Chapter 34: Winning Gold
The news that Concubine Li was favored by the emperor spread throughout the six palaces in an instant as if it had wings.
Yun Zhao's title of "favorite in front of the emperor" immediately became very popular.
In just two or three days, her small side hall was piled up like a hill.
Golden hairpins, jade bracelets with extremely fine water content, glittering brocade dresses, and even heavy silver ingots and gold leaves wrapped in red cloth... These things that the concubines of each palace wanted to "express their feelings" came like snowflakes.
Yun Zhao was sitting cross-legged in the "Treasure Mountain." In his left hand, he held a red-gold and kingfisher-inlaid phoenix hairpin, gesturing with it against his bun. In his right hand, he held a pair of mutton-fat white jade earrings, examining them against the light. Under his feet was a small box containing banknotes. His face was filled with undisguised excitement, and he kept muttering to himself, "This one's hidden under the bed... This one's stuffed into the pillow... Tsk, this bracelet is so watery, wouldn't it be too ostentatious to wear it out..."
"Why? There are too many things to count. Do you want me to assign another maid to help you keep the accounts and count them?"
A cold voice came down without warning, like ice water poured over one's head in the dead of winter!
Yun Zhao's hand trembled, and the priceless jade bracelet almost flew out of his hand!
She turned around suddenly and met Xiao Jin's deep, sarcastic eyes.
[Damn it! Does the dog emperor walk silently?! My baby! My little money! It’s over!]
Yun Zhao's heart was bleeding.
The reaction is as fast as lightning!
She immediately threw away her jewelry, her face instantly transformed into an extremely submissive expression. She pointed at the "evidence" that filled the room and said, "Your Majesty is wise! I was just worried! These are all gifts from the concubines of the various palaces. I am of low status and I am too terrified to accept them! I was just thinking of sorting them out and sending them all to your private treasury! These are all good things, perfect for replenishing the treasury, so that Your Majesty can use them to reward meritorious officials and provide relief to disaster victims in the future! Leaving them here would be a sheer waste of gifts!"
His words were flawless and full of righteousness.
Xiao Jin snorted coldly and thought to himself, "Little fox, you're so quick to hide your tail."
He strolled in, the hem of his dark dragon robe sweeping across the threshold, bringing an invisible sense of oppression. He casually picked up a heavy gold ingot and weighed it, his eyes sharp as a knife: "Take money from others, and help them eliminate disasters. Now that things are piled up here with you, if those ladies can't fulfill their requests later, how do you think they will 'thank' you?"
Yun Zhao's eyes rolled, and she immediately climbed up the pole, her tone carrying a hint of sincerity, "Your Majesty, you worry too much! All the good things belong to Your Majesty, so naturally it is your decision! In my humble opinion, Your Majesty, you just need to visit the concubines in each palace more often and share the rain and dew with everyone. This will not only fulfill the concubines' wishes, but also help the royal family to expand and give birth to a royal heir as soon as possible, right? You see, you and my brother are about the same age..."
"Your brother is still a bachelor," Xiao Jin interrupted her bluntly, his eyes chilling as he glanced at her. "You're worrying about my harem and offspring?" He lifted his robe and sat down on the only relatively clean stool.
Yun Zhao immediately offered hot tea and said with a smile, "I dare not. I am just worrying about nothing..."
Xiao Jin took a sip of tea slowly, without even raising his eyelids: "Zhang Fuan."
"I'm here!" Zhang Fuan appeared at the door like a ghost.
"Take a few people and move all these eyesores into my private vault. Be quick and efficient." Xiao Jin's voice left no room for doubt.
[God damn it, you dog emperor! He's really moving! My little money! My jewelry box! All my hard work was in vain! My heart aches!]
Yun Zhao was roaring and wailing in his heart, but he still had to try hard to maintain a respectful expression on his face.
"Yes!" Zhang Fuan waved his hand, and several nimble young eunuchs came in one after another, like autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves.
In the blink of an eye, the side hall that was just filled with "treasures" became empty, leaving only Yun Zhao standing alone in the middle of the room, watching the last eunuch disappear at the door holding the box of banknotes that she had not had time to hide.
"My monthly salary is so meager, I wake up earlier than the chickens and sleep later than the dogs. Finally, I get some extra money... and it's all gone! Xiao Jin! You're a real dog! Even worse than that big yellow dog that chases and bites people in the imperial garden!"
She looked at the house that had suddenly become clean (and suddenly poor), and felt a chill in her heart.
Xiao Jin took in her loss, and a faint but absolutely evil smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He put down the teacup and stood up, his cuffs with black gold dragon patterns brushing the threshold. He left behind only a light but irritating sentence: "Well, this is much more refreshing."
…
The air pressure inside the Zhaixing Tower was terrifyingly low.
"Crash!" Another set of fine green jade tea set was thrown to the ground, with broken porcelain flying everywhere.
Su Mingli's chest heaved violently, and her beautiful face was filled with gloom.
The emperor has been wandering around various palaces recently, but he just avoided her Zhaixing Tower!
This deliberate indifference was like countless needles piercing her heart.
Luo Mei, the trusted maidservant, carefully avoided the debris and leaned in to whisper, "Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty's actions are merely a tactic of checks and balances, not a sign of disdain for you. You are currently...unwell, so it's actually a good thing that Your Majesty isn't coming!"
"Good news?" Su Mingli turned around suddenly, a chilling glint in her eyes. "The King of Qin is far away in Jiangnan! Did you see that? His Majesty not only rehabilitated that old man Yu Cheng, but also promoted him to the Prince's Guardian! He's digging up the roots of my Su family! He's already started!"
Luo Mei lowered her voice even lower, like a venomous snake spitting out its tongue: "Your Majesty, please be at ease. Your Majesty has lost the support of the civil servants, and it will be difficult for him to achieve success in the short term. If His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin can properly resolve the flood and return with the support of the people, that will be the real long-term solution. Zhang Wanru and his ilk are nothing but clowns..."
"What a clown!" Su Mingli interrupted sharply, digging her nails into her palms. "Who the hell does she think she is? Just because she's a noble concubine, relying on that idiot father of Zhang Jianren, she dares to show off in front of me! I can't stand this!"
Her eyes were filled with deep hatred and murderous intent.
Luo Mei's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. She leaned close to Su Mingli's ear and whispered, almost inaudibly, "If Her Majesty really finds her an eyesore... why not make her disappear forever? Borrow Concubine Li's blunt knife, or... find a cleaner 'accident'. Wouldn't it be even better if we could kill two birds with one stone and implicate a few of the troublemakers?"
When Su Mingli heard this, the anger on her face strangely subsided, replaced by a cold, indifferent look, as if she was looking down on an ant.
Her red lips curled up in a cruel arc, and her voice was light, but it carried a chilling chill: "Oh, sooner or later, everyone will die. What difference does it make if it's a few days earlier or later?"
She stroked her temples gracefully, as if discussing the weather. "Tell me, what's your 'clean' method?"
A gleam of light flashed in Luo Mei's eyes. She leaned forward and whispered the long-planned evil plan, word by word, into Su Mingli's ears with her lips moving.
The candlelight in the hall flickered, stretching and distorting the figures of the two conspirators, casting them against the gorgeous yet cold walls...
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