bookcurios Chapter 131 The Emperor's Favor and Temptation
Chapter 131 The Emperor's Favor and Temptation
Given all the evil things Liu Ruyan had done, if she had not been pregnant with the royal heir, he would have dealt with her long ago. How could he have given her the honor of assisting in managing the six palaces?
When it came time to choose someone, the emperor suddenly thought of Shen Zhinian.
Although the young lady is simple-minded, she is very smart and will definitely be able to handle the affairs of the six palaces. Moreover, she is kind-hearted, and even if she gains power, she will not be like the queen and the imperial concubine, who would fight for power and make the harem chaotic.
The most important thing is that he loves that little girl, but as an emperor, most of his energy is focused on the previous dynasty, and there will always be times when he can't take care of her. With power in her hands, she can protect herself better.
There is one more thing... Although Nangong Xuanyu believes in Shen Zhinian, his status as an emperor destined him to be suspicious. This move was also intended to test Shen Zhinian's mind...
Thinking of this, Nangong Xuanyu said, "What do you think of Concubine Rou? It's almost New Year's Eve, and you and Concubine Liang are busy with the New Year's Eve banquet. Letting her learn from the side can also reduce the hard work of both of you."
Concubine Liu lowered her head, the corners of her lips curled up slightly: "Your Majesty is thoughtful, I have no objection."
Today's imperial concubine is indeed no longer as arrogant and jealous as before, and even looks down on the power of the harem, which makes him less suspicious.
It didn't matter whether the imperial concubine was really sensible or just pretending. As long as she behaved in a way that he liked and made him less upset, that was fine.
The emperor embraced Concubine Liu in his arms and said softly, "Qingqing is so considerate, I am very pleased! If you can keep it up, there will be no worries about the harem not being united. Then Qingqing will be the first to contribute."
Concubine Liu's maiden name was Liu Shiqing. When she was born, Duke Dingguo happened to be leading his troops to repel the Huns, so she was given the name Liu Shiqing, which means "born at the right time, when the sea is peaceful and the rivers are prosperous."
When she first married His Majesty, His Majesty always called her by her maiden name in private. But since when, His Majesty only called her "concubine", "noble concubine" and "beloved concubine".
Concubine Liu also gradually felt that although His Majesty favored her, it was always less intimate than when they first met.
Hearing this familiar name from His Majesty again, Concubine Liu's eyes became hot and she almost shed tears!
The advice given to her by Concubine Rou really worked!
"In the past, Qingqing didn't think clearly and always quarreled with the Queen, causing trouble to Your Majesty. Thank you Your Majesty for not blaming me. Qingqing will respect the Queen and love the concubines in the future, so that Your Majesty can focus on handling state affairs."
The emperor stroked Concubine Liu's long hair, his eyes gentle: "I didn't expect the queen to be intolerant of newcomers. Qingqing is much more sensible than her."
This was the first time that His Majesty praised her as being better than the Queen. Concubine Liu was overjoyed: "Your Majesty..."
As long as she continues to be sensible, she will definitely be able to enter His Majesty's heart! Maybe His Majesty will see her sensibleness and ability to manage the harem, and when the old queen dies, he will make her the queen!
That night, the emperor naturally stayed in Yongshou Palace.
The two chatted about their past in the palace, from the day they first met, which brought back endless beautiful memories.
No one dared to guess what the emperor was thinking, but he got up early to attend court, and then people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs brought a stream of rewards to Yongshou Palace.
Concubine Liu was naturally very proud and in high spirits, and she generously rewarded Chen Yaming and the young eunuch who came with him.
After the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs left, Concubine Liu still had a bright smile on her face: "Although His Majesty has stayed at Yongshou Palace many times in the past, I have always been strict with him and followed the rules of concubines serving the monarch. But last night, His Majesty treated me as if I had returned to the time when I first entered the palace..."
"If Your Majesty can continue to treat me so well and be so close to me, it would be fine even if I had to hand over all the power in my hands."
Because she really loves, loves, loves His Majesty very much...
Seeing Concubine Liu so happy, Cuizhu was also happy for her from the bottom of her heart.
"Your Majesty's favorite is naturally the Imperial Concubine! But Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, and in the past he had to consider the balance between the imperial court and the harem. Your Majesty took the initiative to give in, eliminating Your Majesty's fears, and Your Majesty will naturally no longer hide his love for Her!"
"And His Majesty only said that Concubine Rou should follow the Empress to learn about the affairs of the six palaces, and the power of the harem is still in the hands of the Empress. It can be seen that His Majesty still trusts the Empress very much."
Concubine Liu was in high spirits as she was celebrating the good news. She smiled and said, "If it weren't for Concubine Rou's advice, I wouldn't have won so beautifully in this battle with the Queen, and His Majesty wouldn't have been so close to me."
"In the past, I was too narrow-minded and almost couldn't tolerate Concubine Rou. You are right. The harem cannot support itself alone. Having a capable ally is indeed of great benefit to me! Give the order that people in Yongshou Palace should be more polite when they see Concubine Rou in the future."
Cuizhu said respectfully: "Yes!"
"Since your majesty is studying the affairs of the six palaces, you can go and invite her over after breakfast."
"The slaves obey."
……
There are never any secrets in the harem, and what happened in Yongshou Palace spread early in the morning!
Queen Jiang was an experienced and shrewd woman, and she was even more certain that it was Shen Zhinian who was behind this. Otherwise, with Concubine Liu's temperament, how could she have handled things so beautifully!
Moreover, because of this incident, Shen Zhinian obtained the power to assist in managing the six palaces. He is really scheming!
If this continues, won't the harem really become the world of Concubine Liu? !
But the queen is the queen after all, and even so, she remains calm.
The incident of the Hetian jade bracelet had just passed, and she couldn't cause any more trouble, otherwise the image she had carefully cultivated in His Majesty's mind would completely collapse.
Everyone in the harem was waiting for the queen's reaction, but they found that Kunning Palace was still calm...
For a time, people's hearts were divided.
The Imperial Concubine and the Good Concubine were both senior and high-ranking, so it was normal for them to assist in managing the six palaces when the Empress was seriously ill. But Concubine Rou was just a noble who had just entered the palace. Why did she get such an honor? !
The imperial concubine's arrogance and jealousy are deeply rooted in people's hearts. Just when Concubine Rou has just established her foothold in the harem, she dares to snatch her power. She really doesn't know how to live or die!
Of course, there are still many smart people who see the essence through the phenomenon.
At first, it was the Imperial Concubine who suggested that Concubine Rou be given the title of Concubine. Now that the head nanny of Kunning Palace has been dealt with, Concubine Rou has been allowed to learn how to handle the affairs of the six palaces. It is hard not to suspect that she has long since surrendered to Concubine Gui.
If they could figure it out, how could the people around Shen Zhinian not notice it?
Madam Xiao reminded her, "My lady, His Majesty must have had such doubts in his heart. He may have been testing your mind by letting you follow the Imperial Concubine to learn about the affairs of the six palaces."
"If His Majesty finds out that you have really formed an alliance with the Imperial Concubine, it will probably be detrimental to the image you have worked so hard to build in his mind..."