Tao Rui's actions against the Chen family further baffled the courtiers. Both the Chen family and Hai Fu'an were associated with the Grand Empress Dowager, so why did Tao Rui choose to eliminate one and promote the other? Some pondered the comparison, wondering uncertainly: Could it be that Tao Rui favored loyal and unyielding individuals, forbidding even the slightest tactical activity or ulterior motive?
Isn't the Chen family simply too ambitious to produce another empress or empress dowager? Hai Fuan, a eunuch with no other aspirations, surrendered to Tao Rui and worked diligently, earning him a high position. The promoted Protector of the Country family were also honest and loyal.
Some people consciously found out Tao Rui's preferences. No matter what they thought in their hearts, they became honest on the surface. Each one was more loyal than the other, which made it easier for Tao Rui to cause trouble.
No, it's reform.
Tao Rui seized the opportunity to propose that the early morning court session be held at 9:00 a.m. and not at 5:00 p.m., which was considered inappropriate for health. He suggested changing the time to 9:00 p.m. and dismissing it at 5:00 p.m. If there were any important matters, he could seek an audience in the imperial study at 5:00 p.m.
This means that court sessions will be held from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, and may be dismissed early if there is nothing else to do. In the afternoon, the only time someone can seek an audience in the Imperial Study is from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Furthermore, he fiercely criticized the nonsensical nature of memorials in court, saying that ministers were wasting his time by writing them regardless of whether they had anything to do. He directly ordered a standardized format for memorials, requiring all officials to use rich punctuation and concise language. Only memorials related to serious matters were allowed. Greetings were completely dispensable. All memorials concerning weather and other matters were to be submitted to Cheng Bin, who would compile reports on climate, harvests, and people's livelihoods in various regions and then present them to him.
As a result, half of the memorials were gone from his desk, and the remaining half were also very short and concise. With punctuation marks and written horizontally, they were much more comfortable to read.
Although the ministers initially expressed no objection, they secretly felt that Tao Rui was being too fussy. Emperors throughout history had always attended court so early and reviewed memorials so often, so why was Tao Rui so fussy? Wasn't it simply his pursuit of pleasure?
However, in the past, emperors who were greedy for pleasure would send memorials to ministers for review, but Tao Rui directly changed the rules.
That's fine. It doesn't harm their interests anyway, so just change it.
But after implementing the new rules for more than a month, all the ministers discovered the benefits of the new rules.
They no longer had to get up early and could have a leisurely breakfast before attending court. Tao Rui always liked to leave court early, so they had to stand for less time and could go back for a nap. They felt refreshed every day and looked much better.
As for memorials, in the past, everyone would rack their brains to write lengthy speeches, and the emperor might only give them a "read" in the end. Now, it's much easier. There's no need to write memorials for trivial matters, and if there are important matters, they're just two or three hundred words. Just stating the facts, without piling up flowery words, doesn't tax the brain at all—it's truly comfortable.
Moreover, after the new rules were changed, there seemed to be no impact on the government affairs, and all the ministers adapted to it. When they mentioned it, they would praise Tao Rui for the good changes, and also praise Concubine Duan Chun for her wonderful idea of punctuation!
This reform, however, gave the regent a sense of crisis, as he could clearly sense that the court officials were not opposed to Tao Rui becoming emperor. Even when the Empress Dowager had just passed away, the officials were concerned, fearing that Tao Rui would make reckless decisions upon taking the throne. In the end, Tao Rui not only did not cause any trouble, but he actually performed quite well. Even if Tao Rui acted capriciously, the results were generally positive, and the officials had already accepted him as emperor.
The regent's hope of having his daughter give birth to a prince was dashed. Now that Tao Rui was gradually showing his excellence as an emperor, he became restless and started to make more small moves in private, even thinking of rebelling.
The Duke of the Protectorate recently received a secret order from Tao Rui and secretly contacted his former subordinates in the army. He also had former subordinates in the Jingjiao Camp and received some vague and uncertain information. He immediately reported it to Tao Rui, saying in a cold tone, "Your Majesty, the Regent must be guarded against. If he truly intends to collude with the Jingjiao Camp and officials in the court to force the abdication and usurp the throne, I am not completely sure that I can protect Your Majesty."
Tao Rui had anticipated this and wasn't too surprised. He simply asked, "Contact all the reliable people you can in the capital and have them act in secret. Ideally, secretly gather a team of dozens or even hundreds of soldiers, select elite soldiers, and secretly investigate the regent's personnel to ensure a comprehensive understanding of both ourselves and the enemy."
He paused and continued, "To gather information, one doesn't have to fight on the battlefield. Soldiers who have been injured on the battlefield can also do it. As long as they can get the job done, they are all good."
The Duke of Huguo was a little surprised. "The Emperor means... if someone is disabled, as long as they can perform their duties well, they can be recruited?"
"Yes, I will leave this special force to you. It would be best if they were your former soldiers, so you can trust them. I don't have much time to train new recruits, so they must be reliable and capable. Do you understand?"
"I understand! Your Majesty, please rest assured. I will not disappoint you." The Duke of the Protectorate sat down on the chair and bowed with some excitement and seriousness. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Tao Rui knew what he was thanking him for and waved him off to his work. The imperial court had always avoided employing disabled people, but some capable individuals, like the Duke of the Protectorate, could still be considered elites if deployed in the right place, even with a broken leg. Some soldiers, with a broken arm, could still quietly stalk and gather intelligence. Why couldn't they be employed?
Tao Rui gave them this opportunity, forming a team that only obeyed the emperor, which would gain more loyalty and would be a hundred benefits without any harm. He believed that the Protector of the Country would definitely select the best elites and do a good job of the first task he assigned to the new team.
The Duke of Huguo was extremely efficient, organizing the team in just three days. Tao Rui didn't bother to think of a name, so he simply called them the Jinyiwei.
There were more than a hundred Jinyiwei, so it was not convenient for them to enter the palace secretly. After Tao Rui waited for them to sort things out for a while, he used the excuse that the palace was too boring and insisted on going out for a walk despite everyone's objections.
As for when he goes out, that is his own business. Anyone who dares to inquire is spying on the emperor.
The Regent arranged for two assassins to finally find out Tao Rui's departure time. They targeted Tao Rui's carriage, which was guarded by Deshun. The two assassins waited until the carriage was farther from the palace before attacking. Coincidentally, Imperial Physician Li had also passed on the news to his accomplices, and the former dynasty also sent a group of assassins to attack him, creating a chaotic scene.
The assassins rushed towards the carriage, and Deshun hurriedly jumped out. The guards behind him also protected Deshun and quickly broke through. The assassins' main target was the dog emperor. Deshun, a eunuch, did not stop them, so they naturally did not pay attention to them at first. As a result, when the sword pierced the carriage, they found that there was only a dummy inside!
The assassin was startled. He looked back at Deshun, who had already broken free. Suddenly, a group of men appeared around him. They were all dressed in plain clothes, like ordinary people, but armed with all sorts of weapons. Their ranged attacks, offensive attacks, and strategic positioning meant the assassin couldn't escape. After just a few dozen rounds, they were all captured.
At this time, Tao Rui, accompanied by Cheng Dong, had gone to the villa of the Duke of Huguo in a remote place in the capital.
The Duke of Huguo led a group of Jinyiwei to greet them. A moment later, more than 20 Jinyiwei came to the villa with the assassin.
Deshun stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, all the assassins have been apprehended. Except for two who committed suicide by taking poison, the rest are still alive."
Tao Rui was very satisfied and smiled at the Protector of the Country, "It is indeed the people brought up by the Protector of the Country. They did not disappoint me at all."
"I also want to thank the emperor for giving me this opportunity."
"Come on, take me to have a good look at this secret villa."
The Protector of the Country sat on a four-wheeled cart, being pushed by Cheng Dong. As they walked, he explained his plans to Tao Rui. Of course, time was short, and he had to investigate the Regent and keep things secret, so he hadn't had time to properly plan things. However, he could discuss some future plans with Tao Rui, such as where to build a secret room, where to dig a secret passage, and so on.
Tao Rui had finally gotten to know the secret agencies of ancient times. The Duke of Protectorate was doing a great job, so there was nothing for him to get involved in. This was the benefit of having capable people under him; he didn't have to worry about assigning a task.
Tao Rui ordered them to interrogate the assassins and urgently investigate the regent's men and those of the previous dynasty. He told the Protector of the Country several strongholds of the former dynasty's rebels in the original plot. The Protector of the Country did not ask how he knew them and immediately sent people to monitor them.
Some of his men were disabled and had lived the lives of ordinary people for many years. Now it was the best cover-up. No one could see any military demeanor in them, so it was easier to find out information.
After returning to the palace, Tao Rui had a fierce rage and scolded all the ministers in the court for their incompetence, which led to his assassination attempt at the imperial city. He scolded all the ministers so much that they kept apologizing and dared not say anything more.
Tao Rui looked at them coldly, his gaze sweeping over the Regent's head as he issued an order: "From today on, the capital is under martial law. Entrance and exit will be strictly checked. Anyone who is unidentified will be thrown into the prison and their identity checked. Only those who are confirmed innocent will be released."
The Regent gave a look, and someone immediately raised an objection, "Your Majesty, this might cause panic among the people."
"I suspect it's the remnants of the previous dynasty at work, or else someone has harbored rebellious intentions and wants to replace me."
"Your Majesty, calm down!"
Tao Rui sat on the dragon throne, leaning forward with his arms on his knees, looking down at them. He said slowly, "So you're opposing my martial law because you want the assassin to succeed and replace the emperor?"
"I dare not! Your Majesty, calm down!"
The official who had spoken earlier was already sweating profusely. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was not thoughtful enough. I made a mistake..."
"You are indeed wrong. As a subject, you don't prioritize my safety, but instead worry about the people panicking. If those assassins are not caught, won't the people be in even greater danger and panic? Therefore, you are not afraid of the people panicking at all, but rather want to put me in danger!"
"I have absolutely no such intention. Your Majesty, I am wronged—"
"Come here, take off his official hat." Tao Rui waved his hand and stood up. "I don't need disloyal people. I am the emperor. If you are not loyal to me, you are not worthy of being my minister."
Tao Rui's icy gaze met the Regent's, and the Regent suddenly understood that Tao Rui had long seen through his ambitions, and that all his previous actions had been merely a means of maneuvering him. Whether it was concealing his incompetence, being willful, or even disparaging his daughter, it was all an attempt to confuse him, lull him into complacency, and exploit his power.
Think about it, how many people has Tao Rui deposed since he took power?
He had initially thought that giving half of his responsibilities to his own people wouldn't be a big deal. But now he realized he was wrong. Tao Rui was deliberately trying to dismantle his power. When that power fell into the hands of other officials, Tao Rui could easily remove that person from office, replace him with his own people, and take back the power, just like he did today.
It was a pity that he was full of anger at that time and did not take the emperor seriously. Now it was too late to regret.
Then, we have no choice but to take a risky move.
Tao Rui is already familiar with the daily government affairs and has a lot of people he can use. There are those left by the Empress Dowager, the Chen family after they have become honest, the descendants of Prime Minister Liu who were inexplicably promoted, and the line of the Duke of Protectorate who is in the limelight. Now, he is not afraid of the Regent.
So he gradually changed from "playing mad and stupid" to confronting him head-on. Anyway, the Regent had no trump cards in front of him, and the Regent was unaware of his trump cards. He had already taken the initiative and set a series of traps.
Many people saw that this was a dispute between the emperor and the regent, and that this day would come sooner or later. A regent who was not ambitious and sensible would voluntarily give up power, but it was obvious that their regent was ambitious and wanted to fight for it. Those who wanted to take sides or remain neutral naturally had to think carefully. Most people pretended not to know and stayed still.
After the capital was placed under martial law, it became very inconvenient for the Regent and the former rebels to do anything they wanted. Even it became much more difficult for Doctor Li and Xuan Ji to pass on messages to their accomplices.
Doctor Li was almost at his limit. He suffered from severe headaches every day and his temper was getting worse. These symptoms were similar to Tao Rui's. However, he couldn't figure out what was wrong. The only possibility was that the toxic spices on Tao Rui's clothes had poisoned him as well.
Helplessly, he could only take the elixir from Xuanji to suppress the headache. Otherwise, he would not be able to give Tao Rui a massage with a normal expression in front of him.
Strangely, every time he massaged Tao Rui, he'd return home feeling even more pain. He couldn't pinpoint the cause, and could only attribute it to the severe aftereffects of the pills. Each time he took the painkillers, the pain intensified. His only solace now was that Tao Rui would endure pain many times greater than his own, and that was enough to convince him to persevere.
Xuan Ji had to refine pills for Tao Rui and Doctor Li, and he himself couldn't help but take the pills. His demand suddenly tripled, and he spent almost the entire day in the alchemy room.
One day, Tao Rui had eaten all the pills again and sent Deshun to Xuanji to get more. He always sent Deshun in person so that if Xuanji had any problems, he would know immediately.
As soon as Deshun entered the Taoist temple, he heard a loud noise. The alchemy room collapsed and there was a fire!
The Taoist temple was filled with panicked sounds. The Taoists rushed to fetch water to put out the fire, and some were anxious to save Xuan Ji who had not yet come out.
After being shocked, Deshun immediately directed everyone to rescue people and put out the fire in an orderly manner. However, after being rescued, Xuanji, whose face was pitch black, actually rushed back to the fire scene as if he didn't care about his life, shouting: "Pills! Pills! Let me get the pills, I can't bear it anymore, let me go--"
Deshun's pupils shrank, and he shouted, "Catch him and call the imperial physician!"
Xuan Ji was pinned to the ground. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't get free. He gradually became frantic and shouted like a madman, "Let me go! Give me the pill, I want to take the pill, give it to me quickly--"
Deshun walked up to Xuanji and saw him weeping profusely, his eyes bloodshot. Where was his aloof demeanor? He couldn't help but gasp. Xuanji kept talking about the elixir. Could it be that the elixir had caused him this?
The imperial physician arrived quickly. Imperial Physician Li had been suffering from a headache for days, and if Tao Rui and Concubine Jiang hadn't summoned him, he would have gone back to rest. The imperial physician who came this time was just an ordinary physician from the Imperial Hospital.
After a careful examination, the imperial physician said doubtfully, "These symptoms... seem like taking something addictive, but I'm not sure what it is."
The mere word "addicted" frightened Deshun to death. His face turned pale, and he quickly had Xuanji tied up, gagged, and taken to the palace. To prevent the news from leaking, he also ordered Cheng Dong to guard everyone in the Taoist temple, even the imperial physician.
Deshun hurried back to the palace and saw Tao Rui still in shock. He reported the incident in detail and said anxiously, "Your Majesty, that Taoist Xuanji is truly insane. Your Majesty, I will have all the doctors from the Imperial Hospital come and check your pulse."
Tao Rui waved his hand, his eyes never leaving the memorials, and smiled as he reviewed them: "No need, I'm fine. Bring Xuanji here and ask the Protector of the Country."
"Yes." Deshun looked at Tao Rui carefully, and recalled Tao Rui's usual state. He found that he did not look like anything was wrong, so he quickly agreed and went out to find someone.
The Duke of Huguo had been guarding the border for many years and knew a lot about things there, which he had also told Tao Rui about.
As soon as he arrived, Tao Rui pointed at Xuan Ji and asked him, "Lord Protector, take a look. Does Taoist Xuan Ji look like he's been smoking Hu Country's opium?"
The Duke of Huguo was shocked and immediately asked Cheng Dong to push him forward. He grabbed Xuanji's hair and forced him to look up, and took a closer look.
The Duke of Huguo's expression immediately grew serious, and he looked at Tao Rui with a hint of fear. "Your Majesty, I am certain it is opium. Your Majesty, how much did you use?"
Tao Rui walked over to Xuan Ji, his hands behind his back. Xuan Ji was in extreme pain, barely conscious. He knew he was finished, but after Tao Rui ordered the handkerchief out of his mouth, he burst into laughter, saying maniacally, "So what if you catch me? You bastard emperor, I'll take you with me. Doesn't this pill taste good? Hahahahahaha—"
Tao Rui smiled playfully and lied calmly, "You are the only one who knows the taste of your elixir. I... have never tasted it."
Xuan Ji was stunned and said in disbelief: "How is it possible? You clearly..."
Tao Rui raised his eyebrows and said, "I clearly eat a lot of sugar beans every day. Those sugar beans just look very similar to your pills."
Xuanji's eyes widened. "You! You—"
"That's right. I knew you were a rebel from the previous dynasty, and I did it on purpose. Otherwise, how could I use you and Doctor Li to find your base?"
Xuan Ji's head buzzed, and he struggled to get up, but Cheng Dong kicked him in the chest, gagged him again, and dragged him away unwillingly. This time, it was really over. Tao Rui not only knew about him, but also knew about Doctor Li, and even found out where they were.
The Duke of Huguo and others were relieved when they heard Tao Rui's words, but when they learned that Xuan Ji and Doctor Li were both rebels, they broke out in cold sweats out of fear.
The Duke of the Protectorate paused for a moment before saying, "Your Majesty, I have already located the rebels' stronghold. Shall we close the net immediately?"
Tao Rui nodded and said, "Hurry and do it. Remember, those messy people under the Regent are all rebels from the previous dynasty."
The Duke of the Protectorate suddenly looked up, met Tao Rui's gaze, and was startled. Then he said excitedly, "Yes, I understand."
He finally understood why Tao Rui was so anxious for him to find out about the regent's secret forces. It turned out that he wanted to eliminate them as rebels from the previous dynasty.
At this point, no matter how many of the Regent's men were mobilized, he wouldn't dare intervene. Otherwise, he would be colluding with the rebels and attempting rebellion. Unless he actually rebelled immediately, and they caught the Regent off guard, would it be too late for him to react and rebel? Many of the Duke of Protector's men were also in the camp outside the capital.
When the Duke of Protectorate was about to leave, Tao Rui stopped him again and raised his chin, "Take Cheng Dong and a team of imperial guards with you."
The Duke of Huguo instantly understood that since the Jinyiwei could not be rewarded, he, an old man, could not be rewarded either. This was a disguised way of giving his credit to his grandson! He immediately agreed and became even more loyal to Tao Rui.
No matter how well he does, it is useless. Only when his descendants are good will his family be good.
After the Duke of Huguo and his son left, Tao Rui instructed Deshun, "Xuan Ji and Imperial Physician Li are both rebels from the previous dynasty. I trusted them before, but it was only to confuse them. Now there's no need to keep them around, and there's no need to cover up this matter. Let's just make it public and let everyone know that these rebels failed to poison me and fell into my trap."
"Yes!" Deshun answered loudly. As for how Tao Rui knew so much and how he exchanged the pills for candy beans, he couldn't figure it out and there was no need to ask. As long as Tao Rui was fine, it was fine.
This was the advantage of being an emperor, there was no need to explain anything to anyone. All the unreasonable things were because the emperor was so unfathomable, and there was no need to tell them about any secret forces.
There was a fire in the Taoist temple and it was quite big. Many people saw it.
The rebels were holding a meeting at their stronghold when they were quickly captured by the Jinyiwei who suddenly appeared.
The Jinyiwei had many methods, including smoke, gunpowder, hidden weapons, knockout drugs, etc. They were unexpected and hard to guard against. The killing methods they learned on the battlefield were unmatched. In just one hour, several strongholds were wiped out. Some were killed, some were captured, and not even a pigeon escaped, including many of the regent's men.
Cheng Dong himself has inherited the true teachings of the Duke of Protector of the Country. He did not gain credit for nothing, but was at the forefront of all actions, like a peerless sword that finally had the opportunity to be unsheathed.
The Regent was shocked and furious. He slammed the table and stood up, "I will kill that despicable kid today!"
Several aides tried to dissuade him, "Your Highness! Your Highness, you can't do this. The Emperor has already seized the initiative and destroyed many of your hidden forces. We don't know how much more information he has. We shouldn't act rashly at this moment."
"Yes, Your Highness. The Protectorate's family has risen rapidly and has long since regained their former glory, even surpassing their former glory. They have been in frequent contact with the army in the capital recently. If they start to attack now, their chances of victory are slim."
The Regent was furious. "This won't work, and that won't work. When will I be able to rise to power?"
The staff exchanged glances, and one whispered, "Your Highness, please forgive us. We underestimated the Emperor and misjudged his abilities. Now it seems the best opportunity was when the Grand Empress Dowager passed away. We've already... missed it!"
The words "missed it" stabbed the Regent's heart like a sharp knife, causing him unbearable pain. He had been preparing for years, and was only one step away from ascending the throne above everyone else. How could he accept this?
He brushed the things off the table and shouted angrily, "Get out of here, everyone! Get out!"
The few who dared not offend the Regent, bowed their bodies and retreated, shaking their heads as they left. They were also quite capable, which was why they were able to assist the Regent in expanding his power step by step. Unfortunately, fighting for the throne was always a matter of one wrong move, and the whole game was ruined. They had only taken one wrong step, just one.
At this time, several people arranged by Deshun had carefully spread the news, and soon everyone in the capital knew that Taoist Xuanji was a remnant of the previous dynasty. He used the opium of the Hu Kingdom to make elixirs in an attempt to destroy the emperor's body. Fortunately, the emperor had already seen through everything and did not fall for it. Instead, Xuanji himself became addicted to smoking.
Xuan Ji went crazy when he stopped smoking opium. He wanted to rush into the fire just to eat a pill, not caring at all whether he would be burned to death.
The same thing happened to the imperial physician, Li, who had infiltrated the palace solely to poison the emperor. The emperor's earlier headaches had been inseparable from him and his elixirs, all designed to keep them in check, allowing them to locate the rebels and ultimately eliminate them. The emperor was actually fine, but Li, the imperial physician, had been fumigating his clothes with the poison all day, himself suffering from the torment of daily headaches.
The people were in an uproar, and the first thing they thought of was that the emperor was worthy of being the emperor, as he could turn such a crisis into safety and fight back strongly.
The first thing the ministers thought of was that they had all been deceived by the emperor!
The emperor does not have a headache and does not have a bad temper. So when he used his headache and temper to scold them, wasn't he just acting?
Poor people who were dismissed from office, I wonder if they will vomit blood after finding out.
Also, the emperor is really a master at pretending to be a pig and eating the tiger. How many years did he have to hide his abilities to have such strength?
This time, it was a one-hit kill.
Several very clever ministers had already figured out some of the truth from the large number of rebels. Seeing the regent trying hard to suppress his rage, they guessed that the emperor must have taken the opportunity to take action against the regent.
It is even very likely that the emperor's purpose in dealing with the rebels of the previous dynasty is to deal with the regent. After all, there are not many rebels of the previous dynasty and they are not to be feared.
After setting up such a trap, he risked his life and eliminated the enemy without suffering any loss.
Your Majesty, you are truly a man of hidden talents, both brave and resourceful.
Tao Rui's move not only eliminated the rebels and weakened the regent's power, but also severely intimidated the civil and military officials and initially established the image of a wise ruler in the hearts of the people. It was truly a multi-pronged approach. Even the harem was stunned by the news.
Cheng Qianqian covered her pounding heart in Zihua Palace, unable to believe that the good emperor who came to have dinner and take a walk with her every day had actually done such a big thing without telling anyone?
This is... too cool!!
Before Cheng Qianqian traveled through time, she was only 22 years old and still a young girl who had never been in love. This time, she really felt the feeling of her heart fluttering. She stayed in the room and recalled how she got along with Tao Rui, her face blushing with embarrassment.
The other concubines thought Tao Rui was terrifying and that he was not a playboy emperor at all. They were so frightened that they dared not move. They all hid in their own palaces to observe mourning. Even Concubine Jiang and Concubine Chen became obedient.
But they were obedient. Cheng Qianqian was in charge of the harem and would check on their situations every day. Nanny Dong and Xianglan would also report to her about their situations. Suddenly, she learned of something important.
"Are you sure?"
Nanny Dong said quietly with a grim expression, "I'm 80% sure that Concubine Jiang hasn't had her period for two or three months."
Cheng Qianqian frowned and paced back and forth in the room. After thinking for a long time, she hesitated and said, "Could it be the emperor?"
"Your Majesty, the Emperor has never favored anyone."
"Maybe secretly?"
Nanny Dong was speechless for a moment. "...That can't be Concubine Jiang. Have you forgotten the incident with Concubine Jiang taking Chinese medicine in Ci'an Palace last time? That incident was eventually dropped, but judging by the Emperor's behavior, he must have done something to make her suffer in silence. The Emperor could even replace Xuanji's elixir, so wouldn't it be easy for him to replace it with wine?"
Cheng Qianqian nodded. "That's right, the Emperor wouldn't fall for her. Oh, and judging by my thinking, if Concubine Jiang was pregnant with the Emperor's child, she would have already jumped out and flaunted it. How could she have kept it a secret?"
After she finished speaking, her face fell. "That's it, she's cheating on the emperor. Who's going to tell the emperor about this? It's really embarrassing for the emperor, isn't it? Besides, I'm in charge of the harem. If something like this happens, I'll be the one to suffer, right?"
Nanny Dong's face turned grim because of this. This kind of thing was the most taboo in the harem. She had never thought that Concubine Jiang would be so bold. But if they discovered it and didn't report it, they would have to bear the emperor's wrath in the future.
After much deliberation, Nanny Dong persuaded Cheng Qianqian to talk to Tao Rui.
Cheng Qianqian did a lot of psychological preparation. She stewed a bowl of soup with enough spiritual spring water. When she saw Tao Rui, she persuaded him to drink the soup first, hoping that after he was in a good mood, he would not vent his anger on her, the tool in charge of the harem.
She is really just a tool. In such a short time, she cannot control everything in the harem.
Tao Rui noticed her apprehension and was somewhat puzzled. After drinking his soup, he asked, "What's wrong, my dear? If you have something to say, please feel free to tell me."
Cheng Qianqian gave a stiff smile, "Your Majesty, why don't you send your attendants away?"
Tao Rui nodded, and Deshun immediately led his men out, leaving no palace servants behind.
Cheng Qianqian took a deep breath, lowered her head and said quickly, "I suspect that Concubine Jiang is unwell. She hasn't had her period in two months, which is really strange. This matter could be serious or minor. I don't know how to handle it, so I've come to report this to the emperor."
Tao Rui understood that Cheng Qianqian was so worried because she knew that Concubine Jiang was having an affair.
That's right, what man wouldn't be angry when he finds out he's been cuckolded? Whoever tells him will be the one to take out his anger.
He smiled, lowered his voice, and asked with great interest, "My dear, what do you think is the meaning of big or small?"
Cheng Qianqian had just learned that Tao Rui was ruthless and merciless. When she heard his deliberately lowered voice, she felt a little overwhelmed and said hesitantly: "Big, it means to investigate thoroughly and deal with those involved. Small, small..."
"Um?"
"Xiao...it's just..." She made a gesture of wiping her neck and said with a pale face, "It's all over!"
Tao Rui suddenly laughed out loud, took her hand and asked her to sit down, and said with a smile: "Okay, I'm just kidding, you look so scared, you're almost crying."
"Who's about to cry?" Cheng Qianqian denied it. She bravely looked at Tao Rui and saw that he was smiling. She asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, aren't you angry?"
"Why are you angry? I already knew it."
Cheng Qianqian's eyes widened instantly, a look of shock on her face. "You... you knew it earlier? Then you are..."
Tao Rui raised an eyebrow, leaned closer to her and asked with a smile: "Do you want to ask whether I knew about it before she got pregnant or after she got pregnant?"
Cheng Qianqian nodded vigorously, and her face turned red because he was too close.
Tao Rui smiled and said, "This is my harem. Nothing can escape my sight. Of course, I knew about it before she got pregnant, but they both agreed to it, so why should I force them apart? My beloved, do you think this harem is full of concubines?"
The topic suddenly changed, and Cheng Qianqian was a little overwhelmed. Her expression changed again and again, and she didn't know whether she should tell the truth or whether she could tell the truth.
How many concubines were abandoned by the emperor because they had possessive desires towards him? Didn’t the emperor already have three palaces and six courtyards?
Her mind was in a mess, as if two little people were fighting. One of them said, "You must guard your heart. Don't trust what men say!"
One said, such a good opportunity must be seized. Wasn’t there also an emperor in history who was deeply in love with a woman?
How can you believe a story told from history? It is always half-truth, half-false, written by the victors.
Another said, "Don't worry about that. Just trust your feelings. Are you going to miss the opportunity because of these hesitations? If Tao Rui didn't want to, he wouldn't ask this question!"
Tao Rui waited patiently for her to think it through. After almost a quarter of an hour, Cheng Qianqian finally looked up at him and said seriously, "I don't want to. My father never took a concubine. He and my mother lived in harmony all his life. I think... that's great."
Tao Rui nodded, "That's very good, I think so too."
Cheng Qianqian's eyes lit up, and she was a little excited. "Your Majesty, what are you saying?"
"You are the only one here. From now on, I will focus on government affairs. You will leave me without any worries. Okay?"
"Yeah! Okay!" Cheng Qianqian acted before her brain and nodded instantly, responding with a look of joy on her face.
Tao Rui smiled and shook his head, "If you hadn't met me, you would have been sold and had to help others count money."
Cheng Qianqian coughed lightly, "Not really."
Tao Rui pulled her up, no longer dwelling on the issue, and said with a smile, "Let's go, go see Concubine Jiang and return the Regent's precious daughter to him."
Cheng Qianqian didn't quite understand why he returned Concubine Jiang to the Regent. With her extensive experience watching so many TV dramas, she felt that Jiang should be executed at this time to make the Regent suffer, since they were enemies. Although she couldn't bring herself to kill her, she still felt that returning her directly was strange.
However, they had already left the house, and she couldn't ask in front of outsiders, so she followed Tao Rui to Concubine Jiang's bedroom.
Deshun and Hai Fuan first led people to control the palace servants outside. When Tao Rui entered the room, he heard Concubine Jiang anxiously say, "What should we do? Doctor Li is actually a rebel, then... then..."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will find a way to pass the news to the prince, and the prince will definitely find a way to cover it up."
Concubine Jiang was furious, "How despicable that the Emperor would attack me at this time! I had already discussed it with Imperial Physician Li, and I was only a few days away from having the abortion!"
"Don't worry, Madam. Once this storm is over, I'll go get some medicine. You're still under house arrest, so you'll be fine if you stay in your room."
"Oh?" Tao Rui walked in and said to Jiang Concubine, who stood up in fear, "Jiang Concubine, who's the baby you're carrying?"
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