The Self-cultivation of a Salted Fish Concubine

The empress dowager was stunned. She never expected the emperor to suddenly bring up this matter.

Her first reaction was confusion, and she felt guilty for a moment.

However, all these guilty feelings were covered up in her righteous questioning of the emperor, "How dare you ask me?"

"Since you ascended the throne, have I ever enjoyed the prestige of being the Queen Mother for even a single day?!"

"First, I was oppressed by your queen, and now you have sent me to this impoverished place called Baohua Temple. I have to live my life depending on your mood. How dare I speak for your royal brother?!"

Most parents who are partial to one another do not think that there is anything wrong with their partiality.

To them, it’s just that they gave you less today, but you are narrow-minded and keep holding a grudge.

Similarly, selfish people will not reflect on themselves when questioned, but will only find fault with you and put all the blame on you.

The Emperor said: "I have said that my ruthlessness and lack of loyalty are very similar to my mother, but she still refuses to acknowledge me."

"Over the years, I have been thinking about one thing."

The Queen Mother looked at the Emperor with anger.

Emperor: "I have always wondered, if one day I were defeated, I am afraid that my mother would treat her son's wives and concubines in the same way."

"That's why I have never released my brother and Jin'er from confinement, just to remind myself from time to time."

This is why the emperor has never been able to be intimate with the empress dowager.

The Empress Dowager has favored Prince Su since she was young. The Emperor has no resentment or hatred towards her, but he is just holding back his anger and doesn't want to be looked down upon.

I only hope that one day everyone will look at me with new eyes, and that the Queen Mother will regret her partiality and regret that she had chosen the wrong person.

But suddenly one day, Prince Su's rebellion failed and Prince Su's palace was destroyed.

When the emperor saw that his mother, who had always loved Prince Su, actually ignored him, as if this son was not her biological son, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart.

The emperor saw through the so-called favoritism and maternal love, which was nothing more than the empress dowager's bet on Prince Su.

Just because Prince Su can bring benefits to the Queen Mother.

The emperor's unfavored youngest son was useless and could not bring any benefits to the empress dowager.

After seeing all this, the emperor could no longer get over the hurdle in his heart.

The anger that was pent up in his heart suddenly turned into resentment and disgust.

When getting along with the Queen Mother, his mentality also became contradictory and distorted.

He saw through the Queen Mother's selfishness and coldness, and did not want her to live a good life by relying on his power.

But he also wanted to see the Queen Mother acting arrogantly by taking advantage of his power, so as to confirm his guess in his heart and become more contemptuous of the Queen Mother.

After feeling depressed and frustrated in his heart for so long, he finally took the opportunity today to speak it out.

The Queen Mother felt a chill in her heart, and suddenly felt a chill rushing to the soles of her feet.

Emperor: "As my mother said, I am a selfish, cold-blooded, and narrow-minded person."

"Why does my mother think she can control me by using filial piety?!"

The Queen Mother finally panicked, thinking of the Emperor and his people's temperament: "Emperor, are you going to kill me again?!"

The emperor looked at her coldly, "Of course a son wouldn't dare to kill his mother."

"My son is narrow-minded and holds grudges."

"If your majesty is understanding and considerate of you, I will naturally feel sorry for you. But if you remain stubborn and stubborn, I think it would be best for you to confess your sins before the Buddha."

"In your dreams at midnight, have you never dreamed of Empress Xiaohui, covered in blood, coming to you to appeal for justice?!"

The Queen Mother widened her eyes: "You..."

She wanted to insult the emperor, but was ultimately afraid of what he had just said.

She was afraid that the emperor would get angry and lock her up in Baohua Temple for life.

……

April 6th is the birthday of the fifth prince Xiao Cong.

The six palaces gathered at Showa Palace to celebrate the fifth prince's birthday.

Suddenly, the imperial edict came.

Eunuch Shi'an couldn't hide his smile as he slowly unfolded the imperial edict, "Noble Consort Xie, who exemplifies propriety, possesses a quiet and quiet demeanor, and is gentle and docile, is hereby canonized as Empress..."

Just as everyone was about to express their gratitude, Eunuch Shi'an suddenly took out another imperial edict and continued reading: "The Fifth Prince, Xiao Cong, is gifted, intelligent, virtuous, benevolent and filial, and is worthy of being the heir apparent. He is specially appointed as the Crown Prince, the hope of the entire nation..."

These were the two longest imperial edicts Xie Run had ever heard, and also the two most unforgettable ones.

It was not until Eunuch Shi'an smiled and called her "Empress" that she was helped to stand up in a daze.

The emperor wanted to enthrone her as queen, and this was known to everyone in the palace.

Everyone also expected that the emperor would choose the day when the fifth prince was born.

However, it was unexpected that along with the imperial edict to confer the title of empress, there was also an imperial edict to appoint the crown prince.

Xie Run's heart was in turmoil, but he finally accepted the order calmly.

Congratulations rang out all around.

Baozhen quietly asked Taotao: "Brother, what is a prince?"

"Is this something good? Why do people look at you as more greedy than the snacks in the imperial kitchen?"

Tao Tao: "...Don't talk nonsense!"

Taotao actually didn't quite understand the meaning of the prince, but was being congratulated enthusiastically by the people around him when he suddenly heard Baozhen's question.

He patted Baozhen's head and said, "The prince is... From now on, I will protect you, and no one can bully you!"

Baozhen's eyes lit up: "That prince is really a good guy."

The third princess beside her heard this and said happily, "I want fifth brother to protect me too!"

The second princess clapped her hands and laughed, "I want that, too!"

Tao Tao said proudly, "Don't worry, Fifth Brother will protect you from now on!"

Xie Run was beside him: "..."

Didn't see it.

The imperial edict came down during the day, and the emperor came to Showa Palace in the evening.

It is said that a long separation is better than a new marriage. The emperor's unexpected enthusiasm that night was like dry wood meeting a raging fire, which made Xie Run a little unable to resist.

For five consecutive days, the emperor stayed in Showa Palace.

Xie Run can be said to have enjoyed all the glory in the six palaces, and her position as a favorite concubine has been firmly established.

The former Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department of the harem are already preparing for the ceremony of enthroning the empress and the crown prince.

But someone mentioned another thing.

Draft.

Although the crown prince has been decided, the emperor still does not have many children.

The number of concubines in the harem is extremely small. Compared with the previous emperor, it is simply unbearable to look at.

Seeing the emperor's great achievements during his reign, the court officials were all eager to make a move.

You know, the emperor had returned from the expedition in person, but had not yet started to reward his troops.

Many people have made great achievements on the front line this time. When they are promoted to higher positions, the situation in the capital will probably become turbulent again.

At this time, if the emperor held a beauty contest, it was both a reward and an opportunity for those who wanted to curry favor with him.

The emperor didn't refuse, but he didn't agree either.

After the court session, the emperor went straight to Showa Palace.

After changing his clothes, he lazily lay on the couch and asked, "The court officials asked me to hold another beauty pageant. What do you think of Sui Sui?"