Now, with everyone recommending him, he hurriedly declined, saying, "You are too kind, sirs. I have no ability to govern the world, and I am no match for my brothers who have been raised in the palace since childhood. Please stop joking with me."
His humble remark was tinged with a teasing tone, and the ministers hurriedly rose to their feet, telling him not to be so modest. The emperor, emboldened by the wine, was overjoyed. As he drank and listened to the praise for his son, he was about to make a statement.
After all, from the moment Huangfu Mi returned to the capital, he had already decided to make him the crown prince. He hadn't said anything before, but now, fueled by alcohol, he thought he would just announce the decree directly. At this moment, the empress spoke up from the side.
"Your Majesty, there is no need to rush the matter of establishing a crown prince. We can discuss it with the senior officials later. I noticed that you have drunk quite a bit of wine, so I have ordered someone to prepare a hangover soup in the inner palace. Please go in and rest."
The emperor was delighted, and even the empress seemed more pleasing to the eye. He was indeed a little drunk at the moment, so he nodded and told everyone to continue drinking. He then went into the inner palace with the help of the palace maids.
He was truly drunk. When he arrived at the inner palace, he collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep. However, his sleep was not peaceful. Lying there, he seemed to have a long dream!
In his dream, the air was filled with fragrance, reflected in the crescent moon against the azure sky. Only scattered golden rays pierced through the clouds and fell into the room. The light was dim, filled with an ambiguous atmosphere. On a pear wood carved bed, red gauze curtains hung, and in the faint light of the glass lamp, only a delicate figure was vaguely visible. A pair of captivating eyes, long, slender, and fair arms were wrapped around his neck, making their already close bodies even more intimate. He could even feel the person beneath him becoming incredibly soft and alluring under his caresses and touches.
He felt a surge of heat, and his whole body broke out in a cold sweat. He tried to raise his hand to wipe it away, but he didn't have the strength. He could only tug at his clothes with difficulty to relieve the unbearable heat.
What's going on? What happened?
As he pondered, he held the person in his arms tighter. Only then did he open his eyes slightly, and what he saw was a beautiful face, so clearly reflected in his dark pupils.
yes...
"Qinglian?" he called out tentatively, but in response he was a pair of slender white arms that hooked around his neck. With almost no effort, a warm body pressed against him, intimately close.
A surge of unbearable urge welled up within him, almost irresistible, and he thrust forward. It was an unprecedented, soul-stirring sensation; the delicate, close embrace, the woman's soft moans, all seemed like a silent invitation, urging him to increase his speed. He pounded and crashed, the man's strength and the woman's tenderness, mingled in their panting breaths, becoming ever more captivating. Finally, his penetration grew faster and deeper… With a muffled, somewhat out-of-control roar, everything returned to calm as the emperor slowly opened his eyes.
A rich, intoxicating fragrance filled the air, making him frown slightly. Staring at the white curtains and the carved wooden bed before him, he was momentarily stunned. He vaguely remembered that the pleasure had been like this, with such an intoxicating feeling. He had thought it was just a dream, but now it felt so real? Could it be that it wasn't a dream, but reality?
But he clearly remembered that the face beneath him last night was Qinglian's, but how could this be? How could he be with Qinglian...?
"Your Majesty, you're awake."
Just as he was muttering to himself, a soft, gentle voice sounded from above. Looking up, he was caught off guard by a pair of bright eyes. The gaze swept over him, and he was visibly startled: "It's...it's you?"
The curtain had already been lifted: "Your Majesty, it's me, your concubine," she said softly, her smile shy. The Emperor practically jumped out of bed. "What are you doing here?"
It wasn't that he was reacting strongly, but rather that he was quite shocked. Thinking about the erotic dream he had just had, he was completely bewildered. So, the person in the dream wasn't Qinglian, but rather... this woman who looked exactly like Qinglian?
Meeting Rong Jinxiu was truly unexpected. He had always thought that Consort Shu and Lian'er were the most similar, but he never imagined that there would be someone in the world who looked almost exactly alike. Looking at Rong Jinxiu's face, he brought her into the palace almost without hesitation and promoted her to the rank of Noble Lady, skipping several ranks below her.
However, for so long, he had her play the zither, chat, and watch over him, but never let her serve him in bed. The reason was nothing more than the feelings he had for Consort Wen.
The feeling of almost losing and then regaining made him want to hold her in the palm of his hand, but he was always worried that everything would be just a mirage. So he treated her well, but dared not touch her. However, he never expected that he would have her serve him in bed after getting drunk.
Looking at that face that was exactly the same as the one in his memory, and thinking about the ecstasy he had just experienced in his dream, so real and vivid, it stirred his heart and made him feel a surge of emotion.
It seems that only the most primal intimate contact between a man and a woman can make him truly feel her presence; it seems that he was overthinking things before.
Intimate intercourse and cherishing each other are not mutually exclusive. Although it is not Lian'er, it is undeniable that this woman who looks exactly like Lian'er has brought back the feeling of those years.
Thinking of this, his heart trembled, and he couldn't help but press her down on him again. As the curtain slid down, her soft moans and gasps rose again, the most primal rhythms sounding exceptionally clear in the dead of night.
Lian'er...
--
The following day, before finalizing the selection of the crown prince, the emperor first ordered the empress to issue an imperial edict, exceptionally promoting Consort Rong to the rank of Second Grade Consort, placing her at the head of the six consorts.
This was the first time since the founding of Lanling that someone had been made a concubine after only a month in the palace. This caused a great deal of discussion not only in the inner palace but also in the court.
I had indeed heard that this Consort Rong, or more accurately, Consort De, was extremely similar to the late Consort Wen. The Emperor fell in love with her at first sight, but I never expected to receive such great favor. Her glory was unparalleled in the world. Even though she benefited from Consort Wen's fame, she was still envied by everyone and naturally became a topic of conversation.
Meng Wan was not one to talk about others. Upon receiving the news, her first concern was for Consort Shu. If she received the news, she would probably be heartbroken.
So the next morning, she ordered a sedan chair to be brought and went to the palace early.
He entered the palace almost every day and was extremely familiar with the roads within the palace grounds. After getting off the sedan chair, he switched to the palace's special palanquin and only disembarked when he reached the inner court. He then had Mu Ci wait outside while he headed towards Shuangyun Palace.
It was already late autumn, and the weather was chilly, but that did not diminish the beautiful scenery. The sun shone brightly on the earth, casting a dazzling white glow. Meng Wan walked along the path with dignified steps and her gaze fixed straight ahead.
As she passed through the Imperial Garden, she deliberately slowed her pace, for there were many withered leaves on the ground, which, though desolate, were still quite beautiful.
She walked very slowly, glancing around as she went. But as soon as she looked around, she was drawn to a blue figure peeking through the gaps in the artificial hill.
It was the figure of a woman, not far away, so Meng Wan could see it clearly through the gaps in the artificial hill. There could be no one else but the newly promoted Consort De.
Xiu Mei frowned slightly. If she were to run into him now, she would definitely have to pay her respects and offer her congratulations. After all, the Emperor had previously promoted her rank, but Meng Wan had not gone because she was afraid that Consort Shu would be upset. If she were to run into him now, she would have to say a few words.
So she lifted her skirt and turned to leave, but after only two steps, another voice rang out, attracting Meng Wan's attention.
The voice said, "The Emperor is very fond of you now, so keep up the good work. If you can bewitch the Emperor's mind like that vile woman Wen Qinglian did back then, and make him listen to whatever you say, then all my cultivation of you will not have been in vain."
Meng Wan paused, stopping right there.
She couldn't be mistaken about that voice; who else could it be but the Empress?
What did she just say? Cultivate? She cultivated Consort De?
His eyes darkened, and he moved even closer to the artificial hill.
Consort De lowered her head: "Your Majesty understands. I will soon conceive a royal child. I believe that Your Majesty will then favor me even more. At that time..."
"Snap--"
Before she could finish speaking, she received a solid slap to the cheek, which terrified her so much that she immediately knelt down, not daring to look at the Empress, and simply lowered her head, saying, "This concubine deserves to die!"
The Empress, still furious, raised her hand, but then withdrew it. She didn't even look at Jinxiu's stunning face, but instead lowered her head, fiddling with her long nails, and sneered, "Jinxiu, don't forget your place. Just serve the Emperor well, and don't have any other thoughts. Otherwise, you'll suffer the same fate as that vile Consort Shu!"
Rong Jinxiu was startled and lowered her head even further. She knew that what the Empress hated most was her face, and she would never dare to raise her head when the Empress was angry.