Professional Ethics of a Concubine

On the emperor's birthday, he received a nightgown made by Ye Qingzhi. He was so happy that he shouted that he wanted to wear it every day.

Seeing that he really wanted to wear it every day, Ye Qingzhi had no choice but to make him another one, so that he would have two pieces to alternate between.

He is the emperor after all, and it would be so shabby if he told others about it with only one pajamas. Even though he has two sets to change into, it doesn't necessarily mean it's less shabby.

However, the emperor's wonderful mood did not last long, because he discovered that the birthday gift Ye Qingzhi prepared for the queen was actually a screen!

emperor,……

Suddenly I felt that his pajamas were worthless!

The emperor's face stinks, very stinks.

The ministers all felt that the emperor was in a bad mood, and they all tensed up and spoke and acted cautiously.

The queen also noticed that the emperor suddenly kept hanging around her, no, he was finding fault with her.

Sometimes she is asked to check this, sometimes she is asked to tidy up that, and she is always looking for trouble.

"Your Majesty, I don't know where I have done wrong. Please point it out directly and I will correct it."

The Queen is no longer fearful in front of the Emperor and speaks freely whenever she wants.

Because the queen also understood that with her status, as long as she did not make any mistakes of principle, the emperor would not punish her, let alone depose her.

The emperor still has some dignity. How could he say that he was jealous because the queen's birthday gift was better than his?

"Queen, do you want to go out for a walk? Apart from a trip to the Western Regions, you have never been to the south, the north, or the sea... Why not go out and see the world while you are still young?"

The Emperor spoke up,

"You are the mother of a country. You can also take this opportunity to understand the sentiments of the people and see if the status of women has improved. See if there are still some extreme bad habits that emphasize women's chastity or extreme oppression of women..."

The Queen was slightly stunned when she heard this. After hesitating for a moment, she thought it might be okay to go out and take a look, so she said,

"Okay, I'll take Qingzhi with me..."

"She doesn't like to go out, so don't take her with you. Take Concubine Hui and the others with you. Don't let them get bored in the palace. Take them out for a walk."

The emperor said immediately.

Queen,...

She seems to have come to her senses now. The emperor seems to dislike her being a nuisance in the palace!

The queen secretly rolled her eyes at the emperor, but still responded with a smile.

"Okay, it's rare that the emperor can be so gracious and let them all go out of the palace to have a look. If I refuse, they will blame me in their hearts if they know about it."

The emperor nodded with satisfaction, "If Mingjie, Mingqian, and Mingcui want to go, they can also go with us."

"I understand." The Queen continued, "Then take Mingyan with you, let her go out and relax. I feel so tired for her dealing with government affairs every day."

As the queen spoke, her tone contained a hint of complaint.

"I think Mingyan likes her very much." The emperor said, "You can ask her. She may not be willing to go out."

The queen expressed her disbelief. Her daughter is not even 18 yet, and she has become an old man?!

However, after the Queen called Mingyan and asked for her opinion, Mingyan really was not willing to go out for fun.

"Mother, please take the ladies and my brothers and sisters with you. I will not go." Ming Yan said, "I still have some things to do."

"You can't stay in the palace forever, can you?" The queen frowned.

"My dear mother, I often have to go out for inspections." Ming Yan said, "I don't feel bored."

The queen was speechless.

Yes, her daughter has to go out every few days. The place she goes is not far, only four or five days' journey. As a busy mother, she has to post a message in advance to make an appointment with her if she wants to see her.

"Mother, when will you set off?" Ming Yan asked again, "I can take you there."

"It's still early, no rush." ​​The queen thought for a moment, "At least I have to wait until my birthday is over."

Mingyan thought it made sense and asked her mother if she had any particular birthday gift she wanted.

"Mother wants to see you choose a husband," the Queen said immediately.

Mingyan,...

"Then let's follow our mother's arrangements." Mingyan thought about it and agreed.

"Really? You agree?" The Queen asked in surprise.

"Do you have any particular preferences? Do you want someone who is whiter or darker? Do you want someone who is more gentle or more sturdy?

Is he a talkative person or a quiet person? Is he good at reciting poems or composing couplets or at playing with guns and clubs? "

Mingyan, "…A smart person who is knowledgeable and interesting will do."

-

"Qingzhi, what is the standard for a smart person who is knowledgeable and interesting?"

The Queen went to Ye Qingzhi to learn from her, and complained to her about the Emperor's jealousy.

"It's because the birthday gift you prepared for me is more expensive. The emperor wants to 'exile' me now. I really can't disobey the emperor's order. I can only go out for a walk after my birthday."

Ye Qingzhi,...

She also showed a difficult expression, and after a moment of silence, she said, "It's good to go out for a walk. You always say you're bored.

There are many good men out there. When choosing a husband for Mingyan, don’t just focus on the capital. The Queen should go out and look around. If she meets a suitable candidate, she should write him down and let him participate in the selection.”

"Qingzhi, now that you mention that, I immediately feel motivated to go out for a walk." The queen immediately smiled.

"By the way, let's take a look at any attractive girls and help Mingyu choose a wife." Ye Qingzhi said with a smile again.

The queen nodded again, feeling that her task had suddenly become heavier. "And Mingjie and the others are all grown up, and it's time for them to get engaged."

"Yes, these past few years have been the time when Your Majesty has been most worried. The marriage of the five children is a big problem."

Ye Qingzhi nodded in agreement.

"Although the Emperor still needs to give his approval in the end, the Empress still needs to screen and approve some of the candidates ahead of her."

"That's right." The queen nodded. "When I see these children get married, my duty as a mother will be half done."

-

In the blink of an eye, time came to the sixth year of Qiansheng.

This year was also a year of epoch-making significance. The railway that had been laid for three years was finally temporarily completed. It was a section of railway from the capital to Xuzhou, which was 500 miles long.

From then on, trains officially became a new means of transportation.

A journey of five hundred miles would take more than two hours by train, and about three days by horse carriage.

However, the routes taken by train and carriage are completely different, so the conversion cannot be so simple.

In the past, it took about five days to travel from the capital to Xuzhou by horse carriage, and because you had to rest in between, it would take three days to ride a fast horse.

But now it only takes more than two hours by train. Such a huge difference has shocked people all over the world.

Xie Jin and other royal family members were naturally the first group of passengers. Needless to say, they were all surprised and shocked.

The emperor was sitting on the train, so he said to Xie Jin, "For the next section of the railway, we'll first build the section that goes to the Western Regions. You also want to facilitate travel with Gulan, right?"

"Your Majesty is right. That's exactly what I meant." Xie Jin nodded with a smile.

"Will it take many years to complete the construction?" the emperor asked again.

He is already sixty years old, not young anymore, and I don’t know if he can live another ten years.

After all, it took three years to build this road. The road to the Western Regions is much farther than this.

"Father, the court has earned a lot of money from shipping in recent years, and the technology of steel and iron smelting has also been greatly improved. We can invest more money and manpower. Maybe in five or six years, we can expand to the Western Regions."

Xie Jin said with a smile.

"Okay, okay!" The emperor nodded happily, "Five or six years, I think I can still wait."

"Father will live a long life." Xie Jin said with a smile, "Your happy life in your later years has just begun."

The emperor smiled and patted his shoulder, "You are so sweet!"

-

This year, in addition to the opening of the railway, there was another major event, which was Mingyan's marriage.

After all, Mingyan is the eldest daughter and the crown princess. If she does not get married, it will be difficult for her younger brothers and sisters to get married.

Due to various political considerations, the emperor chose a son of a poor family rather than a son of an aristocratic family, because he was afraid that the imperial power would be usurped by the aristocratic family.

After all, the aristocratic family's network of relationships is so huge that it is like a big tree with lush leaves. If you water it with the nutrients of imperial power, you will not be able to control it.

As for the children from poor families, their backgrounds are too simple. Their family relationships cannot even be written on half a piece of paper. They have no power or influence. Once they become the emperor's husband and develop ambitions, it will take more energy for them to rebel.

"Alas, I am really not satisfied with this choice of the Empress." The Queen said to Ye Qingzhi, "This is what others call a mud-legged peasant."

"He's quite handsome, well-mannered, and talented." Ye Qingzhi said, "He quite meets Mingyan's requirements for a smart, knowledgeable, and interesting person."

The queen thought about Meng Guanyu's handsome appearance, then thought about his words and behavior, and reluctantly agreed with Ye Qingzhi's words.

"That's fine. I think Mingyan is quite satisfied with him." The queen said again.

"Yes. Our opinions are not important. The key is that Mingyan is satisfied." Ye Qingzhi said with a smile.

"The emperor had his eyes on someone else at the time, but Mingyan insisted on choosing Meng Guanyu, so the emperor gave in."

"It's because he has a handsome face," said the queen.

"A handsome face is very important!" Ye Qingzhi said, "We can't expect him to be ambitious."

The queen choked.

It is not good for the emperor to be ambitious. If he is, he will change the surname of their Great Zhao from Xie to Meng, and then Ming Yan and they will all be sinners.

Oh, okay, it's fine like this.

-

After arranging Mingyan's marriage, the queen pulled Mingyu to her side and warned him sternly,

"You are not allowed to run away again. You must get married next year and then work for your father in a stable and peaceful way."

"Mother, are you obsessed with peace and stability?" Mingyu looked at her helplessly.

"My concubine is not like you. She always says that if you like to go out and have fun, you don't have to think about coming back. You can come back only if you feel that it is not good outside."

"That's your concubine mother deliberately coaxing you. If you ask her, she is also worried about Xie Niankang every day." The queen glared at him unhappily.

"Are you deliberately contradicting me now? You were not like this when you were a child."

"Mother, I wasn't as tall as I am now when I was a child, so of course I'm different." Mingyu added, "I won't have time to get married next year, let's wait another two years, and then I'll bring you a daughter-in-law myself."

When the queen heard this, she was furious and sternly warned him not to mess around with young girls outside and not to leave any romantic debts.

If any other girl comes with her child to look for her parents, the royal family cannot afford to lose face!

"Mother, I'm not that unreliable." Mingyu said with confidence, "I'm definitely not that kind of playboy!"