Chapter 79 The Empress
Her words were gentle and appropriate, defining Xie Sangning's actions as "cultivating talents for the country," which not only conformed to the emperor's tone of praise but also subtly reminded him that the fruitful results had already threatened imperial power.
"A fruitful result?"
The emperor sneered, raising his eyes to look sharply at the empress. "Yes, a fruitful harvest. Twenty-three fine pieces have been placed on the chessboard of the court in such a blatant manner. My game... has become somewhat passive."
He put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and fixed his gaze on the Empress's eyes.
"Your Majesty, I have pondered this matter for a long time. This woman, Xie Sangning..."
He paused for a moment: "She is wise and resourceful, with superb methods and a resolute and courageous character. Her talent and ability are far beyond those of ordinary women in their boudoirs. To confine her to the inner quarters to be a wife and mother is a waste of her talents and a regret for our Great Zhou."
The Empress's heart skipped a beat!
A chill instantly shot up my spine from my feet.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the silk handkerchief, her knuckles turning slightly white.
The emperor's words... were by no means a simple compliment!
"Your Majesty... what do you mean?"
The Empress forced herself to remain calm, but her voice carried a barely perceptible tension.
The emperor said slowly, "Such a talent of national importance would be best if he could be employed by me, enter the court, and assume important responsibilities."
He abruptly changed the subject, "However, according to ancestral rules, women are not allowed to participate in politics. Even those with extraordinary talent cannot break this ironclad rule that has stood for thousands of years."
The air inside the warm pavilion seemed to freeze.
The Queen held her breath, waiting for what was to come.
The emperor leaned back slightly, resting on the soft cushions, his posture seemingly relaxed, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's: "Since you cannot enter the court, then... enter my harem."
The silk handkerchief that the queen had been clutching in her sleeve slipped silently onto the carpet.
Her eyes widened suddenly.
"His Majesty!"
The Empress gasped in shock, her voice trembling, "You...you mean...you're taking Xie Sangning as a concubine?!"
Why not?
The emperor's voice remained calm, even carrying a hint of persuasion, but a threat lurked deep in his eyes: "This woman comes from a military family and is of noble status, worthy of being a concubine."
"Bringing them into the palace will, firstly, fulfill my reputation for valuing and cherishing talent, demonstrate the vastness of imperial benevolence, and silence any dissent in the world. Secondly," his voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a hint of calculation.
"It's better to keep her under my nose and bound by palace rules than to let her stir up trouble outside, continue to build her power, and wreak havoc in the court!"
The Emperor's gaze pressed down on the Empress: "Empress, you are in charge of the six palaces, you should know how to weigh the pros and cons. If Xie Sangning were outside the palace, she would be the unyielding banner in the hearts of those twenty-three new nobles, and the invisible hand of the General's Mansion reaching into the court!"
“How much power does she wield when she raises her arm? And if she enters the palace and becomes one of my concubines…” He suddenly laughed, as if he had already succeeded.
"She is merely one of the three thousand beauties in the harem. Her reputation, her power, and her henchmen will all be imprisoned and worn down by these heavy palace walls and strict hierarchies! No matter how great her abilities, she can only be confined to a small area, worn away by palace rules and etiquette, and the infighting among the concubines! This is the only way to eliminate her weaknesses!"
"And I am not suited to do this. I can only ask you to do it for me..."
"I only want results."
The emperor thoroughly analyzed the political calculations behind taking concubines.
He told the Empress that he was not after her beauty, but that he wanted to personally break Xie Sangning's wings that were about to spread, imprison this dangerous phoenix in a golden cage, and let all her sharpness disappear in the rouge and strife of the deep palace!
But is that really the truth?
Does the Emperor truly have no desire for a face that bears an eight or nine-tenths resemblance to Lin Ruyue?
The Empress felt a chill run down her spine!
"Your Majesty!" The Empress stood up abruptly, her phoenix hairpin trembling slightly with excitement.
If Xie Sangning were to enter the palace, she would not be one of those lowly concubines, but rather a rival who has both a secret affair with the emperor and wields considerable power!
She could no longer maintain her composure, her voice sharp and urgent, "Your Majesty, please reconsider! This plan seems ingenious, but in reality... it's inviting a wolf into the house! It will bring chaos to the palace!"
She took a deep breath, met the emperor's suddenly sharp gaze, and said with a sense of desperation:
"What kind of person is Xie Sangning?! How could she be the kind of vulgar woman who would willingly be trapped in the harem, dependent on others, and only know how to compete for favor and flattery?! This woman has ambitions that are higher than the sky, is full of wisdom and resourcefulness, and has a fiery temper!"
"His Majesty's forceful entry into the palace today is tantamount to keeping a fierce tiger by his side! Does she have even a shred of respect for His Majesty or the royal family? I'm afraid she only harbors deep-seated resentment and bitterness!"
The Empress stepped forward, her voice trembling slightly with emotion, and her words growing increasingly sharp: "Has Your Majesty forgotten the imposing manner she displayed at the General's mansion today?! Dressed in magnificent robes and exuding an air of authority, she received the kneeling obeisance of a newly appointed noble as if she were worshipping an emperor! How could such a woman be content to submit?!"
"If she enters the palace, she will surely find it hard to bear the loneliness! With her intelligence and methods, the intrigues of the harem would probably be child's play to her!"
"Your Majesty!" the Empress said earnestly, "The events of the previous dynasty are still vivid in my mind! The power of the empress's relatives and the chaos they caused in the court all stemmed from the emperor's momentary benevolence in taking the daughter of a powerful minister into the palace!"
"The Xie family now commands a large army, and Xie Zhenting dominates the Northwest. If his daughter were to enter the empress's palace and give birth to an heir... Your Majesty! At that time, will this empire belong to the Pei family, or... the Xie family?!"
The last sentence was like a thunderclap!
The emperor's expression changed several times under the empress's sharp and incisive analysis.
The empress's worries struck at the heart of his deepest fears!
He thought of a woman like Xie Sangning; how could she willingly be imprisoned in the deep palace? How could she willingly submit to the emperor?
Inviting a wolf into the house... perhaps it's true.
But the more this is the case, the more we need to keep Xie Sangning under our control!
"Enough!" The emperor slammed his hand on the small table beside the couch, making a dull thud!
His face was so gloomy it could drip water.
The Empress's fierce opposition was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing part of his impulse to forcibly take a concubine, but it also made him more clearly aware of Xie Sangning's difficulty and danger!
A deathly silence fell over the warm pavilion.
The emperor and empress, one with a furious expression and the other pale-faced, exchanged silent glances in the oppressive air, each harboring turbulent emotions.
The emperor stared intently at the empress's reddened eyes, remaining silent for a very long time.
The ginseng tea, which had long since gone cold, was being squeezed so tightly in his hands that it made a crackling sound.
Finally, he stood up abruptly, the hem of his bright yellow dragon robe stirring up a gust of cold wind.
"I will consider what the Empress has said carefully." The Emperor's voice was cold and stiff, devoid of any emotion. "Let's end it here for today."
He didn't look at the Empress again, turned around with a flick of his sleeve, and strode away.
The Empress slumped back onto her phoenix bed, her heart sinking to the bottom as she watched the Emperor's resolute departure.
She knew that the emperor had not completely given up on the idea of taking concubines.
As the empress, she knew she could only offer this advice once; if the emperor brought it up again, she would be unable to refuse.
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