After hearing the Empress's high-sounding but evasive explanation, Yinzhen felt helpless.
"Empress, I am the Emperor. I have the right to like or dislike whomever I want. I ask you, when have I ever embarrassed you because of Consort Gui? Has Consort Gui ever disrespected you? I only want a peaceful harem. Why do you have to do these things that annoy me?"
In their previous life, the two grew to dislike each other. At that time, Ulanara became the empress, and he doted on Lady Nian. The empress began to focus on her family and even tried to arrange for Ulanara's daughters to enter the palace to serve her.
She was no longer as composed as when she was the wife of Prince Yong.
There is no shortage of wives and concubines of princes and members of the imperial family, but there can only be one empress. To a certain extent, the empress has great power and benefits.
As Ulanara listened to his almost insulting reprimand, a fleeting look of embarrassment crossed her face. She argued, "As the Empress, it is my duty to urge the Emperor to have children. The Emperor's favoritism towards the Consort has already caused rumors in the court. I am only doing this for the sake of the Emperor's reputation."
Yinzhen snorted coldly: "Reputation? The reputation of lingering in the harem? I am not afraid of damage to my reputation, but the Empress is worried about me. The Empress should reflect on her actions. This month, the concubines do not need to come to pay their respects. If there is a next time, the Empress can stay ill forever!"
After saying that, Yinzhen left with a cold face.
After leaving Jingren Palace, Yinzhen went directly to Yongshou Palace.
Le Shu called him over, looking furious, and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong? Is there anyone from the previous dynasty who can make you angry? That shouldn't be the case!"
"There was none in the previous dynasty, it was the empress."
Hearing that she was the Empress, Yue Shu didn't ask too many questions. However, Yinzhen didn't intend to hide it from her and started complaining: "She was fine when she was in the Prince's Mansion. How come she started doing some crazy things after becoming the Empress? She arranged for palace maids to enter the Hall of Mental Cultivation, specifically looking for those who resemble you. I don't even know what to say about her."
Le Shu's expression also turned sour upon hearing this.
Yinzhen continued to complain: "It was the same in her past life. I thought this life would be different, so I was willing to give her some trust. Now she's only thinking about promoting her family. If her family is useful, why wouldn't I use them..."
He desperately needs talent, but the problem is that her family is unreliable. Does he expect to use her only to clean up their mess?
He kept talking, and it seemed he was really angry.
Le Shu handed over a cup of tea: "Soak your throat! As for the Empress's matter, I shouldn't say anything."
Yinzhen suddenly said, "I plan to publicize the fact that you sent people to research and write 'Miscellaneous Notes on Planting'."
"Planting Notes" is a collection of methods for increasing crop yields compiled by Le Shu from the Complete Book of Planting. It contains a lot of detailed information and uses straightforward language, making it very suitable for promotion.
Emperor Yinzhen directly adopted this book as one of the standards for evaluating officials, requiring local officials to study it. If they wanted to advance in their careers, it would also be one of the criteria for performance evaluation.
"Did someone from the previous dynasty say something?"
Le Shu prefers practical things and is indifferent to fame.
“I just don’t want you to be misunderstood. The things you’ve presented could save countless lives. With such achievements, I’m the only one who will favor you. Who can question you?”
Yue Shu wasn't ungrateful for Yinzhen's kindness, so she nodded in agreement.
"Then I'll do as you say."
It's likely that things won't go smoothly for the Empress. However, what does it have to do with her? The two are destined not to be friends. To a certain extent, the Empress has chosen to become her political enemy.
Not taking the initiative to suppress others is a matter of her grace, or rather, she will remain invincible if she doesn't take the initiative to act, so there is no need for her to act, and even less reason for her to act.
Both of them are like this; it's just a matter of who loses their temper first.
Le Shu was somewhat surprised by the Empress's urgency.
She looked at Yinzhen. This man's appearance and inner qualities were indeed very attractive to women. The Empress was afraid that she would see something. How could she tolerate Yinzhen's doting on her? How adorable!
How can a woman tolerate her beloved husband falling in love with another woman, especially since her husband used to be cold and aloof, loving no one?
Now the frost has melted, but it's for another woman.
From love comes fear! From love comes sorrow!
So she got anxious.
There were indeed some rumors circulating in the previous dynasty. Yinzhen was only in his early thirties, which was definitely different from when he ascended the throne in his forties in the previous life. In the previous dynasty, there were many people who wanted to send their daughters into the harem to try and secure a wealthy and promising future.
The Ulanara family was just one of many families that were particularly bold because they had an empress.
After Yinzhen publicized that the "Miscellaneous Notes on Planting" was the work of Consort Zhen, although people kept advising him to share his favors equally, no one spoke ill of Yue Shu anymore.
Add to that the honeycomb briquettes of the past and the Kangxi briquettes of today, with such merit, who dares to say that she was a vixen who bewitched the emperor?
Just as Le Shu had thought, the Empress was indeed unhappy when she found out.
"Cha Mei, tell me, does the Emperor intend to depose me?"
Cha Mei was taken aback, then looked terrified: "Your Majesty, what are you saying! You are the daughter-in-law personally chosen by the Emperor Emeritus, and you have not committed any serious mistakes. How could the Emperor possibly depose you?"
“But outside everyone says that Consort Gui is a living bodhisattva. The common people only know Consort Gui, not the Empress.”
The Empress couldn't help but feel anxious and uncertain.
The Prince's wife and the Empress, being in different positions, have different ways of thinking and different attitudes towards gains and losses.
The Empress used to be able to keep her composure in the face of Le Shu, but the Consort's reputation is better than the Empress's. If the Emperor and Consort are harmonious, wouldn't it make the Emperor and Empress seem discordant?
Even worse, isn't that implying that she, as empress, is incompetent?
"Chamei, how do you think I got to this point?"
She didn't think she had done anything wrong. As the empress, what was wrong with arranging for the emperor to sleep with her?
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