"You didn't even see them off when they left the palace. Humph, I'm still angry about it."
The girl in red is Yu Ji.
She pouted and glared at him resentfully.
We're just waiting for him to come and coax us.
Lu Xingjian was already in a bad mood and didn't have the patience to coax the girl, so his expression was cold.
"answer."
Yu Ji was stunned for a moment, her eyes reddening: "Are you being mean to me?"
Lu Xingjian looked at her with a slightly cold expression.
Yu Ji felt wronged, and tears streamed down her face. "I've been looking forward to seeing you every day, and you still yell at me. You have no conscience at all."
The beauty's tears added to the desolate atmosphere of the cold night.
Especially women like Yu Ji, who are usually very troublesome, arrogant, and domineering.
Lu Xingjian felt a pang of pity, and his expression softened considerably.
Yu Ji was good at reading people's expressions. She bumped into his arms and started sobbing, "You heartless man, you only know how to bully people."
Su Wanwan had already heard the gatekeeper's report, and out of a desire to avoid trouble, she carried a lantern and went to open the door herself.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw this loving scene outside.
Hearing the door open, Lu Xingjian looked up and met her gaze.
I instinctively took a step back.
Yu Ji, seizing the opportunity, also took a step forward and hugged his neck tightly, refusing to let go.
She pouted and said, "You're not allowed to bully me..."
Su Wanwan lowered her eyes.
How did he bully her?
Is it the kind of bullying where you pin someone down on the bed, your blood boils, and you're having sex?
She immediately snapped out of her reverie when she thought of that dream.
My heart, however, was throbbing with pain.
On the other hand, what happened outside the door actually had nothing to do with her.
She simply glanced at it quietly, then closed the door again.
Lu Xingjian looked at the Su family's gate that had closed again, then lowered his eyes to look at Yu Ji, who was clinging to him and crying and refusing to let go, his pupils clouded with shadows.
...
The next morning at court, the highly respected Duke of England, Zhang Mao, submitted a memorial requesting the establishment of a new empress.
All eyes were fixed on Yu Yong.
His eyes held a mixture of jealousy and disdain.
Some people even started whispering among themselves.
"Would His Majesty really be so absurd as to appoint a woman of non-Muslim descent as Empress?"
"This is utterly ridiculous."
“Those who are not of our race will surely have different hearts. Women of different ethnicities may be beautiful, and we can cherish them in private, but how can they be made the mother of the nation?”
Yu Yong, drenched in cold sweat, stepped forward to report:
"Your Majesty, I request permission to retire. I humbly request that you grant me the favor of allowing my son to inherit my position."
No one knows better than the Emperor how ruthless he is.
If he doesn't extricate himself from this matter at this crucial moment after the new emperor's inauguration, he might find himself unable to escape the consequences.
These words immediately caused an uproar in the court, with discussions buzzing everywhere.
"Yu Yong previously presented twelve women of different ethnicities to please the emperor, and now that his daughter has entered the palace and received exclusive favor, why would he propose to retire?"
An insider whispered mysteriously, "I heard that the favored woman is not his biological daughter, but the daughter of a neighbor. He probably requested to retire because he was afraid that the emperor would find out."
"This is outrageous! Isn't this deceiving the emperor?"
"Who says otherwise? It's just that the Emperor is fond of that woman. This extraordinary wealth should be given to her legitimate parents."
For a time, rumors about the true identity of "Yu Ji" became a hot topic.
However, an insider revealed the truth:
"That woman is Ma Ji, the younger sister of Ma Ang, the guerrilla general of Datong and the acting deputy commander. Ma Ang was promoted to acting deputy commander in October. He is a high-ranking military officer of the second rank, no lower than Yu Yong. He is a capable person in the border army."
Someone chimed in meaningfully, "No wonder so many border troops entered the capital after September. It seems the Emperor has been planning this for a long time and has wanted to make this Lady Ma his Empress."
The crowd was in a chaotic frenzy of discussion.
Lu Xingjian sat on the dragon throne and watched this scene quietly. After everyone had finished discussing it, he casually made up an excuse to say that the British Duke's request was denied.
The civil and military officials didn't really take it seriously.
When Emperor Xianzong was establishing a new empress, he had to ask and decline three times before reluctantly agreeing to do so, putting on a good show of saving face.
But the final shoe has not yet dropped, and everyone is eagerly awaiting it.
I wonder who will become Empress.
...
Su Wanwan was unaware of what was happening in the imperial court; she was simply preparing for the New Year with Wanying.
During this time, when the dowry managers from the south came to report their accounts, she sent them all to the dowry residence, waiting for Xiao Bin to come from Weizhou Guard to settle the accounts.
Finally, a copy of the accounts must be submitted to the Ministry of War for backup.
Mrs. Qiu came to talk to Su Wanwan about this matter, and said with a smile:
"I'm afraid that in the future, the nine border regions will have no reason to ask for money anymore."
"You don't know, His Majesty recently made a secret trip to Xuanfu and ordered the Imperial Inspector to clear out several thousand hectares of uncultivated land and former military farms in Xuanfu and Datong. Starting this month, the land must be used to pay grain and fodder according to the records, solely for military supplies and not for any other purpose."
Then she whispered, "You know that Deputy Commander-in-Chief Ma Ang, right? He's Yu Ji's older brother. Her real name is Ma Ji."
“Their family illegally occupied thousands of acres of farmland, neither paying taxes nor rent, and even making military households work for them.”
This is actually a great thing. With the prospect of future border reserves, prices will come down, and the border troops won't be so poor anymore.
"Is His Majesty willing to harm the Ma family?" Su Wanwan asked curiously.
Madam Qiu said, "We have to let go, even if we don't want to. It seems that the Emperor and that concubine Ma are having some kind of argument lately."
“When my husband went to the palace to meet the emperor, he saw Ma Ji wiping away tears several times outside the palace walls.”
"The Emperor also had a stern face and was very unhappy. He was very difficult to please."
Actually, the emperor and Madam Ma met at a banquet at Madam Qiu's house.
When Mrs. Qiu mentioned this couple, she always carried a hint of pride, and she still hoped that they could create a beautiful story.
Of course, this would also benefit Su Wanwan's reputation.
Mrs. Qiu felt quite apologetic when someone maliciously spread rumors about Su Wanwan at the banquet.
She asked indirectly, "That Miss Zhou, you're not in contact with her anymore?"
Su Wanwan found it a little strange that Madam Qiu specifically mentioned Zhou Wanxiu, and simply said, "She's been busy lately."
Madam Qiu said meaningfully, "Wanwan, you must always be wary of others. You should also be vigilant and avoid getting too close to certain people."
Su Wanwan was a little surprised by Madam Qiu's earnest advice.
Discussing things too intimately with someone you barely know is a major taboo in social interactions.
She said with emotion, "I have learned a lot from you every night, thank you for your guidance, Madam."
Madam Qiu waved her hand and took her leave with a smile.
She also found out the general outline: the rumors about Su Wanwan only intensified after Zhou Wanxiu came to her house for a banquet that day.
Su Wanwan offered Zhou Wanxiu a lot of advice, almost pouring her heart out, but in return, she was betrayed by her.
Madam Qiu felt guilty if she didn't offer Su Wanwan a few words of advice.
Su Wanwan fell asleep in a daze.
First came Yan Rong, then Zhou Wanxiu; it's impossible not to feel disappointed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
