Chapter 40 Xie Azhu: You mean climbing into bed? Isn't that just a side thing? ...
As for Prince Rui, just looking at his appearance, even though he was born weak, he was still outstanding.
A truly exquisite exterior, with the texture of jade and the appearance of gold.
Otherwise, Nianqin wouldn't have said that when she was comforting Empress Wang, it must have been the palace maids who were trying to curry favor with her.
But no matter how outstanding you are, it depends on when and with whom you are.
After all, princes raised in the wealth and privilege of the imperial family are rarely bad. As the saying goes, one should respect the clothes before the person. In the palace, those with red hats and white hats are all born with good eyesight.
Therefore, whenever Prince Rui went out with Emperor Xuanpei or the Crown Prince, everyone would only see the former two first. In fact, because of their positions in the court, Prince Qi and Prince Ying were even more sought after.
Ah Zhusheng was so beautiful, she was like a block of wood, just standing there, she could make people take a second look.
Moreover, Ah Zhu wasn't made of wood; she had a pair of bright, dark eyes that seemed to speak volumes.
If Prince Rui remembered A-Zhu before because of her beauty, now he realizes she cares nothing for his beloved elder brother, the Crown Prince of the Yuan Dynasty...
After leaving Hanyuan Hall, the two walked a few steps in silence.
Once they were some distance away, the Crown Prince turned back to look at Prince Rui and suddenly said, "Mingzhen, these days the Emperor is worried about the affairs of state and often stays up all night in Hanyuan Palace... Even Eunuch Chen treats her very politely."
Prince Rui looked up and smiled at the Crown Prince.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, it's from Mingzhen Province."
*
When Emperor Xuanpei was handling state affairs, Azhu, who was very aware of the situation, never dared to disturb him. He would serve tea and then leave.
At this moment, only Eunuch Chen was left, trembling with fear, serving before the Emperor.
Emperor Xuanpei, unusually, did not look at the memorials on the table.
He leaned against the dragon throne, lost in thought about the gerbils he had raised at the border.
As for raising it... it wasn't specifically to bring it back to the camp, but he always left food for the gerbil that liked to gnaw on his boots at night.
Its tail was half a length shorter, but its eyes were unusually large.
Later, Emperor Xuanpei saw that the gerbil was lured away by others with food. Emperor Xuanpei chased after it and caught it, squeezing it to death in his hand.
Emperor Xuanpei possessed very few items, and he was always exceptionally sensitive and stingy when it came to sharing anything that bore his mark.
Emperor Xuanpei slowly loosened his grip on the thumb ring and looked back at the memorials on the imperial table. Look at him, why is he thinking about these things for no reason—his Azhu is so soft and cute, no gerbil can compare to him.
*
In the inner palace, since receiving personal advice and warnings from Emperor Xuanpei, and seeing that Prince Rui was also gradually taking on duties and gaining experience in the court, Empress Wang has been quite well-behaved these days.
Consort Zhang, on the other hand, was trying every means to whisper sweet nothings in Emperor Xuanpei's ear, and she also wanted the Zhang family to do their best to promote Prince Qi, who was inspecting the Yellow River and returning to the capital smoothly, in the court. Naturally, she had no time to compete with Empress Wang.
The two fierce rivals suddenly fell silent, and Emperor Xuanpei began to enter the inner palace as usual these past few days. For a moment, the six palaces in the east and west seemed to have a sense of peace and tranquility.
Apart from......
When Eunuch Chen entered the tea room, he saw Ah Zhu carefully comparing a pile of tea leaves, and his head was buzzing with a real headache.
Knowing Ah Zhu's "loyal and pure" heart, neither Eunuch Chen nor Fu Hai would use the so-called favor to insincerely flatter Ah Zhu.
To save her face, they avoided mentioning it whenever possible.
Logically speaking, it's not up to Eunuch Chen to say who Emperor Xuanpei favored or which concubine he preferred, and he wouldn't stumble over such a matter.
But these past few days, Eunuch Chen has been quite anxious and couldn't take it anymore.
"Miss Azhu."
"Manager Chen?"
A-Zhu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly put down the tea leaves in her hand. She smiled and was about to get up when Qing Liu offered her a cup of tea.
"No rush, no rush."
Eunuch Chen waved his hand to refuse the tea offered by Qingliu, then looked at Azhu.
"I have a few words to say... I wonder if it's convenient for you, Miss Zhu?"
A-Zhu nodded, and then followed Eunuch Chen out of the tea room.
Once the two had reached a secluded spot, Ah Zhu couldn't resist asking curiously, "Does Steward Chen have any instructions?"
"No, no, Miss Azhu is joking."
Eunuch Chen smiled, then said carefully, "His Majesty has been very busy with state affairs these past few days, and Miss A-Zhu has rarely come to serve him..."
A-Zhu nodded, looking quite agreeable. She lowered her voice and said, "There was a big argument in court these past few days about the Yellow River embankment. I heard that several officials were stripped of their official hats and dragged away to be punished."
Eunuch Chen knew just as much about this as A-Zhu; he had even witnessed the scene in the imperial court firsthand.
"Yes, it's the Vice Minister of Works. He was in charge a couple of years ago..."
Just as Chen Gonggong was about to follow up on what A-Zhu was saying, he suddenly realized something and quickly brought the topic back on track. "Miss A-Zhu, it's just that things are in turmoil in the court, and His Majesty has been particularly displeased these past few days."
Eunuch Chen sighed as he looked at A-Zhu.
"If our family could be as intelligent and virtuous as Miss Azhu... and could relieve His Majesty's worries, that would be wonderful."
Ah Zhu shook her head repeatedly, and she held Eunuch Chen in her hands, saying, "Ah Zhu was thinking that it would be great if she could have some of Eunuch Chen's abilities. The Emperor can do without anyone but you, Eunuch Chen."
Eunuch Chen: ......
When Ah Zhu looked at Prince Rui that day, Eunuch Chen was a witness to this miraculous scene, and afterwards he didn't dare to look at their emperor's face.
Having always been accustomed to keeping some leeway in his dealings with the Emperor, and not daring to casually mention Prince Rui lest he cause trouble with his words, Eunuch Chen sighed and left after exchanging a few words of mutual flattery with A-Zhu.
Not only Eunuch Chen, but even Consort Feng in Chonghua Palace couldn't help but say, "A-Zhu, I know that the Emperor is the quickest to tire of the old and crave the new."
"But isn't this a bit too fast?"
"We used to share a bed every night, but these days it's so hard to even see each other?"
But Ah Zhu, with a "clever" look on his face, said, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Chen also came to me about this matter."
"The emperor has been very unhappy these past few days because of matters of state... Only a fool would dare to stir up trouble."
"I'm about to be kicked out of Hanyuan Hall, and I don't know how low my rank will be. If I go over there now and get scolded, I'm afraid I'll be starving and crying while hugging a cornbread bun."
"Besides, Your Majesty, you know that the Emperor originally took me to vent his anger. He should have vented his anger enough these days, so he must be summoning other consorts."
Consort Feng looked at A-Zhu, who was speaking with exceptional reason and evidence, and remained silent for a moment.
She couldn't leave this place; she got most of her news from Azhu.
Ah Zhu, her perspective on issues is somewhat unconventional.
You can't say she's completely right, nor can you insist she's wrong.
"A-Zhu," Consort Feng pondered for a moment, then finally said, "After all, you're closer to the Emperor; I can't be sure about these things."
"I've heard you mention the current emperor's temperament; he seems quite calm and reserved..."
Upon hearing this, Ah Zhu let out a "heh".
After all, their Imperial Concubine is a cultured person; even her pretentious stinginess sounds so pleasant.
"Since you haven't left Hanyuan Palace yet, I reckon that the task of helping the Emperor relax will eventually fall to you."
"This harem... no, people in this world are not afraid of being used, what they fear most is being useless."
“A-Zhu, it’s not that living in seclusion is bad, but you need a good father first for your life to be comfortable.”
"Otherwise, when several maids and concubines are crammed into a private room, feeling cramped just looking up and turning around, you might as well stay here."
A-Zhu understood Consort Feng's words very well—it's not that she can't just coast along and wait to die, but if she keeps coasting along like this, she'll really die.
"Your Majesty, it's not that I feel wronged... after all, I climbed into the Emperor's bed myself."
"Now I'm taking advantage of my power, eating well, dressing well, and using the best things. From beginning to end, I haven't regretted it for a single moment."
"Actually, I'm still a little afraid of the emperor."
“In the inner palace, the nannies scolded me, punished me, and even the Empress treated me like some kind of thing... I was just scared at the time.”
"But when I make mistakes, I'm not afraid of them at all."
As she spoke, Ah Zhu couldn't help but start biting her fingers.
"But when I'm with the Emperor, even if he doesn't hit or scold me, and even smiles at me and treats me with great respect, I always feel in a daze that he's a little... a little... that gives me an indescribable, creepy feeling?"
"I know I need the emperor's influence to live a good life."
"When I'm with the Emperor, I try to convince myself not to think about anything else, and only firmly believe that he's a pretentious stingy man, so that I won't be so afraid..."
Consort Feng was taken aback.
It's probably not just her; no one in the palace ever imagined that A-Zhu, who shamelessly fawned over the emperor, would actually be afraid.
"A-Zhu, you..."
After all, it was A-Zhu who had survived from prison, brothel, and the inner palace since childhood.
After speaking, she released her bitten fingers, looked in the direction where Consort Feng had made her voice, and a smug smile appeared on her face.
"Your Majesty need not worry, I have already forgotten what I said."
"His Majesty has always been so stingy and reserved... Hey, he even promised to take me out of the palace to play. I wonder if he still stands by that promise now that he's so angry."
Consort Feng looked at Azhu with a completely new perspective.
In this palace, she had seen far too many people who wallowed in self-pity, wailed and lamented, and suffocated themselves with their own resentment.
As for A-Zhu, you could list a thousand faults about her.
But this kind of desperate struggle, this drive to live happily no matter what... is absolutely unique.
It is easy to seek death, but to seek life requires unparalleled resilience and courage.
*
End of Yin hour
Having just dined alone in Chonghua Palace, Azhu, who had been praised by Consort Feng for her "unparalleled bravery," was now stammering with surprise.
"Steward, you...you mean me? I...I also have to keep watch?"
"Ahem." Manager Chen didn't know what expression to make at this moment, so he could only nod as calmly as possible.
"Yes, the duty of keeping watch before the emperor was originally to be done in groups of five on a rotating basis."
“Miss Azhu, you have only been here a short time and have just finished your shift, which is why... it has been delayed until today.”
Eunuch Chen, do you know that when you lie, you purse your lips slightly and your eyes are lowered?
Ah Zhu, she was taken to the bed almost every night before, so why would she need to keep watch?
How to defend it?
To guard the emperor's bed, to press oneself tightly against him, and to keep watch all night?
They faced each other in silence for a moment.
Eunuch Chen adjusted his expression, looked up, and met Ah Zhu's gaze.
Not knowing what to say, the two of them laughed awkwardly together.
"Ha, ha, ha ha ha."
*
The moonlight on summer nights always appears exceptionally bright.
Under the bright moonlight, the silent and majestic imperial city was bathed in a soft halo, as if it were trapped in a chaotic yet graceful dream.
Hanyuan Hall
There were many guards outside the hall, but there was not a sound. The chirping of insects, carried by the wind, drifted gently into the inner hall, each sound hypnotic.
But instead of having a good dream, Ah Zhu was unusually awake, sitting on the bed, rubbing her arms and looking at the dragon bed behind the heavy arched curtains with a resentful gaze.
The Hanyuan Hall is paved with blue bricks, but these blue bricks are specially made through a complicated process.
It moves silently, breaks without a hole, has a solid texture, and makes a sound like metal when struck... In short, sleeping on it, even on a summer night, you feel a chill.
Everyone else stood guard outside the door, but Azhu had the "honor" of guarding inside the hall.
You can forget about sleeping here.
Ah Zhu's resentful gaze darkened—when it comes to climbing into someone's bed, once you've done it, you're a novice; twice you get used to it.
No matter what the stingy emperor is tormenting her for, if she can't sleep tonight, neither can the emperor!
Soon, rustling sounds came from outside the brocade tent, while Emperor Xuanpei, who lay peacefully on the bed with his eyes closed as if he were already fast asleep, seemed completely unaware.
The curtain was first gently lifted, and then the quilt embroidered with dragons and phoenixes was also gently pulled open a crack, and a soft, fragrant body, carrying a touch of the cool moonlight, slipped in.
Yes, the tatami mat is definitely more comfortable.
Ah Zhu snuggled comfortably against the pillow before getting ready to sleep.
As soon as I closed my eyes, I heard a voice beside me—
"Let me see, where did this petty thief come from?"
“Your Majesty,” Ah Zhu quickly said, “It is Ah Zhu, not a thief.”
"A-Zhu?"
"Keep pretending, you stingy little devil," Ah Zhu muttered to herself as she sat up and leaned over to pull Emperor Xuanpei's hand to her face.
"Yes, Your Majesty, feel it carefully, it really is Ah Zhu, not a petty thief."
Emperor Xuanpei certainly knew who it was.
He touched A-Zhu's face, wishing he could pinch a flower out of that shameless, thick-skinned man.
"Oh~ I remember that A-Zhu was supposed to keep watch tonight?"
"Your Majesty, it is indeed my turn to be on duty tonight."
In response, A-Zhu leaned over Emperor Xuanpei.
She placed one hand on Emperor Xuanpei's arm and the other on his chest, gently stroking him as if to soothe his breathing.
She then said softly, "But it's so far from His Majesty outside... and I can't see him through the curtain. My heart is pounding so hard, I can't calm down at all."
"If I see His Majesty like this, then nothing will happen."
The sweet and soft-spoken A-Zhu, with a voice as gentle as a nightingale, coaxed Emperor Xuanpei.
"Your Majesty, may I stay by your side tonight?"
Look... Ah Zhu is very self-aware, isn't she? It seems she really can't sleep with anyone anymore.
When both arms were limp and draped over Emperor Xuanpei's shoulders, with hazy eyes and hot breath... Hmm, Azhu wanted to roll onto the floor tiles to cool off again.
But this time, it was Ah Zhu who climbed onto the bed first, and whether she could get off or not was naturally not up to her.
"You've just sweated, you can't be exposed to the wind, just bear with it for now." With her waist constricted and unable to move, A-Zhu didn't struggle. She nodded softly, "Okay, okay, fine, you're the emperor, you decide."
Now she can finally sleep well, right?
At this moment, Ah Zhu, unable to move, was being stroked gently on the back, so he didn't care about his current position.
Just as she was closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep, she vaguely heard Emperor Xuanpei's gentle voice asking her questions.
"When you were in Kunning Palace before, did you see the Crown Prince or Prince Rui?"
Who? I don't know, I've never seen them before, I don't recognize them.
A-Zhu didn't even know what she had said in a daze, but Emperor Xuanpei patiently explained, "Six days ago in Hanyuan Hall, at one-fifteen in the afternoon, you saw me when I was serving tea..."
"Hehe." Ah Zhu chuckled, then muttered, "The characters in the storybooks have become spirits."
? ? ?
From what I could tell, Ah Zhu didn't seem to be full of admiration, but Emperor Xuanpei didn't quite understand what she was saying at first.
"Your Majesty."
Even when she wasn't allowed to sleep, Ah Zhu, annoyed by the constant questioning, pleaded softly, "Could you just hold me and fall asleep like this...?"
Emperor Xuanpei paused, then gently patted Azhu, "Go to sleep."
*
The next day, before dawn, the groggy A-Zhu was about to get up as usual when Emperor Xuanpei reached out and pulled her into his arms without even opening his eyes.
Hmm, Ah Zhu, who was used to it, turned her head and rubbed against him, then fell asleep again.
However, upon entering the inner hall and seeing Eunuch Chen lying on the floor with only an empty quilt, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Alright, alright, since Miss Azhu isn't here... Eunuch Chen glanced at the dragon bed with its brocade curtains hanging not far away, and figured this matter was probably over.
It has to be said that even the chief eunuch Chen, the emperor's chief steward, was extremely polite to A-Zhu.
So, Ah Zhu, who had pleased the emperor so much that she was sleeping like a curled-up cat, could sleep soundly in the Hanyuan Palace without anyone urging her to get up.
Emperor Xuanpei, who was being dressed in a brocade dragon robe with twelve imperial symbols and had his hair tied up and a crown put on, looked at Eunuch Chen.
"What is a storybook?"
This time, it was Emperor Xuanpei's turn to be surprised by the unfamiliar.
Having always wanted to live a proper, disciplined life, he had never heard of such a thing and had no need for it to relieve his boredom.
"Your Majesty."
As expected of a capable person who could sit firmly on the throne of "favorite of the emperor", Eunuch Chen explained without hesitation: "I just wrote some popular stories, as well as scripts for operas or storytelling."
"It's quite popular among the common people."
"I see," Emperor Xuanpei nodded, then said, "Go and find some." As he spoke, Emperor Xuanpei glanced at the rear hall and added, "There's no need to be picky; just choose the most common, easy-to-understand, and widely circulated ones."
"yes."
Before Emperor Xuanpei had even finished his court session, Eunuch Chen had already taken care of the matter.
After lunch, when he told Ah Zhu to finish her medicine and rest, Emperor Xuanpei sat at the imperial table, calmly and naturally opening a storybook.
The storybook is basically just for fun; you can understand it without even thinking too much.
Emperor Xuanpei read quickly, but the more he read, the more his brows furrowed.
What did Emperor Xuanpei think of these poor scholars' daydreams?
He deliberately instigated women to elope, and attempted to use his father-in-law's connections to run rampant in officialdom, committing dereliction of duty and corruption. He was ignorant and incompetent, yet single-mindedly formed cliques for personal gain.
Upon seeing that even a princess was willing to marry down and even eager to become some kind of concubine, Emperor Xuanpei threw the storybook in his hand away.
"presumptuous!"
"Nonsense!"
Instantly, all the palace servants in the hall knelt down in a panic.
Judging from Ah Zhu's appearance, she's read quite a few of these storybooks; she's probably ruined her brain from all that reading.
"These things are forbidden from ever appearing in the inner palace again!"
"The visibility of the writings is crucial; none of these idiots who write such nonsense and absurdities should be allowed to serve as officials in the court."
Once the emperor gives his word, those below naturally treat it as an important matter.
Well, Meimei took a nap, and when Azhu woke up, he felt like the sky was falling.
She relied on these stories to relieve her boredom in the palace, and now even that little bit of fun has been taken away?
The situation wasn't much better at Kunning Palace, East Palace, and Guangyang Palace.
It was Emperor Xuanpei who suddenly issued an edict, ordering Prince Rui to leave the palace at a certain time and move into the newly renovated palace in the capital.
Empress Wang felt guilty because her child was born weak and she had been unable to have children. As long as it did not affect the position of Crown Prince, she doted on Prince Rui and cared for him very much.
Empress Wang was puzzled upon hearing the decree. "The betrothal is scheduled for next year, so why is Zhen'er suddenly being ordered to leave the palace and move to a new residence?"
Fearing that Empress Wang might act impulsively, Aunt Hua and Nianqin quickly advised, "Your Majesty, now that Prince Rui has taken on his duties, it is time for him to leave the palace and enter his own residence."
“Yes, Your Highness, Prince Rui is getting older and it’s almost time for him to get married. If he’s still in the palace… upon closer inspection, it does seem a bit inappropriate.”
"......"
No matter what, it's still more convenient for the mother and son to meet now than after Prince Rui leaves the palace.
It takes ten days to half a month for someone to submit their petition to the palace. To have Empress Wang accept it so hastily is like cutting off her flesh.
Unable to sit still, Empress Wang went straight to Guangyang Palace.
Inside the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince and Prince Rui remained silent for the time being.
After all, such an imperial decree suddenly appeared at this time... It's hard to say whether something influenced their father's decision.
"Brother, is it her?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Prince Rui realized that his unfounded speculation was truly absurd and laughable.
The Crown Prince and Prince Rui had heard about A-Zhu's previous entanglements with Kunning Palace.
But after they found out A-Zhu's identity, the matter became a minor, harmless incident, and they didn't really take it to heart.
"Let's observe further. After all, she serves the Emperor," the Crown Prince said in a deep voice. "If she remains a mere tea-serving maid, that's fine, but if..."
"If she is favored by the Emperor, Mingzhen, you should advise the Empress Dowager that even if she cannot be taken into her service, there should not be another 'Consort Zhang' in the harem."
Prince Rui did not contradict him at this moment; he nodded seriously and said, "Okay."
It seems rather stingy to be making such preparations for a concubine who hasn't even been born yet.
However, the imperial court and the harem, the princes and their mothers, and the maternal families of the concubines are all inextricably linked and cannot be easily severed.
How dare you look down on a favored concubine and disregard her just because you're a prince or a crown prince?
Think of the late Emperor and Consort Feng—a bloody lesson from the past!
Although Emperor Xuanpei doesn't seem to have that kind of temperament, we still have to be wary of him.
......
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Author's Note: Hehehe, pats to all my little cuties! Here's a "super smart" and cuddly little Zhu for everyone! [Heart][Heart][Heart]
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