Since discovering the method of preventing smallpox in Empress Jing'an's notes, Princess Jinyi and the Empress have been working on it day and night.
However, the two of them had no medical skills, so they relied primarily on the five imperial physicians and three female physicians. Princess Jinyi and the Empress were responsible for all aspects of the dispatch and the necessary supplies, whether it was cattle breeds or tools and medicinal herbs.
After two years, the first person to be vaccinated with smallpox was successfully vaccinated. After that, vaccination began with the royal family, and it took five years to popularize smallpox vaccination in all counties and villages.
After the smallpox prevention method was established, the emperor cleared out all the women in the harem. The third prince, born to Concubine Shu, was given the title of Prince and moved out of the palace. Concubine Shu and the other concubines were sent to the Huang'en Temple.
The concubine naturally refused to obey and shouted at the top of her lungs: "I want to see the emperor, I want to see your majesty!"
Eunuch Wu sneered and ordered, "Are they all dead?"
The young eunuch immediately stepped forward and stuffed Concubine Shu's mouth. The two young eunuchs who restrained Concubine Shu dragged her into the yard.
People were kneeling on the ground in the house and the courtyard. Eunuch Wu raised his head and ordered, "I won't make things difficult for you. Go to the Internal Affairs Office and register yourselves. They will take care of everything."
Everyone thanked in unison: "Thank you, Chief Steward Wu!"
After the Empress learned of the Emperor's decree, she was stunned for a moment before looking up at the Yangxin Palace. She slowly put down the blood swallows she had just served. She beckoned to the nanny beside her and said, "Go and find out what's going on."
Not long after, the Emperor came to see the Empress, who had just woken up from her nap. He walked in slowly, staring at the Empress, who was half-kneeling, and said loudly, "My dear lady, we are husband and wife. Don't be so polite."
The Queen raised her lowered head and said to the Emperor, "As the Queen, I must set an example."
The emperor looked straight at the queen and said, "From now on, there will be only the two of us in this palace. I don't want to be alone."
The Queen was stunned by this and lowered her eyes and asked, "Your Majesty, why would you suddenly make such a decision?"
The Emperor helped the Queen up, held her hand, and sat her down. Then he smiled and said, "If I said I had never touched anyone, would you believe me?"
After a self-deprecating laugh, the Emperor continued, "My mother was nearly killed by the women in the harem. I didn't intend to select anyone else to enter the palace. However, since I ascended the throne, vassal kings have been constantly rising up in rebellion, and the borders have often been unstable. Seeing the unrest in various places, the ministers gradually lost the respect they had for me as they did for my father. If I don't select anyone to enter the palace, we can live our own lives and get by. However, I'm afraid that will be unfair to you."
The Queen naturally knew all this, but she just didn't understand what the Emperor meant. What did he mean by not touching anyone else?
Clearly, they both had the same idea. The Emperor continued, "If the various regions are unstable and the court officials start to rebel again, the country will be in jeopardy and the throne will be unstable. To stabilize the court, I followed their wishes and selected people to enter the palace. However, the person who shared the same bed with those concubines was not me."
The Queen opened her eyes wide and leaned back suddenly. She asked in disbelief, "If it's not you? Then who is it?"
The emperor stood up, supported the queen and said, "The secret guards I have trained since childhood."
The Queen couldn't imagine such a thing. Before she could question him, the Emperor continued, "I know this is unfair to them. I could also blame their mother's family for everything. It was their father's ambition that led them to this point. But I don't regret it. I promised to live a good life with you, and I can't break that promise."
After the emperor left, the queen sat alone for a long time before tears streamed down her face.
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