Chapter 696: The Deposed Princess Strikes Back at the Female General 143
As autumn turned to winter, the emperor did not survive the winter and passed away. The crown prince Yuwen Yi ascended the throne, Ji Yunhuan became the empress, and he issued a general amnesty, and the whole country celebrated.
The following year, Ji Yunhuan gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Yuwen Yi suspended court for five days and gave all the civil and military officials in the court a holiday, just so that he could be closer to his children.
Empress Dowager Song lived in Qingchuan Garden with the Grand Empress Dowager. The girls' school and the clinic were already on track. She was happy every day and seemed to have become several years younger after leaving the palace.
Jiang Yanliu was also promoted to empress dowager, and she still lived in the Lanyue Palace. Now the palace was no longer a cage that trapped her. Her son and daughter-in-law were both in the palace, and she was happy to live in the palace.
Ji Yunhuan was leaning on the couch. Song Yaoguang was holding the little princess and was very fond of her. She praised her repeatedly, "She looks exactly like Huan'er. Her eyebrows and eyes, her little mouth, are so beautiful."
The Empress Dowager held her great-grandson tightly and refused to let go. "This little leg is really strong. Both of them are healthy children. Huan'er has worked so hard."
Jiang Yanliu asked the palace maid to place the meals on the couch. She was in charge of Huan'er's three meals a day and took good care of her.
She didn't have the nerve to snatch the child from the Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager Song, so she could only wait helplessly.
When Yuwen Yi came in, no one paid any attention to him. He went over to feed Huan'er, but Jiang Yanliu waved her hand impatiently and said disdainfully, "Don't make trouble. Huan'er has a poor appetite and it's hard for her to eat more. Don't bother her."
Yuwen Yi looked at the delicate and pretty little princess and wanted to take her in a hug, but Song Yaoguang refused.
The Empress Dowager held her little great-grandson and said cautiously, "Don't rob me. The emperor should focus on national affairs and stop always canceling court. How can you be the same as your father, being lazy after becoming emperor?"
Yuwen Yi's outstretched hand stopped awkwardly in mid-air, and he said helplessly: "Grandmother, I am only absent from court, not government affairs. I just summoned ministers to discuss matters. I finally got some free time to come and see Huan'er and the children."
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly, "That's better than enough! You're still feeling wronged. Isn't this what you should do? Yaoguang, let me see the great-granddaughter. Let's switch. I'm so happy that I can hold two at once."
The Empress Dowager and Song Yaoguang exchanged the children, still each holding one in their arms, and Yuwen Yi had no chance to touch any at all.
The full month banquet for the twins was held. Yuwen Yi named the eldest son the crown prince and decided on the heir apparent early on.
He knew that it would be difficult for him to have children, and having this pair of children was already a blessing from God. With both a son and a daughter and a beautiful woman by his side, he had no regrets in his life.
In the blink of an eye, it was the autumn examination, and Song Yan won the first place. In the Golden Palace, Yuwen Yi personally selected Song Yan as the top scholar, as if he didn't care about what happened in the past at all.
The next day, Yuwen Yi sent Song Yan to Jiangnan. Jiangnan was prosperous and easy to achieve political achievements, so he was considered to be given an important position. However, Song Yan took root in Jiangnan from then on, and the emperor never ordered him to be transferred back to the capital.
Song Yan was promoted step by step, but except for returning to Beijing to report on his work at the end of the year, he was basically not in the capital, and it was even more impossible for him to have the opportunity to meet Ji Yunhuan.
After Yuwen Yi let out his anger, he finally felt relieved.
The emperor's harem was empty with only the empress, and some officials were getting restless. They were also hoping to send their daughters into the palace, hoping that if they were favored, they could also help their families.
Since ancient times, the former dynasty and the harem have been one, and there are no women in the family in the harem. They are completely in the dark about the emperor, and they are really uneasy.
At the morning court that day, another official petitioned the emperor to hold a beauty contest.
"Your Majesty has only one son and one daughter now, and your heirs are few. Even if it's for the sake of the royal heirs, Your Majesty should expand your harem and have more children."
Yuwen Yi sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he sneered, "I have a hidden illness and it is difficult for me to have children. It is useless to take in any number of concubines. Are you mocking me, my dear?"
There were people kneeling on the ground in the hall. They all thought that if the queen could get pregnant, then other women should be able to get pregnant too. They even thought that the emperor was already fully recovered. Everyone would hide it if they encountered such a thing, but the emperor actually said it out loud. How could they respond?
Yuwen Yi stood up and said coldly, "Why are you all silent? I have already appointed a crown prince. The crown prince is in good health, and the harem is clean. There are no dirty things. The crown prince will definitely grow up safely and inherit the throne!"
"So what if I don't have many children? I already have a prince, and the Kingdom of Chen has someone to carry on its rule. How many women I have in my harem is my private matter and has nothing to do with the previous dynasty. If anyone makes random suggestions under the guise of state affairs, don't blame me for being rude!"
"Retreat!"
The court officials did not dare to anger the emperor again. Everyone knew that the emperor usually did not get angry, but when he did, he would kill people. No matter how high the official position or how prominent the background, as long as the Ministry of Justice found evidence, the emperor would kill them.
Minister Nie is now known as King Nie of Hell. Officials in the court are trembling with fear and trying their best to restrain their relatives, friends and servants for fear that they will be implicated.
Since their plan to approach the emperor was not going anywhere, everyone turned their attention to Qingchuan Garden.
The Grand Empress Dowager doesn't care about anything now and just spends her remaining years in retirement. She holds a flower-pinning banquet today and a poetry meeting tomorrow. It's not difficult to meet the Grand Empress Dowager.
In Qingchuan Garden.
Song Yaoguang knew that the Empress Dowager liked lively occasions, so she held another banquet. In addition to the noble ladies in the capital, noble ladies from the clan, and some young girls from the school and the clinic also attended the banquet.
The Empress Dowager was indeed very happy. A relative who was of the same generation as the Empress Dowager took this opportunity to sigh: "Being young is good. Seeing these young girls makes me feel energetic."
"At our age, we don't have to worry about anything except having children. My granddaughter-in-law's pregnancy is not good, and she has no children so far. So I decided to take in two concubines, and they will soon bear fruit."
"The royal family has few descendants. The Empress Dowager should give some advice. Each of the princes has three or four children. Only the emperor is really worrying."
The Queen Mother was very unhappy to hear this and said with a stern face: "I don't care about these things. Besides, the Queen is pregnant again. The master of Leiyin Temple has calculated that no one except the Queen will be blessed to give birth to the Emperor's child."
"I see that you are tired. You don't have to come to my banquets in the future. Yaoguang, arrange a carriage to take the old lady back."
The old lady didn't want to go back, so she started to persuade Queen Dowager Song instead.
"You should also persuade the emperor, Empress Dowager. You are the emperor's mother, the empress is still young, and Empress Dowager Jiang is of too low birth. You still have the final say on matters in the harem."
Song Yaoguang said coldly: "Old Madam, you talk too much. If it gets to the emperor's ears, your son's title will be lost."
"Please, old lady."
The old lady really didn't want to leave, but the Royal Guards were watching her, so she had to get on the carriage reluctantly.
The next day, her son was really stripped of his title. After that, no one in the capital dared to mention the idea of having the emperor select a concubine.
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