——The Imperial Palace of the Great Yan
"Your Majesty, the General has sent a letter."
Before the fine sandalwood dressing table, a beautiful woman stood with tears in her eyes, looking as if she hadn't fully woken up. She yawned and said...
“I knew the Empress had no good intentions. Before she started managing the affairs of the six palaces, she could sleep as long as she wanted. Now, she has to see An every day.”
Qingsong tied up Consort Xiao's hair, and as the comb ran across her scalp, Xiao Lanhua gradually regained consciousness.
She removed her armor, opened the envelope, read it carefully, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"My brother has become quite cunning now."
"What's wrong, Your Highness?"
Consort Xiao raised her chin, signaling the maid to bring over the candles and burn the letter.
“My brother said he won a battle in the border town and told me to ask that guy for some benefits, whether it’s money or power, as long as I get it.”
The little maidservant lowered her head and smiled in reply.
"The General still misses the Empress. He also brought along some fine plum blossom ointment with the letter. The messenger said that this fine plum blossom ointment cannot be bought anywhere else."
"Plum blossom ointment?"
"Yes! It's the one from Beining that was selected as a tribute to the imperial court this time. The one the General sent to the Empress was of the highest quality; it's not sold outside, and it's not even available as an imperial tribute."
A smug smile appeared on the beautiful woman's face as she leaned back in her chair, lost in thought.
"—The Emperor has arrived!"
Hearing the eunuch's call, Consort Xiao frowned. What bad luck, coming at this time.
At Qingsong's service, the beauty put on her outer garment and greeted the man.
"May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."
The skin on the man's outstretched hand was already somewhat loose, and Xiao Lanhua could see the blue veins on his hand when she looked up.
The woman extended her hand, letting him grasp half of it, and smiled down.
"Is there anything Lan Hua is finding difficult to adapt to now that she is an Imperial Noble Consort?"
The Imperial Noble Consort has died. Xiao Lanhua had been confined to her quarters for a period of time due to her cautious remarks at the Astrology Hall. The Empress proposed to the Emperor that Consort Xiao be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort and given the authority to manage the affairs of the six palaces.
The beautiful woman frowned slightly and placed her hand in front of her chest as she spoke.
"I'm exhausted. In the past, when would I ever get up at this hour? Her Majesty the Empress is kind and never allows anyone to pay their respects. Your Majesty, I don't want to either. Could you please allow me to?"
Yuwen Xuanhong had seen Xiao Lanhua riding a horse and wielding a sword back then. The unruly woman of that time had become so gentle and considerate, which greatly pleased the emperor.
"Very well, since you've been put in charge of the affairs of the harem, just go ahead and do it. You don't need to ask me about such trivial matters."
"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty."
The man patted her hand and asked...
"Do you know that Lan Yi has won another victory for me?"
The woman nodded in reply.
“My brother just sent a letter home. He mentioned some things in the letter, but I don’t know the specifics.”
There's no need to hide this from him. Both she and her brother hold high positions of power, so what's wrong with sending a family letter?
"Lan Yi submitted two memorials. The first was about the rewards and honors bestowed upon him in the army. I gave him ten thousand taels of gold and some cloth to handle the matter himself. This second memorial..."
Xiao Lanhua looked at the man who spoke with clear eyes, and asked while holding his arm.
"What is this second memorial, Your Majesty?"
"This second memorial is about Lan Yi requesting military pay. I have already paid him this year's military pay, but your brother said in his letter that the war has used it all up, and asked me to approve some more for him."
The beautiful woman removed her hand from the man's arm and lowered her head slightly as she spoke.
"Although I helped in the army before, I don't understand these things. If Your Majesty finds them unsuitable, I can..."
"Why."
The Emperor raised his hand to interrupt Xiao Lanhua and said...
"The war was fought by your brother, how can his sister be allowed to pay his military pay? I've come to see you today on another matter."
"Your Majesty, please give your orders."
"In his letter, Lan Yi was most worried about you, but there was no more title to bestow. Before that, Hua'er would be the secondary empress. Although the empress is generous and reasonable, I, as her husband, still have to consider her feelings."
"I understand. My sister is just unwell. Once she is better, I will have to return my duties of assisting in the management of the six palaces to her."
The Emperor nodded and then summoned the eunuch.
"Then I'll have to trouble my Hua'er. I can only give you some mundane things."
The beauty shook her head and replied
"As long as I can stay by Your Majesty's side, I will not feel wronged in any way."
Watching the gifts being carried into Shuhua Palace like a flowing stream, and seeing Minghuang's departing figure, Xiao Lanhua gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"Our emperor is really something, he's got a real knack for saving face."
Qingsong removed the woman's outer garment and asked...
"Your Majesty, what is the meaning of His Majesty's visit today?"
"My brother won the battle, and I guess he's asking him for something. Our master thinks my brother has a problem with him, so he's just coming over to test the waters."
"It's a good thing that the general has won a battle, so it's normal for him to ask for some rewards..."
The woman shook her index finger twice, then said...
"Logically, that's how it should be, but the Emperor wouldn't think that way."
Qingsong set out breakfast for her, and the woman took a sip of warm soup before continuing to speak.
"What my master means is that I can give you what I want, but you can't take it from me, you can't ask for it on your own initiative, and you can't hide your thoughts from me."
"ah?"
The maid was taken aback by these words.
"Go, write a letter to my brother, take the proper route, and ask him what he asked the Emperor for in the letter?"
"yes."
Xiao Lanhua gazed at the colorful ribbons scattered outside the hall, and occasionally a few small birds would fly by, foraging for food on the ground. Her thoughts drifted to the border town. She wondered how her brother was doing now, and whether he had been injured this time.
I wonder if Brother Cheng has recovered well.
"Brother, I miss you."
The beauty's eyes were filled with loneliness, and she had no appetite. She looked at the table full of dishes but didn't touch them. If these dishes were military pay, they would probably be enough for a night watchman to eat.
"Zhongfu, exchange all those rewards for silver and send it to my brother."
The little eunuch bent over and asked
"Your Highness, shall we send them all over?"
"kindness."
"What if the Emperor asks?"
"If he gives it to me, it's mine now. Don't worry, it's fine."
If the day truly comes when all the rewards must be returned, the Xiao family will probably be doomed. It's better to take advantage of their current favor and send more silver to their brother. What is war all about?
First, public support; second, money.
"Oh, and add a few more sentences to the letter, telling him not to send money to the palace anymore. I am now in charge of the affairs of the six palaces, and no one is more powerful than me except for the Empress and the Empress Dowager. I don't need to bribe anyone."
"yes."
Xiao Lanyi's second memorial reads: "I risk my life outside only for the sake of Great Yan and you, so I hope you will take good care of Lanhua. She has a bad temper, so please don't let her suffer any grievances."
The general's words implied nothing more than wanting power for his sister and money for himself. He was warning the current emperor that he did not want the issue of rising military ration prices to happen again.
In the power struggle between the emperor and his ministers, Xiao Lanyi has now paid back for the incident involving the Xu family, the imperial merchants, some time ago.
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