Chapter 173 Rogue

The concubines had long known that after Jiaofang Palace had its owner, their life would be difficult, but they did not expect to be suppressed to this point. What it meant by “entering the door of the palace is as deep as the sea”, now they finally understand, without emperor’s favor or children, it’s unknow how they would live. Some people were helpless, some people were lost, and some people were full of anger.

Pan Jieyu subconsciously looked at Shen Jieyu, her lips opened and closed slightly.

Holding the palace rule, Shen Jieyu took a few steps forward, bowed down and said, “Niangniang’s warning and teaching, us concubine don’t dare to disobey, we should abide by the palace rules and keep our duties. Of course, as the mother of a country, niangniang ‘s most important responsibility should be to spread the branches and leaves for the imperial family, and extend the bloodline. The emperor is close to the standing age (thirty), but there has no good news in the palace. Should niangniang persuade the emperor to spread the rain and dewit means treating things or people equally, not favoring some people too much and neglect the others, sow the dragon seed? Us concubines has entered the palace for several years, but no one has received His Majesty’s favor. The harem has no master before, us concubine worried but did not know who to complain to. But now niangniang is in charge of the Six Palaces, occupies the phoenix position, the commander of us concubines, still asks niangniang to be the master for us concubine.”

As soon as she finished speaking, all the concubines knelt down in unison and shouted, “Please asks niangniang to be the master for us concubines.”

Before entering the palace, Guan Suyi already knew what she would face. She clapped her hands calmly, and one of the inner attendant walked forward with a tray, and presented the contents of the tray to the noble concubines for viewing.

“This is?” Shen Jieyu felt something in her heart.

“This is the palace card,” Guan Suyi picked up the wooden card engraved with the words “Jiaofang Palace”, and said slowly, “who the emperor wants to spoil is not something This Palace can control, but the This Palace will not shirk the duties that This Palace should fulfilled. These palace cards are engraved with your name and the palace name, and every day This Palace will send an inner attendant to let the emperor choose, so as to remind him to spread the rain and dew. As for who he will choose, it depends on your luck.”

After she said this, she felt a churning in her stomach, and she had to close her eyes for a while before suppressing the nausea.

One by one, the concubines craned their necks to look into the tray, and their expressions showed a bit of joy. Shen Jieyu stopped talking, but Pan Jieyu felt that it was not enough, and said, “Niangniang should just arranged us concubines to serve the bed, why bother with all these mysteries.” Others didn’t know, but she was very clear that the emperor obeyed the empress’s words.

Guan Suyi glanced at her and said coldly, “If you think that This Palace just trying to make things mysterious, that’s fine. This Palace will draw up a schedule for serving the bed and arrange the emperor’s favor one by one. In the future, you don’t have to go to the emperor to flatter, just come directly to Jiaofang palace to serve This Palace, and whoever makes This Palace happy, This Palace will help that person.”

As soon as these words came out, Pan Jieyu‘s face became extremely ugly, and the rest of the concubines were also frightened and uneasy. As soon as the palace rules came out, the empress’s authority had already extended to the limit. If she even arranged which concubine who’s going to serve the bed, wouldn’t it mean that she completely controlled their way to survive? Why Pan Jieyu had to speak? You can’t court death like this! The palace card still better, if the emperor gets tired of the empress, others would have a chance!

Thinking like this, everyone quickly said in unison, “Thanking Niangniang for giving us concubine this palace card.” Pan Jieyu sat stiffly for a moment, and finally knelt down with everyone, her heart was full of humiliation and unwillingness, but she couldn’t do anything.

Guan Suyi closed her eyes and said, “While everyone is here, send the palace card directly to Weiyang Palace. The one who have been summoned will go back and prepare herself. Hope she can spread branches and leaves for my imperial family as soon as possible.”

The concubines were overjoyed, and they knelt down again and again to give thanks, and then looked forward to it.

—-

Inside Weiyang Palace, Emperor Sheng Yuan was discussing the matter of flood control with several ministers and workers. He finally had time to rest, and was about to change into his regular clothes to accompany the empress in Jiaofang Palace. But then he saw Baifu coming in with a tray, his expression was a little strange. When he looked inside, there were more than two dozen small wooden cards with tassels of various colors, engraved with the names of the palaces and concubines.

“What’s this?” He picked up the small wooden sign engraved with the words Jiaofang Palace and played with it, there was a gentle smile on his brows and eyes.

“Report to the Emperor, this was sent by the empress niangniang. She said that you almost reach the standing age and still have no children, so she advised you to spread the rain and dew. From now on, she will send people to bring the palace cards every day, and whoever you want to visit, just flip the sign. The concubine will then get the message to let her prepare early.”

“What?” The smile on Emperor Sheng Yuan’s face disappeared instantly, he gritted his teeth while saying, “Is this really what Madam asked you to send?”

Baifu caught a glimpse of the emperor’s cloudy and stormy expression, he couldn’t help but swallow his saliva, “Report to the emperor, it was indeed sent by empress niangniang.” He didn’t dare to say more. In fact, he very much agreed with the empress’s actions. In another year, the emperor would be thirty years old, but there was not even one child under his knees. This had become the biggest hidden danger that could shake his throne. The empress’s move was for the continuation of the imperial bloodline, was it not for the emperor himself? This is the real virtuous empress!

However, Emperor Sheng Yuan didn’t appreciate it at all. He flipped the tray with his hand and said angrily, “Burn it! Burn all these unsightly things for Zhen!”

Baifu was so frightened that he didn’t dare to persuade him, he had no choice but to pick up the palace cards that had been thrown to the ground, and take it outside the hall to burn them. But after a few steps, he heard the emperor said “wait”. He was overjoyed in his heart, thinking that the emperor had changed his mind, but then he saw that the other person only picked up the “Jiaofang Palace” card and put it in his arms, he then waved his hand gloomily, “Take the rest and burn them.”

Baifu had no choice but to obey the order.

—-

In Jiaofang Palace, the concubines were still waiting patiently. They looked at each other and tested each other, all guessing who would be chosen. If one could be favored and get pregnant with a dragon heir overnight, according to the palace rules it was considered a great merit, and she would be promoted. With a child and a position, a greater fortune would definitely wait at the front. An empress was indeed very grand, but the grandness was not as good as an Empress Dowager.

In the midst of wild thoughts, many people’s cheeks turned red and showed a smile of joy, but then they heard the sound of hurried footsteps from outside the hall. After a while, the tall, handsome and cold-tempered Emperor Sheng Yuan strode over. Without looking at the concubines, he went straight to the empress and slapped a wooden card on the table, “Madam, what do you mean by this?”

Guan Suyi, who was closing her eyes and tried to relax, opened her eyes and said calmly, “Didn’t the inner attendant sent by this consort make it clear? The emperor has no children, so this consort asks the emperor to favor the concubines and continue the bloodline.”

Emperor Sheng Yuan’s angry expression gradually turned vicious. He looked back at the miscellaneous people, and scolded sharply, “Get out of the Jiaofang Palace!”

How could everyone dare to stroke the tiger’s whiskersdoing something daring at this time, they fled the door without waiting for him to finish his words, and only after leaving Jiaofang Palace did they ask, “What happened to the emperor? Why get angry without rhyme or reason?” Only Pan Jieyu had a solemn expression on her face, she stood in the open space outside the palace for a long time before leaving with flimsy footsteps.

After everyone was gone, Emperor Sheng Yuan asked again with a stern face, “Madam, what do you really think of Zhen?”

Guan Suyi loosened her fist that had been clenched for a long time, and asked without answering, “You only brought back one palace card, what about the rest?”

“Zhen burn them.” Emperor Sheng Yuan was tired of her method of always changing the subject, but he was reluctant to get angry with her.

“Burn?” The corners of Guan Suyi’s lips seemed to be move upward, but it quickly smoothed out. She stared at Hunnar and said word by word, “Do you think I’m heartless for pushing you into another woman’s bed less than a month since we get married?”

Without waiting for Hunnar to answer, she continued, “Do you know what love is? For example, if you get a very precious treasure, you love it so much, and you always take it out and caress it. But one day you bumped into a friend, and that friend also like it, so they asked you to share it with them, and you agreed without saying a word. This is love, but it’s only love for playthings, even if you share it with others, you will not feel sad. There is also a kind of love called one and only, unfaltering in this whole life, and cannot be share or even touched by anyone, if you accidentally let others take a look, you will feel a heart-wrenching pain.”

Guan Suyi slowly put her hand on her left chest and said with a chuckle, “Your Majesty, have you ever thought that this consort is the empress of Wei, then I should fulfil the duties as an empress. Even I don’t want to do something, I still have to do it; Even if I don’t want to say something, I still have to say it. When I persuade you to visit others, maybe my heart is crying for you to stay.”

Emperor Sheng Yuan’s gloomy face was gradually replaced by love. He hugged Madam’s thin body and said in a hoarse voice, “Do you love me? Are you trying to say that you love me? One and only, unfaltering in this whole life?”

Guan Suyi didn’t answer but asked instead, “What about you? What kind of feelings do you have for me? If I tell you directly, don’t visit others, in this life can only have me, will you think I’m insatiable?”

“No.” Emperor Sheng Yuan replied quickly, “We have each other is enough.”

Guan Suyi finally calmed down and said frankly, “Then relying on Your Majesty’s love, I’m going to play a rogue again, still asks you to please forgive.”

Emperor Sheng Yuan looked down at her, his tone was a little gentle, with little smile in it, “What rogue are you playing?”

“I want to be a virtuous Empress, but I also want to monopolize my husband. Is it possible?” Guan Suyi stared straight at him, “For Ye Zhen you can bear the infamy for so many years, so it’s not a big deal to bear it for me, right? ”

“For you Madam, I am willing to bear anything, let alone a little infamy. Madam, what do you really want to do?” Emperor Sheng Yuan was completely confused.

Guan Suyi’s tone was calm, “If I try to dominate you, not to mention the courtiers will throw me all kind of impeachments, I’m afraid even my grandfather and father will accuse me for harming the country and the people. However, I just want to monopolize you, and I can’t stand for you to have any relation with other women. These concubines in the harem haven’t serve the bed even for a day, aren’t they pitiful?”

Emperor Sheng Yuan was about to shake his head, but he heard Madam said firmly, “They are indeed pitiful, but if I give you to them because of this, I will only be even more pitiful. I was supposed to be a virtuous person, but in the end, I found myself just a miser who pretended to be virtuous. As I said before, the reputation of the virtuous empress, I want; to monopolize you, I also want. These cards, I will let people send them to Weiyang Palace every day, advising you to spread the rain and dew, and you should know who you want to choose, right?”

Emperor Sheng Yuan finally understood what Madam meant, first nodded slowly, and finally clapped his hands while laughing heartily.

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