palace to pick up Concubine An today, the empress dowager frowned slightly.
Concubine Kang said, "The Emperor dotes on Concubine An so much that even if the Emperor is healthy, he won't even look at people like us. Even if we want to have children for the royal family, it will be very difficult."
This was said in front of the Empress Dowager because she wanted her to persuade the Emperor not to favor Concubine An alone.
The Queen Mother nodded slightly: "I understand."
She ordered the eunuch, "Go and ask the emperor to come over."
The eunuch agreed and went to the Qianqing Palace to invite the emperor.
Xu Xueluo, Concubine Kang and Concubine Ning also left the Cining Palace and returned to their respective palaces.
In the Qianqing Palace, Chu Zan just woke up from a nap and couldn't find his Jinshu. He went outside the palace and found out that Jinshu had gone to Qingzhuyuan, saying that he was too bored and wanted to go fishing in the small lotus pond.
"What a little wild cat." Chu Zan thought it was very interesting when he recalled seeing Yu Jinshu happily grilling fish at Qingzhuyuan yesterday.
Just as he was about to go to Qingzhuyuan, the eunuch from Cining Palace arrived.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager asks you to go to the Cining Palace."
Chu Zan said nothing and took the imperial sedan chair to the Cining Palace.
It was time for dinner, and the Cining Palace was filled with a table of delicious dishes.
The Queen Mother sat in the main seat.
After Chu Zan paid his respects to the Queen Mother, he sat down beside her.
The Queen Mother first asked Chu Zan to eat well, and only spoke halfway through: "Your Majesty! It's a rare occasion for you to meet a woman you like. This is not only a great joy for you, but also for the Chu family and the royal family. However..."
Chu Zan raised his head and looked at the Queen Mother: "Your Majesty, please tell me directly what you want to say."
The Queen Mother smiled slightly and said, "But you only favor Concubine An. This is not acceptable. There are so many concubines in the palace, as well as noble ladies and beauties below the rank of concubine. If you don't favor them, won't they spend their whole lives alone in the palace? Your Majesty must treat everyone equally to maintain fairness."
He also said, "Also, the Empress and Concubine An entered the palace on the same day, but you did not allow the Empress to sleep with you. This is also against royal etiquette."
Chu Zan said calmly, "Empress Dowager, the Queen was arranged by you, not me. I don't like her. As for the large number of people in the harem, I understand and will make proper arrangements."
The Queen Mother was unhappy when she heard that Chu Zan disliked the Queen, but when he said that he would make proper arrangements for the women in the harem, her anger turned into joy.
"Okay, then the Emperor should make proper arrangements. You must not favor Concubine An alone, leaving the three thousand beauties in the harem pining for the Emperor."
After Chu Zan had dinner with the empress dowager, he returned to the Qianqing Palace.
He issued an imperial decree to expel all the women in the harem below the rank of concubine.
This move scared Eunuch Xu.
"Your Majesty, these women were summoned into the palace by the Queen Mother."
Chu Zan said, "The Queen Mother is right. If I don't favor them, they will be lonely and old in the palace forever. It would be better to send them back home and let them marry well, so that they won't waste their lives in the palace."
The harem was bustling that night, with some happy and some crying.
Some of the more rational ones knew that the emperor had no place for them, so they would rather be free outside the palace and find a suitable husband.
But there are also some people who still dream of gaining the emperor's favor at first sight, winning his love for one night, and then becoming a concubine.
It was already late at night when Chu Zan arrived at Qingzhuyuan.
Qingzhu Courtyard has been completely renovated. In the side room inside the courtyard, Jinshu is sleeping soundly.
Chu Zankuan took off his dragon robe and lay down beside Jinshu, holding her in his arms. He thought that after tormenting her so many times, it was time for her to have a good night's rest.
When Yu Jinshu woke up the next day, Chu Zan had already left.
Xiao Chao brought several palace maids to help her wash and dress. After breakfast, Yu Jinshu had to go to the Cining Palace and Kunning Palace to pay her respects.
Coming out of Qingzhu Courtyard, Yu Jinshu saw a dense crowd of women carrying bags walking on the road. Curiously, he asked, "Where are they going?"
The palace maid Youlin said, "Replying to Concubine An, the emperor issued an order last night to expel all the concubines below the rank of concubine from the palace."
Xiao Chao smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor did this for you."
Yu Jinshu was surprised. Chu Zan loved her so deeply, but she just wanted to complete the task of having a child. How embarrassing for her!
In the main hall of the Cining Palace, the empress dowager had not arrived yet, but many concubines from various palaces and courtyards had arrived, and they all started to make a lot of noise.
"That's good. There are fewer women in the palace now, and our competition is less."
"Don't get carried away. I heard the Queen Mother dined with the Emperor yesterday, asking him to treat all the women in the harem equally so they wouldn't grow old alone. But the Emperor, on the pretext of not wanting them to grow old alone, expelled them all. This time, it's the concubines below the rank who are punished, but who knows, it might be the concubines like us next time."
The concubines present were all shocked when they heard this.
Concubine Kang said, "Those of us who are consorts may not be able to keep our positions."
When Imperial Noble Consort Xu Xueluo heard this, her eyebrows twisted into a rope and she gritted her teeth, "Yu Jinshu."
Queen Wei Ruyan, who was standing by, noticed Xu Xueluo and whispered, "Royal Concubine, your enemy shouldn't be me, but Yu Jinshu."
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