lcionline In Chapter 168, amidst a sob and lament, Emperor Longyun closed his eyes, appearing serene.
In Chapter 168, amidst a sob and lament, Emperor Longyun closed his eyes, appearing serene.
Revenge! This is absolutely naked revenge!
It should be noted that in the eyes of outsiders, Emperor Longyun was still a "weak patient" who had just woken up from a coma, a "protected animal" who had to rest in bed and could do nothing but sleep.
Leaving aside the question of whether those concubines would quarrel and cry while serving him, the first problem is that he would have to pretend to be a seriously ill patient, lying in bed for an entire day, from dawn to dusk, a whole day!
Until the imperial physician announced that he had "fully recovered".
Is this something that humans can do?
"Go tell the Crown Princess that I disagree."
"Your Majesty, the imperial decree was issued directly by Her Highness the Crown Princess. If it is rejected..."
Lin! Shi! Ming!
The sound of Princess Heyou watching the commotion came from the side. The little eunuch lowered his head even further.
Emperor Longyun was furious. "Then let them serve the Crown Princess! She's the future Empress anyway, so it doesn't matter!"
"Father, please don't joke around. It'll only be a few days. Just bear with it and it will pass."
Endure? I am the emperor!
I can't go on living like this for even a day longer.
Emperor Longyun, furious, leaned back in his chair to catch his breath. After a while, he finally convinced himself and mentally prepared himself before calming down and turning his gaze to the eunuch who had been kneeling tremblingly for a long time.
"Go and convey the imperial decree: I am grateful for the filial piety of the Crown Princess, and I am also troubled by the lack of discipline among the concubines in the harem. Starting tomorrow, the concubines in the harem shall resume their morning and evening greetings at the Phoenix Palace, with the Crown Princess receiving the greetings on behalf of the Empress. In addition, I am unwell and unable to manage state affairs. Therefore, after the resumption of court, the Crown Prince shall preside over the court sessions on my behalf, and shall be permitted to act as he sees fit."
If I'm not happy, none of you will get a chance to sleep in! Let's see who can outlast whom.
*
The phrase "mutually destructive" perfectly describes the relationship between Emperor Longyun and his daughter-in-law, Lin Shiming.
Meanwhile, the saying "when the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer" perfectly describes Lu Yuxi, the unluckiest crown prince.
After several days of mourning, Lu Yuxi finally finished handling all the follow-up matters regarding Bai Qiongzhu's faked death and departure from the palace. On May 24th, the court resumed operations.
At dawn, His Highness the Crown Prince presided over the court assembly on behalf of the Emperor and announced the implementation of new laws, which immediately caused a great uproar in the court.
After a nearly hour-long debate with the scholars, Lu Yuxi swiftly and decisively assigned tasks, then left the court in high spirits. He hurriedly escorted his Crown Princess to the Phoenix Palace, and then returned to the Eastern Palace to discuss political affairs with his ministers for the entire day.
Before dinner, after finally seeing off the last minister, he rushed to escort Lin Shiming to Fengyi Palace to receive the pre-dinner greetings.
It was already late afternoon when Lu Yuxi left Fengyi Palace. As a son, he needed to visit his "sick" father, the Emperor, at Xuanzheng Hall and have dinner there as well. He had originally planned to invite Lin Shiming along, but the Crown Princess made up a series of excuses and refused to step into Xuanzheng Hall no matter what.
Helpless, Lu Yuxi could only send the person back to the East Palace, arrange dinner, and then board the sedan chair to Xuanzheng Hall alone.
Lu Yuxi originally thought that after a long and busy day, having dinner with her father would be a rare moment of relaxation, but little did she know that the real torment was yet to begin.
As the prince's palanquin landed at the bottom of the steps, Lu Yuxi noticed a faint, sweet fragrance.
As he walked forward, the fragrance grew stronger and stronger until, at the palace entrance, it became somewhat cloying. He could also hear a constant commotion of women's voices coming from inside the palace.
Lu Yuxi frowned, instinctively feeling uncomfortable, but considering the purpose of his visit, he still followed Li An into the hall.
The moment Lu Yuxi stepped through the palace gate, the fragrance, which had been barely tolerable before, suddenly expanded, becoming thick and sweet, almost suffocating her.
He quickly took two steps back, took a few deep breaths, and then came to his senses.
"Is Father really inside?"
Li An lowered his head. "His Majesty is bedridden and recuperating, spending all his time in the palace."
Lu Yuxi really wanted to turn around and leave.
But considering that his father, the Emperor, was still inside, he couldn't just abandon him. So after taking a few deep breaths outside, Lu Yuxi resolutely entered the palace.
The sun had just set, but the Xuanzheng Hall was already brightly lit. Therefore, the Crown Prince was immediately dazzled by the dazzling light upon entering.
Strictly speaking, they are a group of brilliant people.
"Your Majesty, I (your concubine) pay my respects."
"My son, I will meet my father."
Emperor Longyun, who was resting with his eyes closed on the bed, slowly looked over, revealing a gaze that was calm to the point of despair.
"Father?" Lu Yuxi was startled by the empty look in his eyes.
"Rise." Emperor Longyun weakly raised a finger. "The Crown Princess isn't here?"
"Your Majesty, Shi Ming suddenly had an urgent matter and asked me to come first. He will come to dine with Your Majesty tomorrow."
"Oh. That's right, he must have something to do." Emperor Longyun seemed to have expected this, and only asked a question casually before not mentioning it again. "Your Highness, please sit down, there's no need to be so formal."
Your son has never been restrained.
Lu Yuxi was full of questions, but she still sat down on the chair brought by the eunuch with proper manners, and then raised her hand to call the concubine who was bowing.
"rise."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
A group of radiant concubines rose gracefully, their movements as supple as if boneless. The sight gave Lu Yuxi goosebumps.
What kind of Spider Cave is this?
"Your Highness, please have some tea."
As soon as she stood up, the concubine closest to the inner room door snatched the tea that Li An had brought in, and then charmingly poured Lu Yuxi a cup of tea. A strong scent of perfume immediately wafted out, almost making Lu Yuxi choke and sneeze.
To be honest, Lu Yuxi had never been so close to any of the concubines in his father's palace. He awkwardly declined the tea offered by one of the concubines, and then repeatedly refused the fruit platters and pastries that the other concubines had eagerly brought him. He was like Tang Sanzang in the Women's Kingdom or the Spider Cave, not daring to look or move, for fear that he might accidentally be seduced by one of them and thus betray his Crown Princess.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is indeed benevolent and filial, deeply moving me. How about I play a tune on the zither for Your Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince to praise their deep father-son bond?"
A concubine of low rank suddenly began to act coquettishly towards Emperor Longyun, but before Emperor Longyun could respond, others immediately chimed in.
"Very well, very well! My sister is playing the zither, how can I not join in? Your Majesty, I will play the flute to add to the beauty of my sister Ning's performance!"
"Even concubines may sing and dance!"
"Concubine..."
Lu Yuxi had never seen such a scene before!
"Father, Father Emperor..." A bewildered Lu Yuxi managed to utter a sound from among the concubines, turning to Emperor Longyun for help, "This—"
What's going on here? Isn't this the Xuanzheng Hall?
After a long period of silence, Emperor Longyun calmly responded to Lu Yuxi's plea for help.
"It's alright. They just think that my illness is probably coming to an end, so they dress up and work hard to try and squeeze out some benefits before I die."
"His Majesty!"
"His Majesty--"
The concubines were immediately horrified and burst into tears.
"woo woo woo woo……"
"Waaaaah..."
"Your Majesty, how could you misunderstand me like this? I came here on the orders of Her Highness the Crown Princess, and my only aim is to serve Your Majesty well."
"Your Majesty! I imagine my sisters acted out of fear and unease, but I truly wish for your well-being! How could you utter such pessimistic words and break my heart?"
"His Majesty!"
"His Majesty--"
"..."
Amidst the weeping and sobbing, Emperor Longyun closed his eyes, appearing serene.
Lu Yuxi opened her mouth, but ultimately remained silent.
He finally understood.
Why did Lin Shiming refuse to come to Xuanzheng Hall with him no matter what?