Chapter 18 Chapter 18 [VIP]
The King of Chu looked very much like his brother.
They all have the same phoenix eyes, hanging nose, and handsome face.
However, the King of Chu's eyes were not aggressive and were much softer than the Emperor's.
Young people of seventeen or eighteen are like willow branches brushing against your face in spring, still full of vigor and vitality.
When Yuan Mu first met Helan Zhen, he was also so graceful.
She raised her eyes to look at the King of Chu, pursed her lips tightly, and suppressed the desire to look deeper.
Just at this moment, Xi Lanyan and Xi Rongjing came over.
"I've ordered the tea," Xi Lanyan said in a sweet voice. "Sister and Brother Zhang, come and try some."
Yuan Mu tilted her head, and the knuckles that were stroking the hand warmer also lifted slightly. She responded softly: "Okay."
Her movements were small, but the King of Chu happened to lower his hand.
The two men's knuckles touched each other, and their hands were a little cold. However, the moment they touched, Yuan Mu felt as if he was burned, and immediately pulled his hand back.
The King of Chu turned his head and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry."
If he hadn't said sorry, Yuan Mu could still pretend nothing happened.
The footsteps of the Xi brothers and sisters were getting closer.
They couldn't see what was happening over there because of the antique display case.
Yuan Mu pursed his lips and whispered, "It's okay."
After she finished speaking, she lifted up her skirt and walked out.
Xi Lanyan opened the window of the main hall slightly.
The fire dragon in Qingning Palace burns very fiercely, and the ground is covered with thick diamond-patterned carpets all year round. It will make people feel very hot if you stay there for a long time.
The tea had just been ordered and a thin layer of smoke was rising into the air.
It is perfect for enjoying the snow scenery while sipping tea.
The cold wind outside blew away the floral scent on Yuan Muyi's clothes. She sat down and placed the hand warmer on the low table.
Xi Lanyan is an expert at making tea. She is familiar with etiquette and is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting.
Yuan Mu picked up the cup and drank a little.
The water temperature is just right, and the sweetness of the floral tea blooms between your lips and teeth, just like holding a rose bud in your mouth.
My lungs are soaked and warmed.
Even someone like Yuan Mu, who didn't know much about tea, widened his eyes slightly.
Xi Lanyan raised her head proudly and said confidently, "Is it delicious, sister?"
Yuan Mu nodded and said softly, "Sister is really amazing."
While they were sipping tea, the men were not very quiet.
The antique display stand made of golden nanmu wood is very tall, and the ornaments on it are also extremely exquisite.
A jade mountain carved with flying birds and flowing water, a sky-blue porcelain vase with ice crackle patterns, and a cloisonné enamel plate with lotus patterns.
This is a very extraordinary expense.
Even in the queen's palace, such expensive and luxurious items would not appear.
Yuan Mu was raised in the countryside for many years and did not understand these things, but they did.
Xi Rongjing glanced at the antique display case and said calmly, "What did Ah Zhang talk about with Empress Zhaoyi just now? You didn't even go over when Lan Yan called you."
He was about the same age as the emperor, and he looked at the King of Chu as a junior.
The King of Chu lifted his hair from his forehead, raised his eyelids and looked at Xi Rongjing, saying nonchalantly, "We were just chatting about gardening and weeding."
"Oh?" Xi Rongjing's gaze pressed closer. "Then may I ask, A-Zhang, what did you talk about regarding flower arrangement?"
He has a gentle and refined temperament and comes from a noble family.
They pay attention to etiquette and morality, almost to the point of being rigid.
Xi Rongjing would also be particularly fussy about turning a blind eye to things.
It was as if the King of Chu had lost his virtue.
The King of Chu's red clothes were particularly bright in the dark, and his phoenix eyes matched it.
He turned his head to avoid Xi Rongjing's gaze: "If Brother Xi is really interested in flower arrangement, you can ask Empress Zhaoyi."
After he finished speaking, the King of Chu brushed his clothes and prepared to leave.
Xi Rongjing lowered his voice and scolded, "Li Congzhan!"
"You need to know who you can touch," he said sullenly, "and who you can't touch."
Xi Rongjing is like an older brother.
But the King of Chu just smiled and whispered, "Brother Xi, are you saying this because you don't want me to go astray, or are you afraid that I won't want to marry Lan Yan?"
He always looks like he doesn't care about anything.
The King of Chu suffered from asthma when he was young, and it took him nearly ten years to recover after recuperating in the south of the Yangtze River.
No one expected anything from him, so he grew up happily.
The King of Chu was a complete fool. He was only good at riding, shooting and feasting. He had no knowledge of military affairs or general affairs.
Only the emperor would love him so much.
But at this moment, there was a dark danger in the eyes of the King of Chu.
It was Xi Lanyan who came over and called them, and the confrontation between the two men stopped.
Yuan Mu leaned back, she held the cup and drank tea in small sips.
Those watery eyes were staring intently at the falling snow outside the window, and her long eyelashes hardly blinked.
Xi Lanyan stepped on soft boots, rearranged the snacks brought by the palace maids, placed them on porcelain plates, and then pushed them to everyone one by one.
Ning Palace," she said happily, "I didn't know it was so beautiful here, with such great scenery."
She held her face and we come here often huh? ”
Xi Hai's arrogance.
Yuan Mu was in a heavy mood. From New Year's Eve till now, her mood seemed to have never improved.
However, when she heard Xi Lanyan say this, she also forced a smile: "Okay."
The four of them gathered together, first chatting about recent events, and then playing cards for a while.
Yuan Mu was not good at playing cards. He had only played with Aunt Yu and his sister in the manor before, but he was in the same team with Xi Lanyan and soon won a great victory.
Xi Rongjing said with a smile: "Surrender, surrender, we surrender."
It's snowing heavily outside.
A thick layer of it was laid on the ground last night.
At this moment, some palace servants were building snow lions outside, and ladies and attendants from other palaces had also come out. It was quite lively.
Xi Lanyan also suggested leaving the palace for a while.
Yuan Mu had just recovered from his illness, and the maids and eunuchs in charge of the palace were a little hesitant.
But before a decision could be made, the emperor returned.
Yes, come back.
Yuan Mu didn't want to use this word. No matter what, Qingning Palace belonged to her in name.
But in fact, whether it is the real ownership or the right to transfer all personnel, it is just a word from the emperor.
Qingning Palace is his, and Yuanmu is also his.
The emperor untied his outer cloak, revealing a black and gold casual suit that could not conceal his tall and straight figure.
It truly has the appearance of gold and jade, and the demeanor of a dragon and a phoenix.
When he walked in, he was like a husband returning home. He first hugged Yuan Mu gently and said, "Did you have fun?"
After all, it happened in front of people.
Yuan Mu suppressed the rejection in his eyes and responded with a low "hmm".
Then she said nothing more.
Fortunately, the Xi brothers and sisters and the King of Chu were all talkative people, and they had an especially close relationship with the emperor.
After the greetings, several people soon started to interact with each other.
It's time for lunch.
Yuan Mu sat beside the emperor, with her waist held by him. Her eyes showed struggle, and the meal she had eaten tasted like chewing wax.
They had not eaten together for several days.
Yuan Mu couldn't eat anything, and the medicinal food he ate was force-fed by the emperor.
He seemed to have expected that she wouldn't dare to do anything in front of others, so his knuckles never left her waist.
After dinner, Yuan Mu followed the emperor into the study.
When she saw the large, meticulously written characters on the table, she finally understood why the emperor had asked Xi Rongjing to come over today.
The emperor did not like Yuan Mu to meet other men.
He didn't even want her to see his own brother, the King of Chu.
The emperor's voice was gentle: "Take a look, which one do you like?"
These are all words with good meanings. Now the position of concubine is full. Xi Rongjing must be a very knowledgeable person to be able to come up with such a nice and meaningful title.
Xi Rongjing also said softly, "Her Majesty Zhaoyi, please take a look. If you don't like it, I will think about it again."
His words were humble, and there was a soft light between his eyebrows and eyes.
Yuan Mu just glanced at the table and didn't look at it again.
She looked at the emperor with a weary look in her eyes: "I don't want to be promoted, Zhaoyi is good enough."
Yuan Mu's voice was soft, but the resistance he expressed was strong.
She was used to being an invisible person in the harem, had no interest in promotion and no expectation of imperial favor.
Yuan Mu didn't even want anyone to know that the emperor was secretly favoring her frequently.
The smile on the emperor's face gradually cooled.
Yuan Mu had no idea how troublesome it would be to promote her naturally.
In terms of promotion, the harem is the same as the previous dynasty.
Rely on qualifications, family background, and political achievements.
Yuan Mu entered the palace the latest, and her identity was obscure. In the past two years, she had not even shown up in the palace a few times, let alone assisting in palace affairs.
Promotion must have a reason.
There was no other way for her to be promoted to the throne legitimately except by suddenly giving birth to a prince or princess.
Of course, the emperor could just wave his hand and directly raise Yuan Mu's position.
But he didn't want her to be exposed to any rumors.
Before the New Year, the emperor spent almost all his time on this except for his government affairs.
After finally getting through all four directions, Yuan Mu actually said she didn't want it.
The emperor's eyes darkened.
Xi Rongjing also looked at Yuan Mu with slight surprise.
But Yuan Mu said nothing. She stroked the hand warmer and her long eyelashes drooped.
Her cold and pure appearance is as otherworldly as the moon, like a goddess who is detached from the mundane world.
It is a kind of beauty that keeps people away from it.
The emperor looked at Yuan Mu and said softly, "Let's take a look. It's still early. If you don't like any of them, let Rong Jing choose another one."
He seemed not to hear her refusal, and there was a silent sense of oppression in his calmness.
The study is spacious, with a terrace facing due west. When the curtains are drawn, the frosty white mountains in the distance come into view like a picture scroll.
But at this moment, this clean room was as cramped as a dark cellar.
"I don't want to be promoted." Yuan Mu lowered his eyes and repeated what he had just said.
The emperor looked down at her condescendingly, the emotions in his eyes becoming increasingly darker.
He said coldly: "Say it again, Yuan Mu."
In the past two years, under the emperor's control, Yuan Mu has always been submissive and obedient.
She was very afraid of pain and had no one to rely on. When she was punished severely, there was nothing she would not agree to.
But after the relationship between them was broken, the rebellious side of Yuan Mu gradually emerged.
Too.
How could a truly obedient girl give away her virginity before marriage?
Yuan Mu raised her eyes, met the emperor's gaze, and said it again.
No one likes to suffer the feeling of wasting their efforts.
The emperor always remained calm and composed.
Even if he suddenly received a report that there were foreign invaders in the northwest, he would be able to calmly deal with the situation.
But when Yuan Mu disobeyed him again and again, the emperor's secret anger grew uncontrollably.
He whispered, "You go back first, Rongjing."
Xi Rongjing's expression changed slightly, but he didn't say anything in the end. After paying his respects, he turned around and left.
Xi Lanyan and King Chu were still waiting outside.
Seeing Xi Rongjing coming over, Xi Lanyan asked curiously, "Where are His Majesty and my sister?"
Xi Rongjing shook his head and said softly, "Your Majesty and Concubine Zhaoyi have something to discuss. Let's leave first."
He left with his sister and the King of Chu.
After the palace door was closed, the faint sobbing sounds soon overflowed.
The trembling voice, with a tone of crying, was so weak that it could easily be drowned out by the sound of books sweeping the floor.
The palace maids and eunuchs all retreated.
The palace maid who had just arrived trembled slightly and asked, "Mammy, should we call the imperial physician over?"
But before they could leave, the noise in the library grew louder.
The jade crown, brush, ebony paperweight, and gilded square seal were all swept to the ground.
The trembling cries were so pitiful that people dared not listen to them any more, but no one could do anything, not even a word of comfort.
-
There are seven days of New Year holidays, from the 28th day of the 12th lunar month to the 4th day of the 1st lunar month.
Today is Po Wu, which not only means the end of the New Year, but also the beginning of various affairs.
Although it is still early for local government offices to open, there is already a lot of accumulated affairs.
The emperor started his court session very early. After the grand court session, there was also the minor court session.
By the time we finished dealing with some preliminary things, it was already noon.
The emperor will still try to make Yuan Mu happy.
Although she didn't say it, she was obviously very happy on that trip before the New Year.
He originally thought he could coax her and mend their previous rift, but he didn't expect Yuan Mu to seem even more unwilling to get close to him.
Her unwillingness to advance also meant that all his efforts of more than half a month had gone to waste.
After leaving Qingning Palace, the emperor's hidden anger still remained.
But after returning to Ziwei Palace in the wind and snow, he suddenly felt that he was angry with Yuan Mu.
When will she have the final say on promotion?
After the process was completed and the imperial edict was issued, Yuan Mu just had to accept the order.
Even if she doesn't answer, it will be of no use.
After the jade seal fell, even if Yuan Mu was extremely reluctant, there was no room for change.
When he thought of this, the emperor's expression improved a little.
When they arrived at the Ziwei Palace, a eunuch suddenly came to announce, "Your Majesty, the Empress has come to see you and has been waiting for you for half an hour."
Today is the fifth day of the New Year. He has a lot of things to do, and Empress Yuan also has a lot of things to do.
What do you want to do here at this time?
The emperor walked into the side hall casually.
Empress Yuan sat upright with her back straight. It was obvious that she had been waiting for a long time, but there was no sign of impatience on her face.
Seeing the emperor coming in, she bowed and saluted: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
Empress Yuan was wearing a dark golden dress, her hair was covered with pearls and jade, her earrings were swaying gently, and the red dots on her lips were bright and translucent. She was truly graceful and elegant.
But the emperor had no intention of talking to her.
He whispered, "What's the matter?"
The emperor was efficient and did not like empty words or greetings.
Empress Yuan didn't try to hide her feelings any more and came straight to the point, "Your Majesty, do you remember what I told you earlier about waiting until the spring to select the concubines?"
"You have been on the throne for two years now," she said, "and neither of us sisters has been able to produce any offspring for the royal family."
Empress Yuan spoke softly.
Her eyebrows also lowered, as if she was a wife who devoted herself to her husband.
"Right now, the world is at peace, the seas are clear and the rivers are tranquil," Empress Yuan continued, "so I thought it would be better to hold a beauty pageant this year."
The emperor picked up the cup and took a sip of tea.
His expression was calm, but there was a hint of impending storm in his eyes.
The emperor's eyes darkened, and he whispered, "Don't you still have your sister?"
There was a very shallow bloodstain on the edge of his lip, which had not yet healed completely. When he drank tea, it also had a rusty smell.
The emperor wiped away the blood with his fingertips, and then looked at Empress Yuan calmly.
She seemed not to have expected the emperor's reaction.
There was a hint of surprise on Empress Yuan's dignified face.
She thought that no matter how much the emperor loved Yuan Mu, he would still be concerned about the issue of offspring.
You have to know that at the end of the previous dynasty, the situation became increasingly chaotic because the emperors frequently died out and had no choice but to adopt sons from their nephews.
Gaozu learned from the experiences and lessons of the previous dynasty, expanded his harem, and expanded his family.
This is why the royal family had such a large population in just three generations.
"But, but my sister has not yet had any children," Empress Yuan said intermittently, "I am afraid that I will only disappoint your expectations."
She bit her lower lip.
"Furthermore, Yuan Zhaoyi is the only one you favor," Empress Yuan gradually calmed down. "I am worried that she is young and unruly, and she might become arrogant and cause trouble."
There was a venom in her eyes that she herself was unaware of.
The Emperor and Empress Yuan had known each other since childhood.
When his mother was alive, she liked Yuan Ying very much and thought that the little girl was well-behaved and sensible.
There is such a stepmother in the family, but I can still get along well with her.
It can be seen that he must be a kind and gentle child.
Their marriage was decided very early, and although it was not done openly, almost half of the people in the capital knew that the eldest daughter of the Yuan family would move into the Eastern Palace in the future.
Yuan Ying might have been quite pure and gentle when she was young.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to deceive the late queen.
However, the temptation of power is too great.
I don’t know when it started, but Yuan Ying has become more and more hateful.
The mistress of the harem doesn't need to be very smart, as long as she can do her job, it doesn't matter even if she is a fool.
What the emperor wants is not a lover who will accompany him for life, but subjects who can be used by him and share his worries.
But now Yuan Ying’s ideas are getting bigger and bigger.
She seemed unable to tell who the master of this harem was.
The emperor's eyes were dark and filled with a deep chill, so cold that it was almost terrifying.
But Empress Yuan lowered her eyes and did not notice.
During the time when the emperor was silent, she continued to chatter on and on about Yuan Mu's crimes.
Including Yuan Mu's refusal to go to the emperor's house, his disobedience and many other matters.
Finally, Queen Yuan changed the subject and finally got to what she really wanted to say.
"So, I thought, rather than waiting for her to make a big mistake," she continued, "it would be better to destroy her honor right now and have her leave the palace."
Empress Yuan talked about the past: "It just so happened that she also practiced in Qingyun Temple with her hair uncut."
"If you're worried," she said with a virtuous smile, "you can let her stay in the temple."
Every word Empress Yuan said seemed to be written with the emperor in mind.
But the greed and jealousy in her eyes were so clear that not even a trace of it could be concealed.
So the next moment, what fell on Empress Yuan was the boiling hot tea in the cup in the emperor's hand.
She screamed in surprise, never expecting the emperor to behave like this.
Empress Yuan's delicate makeup soon faded, and her pearl hairpins fell to the ground.
But she dared not say anything, because the emperor's eyes were filled with extreme coldness.
His voice was very soft: "Are you so jealous of your sister?"
Yuan Mu once questioned the emperor, and the emperor asked the same question to Queen Yuan.
He looked down at her and said, "If you hated her so much, why did you send her to the palace? You even drugged her specifically, fearing that I wouldn't touch her."
The old memories become particularly clear at this moment.
Before Yuan Mu entered the palace, he had actually met the emperor once.
At that time, he had not yet married Yuan Ying, and Yuan Mu was still waiting to be married.
Yuan Mu didn't know what she had done to offend her father, so she was locked in the room and couldn't even step out of the door. Even her meals had to be delivered by outsiders.
The emperor happened to visit Yuan Mansion that day, so he went to visit Yuan Ying.
Her condition has deteriorated rapidly recently, and I'm afraid it will cause trouble during her wedding.
Yuan Mu didn't know how he managed to run out of the courtyard and meet him alone.
The girl's shoes and socks were not on properly, and her black hair was messy.
She rushed to his side in a panic, crossing the snowstorm, calling out in confusion, "...Your Majesty, do you still remember me?"
Noble ladies often tried to attract the emperor's attention and would throw away their sense of shame for this.
He didn't know Yuan Mu and had never seen her. He only had some impression of her because the Yan family wanted to marry her.
Because Yuan Mu was about to get married at that time.
So the emperor had a very bad first impression of her, so bad that when he turned her red face inside the curtain, he recognized who she was at a glance.
You're about to get married, yet you're still so frivolous.
No wonder there are so many girls in the Yuan family, but Yuan Mu is so silent.
But Yuan Mu seemed to know that his sisters had other ideas about the emperor. When he met the emperor's disgusted eyes, he immediately explained: "That's not what I meant, Your Majesty."
She couldn't even speak politely: "I just want to ask, don't you remember me?"
"When we were at Qingyun Temple," Yuan Mu said, as if he was about to cry, "we, we..."
The emperor came with someone that day.
His companion called him, so he left without even listening to Yuan Mu's words.
Yuan Mu did not chase after him. She just stood there blankly and watched him leave.
Then she tried on her wedding dress, learned etiquette, and waited silently at home to be married.
Yuan Mu never showed up when his elder sister got married and enjoyed great glory.
When the invitation was casually thrown on her desk, she just waved her hand and said, "No need, sister, I'm getting married soon, so I can't show up in public anymore."
If Yuan Mu really had feelings for the emperor, she would not miss any opportunity to meet him.
But she didn't, and even deliberately avoided him as her brother-in-law.
Now that I think about it, it’s very clear that Yuan Mu doesn’t want to enter the palace.
But the Yuan family sent her here.
The emperor felt a throbbing pain in the acupoint on his forehead.
He looked at Empress Yuan, his voice incredibly cold: "Don't you know she's unwilling? Don't you know why you forced her into the palace?"
Yuan Mu had a very bad fate. He received little education and was not loved by his family.
Since she was born, she has been an abandoned child in Yuan Wei's eyes.
But everyone knows that Yuan Mu has an almost terrifying advantage, which is his hibiscus face.
However, this beauty that could bring disaster to the country did not bring her any benefits.
Yuan Mu is like a beautiful singer who is used as a tool by her father and her family to gain benefits.
In troubled times, she encountered several times more hardships than others.
So the emperor sometimes wondered, if Yuan Mu had been born a little worse, would her life have been much smoother?
Empress Yuan didn't care about her embarrassment. Her face was as pale as paper, and her lips, which were painted with rouge, were bitten white.
She knelt on the ground, her body shaking like a sieve: "Your concubine, your concubine..."
Empress Yuan trembled but could not say anything.
The emperor looked at her coldly, and for the first time he thought of deposing the queen.
There was some strong emotion that crossed the boundaries of reason, making him want to please that person by any means necessary.
She doesn't care about the position of concubine.
What about the queen?
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