Chapter 17 Chapter 17 [VIP]
Zhang Qin's body was sent back wrapped in a straw mat.
The one crying the most sadly was not his father, Minister Zhang, but his cousin, his fiancée who had not yet married into the family.
This is really too ugly.
He was a young and promising talent, but he had been secretly committing adultery with a widow for a long time.
The widow of Marquis Bo Ling was twenty years older than him.
The two had been committing adultery for four or five years since Zhang Qin was seventeen years old.
The widow of Marquis Bo Ling had been a widow for many years and was a well-known figure. Zhang Qin also had strict family education.
Therefore, every time there was a big banquet, the two of them would gather together and secretly communicate with each other.
Zhang Qin even prepared some spices to enhance pleasure and secretly sent someone to add them to the incense burner so that the two of them could indulge themselves completely all night long.
Last night, the widow of Marquis Bo Ling waited for a long time, thinking that Zhang Qin had a new wife. She didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore, so she left in a fit of anger.
When she was summoned by the Ministry of Justice in the middle of the night, this noble and elderly woman, who had remained calm and composed, was trembling all over.
Today's palaces are all made of wood.
The same is true for the warm room.
Therefore, preventing water leaks is the most important issue.
Zhang Qin, who was drunk, knocked over the candlestick in the chaos and died in a hurry.
Even the corpse was turned into charcoal, beyond recognition.
If he had walked a little further west, the tragedy would not have happened.
But sometimes fate is so ironic.
Empress Yuan only learned about this the next day. She also saw that there seemed to be a fire in the warm room, but the fire was quickly extinguished without leaving any trace.
It was already late at night, the emperor was still there, and there was an even more important New Year's court meeting tomorrow morning.
Empress Yuan didn't think much about it and went straight back to Yifeng Palace.
I originally thought it was just an ordinary fire, but I didn't expect that there would be such a dirty thing behind it.
Zhang Qin had bad conduct, but his father was an important official in the imperial court, a third-rank minister of rites, and was supposed to be promoted to the Ministry of Personnel.
After careful consideration, they decided to pick him off.
Just saying that he died suddenly of a cold after drinking alcohol was considered a face-saving measure for the entire Zhang family.
But it's still disgusting when something like this happens.
Zhang Qin also has a cousin who has not yet married into the family, but it’s a good thing that she has not yet married into the family.
The queen sent a message to comfort Zhang Qin's wife, who had not yet married her, and then began to repair the warm room.
The fire burned down the entire Accord. The scenery over there was beautiful. After such an incident, anyone who went there would feel uncomfortable.
If it weren't for the court meeting, Empress Yuan really wanted to invite a Taoist priest to perform a ritual right now.
But there were too many things to do today, and she had no time to worry about anything else.
On New Year's Day, all the ladies of the imperial court and the imperial court had to pay homage to the empress.
Empress Yuan attended the event in her best attire. Usually at this time, the emperor would come to her side and spend some time with her.
But her smile became stiff and the emperor did not come over.
The one who took leave at the same time was Yuan Zhaoyi Yuan Mu.
This is the most important festival of the year, a hundred times more important than the Qianqiu Festival.
He is really spoiled because of his favor.
Empress Yuan's chest heaved, and intense hatred surged in her lungs.
Since the emperor returned, Yuan Mu has not visited her many times. Not to mention paying her respects, he even dares not show up at court meetings.
When Empress Yuan thought about why Yuan Mu had asked for leave, she felt even more furious.
She loved this kind of occasion the most, but because of Yuan Mu's absence, her palms were pinched by the long claws throughout the entire court meeting.
However, Yuan Mu did not show up throughout the whole day.
The court meeting on the emperor's side ended even faster. He seemed to be worried about something, and after a few moments, a eunuch came to report.
After the meeting, he left without saying a word.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, what other important matters could there be?
But is there no one left but Yuan Mu, whom he had hidden away in Qingning Palace?
Empress Yuan stood in front of the hall. She didn't want to do this, but when she thought about the chaos in the harem, tears kept falling from her eyes.
The emperor is not a person who acts ridiculously.
But before the late emperor deposed and killed his first wife, no one thought he would be so foolish.
Just because the emperor didn't come today, there were countless people secretly laughing at her.
Empress Yuan instinctively took out the token, bit her lip, and said, "Pass on my oral order. I have a heart attack today, and I would like to invite my father and mother to gather at Yifeng Palace tonight."
But before she could deliver the letter, a palace maid came to report that Lord Yuan Ling wanted to meet the queen.
Empress Yuan was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Please invite father in."
The sun rose to the zenith, and she was busy all morning.
But at this moment, let alone having lunch, Empress Yuan was so anxious that she couldn't even drink a glass of water.
Yuan Wei looked calm. He was wearing a dark red robe and black boots as he stepped on the steps.
He has both the calmness of a civil official and the steadiness of a military general.
Empress Yuan was often scolded by her father, but when she saw him walk in, she felt an insurmountable sense of security.
One day when her father was around, she would be the queen.
Yuan Wei dismissed the servants and only kept the most trusted maids and eunuchs around Empress Yuan.
He asked directly, "Didn't Yuan Mu come to the court meeting?"
Yuan often warned her to humble herself and win the emperor's heart.
, she is a noble lady in the courtyard and a prostitute on the couch.
The latter is actually much more difficult to do than the former.
It is the pinnacle for a lady from an aristocratic family to take the initiative to hook a man's belt. Flattery is difficult to do, and seduce a man with one's beauty is not easy either.
Especially for noble ladies who are so elegant.
Empress Yuan's face turned pale. She didn't expect her father to know about this so soon.
"The palace maids said she caught a cold last night," she said, shaking her head, "and her fever hasn't subsided yet."
Yuan Wei muttered softly, "Cold..."
His eyes were slightly lowered and there was a shadow at the end of his brow.
Yuan Wei's eyes are slightly droopy, which makes his face, which was too outstanding in his youth, look more calm and reliable.
But when Queen Yuan looked at him, her mind was full of Yuan Mu.
She always felt that her sister was lowly and inferior, but in fact they were sisters with the same father and mother.
Yuan Mu's appearance inherited all the advantages of Yuan Wei and their mother, and even more.
Just those watery eyes are enough to captivate people.
Eyebrows like spring mountains, eyes like autumn water.
Empress Yuan clenched her fingers tightly. She was wearing long armor, and her fingers were clenched so tightly that they almost pierced her flesh.
But Yuan Wei just lowered his head and thought for a moment, without even looking at her, let alone offering any comfort or advice.
Empress Yuan had no choice but to speak up.
"Father, His Majesty and my sister have been getting a little too close lately," she said with difficulty.
A woman who can't even win her husband's heart will be looked down upon by everyone.
Empress Yuan never thought that she would end up in this situation.
But she was too anxious inside.
Yuan Wei raised his eyes and looked at Empress Yuan sarcastically: "What is there to be afraid of? This is a good thing."
"She did everything you couldn't do for you," he twitched his lips, "What are you still unhappy about?"
Empress Yuan's face was pale, and her lips were as white as if she had lost blood.
When she first entered the palace, Yuan Wei suggested to her that she could adopt the child from other concubines, but the necessary ethical relationships between husband and wife were essential.
Afterwards, drink contraceptive soup, or just take some strong medicine to solve the problem once and for all.
Empress Yuan said that she was unwilling to take the risk.
In fact, what she was thinking about more was the country girl who had almost ruined her marriage with the emperor.
This is the fact that Empress Yuan is most reluctant to face.
Although they had been childhood sweethearts for many years, the emperor actually had no feelings for her.
That ordinary woman who couldn't even read or write could have taken his heart away.
He loved her so deeply that he wanted to break off the engagement.
God knows that it was he who was in danger of life and death at that time, and she did not leave him on her own initiative because of her deep love for him.
But just for such a person, the emperor actually gave up on her.
After the wedding, Empress Yuan took the initiative to avoid being close to the emperor. She wanted him to turn back and approach her on his own initiative.
But I didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, two years had passed and we had been treating each other with respect.
Instead of getting closer, the distance between them grew wider and wider.
Yuan Wei looked at Empress Yuan's increasingly ugly expression and said nothing more.
He leaned over to look out the window and said casually, "Last time you told the emperor about the spring beauty selection, how is his thinking going?"
Yuan Wei's expression was calm.
But Empress Yuan was about to fall into despair, but her condition suddenly improved.
Yes, how could she forget such a thing?
Compared to the emperor's favor, the crown prince's affairs are more important.
It is an indisputable fact that Yuan Mu has not produced any children in the past two years.
A smile instantly appeared on Empress Yuan's face.
-
The emperor had almost no hesitation.
He interrupted Yuan Mu and whispered, "This won't work."
But after he finished speaking, the emperor seemed to feel that the tone was too harsh.
He raised his hands to hold Yuan Mu's face, and said softly, "How about promoting you to the position of consort? I asked Rong Jing to think of several words, see if there are any you like."
As the emperor spoke, he took Yuan Mu into his arms.
She was as light as a feather, and even when she sat on his lap, she felt weightless.
"I've also had the newly presented jade and gems delivered," the emperor coaxed. "There are many other rare treasures. You're feeling lonely in your palace, so why not get a Persian cat?"
He raised his lips and smiled: "Persian cats with heterochromatic eyes are very docile and cute."
Anything given by the emperor was something that the concubines in the palace fought hard to obtain.
But Yuan Mu wanted nothing.
She was born into a noble family, but she was not a proper noble lady.
When Yuan Mu saw Helan Zhen for the last time, she was about to be married off by her father.
Tomorrow, the engagement letter will be delivered, and she will be engaged to that stranger whom she has never even seen.
Yuan Mu instinctively wanted to give himself to Helan Zhen.
She has lost her chastity, which is the most important thing for a girl. Even her father can't marry her to someone else, right?
Today is a chaotic world, and there are countless secret prostitutes.
But no man would ignore the chastity of a wife he has married.
Yuan Mu did not understand the etiquette of "if engaged, she becomes a wife, if elopement, she becomes a concubine".
She only knew that if she was with Helan Zhen, she would be willing to follow him to the ends of the earth.
Yuan Mu is a person who is indifferent to life.
It was after she met Helan Zhen that she began to have expectations for the future.
From the precarious and chaotic times to the peace and prosperity we have today.
Yuan Mu was able to survive and was willing to survive only because of Helan Zhen.
"I don't want it," she said, shaking her head. "I don't want anything."
Yuan Mu was held in the emperor's arms, but she never looked at him.
She lowered her head, her eyes fixed on the thin bracelet on her wrist, and did not even look up at the emperor.
"Please let me go," Yuan Mu finally raised his head, "Can you please let me leave the palace?"
She raised her eyes, and the light and shadow flickered in her clear and watery eyes, as if tears were about to fall, and her low and weak voice was really filled with tears.
Yuan Mu always remains naive and ignorant about some things.
She had no idea how sharp those words were.
All the morbid, gloomy and paranoid emotions were aroused at that moment.
It was years of etiquette and restraint that allowed the emperor to suppress his emotions.
"That's impossible, A'luo," he whispered, "Since ancient times, there has been no precedent for concubines leaving the palace."
If an ordinary couple has a bad relationship, they can divorce.
Concubines were treated even more casually, and exchanging and giving gifts to each other was common. Of course, the most respectable thing was to release a concubine.
But this will never be possible in the palace.
This has been the case for thousands of years.
The emperor's words seemed gentle, but in fact every word revealed his arbitrariness and dominance that would not tolerate any disobedience.
Yuan Mu felt that she was almost out of breath.
She didn't want to have any contact with the emperor any longer, so she said in a low voice, "Get out."
Even when Yuan Mu was bluffing, her words were just threats. But what revealed her emotions even more were the tears that were falling.
Her vision blurred and she tried to regain her composure.
But the tears couldn't stop falling.
But Yuan Mu couldn't say any more heart-piercing words, because the emperor kissed her lips, his voice low and hoarse: "Don't say such things, A'luo."
After her skirt was lifted up, her tears became even weaker.
Calming incense was burning in Qingning Palace.
The scent of white sandalwood and spikenard blends together, lingering in the lungs, bringing a morbid comfort.
Yuan Mu felt like she was drowning and she could hardly breathe.
But the gloomy dark waters never let her go, and her slender ankles were tightly clamped, making it impossible for her to struggle for a moment.
Painful emotions are impacted by false happiness.
The two are intertwined, making Yuan Mu unable to tell the direction.
She looked up at the dome of the palace, tears streaming down her face.
At this time, Yuan Mu was particularly aware of her powerlessness. She could do nothing and there was no help behind her.
This turned her anger, resentment and pain into soft, flirtatious tickles.
"I can give you anything, A'luo," the emperor said in a low voice, "as long as you don't leave me."
There was a beautiful dark light in his dark almond-shaped eyes.
Yuan Mu had only seen a similar light in Helan Zhen's eyes.
But he was in love with her, while the emperor was plundering her infinitely, wanting to control everything about her in his hands.
The world is his, and she is his too.
Yuan Mu's long eyelashes kept trembling, and she was so clearly aware that she might really not be able to escape.
Empress Yuan once told her that as long as she could give birth to a prince, she would definitely send her out of the palace.
But since when, even Queen Yuan has never said such words again.
She was eager for the birth of a prince and wanted to find someone to share her favor, but Empress Yuan did not make any statement on whether Yuan Mu should stay or go.
Yuan Mu closed her eyes. Her mind was exhausted and her body was tired.
Not long after waking up, she fell asleep again due to exhaustion.
Yuan Mu was really too tired.
After she closed her eyes, she fell into a deep dream.
So Yuan Mu didn't know how long the emperor stayed by her side after she fell asleep.
He held her hand, looked at her face, and sat like that until dusk fell.
The emperor had experienced the peak of power and the trough of his life, walking alone in the darkness, but it seemed that he had never been so obsessed with anyone over the years.
He had just figured out what this feeling was.
So he couldn't let go even more.
The emperor leaned over, gently put his arms around Yuan Mu, and kissed her lips in a morbid posture.
He had never lost Yuan Mu.
But when I heard her say those words, all my evil desires burst out.
He couldn't lose her.
-
Yuan Mu had a fever at night. She slept soundly, and her heart and lungs finally felt less uncomfortable, but her body began to feel cold again.
She turned sideways in confusion and tried to grab something cold.
The first day of the new year.
The emperor still had matters to deal with, but apart from meeting with several prime ministers in the middle, he stayed in Qingning Palace.
So he quickly realized that Yuan Mu had a fever.
The emperor was quite familiar with Yuan Ying's illness. After all, they had known each other for many years, and she had always been weak and sickly.
But when he heard Zhang Yuanzheng whispering, he suddenly realized that he didn't know Yuan Mu well enough.
The emperor always felt that Yuan Mu was in good health, but that was when she first entered the palace. Two years of palace life did not make her stronger.
She was like a flower transplanted into the wrong soil, and was gradually withering.
Yuan Mu woke up once in the middle of the night.
She lay in the emperor's arms, her robe was taken off, revealing her back as white as jade.
Yuan Mu kept struggling. She was afraid of pain, especially acupuncture. Even in her confused state of mind, she did not forget to struggle.
The emperor held her waist, kissed her forehead gently, and said coaxingly, "It doesn't hurt, A'luo."
Yuan Mu's face was covered with tears. She was forced to endure an acupuncture treatment, and then the emperor pinched her jaw and fed her medicine.
She had never been so disrespectful to him before.
Yuan Mu cried and struggled. In panic, she bit the emperor's lip, and the smell of rust and bitterness spread between their lips and teeth.
The medicine spilled onto her front and also stained the emperor's robe.
Yuan Mu's ankles struggled. She didn't want to take the medicine. Even though her legs were weak, she wanted to break free from the emperor's arms.
But before she could stand up, he pushed her down forcefully.
Yuan Mu didn't know how she fell asleep again.
She had a fever for two days in a row, her mind was never clear, her appetite was poor, and she spent almost all her time sleeping.
By the time Yuan Mu fully recovered, it was already the fifth day of the New Year.
This was the most chaotic New Year she had ever experienced, much more chaotic than the one when she first entered the palace.
Yuan Mu had nightmares every night, and Zhang Qin's corpse repeatedly appeared in front of her.
Sometimes she dreamed that she had killed him, and sometimes she dreamed of the horrific scenes she had seen during the war.
The memory is in disarray.
Later, the emperor had no choice but to ask the imperial physician to prescribe medicine for Yuan Mu to help her sleep deeply. Only then did she finally stop waking up from her dreams screaming.
The entire five days were spent in chaos.
Yuan Mu didn't even notice that it was snowing outside.
As the saying goes: Auspicious snow means a good harvest.
She used to love appreciating the scenery. The red walls, white snow, and tilted plum branches, without any decoration, were all elegant in themselves.
But when he pulled himself out of the chaos, Yuan Mu had an illusion that he was in another world.
She stood on the terrace, wearing a fox fur coat, stroking the hand warmer, and slowly falling towards the endless falling snow.
The emperor did not force her to be taken to Ziwei Palace, but every day when Yuan Mu woke up, there was residual warmth around her.
She didn't understand where his madness came from.
The emperor just forced her to forget Helan Zhen before and never mentioned anything about what happened on New Year's Eve.
Yuan Mu was ill during those days and she was very tired. She didn't even have the energy to think too much.
Her life always seemed to be like this: just when it showed signs of improvement, it would quickly fall into the next abyss.
Yuan Mu couldn't look at the snow for too long.
Because someone came to see her.
They were all people Yuan Mu knew, the King of Chu, Xi Rongjing, and Xi Lanyan.
The emperor seemed to realize that she was living too lonely, and the palace maid whom he didn't like very much at first often appeared by her side recently.
Xi Lanyan's voice was tender: "Sister, are you feeling better?"
She was wearing a thin lotus pink jacket, and her whole body looked like a blooming peach blossom, delicate, noble, and bright with sunshine.
Xi Rongjing wanted to hold his sister's hand, and he whispered, "Slow down, Ayan."
They are not actually familiar with each other.
But with the emperor acting as the host, even if Yuan Mu's status was low, she could still strike up a conversation with them, and even these nobles would take the initiative to serve her.
She didn't know what this meant?
The jewels and rare treasures sent to Qingning Palace these days were so numerous that the palace maids and eunuchs took a lot of effort to compile the list.
The emperor originally wanted to send the Persian cat as well, but Yuan Mu shook his head and refused.
She is not yet able to afford another life.
Yuan Mu turned sideways, slowly looked at Xi Lanyan, and said softly, "I'm much better, Miss Xi."
She didn't know what the rumors were.
Yuan Mu did not attend the New Year's court meeting, and people with sharp ears would definitely notice it.
In the past, when she asked for leave, Empress Yuan would frequently send people over.
But this time, Yuan Mu didn't hear any sound at all. Perhaps it was because Queen Yuan didn't send anyone over, or perhaps it was because the emperor blocked all the messages.
Xi Rongjing was a gentle and elegant gentleman, and his tone was soft when he greeted her: "It has been a long time since we last met, and your grace has become even more beautiful."
When he spoke words of praise, there was no hint of frivolity.
The King of Chu was still dressed in red. He walked casually behind, his eyes half closed, as if he had been dragged here while still asleep.
Yuan Mu raised her eyes slightly and was about to say something when a plum branch full of flowers filled her vision.
The faint floating cold fragrance made the oppressive atmosphere in the hall become more open.
"I just happened to see this while passing by," the King of Chu said softly, "You can put it in a porcelain bottle. It should be able to open for a few days."
There seemed to be something behind his words.
Yuan Mu lowered his eyes for a moment, took the plum branch, and said softly, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Whether it is this flower or what happened that day.
Yuan Mu asked someone to serve the flowers. Xi Lanyan brought tea leaves, and she went to distribute the tea with great interest. Xi Rongjing stayed by her side.
So only the King of Chu was left.
The gardener in Qingning Palace was specially transferred by the emperor.
The palace is so large that the flowers alone could take up an entire area.
Planting flowers and grass requires a lot of attention to detail. After the gardener left, Yuan Mu leaned over and sniffed the cool fragrance of the plum blossoms again.
She didn't understand these skills, but she just liked this kind of fresh thing.
The King of Chu stood behind Yuan Mu. He looked thoughtfully at one of the porcelain vases, which contained dead branches and a few new flowers.
Because they were planted beautifully, the dead branches now show signs of life.
He said softly, "I thought you would just throw it away."
Yuan Mu turned around and happened to meet the King of Chu's gaze.
The light here was a little dim, and the originally open space suddenly became cramped.
The King of Chu was tall, with his head slightly lowered, and Yuan Mu happened to look up, and the distance between the two was silently shortened.
A cool fragrance lingered around them, like a newly opened flower bud.
There should be a distance between uncles and sisters-in-law.
But at a certain moment, Yuan Mu suddenly found it difficult to struggle out.
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