Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Palace Maid's Forty-Six Days
Ji Chen stood with his hands behind his back, looking calm and composed even as he was eavesdropping. Fortunately, the rockery could block his view from the pavilion.
It hadn't snowed in the past few days, and the palace maids in the Imperial Garden had been cleaning diligently, so there was no snow left on either the flower beds or the paths.
Shen Qing was also able to approach without making any noise.
Compared to Ji Chen's calmness, she seemed a little sneaky, but it didn't matter. Shen Qing pricked up his ears and listened.
The Second Prince's voice soon came, he called Concubine Yan Yunmei, his tone lingering and full of drunkenness.
Shen Qing looked through the booklet of this year's concubines and knew that Yun Mei was the name of Concubine Yan.
The fact that they addressed each other like this probably meant that they had known each other for a long time.
Being drunk means that everything he does and says comes from his heart.
"Yun Mei, your words really make me sad. If you become my brother's concubine, can everything we did in the past be wiped out?"
Yan Jieyu's tone was extremely puzzled: "When have I ever had anything to do with you? What good does it have for you to slander my innocence?"
The second prince's tone suddenly fluctuated: "We met once at Chongfu Temple last year. On that day, I took out my personal jade pendant as a gift. Was that wrong?"
Concubine Yan replied calmly: "I didn't accept the jade pendant, so there is no question of any affection between us."
"After that, I will send you a letter, explaining my identity and my love for you, and promising you the position of concubine. Is this nothing?"
Yan Jieyu said: "Of course, you are a playboy, and I have never had any interest in you. When I received the letter, I asked the maid to burn it on the spot, and urged my parents to submit my name list for the election. From what I did, I think you should know that this means rejection."
"Now, I have become the emperor's favorite concubine. As a prince, why do you have to keep pestering me?"
The Second Prince said loudly: "This prince is in love with you!"
Shen Qing was so shocked that she looked up. Concubines were not allowed to have contact with men outside the family. The Second Prince may have endured for a year before he was able to find an opportunity to find Concubine Yan. Naturally, he could not hide his emotions.
But for Concubine Yan, this was an unexpected disaster.
Every word Yan Jieyu said was an effort to distance herself from the Second Prince, but the more she did so, the more the Second Prince wanted to get to the bottom of the matter.
"How exactly is this king inferior to my royal brother?"
Shen Qing glanced at Ji Chen, believing that Concubine Yan's next words would most likely make him very happy.
What man doesn't like to be compared?
Don't underestimate a man's desire to win.
Concubine Yan answered clearly, "The emperor is the true dragon and the emperor is the supreme ruler. The prince cannot compare with him just in terms of status, not to mention that the emperor is more majestic and imposing than the prince. You are like a chick and an eagle in front of him. The emperor is as elegant as pine and cypress, but you are weak under your feet, with dark circles under your eyes, and your reputation as a playboy is known throughout the capital. The emperor overpowers the court officials in the court, but you don't even have the literary talent to hold a position in the court. It's not that the prince has not received training in front of the emperor, so why do you have to ask such questions to humiliate yourself?"
The other voice remained silent for a long time, as if deeply shocked.
Shen Qing looked at Ji Chen with a dim gaze. It turns out that he has so many advantages?
Anyone who is praised like this would become inflated.
Ji Chen lowered his eyes and looked at Shen Qing, with no happiness on his face, and raised his eyebrows at Shen Qing.
Concubine Yan in the pavilion saw Prince Li leaning over the table, his eyes staring blankly, unable to turn around, his face flushed with alcohol, and she straightened her clothes and said, "Now that we have made it clear, I will leave first. I hope that the prince will not send anyone to send me messages to meet me again in the future."
It turned out that this person was someone that the Second Prince had made an appointment with, and had listened to Concubine Yan's words more than once, so Concubine Yan chose to make things clear this time.
Soon, two footsteps were heard from the pavilion, getting closer and closer to the direction of Shen Qing and the others.
Shen Qing dodged to the other side, and when he looked again, he only saw the backs of Concubine Yan and a palace maid walking away in a hurry. They didn't notice that they were here.
After leaving the Imperial Garden and walking on the palace road leading to Yonghe Palace, Concubine Yan slowed down and looked at Xing Luo beside her.
Xing Luo nodded and said softly, "The Emperor is in the Imperial Garden... Miss, this move is too risky. If you are not careful, you will lose everything."
Even though the palace has its own rules, Xing Luo has followed Concubine Yan since she was a child, and privately, she still calls her Miss Concubine Yan.
Concubine Yan smiled: "It seems dangerous, but it is actually safe. The emperor is also a man, and the methods that work on ordinary men are the same for him. Besides, if I remove the hidden danger of Prince Li, I will have no worries."
Xing Luo agreed, "If Prince Li is not a prince, then he is a complete pervert. He wants to use the position of a concubine to win the heart of a girl. His principal wife, who was unable to marry because of the national mourning and the mourning of his grandfather, is not someone who can be easily dealt with, not to mention the beauties in his backyard..."
It would be better to enter the palace.
-
Prince Li was drunk in the pavilion, so Ji Chen should have just not scolded him, let alone hide from him.
He immediately walked up to Shen Qing and pulled her up like pulling a carrot.
"Your Majesty, I didn't mean to see you." Shen Qing said timidly.
Ji Chen: "I know you didn't run into me on purpose, you just eavesdropped on me on purpose."
Shen Qing: “…”
Unable to refute, she could only smile awkwardly and touch her face.
Wang Jigui became even more silent upon seeing this.
Ji Chen asked: "What do you think about Concubine Yan's matter?"
"Can a servant talk about concubines?"
"I allow it, but you can say it."
Shen Qing thought for a moment and said, "Yan Jieyu is so pitiful. She is being harassed by someone she doesn't like. The other person is of noble status and is a member of the royal family. Yan Jieyu has to choose the method and time to refuse."
Ji Chen's breath gradually became dangerous.
Shen Qing's voice then became smaller and smaller. She felt a pang in her heart. She wondered if the emperor thought she had some hidden meaning and was actually saying that his love for her bothered her.
It was unfair! She swore to heaven that she had never meant that!
Shen Qing quickly said, "Of course, how can the Second Prince compare to the Emperor? I have no other intention in saying this."
There is no silver here.
It seemed like a perfunctory explanation to anyone who listened to it, but Ji Chen believed it and calmed down.
He knew Shen Qing's simplicity best. How could she have the ability to make indirect accusations?
Shen Qing didn't know that the emperor had a very high opinion of her. Seeing Ji Chen's attitude soften, she knew it was effective, and continued, "Just as Concubine Yan said, the emperor is a dragon and the second prince is a worm. The emperor should not think wrong."
After listening to this, Ji Chen looked at her, and Shen Qing looked puzzled.
"No more?"
Shen Qing nodded tentatively.
Then, there was a knock on the head: "No sincerity at all."
After saying this, Tu Yu Shen Qing covered his head with his hands, while Ji Chen turned and went to the pavilion.
Seeing Wang Jigui following suit, Shen Qing hurriedly followed. Wang Jigui had not yet told her about the important matter. If it could be called an important matter, it must be no small matter, and it was probably about her.
When they got to the pavilion, Ji Chen raised his chin slightly and ordered, "Splash water on him to wake him up."
The second prince of the previous emperor was named Ji Yu, born to a concubine named Zhou. The concubine's family was good at making money and doted on Ji Yu. Ji Yu's lavish spending was supported by the Zhou family. Ji Yu's future wife would also be a legitimate daughter of the Zhou family.
Therefore, when Zhou Jianu's biological grandfather, Ji Yu's maternal grandfather, passed away, Ji Yu, as a prince of the previous emperor, had his wedding date delayed but never mentioned canceling the engagement.
Upon hearing this, Wang Jigui looked to the side, and soon a strong eunuch came over carrying a bucket full of water.
"splash."
The water poured over his head in the cold winter, Prince Li, who had not even reacted and stood up to salute the Emperor when he appeared, was now completely awake.
"Your humble servant pays respects to my brother, the Emperor..." Prince Li stood up, dripping wet. He raised his head and was about to explode, but suddenly realized his current situation. He could only greet the Emperor with a shiver.
Ji Chen scolded him, "Look at what you have done, from outside the palace to inside the palace, do you want me to become a joke with you?"
"I dare not."
"Don't dare?" Ji Chen stared at him, "I think you dare to meet with the concubines on New Year's Eve. You really don't want me to have a good New Year, right?"
At this moment, Prince Li could only speak with trembling lips in fear.
Ji Chen was furious at the moment. He counted the crimes of Prince Li, threw a new string of beads in his hand, and said in a stern voice: "Prince Li has behaved inappropriately in front of the emperor. His status as a prince is deposed and he is expelled from the palace immediately."
The angry emperor would not give Ji Yu a proper status. The decree to confer him the title of king at the banquet was invalidated, and he became the second prince of the previous emperor with no title.
Ji Yu was so happy about being crowned king tonight that he drank a lot of wine. Driven by drunkenness, he did things he would not normally dare to do, which eventually led to his status as a prince being abolished.
One thing leads to another. If he had any respect or fear for the emperor, he would not do this.
Ji Yu wanted to beg for mercy again, but he saw that Ji Chen was looking at him with disappointment. He was stunned and was grabbed from the left and right and left.
This was also what made Ji Chen angry. His second brother was not convinced by him in his heart, and was flattered by the Zhou family and didn't know how high the sky was and how deep the earth was. If he hadn't thought about the fact that his second brother was addicted to alcohol and sex and his body was ruined, he would have kicked him without mercy.
Shen Qing had never seen such an angry emperor, so she gradually reduced her presence and couldn't help regretting why she followed him.
It’s because of Wang Jigui.
Thinking of this, Shen Qing took a closer look at Wang Jigui.
I found that even though the emperor was stern in tone, Wang Jigui remained calm. This was probably the reason why he could stay with the emperor for so long. I couldn't help but admire him deeply.
Ji Chen was thinking about Concubine Yan and Ji Yu. When he turned around, he found that Shen Qing was staring at Wang Jigui intently.
Although there was no affection in Shen Qing's eyes, he was just angry.
His emotions were even more turbulent than when he heard that Concubine Yan and Ji Yu were having a secret meeting.
A finger frivolously lifted Shen Qing's chin, and her eyes fell on Ji Chen in front of her. Ji Chen's previous anger had disappeared. Although his lips were curved, his eyes were dark, as if some terrible storm was brewing.
It’s better to show your emotions.
Shen Qing's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes were innocent: "Your Majesty?"
Ji Chen came close to her, and from Wang Jigui's perspective, it seemed that he was going to kiss her, so he quickly lowered his head and didn't look.
But in fact, Ji Chen was just asking: "Why are you in the Imperial Garden today instead of at the Crown Prince's place?"
"because……"
Ji Chen reminded her, "There are no flowers in the Imperial Garden at this time of year, and there is no residual snow. The only wintersweets that can bloom are in the Plum Garden. Think about it before you answer."
After hearing this, Shen Qing would no longer say anything like coming out to see the scenery or collecting snow to make tea.
Shen Qing smiled flatteringly: "I accidentally broke a jade hairpin the other day, so I came to the Imperial Garden to dig a pit for it and pay tribute to it. I didn't expect to meet the emperor. It's fate."
She was hinting to Ji Chen not to forget that he had broken one of her jade hairpins, trying to arouse his guilt or make him remember that he kissed her that day and let the matter go.
However, Ji Chen's gaze became more serious, and Shen Qing became more uneasy. She was just trying to appease him.
Paying tribute to the broken jade hairpin?
It was clearly a tribute to her lost love!
Ji Chen felt like he was dying of grievance, but he couldn't express it.
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