area51novel Chapter 271 Flowers Bloom Along the Roadside, You May Return Slowly
Chapter 271 Flowers Bloom Along the Roadside, You May Return Slowly
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Consort Xu was also somewhat stunned. Could it be that the Imperial Noble Consort's experience of serving the Emperor was different from theirs? Oh, right, the Imperial Noble Consort was a favored concubine, while they were not!
Consort Xu said, "The matrons won't allow it. They said I'm not allowed to peek at His Majesty's face when I'm serving him, I'm not allowed to touch His Majesty's body, I'm not allowed to make any noise, I'm not allowed to talk to His Majesty, I'm not allowed to seduce His Majesty... There are so many rules. Although I've learned some skills, I haven't been able to use any of them."
Shen Shixi almost burst out laughing and quickly picked up her teacup to cover her mouth.
What kind of operation is this?
A game where real people versus inflatable dolls?
More upscale inflatable dolls might even make a sound.
"What a pity!" Shen Shixi echoed without any sympathy. "Get up. You are carrying the emperor's child. The succession is of utmost importance. Your father was also involved in the treason, and your entire family is doomed. However, I heard that you are born of a concubine, and your aunt has long since passed away. Is that right?"
Xu Xuanshi said, "Yes! When I was six years old, my aunt was pregnant. The doctor took her pulse and said it was a boy. The mistress couldn't accept it and gave her a bowl of abortifacient medicine. My aunt bled profusely and died."
When I entered the palace, I was registered under the mistress's name and sent there as the legitimate daughter. I have no attachment to the Xu family.
"If that's the case, then you should go back and take good care of yourself during your pregnancy. Don't go out unless necessary."
"Your concubine obeys!"
After Consort Xu left, Shen Shixi took out the crabapple paper she had made before and wrote a sentence on it: "Flowers are blooming on the path, you may slowly return!"
That bastard doesn't want to come back once he leaves. Shen Shixi really didn't want to get up at four in the morning every day and go to court in a miserable state, facing a group of old men who looked like ugly gourds and cracked dates. It was just so utterly boring.
Some old men spit as they speak, some have eye boogers early in the morning, and some have long beards covered with crumbs of bread or grains of rice...
Thanks to the gods and Buddhas, there are no ministers like Wang Anshi in the court, who are like lice migrating from one end of the hair to the other of the collar; otherwise, Shen Shixi would have kicked them out no matter what.
I don't know how Emperor Shenzong of Song could tolerate it.
Being an emperor is no human being!
If we're talking about finding a few handsome men to please the eye, aside from novels, where are there any high-ranking officials in their twenties or thirties who are destined to be prime ministers?
Even the youngest person who reaches the third or fourth rank or higher is still a middle-aged man.
Shen Shixi sealed the package in an envelope and handed it to Li Fude, saying, "Have someone deliver this to the Imperial Tent as quickly as possible!"
Li Fude knew this was for His Majesty.
She really didn't want to read the memorials anymore and planned to go to sleep for a while, but then the Empress Dowager arrived.
Shen Shixi had no choice but to go out and greet them.
The handling of this matter was so swift and decisive that the palace was not affected in the slightest. Even the Empress Dowager had to admit that Shen Shixi was a very capable person, not only quick-witted and decisive, but also methodical in his actions.
She didn't want to be enemies with Shen Shixi.
"I've heard that you altered the Emperor's decree to keep Consort Jing in order to deal with her?" the Empress Dowager asked.
Shen Shixi said, "Yes, Your Majesty has given me the authority to make decisions in all matters, and I will not fail Your Majesty's trust."
"Are you aware that the Seventh Prince is in poor health?" the Empress Dowager asked.
Shen Shixi not only knew about it, but also knew that the Empress was pregnant. She had made efforts in all aspects, and Consort De had also gotten involved. She shook her head, "This concubine has no time to inquire at the moment."
The Empress Dowager said, "I have asked Imperial Physician Zhang, and he said that even with the support of the entire nation, the Seventh Prince would not live past twenty. Why are you doing this to him?"
This is a complaint against Shen Shixi for not following the imperial edict.
Shen Shixi closed his eyes, looked up at the Empress Dowager, and said, "Empress Dowager, the epiphyllum may have the freedom to bloom for a short time, but no matter how many years it lives, it is still a life. As long as it is willing, it can live on until it can no longer live!"
The child is innocent, coming into this world naked, and leaving it naked. No one has the right to decide his fate, not even his own parents and grandmother.
The Empress Dowager turned her head away, not daring to look Shen Shixi in the eye. "You decide! This harem will eventually be yours, and I never intended to interfere."
"There's just one thing: Yuan Yin's wedding is approaching. When do you plan to release him?"
"Let's wait for the Emperor to return!" Shen Shixi said. "The wedding date is approaching, and the bridal sedan chair will be carried to Xian'an Palace then."
The Empress Dowager was furious; Shen Shixi simply couldn't understand human language.
She had no choice but to speak frankly, "You stripped him of his title, and by all accounts, you have no right to do so. He is now a commoner; what regulations should govern his wedding?"
Shen Shixi said, "One should follow the proper etiquette according to one's status. Does the Empress Dowager want me to have the court restore his title? On what grounds?"
It means that it wasn't me who stripped him of his title; it was the court's decision.
Unable to argue with her, the Empress Dowager could only say, "Then I will issue an edict to postpone Yuan Yin's wedding. You will be his sister-in-law in the future, and you should act like a royal wife. How can you let your brother-in-law lose face like this?"
Shen Shixi raised her sleeves slightly. "Empress Dowager, it is not me who has made Li Yuanyin lose face, but you and himself! Whether I can become a wife of the imperial clan in the future is not my concern. As the Empress Dowager, you do have the right to veto. Since I have no desire for it, I am naturally not afraid. You do not need to make a fuss about this."
The Empress Dowager didn't believe it. "Are you so sure the Emperor will protect you?"
Shen Shixi laughed again, "Whether the Emperor protects me or not, I don't care! Empress Dowager, do I look like someone who needs to compete for favor? So what if you are the Emperor's mother? Qin Shi Huang wanted to kill his own mother back then, and although he didn't succeed, did it affect his becoming a sage ruler?"
It's understandable that people tend to favor their younger son, but don't go too far! The experience of having a son who genuinely cares for you in your old age is vastly different from one who doesn't!
The Empress Dowager returned defeated.
Li Yuanke was leading his troops in pursuit of the Wolf King at this time.
In the battle against Xiling in April, Xiling suffered heavy losses, and Beisha also suffered a major blow. The alliance was broken, and Xiling and Beisha wanted to go back to their respective homes, but there is no such thing as a free lunch.
The Great Zhou's border defenses were breached, and two states were burned, killed, and looted in succession. Since Li Yuanke had already come all this way, how could the emperor save face if he didn't get his money back with interest?
After attacking several cities in Xiling, the emperor of Xiling was finally forced to send envoys to negotiate peace.
The border between Xiling and Da Zhou is about 20 li away from Xiling.
Every year, Xiling would provide the Great Zhou with 300,000 taels of silver and 400,000 bolts of silk for "military aid," which would be delivered at Tianfei Pass.
Xiling can conduct trade activities in Youzhou.
The above are the main contents of the alliance agreement signed between Xiling and Da Zhou.
After July, Li Yuanke focused his main efforts on Beisha. The wolf king was an extremely cunning ruler who led Li Yuanke around the grassland, attempting to use the terrain to launch a fatal attack on him.
He wanted to leave Li Yuanke's life on the grassland.
He absolutely hated Shen Shixi. He killed her man, and if he ever got the chance, he would march into the capital and make that woman serve him.
Li Yuanke also wanted to kill the Wolf King. This was not just a personal grudge against Shen Shixi. If the Wolf King died, Beisha might split up, which would be a great thing for the Great Zhou.
"Your Majesty, there are signs of Beisha people over there!" Scout Wen Zhaojie reported.
Ahead was a canyon, with high ground on both sides, covered with lush trees, making it easy to hide one's figure.
Li Yuanke reined in his horse and gestured for the soldiers behind him to stop.
Beside a large rock on the high ground, the wolf king revealed a cruel smile. He also raised his hand high, and the Northern Sands warriors waited for him to lower his hand before swooping down.