Chapter 51 Song of the Old Times
The Imperial Concubine and the Virtuous Concubine became pregnant one after another, and everyone in the palace was suddenly filled with joy. The other concubines couldn't help but feel jealous and even extended an olive branch to Zhu Zhanji.
Neither of them can sleep with the emperor. Concubine Sun is unwell, and His Majesty cannot stay with her due to state affairs. Concubine Xian is now two months pregnant and needs to rest. Now it is the turn of these concubines, right?
Zhu Zhanji was actually happy that two big happy events happened in the palace at once, but he felt overwhelmed when he had to see these concubines every day, so he finally went to Hu Shanxiang's palace to find some peace and quiet.
Naturally, the concubines did not dare to snatch people from the Queen's Palace, and the Kunning Palace was closer to the previous dynasty, making it convenient for Zhu Zhanji to do anything.
Even when he was still the crown prince in Dongyuan, the couple had never been able to spend time together like this.
For Hu Shanxiang, it was just a little uncomfortable and tolerable, but for Zhu Youtong, it was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue.
Before, when Zhu Zhanji came occasionally, Zhu Youtong could still be lazy from time to time, but when Zhu Zhanji lived in Kunning Palace permanently, Zhu Youtong no longer had any reason to be lazy and had to study obediently under Zhu Zhanji's supervision.
Zhu Zhanji looked at Zhu Youtong's large characters and could not help but show relief on his face. He said, "Finally, it has a shape."
Zhu Youtong curled his lips secretly, then said seriously: "Everything should be left to nature and cannot be forced. How can Emperor Daddy not understand this?"
Hu Shanxiang, who was embroidering, interrupted immediately, "Okay, what are you talking about? Why are you still bickering with your dad? Finish your writing and go out and play."
Zhu Zhanji was amused by Zhu Youtong's words, but he didn't care. He shook his head helplessly and said, "It's harvest time now. Your sister has gone to Fengrun with your fifth uncle and the officials from the Wunong Temple. She won't be back for a while. No one will applaud your crooked theories." He was a little puzzled after he finished speaking, "Your sister has always been one step ahead of others since she was born. She is naturally hardworking. Why is it that when she comes to you, she just wants to be lazy all day long?"
Zhu Youtong said confidently, "Because my sister is afraid of the Emperor."
As soon as Zhu Youtong said this, the hall fell silent. Hu Shanxiang stood up subconsciously. Her lips moved slightly, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind. In the end, she didn't say a word. She only felt as if her heart was tightened.
She naturally knew that Zhu Yuhuan was afraid of Zhu Zhanji turning against her and being ruthless. Zhu Zhanji could kill his uncle, so why couldn't he kill his daughter? How long this balance could last was anyone's guess. If Zhu Zhanji really took action, would Zhu Yuhuan still be able to rebel?
"Afraid?" Zhu Zhanji smiled and asked, "Your sister is the bravest, how could she be afraid?"
Zhu Youtong said seriously, "Daddy the Emperor is the Son of Heaven. He has been talented in both literature and martial arts since childhood. I'm afraid that if I don't work hard, I won't be worthy of being his daughter. Although I'm strong, I'm also a child. Of course, I'm worried that Daddy the Emperor will abandon me if he has a younger brother, so I work harder. In fact, I'm even more attached to Mom than I am, but Daddy the Emperor doesn't know it."
Zhu Zhanji was slightly stunned. Thinking back, he seemed to have never seen a trace of fear or anger in his eldest daughter. It turned out that she always endured it.
Thinking that he was in the same situation when he was this age, Zhu Zhanji couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable.
Zhu Zhanji followed Emperor Taizong since he was young, and he knew that he had the responsibility to please the emperor. For the sake of his parents, himself, and his brothers and sisters, his words and actions could not be wrong. No matter how many thoughts he had in his mind, he had nowhere to confide them, and even if he had complaints, he had to bury them deep in his heart.
He naturally understood that he often brought his daughter to the emperor so that she would learn to please the elders from an early age.
But before he knew it, he had repeated the same mistake.
Seeing that Zhu Zhanji didn't say anything, Zhu Youtong just said, "There are two little rabbits in Jiajia Palace. I'm going to see the rabbits. I'll hand in my homework to the emperor tomorrow." After that, he skipped out.
Hu Shanxiang caught a glimpse of Zhu Zhanji's expression and felt relieved. She waved her hand to dismiss the palace maids and said, "It's just Tongtong's nonsense. Your Majesty, don't take it to heart."
Zhu Zhanji waved his hand. He looked at Hu Shanxiang for a long time before asking, "Queen, do you have any resentment in your heart?"
Hu Shanxiang lowered her eyelids, stared at him for a moment, and said, "What's the use of complaining? It won't help. All I can do is follow the decree of enthronement, which states, 'Follow the virtues of a wife, be respectful in my duties, be diligent and frugal, be gentle and kind, and uphold the virtuous virtues of harmony and harmony,' and fulfill my due responsibilities while enjoying this wealth and splendor."
Zhu Zhanji could see that her words were just polite talk and sighed, "You still don't want to tell me the truth." He looked at Hu Shanxiang and said, "What I hate most is that you never tell me the truth."
Hu Shanxiang was silent for a long time. Zhu Zhan basically thought she would not speak again. Just as he was about to stand up, Hu Shanxiang sat down sideways to him, looking at the large characters "持身淑慎" hanging in the room, and asked, "Your Majesty, don't you have any resentment in your heart?"
Zhu Zhanji turned his head to look at her, only to see Hu Shanxiang's hands clutching the corner of the table. She whispered, "A lonely white rabbit, wandering east and west. Clothes are never as good as new, and people are never as good as old."
Zhu Zhanji was startled and said, "You..." A surge of anger suddenly rose in his heart. He said, "If that's the case, why did you enter the palace? If you don't enter the palace..."
Hu Shanxiang smiled helplessly and said, "Your Majesty may have forgotten what happened on the first month of the fifteenth year of the Yongle reign... If the Imperial Concubine were here, she would surely understand what I just said."
Zhu Zhanji was stunned for a moment, and then he vaguely remembered something from the past, and was speechless for a moment.
At that time, Hu Shanxiang had just arrived in Yingtian to be appointed Crown Princess of the Crown Prince, so naturally she had to pay her respects to the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Crown Princess first. Logically, the two should have met, but Zhu Zhanji was angry and did not show up at first, instead hiding in the Eastern Palace Garden to meet Sun Mengqiu, who was then only a concubine.
By the time he slowly wanted to see Hu Shanxiang, Hu Shanxiang had already left the palace due to illness.
Zhu Zhanji became increasingly displeased with the future Crown Princess.
But now that Hu Shanxiang spoke, Zhu Zhanji vaguely recalled an insignificant event from the past.
That day, Empress Dowager Zhang, who was still the Crown Princess, said to him, "Mrs. Hu went for a walk in the garden and felt a little unwell. Perhaps the flowers in the garden are not of the right kind. Let's have them changed later."
Hu Shanxiang said softly, "Whether it's your Majesty's old friend or your first wife, it's never me. Even if I try my best to make amends, it's just a pretense and false feelings to your Majesty and the imperial concubine. Why should your Majesty seek the truth from me?"
Zhu Zhanji didn't want to think about it any further, nor did he want to stay in Kunning Palace any longer. He stood up and said, "If the concubine's baby is a prince, he will definitely inherit the throne in the future."
Hu Shanxiang remained calm and said, "As long as Your Majesty can allow Huanhuan and Tongtong to leave the palace and live in peace, I can submit a petition to depose the Empress and preserve the reputations of Your Majesty and the Imperial Concubine."
Her voice was not loud, but very firm.
Zhu Zhanji sneered and said, "You have a good idea. You say it's for preservation, but what will the history books say? Don't I know it?"
"As long as Your Majesty agrees to my request, I can do anything."
Zhu Zhanji said coldly: "What can you do? You are just a woman in the deep palace."
Hu Shanxiang just laughed softly. She looked at Zhu Zhanji and said, "Your Majesty is right."
Zhu Zhanji stared at her for a long time. Although he heard her usual respectful answer, he clearly saw a negative answer in her eyes. He could no longer suppress his anger and left in anger.
The palace servants outside knelt down in response to the emperor's furious departure. After a long while, someone finally came in and asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, what's for dinner today..."
Hu Shanxiang held the table with one hand and said in a slow voice, "There's no need to prepare for His Majesty, and there's no need to prepare for me either."
The palace maid bravely looked at Hu Shanxiang and saw that she was pale and shaky. She hurriedly said to the others, "Quickly, go and ask the imperial physician to come and see the queen, and then send a letter to the princess!"
Zhu Zhanji originally wanted to go to Concubine Sun's palace, but when he thought of his two children, Zhu Youtong and Zhu Hanjia, who were also there, he had to go to Wu Miaosu's palace instead. Wu Miaosu was originally writing a letter home, but when she heard the palace servant's report, she hurriedly got up to greet Zhu Zhanji.
Zhu Zhanji glanced at the paper on her desk and asked in a slow voice, "Are you writing a letter home?"
Wu Miaosu had the letter put away and said with a smile, "Yes, my younger brother is still in the army. I thought the weather was getting cold, so I wrote to ask him to put on more clothes." She secretly looked at Zhu Zhanji and saw that his face was still a little red, so she vaguely guessed that he might be angry. Recently, the emperor often rested in Kunning Palace, so it was self-evident who the target of his anger was.
Zhu Zhanji had no idea what her brother did for a living. He just smiled and said, "When you give birth to an heir, I will transfer him back to the capital so that you can be reunited as siblings."
Just as Wu Miaosu was about to stand up to express her gratitude, Zhu Zhanji had already asked her to sit down. Wu Miaosu simply wiped her tears and said, "Thank you very much for your grace, Your Majesty."
"Miaosu, you used to be a lady-in-waiting under the Imperial Court, and you also served as a caretaker for the Queen for a while, right?"
Wu Miaosu's throat tightened, her heart alert, but tears still stained her face. She said softly, "Yes. Hu Shanggong once taught me the duties of a female official, and I also stayed in the East Garden to take care of Mudan."
Zhu Zhanji stared at her closely and asked, "What kind of person do you think the Queen is? Respectful? But in my opinion, the Queen appears to be respectful, but in her heart she doesn't obey anyone, not even me. Not to mention that she is deep-minded. She looks gentle and amiable on weekdays, but in fact she is aloof and keeps people at a distance..."
Wu Miaosu was slightly stunned. She didn't expect that Zhu Zhanji would ask this. Not only that, he also complained to her, a concubine. It was obvious that he had a lot of complaints about the queen and didn't care at all that this would make the queen lose face.
No one knew what the emperor and empress had said to make Zhu Zhanji so angry.
Wu Miaosu thought for a moment, then said sincerely, "The Empress has a kind heart. She has no regrets towards the concubines in the six palaces and the people of the world. From the important officials in the court to the ordinary people, who would say a bad word about the Empress?"
Zhu Zhanji pulled the corners of his mouth stiffly and said, "The queen is indeed a good queen."
Seeing the sullen look on his face, Wu Miaosu recalled Hu Shanxiang's instructions to her and continued, "The Empress is wonderful in every way, except for one thing."
Zhu Zhanji didn't expect her to change the subject and start talking about the Queen's faults, so he asked, "What's wrong with the Queen?"
"The Queen has sacrificed herself and the two princesses too much in order to fulfill her duties."
Zhu Zhanji laughed after hearing this and said, "You are quite good at speaking up for her. Isn't it natural for the Queen to be loyal to her duties?"
Wu Miaosu continued, "When I was serving in the East Garden, I privately saw that the princess worked day and night, either studying hard or practicing martial arts. If the Empress were an ordinary concubine like me, she only needed to wholeheartedly please His Majesty. Why make the princess work so hard?"
Zhu Zhanji was slightly stunned and said nothing more.
Wu Miaosu sensed a hint of guilt in his expression and said, "Although the Empress has been very kind to me, what I said was not empty talk. The Imperial Concubine was strict with Princess Changde, but she wasn't cruel enough to make her as overworked as Princess Shunde. Even among ordinary people, no family would let their children suffer." She stroked her slightly swollen belly and said, "Especially now that I have my own children, I feel that the Empress is too demanding of me and the two princesses. Whether it's a prince or a princess, they all carry your Majesty's blood. How could either your Majesty or I bear to see them suffer?"
Zhu Zhanji was startled, remembering what Hu Shanxiang had said, and smiled bitterly, "Yes, I've seen her inherent coldness and indifference for a long time. She has never had the slightest expectation of me. She only cares about these two children being able to survive in this world on their own. What else does she care about?"
Wu Miaosu seemed to have not understood the emperor's implication and simply continued, "The Empress is very kind to me. Three hundred and sixty days a year, how could she ever slack off for even a single day? If it weren't for Madam Xu coming into the palace to see the Empress, I wouldn't have known she was in poor health... No other concubine in the palace would have abandoned me like the Empress."
Zhu Zhanji boasted of the peace in his harem and almost never asked about the affairs of the palace. Thinking about it carefully today, Hu Shanxiang really never made him worry about the peace in the harem.
Even the backyard under the charge of Empress Dowager Zhang was not so peaceful.
Zhu Zhanji naturally knew that his mother sometimes deliberately let the concubines stir up trouble and then she would settle it, so as to highlight her importance as the queen.
But Hu Shanxiang never did that.
Seeing Zhu Zhanji lost in thought, Wu Miaosu beckoned to the palace maid beside her. When the maid brought a tray with a warm ear on it, she handed it to Zhu Zhanji and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, try this."
Zhu Zhanji came back to his senses, took the ear warmer handed to him by Wu Miaosu, stroked the wool material and said jokingly: "This material feels so-so, could it be that someone is fooling you?"
Wu Miaosu said somewhat embarrassedly, "Your Majesty forgot. This is the musk deer skin that the princess gave you earlier. It's just that the eunuchs were busy celebrating the imperial concubine's pregnancy that day, so they sorted and distributed it haphazardly. I saw that the color of this musk deer skin was nice, so I asked for it. I thought that Your Majesty and the princess would be pleased to see it, so I am just offering this as a token of my appreciation."
Zhu Zhanji coughed lightly, then put on the ear warmers and asked Wu Miaosu, "How is it? I'll change into them when the weather gets cold."
Wu Miaosu smiled brightly and praised, "She is a perfect match for Your Majesty."
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