Shang Shaoyan: "..."
She said that although the logic was meticulous, it was really outrageous.
Upon hearing this, Consort Zhao immediately flew into a rage: "Your Majesty the Empress has truly gone too far! What was originally just a minor squabble between unmarried young women has now been turned into this!"
Upon hearing Physician Mao's words, Consort Shu immediately thought of her beloved, who suffered from a heart ailment, and transferred her worries to Shang Shaoyan: "The county princess has truly suffered an undeserved calamity!"
Shang Shaoyan remained silent, only shedding tears in quiet desperation, appearing to be someone who dared not speak out against his anger.
Just then, another eunuch came into Zhaoyang Palace. Judging from his appearance, he must have served the emperor and was very favored by him. Shang Shaoyan knew that his brother had successfully won him over.
When Consort Zhao saw the eunuch, her eyes lit up for a moment, but she quickly concealed it: "Lord Qin has arrived."
Shang Shaoyan was shocked—a eunuch being addressed as "Master" was not a good thing.
It seems that this emperor was not only a foolish ruler who neglected state affairs, but also a idiot who favored eunuchs.
The eunuch was Qin Ye. He smiled and looked at Consort Zhao: "Your Majesty was having a pleasant conversation with the Duke of Zhenguo when you heard that the Princess of Heyang County had fainted. So you specially sent me to check on her."
Physician Mao repeated what he had just said, and then sighed, "Princess Heyang has suffered a great calamity."
Shang Shaoyan quickly said with tears in his eyes, "It's not Your Majesty's fault. Your Majesty did nothing wrong. It's my own fault for being so useless."
This kind of typical "green tea" rhetoric wasn't common in ancient times. Shang Shaoyan was telling the truth, but people in the palace are all cunning and will overthink things. How they interpret her words is not her concern.
At this moment, in the Imperial Study behind the Golden Palace, Shang Yunlan was having a pleasant conversation with Emperor Chen.
Shang Yunlan was a businessman in his previous life. He has always been good at speaking to people in a way that suits them. If he wanted someone to consider him a confidant, he could do it easily, in no time at all.
Simply put, just tickle this person's itch.
Emperor Chen's itch was twofold: firstly, his respect for his elder sister, Princess Anle; and secondly, his fondness for fixing this and that.
This is common knowledge, but Shang Yunlan managed to discover a little-known hobby of Emperor Chen—listening to gossip—through her own observation skills.
Although he was ungrateful, persecuted loyal officials, and engaged in extravagant construction projects, he was a qualified bystander.
If it were someone as shrewd as the late emperor, it might have taken even longer, but now he was facing the foolish Emperor Chen, so he used even less time.
As early as when Shang Shaoyan said "This subject knows her mistake" for the tenth time, Emperor Chen had already started calling Shang Yunlan "Minister Shang".
Emperor Chen listened to his minister Shang lament, "My sister was recently jilted and, in her grief, has taken in a male concubine. I truly do not know what to do."
Emperor Chen, who was always indulging in pleasure, thought it was no big deal: "Minister Shang, there's no need to persuade me further. I don't think it's a big deal to keep a few male concubines. Look at my sister, Princess Anle, her household has enough male concubines to form a polo team."
After thinking for a moment, Emperor Chen added, "After all, it's not like we can't support our sisters. What's the big deal?"
Shang Yunlan then smiled: "Your Majesty is right..."
Just as the two were getting into a lively conversation, someone from Consort Zhao came to deliver a message that Princess Heyang had been frightened unconscious by the Empress.
Shang Yunlan was stunned for a moment, a hint of anxiety flashing across her face, but because she was in the Imperial Study, she could only endure it—at least that's what Emperor Chen saw.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Minister Shang is truly sensible," and then summoned Qin Ye, who had been waiting outside, saying, "Go and see how Princess Heyang is doing."
Then he couldn't help but feel a little angry, thinking that Empress Li was really slapping him in the face. He was praising He Yang to Minister Shang, and she turned around and scared him to death. What kind of problem was that?
Then he added unhappily, "Empress Li is becoming more and more unruly. Let her be confined for half a year."
Qin Ye respectfully agreed and then left.
Emperor Chen turned to look at Shang Yunlan and sighed, "Minister Shang, you flatter me. Empress Li has always been ignorant..."
Shang Yunlan listened attentively, occasionally offering words of advice on the surface while subtly trying to sow discord within him. She managed to calm Emperor Chen down, but deep down, she felt increasingly dissatisfied with Empress Li.
He didn't particularly like Consort Zhao, but he felt indebted to her, so he was willing to give her some favors; however, he truly disliked the daughter raised by the Duke of Cheng'en's family, who, despite being Consort Zhao's cousin, frequently suppressed her.
Emperors are such strange creatures—they can be ungrateful and forgetful of kindness themselves, but they can't do the same to others.
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