Everyone in my harem is talented

The eaves and roofs of the palace were covered with white snow, and the warm sun gave them a layer of golden glow.

Today is another ordinary day as usual.

After the morning court session, Qin Zhi did not return to the East Warm Pavilion of Zhaozheng Hall for breakfast as usual, but rode the dragon chariot directly to Luanyi Hall.

Concubine Yi, Meng Wuyue, was the concubine of Qin Zhi when he was the crown prince. She had a bright and beautiful appearance, a reserved temperament and was always gentle and considerate in front of Qin Zhi. She had been married into the palace for five years and had a daughter, Qin Ronglu.

When the emperor arrived at Luanyi Palace, Concubine Yi Meng Wuyue came to greet him with a smile.

She was wearing a red palace gown with a phoenix pattern and brocade with gold threads, and a white fox fur cloak without a single color.

The five-phoenix hairpin inlaid with gold and rubies on her head is luxurious and elegant, and the silk and pearl hairpin in her hair is restrained and subtle, embellishing it. When the cold wind blows, the phoenix-tail golden hairpins on her temples tremble gently.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty be in good health!" Meng Wu Yue knelt down and performed a proper salute. Her voice was clear and soft, like a spring flowing slowly through her heart.

Seeing that she was shivering in the wind, Qin Zhi held her hand and helped her up, then brought her into his arms.

"My dear, are you cold?"

The concubine in his arms was very docile and she nodded obediently.

Qin Zhi's handsome face and his usually deep and calm black eyes looked at her intently, as if filled with deep affection.

"It's freezing cold, there's no need to go outside to welcome you." Qin Zhi lowered his head and spoke to her gently.

"Your Majesty, thank you for your concern for me, but etiquette cannot be abolished. I am the one holding the Phoenix Seal. If even I do not follow the rules and cannot set an example myself, how can I have the nerve to manage the harem?" Meng Wu Yue leaned obediently on Qin Zhi's chest and said righteously.

"Then next time my beloved concubine waits for me, please remember to bring the sleeve warmer with you." Qin Zhi nodded without comment.

"My dear, have you had breakfast?"

"Not yet." Meng Wu Yue shook his head slightly and denied it.

"Are you hungry? I am hungry, and I came to you right after finishing court." Qin Zhi casually stroked the ruby ​​tassel earring on her earlobe with his thumb.

"Weixia, why are you still standing there? Go and see if the people from the kitchen have arrived." Meng Wuyue's ears flushed and she turned to her personal maid and spoke loudly.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the servants in the kitchen are already waiting. Your Majesty and Your Majesty, please move to the side hall."

When we arrived at the east hall, the dining table was already filled with Qin Zhi's favorite dishes.

"Why don't you see Ronglu?"

In the past, whenever Qin Zhi came to Luanyi Palace, the eldest princess Qin Ronglu would follow him closely, calling "father" in her soft voice.

"Your Majesty, Ronglu hasn't woken up yet. It's cold in winter, and she won't wake up until the 9th hour every day!"

"Just let her do what she wants." Qin Zhi said with a chuckle.

"Your Majesty, the eldest princess is still young. She will only be four years old next spring. Children always sleep a lot."

"Yes, only if you can eat and sleep well can you grow a healthy body."

Zhang Deli served respectfully at the table and diligently served meals to Qin Zhi and Meng Wuyue.

Not long after, Meng Wuyue saw Qin Zhi put down his chopsticks.

He put down his chopsticks, turned sideways and raised his hand to signal the palace maid who was carrying the tray behind him to come forward and hand over the tea bowl on the tray.

"Your Majesty, this is the peony flower tea that I asked the Imperial Tea House to dry. It nourishes the blood and liver in winter. Your Majesty, would you like to try it?"

Qin Zhi picked up the tea bowl and took a sip, then casually praised, "The floral fragrance is pleasant, not bitter at all, not bad."

After saying that, he put it down casually. The tea bowl made a crisp sound and some tea splashed out.

He didn't care, and asked with a smile: "I heard that there is a rumor in the palace recently that Concubine Yi will host next year's talent show?"

Qin Zhi's question was a little sudden. Although there was no anger on his face, Meng Wuyue was still a little at a loss.

"I am wrong." Meng Wu Yue knelt down directly.

Qin Zhi continued in a gentle voice, "You have held the Phoenix Seal for three years, managing all the affairs of the six palaces. You are fair and rigorous in your work, and all the concubines in the harem obey you. If you want to select someone to host the selection, you are indeed the best person to do it. Why admit your mistake? Could it be that you spread the news?"

"No, I failed to control the words of the palace maids and allowed the rumors to spread. I was indeed wrong. I dare not shirk my responsibility and will leave it to Your Majesty to deal with me."

"Get up, I forgive you." Qin Zhi chuckled. Of course he knew who spread the news, but he suddenly wanted to tease Meng Wu Yue on a whim.

"I had originally discussed with my mother that we would let you preside over the selection of candidates next spring.

It's just that recently, a court official proposed to select a beautiful woman to be the empress in this first round of the selection. I think it makes sense, so I approved it. Therefore, this round of selection will not only select ordinary concubines, but the empress of the central palace will be selected from this batch of selection women. It is not convenient for you to preside over this selection. Do you understand?"

"Your Majesty, I understand." Meng Wuyue lowered her eyes and nodded slightly.

Meng Wuyue was born into a very noble family, otherwise she would not have become a concubine.

Qin Zhi had no wife at the beginning, and Meng Wuyue was pregnant. If all went well, she would be honored as a mother by having a child, and after Qin Zhi ascended the throne, she might even become the queen.

Unfortunately, there are unexpected changes in the world.

Three years ago, when the previous emperor passed away, the King of Wu rebelled and his property was confiscated. Meng Wuyue's uncle was an official under the King of Wu and was also implicated in the treason case and his entire family was sentenced to death.

Although Meng Wuyue's mother was not implicated as a married woman, after this incident, she asked to leave the marriage and became a nun on the grounds that she had no children among the seven reasons for divorce.

Meng's father's cousin, An, was promoted to be the legal wife.

Meng Wu Yue's originally noble background was tainted and became somewhat embarrassing.

She was in the harem, and Qin Zhi did not involve her because her uncle's family was involved in the conspiracy case.

But Meng Wu Yue didn’t understand why his mother wanted to leave the family.

Meng Wuyue was the eldest daughter of the chief academic officer of the Imperial College.

My mother, Fu Lanxu, and my father, Meng Liu, met when they were young and they were childhood sweethearts.

After she came of age, the Fu and Meng families exchanged engagement letters, and they soon got married. They loved each other very much after marriage.

It is said that all the women in Kyoto at that time envied her mother, saying that Meng's mother married the right man, and Meng's father was also a lovesick man praised by everyone.

The couple had only one daughter, whom they treated as a precious jewel and jade.

When Meng Wu Yue's mother gave birth to her, she was injured. She took a period of recuperation, but before she recovered, she was eager to have another son. Unfortunately, she met a quack doctor. After taking the pregnancy-maintaining medicine prescribed by the quack doctor, Meng's mother's health was completely ruined and she could no longer give birth.

Meng Wuyue still remembers that when she was four or five years old, her mother once suggested taking a concubine for her father, but her father was unwilling, saying that it was his fault that her mother could not have children again, and even if they had no heir, he would still live with her for the rest of his life.

She also fantasized about being together with her future husband for the rest of her life.

However, she married Qin Zhi, who was the crown prince and the future emperor of Dayong.

What's more, she is not even Qin Zhi's legal wife.

In addition, under pressure from his grandmother, his father later took his cousin An as a concubine.

Based on the cruel reality, she gave up these youthful fantasies.

When Meng Wuyue was six years old, his grandmother, Old Lady Meng, forced his father to take a concubine and threatened to commit suicide, which caused an uproar in the city.

In the end, my grandmother won, and she decided to make my father's cousin, An's father, a concubine.

My father’s cousin, Ms. An, was my grandmother’s niece and became a widow at a young age.

Neither her husband's family nor her own family was willing to accept An. She had nowhere to go, so she was taken in by Old Madam Meng. She lived as a widow in the Meng Mansion, keeping Old Madam Meng company.

On the day of taking a concubine, my father was taken by my grandmother to his cousin An.

Later, her father felt very guilty about her and her mother, and often bought her and her mother all kinds of small items and took her and her mother out to play.

An became her father's concubine. More than seven months later, she gave birth to a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, prematurely. Her father was very happy because he finally had children.

Meng Wu Yue felt a little sad at the time, but later her father treated her as before, and she accepted Aunt An and her younger brothers and sisters in her heart.

As he was thinking, Meng Wu Yue suddenly realized something.

Next year my younger sister Meng Xinghe will also be coming of age, which is just the right age for talent shows.

I don’t know if she will enter the palace.

"Weixia, ask someone to bring paper and pen. I want to write a letter to my father." Meng Wuyue wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said to Weixia.

Weixia was a servant girl of the Meng family. Both her parents worked in the Meng family. She had been with Meng Wuyue since she was a child, and later followed Meng Wuyue into the palace.

"Qinghe, stop dozing off and go get paper and pen for the Empress." Weixia pushed Qinghe, who was drowsy beside him.

Qinghe shuddered, "Hey, Aunt Weixia, I'll go right away."

Qinghe was originally a maid in the Eastern Palace, and could be considered an elder by Meng Wuyue's side. Although she was a bit lazy, she was very smart and could often hit the nail on the head.

"Your Highness, have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up first. This is your favorite peony tea. I also added two spoons of honey to quench your thirst." Weixia handed the brewed peony tea to her. After Meng Wuyue took the tea, he walked out and said to a young eunuch, "Xiao Xiazi, the weather is too dry. Go get a basin of hot water and wash your face."

"Yes, aunt." After hearing the order from the aunt in charge, the little eunuch immediately turned around and went out to fetch water.

"Your Highness, why did you think of writing to the Lord?" Weixia sat down next to Meng Wuyue and asked while knitting: "There will be a banquet in the palace tomorrow, and the Lord will definitely come. Your Highness is writing now. Is there anything you want the Lord to bring?"

"I want to ask about my sister. She will be coming of age next year. I don't know if she is engaged. If not, I don't know if my father has someone in mind. Do I need to ask His Majesty for grace to grant her marriage?"

After saying that, Meng Wu Yue sighed and said again.

"I am now a concubine. Although I can see my father at the palace banquet, I can't say a few words. Everything needs to be relayed by An. I don't want to talk to An that much. In the past years when I was at home, An secretly envied me for being favored by my father. In the past three years, An has to kneel before me every time she enters the palace. She must be dissatisfied in her heart."

"Then the An family will definitely want the second young lady to participate in the talent show next year. What should we do?" Wei Xia's face flashed with anxiety, and he casually put down the silk ribbon in his hand. "Originally, it was decided that the queen would host this talent show. When the time comes, it will be fine to just put down the second young lady's sign."

"But now, this selection is not decided by the Queen. In addition to choosing a concubine, the Empress must also be chosen. What if, what if the Second Miss becomes the Queen?"

"The second young lady was very domineering when she was young. It would be terrible if she got over the queen's head," Weixia said anxiously.

"Weixia!" Meng Wu Yue shouted at her coldly.

"Xinghe is my sister. Three years ago, she was a concubine and had no reputation for virtue. I am now the Consort Yi. According to the rules, she cannot even be on the same level as me, let alone the Empress. She cannot climb over my head."

"Besides, this selection will not just select one person to enter the palace. Xinghe and I, although we are from different mothers, are sisters connected by blood after all, so we are always closer than others."

"I just wonder which family's daughter would be so lucky to become your Majesty's legal wife."

Meng Wu Yue felt a bitter feeling in her heart, but she tried her best to ignore it.

Although she had been managing all the affairs of the harem for Qin Zhi since he ascended the throne, she had not forgotten that she was only a concubine and His Majesty was about to marry a wife. When this selection was over and the Empress was established, the Phoenix Seal that she held in her generation would be returned to her master.

"You've been in the palace for so many years and you've become the head aunt around me. How come you're still so outspoken?" Meng Wu Yue poked Wei Xia's forehead and pretended to be angry.

"Your Majesty, I only act like this in front of you. There are no outsiders around. I keep my mouth shut when we are outside." Weixia smiled ingratiatingly.

Meng Wu Yue sighed deeply, looking helpless.

"It's too cold, too cold, it's too cold outside." Qinghe ran in like a gust of wind and handed paper and pen to Meng Wuyue: "My queen, paper and pen, for you!"

"Put it down and go to the fumigation cage to warm up!" Meng Wu Yue said gently.

The floor heating in Luanyi Hall is in the bedroom where people sleep in winter. Not every room in the palace has floor heating. Rooms without floor heating use fumigation cages for heating instead of braziers. Braziers are easily knocked over and can cause fires if you are not careful. In winter, the weather is dry and the palace is mainly made of wood. Once a fire starts, it cannot be stopped.

The fumigation cage was the main heating tool in the palace. It consisted of two parts: a basin and a cage. The large ones weighed hundreds of pounds and were more than one meter high. The fumigation cages made of various materials were very luxurious. The several bronze and gilded fumigation cages in the Luanyi Hall were not big, only half a meter high, but they were enough.

If you still feel cold, just stay in your bedroom.

"You're so irritable that the wind is blown in." Weixia pointed at Qinghe.

"Empress, the hot water is here." The young eunuch Xiao Xia stood at the door and shouted, holding a basin of hot water.

"Come in, Your Majesty, wash your hands with hot water first, then wipe your face. I'll go get your face cream and hand cream." Weixia said as she walked towards the dressing table.

"I will apply the face and hand cream myself. Go to the back hall to see if the princess has woken up. Judging from the time, she should be awake by now."

"It's cold, don't carry her around. It's windy outside, or she might catch a cold. Go and comfort her first. I'll go play with her after I finish writing the letter."

"Yes, your majesty." Weixia placed the face cream and hand cream on the table in front of Meng Wu Yue and went out like a gust of wind.

Qinghe was roasting a fire near the fumigation cage. The crackling sound of the warm fire was not noisy, but made people feel that the years were peaceful and quiet. She looked at Meng Wuyue writing a letter and said, "I heard some of what the queen said to Weixia just now. I have something to say."

Meng Wuyue, who was writing a letter, looked up at her maid Qinghe and said, "Qinghe, do you have anything to advise me?"

"I don't deserve your advice. I just think that instead of worrying about next year's selection, worrying about the Empress, and worrying about these things that cannot be changed, you should give birth to a prince for His Majesty as soon as possible. His Majesty only has the eldest princess born by you, and no one has given birth to the eldest prince yet. You should focus on having children."

After saying this, Qinghe hesitated a little, and then said, "I don't mean to preach."

"Girl, I don't know you yet! Although you are a little lazy on weekdays, you trust me with your sincerity, how could I not know it?" Meng Wu Yue said with a smile.

"Children are most dependent on fate. Your Majesty has been diligent in state affairs for the past three years and has seldom come to the harem. Even if Your Majesty comes to my Luan Yi Palace, I dare not take any medicine to get pregnant. All medicines are poisonous. My mother took these pregnancy-maintaining medicines and ruined her body. She can no longer bear children. I have always regretted that I don't have a younger brother from the same mother." If I had a younger brother from the same mother, my father would not have been forced by my grandmother to take a concubine, right?