Chapter 95 Since raising them is so difficult, naturally only one can be raised.
Since Consort Jiang now resides with the Emperor in Chengji Palace, the place where the concubines pay their respects to the Emperor every day within the imperial palace is directly set as Yuhe Garden, where Consort Zhang resides.
Consort Jiang, who "captured the crown of the six palaces," naturally had the most important task of "accompanying the emperor." Therefore, it was not surprising at all for the concubines who came to pay their respects not to see this consort.
At this hour, after Consort Zhang gave a few routine instructions about the many lakes and marshes within the palace grounds, and the fact that it was surrounded by mountains and water, and that everyone should be extra careful when walking around, she was about to dismiss the concubines when several palace servants rushed in in a panic.
The palace servants who came to report the news knelt down and, before they could even catch their breath, cried out, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, His Majesty has fallen into Heze Lake!"
"His Majesty and Consort Jiang are at Heze Lake..."
"It was His Majesty who saved us..."
Just those few words are enough to send shivers down one's spine.
The concubines in the hall were so shocked that they all stood up with a "whoosh".
With a furrowed brow and a gloomy expression, Consort Zhang slammed her hand on the table with a loud "bang!"
"What utter nonsense are you spouting?"
"Explain each one clearly!"
The eunuch kneeling at the front took a couple of breaths before saying, "This morning, Consort Jiang went to Heze Lake early in the morning, and the palace maids picking lotus flowers in the imperial palace were also there at the time."
"As soon as His Majesty arrived at Heze Lake, he personally went into the lake and rescued the palace maid who had fallen into the water while picking lotus flowers."
The hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a clamor of surprise and bewilderment.
After all, Emperor Xuanpei never engaged in the practice of "traveling incognito" within the palace; he was always accompanied by a proper entourage, no matter the occasion.
Therefore, even if a palace servant were to accidentally fall into the water, the Emperor, being benevolent and compassionate, would think of saving her life...
With so many palace servants attending to the emperor, and many skilled imperial guards, what kind of palace servants would be worth the emperor's personal risk?
This news sounds absurd no matter how you look at it.
If we hadn't known that these palace servants who came to deliver the message wouldn't dare to lie and tell such falsehoods to tease them... we probably would have thrown them out long ago.
Where is His Majesty now?
"Is Your Majesty alright?"
"Who exactly did His Majesty rescue?"
"......"
Faced with a barrage of questions from the concubines, the young eunuch quickly recovered and answered fluently.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty and Consort Jiang have already returned to Chengji Palace together."
"The palace maid whom His Majesty rescued is named Lanhe, and she is a young palace maid in the tea room of the imperial palace."
Another palace maid... Doesn't this identity seem strangely familiar?
In all these years in the palace, there has only been one person, Lady Jiang, who could make the Emperor repeatedly break the rules and regulations.
So, Lady Jiang rose from a lowly slave and a palace maid in the inner palace to a position of wealth and honor, becoming the "orphan" of the loyal and brave Lady Jiang who had "cleared her name" and was now a noble consort above all others... Now, I'm afraid the novelty of Consort Jiang has worn off.
Could this be yet another young and beautiful "Jiang Shi"?
No wonder they were not favored by the emperor.
His Majesty's tastes are truly... He consistently favors and adores these palace maids of humble origins.
Soon, Consort Zhang led a group of concubines, each with a different expression and remaining silent, to Chengji Palace.
The Crown Prince, along with the other princes, also rushed to Chengji Palace.
*
The white-haired Imperial Physician Geng had already finished taking Emperor Xuanpei's pulse.
Fortunately, it was summer, and the lake water wasn't as icy cold as it is in winter.
Even now, Emperor Xuanpei still goes horseback riding and archery from time to time to exercise his muscles and bones, and he is in good health. Therefore, the imperial physician only prescribed some diaphoretic decoctions as a precaution.
When the others from the temporary palace arrived at Chengji Palace, Azhu was carefully wiping Emperor Xuanpei's wet hair with a cotton towel.
"Your Majesty, we concubines pay our respects."
"Your subjects pay their respects to Your Majesty."
When Consort Zhang, along with several other concubines, and the Crown Prince, along with the princes, paid their respects to Emperor Xuanpei, Azhu avoided them.
When Emperor Xuanpei told them to rise and dispense with formalities, Azhu stood back down and continued to wipe the emperor's hair.
With so many people around, Ah Zhu moved her hand down and instead began to wipe the ends of Emperor Xuanpei's hair.
Seeing that Emperor Xuanpei remained calm and composed, allowing Consort Jiang to manipulate his head as she pleased, the others in the hall could only pretend not to notice.
Listening to the others' repeated expressions of concern for Emperor Xuanpei, Azhu remained silent from beginning to end, only wiping Emperor Xuanpei's hair.
When these people left, A-Zhu didn't even bother to glance at them.
Emperor Xuanpei grasped Azhu's hand and looked up at her.
“A-Zhu”.
Ah Zhu pursed her lips but didn't say anything, instead switching hands to continue her work.
Emperor Xuanpei helplessly grabbed Azhu's arm and pulled her into his arms.
"The Imperial Concubine has been ignoring the Emperor. What should we do?"
Emperor Xuanpei's forehead touched Azhu's forehead.
He pleaded with A-Zhu, saying softly, "Let our understanding and exceptionally intelligent A-Zhu help us come up with an idea—how can we appease the Imperial Concubine?"
Seeing Emperor Xuanpei acting so seriously, Azhu couldn't help but laugh.
Her smile brought a smile to Emperor Xuanpei's eyes as well.
With his eyes closed, he kissed A-Zhu's forehead with exceptional tenderness, then kissed his way down her cheeks until he kissed her soft lips.
Emperor Xuanpei embraced A-Zhu, whose eyes were moist and whose cheeks were flushed with peach blossom pink, and kissed her hair with affection, murmuring something.
"It's my fault, it's all my fault, causing our Ah Zhu to live in constant fear and anxiety..."
Azhu buried her head in Emperor Xuanpei's arms.
She didn't look up, but simply reached out and hugged Emperor Xuanpei, her voice trembling slightly as she mumbled, "Your Majesty... this concubine never wants to go boating on the lake again in this lifetime."
Emperor Xuanpei hugged Azhu tightly, and he said almost in a daze, "It is my fault, and it is my negligence."
“This palace is nestled by mountains and water. I shouldn’t have let you go to Heze Lake by yourself first. I should have stayed with you the whole time.”
? ! ! !
Ah Zhu, who had been looking all "tender and affectionate" with her eyes closed, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine—how did the emperor's words veer to this point?!
Previously, due to concerns about caring for two children, the Ninth Prince and the Seventh Princess, who could talk and run around everywhere, it took several years of delays to finally complete the repairs of Guanju Palace.
But once the Ninth Prince and the Seventh Princess left the palace, A-Zhu even lost her place to live.
She was packed up overnight and taken directly to Hanyuan Palace.
When they came to this palace, they were even more decisive. They didn't even let her choose; they just came straight to Chengji Palace... How are they supposed to "keep her in check"?
From now on, she won't even have time to go out for some fresh air.
"A-Zhu, from now on I will..."
No! No! No!
At this moment, even a fool could guess what Emperor Xuanpei was going to say. She raised her face and directly silenced Emperor Xuanpei with her mouth.
After a while, Ah Zhu, who was sitting in Emperor Xuanpei's lap and was "filled with jealousy", leaned forward.
She cupped Emperor Xuanpei's face in her hands, and as she spoke, her sweet and soft breath brushed against his face.
Emperor Xuanpei leaned back in his chair, only reaching out to support Azhu's waist, showing no sign of struggling whatsoever from beginning to end.
He gazed quietly at Ah Zhu's moist lips, at the tiny tongue peeking out from behind her pearly teeth... so soft and adorable.
I really want to bite a cute person, and I also want to slowly suck on them and kiss them carefully.
"His Majesty is truly a compassionate and merciful Bodhisattva who saves people from suffering."
Ah Zhu, who was trying to find a way to change the subject, said sourly, "...No wonder His Majesty acted impulsively and took the risk himself."
"Even when I saw people during that time, I felt really sorry for them."
"That was indeed a young, beautiful, and delicate beauty, so pitiful that I felt sorry for her."
"Oh, by the way, I didn't even have a chance to ask her who she is..."
The little tongue that had been stirring up trouble in Baba's little mouth was suddenly "captured".
Ah Zhu hummed and mumbled for a long time but couldn't utter another word.
After a while, Ah Zhu, who had finally managed to "save" his tongue, hurriedly tried to get up, but Emperor Xuanpei held him down by pressing down on the back of his head.
Emperor Xuanpei rubbed Azhu's head.
"I don't like to eat when it's hot in the summer."
"The colder it gets in winter, the less active I feel."
"I cough when exposed to wind, especially in spring and autumn."
"If I eat too much and then catch a cold, I'll get a stomachache."
"If I don't let you use more ice, she'll whine and pester me; at night, if anything goes wrong in bed, she'll start whimpering with tears in her eyes..."
"I only regret that I don't have three heads and six arms, and eight eyes to watch over people. What other thoughts would I have to raise?"
Emperor Xuanpei looked at Azhu.
"Tell me, if we don't keep an eye on things for even a moment, something bad could happen. I'm really worried about all the bumps and bruises."
"They're so difficult to raise... If I were to be distracted by other matters, what would become of me?"
A-Zhu blinked at Emperor Xuanpei, her round eyes full of innocence, and said, "Who is this, that makes Your Majesty go through so much trouble?"
"Yes." Emperor Xuanpei chuckled and pinched Azhu's cheek: "Which shameless person is so dear to my heart?"
Ah Zhu laughed.
She threw herself into Emperor Xuanpei's arms, reached out and clung to his neck, and said with her head held high, "That doesn't matter. It's His Majesty's fault for promising to provide her with a life of luxury and comfort."
"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven."
"The emperor's word is as weighty as gold, and his pronouncements are as precious as jade, never to be changed."
Emperor Xuanpei smiled and carried Azhu to the inner palace.
"Yes, a promise is a promise."
Until death do us part
......
Imperial Palace Tea Room
Because she was rescued from the water in time, hot soup was quickly brought to her when she got back. After taking a hot bath and changing her clothes, Lanhe's complexion improved a lot.
The tea server also brought ginger tea.
Lanhe thanked the nanny and was drinking ginger tea when the palace maids who had heard the news arrived.
Seeing that Lanhe was not seriously injured, the palace servants could no longer suppress their curiosity.
"Sister Lanhe, when did you meet His Majesty?"
"Yes, yes, Sister Lanhe, please tell us about it."
Holding the ginger tea, Lanhe lowered her eyes and shook her head. "I've been with you all at the imperial palace and haven't seen His Majesty."
How could His Majesty personally save someone he's never even seen before?
Everyone looked at Lan He, whose hair was loose, whose face was still a little pale, yet who appeared exceptionally delicate and charming. After exchanging glances, they all began to speak and praise Lan He.
Lanhe shook her head repeatedly at the other palace servants' comments, saying only that it was the Emperor's great favor and benevolence, and refused to say anything more.
"Lanhe".
Just as the room was filled with lively conversation, Steward Dai, looking hurried, walked in.
"Hurry up and pack your things, the Imperial Concubine is summoning you."
Lanhe was slightly stunned for a moment, and then the other palace servants quickly helped her tidy up and comb her hair.
After getting ready, Lanhe followed Eunuch Dai to Yuheyuan.
......
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