Drei Mandarinenten und eineinhalb

Kapitel 11

Seeing her agree so readily, Qingfeng's lips unconsciously curled up slightly, and a meaningful glint flashed in his moon-like eyes. He then resumed his cold and stern expression, and asked seriously:

"Oh! You really don't want to think about it anymore?"

Lost in excitement, Leng Jie, oblivious to Qing Feng's expression in the darkness, nodded again without a second thought:

"No need to think about it. As long as you teach me lightness skill, I'll gladly call you 'Master' instead of 'Senior Brother'!"

"Alright! Since Master isn't here, let's skip the formal apprenticeship ceremony! Today, I'll expel the toxins from your body first. Then, you'll need to rest in bed for three days, during which time you can't exert yourself. However, you must memorize all the rules of my Wuyou Sect. After that, I'll open your meridians, so you can start practicing our sect's internal energy cultivation. Also, the rule of my Wuyou Sect is that once you join, you can't leave until death." As he spoke, Qingfeng took out a "Sect Rules" document that he had written after returning from the Eastern Palace and handed it to Leng Jie.

Leng Jie, who had been cheerful, suddenly felt a tightness in her chest when she heard Qingfeng's last words. Then, a strange feeling of being tricked crept over her. This sixth sense, unique to women, was always incredibly accurate when it came. Therefore, she hesitated for a moment, staring at the rules in Qingfeng's hand, before taking them. She tried hard to see his facial expression, but in the darkness, she could only make out his blurry outline.

But Qingfeng, who could see in the dark, saw through all her expressions. Seeing her bright eyes fixed on him, Qingfeng felt a moment of panic, thinking she had seen through his thoughts. However, seeing her eyes widen further, Qingfeng immediately understood that she wanted to see his expression in the darkness. So, Qingfeng slowly withdrew the rules from his hand and spoke softly and unhurriedly:

"I advise you to think it over again! Although our Worry-Free Valley doesn't have many rules, they are still quite strict for a little girl like you. I don't want you to regret it later!"

When Leng Jie heard him say that, she thought to herself, even the strictest rules of the sect are only written on one piece of paper. Surely they are not as strict as the two thick volumes of agent's code of conduct in their intelligence department? So, she abandoned her sixth sense and snatched the "rules of the sect" from Qingfeng's withdrawn hand and put it in her own pocket.

A faint smile curved Qingfeng's lips, his clear eyes sparkling with a radiant light. At the same time, he expressed his joy as the senior brother in a cheerful voice: "Alright! Junior brother, I'll now detoxify you. First, do as I do, kneel cross-legged, then..."

As dawn broke, the morning glow spread out, instantly bathing the deep, dark maple forest in a golden-red hue. The golden sunlight pierced through the fiery red maple leaves, illuminating the two people sitting face to face on the forest floor, making them appear mysterious and enigmatic as they sat there, their heads steaming and drenched in sweat.

Qingfeng slowly withdrew his palm, and Leng Jie immediately collapsed as if exhausted. Qingfeng reached out and pulled her into his arms, then pressed several acupoints on her body. Next, he took out two pre-prepared pills and placed them in Leng Jie's mouth. He patted her back, and the pills went down her throat and into her stomach.

Qingfeng carefully carried his junior brother in his arms and used his lightness skill to fly towards his residence, 'Qingfeng Residence'.

Qingfeng Residence was located next to Qingfeng Pharmacy. Like Qingfeng Pharmacy, it was also a converted palace. When the emperor initially kept him in office, he allowed him to choose his own residence, and he chose this palace closest to the imperial pharmacy as his pharmacy. Later, the emperor saw that his pharmacy was filled with more and more medicinal herbs and utensils, to the point that whenever he came to discuss state affairs with Qingfeng, there was nowhere for him to sit comfortably. Therefore, the emperor allocated the adjacent Qingyang Palace to Qingfeng, personally naming it "Qingfeng Residence," and ordered a door to be opened in the wall between the two palaces. He also decreed that from then on, Qingfeng Residence and Qingfeng Pharmacy were no longer under the control of the inner palace, but belonged solely to the private residence of the imperial physician Hu Qingfeng. No one except the emperor himself was allowed to trespass, or they would bear the consequences.

This caused a huge argument between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, resulting in a cold war that lasted for over half a year. These two palaces originally belonged to the late Emperor's two favorite concubines. Their facilities and decorations were of the finest quality, and incredibly, their location was perfectly suited to be warm in winter and cool in the summer. When the late Emperor passed away, the two concubines, deeply devoted to him, volunteered to accompany him in death. The vacant palaces were reserved for the Empress Dowager long ago. However, they were suddenly occupied by an unknown imperial physician brought back by the young Emperor, who then excluded both palaces from the inner palace's control. This was completely contrary to ancestral rules and displeased her; how could the Empress Dowager not be furious? After her attempts to 'collude' with the Emperor failed...

So she gathered many servants who, using her title as Empress Dowager, came to provoke and cause trouble. She hoped to use this to drive him out of the palace or force him to say anything disrespectful to the Empress Dowager, so she could punish him. However, Qingfeng stayed in his medicine hut all day and never went to the inner palace. He always welcomed anyone who dared to trespass into his hut, politely accepting them as guinea pigs for testing new medicines. This is why the eunuchs in the Empress Dowager's palace would rather disobey the Empress Dowager's decrees than dare to enter Qingfeng's medicine hut.

Because of the emperor's decree, even though the Empress Dowager knew that her people had been used as guinea pigs by Qingfeng, she could not punish him. Therefore, her hatred for Qingfeng intensified, and her resentment towards the emperor also grew.

This situation continued until the Empress Dowager suddenly fell seriously ill with a strange ailment. When all the imperial physicians were at a loss, Qingfeng appeared like a god in Cining Palace, easily diagnosing the cause of the illness. A dose of herbal medicine and two acupuncture sessions saved the Empress Dowager, who was tormented by the pain to the point of contemplating death, from the clutches of the disease. From then on, the Empress Dowager's attitude towards Qingfeng underwent a complete 180-degree turn.

Qingfeng deeply regretted this. Because this meant he would have far fewer medicine patients and less fun. What he feared most was the Empress Dowager's constant, motherly concern and incessant nagging. Therefore, he always avoided seeing her, and if he accidentally encountered her, he would keep his distance.

[Main Text: Chapter Thirty-Four: Rules of the Worry-Free Sect]

Inside the palatial architecture complete with pavilions and towers, there isn't a single flower or bonsai tree for people to admire. All the flowerbeds and potted plants are filled with rare and precious herbs and exotic fruits. This is the unique characteristic of Qingfeng Residence. It is also another practical reason why Qingfeng Residence is off-limits to the general public.

The clouds on the horizon were still colorful, and the shy moon had just begun to peek out.

In a guest room at Qingfeng Residence, a petite maidservant, her face filled with anxiety, silently watched over the unconscious young master in black lying on the bed. Although Lord Hu had said that the young master was alright and only needed to rest in bed for a few days, the maidservant still kept a close, unwavering gaze on him, as if afraid he might suddenly fall ill.

The young girl was none other than Qing'er. The day before yesterday, Qing'er woke up to find herself in an unfamiliar place. Just as she was about to cry out in fear, a handsome young man as warm as the sun suddenly appeared before her.

The young master smiled and told her that she had offended the Imperial Concubine, who then sent men to arrest her and imprison her. Just then, he and his senior apprentice, Physician Hu, went to the prison to find a substitute for her. Seeing her pitiful state, they substituted another prisoner for her. Then, they brought her back to the Qingfeng Pharmacy. They said that after some time, they would find an opportunity to send her out of the palace. They instructed her not to leave the pharmacy, because once she did, they could no longer protect her.

Although Qing'er hadn't been in the palace long, she had heard that Physician Hu's medicine hut was off-limits to anyone except the Emperor. Therefore, she knew that this self-proclaimed nameless young master genuinely wanted to protect her. From that day on, she regarded this teasing young master as her savior. Despite her worries about the Empress's well-being, she had no choice but to obey the young master and stay obediently in the medicine hut.

What made her even more fortunate was that she actually met the seriously injured emperor in the medical hut and personally cared for him. For a lowly palace maid like herself, who had only recently entered the palace, this was an immense honor! Although she had secretly blamed the emperor in her heart because of the Empress's fate, and didn't understand why he wasn't recuperating in his own palace but instead hiding in the medical hut to secretly heal himself, the naive Qing'er felt that such complicated matters were none of her concern. Being able to personally care for the emperor was already an overwhelming honor. Besides, the young master had even promised to escort her out of the palace!

This morning, Lord Hu suddenly summoned her to Qingfeng Residence from the medicine hut, asking her to help take care of his unconscious junior brother. Upon hearing that the young master was still unconscious, Qing'er was extremely worried. Fortunately, the lord informed her in time that the young master would recover completely after a few days of rest, even becoming stronger than before. Although Qing'er had absolute faith in Physician Hu's medical skills, she still stayed by the unconscious young master's bedside without leaving him for a moment, intently watching his expressions and reactions.

"Qing'er? What are you doing here?" Leng Jie opened her eyes and saw Qing'er standing beside her as usual. She immediately sat up and asked in surprise.

Qing'er blushed deeply at the young master's question. She thought he was surprised because he didn't like girls staying by his bedside. She quickly explained, both shy and excited:

"Young master, you're awake! Lord Hu sent me here to watch over you."

Upon hearing Qing'er address her as "Young Master" instead of "Your Majesty," Leng Jie quickly scanned her surroundings and immediately realized that she was now nameless, and this was not the Empress's palace. She only remembered Qingfeng detoxifying her, and nothing else. She hurriedly asked Qing'er:

"Qing'er, where is this? Where is Qingfeng? No, where is my senior brother?"

Qing'er was a little confused by Wuming's question. She felt that since the young master was Physician Hu's junior brother, he should naturally be staying at Qingfeng Residence. But the way he asked the question made it seem as if he had no idea where he was. Although Qing'er found the young master's question strange, she answered truthfully:

"Young Master, this is Lord Hu's Qingfeng Residence! After bringing the unconscious young master back this morning, the lord hurriedly left. He hasn't returned yet. However, the lord instructed us before he left that the young master should rest in bed for three days, and that I, your servant, would take care of his daily needs during these three days. The lord also told the young master to leave everything else to him and just focus on resting."

"Is that all he said? How long have I been asleep? What time is it now?" Leng Jie didn't understand why Qingfeng didn't send her back to the East Palace, but instead took her back to his place. Didn't he know that if the palace servants went to deliver food to the idiot empress at mealtime and couldn't find her, there would be a big problem?

“Young Master has been sleeping all day, and it’s just past 5 PM now.” Qing’er said calmly, then suddenly seemed to remember something important and said seriously, “Oh right, the master also said that when Young Master has nothing to do, he should not forget to memorize the sect rules.”

"Sect rules, oh, sect rules!" Reminded by Qing'er, Leng Jie finally remembered her promise to Qingfeng to memorize the sect rules in three days. She hurriedly pulled the sheet of paper with the rules written on it from her pocket. Unfolding it, her eyes widened as if she'd seen a vengeful ghost at first glance. At the second glance, her mouth gaped open wide enough to fit a whole duck egg. At the third glance, her face changed from a sickly pale to the deep, ashen white of a winter melon. At the fourth glance, she simply crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it far away. Then, her eyes rolled back, and she pretended to faint and collapsed.

Qing'er didn't understand why the young master made so many funny faces when reading the sect rules. It was common for Qing'er herself to blush and feel flustered after being teased by the young master. Sometimes even Lord Hu, the young master's senior brother, would be left speechless by his antics. Even the always smiling Steward Fu hadn't escaped the young master's teasing. But when had she ever seen the young master like this?

She hurried over, picked up the crumpled document of the rules, carefully unfolded it, and read it word by word:

"Rules of Wuyou Valley, Tianmu Mountain. Although Wuyou Valley currently only has three members: Master Wuyou, Elder Wuyou; Senior Disciple Hu Qingfeng; and Junior Disciple Wuming, there are rules for everything. Therefore, for the sake of Wuyou Valley's growth and development, the following rules are hereby established: 1. No one may leave the sect for any reason. That is, from the moment of entry, one is a member of Wuyou Valley in life and in death. 2. All disciples must obey the orders of the Master and senior brothers. That is, one must obey the teachings of the Master and senior brothers; one must listen to the words of the Master and senior brothers; one must obey the arrangements of the Master and senior brothers. 3...4......."

"Enough, Qing'er, please stop reading! I already know you can read." Leng Jie, who was pretending to be dizzy, couldn't stand it anymore and hurriedly got up to interrupt Qing'er, who was reading louder and louder and more energetically, in a helpless tone.

"Hehe, hehehe, young master, why do your sect rules sound so much like the Three Obediences and Four Virtues in the Women's Precepts that Qing'er learned? And it seems that they are only set for you, young master?" Qing'er couldn't help but laugh and giggled.

Leng Jie glared at Qing'er, who was laughing heartily, and gritted her teeth, cursing inwardly: "You damned fox Qingfeng, how dare you scheme against me like this! Just wait until I've learned all your skills and mastered them, then I'll show you that the price of taking advantage of me isn't something everyone can afford!"

After cursing the fox, she was annoyed with herself. This kind of "being sold out and still smiling and actively helping the other party bargain" was something Leng Jie always used to deal with others. She couldn't believe she'd been sold out herself! If her colleagues found out, they'd either be furious or laugh themselves to death. Leng Jie wondered if she'd actually become slow-witted from always playing dumb. She'd actually been fooled by Qingfeng's innocent and cute facade, falling right into his trap.

Despite her anger, Leng Jie hadn't forgotten the matter of life and death. Therefore, more than that, she was worried that her sudden, unprepared disappearance for a day might have caused chaos in the Eastern Palace. Although she was an unfavored and foolish empress, the disappearance of her mistress meant certain death for any servant. She could only hope that those palace servants who disliked her would prioritize their own safety and search for her themselves instead of immediately reporting to the Imperial Household Department.

Thinking of this, Leng Jie felt that she could not delay any longer, so she immediately pulled off the silk quilt and turned over to get out of bed.

[Main Text: Chapter Thirty-Five - A Series of Great Shows]

Last time, we talked about how Leng Jie wanted to get out of bed.

As Leng Jie landed on her feet and tried to stand up, she realized that her legs were completely powerless. Her legs buckled, and her body, having lost its support, collapsed weakly to the ground. Fortunately, she reacted quickly and shifted her weight backward, thus avoiding an embarrassing moment of close contact with the gleaming marble floor.

Seeing this, Qing'er, who was laughing heartily, immediately stopped. Her hands, which had been clutching her stomach, unconsciously covered her mouth, which had been emitting a scream. Her flushed face instantly turned deathly pale. Her large, watery eyes were filled with panic and despair, and her petite body trembled uncontrollably with fear.

Leng Jie, falling back onto the bed, didn't think much of it. She could easily guess that Qingfeng had probably done something to her legs to prevent her from getting up and moving around. However, Qing'er's astonished and trembling expression surprised her. She assumed Qing'er was frightened by her sudden movement. Leng Jie immediately spoke gently and casually:

"Don't worry, Qing'er, I'm fine. This is normal. Didn't my senior brother tell you that I'd be fine after a few days of bed rest? Don't you trust my senior brother? He's the imperial physician!" Having said that, she noticed Qing'er was still in a daze, as if she hadn't heard a word Leng Jie said. She was completely lost in her own thoughts. Leng Jie observed Qing'er with the eyes of a psychologist, and after a moment, she was certain that Qing'er must have been deeply affected by something similar, or rather, strongly stimulated by something similar.

Only then did Leng Jie realize that she knew absolutely nothing about Qing'er's affairs. Although she wanted to protect her and send her out of the palace, she had never truly communicated with her and had no idea of her wishes. Previously, because she was considered foolish, she felt she had no right to communicate with her. Leng Jie thought that since she had nothing else to do now, she might as well let her gossip and pry into the little girl's privacy!

Meanwhile, in Qingfeng Medicine House, next to Qingfeng Residence, a similarly thrilling drama was unfolding.

Qingfeng walked wearily into the medicine hut, just in time to see Xuanyuan Yunli angrily throwing pillows out the window, with Eunuch Fu kneeling beside the bed, his face filled with worry and fear. Feigning curiosity, he asked in a slow, deliberate tone:

"Xuanyuan, you can even throw things when you're angry! It seems your injuries have healed, so I don't need to help you deal with those annoying old guys anymore! Sigh! These past few days, I've been dealing with those guys who are clearly like wolves and tigers, but are dressed as sheep. I'm about to have a breakdown. Tomorrow I can finally have some peace and quiet."

Upon seeing Qingfeng, the kneeling eunuch Fu immediately looked overjoyed, as if he had seen a savior. Seeing that his master, the Emperor, had calmed down, he felt relieved. He wasn't worried that the Emperor would behead him in a fit of rage, but rather that his master's injuries would worsen due to anger. However, seeing that Qingfeng was about to abandon his duties again, he quickly explained on his master's behalf:

"Young master, please don't blame the emperor. It's all my fault for telling him about some trivial matters that have happened in the palace these past few days, which angered him. Please punish me as you see fit."

When Xuanyuan saw Qingfeng enter, the anger on his face subsided somewhat. After hearing Qingfeng's words, he immediately lay back down on the bed, reverting to the listless expression of a wounded soldier. Inwardly, however, he retorted resentfully, "You've only been with them for a few days and you're already saying you're about to collapse? I've endured that for three whole years! Now, finally able to rest for a few days because of my injuries, you think you can get away so quickly? No way!" But in thinking this way, he seemed to forget that his subjects were his, the empire was his, the throne was his, and the responsibilities were his. All of this was irrelevant to Qingfeng.

Qingfeng glanced expressionlessly at the two treacherous individuals, master and servant, and spoke in his unhurried tone:

“Eunuch Fu, you always refer to yourself as an old servant, and you look quite old, being an elder in the palace. Don’t you know what it means to prioritize? Knowing full well that the Emperor cannot be angered right now, you deliberately chose to say things that would anger him. If I didn’t know that your loyalty to the Emperor is as clear as day and night, I would definitely think that you were deliberately harboring malicious intentions, trying to cause him to lose his strength and martial arts skills due to anger.”

Seeing that Eunuch Fu was so frightened by Qingfeng's gentle, almost polite words that he turned pale, his eyes bulging, and he swallowed hard, cold sweat dripping down his face. Remembering that Eunuch Fu was defending him, he felt a pang of pity and quickly tried to smooth things over:

"Qingfeng, don't scare Eunuch Fu like that. If it were really that serious, I would have been provoked to the point of vomiting blood and dying yesterday by your precious junior brother. How could I possibly live to the point where my meridians are reversed and my martial arts are completely ruined?"

Xuanyuan successfully diverted Qingfeng's attention from Eunuch Fu. He quickly waved his dragon hand and winked at Eunuch Fu on the ground, signaling him to leave immediately. Receiving the signal, Eunuch Fu quietly got up and left the medicine hut. As he reached the door, Qingfeng suddenly spoke:

"Eunuch Fu is going to the Imperial Study to keep watch. Consort Xia might go to see the Emperor. You must stop her no matter what. However, it would be best to get her to go back willingly and wait for the Emperor's favor. Then, I think I don't need to say more!"

"This old servant will take care of it immediately. But, young master, how did you know that Consort Shui would go to the Imperial Study?" Eunuch Fu abruptly stopped. He understood, of course, that Qingfeng meant for him to find the adopted son of the Shui family to appease Consort Shui, but he couldn't understand how Qingfeng could have predicted that Shui Rong'er would dare to enter the Imperial Study. Therefore, he asked, puzzled. Of course, this was also what the emperor in bed wanted to know.

"Since you've even told the Emperor about matters of the harem, then you must have mentioned that the old ministers brought up the issue of the Emperor's offspring again during the morning court session, right? I think this is probably because Shui Rong'er was frightened when she went to the Eastern Palace to cause trouble the other day. The Empress Dowager and she sent several groups of people to complain to the Emperor. However, the Emperor didn't even bother to look at them. He only sent Eunuch Fu to deliver a message and bestowed some jewels as a consolation. This naturally aroused strong dissatisfaction from her and the Empress Dowager. So, they naturally used the same method as last time, having the Shui family manipulate those old ministers behind the scenes, using the issue of offspring to put pressure on the Emperor in court. This way, the Emperor would have no choice but to go to her to conceive. But, after waiting all day and still not seeing the Emperor, she naturally couldn't hold back and came to him herself." Qingfeng paused here, walked to the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and gulped it down.

Upon hearing Qingfeng mention those matters, Xuanyuan's face suddenly turned cold, his expression becoming extremely ruthless. Seeing Qingfeng stop, he immediately gritted his teeth and interjected:

"Your analysis is absolutely correct. I was also furious about this matter just now. One foolish empress is enough to give me trouble. I never expected that this Shui Rong'er would be even worse. She has only been in the palace for a few days, yet she has already turned the harem into a mess, with everyone filled with fear and unease. She is truly a stupid and despicable ignorant woman. I really suspect that those who say she is virtuous and talented, the best in the capital, are all people who have taken bribes from the Shui family."

Upon hearing the Emperor mention the foolishness, Qingfeng unconsciously smiled gently. She suddenly recalled some questions raised when, during the Emperor's unconsciousness, the Foolish Empress suggested she disguise herself as the Emperor and attend the morning court in his place, in order to conceal his injury outside the palace. She naturally continued:

"Although the Empress is foolish, she won't cause the Emperor any trouble. So, the Emperor can just pretend she doesn't exist. As for Shui Rong'er, Qingfeng has thought of a way to keep her in check as well as the Shui family."

Xuanyuan immediately looked expectant and asked eagerly:

"What method?"

[Main Text: Chapter Thirty-Six: Clash of Brothers]

Xuanyuan immediately looked expectant and asked eagerly:

"What method?"

Qingfeng winked at him, her starry eyes filled with a teasing smile, staring straight at him for a moment. The corner of her mouth unconsciously twitched to one side, a strange expression appearing on her face. The sight sent chills down the spines of those around her, raising goosebumps.

"Tell me! What's the solution?" the emperor urged impatiently.

"I can say it, but you have to promise not to get angry after hearing it." Qingfeng made the promise, but thought to himself, "I gave you that stupid poison in the morning, and I'm working for you during the day. I don't want to have to do your body again and re-bandage your wounds at night."

Dark lines suddenly appeared on the emperor's pale face, and his deep phoenix eyes narrowed into slits, emitting a dangerous glint. Seeing this, Eunuch Fu quickly gave a signal to the fearless Qingfeng.

Having thoroughly understood Xuanyuan's personality, Qingfeng knew perfectly well that when Xuanyuan's phoenix eyes narrowed into slits, it was a hundred times more dangerous than when he glared at you with wide eyes. Only a fool would actually try to touch a tiger's tail or pull a dragon's whiskers. Qingfeng wasn't a fool, so he immediately dropped his teasing expression, cleared his throat seriously, and said earnestly:

"Well, the method is actually very simple, and it's the quickest and most effective way that emperors throughout history have used to control the harem and the court. It's just that Your Majesty needs to sacrifice a bit of your charm. Anyway, you're not the one who'll suffer."

Upon hearing Qingfeng's words, Eunuch Fu felt a chill run down his spine. Because of the late Emperor and Empress, and then the foolish Empress and the Imperial Concubine, the expansion of the harem and political marriages were always the most taboo topics for the Emperor. Every time these were mentioned, he would lose his temper. He himself had only briefly mentioned the harem, and Qingfeng had already become so agitated. Now that Qingfeng had brought up the same things again, the consequences were obvious.

However, even the old fox can miscalculate. After hearing Qingfeng's words, his emperor master not only didn't get angry, but instead revealed a rare smile. Moreover, his smile was exceptionally bright and gentle, as gentle as the sunlight on a snowy winter day. This faint smile, hanging on his incomparably handsome face, made his already devilishly beautiful face even more charming and captivating. Even Eunuch Fu, who had watched him grow up, couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.

Qingfeng, also a handsome man, wasn't captivated by the emperor's smile. However, he was terrified. He saw not gentleness in that smile, but conspiracy. Qingfeng was certain it was a conspiracy. Knowing the emperor as he did, his continued smiling at this moment meant…

Before Qingfeng could guess the emperor's thoughts, the emperor interrupted him, speaking in a slightly agitated voice:

"You mean enriching the harem? That's indeed a good idea. A batch of young ladies will be entering the palace at the end of this month. I'll leave this matter to you, Qingfeng. Look at my injury; I need to recuperate properly. I hope that by the time I'm healed, there will be good news spreading throughout the harem."

Qingfeng's expression froze instantly, and his legs involuntarily took a few steps back. He frantically shook his head and waved his hands, saying in a panic:

"Xuanyuan, Yunli, Your Majesty, we are friends who have shared hardships and sworn to share both good and bad fortune. I can help you with any misfortune and share any good fortune. However, there is one favor I cannot do. There is an old saying, 'One should not covet a friend's wife!' You cannot make me a despicable person despised by the world!"

The eunuch Fu, standing to the side, was equally shocked by his emperor's words. He had always believed that the emperor's abstinence from women was due to respecting the late emperor's will. He thought that it was indeed impossible for the emperor, the favored son of heaven, to favor a drooling, clueless fool.

He then understood the situation regarding Consort Shui. Because she was the daughter of the Shui family, the Emperor harbored a deep aversion to her. Furthermore, he had only married her out of necessity. Naturally, he wouldn't want to touch her. Therefore, he sought advice from Qingfeng, and then went to great lengths to find Jiang Feifan, the sworn brother who had always admired Shui Rong'er. Along the way, they uncovered a long-standing cold case, and through this, they managed to pull the loyal and grateful Jiang Feifan away from the Shui family, making him a spy the Emperor had planted within their ranks.

However, judging from the Emperor's words, he had entrusted the selection of imperial concubines to Qingfeng Gongzi. This meant that the Emperor still did not want to have his own children.

Eunuch Fu sighed inwardly: Why didn't Heaven allow his Emperor to inherit the late Emperor's ruthlessness and amorousness? Instead, he inherited the late Empress's beauty and devotion. If the Emperor could inherit even a tenth of the late Emperor's amorousness, he would surely live a much easier life. He understood that the Emperor's heart was always with the suddenly disappeared Miss Yin'er and the child in her womb. But how could an Emperor be devoted to only one woman? Even if not for politics or offspring, as a normal, upright young man, shouldn't the Emperor have a few good female companions to satisfy his desires?

Thinking this way, Eunuch Fu became even more anxious for the emperor. He couldn't help but speak up in support of Qingfeng:

"Young Master Qingfeng is right. He cannot help with this. It would not only damage Young Master Qingfeng's reputation, but also bring shame to the royal family and Your Majesty. If it were to come to the attention of someone with ulterior motives, it would become a matter of life and death for both Your Majesty and Young Master Qingfeng. Think about it, Your Majesty! If it were to be discovered by others, you would not be able to protect yourself from the crime of adultery in the harem."

"Hmph! Now you're talking to me about danger? Reason? Then let me ask you, who came up with this idea? Who started this whole thing? Do you think your crime of impersonating me to attend court and conduct state affairs is less serious than your crime of having illicit relations with the harem?" the emperor asked sharply and aggressively.