novelcrest Chapter 219 Phoenix Palace
Chapter 219 Phoenix Palace
After Shen Shixi and the other person left, the Empress Dowager remained lost in thought for a long time!
She knew perfectly well that these were the words the emperor wanted to say, but he couldn't bring himself to say them because of his status. Shen Shixi spoke these words for him!
The emperor didn't utter a single word from beginning to end, which shows what he was thinking.
She was both angry and heartbroken that the emperor had become so estranged from her.
It is difficult for a person to realize their own mistakes. Shen Shixi said these things not in the hope that the Empress Dowager would reflect on herself, but to help her put on the brakes so that she wouldn't end up turning mother and son into enemies.
The grievances a person suffers in childhood and adolescence do not simply fade away with time; instead, they become a thorn embedded in their life, not life-threatening, but always a reminder of its existence.
Li Yuanke is like this now. When he was a child, the Empress Dowager pushed him out to compete for the Emperor's favor time and time again. He tried his best to stand in front of the late Emperor. Only he himself knows how much suffering and grievance he has endured.
The two returned to Qianyuan Palace, took a bath in the hot spring pool, and then went to the dragon bed.
Shen Shixi rolled around on the bed several times, "Ahhh, the beds in the palace are so comfortable..."
Her mouth was covered by Li Yuanke, who pressed it down.
Li Yuanke had his eyes closed, so she couldn't see the expression in his eyes.
On the way back, while we were taking a bath, he held her without saying a word.
Now, their emotions have been released.
Shen Shixi then suffered the consequences.
"You bastard, Li Yuanke, why are you taking it out on me? Waaah, you son of a bitch, slow down!"
Li Yuanke's eyes were red.
They just won't stop!
Tears welled up in Shen Shixi's eyes. "You're not satisfied with this much? Didn't I even help you with my hands? Look at your concubines, they all treat you like stray dogs seeing a bone..."
"Shut the hell up!" Li Yuanke covered her mouth and bit her hard.
The force remains undiminished.
Shen Shixi's waist was held in his hand, making her unable to move, so she raised her foot to kick his shoulder.
Li Yuanke grabbed her leg.
The commotion inside intensified. Li Fude, who was guarding outside, waved his hand, signaling the servants to leave. He himself also tiptoed out.
The two of them went to sleep after they finished. They were very hungry, but their lives were also important. The journey back had been very tiring. They slept until the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), when they woke up hungry. They got up, ate a meal, and then went back to sleep.
The next day, Li Yuanke had an early morning court session and got up very early. Shen Shixi couldn't possibly go to pay her respects. As soon as Li Yuanke got up, she wrapped the quilt around herself and scurried to the corner of the bed to continue sleeping.
There's a morning greeting ceremony in the Empress's palace. Shen Shixi can skip it, but Consort Jin, Lady Guo, and Lady Yuan can't skip it. Everyone is waiting for the three of them. The Empress wished she had summoned them yesterday.
The three men bowed deeply to the Empress.
The Empress said, "The three of you have worked hard on this trip. It shouldn't be just Sister Chenyuan who benefits. I will ask the Emperor for a reward for you."
What could the three of them say but express their gratitude? Wouldn't Lady Chenyuan help them get a reward?
The three women had witnessed Shen Shixi's abilities, and her promotion was only a matter of time. It was just that the Emperor was in the mood to promote her on her birthday. As for the three women, the Emperor's reward was also just a matter of time.
Everyone knew the truth, but the Empress insisted on stealing the credit.
Consort De smiled and said, "Sister Chenyuan, you've probably made all the arrangements, so Your Majesty can rest easy. Your health has finally recovered, and the Emperor is eagerly awaiting a legitimate son. If you can give birth to a legitimate son, it will be a blessing for our Great Zhou!"
Consort Qiong said, "What Consort De said is very true. His Majesty only has four princes and one princess in total, which is a bit too few. Whether the concubines are promoted or not is not important. What matters most is the imperial heir."
The Empress then said, "Speaking of the palace, the one who receives the most favor is undoubtedly the Imperial Noble Consort. I wonder why she is not pregnant yet!"
Consort Jin was getting annoyed. "Does pregnancy have much to do with being favored by the Emperor? I've heard that Consort De received the least favor, yet she still gave birth to three imperial heirs for the Emperor. She's worth three men."
Consort De was both amused and exasperated; these words didn't sound like a compliment at all.
The Empress was furious. "Consort Jin, how dare you disrespect your superior and defy me!"
"Your Majesty, I dare not!"
"Go outside and kneel for a full hour!" the Empress said, pointing outside.
Consort De picked up her tea and sipped it slowly, concealing the upturned corners of her lips.
Consort Qiong hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Consort Jin is unable to have children herself, and she only acted impulsively upon hearing about the pregnancy. She did not mean any disrespect to Your Majesty; she was probably just envious of Consort De."
"Thank you for your kind words, Consort Qiong. I do not envy Consort De. I simply cannot bear to hear anyone speak ill of Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan. If you must speak ill of her, why say such things in front of her? And why do you say them behind her back?"
After saying that, she got up and went outside, where she knelt in the courtyard.
Wang Yuehuai said, "It's truly enviable that Sister Guo and Sister Yuan can accompany the Emperor. I've heard that Sister Yuan is an excellent storyteller, which is why Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan chose her to serve. I wonder if she could also tell us about things happening outside, so we can broaden our horizons?"
Pan Zhiheng said, "Wang Baolin is indeed from a humble family; she doesn't even understand etiquette. What do you mean by 'chosen by the Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan'? She was clearly ordered by the Emperor to serve him! Besides, my two elder sisters probably haven't read many books and don't know anything about the outside world. Can you even explain this clearly?"
Wang Yuehuai then fell silent.
Guo and Yuan are not fools; they were palace maids. They are no ordinary people who have survived to this day. They can see that the palace has changed a lot in the past six months and is now a three-way power struggle.
Madam Yuan quickly replied, "Pan Baolin's words make sense. Although the outside world is dazzling, we still find the palace peaceful and comfortable!"
The Empress was very satisfied, especially when she saw Jin kneeling obediently outside.
After waking up and having breakfast, Shen Shixi returned to Zhaoyang Palace. All the servants in the palace knelt down to greet her, and after she ascended the throne, they performed a grand ceremony.
"Get up, everyone. As usual, there will be a generous reward this time. Whether you went out with me or stayed behind, you will all be rewarded! Qinghao's allowance will be the same as Lanying's and the others from now on."
"We, your humble servants, thank Your Highness, the Imperial Noble Consort!"
The palace was filled with joy, just like during the New Year. Several of the personal attendants received twenty taels of silver each, and Qinghao also received one. Others received ten, eight, or five taels.
Even a menial job like sweeping the floor can earn five taels of silver, which is a year's income.
As the head eunuch and maid of Zhaoyang Palace, Chao En and Lan Ying were also promoted in rank, and Shen Shixi then instructed his subordinates to ask the two of them for a banquet.
The two of them naturally agreed.
It was like celebrating the New Year in Zhaoyang Palace.
Shen Shixi told the two of them to take some money to the small kitchen to get two tables of food for dinner. After that, they both went to work on their own.
Chao Yu entered and said, "Your Highness, something has happened at Fengyi Palace!"
"What happened?"
"Consort Jin was punished by kneeling because she spoke up for the Empress. The Empress punished her for disrespecting her superior and ordered her to kneel in the courtyard for an hour!"
One hour later, and your knees are ruined?
Shen Shixi got up and went to his study, wrote a memorial, and asked Chaoyu to deliver it to the emperor.
Everyone in the palace knew that Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan had submitted a memorial to the Emperor, but no one knew what she had written.
The emperor found it amusing; the lazy dog was sending him memorials, which were certainly not some regulations for governing the country. But he was very interested and opened them to find that they were requests for promotion of Consort Jin, Guo, and Yuan.
The three women accompanied the emperor on his border inspection and served him well. It is recommended that they be promoted to the rank of Consort Jin, while Guo and Yuan will be promoted to the rank of Ninth Consort.
He jumped two ranks in one go, and it's perfectly justifiable for him to be promoted for his merits.
Li Yuanke then handed the folded document to Li Fude, saying, "Issue an order to the Imperial Household Department to carry it out! Also, order the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to select an auspicious day for the celebration of the conferment of the title upon Imperial Noble Consort Chenyuan, and instruct the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department to prepare all the necessary ceremonial rites for the celebration, the scale of which shall be the same as that for the conferment of the title upon an empress!"