At the end of the ninth winter, the emperor died.
When the new emperor Shen ascended the throne, the government and the public were shocked, thinking that this was a big mistake.
After all, the late emperor had many sons and daughters. Even though the previous crown prince died a violent death and the Sixth Prince, who was equally powerful as him in the court at the time, was also thrown into prison, there were still more than a dozen healthy princes among the princes, apart from these two.
The late emperor could have chosen anyone else, but he chose this one who suffered from muteness.
On the day when the will was announced, an upright old minister knelt down in the hall and asked, "How can the Ninth Prince, who is disabled, uphold the majesty of the emperor?"
No one in the court answered.
After a long while, an old man in his seventies was helped to stand up, and then he slowly stepped out of the line, saying in a deep voice, "Since ancient times, wise rulers have always been more sincere in their hearts than in their words. Although the Ninth Prince cannot speak, he is kind and generous, and has noble character. The late emperor thought about it and chose this prince, so he must have his reasons."
Someone immediately said, "Those who survive may not necessarily be able to raise the power of heaven, but those who are filial and righteous can at least live up to their ancestors and the people of the previous dynasty."
The man who answered the phone was a fifth-rank official who was one of the few who did not take sides. He had been bullied by the two parties in the past, and now he could feel proud.
After saying this, the old marquis who stood up first walked towards Shen Que who was on the upper seat with a staggering step, then knelt before him and said solemnly: "Long live the emperor."
The ministers behind him also bowed three times and kowtowed nine times, shouting in unison: "Long live the emperor, long live the emperor, long, long live the emperor."
As the late emperor promoted Marquis Xuanping, a meritorious official who had served three dynasties and was supposed to retire, to be the chief minister again, and he supported Shen Que's ascension to the throne against all odds, the other ministers dared not raise any objections, at least not on the surface.
Shen Que was not stupid, but he had no intention of competing for the throne in the past, and was afraid of being envied and plotted against, so he had always been simple and honest. Now that he was forced to do something, if he continued to act stupid like before, he would probably be hated by others.
Besides, even if he wanted to hide now, he couldn't.
He was quite intelligent and willing to work hard. Several old ministers who were appointed to assist the emperor looked down on him at first, but later they gradually realized that this mute was a promising talent and were willing to assist him with all their heart.
Since he ascended the throne, Shen Que has been working day and night to live up to everyone's expectations.
But he was always accompanied by a "long-time attendant", who was more annoying than the eunuchs. In order to give him something to do, Shen gave him a small official position on the pretext of "merit in protecting the emperor".
Shen Que originally only knew that he trained horses very well, but he didn't know that he also trained the soldiers in the camp very well. He climbed up the ranks step by step, and within a year, he had become a deputy general.
When he finally secured the throne, the court officials began to persuade Shen Que to appoint a concubine and establish a queen, to fill the harem with the hope of producing an heir to the throne.
At first, Shen used the "deceased" princess as an excuse, but as time went on, he could no longer shut up the officials. Since ancient times, there has been no principle for a husband to observe filial piety and chastity for his wife, not to mention that he is now the emperor. Apart from state affairs, giving birth to an heir is the second most important thing.
As a result, hundreds of portraits of noble ladies were sent to the palace. With the Prime Minister watching over them, even if Shen was reluctant, he had to pick a few just to make it look good.
Xie Shiguan had a ten-day day off today, so he sneaked into the palace early in the morning. Unfortunately, he ran into the old marquis who disliked him, so he had to wait in a side hall for a long time and finally got the old marquis to leave.
"This poor guy," Xie Shiguan pushed towards Shen Que unhappily as soon as he entered the palace, "Come to the palace if you have anything to do."
He has always been unruly. He slept on the dragon bed and naturally squeezed on the dragon chair. If he was not afraid of embarrassment and the cold war with him, he should have walked in in front of the elder just now.
Chen Que immediately dismissed his attendants and raised his hand coldly: "Can't you be more content? Prime Minister Yan is a close minister, you can't be rude to him."
Xie Shiguan rudely put his arm around his waist, grasped it with ease, and squeezed it slowly: "If I were restless, I wouldn't have waited until he left before coming."
After saying this, he curled his lips and touched his temples with a bit of grievance. Since this mute became the emperor, his words and deeds have become more pedantic than before.
He hated him for being restricted, he scolded him for being decadent, it was clear that neither of them could stand the other, but they still wanted to stick together like fish in water.
"You forgot," Xie Shiguan whispered in his ear, "when we were in Yingchuan, that old man pretended to be crazy and stupid, but he even fooled his own son."
"Although he has handed in the fish token, he is still in charge of the government. He is half-buried in the ground, but his children and grandchildren are in their prime. Moreover, his legitimate son has followed the former crown prince. Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that he will change the country?"
Xie Shiguan didn't really annoy the Prime Minister. This old marquis was very similar to Shen, single-minded and stubborn, without any tricks.
It was because ever since Shen Que ascended the throne, this old man had been bullying Shen Que no matter what, and once he started nagging, he would never stop. The most important thing was that among the ministers of the previous dynasty, he was the one who clamored the loudest about "enthroneing a concubine and establishing a queen".
However, the mute did not buy his trick. Instead, he raised his hand and said, "Don't doubt your employees. Prime Minister Yan has been a loyal minister for three dynasties. Why should we be so wary of him?"
He didn't have such a strong desire for the throne, but the will had already been drafted. Even if he intended to escape and give up the throne to a virtuous person, the new emperor would not let him go so easily.
In order to protect himself, he had no choice but to take on this important responsibility, and now that he was in this position, he should do his job well.
Shen looked at the pile of scrolls on the table and wanted to send someone to collect them, but all the eunuchs and palace maids had asked him to leave, so there was no one to send, so he had to do it himself.
Xie Shiguan had seen these pictures of beauties when he first arrived, but he kept them to himself without saying anything. When he saw him move, he gently pressed the back of his hand and asked, "Why are you putting them away?"
"Keep watching, why did Your Majesty stop watching when I came?" He said in a tone that was neither gloomy nor cheerful, and gently touched the beauty's face with his fingertips, "You have a beautiful face, what a pretty lady."
He stared at the scrolls covering the table with a half-smile, but his eyes fell on Shen Que.
Xie Shiguan knew from a young age that he had a good-looking appearance. He didn't need to see it with his own eyes, as someone would come to tell him.
Since he was thirteen years old, some high-ranking officials who liked to keep male prostitutes had always sent people to the palace to inquire about him. Unfortunately, the master he followed was upright and pedantic, and was unwilling to use the servants in the palace to ask for favors, even though he was just an insignificant little groom.
At that time, Xie Shiguan just thought he was stupid. Even if they were lowly slaves and maids from other mansions, if they were sick or disabled, this mute would still be willing to give money to treat them. As for those old and helpless servants, he even had to worry about their care and funeral.
A heart is so tiny, how can it possibly hold everything and everyone?
If this mute was made a concubine or queen, even if it was just for the sake of responsibility, it would be impossible for Shen not to care about them at all.
It was a tiny piece of land. Half of it was divided among the common people, and another part was taken by the concubines. In the end, there was probably not even a place left for him.
Chen stared at the portrait in front of him. The young girl was naturally cute and lovely, but he never had any sexual desire in his heart. He raised his hand, still coldly: "If you like it, I can promote you to be the commander-in-chief, the third-rank General Guide, and it will be enough for her, a noble lady from a noble family..."
Before he could finish his gesture, Xie Shiguan squeezed his wrists and said bitterly, "Your Majesty's hands will only obey if they are tied up tightly."
He lowered his eyelids slightly. If he was still an unpopular prince, it wouldn't be so bad to tangle with this bad guy for the rest of his life. But now he is the master of the world, with countless eyes watching him. How can he fool around with him again?
"You are still young," he took back the wrist, "you shouldn't..."
It shouldn't be ruined by him.
"What do you mean young?" Xie Shiguan grabbed him tightly, as if he wanted to crush him and press him into his lungs. "Your Majesty is only two years older than me. Why are you pretending to be an elder?"
"I don't want anything. You can take back all my official robes and send me to the stables to be a groom, or accuse me of a crime and send me to prison, or have me torn to pieces in the market or beheaded in the streets with Your Majesty..."
Shen couldn't turn around, so he could only turn his head and glare at him, silently scolding: "Shut up!"
Xie Shiguan ignored him and forced him to lean back, then pushed him down on the gilded armrest and kissed him, biting the noble emperor until he became a wet ball, as soft as a piece of fine silk.
"I'd rather die," Shen heard him say, "than take your lousy rewards."
Just as Shen Que was about to raise his hand again, Xie Shiguan interrupted him first. He said viciously: "Your Majesty, if you insist on saying those nonsense again, be careful that I will bite you to death."
So Shen didn't move, just looked at him quietly.
But Xie Shiguan now turned his gaze to the paintings of beauties that covered the table. These noble ladies were all beautiful in their own ways, like a dazzling array of items, making it difficult to tell which was better.
"There are so many young ladies," Xie Shiguan asked sourly, "I wonder which one your Majesty has taken a fancy to just now?"
Before Shen Que could figure out how to answer, he interrupted again, "Yes, I am always by your side, and your Majesty has become picky. How can he still look down on these 'ordinary' ladies?"
It's not that Xie Shiguan is conceited. The combined colors of all the dishes on the table are indeed not as stunning as his alone.
But only someone as unreserved as him would boast and show off so unmodestly.
Xie Shiguan thought that compared to himself, these noble ladies from famous families were only inferior to him in terms of gender, except that they had a better family background.
If he could give birth to a daughter...
"If I were a woman," Xie Shiguan suddenly asked without any context, "would Your Majesty take me into the harem?"
In late spring in March, warblers are flying and grass is growing.
"I heard that the Saint has taken in a new beauty. Although she is just a commoner, she was made a concubine right after entering the palace. She was also given a title. What's her name..." The little maid was pruning the branches of the bonsai while whispering to the maid beside her, "I think it's Concubine Ling?"
The maid next to her smiled and replied, "What's so new about this? When I went to the Qionglou to deliver flowers the other day, I saw that lady from afar. She was truly a fairy-like beauty, as charming as peaches and willows. No wonder the saint likes her so much."
"only……"
Another maid asked hurriedly: "Just what?"
"But that lady looks tall and strong. When standing next to our Saint, she seems to be even bigger than the Saint..."
The maid thought she was joking and smiled, "How could such a thing happen? It must be something you made up. Tell someone to tell that Concubine Ling tomorrow. Be careful or she will have someone slap you in the face."
The little maid pursed her lips and said, "I'm not joking. If you don't believe me, go and deliver a bonsai tomorrow."
At the same time, in Funing Palace.
Chen looked at the "Fei Ling" who was occupying the imperial concubine couch and leaning on the side and fanning herself with a silk fan, frowning: "Is there nothing to do in the military camp?"
"I just asked for a few days off," Xie Shiguan deliberately rubbed the red rouge on his lips with his fingertips, pinching his throat like an actor, "Why is your majesty sending me away again for no reason?"
Shen got goose bumps all over his body from being scolded by him, but this newly promoted "Ling Fei" was so ignorant that she came over to grind ink and fan him.
It would have been fine if he was just serving him properly, but Xie Shiguan chose to annoy him on purpose. After a short while, he had left a row of red lip marks of varying depths on the mute's cheeks and neck.
Shen was forced by him to the point that he couldn't even read a single word on the memorial. He raised his hand in shame and anger: "If you continue to be so presumptuous, I will order someone to drag you out and beat you with a stick."
Xie Shiguan was not afraid of his threat at all. In the tent at night, this bastard had already been killed countless times by Shen Que's nine clans.
"How can you bear to do that?" Xie Shiguan pulled his hand and touched his face, "If you beat me to death, where can you find such a good wife?"
But Shen raised his hand and scolded him for being shameless.
Xie Shiguan just smiled. He held the mute in his arms and deliberately whispered in his ears: "Guess what people in the palace say about me?"
Shen Queyi gestured concisely: "Don't guess."
If someone accidentally barged in at this time, they would see this stern emperor sitting on the lap of the beautiful concubine Ling, who was said to be as beautiful as a banished fairy. It would be a discordant yet harmonious scene.
"Even if you don't guess, I would have told you." Xie Shiguan smiled brilliantly, his narrow and long phoenix eyes curved, making the flower ornament on his forehead even more dazzling.
He is the only concubine in the harem so far. Since the position of "Ling Fei" is only a part-time job, Xie Shiguan would occasionally wear this outfit to wander around in the palace, which makes him seem even more mysterious in the rumors.
"It's even spread outside the palace now," Xie Shiguan said with a smile, "It's said that the emperor prefers tall, strong and sturdy women. If she is not taller than Your Majesty, there will be no hope."
However, Shen gave him an elbow, not too lightly or too heavily: "It's all your bad idea."
"If it weren't for this 'bad idea', would those officials let you go so easily?" Xie Shiguan enjoyed it. Even if he was asked to dress up as a concubine, he was happy and into the role. "When I give birth to a child for the emperor, those people will shut up."
Shen looked at him speechlessly: "How did you give birth?"
Xie Shiguan's hand had slipped into his collar without him noticing, and he deliberately rubbed that spot: "Your Majesty, don't you know?"
Shen struggled to pull his hand away and turned around: "There are also government affairs..."
"It is never too late to do government affairs," Xie Shiguan said confidently, "Your Majesty, didn't you listen to the reports of the court officials? Now the birth of an heir is the most important task for officials."
"It's still broad daylight..."
"Alright, Your Majesty," Xie Shiguan pulled off the ribbon from his waist and tied the dumb man's wrists behind his back. He then slowly took off the pearls and jade on his head until his long hair fell down. "When I sleep with you, you should concentrate and stop saying those things that spoil the mood."
The thick long hair was like a net, firmly capturing the restrained and dull emperor.
His "Ling Fei" was truly incredibly beautiful.
…
"Guan'er," when the love reached its deepest level, Shen heard him panting and constantly calling his nickname, "Guan'er..."
However, in this rapidly rising tide of emotion, Shen held Xie Shiguan's neck tightly, like a person falling into the sea holding on to a piece of driftwood.
The man in front of him could either kill him or keep him alive.
"If you are willing to love me a little more," he said distractedly in his panting, "I will be your Majesty's concubine for the rest of my life."
However, Shen rarely took the initiative to kiss him back, but he did not respond, but silently kept the words "for a lifetime" in his heart.
"It's a deal." He opened his lips silently.
Xie Shiguan was burying his head in his neck and licking it, so he didn't see the mute speak. It was not until he stood up that he saw Shen Que raise his hand: "If you break your promise, I will kill you."
"Take it," Xie Shiguan smiled, "I'll give you whatever you want."
The author has something to say:
I've finally finished writing it. I'm really grateful for everyone's support and encouragement. The data in the early stages of this series was terrible, and it was difficult to even follow the V, but later on, more and more people commented, and I often saw a lot of interesting comments. I'm really happy. I love you guys!
Then for the next book, I might start collecting pre-collections for that bloody modern danmei novel, or I might start collecting pre-collections for an ancient danmei farming novel. We'll see which one we like better. If you're interested, just go to the column and click on it!
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