thebusnovel Chapter 41 Unable to serve the Emperor in bed, yet the Emperor still visits every day.
Chapter 41 Unable to serve the Emperor in bed, yet the Emperor still visits every day.
Li Yuanke left in high spirits after eating and drinking his fill, his face glowing with joy.
As I passed by the Water Pavilion, I saw a woman wearing a peach-colored, high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), holding a willow branch, gazing blankly at the sky, revealing her beautiful swan neck.
She was singing a little tune, her voice like golden pearls falling on a jade plate, the melody melodious and charming, touching the heartstrings.
Li Yuanke withdrew his gaze, propped his head up, and leaned against the imperial carriage, closing his eyes to rest.
The imperial carriage stopped, and a particularly charming voice said, "This concubine greets Your Majesty, wishing you boundless blessings and good health!"
Li Yuanke raised his eyelids, glanced at her, and asked, "Which palace are you from?"
Su Fuying was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "This concubine, Su Fuying of Qixia Pavilion, greets Your Majesty!"
"Hmm, you sang well. Let's go!" The emperor said, leaning back in his dragon carriage with his eyes closed.
Li Fude waved his hand, signaling her to move aside. The imperial carriage passed by her, and she stared at Li Yuanke's back for a long time.
Su Fuying didn't know if this tactic would work, but she couldn't stop him, so she could only watch helplessly as the emperor left.
Yingge came over and helped her mistress up. "My lady, your voice is so beautiful, and you sing so well. The Emperor will surely like it."
Su Fuying shook her head. "I don't know either. I've been in the palace for over a month, and the Emperor hasn't summoned me yet. Didn't Consort Yuan also run into the Emperor last time, and she wasn't summoned either? With Consort Shen around, the Emperor has probably forgotten about us long ago."
Yingge said indignantly, "Yuan Cainu has to blame her bad luck. She just happened to run into the Emperor, and Shen Cairen summoned the imperial physician. Shen Cairen is such a vixen. I heard that someone in the previous dynasty impeached her for being a seductive and bewitching woman. The Emperor will get tired of her sooner or later."
Su Fuying said, "Don't talk nonsense, or someone will hear us! Let's go, we need to pay our respects to the Empress today."
Today marks the tenth of the month, and a morning meeting will be held in Qifeng Palace.
The Empress sat before her dressing table, her hair being combed by a maid. She took the official records and flipped to the most recent entries. "The Emperor has been staying at Peach Blossom Village for the past ten days or so, and there's not a single record of it in the official records. What illness does Consort Shen have that prevents her from attending to the Emperor, yet he still goes there every day?"
That's truly terrifying!
Listening to the zither, she said, "The people at Peach Blossom Village are like an ironclad fortress, left behind by the Emperor. We haven't been able to get any information out of them. I wonder what illness Consort Shen is suffering from. Could it be some incurable disease that has driven the Emperor to such a state?"
The empress was furious, but also helpless.
After washing up, it was time for the morning assembly. The Empress ascended the throne, and the concubines paid their respects. She looked at Consort Song and said, "Since you are pregnant and the weather is hot, there is no need for you to travel back and forth. You can skip the morning greetings from now on. Whenever you feel well and want to go out for a walk, you can come and sit in my palace."
Consort Song smiled and said, "It is my duty as a concubine to come early to pay my respects. If I am truly unwell, even if Her Majesty the Empress did not give the order, I will naturally prioritize the health of the imperial fetus. I would never do anything to be arrogant or presumptuous, nor would I ever break the rules!"
"Yes, Sister Hui is not like that frivolous vixen who would bewitch the emperor. I don't know what illness she has, but she hasn't been seen for more than ten days. She can't come to pay her respects to the Empress, yet she still manages to bewitch the Emperor so much that he stays at her place every night."
Consort Qing glanced at the new consorts again. "These newly arrived sisters are pitiful. There are four or five of them who haven't even seen the Emperor's face since entering the palace. Alas!"
She glanced at Consort Rong again, "Back in the past, Consort Rong was also favored, but she only spent two or three days a month with the Emperor. This Consort Shen has only been in the palace for a little over a month, but the Emperor has spent one or two dozen days with her."
This inevitably makes people think.
Consort Qing has a son, but the others don't. Who wouldn't want a son so that they can rise in status through their son?
Today, everyone has surprisingly joined forces and formed a united front.
Consort De said, "Your Majesty, as the Emperor's advisor, you have a duty to offer advice. It's one thing for the Emperor to look down on us older women who have lost our beauty. But the younger women are still so young and fresh; it's not good for us to just sit around like this every day."
What could the Empress say? She herself wanted to serve the Emperor, but now that they were outside, there were no rules to follow.
"I will persuade His Majesty, and the new concubines should wait patiently for a few days. Consort Shen and His Majesty have a different relationship. She is seriously ill and young. His Majesty is a sentimental person, so it is only natural that he feels sorry for her."
Once Consort Shen recovers, the Emperor will naturally summon you both.
"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty the Empress. We will obey Your Majesty's decree!" The new concubines bowed.
"Consort Su has indeed seen the Emperor's face today. I heard that Consort Su got up very early and went to Shuixin Pavilion to wait for the Emperor and sing a song for him. I suppose the Emperor will summon Consort Su today," said Consort Lin.
Su Fuying said, "When I was still a young lady, I learned to sing and had to practice my voice every day. I never expected to meet Your Majesty today."
"Whether it's a coincidence or not, only you know!" Lin Cairen sneered disdainfully.
"Alright, stop arguing! We're all sisters in the palace, we should get along well." The Empress said, "Now that we're living outside, apart from the newly arrived concubines this year, according to custom, the other concubines can choose to visit their families once a day."
There was no such rule originally, but the Empress Dowager is benevolent and has bestowed this favor upon you all; you should all remember to be grateful!
"Thank you, Empress Dowager!" the concubines bowed.
The Empress then asked, "Consort De, I heard that the Duchess of Xin's wife was seriously ill. I wonder if she is feeling any better?"
Consort De originally wanted to see her mother, but when the news reached back home, the Duchess of Xin fell ill and never recovered after hearing that the stone she had acquired had caused her grandson so much harm.
Consort De looks much more haggard now.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I heard my mother is feeling much better. If she does, she will definitely come to pay her respects to Your Majesty!"
The Empress nodded. "I have an old ginseng here; I'll bestow it upon your mother to nourish her body!"
"Her Majesty's things must be of high quality. Your Majesty, I thank you on behalf of my mother!"
After more than ten days of turmoil, the imperial recommendation has finally come to a conclusion. Song Piyang, the former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, has been appointed Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, while the former Minister of the Ministry of Personnel has requested to retire and has finally returned to his hometown.
The former Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites was transferred to the Left Vice Minister, and the former Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, Shen Xianzhang, who was also Shen Shixi's father, was transferred to the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.
Although the official ranks were the same, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy was equivalent to the current Minister of Education, and the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites was equivalent to the current Vice Minister of Education, Culture and Tourism, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wielding much more real power.
When the news reached the inner palace, Consort Song was overjoyed. Since the emperor was willing to give her father an important position, he would certainly not mistreat her.
Qianyun, along with the others in the palace, congratulated her, "Congratulations, Consort! You are pregnant with a prince, and your husband has been appointed Minister of Personnel. This is truly a double blessing! You should be reinstated soon!"
Consort Song stroked her still-flat stomach, filled with anticipation, "That Consort Shen only looks down on me because of her family's seniority. But fortunes change. My father is now a high-ranking official of the third rank in the court, a minister in one of the Six Ministries, while her father will probably die in his third-rank position!"
As long as she gives birth safely, the Emperor will surely promote her rank, and at that time, she might be able to become a concubine.
The power to promote or demote officials rested with the Ministry of Personnel, making the Minister of Personnel the most powerful of the six ministries.
No wonder Consort Song was so proud. From then on, regardless of the Song family's ancestors, starting with Song Piyang, the Song family entered the core of the powerful and influential circle of the Great Zhou Dynasty.