Chapter Sixteen Two Women

  Taichang Emperor hesitated for a moment, and then asked with some trepidation: "What did Li Xuan say?" He spoke in a very cautious tone, his face somewhat gloomy, constantly making eye contact with the Crown Prince, as if wanting the Crown Prince to speak well of his woman.

  Seeing Tai Chang Emperor's pleading face, Ye Xiang's emotions were complicated. This Tai Chang Emperor was really too foolish. Didn't he see what his little wife was going to do? Or did he actually want the woman to do so?

  No matter how willing, such things are impossible for oneself to agree to. Ye Xiang's heart couldn't help but sneer coldly. You fear your wife and don't want to become the laughing stock of the ministers, yet you let your own son take the blame. If it were really Crown Prince Zhu Byou, he might actually do such a thing, but I absolutely won't. If that happened, I would lose the trust of the ministers and also lose the foundation for ruling the world in the future.

  "Return to the Emperor, Li Xuan said that Your Majesty is a more victorious emperor than Han Gaozu. She served by the emperor's side and should be crowned empress." After finishing speaking, Ye Xiang shifted his gaze to the ministers below, looking at them with interest. At this time, it was already time to take sides, and it was necessary to see how these people would choose.

  Many people lowered their heads when they saw the prince's gaze, while many others looked at him with eager eyes. These people all understood the meaning behind the prince's words just now, and it was clear that there were not a few officials in this era who could grasp the emperor's intentions.

  The Prime Minister, Fang Congzhe, looked at the Crown Prince with a subtle difference in expression. When he saw the Crown Prince's eyes, his heart suddenly sank. What kind of gaze was that? It was piercing and spirited, captivating one's soul. His own composure was so good, yet when he saw such a gaze, he felt somewhat uneasy.

  Slowly lowering his head, he was constantly calculating in his heart. He could understand the meaning of the prince, of course. Han Gaozu Liu Bang, he knew that was the ultimate winner of the Chu-Han contention for supremacy. But what made him fall into deep thought was not Liu Bang, but Empress Lu. All literati knew who Liu Bang's empress was - the famous Empress Lu.

  Anyone who has some understanding of Chinese history would know about this Empress Lü. The Crown Prince said so to inform these ministers that Wei Zifu is going to be the new empress. Judging from his attitude, he obviously does not want to be a puppet emperor, so now it's time for these ministers to make a choice between two options.

  Although Fang Congzhe had no confidence in the prince, he couldn't side with Li Xuan's servant. If he did, he would be infamous for generations to come and would be cursed as a villain like Come Junmen or Qin Hui. The Ming dynasty had countless eunuchs, but only Zhang Juzheng was known as a powerful minister. If Fang Congzhe didn't take a stand this time, he would be called the first sycophant of the Ming dynasty and might even go down in history.

  After a moment of hesitation, Fang Zhe knew what to do. He had to stand on the side of the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince succeeded in the future, he would be a meritorious minister; even if the Crown Prince failed, he would die for his loyalty. But he would definitely go down in history as one of the most famous ministers of the Ming Dynasty, possibly even rivaling Wen Tianxiang.

  "Your Majesty wants to promote Li Xuan's servant as a noble concubine, we have no opinion, our emperor is wise." Just as Fang Congzhe was about to speak up, a voice rang out in the grand hall. The voice seemed so abrupt, yet nobody felt it was inappropriate. This voice shocked all the dazed officials awake. Everyone quickly knelt down on the ground, shouting "Long live our wise Emperor!"

  Looking at the ministers kneeling below, Emperor Taichang's heart was also pondering. Firstly, he had no intention of making a queen, and secondly, the crown prince's words just now had touched his heart. In those years, his father had favored Concubine Zheng, and he had been affected by Concubine Zheng's anger for decades. At this moment, he suddenly felt that what he was doing seemed to be somewhat unfair to the crown prince. He couldn't help but glance at the crown prince with some apology, but what he saw was the crown prince's gentle gaze, which warmed Emperor Taichang's heart slightly.

  Perhaps his own son will be a good emperor! Thinking of this, Emperor Taichang slowly stood up and said loudly: "Edict, Li Xuan has been serving me for many years with her virtuous and gentle virtues. I pity her merits and specially promote her to Consort Kang."

  This should be the last imperial edict under Taichang Emperor, but it was well executed, and Li Guangyuan's ambitious servant also failed to realize his own ideals and wishes, because Taichang Emperor was about to die.

  Of course this woman did not give up, which led to a big show later on, a war without gunpowder.

  Back in his own residence, the prince lay down once again on the rocking chair he had made himself, eating grapes fed to him by Li Ran, gazing at the white clouds drifting occasionally across the sky, smelling the fragrance of flowers wafting occasionally from the garden, feeling an unprecedented sense of tranquility and serenity in his heart. The entire Forbidden City was shrouded in such tranquility and serenity, yet everyone was being extremely cautious, with the voices of those scolding the little eunuchs suppressed to a very low level, creating a rather eerie atmosphere.

  Shuqing Palace is a palace located in the eastern part of the imperial palace, with magnificent halls, pavilions and gardens. However, what inspires awe in everyone is not the palace itself, but the woman who lives here - Zheng Guifei, a woman who once shook the six palaces.

  At this time, Zheng Guifei was no longer young, but she was still stunningly beautiful, looking warm and elegant like jade, mature and dignified. On her face without any wrinkles, not a hint of sharpness could be seen, just like a contented woman who had no desire to compete with the world.

  The Zheng Guifei, dressed in a Chinese cheongsam, sat smiling in the pavilion. In front of her was only one person, all the palace maids and eunuchs were serving from afar, no one dared to listen or look more than they should. These eunuchs and palace maids naturally knew their master well, although she looked gentle, but when it came down to it, she was absolutely ruthless and merciless. Perhaps it was this exterior that had enchanted the Wanli Emperor back then!

  "It's alright, don't get so worked up, you're not young anymore, and yet you still can't calm down." Gently putting down the teacup in her hand, Zheng Guifei softly wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief and spoke in a gentle tone.

  "Your Majesty, I'm so fed up! The men of the Zhu family are all such good-for-nothings! The previous emperor was like this, and now the current one is too. They're all a bunch of useless people!" The woman spoke without any reserve, as if she had vented enough, her heaving chest slowly calming down before she coldly snorted and sat down beside Empress Zheng.

  Zhen Guifei looked at Li Xuancai in front of her, let out a deep sigh, and the whole person revealed a deep sense of helplessness. After a long time, she slowly said: "We women have been fighting constantly since we stepped into the palace that day. In our youth, who didn't want to marry a rich young master and live a carefree life every day? But it's like entering the palace gate is like entering the deep sea."

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