Чистая вода и прекрасные горы

Глава 103

I was so startled that I quickly touched my face, but had I frightened the child?! Just as I was about to comfort her, two boys ran out of the second gate. The one in the lead, panting, said, "Hey! Don't run, we won't eat you... Uh—Mother?"

Seeing Yin'er covered in sweat, I frowned and said, "Where is this?! This is your Empress Dowager's palace, not my Eastern Palace! Stop shouting and behaving so rudely! Are you trying to harm your fourth aunt's sister?!"

Yin'er quickly pouted, "My father recently bestowed some tribute oranges upon me, and I was thinking of taking Sangsang to try them."

I took a breath and said, "Sangsang is still young. Of course, you'll scare her if you don't explain things clearly." As I spoke, I squatted down, took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Sangsang's forehead, and smiled slightly. "Sangsang, your cousin has a quick temper, but he has the best temperament. If you don't want to go, you can just tell him. There's no need to run around like this. If he gets hurt, it will break your mother's heart."

Sangsang lowered her head, one small hand tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, a cold sadness in her eyes, just like the Fourth Prince. I beckoned to a nearby palace servant and instructed, "Take the little princess to Fourth Sister-in-law."

"Mother, I heard Xi'er is coming? Did you make some snacks again?" Yin'er asked me. Seeing me nod, he smiled and said to Sangsang, "Do you like snacks? My mother's snacks are really delicious."

Sangsang looked up at me, her lips twitching. Yin'er nodded. "It's really delicious! Even someone as picky as Zhi'er always eats until she's stuffed."

Then I remembered that Zhi'er was missing, and I hurriedly asked, "Have you seen your sister?"

"She went to the Emperor's Garden to play with the peep show."

I nodded, put my arm around Yin'er, and smiled affectionately, "I also made your favorite osmanthus soup today."

Seeing Yin'er's eyebrows curving into crescents, I turned to look at Sangsang and asked, "Sangsang, your cousin invited you. Are you going?"

Before Sangsang could answer, a cold voice came from behind, "Sangsang, what are you doing here?"

I quickly turned around and gave a slight bow, "Your Highness."

"Fourth Uncle," Yin'er called out as well.

The Fourth Prince nodded slightly, stepped forward, took Sangsang's small hand, and his tone softened instantly, "Sangsang, Father will take you to find your mother."

I stood there, watching that tall figure lead little Sangsang into the sunset as they gradually disappeared at the end of the corridor, the little figure occasionally turning back to look at me. It wasn't until Yin'er tugged at me that I snapped out of my reverie, chuckled softly, and turned to leave.

As soon as I led Yin'er into the hall, the first thing I saw was Lu Xiu and his son eating with terrible table manners, leaning against each other and feasting. Poor Jingrui couldn't see and just reached out and groped around on the table. Xi'er's mouth was full of oil, and he kept stuffing it into his mouth—he really wasn't learning any good manners! I quickly grabbed the feather duster and went over to them, hitting the two of them, "Where have you gone—your manners and manners?"

Lu Xiu dodged while stuffing food into his mouth, saying, "It's rare to see someone like this, and they even got physical with people to watch."

I sighed, pulled down the drool- and snot-covered face of Xi'er and threw it to Liu Shang beside me, "Go, rinse it off and bring it in."

Xi'er was carried away and kept turning her head to stare at the pear blossom syrup on the table, swallowing her saliva incessantly.

I was completely overwhelmed. I pushed Lu Xiu aside, sat down at the table, picked out two pieces that hadn't been harmed, gave one to Jing Rui and the other to Yin'er, and glared at Lu Xiu, "How did you raise my son into a little beggar?!"

"Son?!" Not only Yin'er, but even Siliang, who was standing to the side, stared in surprise.

"Who is his mother?"

"Nonsense!" I already said it was my son, so who else could his mother be?!

"Who...who is his father?" Siliang asked, her voice trembling.

Lu Xiu's mouth was stuffed full, and he couldn't speak. He quickly held out his hand to indicate that the child's father was there. Si Liang was about to cry and hurriedly covered Yin'er's eyes and Jing Rui's ears, saying, "The two young masters didn't hear or see anything."

"Why is it so quiet today? I heard there was a play going on not long ago!"

"You like watching me get a beating?" I glared at him. "I'll call you tomorrow."

No sooner had I finished speaking than a servant from the Imperial Household Department quietly arrived, carrying a plaque for the emperor's bedchamber and asking if I wanted to send it to him.

"Isn't this a matter for your Imperial Household Department? Why are you asking me?" I glanced at him, my face full of disdain.

"Your Majesty. The Emperor has decreed that from this day forward, the entire harem will be under Your Majesty's jurisdiction, and you will be responsible for arranging which concubine will serve the Emperor. You will also be responsible for managing the Emperor's records of the concubines' nights with the Emperor."

My hand went cold. Was he trying to force me to be a competent empress?! I ordered the eunuchs to place two plates in front of me, and took the record book containing the menstrual periods and nights spent with the concubines. I flipped through it. From the silver plate containing green plaques, I picked out the top plaques of several concubines who were currently menstruating and placed them on the copper plate beside me.

With a quick glance, I spotted the most unique and obvious piece among all the top-tier courtesans... I reached out and picked it out, then tossed it into the copper dish on the other side.

“Your Majesty—” Siliang reminded her carefully.

I pushed the silver plate forward and instructed the eunuchs, "Send this over after dinner and let the Emperor choose for himself. Tell him I can't decide, and I'm afraid I might give too little or too much to someone."

The eunuchs from the palace took the silver plate, bowed, and then withdrew.

Lu Xiu squinted at me, "Not bad, not bad! He listens to everything you say now!"

I didn't have time to pay him any attention, so I just threw a feather duster at him and said, "Can't even a snack shut you up?"

Before going to sleep, I sat by the window listening to Liu Shang tell jokes. My eyes fell on the book sent by the Imperial Household Department. I picked it up and flipped to a blank page to fill in a mark. I casually asked, "Did the Emperor choose the Imperial Concubine again today?"

Liu Shang was taken aback, and said cautiously, "After dinner, the Emperor flipped through the plates several times, but in the end he didn't flip any of them. Now he has returned to the Southern Study."

I nodded and circled a name on today's list of those to serve me in bed.

Liu Shang walked up and sighed slowly, "His Majesty spent the whole day strolling around the garden with the Consort today, he must be tired."

I waved my hand, not bothering to inquire about any information about that person. "You can lock the palace gates now; it's time to rest."

Liu Shang lowered the curtain, removed the lampshade, extinguished the candle wick, and quietly left. I heard the door close, and in the pitch black, I closed my eyes. Suddenly, I heard the rustling of clothes, and when I opened my eyes, I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. A chill ran into me, and then I felt a cool body cover me.

I struggled a few times, but to no avail. Finally, I steeled myself, stopped resisting, and played dead, going along with his perfunctory attitude.

"Why didn't His Majesty choose a concubine today?" I asked expressionlessly.

“It’s overturned…” he said softly, his voice laced with heavy breathing, “It’s just that we’re late.”

I turned my head away and muttered to myself, "There's clearly no sign for me."

He laughed back, "Don't try to outsmart me. It's not like it's the credit season, yet you secretly removed the sign."

I pursed my lips. He didn't seem to be going to stop. I closed my eyes because I was sleepy, but my mind was still clear.

"Is Your Majesty going back to Consort Gui's place later?" I asked groggily, the implication being clear: I had no intention of keeping him here.

He paused, then slowly released me, lay down beside me, and said indifferently, "Wake me up tomorrow. I can't miss the morning court session."

I shifted my body, moving further away from him, closed my eyes, and quickly fell asleep. I slept very soundly. Early the next morning, Liu Shang called softly from the doorway. I got up and nudged him beside me. He suddenly opened his eyes, put on his undergarments, and got out of bed. I helped him put on his dragon robe. He stared at me intently, but didn't say a word.

I smiled and said, "You'll have to serve the imperial concubine tonight."

"Is having sex with me really that shameful?" His words contained no blame, no anger, only a faint self-deprecation.

"It's because I'm not used to it."

After saying that, she looked up to meet his gaze, her calm eyes trying to pierce his eyes. I'm not used to you being around anymore, don't you understand?

"Okay." His voice was weak, yet he was also restraining certain emotions.

I watched the figure recede into the distance, and spoke before Liu Shang could approach, "Take a bath and change your clothes, then summon all the palace ladies to Changchun Pavilion at 5:00 AM. No one should be absent or late. By the way, it would be best if each of you brought an abacus; I will not be responsible for providing one."

The sun was shining brightly, so I decided not to take the sedan chair and walked all the way to Changchun Pavilion in the West Palace. I admired the flowers and scenery along the way. Anyone with eyes could see that I was deliberately dawdling; it was the custom in the inner palace that those of high status were never punctual! Passing by Chaoyang Hall, it wasn't that I was deliberately looking at him, it was just on my way. I saw him in the distance, high above, listening intently to the ministers discussing state affairs below.

"Your Majesty, the Dali Kingdom has requested an alliance with our dynasty. Next month, Dali envoys will arrive to discuss the alliance and marriage arrangements. To demonstrate our dynasty's goodwill, shouldn't we hold a grand banquet? This year's trade has been exceptionally prosperous, far exceeding previous years. Let the envoys witness the majesty of our great dynasty. Furthermore…"

Lu Li raised an eyebrow, casually lifting his head to meet my gaze. There was no surprise or doubt, nor a smile, in his eyes, only...

He looked at me with a gentle, calm gaze, separated from me by rows of courtiers. I saw the faint light in his eyes, and as I looked at his composed gaze that never left my face, I suddenly felt that the distance between us was as vast as a thousand mountains and rivers.

"Your Majesty—" Xiao Si walked up to his ear and whispered a reminder.

He quickly turned around and looked at the court officials below: "The banquet must not lose its dignity, but extravagance is unnecessary. It's almost the end of the year, and ensuring the people have enough to eat and drink for the New Year is the most important thing..."

By this time, I had already turned around and left the palace gate.

By the time I reached Changchun Pavilion, it was already 3:45 AM. The women were kneeling respectfully on the ground, none of them daring to look up at me as I entered the hall. Fortunately, their kneeling postures were all quite good, making it a pleasing sight at first glance. There were a few who didn't kneel properly, probably due to the torture they had endured in the previous days, but I didn't bother with them.

He granted them permission to rise and take their seats, instructing the palace servants to serve tea and refreshments. He then sat in the main hall, looking at Consort Jing, who was seated at the head of the table.

"Little sister, how is your injury healing?" I asked "kindly" as I turned my head.

Consort Jing smiled slightly and said through gritted teeth, "Thank you for your concern, elder sister."

"I've summoned everyone here today for no major reason. As you all probably know, the list of those to be summoned to the Emperor's bedchamber has been handed over to me for arrangement. I'd like to ask for your opinions."

"How many times a month would you all like to serve the Emperor?"

Those drinking tea below suddenly choked, those eating snacks choked, and even those who had been dozing off were jolted awake. Every single one of them turned their sharp eyes to the hall above. This was a momentous event for women, an absolutely momentous one. Entering the palace as a concubine or mistress was all about receiving the Emperor's favor. At such a crucial moment, the people below weren't letting a single word I utter escape their notice. Some were even pulling out their notebooks to write it down—were they afraid I'd deny it later?!

I handed the tea in my hand to Liu Shang, who was waiting to the side, and coughed lightly. The audience fell silent.

"I think... let's settle this with money. It'll be thirty nights a month, priced at 1,300 taels per night, with no limit on the number of nights. Of course, if you're willing to spend hundreds of thousands of taels at once, and can't use it all in a month, you can reserve it for next month, the date is up to you. It's completely voluntary, there's no order of priority, first come, first served!"

Before I could finish speaking, the cup in Liu Shang's hand fell straight to the ground. I glared at her, gritted my teeth, and said softly, "If you have any opinions, just say them. Don't smash my cup."

He didn't even pick up the wine cup, but whispered in my ear, "Isn't selling it for over a thousand taels a bit too cheap?"

“I calculated it at the market price of ten taels per catty of venison, so I won’t lose money on him.”

"..."

The bolder ones started whispering among themselves, while some from business backgrounds had already taken out their abacuses and were fiddling with them. Others frowned, wondering what was going on.

"You can ask questions," I added.

Immediately, someone responded. A young woman sitting in the back boldly stood up and said, "I am Xu Liang, an eighth-rank talented woman from the Xiqin Pavilion."

She even knew how to introduce herself, and her words immediately won me over.

"Xu Cairen, you speak." Since she speaks politely, I will respond politely as well.

"I'd like to offer two thousand six hundred taels for two nights!"

Xu Liang's words were surprising; I hadn't expected anyone to start bidding so quickly, and even I hadn't reacted yet. I waved my hand, and Liu Shang hurriedly took out his notebook to jot it down.

"Consort Xu has been promoted four ranks, becoming a fourth-rank Noble Consort." This time, my words caused those still speechless to lose their composure once again. Even Xu Liang, who had just sat down, couldn't help but look up at me. Two thousand six hundred taels of silver probably wouldn't even be enough for a single promotion, yet she'd been granted four ranks! Two nights of imperial favor, plus the rank of Noble Consort—it was truly an incredible bargain. The gazes of the crowd towards Xu Liang held envy, curiosity, and above all, disbelief!

Liu Shang quickly stepped forward to explain, "The Imperial Noble Consort said early on that the top three participants would be promoted in rank depending on the circumstances."

Naturally, there was a stir, and some people couldn't wait to put up their abacuses and bid. I gestured for everyone to quiet down and said slowly, "The silver that you sisters have contributed will be split 40/60. 40% will go into the national treasury, and 60% into the treasury of my Eastern Palace. The Eastern Palace's silver has always been used to provide for the needs of the harem. The sisters are contributing today to buy future benefits. Some of you will even be lucky enough to give birth to a prince, which will be the greatest guarantee for the rest of your lives! The starting price of 1,300 taels is really a bargain, absolutely excellent value for money!"

For a moment, the sounds of abacuses, bids, and date selections filled Changchun Pavilion. I thought to myself, these people are all quite well-off; their bids are escalating rapidly. Gradually, a slender figure emerged from the bustling crowd. She stepped out, knelt before the prince, and said in a weak voice, "Your Majesty, I come from a humble background..."

I want to buy one night.

I sized her up. She was young, dressed simply, and had a determined look in her eyes. It seemed that being favored and promoted was her only way out.

"May I have your name?"

"Zuo Shang'er."

"Bonus granted!"

Zuo Shang'er showed no joy, only a faint expression of gratitude, and slowly retreated.

The teacups beside me were replaced one after another. Not only was the ledger for the month filled, but the ledgers for the next two months were also pre-ordered. Liu Shang simply moved a chair over and sat next to me, counting the silver notes with a "clatter." I glanced at Fu Jing, who remained seated calmly, and simply smiled, "Isn't Consort Jing participating?"

"I don't have that kind of spare money," she replied politely.

It's not that she doesn't have the money; it's that she's unwilling to lower herself to me. In this world, there's probably nothing more precious than her face, Fu Jing's face.

"Pretentious hypocrisy!" someone whispered in the audience. The voice wasn't loud, but it was so sharp that no one could miss it.