Chapter 110 Sacrificing Family for the Righteous
Shen Mingtang came out to greet the emperor with a joyful expression.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
The emperor helped her up.
"There are no outsiders in the palace, my beloved concubine, there is no need for such formalities."
Shen Mingtang said sweetly, "Your Majesty, I personally cooked the soup for you. Look, my hands are all red from the heat."
His Majesty loves the Empress for cooking and cleaning for him; she can do the same.
The emperor put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Then I must have a good taste."
The two entered the palace hand in hand.
At the dinner table, the emperor praised Shen Mingtang's soup highly.
Eunuch Hong immediately said, "Your Majesty, Your Highness has already consumed quite a bit of this soup."
The emperor's meals should not be too large, as there is a risk of poisoning if people were to learn his preferences.
However, the emperor's attitude had already made Shen Mingtang smile with joy.
She immediately said, very sensibly, "Your Majesty, your health is of utmost importance."
The emperor chuckled and said, "You're so kind to me. In a few days, I'll take you to the imperial palace. Don't you love the hot springs there the most?"
Shen Mingtang looked slightly aggrieved. "Your Majesty, I cannot accompany you to the imperial palace now."
The emperor asked, "Why? Are you feeling unwell?"
Eunuch Hong explained very considerately, "Your Majesty, only the Empress and consorts of the rank of Consort or above are allowed to go to the temporary palace. Now that the Empress is a Noble Consort, she cannot go with you."
The emperor feigned some annoyance, "When did such a rule come about? Issue an edict immediately to restore Consort Mingtang to her former position."
Eunuch Hong immediately said, "Your Majesty, this is absolutely not allowed! The court is already very dissatisfied with your favoritism towards the Empress. Her family has only recently been convicted of a crime, and you are restoring her to the position of Imperial Concubine. Wouldn't that put the Empress in the eye of the storm?"
Shen Mingtang was about to be happy when she heard the emperor's words, but Hong Dequan's words made a lot of sense.
Now that she has broken ties with the Shen family, if she were to regain her status as a concubine at this time, she would be in the eye of the storm, and without the support of her family, she would only bring trouble to His Majesty.
His Majesty favors her so much that it's only a matter of time before she's restored to her imperial concubine status; however, she needs a legitimate reason.
The emperor pressed his temples, and Eunuch Hong immediately said, "Your Majesty, is your head throbbing again? May I summon the imperial physician?"
Shen Mingtang immediately said nervously, "Why does His Majesty often have headaches? Eunuch Hong, is it because you haven't been taking good care of him? If anything happens to His Majesty, I will hold you responsible!"
She still vividly remembered how that rootless scoundrel delivered the imperial decree that day, and now that she had regained favor, he was wagging his tail at her like a dog.
Eunuch Hong quickly said:
"Your Majesty may not know this, but the Shen family is suspected of deceiving the emperor and concealing the truth about the floods in Jiangnan."
Governor Shen has been summoned to the capital.
With everyone in the court impeaching you, the ministers are very dissatisfied with Your Majesty's favoritism towards you.
Even more radical ministers have demanded that you be banished to the cold palace. You know His Majesty's feelings for you, and this is causing you endless distress; this headache has even made you ill.
A cold glint flashed in Shen Mingtang's eyes. The people who wanted to send her to the cold palace must be the families behind the other concubines in the palace. She had been favored by the emperor all along, and now they were taking advantage of her illness to kill her!
She got up and walked to His Majesty's side, raising her hand to gently press his forehead.
"It's all my fault, Your Majesty, that you have suffered so much because of me."
The emperor gently patted her hand and said, "My beloved consort, rest assured, I will definitely protect you. The flood situation is still unresolved, and there are no suitable candidates in the court to send officials to Jiangnan. Don't worry, once the situation in Jiangnan is resolved, I will find an opportunity to restore your rank."
Consort Shen's eyes flashed with a profound meaning. The flood in Jiangnan had a significant impact. If the Shen family really fell because of it, even if His Majesty wanted to restore her rank, those foxes in the palace would not agree.
The power struggle between the imperial court and the harem is immense. Although she has broken ties with the Shen family, they are still, on the surface, her family behind her.
Without family support, she would be devoured in the palace, leaving not even bones behind!
The emperor gently pulled her to his side. "Why aren't you saying anything? Are you worried?"
Shen Mingtang sat down gently beside the emperor. "Your Majesty, if the Shen family really has problems, will you still love me so much?"
The emperor pulled her into his arms. “You are you, and they are they. How could I not know your feelings for me? Otherwise, with three thousand beauties in the harem, why would I favor you alone? Rest assured, even if the Shen family really falls, I will protect you.”
But by then, she could no longer reach the position she desired most!
Shen Mingtang said softly, "I knew Your Majesty was the best to me. Your Majesty, please have some more food. You only had a few sips of soup. I would feel sorry for you if you got hungry."
The emperor smiled and said, "It is my beloved concubine who truly cares for me."
Shen Mingtang served the emperor some food, "Your Majesty, how does it taste?"
The emperor nodded. "Excellent, very tender."
Shen Mingtang said with a smile, "This is a young bear paw that Shen Cha specially hunted. He sent it to the palace without even returning to his residence, saying that he would make it for you to have a different taste when His Majesty comes to my palace."
The emperor asked casually, "Has Shen Cha's injury healed?"
Shen Mingtang smiled and said, "Shen Cha is strong and healthy. His Majesty is protective of him and didn't really hurt him. He's been fine for a long time."
The Emperor nodded. "That's good. Let him return to the palace and resume his post in a few days. The Duke's Mansion no longer holds a title. In the future, I will find an opportunity to let Shen Cha make some contributions and grant him the title of Earl. Although the position is not high, it can still give you some support."
This is the best opportunity to make a contribution.
The Shen family is unreliable.
The Shen family's efforts were in vain.
She went to great lengths to spoil her father's most beloved youngest son and grandson.
This was so that after her father died, no one could compete with Shen Cha for the title.
Who would have thought that these fools would actually bring down the Duke's mansion?
Even if Shen Cha is reinstated, he will only be a commander of the Imperial Guards.
Without her family's support, how could she have reached that position?
Since ancient times, those who put righteousness before family have been praised for their virtue.
The Shen family acted unjustly first, so don't blame her for being ruthless.
Shen Mingtang sat up straight. "If that's the case, why not let Shen Cha go south in His Majesty's stead?"
The emperor pondered for a moment, "Shen Cha is, after all, a member of the Shen family. If the Shen family of Jiangnan really has problems, it may not be good for your reputation."
Shen Mingtang said aggrievedly, "Does Your Majesty not trust me, or Shen Cha, and think that Shen Cha would show favoritism?"
The emperor quickly replied, "My dear consort, what are you saying? How could I not trust you?"
Shen Mingtang immediately said, "Since Your Majesty trusts me, this matter should be entrusted to Shen Cha. Shen Cha is a member of the Shen family. When he arrives in Jiangnan, the Shen family will not make things difficult for him. If the Shen family really has a problem, Shen Cha has always been loyal to you and will definitely do something righteous, even if it means sacrificing his own family."
The emperor said with some difficulty, "However, the Shen family might hold a grudge against you two, and Jiangnan is too dangerous. If something happens to Shen Cha, how can I explain it to you?"
Shen Mingtang said, "Your Majesty and I are both wholeheartedly devoted to you. Your Majesty loves and cherishes me so much, what does it matter if I bear some infamy?"
Infamy? What does it matter if she's infamous for all time, as long as she regains her high position?
The emperor was deeply moved. "I have indeed not spoiled my beloved concubine in vain. However, this matter is of great importance. Tomorrow I will summon Shen Cha to the palace to discuss it in detail before making a decision."
Shen Mingtang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I will obey."
Due to his busy schedule, the emperor did not stay overnight at Weiyang Palace.
While walking on the palace road with Hong Dequan,
The emperor said with a hint of melancholy, "In two days, it will be A Yao's birthday."
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