A major event has occurred in the capital!
The emperor's harem is finally going to be expanded, and the empress herself is choosing the new concubines for him.
She was the female physician Han who served the Empress.
Twenty-four years after the emperor ascended the throne, there was no one else in the harem except for the empress. Even when an old minister remonstrated with the emperor to the death to fill the harem, it was to no avail.
Everyone thought that was the end for the emperor, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better.
The people were speculating wildly.
Some astute officials sensed an opportunity.
Some time ago, the Empress offended the Great Wei and Dongwu, which led to impeachments from the officials. It is said that the Emperor has since become cold towards the Empress.
The empress must have been afraid of losing her position, which is why she sent people to the emperor's side to use their young bodies to help her secure his favor.
Some officials felt that the emperor had favored the empress in the past, but only on the basis of not harming the country. This time, the empress made a mistake that endangered the country, and he disliked her, so he wanted to add a new concubine.
However, he used to be portrayed as a deeply affectionate emperor, and now it's not appropriate for him to take the initiative to accept a concubine, so he claims that it was the empress's idea.
But no matter what.
If the emperor could take concubines with the surname Han, he could also take concubines with the surname Li, or the surname Wang...
They would then have the opportunity to send someone to the palace.
The imperial court and the inner palace were inextricably linked, and everyone was eager to make their move.
The Empress seemed to have been doused with a bucket of cold water.
Why did the woman she chose for her son end up in the emperor's bed?
When the emperor married her, he swore an oath to be with her for life, so why, why did he touch another woman?
She quickly realized it was the Crown Prince's scheme.
The crown prince discovered her scheme and, in order to take revenge on her, he gave the female physician Han to the emperor.
And the emperor, her husband, also took advantage of the situation to achieve his goal.
"Your Majesty, have you...have you grown tired of me?"
The Empress burst into tears, "If you despise me, I will not live in this world and get in your way. Why do you have to hurt me like this? How can I live on?"
After saying this, she appeared to be about to crash into a pillar, but the emperor grabbed her, saying, "What are you doing? This is all a misunderstanding."
The emperor was furious.
He didn't know what happened either.
He woke up to find a woman in his bed and thought it was the Empress who had sneaked in while he was asleep.
When he reached out to grab her, he realized something was wrong and was stunned. Before he could ask anything, the Empress kicked the door open and came in.
"Chen Banjun, get inside here."
The emperor called out to the door.
He drank alcohol last night and fell asleep in a daze. Logically, that old eunuch Chen Banjun was guarding the door, so he should know what was going on.
Chen Banjun entered, clutching his whisk and looking huddled up, his face contorted with grief. "Your Majesty, please forgive me, it was this old servant's dereliction of duty..."
"It's not his fault, it was I who knocked him unconscious."
Xie Tingzhou strode over, interrupting Chen Banjun.
The emperor had actually realized it by now. He wasn't a lecherous man, but judging from the marks on the bed, he had indeed slept with a woman.
But he had no recollection of it at all. Something was amiss last night, and he quickly thought of the wine that the Crown Prince had sent.
"Nonsense, what are you trying to do?"
The emperor was also angry.
What kind of son would drug his father and send him a woman?
"Should Father ask Mother what she wants to do?"
Xie Tingzhou's face also turned cold. "The medicine in the wine was prepared by the Empress Dowager, and so was Physician Han."
"Your Majesty, I was merely obeying your orders to retaliate against your mother when she harmed me. Your Majesty has said you will not stop me."
The emperor looked at the empress in shock, "Is what the crown prince said true?"
How could she do such a thing?
The Empress's eyes flickered. "How could I possibly send a woman to Your Majesty..."
"Yes, you don't want your man to have other women, yet you send women to your son. Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you."
Xie Tingzhou approached the Empress and said, "Your subject believes that since Father and Mother have been loving and affectionate for half their lives, Mother is the one who can best understand my feelings for Ye Zhen."
Your son trusted you so much, and told you clearly that your son's only wish in this life was to have Ye Zhen, and made the same promise to her.
But Mother Empress wants to take advantage of her absence to put other women in her son's bed. What are Mother Empress's intentions? Has Mother Empress truly considered her son's feelings?
"How could I disregard you? Everything I've done is for you."
Once the truth was out, the Empress stopped pretending. "If it weren't for Ye Zhen's arrogance and my concern that you might be bewitched by her in the future, why would I have to play the villain?"
You have been back in the capital for many days without visiting the Empress Dowager. Isn't that because you feel indignant on her behalf and are taking your anger out on her? She hasn't even married into the family yet, and you've already distanced yourself from me. How can I trust her to be the sole favorite in the harem in the future?
"But you, unaware of my good intentions, dared to drug your father for Ye Zhen's sake."
The Empress turned the tables, saying, "Do you know that your father is the Emperor? Your actions are treasonous. What do you intend to do?"
"So, Mother, you're going to conclude that I murdered my father and shoot an arrow at me?"
Xie Tingzhou said coldly, "It was my fault that I sent Father Emperor wine to enhance the occasion."
However, Father is Mother's husband, and this is the only way for me to retaliate. Mother's actions are also a result of Father's past indulgence, so Father is not entirely unjust.
"Zhao Lin!"
The emperor's face turned ashen.
He never expected his son to be so stubborn.
The Empress, however, seemed to have found an ally. "Your Majesty, you see, he's willing to attack you for a woman. Ye Zhen has already bewitched him."
He compares their feelings to ours, but when have I ever caused Your Majesty any distress, or when have I ever instigated Your Majesty to be disobedient and unfilial?
Xie Tingzhou gave a self-deprecating laugh.
So that's what his mother was like.
My father was not disobedient or unfilial, but he murdered his brother.
However, saying such things would offend the emperor, and Xie Tingzhou was unwilling to take his anger out on the emperor any further.
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