nashuaworldcup Chapter 285 Rejection
Chapter 285 Rejection
In the days that followed, Yongzheng seemed to have opened the floodgates of his emotions, becoming a young man passionately in love. Every few days, he would go to Ganlu Temple, under the pretext of "praying for the Empress Dowager." The ministers in the court all praised the emperor for his "pure and filial piety."
When An Lingrong heard this, she felt it was extremely ironic.
Although this news was concealed very well, the Queen gradually became aware of it.
In Jingren Palace.
The aroma of melons and fruits lingered in the air, but it couldn't dispel the lingering melancholy in the queen's heart. She lazily leaned back on the couch, one hand weakly supporting her forehead, her brow furrowed tightly. It felt like countless needles were pricking her head, sending waves of excruciating pain. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to suppress the discomfort.
Concubine Qi stood aside, her face filled with anxiety, her carefully painted eyebrows twisted with worry. She clutched a handkerchief tightly in her hand, tearing it back and forth as she spoke, "Empress, the Emperor has been visiting Ganlu Temple frequently these days. In my humble opinion, I'm afraid he's already in contact with Zhen Huan."
After hearing this, the Queen tilted her head slightly, half-opened her eyes, and glanced at her coldly, her tone full of impatience: "Do you even need to tell me that? Do you think I can't see it?"
Concubine Qi choked, her face showing even more anxiety. She hurriedly said, "What should we do now? Your Majesty, please make a decision quickly."
The Queen snorted coldly, looked at her and asked, "You're asking me?"
Concubine Qi quickly knelt and saluted, with a look of fawning and fear on her face, and said anxiously: "Your Majesty, I will follow your orders and leave it to you to make the decision. I hope you can come up with a plan to deal with this as soon as possible."
"If the emperor wants her to return to the palace, what can I do?"
After hearing the Queen's words, Concubine Qi became increasingly panicked. "But Your Majesty, my father played a significant role in Zhen Yuandao's conviction. If she really returns to the palace, she will definitely not let me off! You must stop her!"
The Queen narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing across her face. "Why are you so anxious? The matter back then was handled by the Emperor himself, and it's all settled. Now that she's deposed, it won't be easy for her to return to the palace. Apart from anything else, it will be very difficult for the Emperor to get past the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager's help was indispensable to what happened back then!"
Seeing that the Queen was so confident, Concubine Qi felt relieved.
In the Cining Palace, Zhuxi waited for the Empress Dowager to finish drinking the medicine. Only then did Yongzheng say with a smile, "The Empress Dowager is feeling much better, and her complexion is much rosier. I can finally rest assured."
The Queen Mother glanced at him indifferently and said, "This is all thanks to the Emperor, who often went to Ganlu Temple to pray for me. The Buddha and Bodhisattva sensed the Emperor's sincerity, and my body has gradually recovered."
The forced smile on Yongzheng's face froze instantly after hearing the Empress Dowager's blunt words, and turned into a hint of embarrassment. He touched his nose and stopped talking.
"Emperor, are you thinking all the concubines in the palace are fools?"
"Your Majesty, you are too kind. I came here today to inform you that I want to bring Concubine Wan back to the palace..."
Before Yongzheng could finish, the Empress Dowager interrupted him: "No!"
"why?"
The Empress Dowager stared directly into Yongzheng's eyes, her gaze as sharp as a torch. "You ordered Zhen to be sent out of the palace for training. This is a foregone conclusion. If you bring her back so easily, people will think you're acting rashly, and it will spark widespread discussion in the court and harem. How will you explain this then?"
Yongzheng paused briefly, as if prepared, and slowly spoke, "I've already considered this question. When she left the palace, I didn't explain her faults, so the reasons can be worked around. Now, let's just say that after giving birth to Princess Longyue, she went to Ganlu Temple to pray for the country out of a sincere heart for the royal family and the people. Now that the three-year period has expired and her blessings have been accumulated, it's only natural for me to bring her back to the palace, and outsiders can't interfere."
The Queen Mother shook her head slightly, her face full of disapproval. "This explanation may be deceiving those who are unaware, but it cannot be deceiving the concubines in the harem. She is a deposed concubine who was banished from the palace, and in the eyes of everyone, she is an ominous person. If the Emperor insists on taking her back, how can the concubines accept this? It will definitely cause trouble in the harem, and then there will be no peace in the harem forever."
"But Empress Dowager, I do like Concubine Wan..." Yongzheng's eyes were filled with determination and deep affection. "Ever since she left the palace, I've often thought of the moments we spent together. She is exceptionally talented and intelligent. She can help me solve many problems, and we are spiritually compatible. I know that an emperor's love shouldn't be revealed lightly, but I can't help but feel it. I hope Empress Dowager will understand my inner torment and longing."
The Empress Dowager's expression was solemn, and she advised earnestly, "You are the Emperor. You must consider the people of the world. The emperor's love is the least important. If it is exploited by those with ulterior motives, it will cause great chaos. Emperor Shunzhi's favor for Consort Dong E caused so much trouble. And then there was Consort Shu, who was favored by everyone, causing complaints from the concubines and making the harem restless. These are all ready-made examples! The harem has been stable in recent years, and you were able to handle government affairs with ease in the previous dynasty. Why would you disrupt this rare peace and stability for her alone?"
After hearing the Empress Dowager's words, Yongzheng frowned. After a long moment, he slowly spoke, "Empress Dowager, I'm not ignorant of the importance of things. It's just that the affection between Wanpin and me over the years is so deep that I simply can't let it go."
The Empress Dowager sighed as she watched her son in such a state. "Your Majesty, I understand your feelings. But pure love doesn't exist in this palace. Wanpin's return will not only spark jealousy among the harem's concubines, but will also trigger moves by the families behind them. At court, the ministers will also discuss the Emperor's actions, perhaps thinking he's incompetent and disrupting government order over a woman."
"I am the ruler of a country, can't I even get a woman I like?"
"A ruler of a country should have the responsibilities of a ruler of a country."
Yongzheng looked at the Empress Dowager steadily, his eyes dark and unclear, "Does the Empress Dowager really not agree to Wanpin returning to the palace?"
"Emperor, it's not that I disagree, but this matter is of great importance. You should think twice!" said the Queen Mother indifferently.
Yongzheng wanted to say something else, but the empress dowager suddenly coughed violently several times.
Zhu Xi beside him said quickly: "Is the Queen Mother tired? The imperial physician told you to get more rest!"
Seeing this, Yongzheng, despite feeling a thousand kinds of resentment and indignation in his heart, knew that this was not the time to argue any further. He could only suppress his emotions and bowed to the Empress Dowager, his tone revealing helplessness: "Madam, have a good rest. I will take my leave now and visit you another day."