amaotonovel Chapter 27 He didn't believe it
Chapter 27 He didn't believe it
"Your Majesty, it's late, it's time to choose a concubine."
The eunuch respectfully whispered and gently placed the tray on the dragon-carved table in front of Pei Yuanling.
Pei Yuanling was reviewing memorials when he heard the eunuch's words. He looked up, his gaze falling on the familiar tray, and frowned slightly. "Who told you to hand over the nameplate?"
The eunuch replied, "It was arranged by the Empress Dowager. She said that with the new concubines entering the palace, she hopes that His Majesty can return to the inner palace and bestow his favor upon all.
Empress Dowager.
Pei Yuanling's eyes flashed with impatience. This foster mother usually ate vegetarian food and chanted Buddhist scriptures, seemingly no longer caring about these worldly affairs, but any slight movement in the harem would not escape her ears.
In order to gain the support of the Wang family, he had no choice but to marry the Empress Dowager's niece, who is now Empress Wang. Now, these two empresses, one aunt and one niece, firmly control the harem, and their power is so great that even he, the emperor, is sometimes helpless.
"Your Majesty, the court officials are urging you again today..."
Chen Zhongliang had served the emperor since childhood and could immediately sense the emperor's displeasure. After a moment's hesitation, he reminded him, "You have been on the throne for three years, and there is still no heir in the palace. The court officials are also anxious."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yuanling's expression grew even more somber.
Offspring.
If his and Yinyin's child had been born successfully three years ago, the eldest prince would be three years old now.
What a pity, what a pity for that child...
He tightened and loosened his grip on the calligraphy brush, and when he looked up again, he saw rows of neat green plaques.
His gaze paused for a moment as it swept over one of the signs.
"Consort Qiao of Diecui Pavilion, Qiao Qingyin."
Clear sound...
Same name, similar face, both love crab meat lion's head meatballs—are there really so many coincidences in the world?
Her long, slender fingers lingered for a moment on the plaque that read "Consort Qiao," but ultimately did not turn it over.
He withdrew his hand and said, "You may leave. I am tired and have no interest in this today."
The eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department's expression changed, and he was about to speak when Chen Zhongliang gave him a wink.
The old man had no choice but to pick up the tray and respectfully retreat.
The Zichen Palace quickly returned to tranquility.
After a long silence, the emperor on his throne finally spoke slowly and deliberately, "How did the greetings from the harem go today?"
Chen Zhongliang paused slightly, then lowered his eyes: "Your Majesty, the greetings today were as usual, except..."
"Just what?"
"..."
Chen Zhongliang hesitated for a moment, but still reported the truth: "It's just that Consort Lu seems to be a bit... rude. She interrupted the other concubines' speeches several times during the greetings, and after the greetings were over, she even stopped Consort Qiao. Cough, she was a bit rude."
Pei Yuanling frowned: "Consort Lu?"
Chen Zhongliang nodded: "She is the eldest daughter of the third branch of the Lu family, and the cousin of Chief Minister Lu."
Yesterday, during the palace selection, Pei Yuanling chose Chu Qingyin and then left. The subsequent selections were presided over by the Empress Dowager and the Empress.
Although he had seen the list of candidates for the imperial concubines, he only glanced at it briefly and did not look at it much.
Unexpectedly, the Empress selected Lu Zhiheng's cousin. Could it be that Madam Wang is trying to win over Madam Lu?
After a moment's hesitation, the emperor spoke again, "Anything else?"
Chen Zhongliang hesitated for a moment, then said cautiously, "It seems that Consort Qiao and Consort Shu had a very pleasant conversation. After the greetings, Consort Shu even kept Consort Qiao behind for a chat."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yuanling's pupils constricted sharply.
Was she on good terms with Consort Shu?
Memories flooded his mind, and he still remembered how Chu Qingyin had a huge argument with him over a maid named Jinzhu.
That was the first time they had such a fierce argument, and they were in a cold war for a whole month before they finally made up.
Even though it was repaired, Pei Yuanling knew in his heart that she still harbored resentment towards Consort Shu.
Now that Qiao Qingyin is also on good terms with Consort Shu, is history about to repeat itself?
For a moment, Pei Yuanling had an impulse to tell Consort Qiao to stay away from Consort Shu.
But the next moment, he realized he had misunderstood again—
Consort Qiao is Consort Qiao, not Imperial Concubine.
It's not his place to bother giving instructions to an ordinary concubine.
Moreover, as an emperor, his every move is watched by countless eyes. If he shows special attention to a certain concubine, it will only arouse more suspicion and trouble.
Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and a bodyguard appeared silently outside the window. "Your Majesty."
Pei Yuanling nodded slightly, gesturing for him to come in.
The guard knelt on one knee and reported in a low voice, "I have investigated Consort Qiao's background. She is indeed the daughter of the Minister's family. Her birth mother, Cui, was the sister of the Minister of Justice. She passed away from illness five years ago. After that, Consort Qiao was raised by Consort Jiang, a concubine in Qiao Gongquan's household. But right after the Lantern Festival, Consort Qiao suddenly fell into the water..."
Pei Yuanling's expression hardened: "Fell into the water?"
After a moment's hesitation, the guard recounted how Qiao Qingyin and the scholar Lin Yue had failed to elope and had ended up drowning themselves in the pond.
After all, this matter involved the reputation of the concubines in the harem, and they only reported it to the emperor after confirming it several times.
After hearing the whole story, Pei Yuanling's expression indeed turned rather unpleasant.
What struck him as even stranger than the near-being cuckolded was that, based on their interaction the previous night, Consort Qiao didn't seem like an utterly foolish woman. Her manners and responses were both composed and dignified…
However, all the evidence presented by the secret guards proved that the daughter of the Minister's family was indeed a real person, and not a fake identity that suddenly appeared.
Suppressing the strange doubt in his heart, Pei Yuanling glanced at the kneeling guards on the ground and said, "I understand. You may leave."
The guards withdrew, and Pei Yuanling picked up a memorial from the side, but his gaze was distant and his brows were furrowed.
What exactly is going on with this Consort Qiao?
**
Meanwhile, outside the palace walls, at the Lu residence.
A profound silence enveloped the imposing mansion, the cool night breeze rustling through the trees in the courtyard.
Lu Zhiheng sat in his study, holding a scroll of bamboo slips in his hands, but his gaze was not on the words; his thoughts had already drifted far away.
Suddenly, a soft footstep broke the silence.
Lu Zhiheng looked up and saw a bodyguard dressed in black appear silently in front of him.
"My lord," the guard knelt on one knee and reported in a low voice, "news has come from the palace."
Lu Zhiheng put down the bamboo slip in his hand, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Speak."
The guard said, "His Majesty is secretly investigating Qiao Gongquan's daughter, Qiao Qingyin."
Lu Zhiheng was not surprised when he heard this.
After all, even someone like him, who didn't have much contact with the Imperial Concubine, felt suspicious when he saw that Miss Qiao. How much more so for the Emperor, the Imperial Concubine was a woman he had once deeply loved.
The guard continued to report: "In addition, when the newly promoted concubines paid their respects to the Empress today, it seemed that the Third Miss and Consort Qiao had a conflict."
The third girl is Lu Mingzhu.
Lu Zhiheng frowned slightly. "What's going on?"
The bodyguard told the truth.
Hearing that it was just some trivial quarrel between women, Lu Zhiheng looked displeased and sneered, "My third uncle is a fool. I told him before that my third sister's temperament was not suitable for entering the palace, but he just wouldn't listen."
The Lu family has three masters. The masters of the eldest and third branches are both born to the old man Lu and are legitimate sons. However, the third master of the Lu family is not good at his studies and has only managed to become a minor official of the fourth rank over the years, which is far less prestigious than that of the eldest branch.
In addition, Madam Lu was competitive and eager to gain some prestige and overshadow the eldest son's family. However, her two sons were useless in their studies, so she thought of sending her daughter to the palace to try her luck.
Admittedly, Lu Mingzhu was indeed beautiful, but in the harem, intelligence was far more important than beauty.
Madam Lu San did not understand this principle; she was truly overestimating herself.
"Never mind, I'll find an opportunity to give her a little talking-to another day."
Lu Zhiheng raised his hand and pinched the space between his eyebrows, then glanced at the kneeling guard, "Continue to closely monitor the movements in the palace, especially Qiao Qingyin's every move."
The guard replied respectfully, "Yes, sir."
After the guards withdrew, Lu Zhiheng stood up, walked to the window, and squinted his long, narrow eyes as he gazed at the direction of the palace in the hazy night.
This Qiao Qingyin, she went to great lengths to enter the palace, was it merely to compete for the emperor's favor?
He didn't believe it.