H2 >
After Emperor Chong Zhen ascended to the throne, the two Empress Dowagers moved out of their original palaces. Xi Wu Palace was renamed Feng Zao Palace and Xia Jiang Empress moved in. Rui Shu Fei moved into Yongle Palace. It was probably because there were too many empty palaces in the inner palace that even Mei Jieyu was given her own Hua Zhang Palace.
As the chief official of the Kun Ling Bureau, Yu Shu knew the concubines of the inner palace very well. This month, the Book of Great Earth was being revised. No matter how few women there were in Emperor Chong Zhen's inner palace, they had to follow the rules of their ancestors and were not allowed to ask for favor. So unless Rui Shu Fei wanted to die, no one would be stupid enough to offend her.
Sitting in the side hall of Yongle Palace, Yu Shu examined the exquisite decorations around her. It was interesting to say that the two Shu Fei that had lived here had not been favored but had the support of their paternal families. The Emperor had given them face and would not be too cold.
Grand Tutor Yin was one of the best at court. When Ning Wang was in power, he did not jump up and down. When the old Emperor was seriously ill, he did not help his grandson take the throne. Instead, he worked diligently as the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor. Until the end, the new Emperor remembered his kindness and did not put him in the same category as Ning Wang. He not only made him the Marquis of Rong En, but also kept Yin Yuanrong. Even Yin Shu Fei was safely sent back to the Yin Family.
It could be said that he had done a good job. The Count of Loyalty and Bravery, Rui Ang, was someone who knew how to curry favor. Just from the incident of Xia Jiangmin startling the horse when she was the Crown Prince's concubine, it could be seen that he had great ambitions. In the future, he might do foolish things again. It was likely that this Rui Shu Fei would not have a better ending than Yin Shu Fei.
Yu Shu sat down and waited for a moment. Consort Rui Shu came late. She had lost her youthfulness and was even more beautiful than before. The weather had not yet turned cold but she was wearing a lilac embroidered dress with a string of white jade around her waist. It was hard to describe her nobility.
Yu Shu slowly got up and nodded, "Greetings to Honored Consort Shu." Consort Shu was a third-rank Palace Consort. She couldn't compare to the Empress and the Guifei, much less the two Empress Dowagers. She didn't need to be submissive in front of her, she just needed to act.
How could Consort Rui Shu not see her arrogance? She walked past her and sat down on a wide chair. She raised her head to look at her as she softly said, "Official Yu has been promoted. It's only been three days since we last met. You really should be looked at in a new light."
Yu Shu heard the sarcasm in her words. She curled her lips and sat down. Although she didn't reply, it was clear from her eyes that she didn't take her seriously.
Consort Rui Shu was annoyed at being snubbed. Yu Shu had relied on betraying the Xue family to climb up. In her eyes, she was purely a vile person who had achieved success. She looked down on her from the bottom of her heart. However, she was now in charge of the Kun Ling bureau. As a concubine in the palace, she could not easily offend her.
"Today, I called you to the palace to talk about the selection. I have seen the rules submitted by the Kun Ling Bureau and the Ministry of Rites. Yesterday, I took it to consult the Empress Dowager and found that there were some inappropriate parts. I used a red brush to write them down. Take it back and change it."
As she said this, she had the palace maid behind her take a booklet and give it to Yu Shu. Yu Shu flipped through it and saw that Honored Consort Shu had expanded the number of girls from two good families from each county to eight. She had changed the age of the girls from twelve to sixteen to ten to sixteen. She had also reduced the pension for the palace maids from twenty taels to ten taels. The changes were all in places that were not explicitly stated. It could be seen that Honored Consort Shu was clever.
Consort Shu didn't have such schemes, but she had a childless aunt who became the Empress Dowager's biological aunt.
Yu Shu closed the booklet and looked coldly at Rui Zizhu, asking: "May I ask Consort Shu, is this your idea or the Empress Dowager's idea?" Don't think that there were only a few changes, but there were many implications. If they really did as the higher-ups said, it would be fine if nothing happened. But if something happened, the Emperor would definitely blame the Kun Ling Bureau.
Consort Rui Shu hesitated and said without much confidence: "Naturally it is my idea. His Majesty's harem is empty and it is the first year of his ascension to the throne. It is time for a general election. "
Yu Shu instantly sneered and stood up to wave the selection rules in her hands. She asked mercilessly: "Does Consort Shu know how many prefectures and counties are under the rule of my Da 'an Dynasty? Do you know how old the daughters of the common people are? Do you know how much rice can be bought with ten taels of silver? "
Consort Rui Shu became mute from her questions.
Yu Shu said coldly: "Our dynasty has one hundred and two prefectures and nine hundred and seventeen counties. If eight girls are chosen from each place, that would be eight thousand one hundred and fifty-two people. In the past, many of the girls that were sent to the provinces died of illness along the way, so the number of people sent to the capital is far more than this. In the end, there will be at most two hundred people left in the palace. Has Consort Shu thought about where the remaining seven thousand nine hundred and fifty-two people will go? Let me tell you, they will either be expelled from the capital as refugees or sold to brothels for the entertainment of the rich. In the end, only half will be able to return home safely. You added two to eight people and changed the number, but it is a few thousand lives! "
She didn't say a single harsh word, but made Consort Rui Shu's face turn red with shame, but she still insisted on being stubborn.
"Then let's change it to four people."
"Four people also won't do, at most two. The Emperor has already said that this year's selection will be simple. If Consort Shu is not convinced, you can find the Emperor to judge."
"That number can be changed, right? Ten year old girls should be sensible. If they are older, it will be hard to raise them in the palace. "
"Ah, presumably when Consort Shu is ten years old, she can leave her father and mother without crying or making a fuss."
Consort Rui Shu secretly gritted her teeth and said angrily: "That twenty taels of silver reduced to ten, it can save money on the national treasury. Although ben gong doesn't know how many stone of rice can be bought with ten taels of silver, but I know that the women in the palace can enjoy it every month. Taking ten more taels of silver isn't worth much."
Yu Shu shook her head, "Who does Consort Shu think these twenty taels of silver are for? That is money for parents to buy their lives. After taking these twenty taels of silver, they might not be able to see their daughter for the rest of their lives. In Consort Shu's heart, a living person's life isn't even worth twenty taels of silver? "
Consort Rui Shu's face was so red that it was about to drip blood. Facing Yu Shu's undisguised ridicule, she suddenly remembered the night of the Gentlemen Hibiscus Banquet when she was scolded by Yu Shu as a gossipy woman. She finally couldn't bear it and was about to slap the table and stand up when she heard a sharp voice outside the door —
"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"
As the mistress of the six palaces, if the Empress wanted to enter a concubine's palace, it was unimpeded. There wasn't even a single person blocking the door. So Empress Xia Jiang, with her six or seven months pregnant belly, was escorted straight in by people and came to the door of the side hall.
Xia Jiangmin stood outside the door and looked in. She saw that the atmosphere inside wasn't good. She pretended not to know and said to Yu Shu with a smile: "ben gong originally came to the Imperial Garden to get some fresh air. On the way, I heard that you came to the palace, so I wandered here."
Then her smile faded a little and she said to Consort Rui Shu: "If sister has nothing serious, I'll take her away."
After that, she didn't care if she agreed or not and reached out to Yu Shu. Yu Shu swept away her previous cold face and came forward to support her: "Her Majesty's body is heavy. How can you run around? It's better to go back to Fengzao Palace to rest."
Xia Jiangmin touched her belly with a gentle expression and said: "It's okay. My son is very obedient."
The two walked away hand in hand as if there was no one else around, leaving Consort Rui Shu with a belly full of anger. She almost fainted.
.....
Coming out of Yongle Palace, Xia Jiangmin sat on the phoenix carriage. She originally wanted to sit with Yu Shu but she refused, "There are rules in the palace. Niangniang is the mistress of the six palaces. How can you break the rules because of me and give yourself to others? Besides, this subject is young and healthy, it's just walking a few more steps. "
Xia Jiangmin could only have the people pulling the carriage slow down and let Yu Shu walk by her side. After an appointment, they returned to her Fengzao Palace. After dismissing the miscellaneous people, Xia Jiangmin asked Yu Shu in amusement: "What did Consort Shu talk to you about? I saw that you made her quite angry."
Without outsiders, Yu Shu stopped pretending and spoke freely: "What else could it be? Isn't it just that little matter of the selection? She wants to curry favor in front of His Majesty and wants to order me around like a fool. How could I do as she pleases? "
So she told her all the rotten ideas that Consort Rui Shu and Empress Dowager Rui had come up with, intentionally instilling some principles into her.
After listening, Xia Jiangmin was silent. After a while, she sighed with emotion: "Born with wealth, how would one know the suffering of the common people? If I hadn't gone through those difficult times with you, I'm afraid I would be like her, treating human life like grass. "
"She's not as good as you." Yu Shu spoke the truth. Taking off her boots, she lay down on Xiang Fei's bed. She casually picked up a red fruit from the tea table and took a bite. She wrinkled her nose and turned to look at Xia Jiangmin's face, asserting:
"This child of yours will definitely be a young imperial son."
Xia Jiangmin instantly beamed with joy: "His Majesty has always said it's a son. I wasn't sure before, but with your words, I'm certain."
Yu Shu saw her happy appearance and didn't want to spoil the mood, but she couldn't not say it. So she asked her vaguely: "Do you have Xiao Hu's palace servants in your palace?"
"There should be. What about it?"
Yu Shu said lightly: "There are a few Xiao Hu's. Call them all here, let me see."
Xia Jiangmin stopped laughing. She realized that the matter wasn't simple. Without asking more, she called in her trusted palace maid Ming 'er and gave her a few instructions. After a while, she brought three people to the outer room and called them in one by one for Yu Shu to see.
Yu Shu asked each of them a question. In the end, she locked onto a little palace maid named Xiaguang, gagged her mouth and threw her to the side. Then, she ordered people to search her residence. After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, Ming 'er ran back with an ashen face to report —
"Your Highness, I found a small bag of saffron in Xiaguang's pillow." Saffron was an elixir that could promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. It wasn't poisonous, but pregnant women could suffer from bleeding and miscarriage if they took it. It was very violent. And this Xiaguang was the one in charge of serving food in Feng Zao Palace. She only needed to hide a little bit under her fingernail every time she served food. Over time, there was no fear that Xia Jiangmin wouldn't fall for it.
Xia Jiangmin's face was full of anger. Yu Shu came forward to take the palm-sized sachet. Opening it to take a look, she confirmed that there was still a lot left inside. She said: "I think that she didn't have time to do anything to your food. But it's best to summon a taiyi over."
Xia Jiangmin glanced at her and quickly calmed down. She ordered in a heavy voice: "Summon the taiyi, just say that ben gong caught a cold last night and isn't feeling well."
Yu Shu nodded in agreement. Before the matter was clear, it was best not to alert the enemy.
Ming 'er went to summon the taiyi and Xiaguang was quietly taken away. Xia Jiangmin's legs softened as she sat down on the bed. She said to Yu Shu with lingering fear: "This Xiaguang was someone I brought into the palace from Jing Wang Fu. Who would have thought that she would be bribed. It's good that you're here. Otherwise, I would have unknowingly fallen into the evil person's trap. What if something happens to the child in my belly? How am I supposed to live? "
Yu Shu said: "The tricks of the palace to harm people are always hard to guard against. In the future, you have to be more cautious of things that enter your mouth."
Xia Jiangmin nodded. She suddenly remembered to ask her: "That's right, how did you know that that girl wanted to harm me? Your art of disguise is already so powerful? "
Yu Shu smiled but didn't speak. In the end, she didn't expose her. Ever since she had 'opened her apertures', she had mastered everything in the art of disguise. Not only was the art of the six lines unobstructed, she even had a new breakthrough in the Law of Calamity, which had been stagnant for a long time. This time, when she used the Law of Calamity to predict Xia Jiangmin's safety, she predicted that someone wanted to harm her. Not only did she predict the zodiac of the culprit behind the scenes, she even predicted the little palace maid who was responsible for drugging her.
Her [Great Dong Ming Art] advanced by leaps and bounds. In just a month, she had already reached the third realm, [Integration]. She could easily distinguish between truth and falsehood. Thus, after she asked the three palace maids who were born in the zodiac of the monkey, she knew who was lying and who was telling the truth. The one who was telling the truth might not be innocent, but the one who was telling the lie definitely was.
As expected, she managed to find a little demon.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
