Make plans
The next day she had to pay her respects to the Crown Princess as usual. Liu Ju had left her residence early, so she simply washed up and went to the Crown Princess's bedroom.
Crown Princess Sun Jia sat at the top with a pleasant expression. Seeing her come in, she was given a seat and served tea, which went smoothly. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly smelled a fragrant breeze and a woman wearing a golden hairpin and gorgeous clothes, who seemed to be even more popular than the Crown Princess. She only greeted her briefly and sat down beside her.
"This must be the new sister."
"I am He Qingping."
"We are all His Highness's concubines, yet you still call us villains."
Rong Ying's eyes swept across her face, and she felt contempt in her heart. Such rough hands and such an ordinary face, without a single outstanding feature.
She smiled and said, "We're all family from now on. Actually, I'm your sister's elder sister. I wonder if I'll have the honor of drinking a cup of tea from you?"
Qingping looked at the Crown Princess. Sun Jia showed no intention of speaking up, so Rong Ying took the cup and put it in Qingping's hand.
Her gaze fell on Qingping's lips, and she paused for a moment. Although covered with powder and rouge, the crack was still visible. Perhaps it was left by the prince last night...
The boiling hot tea suddenly poured into Qingping's hand. She pulled her hand back abruptly, and the teacup fell to the ground and shattered with a loud noise.
Rong Ying took the initiative and angrily scolded, "This is the cup that His Highness gave to the Crown Princess. I poured the tea myself, and you are so ungrateful!"
Qingping gritted his teeth and said, "It was the concubine who poured the tea into my hand."
"Okay, so that's what you were planning. If you don't want to offer me tea, fine, but why bother with all this posturing and slandering me?"
"I..." Qingping was so angry that his chest felt tight. Concubine Rong was born gentle, so why did she have such a temper?
"Never mind, it's just a cup. I didn't say anything. Why are you so angry, Sister Rong? Why don't you send someone to show He Liangdi the way."
Seeing the situation getting tense, Sun Jia finally spoke. The situation calmed down temporarily, and Qing Ping, feeling bored, was about to get up and leave when he heard Sun Jia's maid running in in a panic.
"Your Highness, His Majesty... His Majesty and Madam Zhao have come to the Eastern Palace together and are currently in Tsukuba Tower."
The Emperor's sudden arrival left no room for those in the inner court, who rushed to Tsukuba Tower to see him. Tsukuba Tower was located in the northwest corner of the East Palace, next to a lake. It was a four-story building, surrounded by lush bamboo and pine trees, providing natural shade.
When Liu Che was the crown prince, A Jiao often stayed here. He would study downstairs while she played the qin upstairs, the sound piercing the beams and making him feel uneasy.
"Chen Ajiao, could you please stop playing this piece of music? My ears are getting calluses from it."
"What do you care about me? If you don't like it, just leave. The East Palace is so big, why do you have to stay here with me?" She curled her lips and played the piano by herself.
"This is my home... Besides, it's the coolest and quietest here. This is where I read! Why don't you stay at home and come to me to compete for space..."
"Do you think I'm willing to come? It's my mother who's pushing me to come, saying I need to come and cultivate a relationship with my future husband, and not let him hook up with that little palace maid..."
Ah Jiao paused her music, rested her elbows on the strings, and looked at him with her chin in her hand, saying nonchalantly, "There are so many women in this palace, how can I keep an eye on him? Besides, even if she has the ability to take all your maids, don't we still have the guards, the staff, the officials, a whole bunch of people, who can stop her?"
Liu Che stepped forward to pinch her face, but Ah Jiao immediately jumped away and laughed, "Are you angry out of shame? Don't be ashamed. Weren't you and Han Yan next to you holding hands and shooting arrows yesterday? Han Yan is beautiful, with a narrow waist. When she stands in the breeze, her clothes fluttering, like an immortal descending to earth. I was also moved when I saw her. No wonder you love her so much."
"Who's holding hands with him? He's the one who taught me archery!"
Gillian smiled ambiguously, "Oh, so it's archery. Where did he teach you to shoot? Is it accurate?"
Liu Che's face grew darker and darker. "What kind of nonsense books have you been reading recently?"
"Who reads books every day like you? The newly published "Fen Tao Ji" by Duobaozhai is really good. I'll take you and Han Yan to read it next time."
"I'll have Jiang Chong close down that theater tomorrow."
She shrugged. "Have a drink with me. I bought it from the newly opened Huren Tavern outside the palace. It's made with bamboo, pomegranate, and red flower wine."
"What kind of weird wine is this? Can I drink it?"
"Why not? Qingzhufang, Shiliujiu, and Honghuanong are the three most popular drinks in the store. I bought a pot of each and mixed them together. It's a fashionable way to drink it. Come on and try it."
Seeing Ah Jiao's expectant gaze, Liu Che rolled his eyes at her. "It became popular from the moment you made up the name... If you think it's so delicious, why don't you drink it yourself?"
"Good things should naturally be tasted by you first. You are the prince, after all. It would be disrespectful for me to drink it myself."
Liu Che glanced at the wine of strange color and strange taste and swallowed his saliva. "You'd better go and cause trouble for others. I have to go to my father tomorrow to hand in my homework to him."
"Oh, Archer...are you a man?" Seeing that the other party was about to leave, Gillian became angry again. She pulled his sleeve to stop and handed him the wine cup with one hand.
"I really thought it tasted good, so I gave it to you. Why do you always think so badly of me? There are so many people in the East Palace, why would I only bring trouble to you instead of others?"
There was a cunning glint in her eyes, an undisguised mischief, but she was certain that he would eventually willingly drink the cup of "poison." Liu Che had to admit that the latter sentence had touched his heart.
The wine wasn't bad, nor was it good either. It had a strong fruity flavor. He was still talking to her at first, but then he started to feel dizzy for no apparent reason.
"Ah Jiao, I want to drink tea..."
"The tea is there."
"Please pour me a cup of tea."
“You don’t have…” “I…feel like vomiting…”
!
"Don't..."
"vomit--"
…
Before Gillian could move the written memorials, she saw him vomiting on them.
"Liu Che! It's over, it's over. Let's see how you're going to report to your uncle tomorrow."
Seeing her panic, Liu Che laughed and said, "I said that it was you who made me drink that caused me to fail in my mission. Then the emperor wouldn't punish me."
"No!" Gillian's eyes widened immediately. "How can you repay kindness with hatred?"
"I'm kidding you. This is Wuzhou ink, mixed with Liaotianbai. Writing with it won't get wet, and it won't erase easily. It's very durable."
Liu Che finished speaking, wiping the tea off the bamboo slips with a handkerchief while looking at the woman beside him. She looked at the bamboo slips with curiosity, "There is actually this kind of ink. Following Your Majesty, I have gained a lot of knowledge."
After Zhao Chunfang finished speaking, he noticed that Liu Che's face, which had just been smiling, had darkened again. Unsure of what he had said wrong again, he changed his tone and asked, "What's written on it? It seems to be the calligraphy of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Liu Che sighed inwardly. He had taken her back through many past events, but she still showed no sign of remembering anything. His patience was almost exhausted. He glanced at the bamboo slips and said calmly, "It's the White Rabbit Ode..."
The content describes a white rabbit playing in the green grass. The white rabbit is white, lively, and cute. In the end, the author envies the white rabbit for being able to run and play freely in the garden.
He sneered, "From the object to the person, it must be about one of the prince's concubines. Her writing is brilliant, but her behavior is not commendable..."
Zhao Chunfang did not comment. The emperor said that he would take her to the Tsukuba Tower in the East Palace to escape the summer heat, but there were also summer resorts in the palace. He took her to many places in the past few days, said some inexplicable words to her, and spoke to her from time to time, leaving her at a loss.
"Your Majesty, I greet you, and Madam Zhao. I didn't realize that your Majesty has come so far, and I'm sorry for not welcoming you."
Sun Jia and his group arrived at Tsukuba Tower and saluted. Liu Che's eyes swept over the crowd and suddenly lingered on Qingping and Rongying's faces.
"Is this the Crown Prince's new concubine? She looks familiar to me."
Zhao Chunfang looked at Qingping with hatred. This woman was so cunning that she failed to seduce the emperor and ended up marrying the prince!
Sun Jiadao said, "She was originally a servant in the Queen Mother's palace. The Queen Mother saw that she was quiet and intelligent, and Your Highness liked her, so she specially gave her to Your Highness."
The emperor sneered, "You are of high quality and flawless, as bright as the moon... It seems that the White Rabbit Ode is about you."
Qingping didn't understand why, but he always felt that there was an inexplicable irony in this laughter.
Seeing that she remained silent, the emperor ignored her and turned to Sun Jia, saying, "I'm just bringing my wife here to enjoy the scenery for a while. There's no need to mobilize a large force. You can go on your own."
The emperor suddenly came to the East Palace to escape the summer heat for three days. Everyone was confused as to why, so they could only clean up the area around Tsukuba Tower and wanted to replace it with a new one, but was stopped by Jiang Chong.
"Master, what exactly do you think the Emperor's intention is in coming here this time?"
Liu Ju went to pay his respects to Emperor Wu of Han these past few days, and always found that Emperor Wu of Han was in a bad mood. For some reason, he could neither eat nor sleep well.
Zhang Yannian said, "Your Highness, there is no need to panic. Tsukuba Tower was where Your Majesty and his wife lived together in the past. This visit must be just to reminisce about the past, and it has nothing to do with Your Highness."
Liu Ju felt relieved after hearing this. Zhang Yannian was the person appointed to him by Emperor Liu Che as his Grand Tutor. He understood the emperor and was trusted by him. He was also intelligent and loyal. He knew many things after asking him about them.
"Your Highness, these are flowers sent to you by Chen Liang Di. I heard that you haven't been able to sleep well these past few days, so I specially found these golden peonies to help you calm your mind and relax your spirit."
The palace maid's words interrupted the two men's chess game. Liu Ju said coldly, "Put it there."
"yes."
After the palace maids left, Zhang Yannian glanced at the peony and said with a smile, "Your Highness is newly married to Concubine He Liang, why are you so cold?"
"She belongs to the Queen Mother. My Eastern Palace now has another pair of eyes from the Queen Mother..."
His tone was cold, with undisguised dissatisfaction. Zhang Yannian smiled and nodded, "Since Your Highness doesn't like her, why not take this opportunity to get rid of her?"
"What's your plan, Master?"
"Can I borrow His Highness's zither?"
The melodious sound of the zither spread through the bamboo forest. At first, it was soft and pleasant, like tits playing in the woods, flowers blooming, and butterflies fluttering. Qingping was listening with fascination when suddenly the sound of the zither changed and plummeted, like falling into a deep pool, making him feel cold all over.
She stood deep in the bamboo forest and looked around. It was still dark, and the wind rustled the leaves, creating a strange and terrifying feeling. She gritted her teeth and gathered some morning dew. After a while, she prepared to leave.
As soon as she stepped out of here, she was suddenly startled by the sight of a figure sitting in front of her.
"who!"
"I see the emperor's features between Liangdi's eyebrows and eyes. She will definitely give birth to a dragon child in the future, which will be extremely precious."
Qingping saw the man clearly. He was holding a cup of tea in his hand and a zither in front of him, looking like a scholar. She smiled faintly and walked around him to go back. "Thank you for your kind words."
"Why are you in such a hurry to leave, Concubine Liang? Don't you believe what I say?"
Qingping really didn't believe him. Judging from his attire, he looked like a retainer of the Eastern Palace. There were all kinds of retainers, such as shamans, writers, and thieves, all trying to make a living. She didn't take his words to heart.
"Your Excellency, please forgive me. The concubine's people are still waiting for me outside. I want to give these two bottles of morning dew to her."
Rong Ying seemed to be having trouble with her, suffering from headaches and discomfort. She insisted on calling a Taoist priest, who said she was unlucky, and that was why she hadn't borne a grandson. She insisted that she drink the morning dew she had picked, burn it with talisman paper, and drink it. After 49 days, she would surely bear an heir.
She found it absurd; it was obvious Rong Ying was deliberately trying to bully her, but the Crown Prince didn't take it seriously at all, and seemed eager to help Rong Ying vent her anger by stepping on her. She had been waking up earlier than the rooster these past few days, working like a slave for Rong Ying, and constantly dealing with people sent by the Empress, copying scriptures for her and taking beatings from her. She was completely exhausted and felt like a nobody.
"A-choo!" She sneezed and felt her head start to hurt again.
Zhang Yannian said, "Liang Di and Concubine are both the Crown Prince's concubines. How can you willingly be inferior to others and become slaves?"
"Are you trying to sow discord between me and the concubine and disrupt His Highness's backyard?" She raised her eyebrows and looked at him. This man looked steady, but in fact he was not a pushover.
"The relationship between Consort Liang and the Concubine is as fraught as fire. Do I need to sow discord?" Zhang Yannian smiled. "Concubine Liang, I want to help you. You are young and beautiful. Why should you be suppressed by the Concubine, living in constant fear, being despised by His Highness, and scolded by the Empress?"
"I have a method that can help Consort Liang regain the emperor's favor."
"Why are you helping me?" she asked warily.
"As a subordinate of the Eastern Palace, I share His Highness's success and failure. Naturally, I hope for harmony in the Eastern Palace. The concubine has been married to His Highness for several years, but has not conceived. His Highness has no children, and the monarch's grace is fickle. This is all due to the concubine's overbearing behavior."
Zhang Yannian said, "I am willing to help Liang Di obtain the emperor's favor. If Liang Di has a child in the future, please don't forget me. I will be satisfied."
It turned out that she was trying to find a way out for herself. There were many such strategists. When they had no chance to make a name for themselves in the imperial court, they would conspire with the concubines in the harem. She hesitated for a moment and was about to leave, but Zhang Yannian stopped her.
"I know Liang Di is disheartened, but people still have to live. If she keeps giving in and doesn't strive for progress, and her beauty fades, will she be willing to accept that?"
Zhang Yannian silently observed the woman before him. She lowered her eyes in thought, her steps seemingly unmoved. In that silence, he could already conclude that she would agree. Even if it wasn't for honor or favor, those who were constantly oppressed would eventually want to resist. She was simply motivated by survival. No one would not want to survive, so she would definitely agree.
Qingping clenched his palms, slowly raised his head and looked at him, "Please give me some advice, Your Excellency."
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