Professional Ethics of a Concubine

"The court has issued new rules now. Girls can only get married when they are 18 years old. So, even if these girls are under 18 now, they have to be 18 years old before they can get married."

Ye Qingzhi gave him some popular science explanation.

"They are too young. I don't think there is anything to talk about with them." Xie Niankang said.

"If when I speak, the other person just looks at me and says 'OK, OK, OK' without any opinions of their own, then that's meaningless."

Ye Qingzhi deliberately said, "Many young girls like mature men like you. When you talk, they will look at you with starry eyes, full of admiration, which can bring you great satisfaction. Why are you not happy?"

When middle-aged men look for young girls, what they want is the admiration and the fresh feeling.

This is something that mature women cannot give them.

"Aunt, I'm not that superficial." Xie Niankang frowned, "If I were to get married, I'd be looking for a partner I can talk to, not a woman who warms my bed. Instead of that, I might as well stay single."

"From what you said, you want a woman who is experienced, knowledgeable and eloquent?" Ye Qingzhi asked him.

Xie Niankang nodded vigorously, "Yes, auntie understands me."

Ye Qingzhi rolled her eyes at him, "I don't want to understand you at all. Tell me, do you regret it and want to be the emperor's husband again?"

Xie Niankang,

Xie Niankang was silent for a moment, then shook his head, "I don't want to be an imperial husband. An imperial husband cannot participate in politics, has no freedom, and has too many shackles. It's really not suitable for me.

Although I have a slightly complicated feeling towards the Crown Princess, I also feel a little distressed while admiring her, and I think she has a hard time.

However, when I thought about being the emperor's husband and the rules, I backed off. I'd better be her subject and help her manage the country."

Ye Qingzhi sighed slightly after hearing what he said, "Have you thought about this many times?"

"Yes, I thought about it more than ten years ago. I didn't think my love for her could outweigh the constraints of those rules. Day after day, we would become resentful couples, so I ran away."

Xie Niankang said,

"Now that I'm much more mature, I admit that I still like the Crown Princess, I want to care about her, and I hope she lives a comfortable life.

But even if I don’t want to go out on adventures anymore, I don’t want to be confined in the palace and only do boring things.”

"If Mingyan doesn't become the empress in the future, you, as the consort, can participate in politics like Prime Minister Fang, and the two of you can work together as equals..."

Ye Qingzhi said, and then shook her head, "Forget it, this possibility no longer exists, so let's not talk about it."

"Yes." Xie Niankang nodded and said with a smile, "Aunt, you are right.

The Crown Princess likes a colleague who can work with her, share her burdens, and not cause her any trouble, rather than a husband who respects her and can only revolve around her. "

Ye Qingzhi, "...So?"

"Alas, I'd better not get married, so as not to harm another little girl." Xie Niankang said.

"My mind is obviously still on the Crown Princess. I am only thinking about helping her manage the country and making her feel more relaxed. How can I think about running my own family after marriage?"

Ye Qingzhi,...

No, son, why do your words sound so... You said you are sober, you are indeed sober, but you said you are a bit asking for trouble, that's a little bit true.

"Your feelings are so great that you don't even think about possession. You only want to sacrifice your light and heat."

Ye Qingzhi said with some difficulty in believing, "Are you sure you can do it? Don't you feel uncomfortable seeing Mingyan and the emperor's husband together?"

"It's okay." Xie Niankang thought about it carefully, "I don't want to have an exclusive love for her, because we are not equal. Aunt, I think you should understand what I mean."

Ye Qingzhi patted his back with mixed feelings.

"Okay, you can handle it yourself. It's your own business anyway. As long as you can accept it, it's fine."

"I feel pretty good. I'm full of energy now." Xie Niankang smiled.

"Before, I wanted to conquer the stars and the sea. Now, I want to conquer those court officials and make them obey me."

Ye Qingzhi,...

Why does this sound so wrong?

My son, you won't become a favored official with great power in the court, or you might get taken down in the future.

-

Although Xie Niankang said that he didn't want to get married for the time being, Ye Qingzhi discussed it with the Queen and decided to hold the blind date party as usual.

Since I'm free anyway, I might as well find something to do. It's fun to be a matchmaker.

On the day of the blind date party, Xie Niankang didn't come either. He was on a business trip to Fuzhou.

The Queen was puzzled and asked Ye Qingzhi, "Didn't you say that this was a blind date party prepared for Niankang? Where are the others?"

"He said he doesn't want to get married again." Ye Qingzhi said, "Let's just watch these pretty girls and boys perform their talents."

"He is not young anymore. Does he plan to never get married?" the Queen asked Ye Qingzhi.

"Yes, I am determined to make some achievements in my official career and share the worries of our Royal Highness the Crown Princess." Ye Qingzhi said half-truthfully.

After a pause, the queen couldn't help but ask, "He has no other thoughts?"

"He definitely has no intention of becoming the emperor's husband." Ye Qingzhi said, "He just wants to shine."

Queen,...

-

In the blink of an eye, another year has passed and it is the coldest time of winter.

The Queen knew that the end of the year was the busiest time for her daughter Mingyan and the Emperor, so, thinking that her daughter had no time to play with the children, she would visit them more often.

However, she went there several times and found Mingyan was not doing her job and was having a lot of fun playing with her fat son.

"Aren't you busy at the end of this year?" the Queen asked Mingyan curiously.

"Fortunately, the shipping business was given to Xie Niankang, so I feel a lot more relaxed." Ming Yan picked up her son and teased him, saying with a smile.

"Oh, it seems that what Qingzhi said is true." The queen sighed slightly.

"Hmm?" Ming Yan looked at her mother in confusion, "What did the concubine say?"

"She said that Xiaokang is now focused on making achievements in his official career and doesn't want to get married anymore," said the queen.

Ming Yan frowned slightly when she heard this, and secretly reflected on whether she had exploited Xie Niankang too much and given him too much workload.

"I think he's getting old, and it's a bit pitiful for him to be single all the time," the queen said.

"The emperor has given him such a large mansion, but he doesn't even have a mistress to manage things. This is really not a good thing. You are in charge of him now, so you can ask for his opinion."

Mingyan nodded, "Okay, I'll ask him later."

"Where's the emperor's husband? He's not in the palace again?" The queen frowned and asked, "He's been leaving the palace quite frequently. He hasn't seen the child much."

"Let him be." Mingyan said, "He just attended some banquets and didn't do anything excessive."

"That can't be the case." The queen still said dissatisfiedly, "He can't participate in politics, but he can ask about your life and take care of Xi'er more.

When you two just got married, I saw that he cared about you very much and followed all the rules very well. He was a smart and sensible man.

But, since you gave birth to Xi'er, he has become more and more excessive. If you don't regulate his words and deeds, your mother will take action. "

"Mother, his behavior is also related to my indulgence." Ming Yan said, "I will restrain him first. If mother is still not satisfied, you can scold him."

The queen nodded with satisfaction after hearing what she said, but she couldn't help but say earnestly,

"If you don't want to marry anyone anymore, you have to work hard on your relationship. You are the Crown Princess, and even if he is a man, he has to respect you. You are the leader."

"I have taken note of your admonition, mother." Ming Yan nodded seriously, "I will talk to the emperor about this."

"Just be aware of this yourself." The Queen sighed, "You are almost thirty years old, and you still need your mother to worry about this."

"No matter how old my daughter is, there are still things she cannot take care of. Thank you for your hard work, mother." Mingyan smiled and took her arm.

"I will send my mother back to Kunning Palace."

"Okay, you don't have to see me off. Just go about your business." The queen smiled and patted her arm, politely declining.

Mingyan watched the queen leave, then said to the eunuch beside her,

"Where is the emperor? Where is he now? Call him back."

An hour later, the emperor's husband Meng Guanyu came back, drunk and a little confused.

"Take him to take a bath and change clothes first, then make some sobering soup." Mingyan looked at his appearance, frowned, and said unhappily.

"Greetings, Your Highness..." Meng Guanyu looked at Ming Yan, bowed to her, and giggled twice, "Is Your Highness finally going to summon me to sleep with him?"

Mingyan's expression didn't change at all, she just waved her hand and asked someone to drag the drunkard away and wash him clean.

After more than half an hour, Meng Guanyu, who had cleaned himself up and sobered up, came to Ming Yan with some trepidation, knelt down and admitted his fault,

"I am guilty. I drank too much today and my words and actions were inappropriate. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

"Your recent words and actions have indeed been a bit outrageous." Ming Yan looked at him with a sullen face.

"If you feel frustrated, I can help you. I will divorce you and let you go out to work as an official."

Meng Guanyu was shocked when he heard this and immediately kowtowed and said,

"Your Highness, I didn't mean that! I've been so unbridled recently because of Duke Xie.

I saw him and His Highness talking happily and getting very close, and I heard that he and His Highness were childhood sweethearts, and they had feelings for each other. I felt even more upset, and it was hard to express myself, so I wanted to drown my sorrows in alcohol."

Mingyan raised her eyebrows in slight surprise at his words, feeling that they were a bit absurd and incomprehensible.

"You are jealous of a minister?" Ming Yan frowned, "Do you think I have a private relationship with him?"

Meng Guanyu was a little confused by her questioning. He looked up at her. Although he didn't ask it out loud, the meaning was very clear.

Don't you have intimate contact in private, don't you cross the line, don't you lose control of yourself?

Mingyan stood up, walked up to him, and said to him,

“The biggest difference between humans and animals is that humans know propriety, righteousness, honor, and shame, understand responsibility, and know how to exercise restraint.

Xie Niankang is a minister and I am the monarch, so I will not have any relationship with him other than that of monarch and minister.

As the emperor's husband, although you are not allowed to participate in politics, you still have your responsibilities and rights.

But you only focus on the power you don't have, and feel that you are not free. Not only do you not take on the responsibility of a husband, you also fail to play the role of a father well.

To be honest, I am very disappointed in you!

Over the past six months, I deliberately did not impose more restrictions on you, just to see if you could reflect on yourself. You disappointed me again.

Today, my mother came over and expressed her dissatisfaction with you, saying that if I don't restrain you, she will take action herself."

When Meng Guanyu heard this, his face suddenly turned paler and his heart felt heavy.

He even felt that he was finished and was going to be divorced.

He is a divorced emperor. Even if he can really enter the officialdom again in the future, what future does he have?

"Your Highness, I, I really know I was wrong!" Meng Guanyu kowtowed again to admit his mistake. His attitude was much more sincere than at the beginning.

"You get up first." Ming Yan said to him seriously, "I hope you can put yourself in the right position, adjust your mentality, and be a qualified husband and father.

As the emperor's husband, you can do many things, not just sleep with him."

"...I obey your command." Meng Guanyu's heart trembled and he quickly agreed.

Mingyan waved at him, "You go down first."

"I'll take my leave." Meng Guanyu was cautious and didn't dare to be presumptuous for a moment.

After he left, Mingyan shook her head slightly, sighed, and began to deal with government affairs.

If he still can't improve after this incident, she won't give him another chance.

She doesn't like fools who don't know their place, and she doesn't want to keep fools around, because that will make her son stupid.

-

A few days later, Xie Niankang returned from a business trip and came to the Eastern Palace to report to Mingyan on what he had accomplished during this trip.

"Well, very good. Thank you for your hard work, Duke. Come, sit down and have a cup of tea."

Mingyan greeted him with a smile.

"With you sharing my worries, I feel much more relaxed at the end of this year."

"Then my work has not been in vain." Xie Niankang smiled immediately after hearing this.

"I plan to set up another department next year to take charge of maritime warfare..."

After hearing his reasons, Ming Yan agreed and said, "You can discuss this matter with the emperor. I have no objection."

Xie Niankang nodded and agreed.

After they finished talking about business, Mingyan started chatting with him about personal matters.

"I heard from my mother-in-law that you don't want to get married because of me?" Ming Yan changed her words slightly and asked.

"It's not entirely because of Your Highness." Xie Niankang admitted openly.

“The main reason is that I haven’t found the right person yet, so I don’t want to settle for less.

Although I don’t expect to be in perfect harmony with my partner after marriage, I also hope that we can have something to talk about and have resonance in our views, rather than just asking if we’ve eaten or slept when we get home. ”

"You are just greedy." Ming Yan said to him directly, "It's not easy to find such a confidant."

This is the situation between her and her husband now.

"If I can't find it, I don't want to make do with it. Otherwise, it will only cause me more trouble." Xie Niankang said.

"I am now focused on winning over the court officials, and I really don't have time to think about this issue."

Mingyan quite agrees with this, as she is having the same trouble now.

The emperor gave her a headache and disappointed her.

Ming Yan smiled and shook her head, then said to him, "Just don't be so weird and think about being my husband. I don't welcome it."

Xie Niankang was not surprised at her words, and said very frankly, "I thank you for not forcing me to be the emperor's husband. It's fine for the two of us to work together like this."

Mingyan looked at him, and Xie Niankang also looked at Mingyan. After looking at each other for a while, they both laughed.

After talking like this, the relationship between the two became closer, but it was not love, but an emotion of mutual trust and appreciation.

Perhaps, you can also say that there is love between the two of them, but because they are both sober and restrained, they both know that there is no need for them and they are not suitable to be together.

Maintaining independence, separation from each other, doing your own thing in your respective positions, but trusting and supporting each other, this is actually a relationship that is more lasting and comfortable than love.

"Niankang, after really working with you, I finally understood that my love for you back then was not just a pure love between a man and a woman. I actually liked your abilities more."

After a while, Mingyan smiled and said,

"At that time, I was attracted by your characteristics. I felt that no matter who or what happened, it would become very simple and harmonious in your hands. I felt that you were so trustworthy and reliable. With you by my side, I would feel very relaxed."

"Later, you went out to sea and didn't come back for a long time, so I gradually cut off this inexplicable dependence on you."

Mingyan looked at him and said,

"Later, I became the Crown Princess. For the sake of imperial power, the court issued a strict decree prohibiting the husband of the emperor from participating in politics. From that moment on, I thought, it's over. I will not let you become my husband."

Xie Niankang laughed when he heard this and waved his hand.

"Alright, alright, stop talking. If you continue, I'll be too heartbroken. I'm just a tool for you."

"Haha... I'm glad you know." Ming Yan also said with a smile, "Hurry up and work for me!"

-

one year later.

While Xie Niankang was on a business trip, he met a woman he wanted to marry.